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Contemporary humanity is confronted with the development dilemma, especially in developing countries, of limited environmental capacity and increased pressure to protect the environment. Based on the concept of the Leading Functional Space Partition, this study identifies land-use conflicts in the urban fringes of ecologically fragile areas in Western China. The purpose is to explore the distribution characteristics of land-use conflicts in urban fringe areas and provide data references to solve a series of ecological and environmental problems inherent in the process of urbanisation. First, relevant software was applied to analyse the current situation of regional land use, and clustering was conducted in line with the goal of "production-living-ecology" to form territorial space zoning with the same function. Then, three leading function evaluation systems were constructed with natural patches of land as the unit to evaluate the current suitability. According to the evaluation results and relevant planning, areas with land-use conflicts were identified, and their spatial characteristics were analysed on this basis. The results demonstrate that the incidence of land-use conflicts in urban fringe areas is high and the spatial distribution presents variability. In the case, the incidence of land-use conflicts in urban fringe areas is very high, with the highest concentration in areas 10–30 km away from urban built-up areas. And the proportion of ecological conflicts in urban fringe areas is the highest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is universally accepted that curling and warping of jointed plain concrete pavements (JPCP) can influence pavement performance. Recent studies indicated that long-term increases in roughness for pavements could also be largely related to curling and warping changes. The objective of this study is to investigate behaviours of idealised curling profile and resulting values of parameter pseudo-strain gradient (PSG) in the frequency domain from profiles acquired from 30 sections to offer supplementary information on the characteristics of curling profile of interest. Advanced wavelet techniques, including both continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT), were utilised to decompose profiles into different layers of details in corresponding frequency bands for analysis. A quarter-car (QC) model was applied to simulate each decomposed layer, then frequency-domain changes in PSG and International Roughness Index (IRI) were compared, with results indicating that roughness resulting from curling profile could be strongly correlated to PSG in the frequency domain. The standard deviation for the level of details D 6 from DWT also shows a better correlation to PSG than IRI in the spatial domain. The dominated frequency band for curling profile was identified to be 0.12–1.25 circle/m. Differences between CWT and DWT for profile filtering were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We put forward a multimode slotted nanobeam cavity (MM-SPCNC) supporting both air and dielectric modes through a specific design of band properties. Dual-parameter detection is realized by jointly measuring the resonance wavelength shifts of both air and dielectric modes. The proposed sensor is robust against external interference and shows higher sensitivity compared with other dual-parameter sensors. The maximum external interference ranges of the proposed sensor are 4.82×10−6 and 0.05 for refractive index (RI) and temperature (T), respectively, which indicates that the sensor can effectively resist against external interference. The RI and T sensitivities of the fundamental air mode are 421 nm/RIU and 58 pm/K respectively, whereas those of the fundamental dielectric mode are 706 nm/RIU and 46 pm/K respectively. The proposed sensor thus represents a promising candidate for future multifunctional and lab-on-chip sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an integrated methodology to enhance the efficiency of patch panel assembly lines by harnessing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The primary objective is to minimise the total completion time of patch panels, a pivotal metric for manufacturing efficiency. The study employs the Assembly Line Production Optimisation (ALPO) model to analyze and enhance the production capacity of the bottleneck station. Existing challenges related to patch panel assembly line task distribution, process content, and tooling layout are scrutinised against production process standards for operational measurements. To achieve improvement, Deep Neural Network (DNN) and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) models are employed in hidden layers, supplemented by deep feed-forward (DFF) layers for output, in adherence to engineering design principles. The bottleneck station's load rate is successfully reduced to below 80%, contributing to an overall balance rate increase from 73% to 88%. These outcomes signify a notable enhancement in production efficiency and employee satisfaction. The