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Host-microbe interaction and homeostasis are essential for the maintenance of host health. These microbes mainly include gut, skin, and oral microbes. The strong association between gut microbes and host health and disease has long been established. Notably, recent studies have found that changes in host health are largely influenced by factors of oral origin (e.g., microorganisms, saliva, and diet), and these findings support the possibility that oral microorganisms may be an important target for intervention in host health. Therefore, several studies have proposed the concepts of the oral-gut, the -brain, and -liver axes. However, the interaction between the oral microbiome and host health has not been elaborated in detail. In this review, the distribution and spatial structure of microorganisms in different oral tissues were introduced, and the effects of microorganisms on oral health were analyzed. Based on the oral-gut and -brain axes, the mechanism of oral microorganisms affecting host health and diseases, including neurodegenerative and liver diseases, was expounded. Therefore, food intervention strategies (e.g., Probiotics, Polyphenol, Vitamins, Toothpaste, etc.) to target oral microorganisms and protect host health are proposed. • Diets and prebiotics have a significant effect in regulating oral microbiota. • The oral microbiome has been confirmed to be related to many diseases. • Food intervention strategies would be a new way to improve oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pueraria lobata root has garnered considerable attention for its remarkable hepatoprotective properties. In this study, we employed a pseudo-germ-free (PGF) mice model treated with antibiotics to investigate the effects of gut microbiota on the therapeutic efficacy of the extract of P. lobata root (PLE) in mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). The results demonstrated that mice not exposed to antibiotics exhibited significantly improved liver damage and inflammation, as well as a more diverse gut microbiota after PLE treatment compared to mice treated with antibiotics. It is noteworthy that these beneficial effects of PLE were partially attenuated following the administration of antibiotics. Furthermore, the serum of mice not exposed to antibiotics showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of daidzein. Cell experiments demonstrated that daidzein, a gut microbial metabolite of puerarin, is more effective than puerarin in improving cellular lipid deposition and reducing inflammation. In conclusion, our findings substantiate the pivotal role of the gut microbiota in the processes associated with PLE therapy for NAFLD and the gut microbiota may enhance the efficacy of PLE in treating NAFLD by metabolizing parent compounds, such as puerarin, into secondary metabolites, predominantly daidzein. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the therapeutic potential of botanical extracts in the management of liver diseases, particularly NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rate of obesity is rapidly increasing and has become a health and economic burden worldwide. As recent studies have revealed that the gut microbiota is closely linked to obesity, researchers have used various approaches to modulate the gut microbiota to treat the condition. Dietary composition and energy intake strongly affect the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Intestinal microbial changes alter the composition of bile acids and fatty acids and regulate bacterial lipopolysaccharide production, all of which influence energy metabolism and immunity. Evidence also suggests that remodeling the gut microbiota through intake of probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods, and dietary plants, as well as by fecal microbiota transplantation, are feasible methods to remediate obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • TGF-β1 induces time- and dose- dependently miR-217 downregulation in ASMCs. • miR-217 inhibits TGF-β1-induced ASMC proliferation and migration. • ZEB1 is identified as a direct target for miR-217 in ASMC. • Restoration of ZEB1 reverses miR-217-mediated ASMC proliferation and migration. Abstract Aberrant proliferation and migration of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) contribute to the pathogenesis of airway remodeling during asthma development. Here, the potential function of microRNA-217 (miR-217) on the cell proliferation and migration of TGF-β1-induced ASMCs and the involved mechanisms were investigated in this study. We found that miR-217 expression was apparently downregulated in a time and dose dependent characteristic in ASMCs exposed to transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β1) stimulation. Overexpression of miR-217 significantly inhibited TGF-β1-induced proliferation, migration, extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, but promoted apoptosis in ASMCs, whereas, miR-217 inhibitor showed an opposed effect. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of ZEB1 was a potential target for miR-217, which was further confirmed by luciferase activity, qRT-PCR and western blot assay. In addition, rescue experiment also displayed that restoration of ZEB1 expression partially abrogated the inhibitory effect of miR-217 on TGF-β1-induced proliferation and migration in ASMCs. By chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, we further confirmed that the binding of ZEB1 to the fibronectin promoter in TGF-β1-treated ASMCs was reduced by miR-217 overexpression. Therefore, our findings suggested the potential protective role of miR-217 on the attenuation of cell proliferation and migration was through targeting ZEB1 in TGF-β1-stimulated ASMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitivity enhanced surface plasmon resonance (SPR) immunosensor based on Graphene oxide (GO) composite and staphylococcal protein A (SPA) co-modified photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is developed for human IgG detection. The PCF spliced between two section of multimode fibers (MMFs) is sputtered with gold film, which was then modified with graphene oxide and SPA for further immunosensing. Graphene oxide with abundant functional groups has a large surface area for more biomolecules immobilization and can enhance the interaction between Au film and external medium, leading to the sensitivity increased greatly. SPA can specifically bind the Fc region of the antibodies and has a high degree of orientation for capturing antibodies. Experimental results indicated that the refractive index (RI) sensitivity of graphene oxide modified Au-PCF SPR sensor reaches 4649.8 nm/RIU, which is about 1888 nm/RIU higher than that without graphene oxide film and the human IgG detection limit reaches as low as 10 ng/mL. Such a sensitivity enhanced immunosensor based on graphene oxide and SPA co-modified PCF shows a great promise in biosensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is key to the stability of the internal environment of tissues. HA content in tissues gradually decreases with age, causing age-related health problems. Exogenous HA supplements are used to prevent or treat these problems including skin dryness and wrinkles, intestinal imbalance, xerophthalmia, and arthritis after absorption. Moreover, some probiotics are able to promote endogenous HA synthesis and alleviate symptoms caused by HA loss, thus introducing potential preventative or therapeutic applications of HA and probiotics. Here, we review the oral absorption, metabolism, and biological function of HA as well as the potential role of probiotics and HA in increasing the efficacy of HA supplements. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic inflammatory condition of the nasal mucosal tissue. Platycodin D (PLD), a triterpenoid saponin isolated from the root of Platycodon grandiflorum , has anti-inflammatory effects in a mouse model of allergic asthma. However, the anti-inflammatory effects of PLD in the nasal mucosa have not been deeply investigated. The objective was to investigate the effect of PLD on inflammatory cytokines and mucus production from nasal epithelial cells. Our study showed that PLD inhibited the levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and eotaxin in interleukin (IL)-13-stimulated RPMI2650 cells. PLD also suppressed IL-13-induced mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) expression in RPMI2650 cells. Moreover, PLD treatment prevented IL-13-induced p-NF-κB p65 expression in RPMI2650 cells, as well as MAPK signaling pathway activation. Taken together, our results provided evidence that PLD inhibits IL-13-induced the expression of inflammatory cytokines and mucus in nasal epithelial cells by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the critical issues associated with shale permeability measurements, a new experimental approach by modifying the traditional pressure-pulse decay method was developed. In order to reduce the measurement error caused by the pore volumes of the traditional method, we made a new design that the upstream and downstream reservoir volumes can be changed, In addition, we added a by-pass pipe to measure the bidirectional permeability instantaneously, which can reduce the total test time significantly. Except for nitrogen or helium, methane was utilized to measure the shale permeability in this work, which can be more practical and better understand the real gas transport mechanisms in shale. Furthermore, we modified the conventional interpretation model of permeability measurements by incorporating the physical mechanism of gas adsorption. We also performed a series of experimental measurements and data analyses using different cores from pure shale, sand shale, to sandstone, which are from the Ordos basin (Chang 7 section) in China. The results show that: (1) the error caused by the pore volume errors of the traditional method is decreased by nearly half if variable reservoir volumes are used. The total test time is reduced by around 7 h by adding the by-pass pipe on the apparatus. The value of permeability measured with methane is higher than that measured with nitrogen while lower than that measured with helium. (2) The effective gas adsorption porosity increases with the increasing Langmuir pressure and decreasing pore pressure. If without considering gas adsorption, the measured permeability value will be underestimated, especially under lower pore pressure, higher adsorption capacity, and higher Langmuir pressure. (3) The total error is less than 10% using this new apparatus and the modified permeability interpretation method. The measured permeability values are reliable by comparing the measurements using the new apparatus and the standard