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Dust resuspension from four typical fabrics (cotton, linen, silk, and polyester) exposed to airflow with common velocities within 0–10 m/s, including a moving fabric case and a fixed fabric case, was experimentally studied in this article. A set of empirical correlations, involving air velocity, fabric motion mode, fabric type, and airflow duration was developed to describe and predict the moving fabric case. It was found that a stronger-than-expected resuspension was triggered by short-term accelerating airflow. The resuspension enhancement of over 90% was reported for the moving fabrics compared with the fixed ones. Fabric motion induced by airflow was proposed to account for these resuspension findings. Fabric acceleration was then demonstrated to be a key factor in evaluating the resuspension for such a scenario. This article not only reveals an inconspicuous phenomenon of dust resuspension from fabrics under the impact of airflow and consequent fabric motion, but also provides a theoretical basis for particulate matter assessment and regulation. Copyright © 2024 American Association for Aerosol Research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TDI CMOS image sensors are the most widely used photodetectors in space earth observation and multispectral imaging. The displacement damage caused by high-energy proton irradiation in the space environment leads to the continuous degradation of TDI CMOS image sensor parameters, seriously affecting its performance, reliability, and service life. This paper focuses on a space-based TDI CMOS image sensor chip and carries out 3 MeV proton irradiation tests and post-irradiation annealing tests to obtain the change rules of optical and electrical parameters. The degradation mechanism of sensitive parameters of TDI CMOS image sensors caused by proton irradiation is analyzed, and the sensitive region of proton displacement damage are discussed. The study demonstrates that after proton irradiation, the parameters especially full well capacity and temporal dark noise of the device degrade less, with small sensitivity to proton irradiation. However, the dark current, CTE, and pixel column FPN significantly degrade, and the degree of degradation is linearly related to the proton irradiation dose. In addition, the test also obtained the short-term and long-term annealing changes of sensitive parameters after proton irradiation of TDI CMOS image sensors, providing scientific advice for TDI CMOS image sensors space proton radiation effect tests and evaluations. The research results of this paper provide important references for the evaluation of radiation effects, on-orbit performance estimation, and radiation resistance reinforcement of space-based TDI CMOS image sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CMOS image sensors in optical payloads are susceptible to single-event effects when irradiated by high-energy protons from the spatial radiation environment. Single-event transients in images primarily manifest as bright spots, and the characteristics of transient bright spots generated under different incident conditions exhibit some differences. In this study, we conducted proton irradiation experiments on CMOS image sensors at different energy levels and incident angles. The characteristics of single-event transient bright spots generated under various incident conditions were extracted and analysed in detail. Furthermore, the abnormal phenomena of different functional modules of CMOS image sensors observed during proton irradiation experiments were investigated. The results of this study establish the foundation for classifying the detected targets and transient bright spots, indicating that the validation of CMOS image sensor radiation reliability should account for functional abnormalities resulting from high-energy proton irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning methods have greatly promoted the ship detection performance in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. However, due to the different imaging mechanisms and target characteristics, detecting ships in SAR imagery precisely and efficiently is still challenging. To address this issue, a streamlined rotational ship detection network (SRSD-Net) is proposed in this letter. First, we construct a lightweight network using one-level feature and a receptive field block (RFB) to extract ship features with rich context. Second, a simple and effective representation for rotated ship bounding boxes using the minimum external horizontal box and two phase factors is proposed. Finally, to reduce the missed detections of small ships, k-nearest label assignment (KNLA) is designed to make all targets equally contribute to the network training. Extensive experiments are conducted on high-resolution SAR images dataset (HRSID) and the results show that the proposed method can achieve high detection accuracy with low computational cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractFungal α/β-glucans have significant importance in cellular functions including cell wall structure, host-pathogen interactions and energy storage, and wide application in high-profile fields, including food, nutrition, and pharmaceuticals. Fungal species and their growth/developmental stages result in a diversity of glucan contents, structures and bioactivities. Substantial progresses have been made to elucidate the fine structures and functions, and reveal the potential molecular synthesis pathway of fungal α/β-glucans. Herein, we review the current knowledge about the biosynthetic machineries, including: precursor UDP-glucose synthesis, initiation, elongation/termination and remodeling of α/β-glucan chains, and molecular regulation to maximally produce glucans in edible fungi. This review would provide future perspectives to biosynthesize the targeted glucans and reveal the catalytic mechanism of enzymes associated with glucan synthesis, including: UDP-glucose pyrophosphate phosphorylases (UGP), glucan synthases, and glucanosyltransferases in edible fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the clinical and