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Supercontinuum (SC) generation from laser filamentation in air is found to depend strongly on the pulse duration. Rainbow-like SC generation is observed only for a pulse of appropriate negative chirp that agrees with the predictions put forward by Golubtsov et al. [Quantum Electron. 33 (2003) 525]. The conversion efficiency of an 800-nm laser light to rainbow-like SC is found to be the highest for 257 fs pulses with an initial negative chirp. A larger chirp will lead to filamentation surviving at longer distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) is associated with an increased inciden ce of respiratory diseases, which are devastating clinical disorders with high global morta lity and morbidity. Evidence confirms that fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) play key roles in mediating ALI. Mice were treated with LPS (lipopolysaccharide: 5 mg/kg, i ntratracheally) to establish an in vivo ALI model. Human lung epithelial BEAS-2B cells cultured in a corresponding medium with LPS were used to mimic the ALI model in vitro. In this study, we characterized FGF10 pretreatment (5 mg/kg, intratracheally) which improved LPSinduced ALI, including histopathological changes, and reduced pulmonary edema. At the cellular level, FGF10 pretreatment (10 ng/mL) alleviated LPS-induced ALI accompanied by reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and inflam matory responses, such as IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10, as well as suppressed excessive autophagy. A dditionally, immunoblotting and co-immunoprecipitation showed that FGF10 activated nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway vi a Nrf2 nuclear translocation by promoting the interaction between p62 and keap1, thereby pre venting LPS-induced ALI. Nrf2 knockout significantly reversed these protective effect s of FGF10. Together, FGF10 protects against LPS-induced ALI by restraining autophagy via p62-Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)-Nrf2 signaling pathway, implying that FGF10 could be a novel therapy for ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas technology is a molecular tool specific to sequences for engineering genomes. Among diverse clusters of Cas proteins, the class 2/type II CRISPR/Cas9 system, despite several challenges, such as off-target effects, editing efficiency, and efficient delivery, has shown great promise for driver gene mutation discovery, high-throughput gene screening, epigenetic modulation, nucleic acid detection, disease modeling, and more importantly for therapeutic purposes. CRISPR-based clinical and experimental methods have applications across a wide range of areas, especially for cancer research and, possibly, anticancer therapy. On the other hand, given the influential role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulations of cellular division, carcinogenicity, tumorigenesis, migration/invasion, and angiogenesis in diverse normal and pathogenic cellular processes, in different stages of cancer, miRNAs are either oncogenes or tumor suppressors, according to what type of cancer they are involved in. Hence, these noncoding RNA molecules are conceivable biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic targets. Moreover, they are suggested to be adequate predictors for cancer prediction. Conclusive evidence proves that CRISPR/Cas system can be applied to target small non-coding RNAs. However, the majority of studies have highlighted the application of the CRISPR/Cas system for targeting protein-coding regions. In this review, we specifically discuss diverse applications of CRISPR-based tools for probing miRNA gene function and miRNA-based therapeutic involvement in different types of cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: The gut-vascular barrier (GVB) has recently been depicted to dampen the bacterial invasion of the bloodstream. The intestinal mucosa is a tissue rich in small vessels including capillaries. In this study, the protective effect of berberine on GVB in small bowel mucosa was investigated. Methods: The rat cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) sepsis model was employed to evaluate the effect of berberine on serum endotoxin level and intestinal vascular permeability to Evans blue in vivo. The rat intestinal microvascular endothelial cells (RIMECs) treated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to assess the effect of berberine on endothelial permeability to FITC-labeled dextran, transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER), and tight junction (TJ) and adherens junction (AJ) expression in vitro. Results: After 24-hr CLP operation the serum endotoxin concentration and gut vascular permeability were significantly increased, while berberine markedly reduced endotoxin level and vascular leakage. In vitro, LPS not only dramatically increased endothelial permeability of RIMECs to FITC-dextran, but also decreased TEER and inhibited claudin-12, beta-catenin and VE-cadherin expression. These effects of LPS were antagonized by berberine. In addition, our in vivo and vitro studies also confirmed that the effect of berberine on GVB could be partially abolished by ICG001. Conclusion: Berberine exerted a protective effect on GVB function in sepsis, which was strictly related to the modulation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Pervasive environmental contamination due to the uncontrolled dispersal of 2,4‐dinitrotoluene (2,4‐DNT) represents a substantial global health risk, demanding urgent intervention for the removal of this detrimental compound from affected sites and the promotion of ecological restoration. Conventional methodologies, however, are energy‐intensive, susceptible to secondary pollution, and may inadvertently increase carbon emissions. In this study, a 2,4‐DNT degradation module is designed, assembled, and validated in rice plants. Consequently, the modified rice plants acquire the ability to counteract the phytotoxicity of 2,4‐DNT. The most significant finding of this study is that these modified rice plants can completely degrade 2,4‐DNT into innocuous substances and subsequently introduce them into the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Further, research reveals that the modified rice plants enable the rapid phytoremediation of 2,4‐DNT‐contaminated soil. This innovative, eco‐friendly phytoremediation approach for dinitrotoluene‐contaminated soil and water demonstrates significant potential across diverse regions, substantially contributing to carbon neutrality and sustainable development objectives by repurposing carbon and energy from organic contaminants.