instrument of ProPDP-200 under the same condition. (4) The influence of gas adsorption on permeability measurement in shale cannot be ignored, and the permeability is underestimated by up to 97% in pure shale while by only 7.5% in sandstone if the gas adsorption is not taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probabilistic threshold query (PTQ), which returns all the objects satisfying the query with probabilities higher than a threshold, is widely used in uncertain database. Most previous work focused on the efficiency of query process, but paid no attention to the setting of thresholds. However, setting the extreme thresholds may lead to empty result or too many results. It is difficult for a user to set a suitable threshold for a query. In this paper, we propose a new framework for PTQs based on threshold classification using ELM, where the probability threshold is replaced by the range of result number which is more intuitive and easier to choose. We first introduce the features selected for the two most important PTQs, which are nearest neighbor (NN) and reverse nearest neighbor (RNN) queries. Then a threshold classification algorithm (TCA) using ELM is proposed to set a suitable threshold for the query, where plurality voting method is applied. Further, the PTQ processing integrated with TCA are presented, and a dynamic classification strategy is proposed subsequently. Extensive experiments show that compared with the thresholds those the users input directly, the thresholds chosen by ELM classifiers are more suitable, which further improves the performance of PTQs algorithms. In addition, ELM outperforms SVM with regard to both the response time and classification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this era of big data, analyzing large scale data efficiently and accurately has become a challenging problem. As one of the ELM variants, online sequential extreme learning machine (OS-ELM) provides a method to analyze incremental data. Ensemble methods provide a way to learn from data more accurately. MapReduce, which provides a simple, scalable and fault-tolerant framework, can be utilized for large scale learning. In this paper, we first propose an ensemble OS-ELM framework which supports any combination of bagging, subspace partitioning and cross validation. Then we design a parallel ensemble of online sequential extreme learning machine (PEOS-ELM) algorithm based on MapReduce for large scale learning. PEOS-ELM algorithm is evaluated with real and synthetic data with the maximum number of training data 5120K and the maximum number of attributes 512. The speedup of this algorithm reaches as high as 40 on a cluster with maximum 80 cores. The accuracy of PEOS-ELM algorithm is at the same level as that of ensemble OS-ELM executing on a single machine, which is higher than that of the original OS-ELM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The nest fungus Cyathus gansuensis was fermented on rice. [•] Seven new cyathane diterpenes (Cyathins J–P) were purified and identified. [•] Their structures were elucidated by NMR and MS data analysis. [•] New diterpenes (Cyathins J, K and M) presented moderate NO inhibitory activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To solve the problem of available water conservation in sand fixation, the clay-based air-permeable and water-retention material which was used to plant grass and stabilize sand in desertification region was prepared with clay modified by emulsifying discarded vegetable oil and emulsifier OP-10. The water retention property was studied in simulating desertification environmental climate and the materials were characterized by means of UV-Vis, SEM, TG and porosity analysis. The result showed that the materials has excellent air-permeable and water-retention properties, which owning to that vegetable oil adhering evenly to clay particle surfaces, making the clay pores changing from hydrophilic to hydrophobic and so inhibiting the water evaporation. Grass-planting experiment showed that, with reasonable mass ratio of emulsifier, vegetable oil and soil particles being 1:4:20, the materials not only inhibits water evaporation but also maintains sound air permeability so shat the germination rate and survival rate of grass was significantly improved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A review is presented on high temperature measurement technology based on sapphire optical fiber. This review paper focuses on the sensing theory, sensor structures and sensing performances of different sapphire fiber sensors. Firstly, there is discussion on pyrometer made from sapphire fiber and description on its corresponding sensing properties. Secondly, there are summary on sapphire fiber Bragg grating (SFBG) inscribed by different methods for high temperature measurement. Thirdly, there are analysis on sapphire fiber sensors based on Fabry Perot (FP) interference with different structures. All above, subsequently, lead to the discussion on microwave interferometry and Raman scattering-based sapphire fiber sensors. Then a sensing performance comparison of sapphire pyrometers based on different detection principles are discussed. On the premise of all above, a future prospect and development trend of high-temperature sapphire fiber sensor are addressed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Construct a multi-parameter collision automated