molecular characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of early-onset autosomal dominant neovascular inflammatory vitreoretinopathy (ADNIV) in Chinese patients. A retrospective, interventional case series was assembled from three ADNIV patients. The three ADNIV cases harbored de novo CAPN5 mutations (p.Arg289Trp and p.Leu73Val). The ages of onset ranged from 11 months to 2 years. All the cases presented with vitreous opacity and subretinal inflammatory exudations. During the postoperative follow-up, all the patients manifested with exaggerated postoperative inflammatory responses. An intravitreal Ozurdex injection could not effectively control ocular inflammation in ADNIV. Laser spots after panretinal photocoagulation were partly visible. Two de novo CAPN5 mutations (p.Leu73Val and p.Arg289Trp) could cause early-onset ADNIV. Panretinal photocoagulation during vitrectomy and an intravitreal Ozurdex injection could not significantly stop the progression of subretinal exudations and ocular inflammation in early-onset ADNIV patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cement slurry is an important lost circulation material. However, as oil and gas exploration continues toward deeper stratum, the majority of conventional cement retarders are insufficient at these depths. This research identified a synthetic high-temperature copolymer retarder as a potential replacement product, containing sodium styrene sulfonate (SSS)/itaconic acid (IA)/N-vinylcaprolactam (NVCL). By analyzing the effects of monomer mass ratios, initiator concentration, reaction temperature, and pH value of the solution on the thickening time, the ideal reaction conditions of the copolymer retarder were confirmed to be the mass ratio of monomers SSS/IA/NVCL (SNI) = 13/4/1, initiator concentration = 1.0 wt%, reaction temperature = 55 °C, and pH value = 4. Nuclear magnetic resonance proton spectroscopy (1HNMR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) were used to characterize the resulting copolymer, and its morphology was studied. The results demonstrate that SNI possesses excellent thermal resistance and that the microstructure is conducive to producing good retarding properties under high temperature (150 °C). SNI has temperature-sensitive associative characteristics, making the cement achieve good sedimentation stability due to the high-temperature retarder. SNI-based slurry has excellent overall performance, is simple to control and regulate, and can meet leakage-stopping requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of SiC power devices in the space radiation environment not only requires good resistance to Single Event Effect (SEE) but also requires certain resistance to Total Ionizing Dose (TID) and long-term reliability. Increasing the thickness of the gate oxide layer (tox) can effectively improve the ability of SiC VDMOS to resist SEE. However, it will mainly impact its resistance to TID and Gate Oxide Integrity (GOI). Therefore, this paper compares the influence of tox on the radiation resistance and long-term reliability of SiC VDMOS under the same process and irradiation conditions. The experimental results show that after being irradiated by Cobalt-60 γ-rays, the static parameters of SiC VDMOS devices degrade severely with the increase of the tox; at the same time, the thick gate oxide process will also cause more defects in the gate oxide, leading to the decrease of the gate oxide long-term reliability, but it can be significantly improved after high temperature (HT) accelerated annealing. The research results suggest that the method of increasing tox should take into account the requirements of TID resistance and long-term reliability when improving the SEE radiation resistance of SiC VDMOS. This study is based on the improvement of electrical parameters and the analysis of reliability degradation of SiC VDMOS, providing experimental data support for determining the balance point of tox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the associations between social jetlag and depressive symptoms and further analyze the interaction of social jetlag and chronic diseases on depressive symptoms among adults. Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey. Information on social jetlag, depressive symptoms, demographic characteristics, lifestyles, and health situations were collected via a structured self-administered questionnaire. The multivariable logistic regression analyses and restricted cubic splines regression were performed to test the association between social jetlag and depressive symptoms. The multiplicative model was applied to analyze the interaction of social jetlag and chronic disease on depressive symptoms. A total of 5818 adults were included and the prevalence of social jetlag was 22.95%. After multivariable adjustment, adults who experienced more than 2 hours of social jetlag had a significantly greater risk of depressive symptoms (OR = 1.43,95%CI:1.00–2.05, P = 0.049). Compared with participants having<1 hour of social jetlag and no chronic disease, participants having chronic disease were more likely to report depressive symptoms(OR = 3.22,95%CI = 2.59–4.00, P < 0.001). Moreover, among those who have chronic disease, the greater the social jetlag they reported, the greater risk of depressive symptoms they have (OR = 3.81,95%CI = 2.77–5.33, P < 0.001; OR = 4.08,95%CI = 2.24–7.43, P < 0.001). Social jetlag was linearly associated the with risk of depressive symptoms, according to restricted cubic splines. This study shows that 22.95% adults experience more than 1 hour of social jetlag. Social jetlag was positively associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms. Among those who have chronic disease, the greater the social jetlag they reported, the greater risk of depressive symptoms they have. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the effect of temperature on proton radiation in the charge-coupled device (CCD), charge transfer efficiency (CTE) and dark current are tested at different temperatures on interline transfer CCD irradiated with protons. The aim of this paper is to analyze the characteristics of the defects introduced by proton irradiation in CCD and describe the mechanism of temperature effect on sensitive parameters of proton radiation effect in CCD. For the increasing temperature of −50°C ∼40°C, CTE begins with a decrease, followed by a minimum of 0°C, and ends with an increase; dark current (DC) increases significantly with the increasing temperature. By combining these results, a conclusion is made that temperature will affect the effect of defect introduced by proton, including the effect of the defect on the carrier mobility and lifetime, so as to affect the performance parameters of CCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the clinical efficacy of percutaneous functional spinal unit cementoplasty (PFSUP) and posterior spinal fixation combined with vertebroplasty (PSF + VP) for the treatment of symptomatic chronic osteoporotic vertebral fractures (SCOVFs). Thirty-one patients with SCOVFs were included in this retrospective study and divided into PFSUP (n = 14) and PSF + VP (n = 17) groups. Visual analog scores (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were recorded before and after surgery and at the last follow-up. Besides, the local kyphosis angle (LKA) and sagittal vertical axis (SVA) were measured. The operation duration, number of X-ray exposures, amount of blood loss, bed rest duration, hospitalization duration, and presence of complications were recorded. The VAS, ODI, LKA, and SVA after surgery and at the last follow-up were significantly improved in both groups compared to preoperative measurements. The PFSUP group experienced shorter operation duration (78.2 ± 13.1 vs. 124.7 ± 14.7, p < 0.001), less blood loss (31.1 ± 8.1 vs. 334.7 ± 70.9, p < 0.001), more X-ray exposures (92.1 ± 14.3 vs. 29.4 ± 5.5, p < 0.001), shorter bed rest duration (12.4 ± 3.8 vs. 43.4 ± 10.0, p < 0.001), shorter hospitalization (6.6 ± 2.4 vs. 10.9 ± 2.7, p < 0.001), lower complication rate (28.5% vs. 64.7%, p < 0.05), and higher cement leakage rate (42.9% vs. 5.8%, p < 0.05) than the PSF + VP group. During the treatment of SCOVFs, the combination of PFSUP and PSF + VP can restore spinal stability, improve kyphosis, and relieve pain. PFSUP can reduce blood loss and complications, early mobilization, and shorten the hospital stay, but it is associated with a higher cement leakage rate and more radiation exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pseudohemiculter hainanensis (Boulenger, 1900) is a small Cyprinidae fish that has a wide distribution in China. In this study, we characterized the complete mitochondrial genome of P. hainanensis by the Illumina NovaSeq sequencing platform in Guangxi, China. The assembled mitogenome is 16,647 base pairs (bp) and consists of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs, two ribosomal RNAs, and a control region (D-loop). Nucleotide composition of the complete mitogenome is 29.69% (A), 24.82% (T), 27.97% (C), and 17.52% (G), with an A + T bias of 54.51%. The maximum-likelihood tree based on 13 PCGs showed that Pseudohemiculter hainanensis formed an independent lineage and P. hainanensis was closer to T. houdemeri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To verify glomerular PLA2R antigen and serum PLA2R antibody expression in membranous nephropathy as well as to explore glomerular PLA2R efficacy in evaluating the prognosis of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) in the background of different serum anti-PLA2R levels. We retrospectively analyzed 155 patients who were diagnosed with IMN by kidney biopsy. Patients were divided into six groups according to their serum PLA2R antibody or glomerular PLA2R antigen positiveness and the level of serum anti-PLA2R titer. Both clinical features and pathological characteristics were recorded, and the remission time was compared among groups. Correlation between clinical figures and the anti-PLA2R titer or semi-quantity of glomerular PLA2R antigen was detected. A positive correlation between time to partial remission and serum anti-PLA2R titer was found. Among patients with serum anti-PLA2R titer <150 RU/ml, there were shorter remission time in negative glomerular PLA2R antigen group compared with positive glomerular PLA2R antigen, and a positive correlation between time to complete remission and semi-quantity of glomerular PLA2R antigen was found. Both glomerular PLA2R antigen and serum anti-PLA2R play a role in disease presentation and prognosis in primary membranous nephropathy. Glomerular PLA2R antigen has a major role on disease prognosis when serum anti-PLA2R titer is less than 150RU/ml, while serum anti-PLA2R has predominant role in IMN prognosis when serum anti-PLA2R titer is above 150RU/ml. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A undescribed phenolic glycoside, trochinenol A (1), was isolated from the flowers of Trollius chinensis Bunge and the structure was identified by spectroscopic methods. Its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects were investigated by broth microdilution and NF-κB reporter gene assays. Consequently, compound 1 exhibited an appreciable effect against Staphylococcus aureus with the MIC value of 6.25 µg/mL. Besides, it showed moderate effect against TNFα-induced activation of NF-κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A star tracker provides accurate space positioning and reference for satellites, intercontinental strategic missiles, and other spacecrafts. However, the main imaging unit of the star sensor – the image sensor – is affected by the space radiation environment and, in turn, affects the precision with which the star is located by the star tracker. In this study, the parameter degradation of a CMOS image sensor (CIS) after proton irradiation with different fluences was investigated. An outfield test platform for star map collection was built using the star sensor lens and image collection system. The influence of dark current, dark-current nonuniformity, and photo-response nonuniformity of the irradiated CIS on the star diagonal distance measurement error and star-point centroid position detection accuracy was studied. The results showed that with increasing proton