research utilises a dataset derived from the Microsoft Azure AI-based PdM dataset. The paper illustrates how AI techniques offer a comprehensive solution to address the inherent complexities in patch panel assembly line optimisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of lithium chloride in endotoxin-induced uveitis.Methods: A total of 200 Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: a control group; EIU group; LiCl-treated control group; and LiCl-treated lipopolysaccharide group. Clinical score, slit-lamp photography, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining were used to determine the degree of inflammatory reaction. Level of glycogen synthase kinase3-beta and nuclear factor-kappa B p65 in iris-ciliary body was examined by western blot and RT-PCR. Cytokines in aqueous humor were detected by ELISA.Results: Pretreatment with LiCl produced an anti-inflammatory effect during endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU). With LiCl treatment, the level of P-GSK3-β in iris-ciliary body was upregulated and the expression of NF-κB p65 was significantly suppressed during EIU.Conclusions: LiCl pretreatment can suppress intraocular inflammatory responses in EIU rats. Mechanistically, this anti-inflammatory effect may be related to the inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3-β. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaussian process regression (GPR) is an efficient non-parametric method for constructing multi-dimensional potential energy surfaces (PESs) for polyatomic molecules. Since not only the posterior mean but also the posterior variance can be easily calculated, GPR provides a well-established model for active learning, through which PESs can be constructed more efficiently and accurately. We propose a strategy of active data selection for the construction of PESs with emphasis on low energy regions. Through three-dimensional (3D) example of H3, the validity of this strategy is verified. The PESs for two prototypically reactive systems, namely, H + H2O ↔ H2 + OH reaction and H + CH4 ↔ H2 + CH3 reaction are reconstructed. Only 920 and 4000 points are assembled to reconstruct these two PESs respectively. The accuracy of the GP PESs is not only tested by energy errors but also validated by quantum scattering calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Character strengths-based interventions (CSBI) take various forms and integrate different ingredients into interventions. This study investigated the role of mindfulness in strengths development, directly comparing the effects of mindfulness-based strengths practice (MBSP) and a form of CSBI without mindfulness. Ninety-five participants were randomly assigned to MBSP, CSBI, and blank control groups. Participants’ mindfulness, character strengths, strengths knowledge, strengths use, psychological well-being (PWB), and subjective well-being (SWB) were assessed before and after the intervention, and one month later. The results showed that MBSP and CSBI were equally effective in enhancing character strengths, strengths knowledge, and strengths use. MBSP was more effective in promoting mindfulness, PWB, and overall character strengths, while CSBI was more effective in enhancing participants’ SWB. The development of strengths knowledge and strengths use served as serial mediators of the increase in character strengths, and the development of mindfulness served as the mediator of the increase in PWB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the influence of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin on autophagy and its role in ischemia/reperfusion injury in human kidney-2 (HK-2) cells during acute kidney injury (AKI). HK-2 cells were given hypoxia/reoxygenation treatment for different times to simulate ischemia/reperfusion injury. Autophagy was evaluated by western blot and immunofluorescence of GFP-LC3. Cell viability was tested to reflect the degree of cell damage. The autophagy inhibitor 3-MA was used to inhibit autophagy and determine the role of autophagy in ischemia/reperfusion injury. HK-2 cells were hypoxia for 1 h, followed by reoxygenation treatment for 24 h. These cells were then exposed to human recombinant protein neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) (50, 100, 200, 400, or 1000 ng/mL) with or without 3-MA. Our results showed that autophagy was induced by hypoxia treatment and was further enhanced by reoxygenation after hypoxia treatment. Cell viability was decreased with the inhibition of autophagy in the process. Autophagic flux was further induced with NGAL (>200 ng/mL), while cell viability declined in this condition. Cell viability was recovered when autophagy was inhibited. These results indicate that autophagy plays, in part, a protective role in renal ischemia/reperfusion injury. Furthermore, the data suggest that NGAL strengthens the level of autophagy in this process. Overall, a large quantity of NGAL produced by renal proximal tubular epithelial cells may induce excessive autophagy and increase renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in acute kidney injury. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study analyzed the clinical outcomes of patients with elevated progesterone level on the HCG day in IVF/ICSI cycles, with different timing of embryo transfer. A total of 123 patients were involved in this prospective randomized clinical study. Group 1: blastocyst transfer group, 38 cases; Group 2: frozen-thawed embryo transfer group (first FET cycle), 42 cases; Group 3: fresh embryo transfer group, 43 cases. The basal FSH level was comparable among three groups (6.7 ± 3 versus 7.0 ± 2 versus 6.9 ± 2.4, p = 0.897). The clinical pregnancy rate was highest in group 2, lowest in group 3, with significantly difference (31.6% versus 38.1% versus 13.9%, p = 0.037). The implantation rate and live birth rate were still lowest in group 3 (21.9% versus 19.8% versus 6.7%, p = 0.016 and 18.4% versus 31% versus 11.6%, p = 0.081). In conclusion, the elevated progesterone level will affect clinical pregnancy rate in fresh embryo transfer cycles. We suggest frozen-thawed embryo transfer for these patients. However, for those patients who expressed the wish to have fresh embryo transfer, they should be suggested fresh blastocyst transfer, if they have more than five good quality embryos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, structural health monitoring and management (SHMM) has become a popular approach and is considered essential for achieving well-performing, long-lasting, sustainable transportation infrastructure systems. Key requirements in ideal SHMM of road infrastructure include long-term, continuous, and real-time monitoring of pavement response and performance under various pavement geometry-materials-loading configurations and environmental conditions. With advancements in wireless technologies, integration of wireless communications into sensing device is considered an alternate and superior solution to existing time- and labor-intensive wired sensing systems in meeting the requirements of an ideal SHMM. This study explored the development and integration of a wireless communications sub-system into a commercial off-the-shelf micro-electromechanical sensor-based concrete pavement monitoring system. A success-rate test was performed after the wireless transmission system was buried in the concrete slab, and the test results indicated that the system was able to provide reliable communications at a distance of more than 46 m (150 feet). This will be a useful feature for highway engineers performing routine pavement scans from the pavement shoulder without the need for traffic control or road closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sludge ozonation process with lab-scale anaerobic/oxic (A/O) system was used to investigate the utilization of the ozonized sludge (OS) supernatant as extra carbon source for denitrification. The optimal ozone dose for the sludge ozonation was 0.2 gO3/gSS. The concentrations of SCOD, BOD, NH3-N and TN in the supernatant increased respectively at this ozone dose. In the meantime, the sludge was significantly reduced. The OS supernatant had negative effect on nitrification because of low pH and alkalinity. After alkalinity adjustment, the A/O with the OS supernatant as the extra carbon source achieved a nitrogen removal rate of 78%, which was very close to the control experiment using glucose (79%). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective. To evaluate the tissue damage of in vitro porcine ovarian drilling in saline solution mimicking transvaginal hydrolaparoscopy (THL). Study design. In vitro ovarian drilling with different current and activation time was applied on fresh porcine ovaries, 15 ovaries in each group and 2 punctures in each ovary. Drilling using 5-Fr bipolar needle was performed in saline solution mimicking THL, while saline solution rinsing the ovaries after monopolar electrocoagulation. Results. The monopolar drilling caused more tissue damage than the bipolar needle in saline ( p < 0.01). The ratio of the damage of monopolar electrocoagulation (40w, 3s) over that of bipolar diathermy in saline solution (70w, 15s) was 7.4 [(16.74 ± 1.30) mm3/(2.27 ± 0.49) mm3]. In the bipolar groups, the 70w power set (15s and 20s) caused significantly more tissue damage than the 50w ones ( p < 0.05), and the amount of damage was not stimulation time dependent ( p > 0.05). Conclusion. The tissue damage caused by monopolar electrocoagulation with 40w for 3s was about seven times of that caused by 5-Fr bipolar one in saline with 70w for 15s . In THL drilling using a 5-Fr bipolar electrode, the current is more crucial than stimulation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study develops a new type of epoxy resin–aluminum honeycomb composite sandwich panel. Failure modes and typical force–displacement curves are measured through quasi-static localized indentation tests. The effects of different parameters on the elastic ultimate load and energy absorption are analyzed. The results indicate that the newly developed composite sandwich panel has good integrality, stability, and energy absorption capacity. The