simulation framework, integrate the Monte Carlo sampling algorithm, and create a collision damage dataset. • The MLP + XGBoost fusion regression algorithm is used to predict and analyze the cyclist's head collision injury dataset. • The NCP model is introduced to replace the traditional trajectory prediction algorithm based on LSTM and GRU to reduce the complexity of the network model. • An autonomous vehicle trajectory planning algorithm based on cyclist head injury prediction was developed. Due to the escalating occurrence and high casualty rates of accidents involving Electric Two-Wheelers (E2Ws), it has become a major safety concern on the roads. Additionally, with the widespread adoption of current autonomous driving technology, a greater challenge has arisen for the safety of vulnerable road participants. Most existing trajectory planning methods primarily focus on the safety, comfort, and dynamics of autonomous vehicles themselves, often overlooking the protection of vulnerable road users (VRUs), typically E2W riders. This paper aims to investigate the kinematic response of E2Ws in vehicle collisions, including the 15 ms Head Injury Criterion (HIC 15). It analyzes the impact of key collision parameters on head injuries, establishes injury prediction models for anticipated scenarios, and proposes a trajectory planning framework for autonomous vehicles based on predicting head injuries of VRUs. Firstly, a multi-rigid-body model of two-wheeler-vehicle collision was established based on a real accident database, incorporating four critical collision parameters (initial collision velocity, initial collision position, and collision angle). The accuracy of the multi-rigid-body model was validated through verifications with real fatal accidents to parameterize the collision scenario. Secondly, a large-scale effective crash dataset has been established by the multi-parameterized crash simulation automation framework combined with Monte Carlo sampling algorithm. The training and testing of the injury prediction model were implemented based on the MLP + XGBoost regression algorithm on this dataset to explore the potential relationship between the head injuries of the E2W riders and the crash variables. Finally, based on the proposed injury prediction model, this paper generated a trajectory planning framework for autonomous vehicles based on head collision injury prediction for VRUs, aiming to achieve a fair distribution of collision risks among road users. The accident reconstruction results show that the maximum error in the final relative positions of the E2W, the car, and the E2W rider compared to the real accident scene is 11 %, demonstrating the reliability of the reconstructed model. The injury prediction results indicate that the MLP + XGBoost regression prediction model used in this article achieved an R2 of 0.92 on the test set. Additionally, the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed trajectory planning algorithm were validated in a manually designed autonomous driving traffic flow scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sargentodoxa cuneata , containing syringaresinol and its glycoside liriodendrin as the main bioactive compounds, is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine for treating intestinal inflammation. In our preliminary study, liriodendrin inhibited NF-kB activation in sepsis-induced acute lung injury. The present study was designed to investigate its effect on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in a mouse model and to explore the possible related mechanisms. Experimental colitis was established by giving mice drinking water containing 3% (w/v) DSS for 7 days. The mice were pretreated with liriodendrin (100 mg/kg/day, intragastrically) 3 days before DSS treatment. We determined the effects of liriodendrin on disease activity index (DAI), colon length, histopathological examination, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory activities. Our results showed that liriodendrin greatly decreased MPO and MDA activities and significantly increased SOD and GPx activities in the colon. Moreover, liriodendrin improved DAI, colon length and histological damage in colon and reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-a, IL-1β and IL-6. Meanwhile, assessments by western blot revealed that liriodendrin significantly suppressed the activation of Akt and NF-κB pathways and up-regulated the expression of ERβ in the colon. In vitro, liriodendrin down-regulated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppressed NF-κB signalling pathways in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, syringaresinol, the hydrolysate of liriodendrin, more potently down-regulated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppressed NF-κB and Akt signalling pathways in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages,which were abolished by using a pure ER antagonist, ICI182, 780. Taken together, liriodendrin-mediated suppression of inflammatory damage in the colon may be attributable to the in vivo transformation to syringaresinol and liriodendrin may be a promising therapeutic approach preventive agent for colitis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neural mechanisms underlying the processing of novel metaphors created from poetic contexts have been investigated in previous experiments. Considering the different attributes of metaphors, the