fluences, the CIS noise increased, leading to an increase in the error in the measured diagonal distance of the star and a decrease in the star's position detection accuracy. Among these parameters, the dark current plays the greatest role in influencing the measurement accuracy of the star tracker. Furthermore, when a tracker is exposed to space radiation with fluences that are same as those used in this experiment, it is beneficial to reduce the integration time. This reduction in the time will decrease the noise and improve the position measurement accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lightweight problem of in-wheel motor is one of the key problems to be solved in the development of in-wheel motor driving electric vehicles. However, in-wheel motor involves the cross-coupling effect of multi-physical fields, such as the structure field, electromagnetic field and thermal field. The lightweight design for the in-wheel motor means the change in the structure, which will lead to the change in other physical field characteristics. Aiming at this problem, a lightweight design method is proposed in this paper. A 15Kw embedded permanent magnet synchronous in-wheel motor is taken as the research object, the minimum volume is set as the optimization objective, and the topology optimization design method is adopted to reduce the weight of the motor. And in the optimization design process, the bilateral coupling constraint of the electromagnetic field and thermal field is taken into account simultaneously. This study aims to find the optimal topology distribution considering the cross-coupling effect of structure-electromagnetic-thermal fields, and obtain the optimal structure of the in-wheel motor that meets the design requirements. Furthermore, the validity of the lightweight design method is verified by comparing and analyzing the characteristics of each physical field of the in-wheel motor before and after optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review examined the compliance with the 24-h movement guidelines, and investigated its associations with health indicators for healthy children under 5 years of age. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus were searched for peer-reviewed studies and the last search was conducted on 27 October 2020. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scales were used to assess the quality of included studies. Eighteen articles including 8,943 participants from 11 countries were included. On average around 13% of the children met all three guidelines. Meta-analyses of the associations between meeting all three guidelines and adiposity yielded no significant results (r = – 0.03; 95% CI = – 0.12, 0.06; I2 = 51%; P = 0.48). Meeting more guidelines was associated with better psychosocial health (3/4 studies). Associations between meeting individual or combined guidelines and motor development yielded mixed results (2/2 studies), while no associations between meeting guidelines and cognitive development were observed (1 study). Compliance with all three guidelines was low. Further evidence is required to understand the associations between meeting the 24-h movement guidelines and health outcomes. Nevertheless, there was evidence of a dose-response relationship between meeting the guidelines and better psychosocial health in the early years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incentive programs are widely used by airports as a marketing tool to attract new services. Empirical evidence regarding the effects of an isolated incentive program is yet to be explored. In this paper, we focus on airports located in Asia to detect the mechanisms, results and effects of the incentive program initiated by Narita International Airport, Japan. We present non-financial and financial indices to explore the effects of incentive schemes. For the non-financial aspect, the retention rate of new air services under incentives is explicitly defined and calculated. Regarding the financial impact, the costs and revenues and tourism revenues of flights under incentive schemes are calculated to estimate the incentive program's financial and economic effects. The results demonstrate that the '2015RDP' incentive program initiated by Narita International Airport has met its strategic goals and achieved success in attracting new services, as well as generating additional revenue for the airport and tourism industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Self-medication behavior has great adverse effects on children. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) among children aged 0–5 years and explore the related factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 1 July 2019 to 31 July 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province (Central China). A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 1188 parents of children aged 0–5 years on sociodemographic characteristics, SMA among children, antibiotic knowledge and health beliefs of SMA. Results: Of the 1188 participants, 14.32% had self-medicated their children with antibiotics in the past 6 months. The higher the degree of perceived threat (OR = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.89–1.00) and self-efficacy (OR = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.89–0.98), the less likely parents were to self-medicate their children. On the contrary, the higher the degree of perceived barriers, the more likely parents were to self-medicate their children with antibiotics (OR = 1.058, 95%CI: 1.01–1.11). Conclusions: Health beliefs of parents were significantly associated with SMA among children. In addition to extensive health education, the Chinese government should also improve the accessibility and quality of health services to reduce the barriers of parental behavior change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new highly-oxygenated neo-clerodane diterpenoids, 3S-acetoxyl-mollotucin D dilactone ester (1) and 6S-crotoeurin C (2), and a new lupane-type triterpene, 16β-hydroxyl-3β-O-trans-coumaroyl-betulin (6), as well as three known analogues (3–5) were obtained from the leaves of Croton laui. The structures of the new compounds were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods, and their absolute configurations were determined by combination of single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra, and literature data. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited inhibitory activities of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 1.2 and 1.6 μM, respectively. Additionally, compound 6 exhibited activity against Col205 and HepG2 cell lines with IC50 values of 12.9 and 17.7 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As mainstream optical imaging electronic devices, image sensors are widely used in space missions under complex radiation environments. This study investigated the effects 60 and 10 MeV proton irradiations on dark current, dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU), and photon response non-uniformity (PRNU) for a commercial global shutter 8T complementary metal–oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. A fluence range from 9 × 109 p/cm2 to 7.26 × 1010 p/cm2 was considered. The total ionizing dose deposited reached 10 krad (Si), which significantly increased the dark current. DSNU and PRNU also followed a similar trend with an increase in the dose, which is based on the effects of the total dose and displacement damage. After irradiation, a TCAD simulation was conducted to identify the radiation-induced defects. The results showed that the trapped positive charges in the oxides, interface states in the Si/SiO2 interface, and bulk defects in a pinned photodiode depleted region significantly increased the dark current. The outcomes of this study form significant reference for advancements in radiation-hardened image sensor designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camellia nitidissima Chi (Theaceae) is an evergreen shrub, the leaves of which are used in many medicinal applications. To characterize the chemical composition of a 10% aqueous ethanol extract of C. nitidissima leaves (CNE), and to explore the protective effect of the extract against acute liver injury (ALI) in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups (n = 10): control and negative (0.5% CMC-Na, 5 mL/kg/d), thiopronin (20 mg/kg/d) and CNE (40, 80 and 160 mg/kg/d). All groups were treated for seven consecutive days, and then, except for the control, carbon tetrachloride was administered intraperitoneally. The biochemical parameters, mRNAs, and proteins were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunoassays kits, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Chemical components were identified using mass spectroscopy, and the phenol and flavonoid content determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Pre-treatment with CNE (160 mg/kg) attenuated the pathological changes in liver tissues and decreased alanine transaminase (62 and 60%), aspartate transaminase (49 and 53%) and malondialdehyde (35 and 42%) levels in serum and liver tissues. Moreover, CNE reduced the concentrations of reactive oxygen species (55%), tumour necrosis factor-α (26%), interleukin-1β (19%) and IL-6 (19%) and blocked the nuclear translocation of p65. Pre-treatment with CNE increased anti-heme oxygenase-1 (40%), superoxide dismutase (108%) and glutathione (97%) levels through upregulating nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2. Twelve compounds were detected; the content of phenols and flavonoids was determined as 34.474 ± 1.026 and 15.228 ± 0.422 mg/g crude drug in CNE, respectively. These results suggested that CNE is a promising agent for functional food and hepatoprotective drug against ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge coupled devices with high sensitivity and low dark current were irradiated separately by 10 MeV proton, 14 and 1 MeV neutron up to the fluences of 109 cm−2. The generation pattern of hot pixels at different conditions is presented. The experimental results demonstrate that the nuclear inelastic scattering is the dominant generation mechanism of hot pixels induced by proton and neutron irradiations. Meanwhile, a theoretical model is used to predict hot pixel tails at different annealing time points and different operating temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Paraquat (PQ) poisoning can induce mitophagy and pulmonary fibrosis. Cyclosporine A (CsA) is an inhibitor of mitophagy. This study aimed at investigating whether CsA could inhibit PQ-induced mitophagy and pulmonary fibrosis in rats. Materials and Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were treated with vehicle saline (control), 50 mg/kg PQ by gavage alone, or together with different doses of CsA. At 14 days post-induction, the levels of pulmonary fibrosis and PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) and Parkin expression in individual rats and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in lung cells were measured. Moreover, A549 cells were treated with PQ or PQ + CsA for 24 h and the levels of PINK1, Parkin, fibronectin, collagen I and LC3 I and II expression and MMP were examined. Finally, the impact of PINK1 overexpression on the PQ or PQ + CsA-modulated fibronectin and collagen I expression in A549 cells was tested. Results: PQ exposure significantly increased the levels of hydroxyproline and collagen I expression and collagen fiber accumulation in the lung of rats, which were mitigated by CsA treatment. Furthermore, treatment with CsA significantly improved the PQ-decreased MMP and abrogated PQ-upregulated PINK1 and Parkin expression in the lungs of rats. In addition, CsA treatment decreased the PQ-induced fibrosis and mitophagy and PQ-impaired MMP as well as PQ-upregulated PINK1 and Parkin expression in A549 cells. The later effect of CsA was abrogated by PINK1 overexpression in A549 cells. Conclusions: Therefore, CsA can inhibit the PQ-induced mitophagy and pulmonary fibrosis by attenuating the PINK1/Parkin signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumorigenic cancer stem cells (CSCs) exist in various tumors including the cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) as a minor subpopulation and are tightly