typical force–displacement curve exhibits three types and all of them consist of six phases, namely: elastic phase, local damage phase, strengthening phase, global damage phase, compaction phase, and bottom destruction phase. The strength and the energy absorption capacity of the composite sandwich panel are affected by composite layer thickness, additional layer thickness, boundary condition, and indenter type. Compared to those of traditional sandwich panel, the mechanical properties of the integrated composite sandwich panel are significantly improved, as the specimen maintains good stability under indentation without undergoing detachment or cracking between the composite layer and the core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen is important for the enrichment of grain Zn when Zn is foliarly applied. However, decreasing soil N input has become a major issue for environmental protection. A 2-yr field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of spraying different Zn sources [ZnSO4 or Zn(Gly)2] combined with or without urea on grain Zn concentration and bioavailability under reduced soil N rates, both in single wheat plantation and winter wheat-summer maize rotation. Results showed that foliar application of Zn(Gly)2 significantly increased grain Zn concentration by 88% under wheat-summer maize rotation and 150% under single wheat plantation. The effectiveness of foliar ZnSO4 application in increasing grain Zn was similar with that of Zn(Gly)2. Adding urea to foliar ZnSO4 or Zn(Gly)2 further increased grain Zn concentration under reduced soil N rates. Grain Zn biavailability increased with the reduction of soil N rates, but decreased after application of foliar Zn fertilizers. Foliar fertilization significantly increased protein, Fe, and Mn concentrations in grain, and the magnitudes of these increases were greater when Zn(Gly)2 alone or ZnSO4 plus urea were applied. Simultaneous foliar application of ZnSO4 and urea slightly increased farmer's net income. These results suggest that foliar application of ZnSO4 plus urea can be used as efficient and economical fertilization strategies to increase Zn concentration and bioavailability in wheat grain under reduced soil N supply, and consequently minimize Zn deficiency in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unreinforced concrete block masonry (URM) walls are seismic vulnerable. Thus, this study examined the responses of URM walls strengthened using high ductile fiber-reinforced concrete (HDC) to assess the effectiveness of the proposed retrofitting technique. A reference specimen and five retrofitted specimens were tested based on the cyclic loading program; the strengthening configurations included the HDC strips or layers. The experimental results validated the effectiveness of the retrofitting techniques for enhancing the seismic performance of URM walls. The paper proposed the formulas to calculate the bearing capacity of each specimen corresponding to different failure modes, which is informative for engineering design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective cohort study is to assess the effects of hyperandrogenism (HA) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-antagonist protocol during in vitro fertilization (IVF). Total 892 infertile Patients between 20 and 35 years of age with normal body mass index (BMI, 18.50 −24.99 kg/m2), including those with tubal factor infertility (control, n = 318), PCOS infertility with HA (HA PCOS, n = 244), and PCOS infertility without HA (non-HA PCOS, n = 330), were included. Number of retrieved oocytes was significantly higher and total Gonadotropin consumption was significant lower in the HA PCOS group, whereas abortion rate was significantly higher and live birth rate was significantly lower in the HA PCOS group, compared with the control and non-HA PCOS groups. In the HA PCOS group, the number of available embryos tended to be higher with no significance. The GnRH-antagonist protocol is more suitable for HA PCOS patients, with lower cost and more number of embryos available for transfer. Due to the high abortion rate and low live birth rate, a freeze-all approach might be a preferable option for HA PCOS patients so as to create a buffer for reducing androgen levels before transferring freeze-thawed embryos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the determination of 17 mycotoxins in human urine. The method incorporates a two-step liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate:acetonitrile (7:1), which had good extraction recovery. The LOQs of all mycotoxins ranged from 0.1 to 1 ng/mL. Intra-day accuracy ranged from 94 to 106%, and intra-day precision ranged from 1 to 12% for all mycotoxins. Inter-day accuracy and precision were 95–105% and 2–8%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to investigate the urine levels of 17 mycotoxins from 42 volunteers. Deoxynivalenol (DON, 0.97–9.88 ng/mL) was detected in 10 (24%) urine samples and zearalenone (ZEN, 0.13–1.11 ng/mL) in 2 (5%) urine samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the association