current study compared the temporal dynamics for processing two kinds of novel metaphors with event-related potentials (ERPs): scientific metaphors and poetic metaphors. Amplitudes of the N400 (350–450 ms) were similar for scientific metaphors and poetic metaphors. Within the LPC window (550–850 ms), ERPs associated with these two kinds of novel metaphors were observed every 100 ms in three successive subwindows. We found that due to a sustained late negativity overlapping in time and space with the LPC scientific metaphors seemingly elicited the least positive LPC throughout. More importantly, with the passage of time, the LPC waveforms for scientific metaphors diverged from those for poetic metaphors and conventional metaphors while LPC waveforms for poetic metaphors converged with those for conventional metaphors. The reported results indicate the possible different time courses for processing novel metaphors with different contextual structures and different functions. And the findings are compatible with recent brain imaging studies and complement them by adding such new dimensions as the temporal dynamics and the properties of novel metaphors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imaging mass cytometry (IMC) is a new technology integrating mass spectrometry, high-resolution laser ablation and immunohistochemistry/cytochemistry. A unique high-dimensional perspective comprehensively and accurately depicts the complex interaction of phenotype, signalling pathway and tumour microenvironment and is widely used in solid tumours. However, the application scenarios of IMC in basic medicine and clinical research in solid tumours lack systematic introduction and classification. This paper reviews the application of IMC in depicting the panorama of the tumour microenvironment, revealing tumour spatial heterogeneity, clarifying tumour pharmacological mechanisms, assisting in new drug development, and dynamically evaluating the efficacy of immunotherapy in solid tumours. • IMC is a new technology integrating mass spectrometry, high-resolution laser ablation and immunohistochemistry. • This paper reviews the application of IMC in basic laboratory studies, preclinical studies and clinical observations in solid tumours. • It can depict the complex phenotypes in tissue and tumour microenvironment. • IMC is a powerful tool for solid tumour transformation research and precision treatment as new technology. • The existing research cases are classified and summarized, meanwhile the clinical trials using IMC are listed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pore structure and fluid mobility are important factors affecting reservoir quality evaluation and effective hydrocarbon resource assessment in tight sandstone reservoirs. In this research, 14 tight sandstone samples from the Chang 7 member of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Longdong area of the Ordos Basin were analyzed through high-pressure mercury injection (HPMI), low-temperature nitrogen adsorption (LTNA) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments to clarify the pore-throat structure characteristics of tight sandstone reservoirs and their influence on the occurrence characteristics and mobility of reservoir fluids. The results suggest that the different distributions and combinations of pore and throat types and sizes resulted in three pore-throat structures and four pore-throat spaces in the study area, corresponding to different occurrence characteristics of movable fluid. Among them, the type I pore-throat structure is characterized by large pore throats, high pore-throat connectivity and weak heterogeneity, with the highest corresponding average movable fluid saturation (MFS) and movable fluid porosity (MFP). The pore-throat size distribution (PSD) of type II pore-throat structure has bimodal characteristics with a low pore-throat sorting degree but a good pores and throats configuration relationship with the higher average MFS and MFP. The type III pore-throat structure has developed intercrystalline pores with a smaller average pore-throat radius, the highest fractal dimension and the lowest fluid mobility. Micropores and mesopores, as the main pore-throat spaces in the three types of pore-throat structures, are the main contributors to the petrophysical properties and the main occurrence place for movable fluids. Nanopores with strong heterogeneity and macropores with high permeability both occupy small pore-throat spaces and have little influence on reservoir fluid mobility. It is thus cleat that the pore-throat structure of tight sandstone reservoirs is the main factor affecting reservoir fluid mobility. More specifically, a pore-throat structure with a large pore-throat radius, good pore-throat connectivity and weak heterogeneity is favorable to the occurrence and seepage of movable fluids. Moreover, reservoir fluid mobility is comprehensively influenced by reservoir petrophysical properties and various clay minerals. Lower clay mineral contents and higher reservoir quality are conducive to the high flowability of tight sandstone reservoir fluids. • HPMI and LTNA are combined to transform the NMR movable fluid T 2 spectrum to construct the full PSD curves. • The influence of different pore-throat structures and PSDs on reservoir fluid mobility is elucidated. • The pore-throat connectivity and heterogeneity are important factors