2,4-Dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) as a common industrial waste has been massively discharged into the environment with industrial wastewater. Due to its refractory degradation, high toxicity, and bioaccumulation, 2,4-DNT pollution has become increasingly serious. Compared with the currently available physical and chemical methods, in situ bioremediation is considered as an economical and environmentally friendly approach to remove toxic compounds from contaminated environment. In this study, we relocated a complete degradation pathway of 2,4-DNT into Escherichia coli to degrade 2,4-DNT completely. Eight genes from Burkholderia sp. strain were re-synthesized by PCR-based two-step DNA synthesis method and introduced into E. coli. Degradation experiments revealed that the transformant was able to degrade 2,4-DNT completely in 12 h when the 2,4-DNT concentration reached 3 mM. The organic acids in the tricarboxylic acid cycle were detected to prove the degradation of 2,4-DNT through the artificial degradation pathway. The results proved that 2,4-DNT could be completely degraded by the engineered bacteria. In this study, the complete degradation pathway of 2,4-DNT was constructed in E. coli for the first time using synthetic biology techniques. This research provides theoretical and experimental bases for the actual treatment of 2,4-DNT, and lays a technical foundation for the bioremediation of organic pollutants.

High power supercontinuum (SC) is generated by focusing 800 nm and 400 nm femtosecond laser pulses in fused silica with a microlens array. It is found that the spectrum of the SC is getting broader compared with the case of a single laser pulse, and the spectral energy density between the two fundamental laser wavelengths is getting significantly higher by optimizing the phase matching angle of the BBO. It exceeds ÎĽJ/nm over 490 nm range which is from 380 nm to 870 nm, overcoming the disadvantage of relative lower power in the ranges far from the fundamental wavelength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Eight columns with HSC were tested under combined axial and lateral loading. • The influence of axial load ratio and spirals on the ductility of columns was investigated. • The effect of P-Delta moment on the lateral load resistance was investigated. • The axial shortening and lateral displacement components were examined. Adding internal spiral reinforcement is an effective and practical approach to enhancing the ductility of square concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns with high-strength concrete (HSC). To investigate the seismic behavior of CFST and spiral-confined concrete-filled steel tube (SCCFST) columns with HSC under high axial load ratio, four CFST columns and four SCCFST columns with concrete strengths not less than 110 MPa were tested under combined axial and lateral loading. The test variables included the concrete compressive strength, the axial load ratio, and the lateral-loading protocol. The test results demonstrated that adding spiral reinforcement can offset the reduction of ductility caused by the increase of the axial load ratio. The ultimate drift ratios of the columns under an axial load ratio of 0.5 increased from approximately 2.0% to 3.5% after adding spiral reinforcement with a volumetric ratio of 3.13%. Increasing the concrete strength from 110 to 140 MPa essentially did not affect the deformation capacity of the columns. Due to the cyclic degradation effect, the deformation capacity of the specimen under cyclic loading was much smaller than that of the corresponding specimen under monotonic loading. The column axial shortening accumulated during cyclic lateral loading and increased exponentially when significant strength degradation started. The rotation at the column base contributed a significant portion to the total lateral displacement, indicating the necessity of considering the flexibility of the column base in structural analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that maintains extracellular Ca2+ homeostasis through the regulation of parathyroid hormone secretion. It functions as a disulfide-tethered homodimer composed of three main domains, the Venus Flytrap module, cysteine-rich domain, and seven-helix transmembrane region. Here, we present the crystal structures of the entire extracellular domain of CaSR in the resting and active conformations. We provide direct evidence that L-amino acids are agonists of the receptor. In the active structure, L-Trp occupies the orthosteric agonist-binding site at the interdomain cleft and is primarily responsible for inducing extracellular domain closure to initiate receptor activation. Our structures reveal multiple binding sites for Ca2+ and PO43- ions. Both ions are crucial for structural integrity of the receptor. While Ca2+ ions stabilize the active state, PO43- ions reinforce the inactive conformation. The activation mechanism of CaSR involves the formation of a novel dimer interface between subunits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the transmission characteristics of polarized light in the atmosphere under the influence of multiple factors, the polarization Monte Carlo model is established based on Mie scattering theory and Stokes vector, and the scattering depolarization of photons in the atmosphere is calculated and analyzed. The effects of four typical aerosol particles with different optical depth on the forward scattering of 1064 nm narrow-pulse laser with different polarization states are systematically analyzed. The results show that with the increase of optical depth, the degree of polarization of several polarized light decreases to varying degrees. Among them, circularly polarized light has better polarization retention than linearly polarized light, and dust particles have the most significant depolarization characteristics than water soluble particles, sea salt particles and soot particles. Through the calculation and analysis of the variation of Stokes parameters of forward scattering light with the increase of optical depth, it is found that the polarization angle of circularly polarized light scattered by medium is not easy to change than that of linearly polarized light. At the same time, the model results also show that the scattering medium with larger particle size has more significant depolarization characteristics, and the circularly polarized light is insensitive to the change of particle size in the scattering process. The research results of this paper can provide reference for the application of narrow-pulse polarization laser in laser remote sensing, laser guidance, laser communication and laser radar, and provide data basis and theoretical guidance for the development of narrow-pulse polarization laser equipment. • The polarization retention of circularly polarized light is prominent. • In the 1. 06 μ m band, the depolarization of dust aerosols is the strongest. • When linearly polarized light is scattered, the polarization angle is easy to change. • The larger the particle size, the stronger the depolarization characteristic. • Circularly polarized light is insensitive to the change of particle radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the research that investigates the important role of NFATc1, osteoclast's master transcription factor, in preventing excessive osteoclastogenesis of patients in the U.S.