between fluoride exposure and childhood blood pressure (BP), we used data involving 3260 subjects participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2013 to 2016. Both plasma and water fluoride concentrations were measured using the ion-specific electrode. Outcome variables were systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). For a 1-mg/L increase in water fluoride concentration, the participantsʻ SBP decreased by 0.473 mm Hg (95% CI: −0.860, −0.087). Specifically, inverse associations were found between water fluoride and SBP in girls (β= −0.423, 95% CI: −0.886, −0.021), adolescents (β= −0.623, 95% CI: −0.975, −0.272), and non-Hispanic whites (β= −0.694, 95% CI: −1.237, −0.151). Also, every 1-μmol/L increase in plasma fluoride concentration was associated with a 1.183 mm Hg decrease in SBP among other races (95% CI: −2.258, −0.108). This study suggested that fluoride exposure may affect childhood blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daily trip chain complexity and type choices of low-income residents are examined based on activity travel diary survey data in Nanjing, China. Statistical tests reveal that non-work trip chain complexity is distinctly distinct between low-income residents and non-low-income residents. Low-income residents are inclined to make simple non-work chains. Two types of econometric models, a stereotype logit model and mixed logit model, are then developed to investigate the possible explanatory variables affecting their trip pattern. The number of stops within a chain and chain types are considered as dependent variables, while independent variables include household and personal characteristics as well as land use variables. Results show that once convenient and flexible conditions are supplied, low-income residents are more likely to make multiple activities in a trip chain. Areas with high population and employment densities are associated with complex work trip chains and more non-work activity involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study aims to identify the underlying genetic cause of a Chinese patient with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). Detailed clinical data and family history were collected. A medical diagnostic panel sequencing covering 4450 genes was conducted. Two candidate disease-causing mutations detected in CEP290 were then validated with Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and cDNA sequencing were performed to understand the effect of the novel CEP290 mutation on CEP290 mRNA splicing. A five-month-old LCA patient with both parents was enrolled. Medical diagnostic panel sequencing revealed that the patient is a compound heterozygote for two potentially pathogenic CEP290 mutations. Among them, c.1666dupA (p.I556NfsX20) was previously reported and has a significant association with LCA phenotype. A novel CEP290 mutation (c.3310–1_3313delGCTTA) was confirmed in both the patient and her father. RT-PCR and cDNA sequencing confirmed that the novel mutation affects the CEP290 mRNA splicing and results in a complete skipping of exon 29. The frameshift resulted in an early stop codon and truncation of the mutant protein by 1371 amino acid residues (p.L1104fsX6). Our report provided a new mutation to the spectrum of CEP290-related diseases. The data suggested that the c.3310–1_3313delGCTTA mutation affects the CEP290 mRNA splicing and the CEP290 protein function. This valuable information is important for future studies on the mRNA splicing of CEP290 and the pathogenesis of CEP290-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food containing bioactive elements can be exploited to combat cardiovascular diseases like hypertension. This article mainly focuses on the use of dairy peptides and microelements of plants against two major causes of hypertension, e.g. ACE (Angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibition with the help of bioactive peptides and improving endothelial Nitric Oxide (eNO) availability with the help of antioxidants. The main objective of this study is to highlight the bioactive peptides and give a way to produce safe ACE inhibitory food supplements by replacing chemical drugs. The efficiency of milk-based bioactive peptides is discussed in detail from in-vitro to clinical trials, but the data is insufficient to prove the bioactivity of milk protein and peptides to replace drugs. More clinical trials are needed to provide a concrete base for the food and pharmaceutical industry in producing ACE inhibitory peptides. This review will be helpful to produce food-based anti-hypertensive drugs industrially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule-3 (Tim-3) is preferentially expressed on Th1-helper type T-cells and functions to repress the Th1-mediated immune response. However, the role of Tim-3 during the inflammatory pathogenesis of asthma remains unclear. This study determines the expression level of Tim-3 in CD4+ T-cells within the peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) isolated from a murine model of atopic asthma and explores the potential role of Tim-3 