affecting reservoir fluid mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HT reduced the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in LPS-stimulated microglia. • HT reduced the expression of M1 marker CD86, while increased that of M2 marker CD206. • HT inhibited the LPS-induced NF-κB activation and ERK signaling pathway in BV2 cells. • In vivo administration of HT inhibited the LPS-induced neuroinflammatory responses. Neuroinflammation has been implicated in the mechanism underlying the progression of neurodegeneration and infectious neuropathology. Growing evidence suggest that hydroxytyrosol (3,4-dihydroxyphenil-ethanol, HT), one of the main polyphenols presented in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), has shown potential anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. However, the potential anti-neuroinflammation activity and underlying mechanism of HT remain poorly understood. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of HT on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in both in vitro and in vivo models and the associated molecular mechanism. Our results revealed that HT significantly reduced the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in BV2 microglia and primary microglia cells. Phenotypic analysis showed that HT significantly reduced M1 marker CD86 expression and increased M2 marker CD206 expression. In addition, HT significantly decreased the levels of phospho-NF-κB p65 and phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, HT suppressed the LPS-induced Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) in BV2 microglia. In vivo administration of HT following LPS injection significantly reduced some proinflammatory mediator levels and microglia/astrocyte activation in the brain. Together, these results suggest that HT suppressed the LPS-induced neuroinflammatory responses via modulation of microglia M1/M2 polarization and downregulation of TLR-4 mediated NF-κB activation and ERK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The multiple relevance of 2-AG in the pathogenesis and progression in PDAC. • 2-AG induced DC phenotypic maturation and inhibited pancreatic cancer proliferation. • 2-AG could also induce MDSCs expansion in tumor bearing mice. The pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) microenvironment plays a critical role in the antitumor immune response. 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) exhibits a direct antitumor effect in various tumor models. However, the immunomodulatory effect of 2-AG on PDAC remains obscure. The aim of this study was to explore the tumor microenvironment response to 2-AG in pancreatic cancer. A PDAC orthotopic tumor model was used to investigate tumor proliferation and the population of immune cells in vivo , including dendritic cells (DCs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells. The effect of 2-AG on panc02 cell proliferation and DC2.4 cell maturation in vitro by mediating activation the typical cannabinoid receptors (CB1, CB2) was evaluated by flow cytometry and CCK8. The protein levels of P-STAT6, STAT6 and GADPH were measured by Western blotting.2-AG inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation in tumor bearing mice and panc02 cell. Inhibition of proliferation was blocked by the CB1receptor antagonist (AM251) but not the CB2 receptor antagonist (AM630). In addition, 2-AG promoted DC phenotypic maturation and the production of proinflammatory cytokines by up-regulating p-STAT6. These effects were also blocked by AM251 but not AM630. Moreover, we also provide evidence that 2-AG administration induced the expansion of MDSCs in tumor bearing mice. However, no effect on the population of CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells was observed. Our findings support 2-AG exhibited direct antitumor effects via inhibiting pancreatic cancer proliferation and inducing DC phenotypic maturation, but also significantly promoted an immunosuppressive microenvironment via increasing the suppressive immune cell population of MDSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aims GPR18, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), is involved in bacterial clearance and survival in microbial sepsis. In this study, we examine GPR18 expression on polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) of patients with sepsis and to determine the potential association with disease severity and outcomes. Main methods We enrolled 81 patients admitted at the intensive care unit (ICU) with the diagnosis of sepsis. PMNs GPR18 expression was measured by flow cytometry at admission. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHEII) as well as other biomarker were measured at admission. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the influence of PMNs GPR18 expression on 28-day mortality. Key findings Patients with sepsis had a decreased percentage of PMNs bearing GPR18 in comparison with healthy subjects (P < 0.001). Compared with survivors, non-survivors had lower percentage of GPR18-positive PMNs, but higher SOFA, APACHEIIscores, and WBC count. There were inverse correlations between the percentage of GPR18-positive PMNs and APACHEII, SOFA score and C-recreative protein (CRP). Using Kaplan-Meier analysis, high percentage of PMNs expressing GPR18 (≥43.7%) was associated with a preferable 28-day survival (P = 0.004). High percentage of PMNs expressing GPR18 (≥43.7%) was significantly and independently associated with 28-day mortality, with a hazard ratio of 0.36 (P = 0.37). Moreover, LPS-Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 signaling mediated the GPR18 expression on PMNs. Significance These results indicate that decreased percentage GPR18-positive PMNs is associated with increased severity and poorer outcome of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies regarding the pollen transport and deposition in children nasal airways are still scarce, especially the regional deposition doses, which is difficult to provide guidance for precise application of pollen blockers and nasal administration. In addition, most previous investigations included only one child case, which lacked statistical significance. To this end, we used computational fluid particle dynamics (CFPD) modeling approach to calculate the deposition pattern of Artemisia pollen at various anatomical sites in the upper airway of 12 children with adenoid hypertrophy (AH), and analyzed the effects of respiratory flow rate and pollen density on the deposition distribution. Adult nasal airways from our previous study were included for data comparison. We found that nasal cavities of children with AH aged 4–6 years had a greater area/volume ratio than adults did, and the area and volume of the turbinate region were less than half that of adults. The physical diameter of Artemisia pollen was set to 21.0 μm, with a shape of ellipsoid. Its average density is 1080 kg/m3 in the humid state and 550 kg/m3 in the dry state. In resting state, children with AH had higher deposition rates of wet Artemisia pollen in the nasal septum and nasopharynx, and lower deposition rates in the nasal vestibule and middle turbinate compared with adults. Under exercising conditions, wet pollen was deposited mainly in the nasal vestibule and the anterior part of the nasal septum in children. Compared to wet pollen, the deposition rate of dry Artemisia pollen in resting state was approximately halved and the pollen entering the lower respiratory tract rose approximately 47-fold. The findings suggest that nasal cavities of children are not simply scaled-down version of adults. Notable differences in deposition hotspots and deposition patterns have been discovered between the two. The deposition hotspots shifted significantly forward as the respiratory flow rate increased. Dry Artemisia pollen has a low density and is more likely to enter the lower respiratory airways, which may put children at a higher risk of developing asthma. • Quantitative studies of particle deposition were performed in the largest cohort of children with adenoid hypertrophy. • The interaction among nasal anatomy, airflow and particles is described qualitatively and quantitatively. • The geometric features of the nasal cavity in children aged 4–6 years were quantified. • The correlation between deposition hotspots and allergic symptoms in children was revealed. • A database of Artemisia pollen deposition in the upper airway of children with adenoid hypertrophy was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The probabilistic group nearest neighbor(PGNN) query , which returns all the uncertain objects whose probabilities of being the group nearest neighbor (GNN) results exceed a user-specified threshold, is widely used in uncertain database. Most existing work for answering PGNN queries adopted a general framework which consist of three phases: spatial pruning, probabilistic pruning, refinement . In the probabilistic pruning phase, dividing the uncertain regions into many partitions to derive a tighter probabilities bounds is a common method. However, there is a tradeoff between the computational cost of probabilistic pruning phase and refinement phase controlled by the granularity of the partitions. In this paper, we study the problem of setting the optimal granularity of the partitions for uncertain objects, and propose a new framework for PGNN queries based on granularity classification using ELM such that the overall cost is minimized. In addition, to improve the accuracy of classification and make the classifier applicable to the dynamic environment, a plurality voting method and a dynamic classification strategy are proposed respectively. Extensive experiments shows that compared with the default granularities of the partitions, the granularities chosen by ELM classifiers are more proper, which further improves the performance of PGNN query algorithm. In addition, ELM outperforms SVM with regard to both the response time and classification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to complement current debates and open questions in the field of figurative language comprehension, the current paper investigated how metaphors from different kinds of contexts are electrophysiologically processed. For the first time, we compared comprehension of scientific metaphors with that of conventional ones using event-related potentials (ERPs). Scientific metaphors have the unique semantic structure with two different contexts and inference involvement for knowledge-understanding. By time-locking the N400 and later LPC time windows, the present study shows the different stages of meaning integration when comprehending figurative language. The N400 amplitudes to the last word of the sentence varied as a function of expression type in a graded