associated with metastasis and therapeutic resistance. Better understanding of CSCs properties is essential for the novel therapeutic strategy targeted toward these cancers. The cSCC stem cells (cSCCSCs) were enriched from a cSCC cell line A431 by repeated sphere culture, and identified via the expression analysis of stemness marker genes and CD44 proteolysis. MiR-199a-5p was previously reported to be related with the proteolysis modulation of CD44, so the specific regulation mechanisms were verified by overexpression in vitro and in vivo. MiR-199a-5p is under-expressed in cSCCSCs and functions as a tumor suppressive molecule. Overexpression of miR-199a-5p reduced the stemness of cSCCSCs and inhibited cell proliferation. By targeting the deacetylase Sirt1, miR-199a-5p inhibited cellular proteolysis of CD44 and reduced the CD44 intracellular domain (CD44ICD) release and nuclear translocation. Overexpression of CD44ICD reversed the effects of miR-199a-5p overexpression or Sirt1 silencing, and increased the transcriptional expression of stemness genes. Our results revealed that the miR-199a-5p/Sirt1/CD44ICD signaling pathway regulates cSCCSCs progression by affecting its migration ability and tumorigenicity, therefore can be utilized to develop a curative approach for cSCC. Abbreviations: CSCs: cancer stem cells; cSCC cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; cSCCSCs: cSCC stem cells; CD44ICD: CD44 intracellular domain; HA: hyaluronic acid; HNSCC: hand and neck squamous cell carcinoma; ESCC: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma;MMPs: matrix metalloproteinases; SFM: sphere formation medium; EGF: epidermal growth factor; bFGF: basic fibroblast growth factor; BSA: bovine serum albumin; CCK-8: cell counting kit-8 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is becoming a global problem. Research into the detailed mechanism of adipocyte development is crucial for the treatment of excess fat. Zinc finger protein 217 plays roles in adipogenesis. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that ZFP217 knockdown prevented the mitotic clonal expansion process and caused adipogenesis inhibition. Depletion of ZFP217 increased the expression of the m6A methyltransferase METTL3, which upregulated the m6A level of cyclin D1 mRNA. METTL3 knockdown rescued the siZFP217-inhibited MCE and promoted CCND1 expression. YTH domain family 2 recognized and degraded the methylated CCND1 mRNA, leading to the downregulation of CCND1. Consequently, cell-cycle progression was blocked, and adipogenesis was inhibited. YTHDF2 knockdown relieved siZFP217-inhibited adipocyte differentiation. These findings reveal that ZFP217 knockdown–induced adipogenesis inhibition was caused by CCND1, which was mediated by METTL3 and YTHDF2 in an m6A-dependent manner. We have provided novel insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms by which m6A methylation is involved in the ZFP217 regulation of adipogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed to screen a high-efficient strain for degrading antigenic protein in soybean meal (SBM) and evaluate the effect of fermented soybean meal (FSBM) on growth performance of piglets. A Bacillus subtilis strain BS12 was selected through plate and fermentation experiment, which reduced 92.36% less glycinin and 88.44% less β-conglycinin in SBM. A total of 192 piglets were assigned to receive either a diet of SBM with antibiotics (the control group) or a diet containing 10% FSBM without antibiotics. The average daily gain and feed intake of pigs fed FSBM were superior (p < .10) to those fed the control diet. Reduced (p < .05) mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines was detected in the jejunum and ileum of pigs fed FSBM. These results demonstrated that a diet containing BS12 FSBM improved growth performance by reducing dietary inflammation in piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goss’s bacterial wilt and leaf blight, caused by Clavibacter nebraskensis (syn. C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis), is a serious disease of corn. It is not new to North America, but in 2006, the number of outbreaks increased and the pathogen was reported in areas of the USA and Canada where it had not previously been found. The disease is increasing in distribution and severity and new areas such as the northern Prairies may be at higher risk as corn production acreage rises. Therefore, Goss’s wilt monitoring and subsequent management should be priorities in areas where the disease has appeared relatively recently, such as the Canadian Prairie provinces. This update summarizes the current status of Goss’s bacterial wilt and leaf blight in Canada including its geographic distribution as determined through recent monitoring activities and new detection methods. It also discusses current knowledge regarding pathogen biology, disease development, epidemiology and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC was used in many Chinese prescriptions. In this study, based on the infrared fingerprints of Z. nitidum collected from different regions, two mathematical models were successfully established to evaluate the anticancer effects of Z. nitidum roots extracts on BEL-7404 and HepG-2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Arguments were obtained by the backward-elimination method and adopted as an evaluation tool to establish the spectrum-effect correlation between the infrared fingerprints and pharmacological data. Two mathematical models of tumor cells inhibited by Z. nitidum roots extracts were established, one for BEL-7404 cells with 9 independent variables and another for HepG-2 cells with 8 independent variables. The spectral data of 7 batches of Z. nitidum roots extracts were entered into the equations to verify the accuracy and validity of the linear relationship. For both cells, deviations between the predicted value and the true value did not exceed ± 10%, proving a successful mathematical modeling to evaluate the bioactive components in traditional Chinese medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and accurate PCR protocol for identification of Fusarium graminearum