during the inflammatory response. Mice were randomly divided into normal control, asthma day 1, and asthma day 7 groups, and peripheral blood T lymphocytes and BALF cells were collected. The ratio of Tim-3+/CD4+ cells among the total CD4+cell populations from peripheral blood and BALF was determined by flow cytometry, and the expression of the Tim-3 mRNA was determined by Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). In contrast with the normal control group, the ratio of Tim-3+/CD4+:CD4+ cells and the level of Tim-3 mRNA in both the peripheral blood T lymphocytes and BALF cells among the asthma day 1 and asthma day 7 groups were significantly increased ( p < 0.01), and those in the asthma day 7 group were higher than the asthma day 1 group ( p < 0.05). There was also a positive correlation between the ratio of Tim-3+/CD4+:CD4+ detected in BALF and that the ratio detected in peripheral blood T lymphocytes (r = 0.84, p < 0.01). Therefore, the expression of Tim-3 is increased in CD4+ T-cells following airway challenge and likely affects asthma-induced inflammation by repressing the Th1-mediated immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WSx/Fe/a-C/Fe multi-layer films with various Fe layer thicknesses were prepared by using magnetron sputtering and alternate deposition of WSx, Fe, and a-C layers on the silicon substrates. The morphology, micro-structure, and composition of the films were characterized by scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy, electron probe micro-analyzer, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The mechanical and tribological properties of the fabricated films were evaluated by using nano-indenter, film stress tester, scratch tester, and ball-on-disk tribotester. According to the obtained results, all the multi-layer films revealed a featureless micro-structure with a smooth and dense surface. As the thickness of Fe layer increased, the S/W ratio of the films was decreased from 1.38 to 1.16, the hardness, elastic modulus, and adhesion of the films were gradually improved. Both the steady-state friction coefficient and wear rate were declined first and, then, enhanced. The film with the Fe-layer thickness of 4 nm exhibited the highest hardness (10.6 GPa) and adhesion (38.0 N); whereas, film with the Fe-layer thickness of 2 nm showed the best tribological performance with a steady-state friction coefficient of 0.218 and wear rate of 1.63 × 10−15m3 N−1 m−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of travel demand models to transportation planning has triggered great interests in issues that potentially improve the accuracy of model forecasts. These forecasts, however, are subject to various sources of input and model uncertainties. Focusing on travel choice behavior, this paper draws attention to the use of an ensemble-based model for addressing these uncertainties. A random multinomial logit (RMNL) model is developed by assembling a collection of multinomial logit (MNL) models. The bootstrapping procedure and the random feature selection are employed to capture the uncertainties in the model. A case study of investigating travel mode choice behaviors that illustrates situations necessitating the RMNL model is presented. Results suggest that the uncertainty related to predictions is reduced and the prediction accuracy is much improved. The RMNL model is computationally efficient and provides useful interpretations by estimating variable significance. Also, the RMNL model is able to deal with high-dimensional data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the protective effect of LPS preconditioning against EIU in rats.Methods: EIU in Wistar rats was developed by subcutaneous injection of LPS (200 μg). Lower dose of LPS (0.1 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) or its carrier was injected daily for five days before EIU induction. Twenty-four hours after EIU, eyes were examined and then enucleated. The degree of inflammatory reaction was determined by routine histological examinations. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blot were used to determine the activation of NF-kB and expression of IRAK-1, IRAK-4, and IRAK-M Results: Repeated pre-administration of LPS induced a significant reduction in ocular inflammation and the expression of NF-κb p65 in neurons. The expression of IRAK-1 and IRAK-4 was suppressed in endotoxin tolerance group, whereas IRAK-M was increased.Conclusions: Endotoxin tolerance has a protective effect against EIU, and upregulation of IRAK-M through TLR-signaling pathway is one of the most likely candidates to be involved in the observed phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[image omitted] Aluminum chloride, an inexpensive and commercially available Lewis acid traditionally employed for Beckmann rearrangement with stoichiometric amounts, has been now found to smoothly promote the Beckmann rearrangement of various ketoximes to the corresponding amides (up to 99% of yield) with 10 mol% catalyst loading in anhydrous acetonitrile under reflux temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]