manner increasing from literal sentences to conventional metaphors, and to scientific metaphors. N400s elicited by scientific metaphors showed central-parietal-right-biased scalp distributions. Scientific metaphors also elicited a late negativity in the LPC window simultaneously on the left and right hemispheres suggesting further attempts to integrate meaning when scientific inference is involved. These findings of scientific metaphors might test some related metaphor-processing models to a greater extent. The reported results also demonstrate that the left and right hemispheres of the brain work together in a complex dynamic pattern during literal and figurative language comprehension and that the right hemisphere is necessarily involved, but not sufficient, for understanding metaphoric expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three mol. % yttria stabilized zirconia (3Y-TZP) with Graphene platelets (GNPs) powder mixture was produced by ball milling using dimethyl formamide (DMF) as dispersion media. The GNPs-reinforced 3Y-TZP composites were densified (~99%) by field assisted sintering technology (FAST). A homogeneous dispersion of GNPs in 3Y-TZP is observed from the sintered samples, and the GNPs are bent and embedded between the grains, which results in increasing the contact area. The trans-granular mechanism of crack propagation becomes increasingly dominant by adding GNPs. The fracture toughness reaches 15.3 MPa·m 1/2 , as tested by single-edge notched beam method, which reflects an increase of 61% compared to GNPs-free 3Y-TZP. On the other hand, with higher GNPs content, the improvement in fracture toughness is limited. Toughening mechanisms, as determined through micro-hardness testing, including pull out, crack deflection, crack bridging, and micro-cracks, are observed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• (−)-SYR reduced proinflammatory mediator production in LPS-activated BV2 cells. • (−)-SYR modulated the M/M2 polarization of LPS-stimulated BV2 cells. • (−)-SYR suppressed LPS-induced neuroinflammation by inhibiting NF-κB activation. • ERβ was involved in anti-inflammatory effects of (−)-SYR in LPS-activated BV2 cells. • In vivo administration of (−)-SYR reduced LPS-induced neuroinflammatory responses. Albiziae Cortex (AC) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine with sedative-hypnotic effects and neuroprotective ability. However, the bioactive components of AC responsible for the neuro-protective actitivity remain unknown. Here, we investigated the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of (−)-syringaresinol (SYR) extracted from AC in microglia cells and wild-type mice. As a result, (−)-SYR significantly reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of interleukin – 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin −1 beta (IL-1β), cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2), and nitric oxide (NO) in BV2 microglia cells. (−)-SYR also significantly reduced M1 marker CD40 expression and increased M2 marker CD206 expression. Moreover, we found that (−)-SYR inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB activation by suppressing the translocation of NF-κB p65 into the nucleus in a concentration-dependent manner. Meanwhile, estrogen receptor β (ERβ) was found to be implied in the anti-inflammatory activity of (−)-SYR in BV2 microglia. In vivo experiments revealed that administration of (−)-SYR in mice significantly reduced microglia/astrocytes activation and mRNA levels of proinflammatory mediators. Taken together, our data indicated that (−)-SYR exerted the anti-neuroinflammatory effects by inhibiting NF-κB activation and modulation of microglia polarization, and via interaction with ERβ. The anti-neuroinflammatory activity of (−)-SYR may provide a new therapeutic avenue for the treatment of brain diseases associated with inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various methods have been used to improve mechanical and thermal performance of electrospun separators in order to implement or scale up their application in batteries. Here a combination of organic & inorganic doping, hot-pressing and coaxial electrospinning technique is employed to develop a core@shell – PAN/HCNFs@PVDF/UiO-66 – composite membrane (PAN: polyacrylonitrile, HCNFs: helical carbon nanofibers, PVDF: poly (vinylidene fluoride), UiO-66: a Zr-based Metal-Organic Framework). The core@shell structure is demonstrated in the electrospun fibers. With the synergetic effect of hot-pressing and the PAN/HCNFs core layer, the fiber membrane can stand tension up to 24.77 MPa. The core layer also helps the electrospun membrane keep intact profile at 200 °C. Besides the HCNFs can support the fibers without serious shape change during the hot-pressing treatment, facilitating retention of high porosity (77.61%). The PVDF/UiO-66 shell layer provides good affinity to electrolyte causing excellent electrochemical performance of lithium ion batteries with the composite membranes. Image 1 • A core@shell composite membrane is fabricated by coaxial electrospinning. • The composite membrane processes high mechanical strength. • The composite membrane retains intact profile at 200 °C. • High porosity and electrolyte uptake are achieved in this composite membrane. • Better electrochemical performance than commercial separator is acquired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]