from fungal cultures was developed. In this protocol, DNA extraction was omitted by using the Thermo Scientific Phire direct PCR master mix kit for template preparation and PCR. Two primer pairs, ITS5/ITS2 for DNA template quality control and Fg16F/Fg16R for F. graminearum identification, were used in a duplex PCR. Each 20-µL PCR contained 10 µL 2× Phire Direct PCR master mix, 2 µL template and 0.25 µM each of the four primers. The PCR program consisted of an initial denaturation at 98°C for 5 min, followed by 40 cycles of denaturation at 98°C for 5 s, annealing at 62°C for 5 s and extension at 72°C for 20 s, and a final extension at 72°C for 1 min. This protocol was used to test 196 fungal cultures isolated from 75 wheat samples. Fourteen cultures were identified as F. graminearum. This protocol was demonstrated to be simpler and more accurate than other PCR protocols for F. graminearum identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dilational properties of anionic gemini surfactants alkanediyl-α,ω-bis(m-octylphenoxy sulfonate) (C8CmC8) with polymethylene spacers at the water-air and water-decane interfaces were investigated by oscillating barriers and interfacial tension relaxation methods. The influences of oscillating frequency and bulk concentration on the dilational properties were explored. The experimental results show that the linking spacer plays an important role in the interfacial dilational properties. The moduli pass through one maximum for all three gemini surfactants at both water-air and water-decane interfaces. However, the values of moduli at the water-air interface are obviously higher than those at the water-decane interface because the sublayer formed by spacer chains will be destroyed by the insertion of oil molecules. Moreover, with the increase of spacer length, the surface adsorption film becomes more viscous at high concentration, which can be attributed to the process involving the formation of the sublayer. On the other hand, the spacers of the adsorbed C8C6C8 molecules will extend into the oil phase when the interface is compressed. As a result, the interfacial film becomes more elastic with the increase of spacer length at high concentration. The experimental results obtained by the interfacial tension relaxation measurements are in accord with those obtained by the oscillating barriers method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Context:A classic traditional Chinese medicineCurcuma aromaticaSalisb. (Zingiberaceae) has been reported to have favourable effects on the cardiovascular system. Objective:To research the cardio-protective effect of differentC. aromaticahydroalcoholic extracts on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) in rats. The total phenols in different extracts were detected simultaneously. Materials and methods:The rhizomes ofC. aromaticadry powder were refluxed with 30%, 50%, 70% and 90% hydroalcoholic solvents to obtain different extracts. Rats were pretreated with fourC. aromaticaextracts (150 mg/kg/day,i.g.) for 9 days and then given ISO (30 mg/kg/day,s.c.) for 2 consecutive days, respectively. Heart rate, ST-segment, T-wave and serum levels of CK-MB, LDH, TAC, SOD, NO and MDA were measured. Total phenols of the different extracts were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Results:Pretreatment withC. aromaticasignificantly decreased the elevated levels of serum specific cardiac injury biomarkers (CK-MB and LDH), the serum level of MDA, the ST-segment and T-wave. In addition,C. aromaticaincreased the heart rate, as well as the levels of TAC, SOD and NO, compared to ISO-induced controls. The total phenols in the 70% extract were higher than in the other extracts reaching 5.629 ± 0.037 mg/g, crude drug. Discussion and conclusion:Curcuma aromaticahydroalcoholic extracts exhibited remarkable cardio-protective effects against AMI in rats. The 70% extracts showed the strongest bioactivity. These results indicate that ethanol concentration in preparation of extracts ofC. aromaticaplays an important role in the protective effect against AMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The dilational properties of a branch-shaped polyether-type nonionic demulsifier (PEB), a comb-shaped polyether-type nonionic demulsifier (PEC), and a star-shaped polyether-type nonionic demulsifier (PES) at the decane–water interfaces were investigated by Langmuir trough method through oscillating barrier and interfacial tension relaxation methods, which are mainly in the influences of oscillating frequency and bulk concentration on dilational properties. Meanwhile, the effect of demulsifiers on interfacial dilational modulus of diluted crude oil was also explored. The experimental results indicate that all demulsifiers can decrease the dilational modulus of diluted crude oil at the experimental concentration. The addition of PEB causes the dilational modulus of crude oil to be lower than that at the water–decane interface. The demulsifier PEC has a similar effect with PES to influence the interfacial film of crude oil: at low concentration, the dilational modulus of mixed interfacial film is lower than that of demulsifier alone, while at high concentration, the dilational modulus of mixed interfacial film is slightly higher than that of demulsifier alone. The dependence of static modulus on the bulk concentration is consistent with the trend of interfacial dilational modulus with concentration for demulsifiers PEB, PEC, and PES. The studies about the structure modulus show that the new demulsifiers PEC and PES have a stronger ability than branch-shaped demulsifier PEB to destroy the interfacial film. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The negative distribution functions exist when the kinematic wave equation of overland flow is solved using the traditional lattice Boltzmann method. To resolve this shortcoming, an improved lattice Boltzmann method is introduced involving the multi-scale expansion of time coordinate (but not spatial coordinate). Based on the improved multi-scale expansion, a multi-scale analysis method and an undetermined coefficient method are used to gain the equilibrium distribution functions. To validate the proposed approach, special experiments with water flows on the impervious and pervious (with soil macropores) slopes have been conducted. The experimental results show that the improved lattice Boltzmann method is effective in describing overland flows; there are no numerical oscillations, and the distribution functions are positive when the relaxation time is from 0.8 to 2.0. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The first complete chloroplast genome of Aster ageratoides Turcz. var. scaberulus (Miq.) Ling. is reported in this study. The total chloroplast genome size of A. ageratoides var. scaberulus was 153,071 bp and comprised of a large single-copy region (LSC with 84,896 bp), a small single-copy region (SSC with 18,269 bp), and two inverted repeat regions (IR with 24,953 bp). A total of 122 genes were included in the genome, including 83 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. Eleven protein-coding genes had intron (ycf3, clpP and rps12 gene contained two introns. Further phylogenomic analysis of Asteraceae, including 13 taxa, was conducted for the placement of A. ageratoides var. scaberulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new diterpenoid, dehydrovibsanin G (1), a new lignan, (+)-9′-O-senecioyllariciresinol (2), and six known compounds (3–8) were isolated from the branches and leaves ofViburnum odoratissimumvar.odoratissimum. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data. Both new compounds showed moderate inhibitory activity against human A431 and T47D tumor cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of CyTA: Journal of Food is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the present study an effort was made to monitor the residue levels of 32 pesticides in tea samples collected from three representative tea districts of China during 2010 to 2012. A total of 223 samples of green tea, pu-erh tea, black tea, and oolong tea were determined using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Among 223 samples, 198 samples contained pesticide residues, and 39 samples had residue levels that were more than the European Union (EU) maximum residue limits (MRLs). The most positive and violated MLRs were observed in Oolong tea. The highest detection rates and the most often exceeding the MRLs were observed for the residues of bifenthrin. Ten pesticides were not found in the 223 tea samples. The potential health risks to consumers due to tea consumption in three representative cities were estimated. The results suggested that non-cancer hazards of organophosphorus, organochlorines, and pyrethroids and the cancer risks from exposure to hexachlorobenzene, heptachlor, chlordane, and pp’-DDT were clearly below the safe limit. Nevertheless, an investigation into continuous monitoring and tighter regulation of pesticide residues in tea samples are almost always desirable or even necessary for public health protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: A classic traditional Chinese medicine, Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. widely used in China, exhibits anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antianalgesic activities. Alkaloids are one of the main bioactive components. It is urgent to develop a simple and reliable method to determine the main alkaloids in Z. nitidum roots. Objective: To determine the three alkaloids in Z. nitidum roots, a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (RP-LC) method combined with an optimum extraction condition was established. Materials and methods: A method involving four-factor-three-level orthogonal array design including the extracting solvent and the RP-LC condition was assayed. Twenty batches were collected from different areas of the Guangxi Province at different harvesting times. The determined alkaloids were nitidine chloride (NC, 1), ethoxychelerythrine ( 2) and liriodenine ( 3). The stable mobile phase was a C18 packing, and the mobile phase was acetonitril-aqueous phosphoric acid-triethylamine-buffer solution. Results: The optimum extraction and detection conditions have been determined in the process of quantification of Z. nitidum root alkaloids. The three alkaloids were detected simultaneously in the 20 batches of samples. The results clearly showed that alkaloid concentrations differed significantly among Z. nitidum collected from various collection areas. Discussion and conclusion: We have established an optimum extraction and detection conditions in the process of quantification the three alkaloids in Z. nitidum roots. From this research, the most influenced factor on Z. nitidum roots was the collecting location, and the next factor was the harvesting time. The collecting location and the harvesting time should be considered as the high-quality medicinal herbs factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clubroot, caused byPlasmodiophora brassicae, is an important root disease of crucifers worldwide. In this review, the molecular aspects of clubroot pathogenesis and resistance are discussed. Topics covered include recent studies on the processes associated with infection by primary and secondary pathogen zoospores, examination of the expression patterns ofP. brassicaegenes at different stages of infection, and the concurrent identification of candidate genes for functional studies. Although the whole genome sequence ofP. brassicaeis not yet available, molecular studies of the pathogen are nonetheless moving into the genomics era. Transcriptomics and functional analyses of individual genes involved in theP. brassicae/Brassicainteraction have recently been conducted to complement studies on the excellent model host,Arabidopsis thaliana. Two resistance genes have been cloned and their molecular functions illustrated, supporting suggestions that the clubroot pathosystem follows the gene-for-gene model. Although much about the pathogenesis of clubroot remains unknown, significant advances have been made in recent years, which may facilitate the identification of targets for agro-chemical development and resistance breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]