Extreme ultraviolet lithography is one of the most promising technologies on the next generation of high-capacity integrated circuit manufacturing. However, techniques for ion debris mitigation have to be considered in the application of extreme ultraviolet source for lithography. In our paper the dynamics of ion debris from Sn plasma by using dual ns laser pulses were investigated. The results show that debris from plasma greatly depends on the energy of pre-pulse and the delay time between the two laser pulses. The energy of Sn ions debris was efficiently mitigated from 2. 47 to 0. 40 keV in the case of dual laser pulses, up to 6. 1 times lower than that by using single laser pulse. We also found that Sn ions debris can be mitigated at all angles by using the dual laser pulses method.

Laser induced plasma spectroscopy of alloy steel was produced by Nd : YAG pulsed laser at 1 064 nm, and the spectral signal was detected by high resolution and width controlled ICCD. Several Fe atomic spectral lines such as 404.581, 414.387, 427.176 and 438.355 nm were chosen for analysis, and the effects of different experimental parameters on LIBS spectral signal intensity were investigated. It is shown that the experimental parameters such as pulse energy, laser focus location and laser delay time have great influence on the LIBS signal. LIBS signals with high spectral intensity and signal-background ratio (SBR) as well as the optimum experiment conditions were obtained by optimizing these experiment parameters so as to make composition analysis of the alloy steel.

Objective: To investigate changes of two sodium channels, PN(3) and NaN, during orofacial pain by occlusal trauma in rat., Methods: Expressions of PN(3) mRNA and NaN mRNA in trigeminal ganglion were tested during various periods of persistent occlusal trauma with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: In groups, including control, occlusal trauma groups, PN(3) mRNA and NaN mRNA were all expressed in trigeminal ganglion neurons. In the control group, there were similar density values bilaterally. In the occlusal trauma group, the density values in gel electrophoresis of PN(3) mRNA and NaN mRNA on the intervention side were slightly greater than those on the control side., Conclusions: The stimulation of occlusal trauma upregulates expressions of PN(3) mRNA and NaN mRNA, which suggests the signal occurring and conduction of chronic pain by occlusal trauma have the same molecular mechanism of sodium channel as inflammatory pain.

Objective: To study the effect of traumatic occlusion on CGRP-immunoreactive (CGRP-IR) nerve fibres in rat molar pulp and observe the recovery of CGRP-IR nerve fibres after removal of traumatic occlusion., Methods: To observe immunohistochemically the change of CGRP-IR nerve fibres in molar pulp during traumatic occlusion and after removal., Results: The increase of number, density and morphology of CGRP-IR nerve fibres in traumatic occlusion group was more than in control group, however, the changes of CGRP-IR nerve fibres in removal of traumatic occlusion group were less than in control group., Conclusions: The changes of CGRP-IR nerve fibres in number, morphology, and density are induced by traumatic occlusion in rat molar pulp, however, the nerve fibres recover to normal by removal of traumatic occlusion.