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Icariin is commonly used for the clinical treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). miR-23a-3p plays a vital role in regulating the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). The present study aimed to investigate the roles of icariin and miR-23a-3p in the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and an ONFH model. BMSCs were isolated and cultured in vitro using icariin-containing serum at various concentrations, and BMSCs were also transfected with a miR-23a inhibitor. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and cell viability as well as BMP-2/Smad5/Runx2 and WNT/β-catenin pathway-related mRNA and protein expression were measured in BMSCs. Additionally, a dual-luciferase reporter assay and pathway inhibitors were used to verify the relationship of icariin treatment/miR-23a and the above pathways. An ONFH rat model was established in vivo, and a 28-day gavage treatment and lentivirus transfection of miR-23a-3p inhibitor were performed. Then, bone biochemical markers (ELISA kits) in serum, femoral head (HE staining and Digital Radiography, DR) and the above pathway-related proteins were detected. Our results revealed that icariin treatment/miR-23a knockdown promoted BMSC viability and osteogenic differentiation as well as increased the mRNA and protein expression of BMP-2, BMP-4, Runx2, p-Smad5, Wnt1 and β-catenin in BMSCs and ONFH model rats. In addition, icariin treatment/miR-23a knockdown increased bone biochemical markers (ACP-5, BAP, NTXI, CTXI and OC) and improved ONFH in ONFH model rats. In addition, a dual-luciferase reporter assay verified that Runx2 was a direct target of miR-23a-3p. These data indicated that icariin promotes BMSC viability and osteogenic differentiation as well as improves ONFH by decreasing miR-23a-3p levels and regulating the BMP-2/Smad5/Runx2 and WNT/β-catenin pathways.

MiR-548 has been reported to be involved in a variety of tumor processes, but its function in breast cancer remains unclear. In this study, we found that miR-548 was low expressed in breast cancer tissues and cells compared with normal control. We then examined whether up-regulation of miR-548 could improve the progression of breast cancer. Our results indicate that up-regulation of miR-548 significantly inhibits cell proliferation, migration andinvasion, and induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Further studies showed that miR-548 could specifically inhibit E2F3 expression. Moreover, rescue test showed that up-regulation of E2F2 could reverse the effect of miR-548 on proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of breast cancer cells. In general, miR-548 could improve the progression of breast cancer. By targeting E2F2, which may make a potential target for the treatment of breast cancer.

Changes in gut motility and visceral hypersensitivity are two major features of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Current drug treatments are often poorly efficacious, with many side effects for patients with IBS. Complementary therapies, such as acupuncture or abdominal massage, have received more attention in recent years. In this study, a rat model of IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D) was established by instillation of acetic acid from the colon. The effects of abdominal massage on changes in gut motility, visceral hypersensitivity, and the possible mechanism were investigated. Continuous abdominal massage could decrease the stool consistency score and increase the efflux time of glass beads compared with model groups, while also decreasing mast cell counts in IBS-D rats. The mRNA and protein expressions of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), choline acetyl transferase (CHAT), and protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5) were significantly upregulated by continuous abdominal massage compared with model groups. Continuous abdominal massage also improved the ultrastructure of enteric glial cells (EGCs) by decreasing the number of mitochondria and increasing the level of the heterochromatin. Meanwhile, continuous abdominal massage could upregulate the expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and P-Akt/Akt. Furthermore, it could reduce visceral hypersensitivity and improve the IBS-D symptoms by regulating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway, which would provide a novel method for the treatment of IBS-D in the clinical setting.

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common public health concerns worldwide. Baduanjin is very popular and widely practiced for the management of LBP. This study aims to systematically investigate the efficacy and safety of Baduanjin exercise for patients with LBP.The PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Web of Science Core Collection, CBM, CNKI, WANFANG and VIP databases were searched from inception to August 2018 to identify potentially eligible studies. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane collaboration's tool. All statistical analyses were conducted with the RevMan 5.3 software.Nine studies involving 519 patients were included in this systematic review. Our meta-analysis showed that Baduanjin was associated with a small improvement in pain relief compared with general exercise (MD= -0.50, 95% CI: -0.86 to -0.15, P = 0.005). One trial indicated that Baduanjin was superior to routine drug (ibuprofen) in alleviating pain, and the effect was moderate (MD= -1.04, 95% CI: -1.52 to -0.56, P 0.0001). A descriptive analysis showed that Baduanjin plus other active treatments (such as massage, suspension, or routine drug plus general exercise) had small to moderate effects on low back pain relief compared with active treatments alone. One trial reported that Baduanjin decreased the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score compared with routine drug (MD= -4.92, 95% CI= -7.81 to -2.03, P = 0.0009). Another trial found the combination of Baduanjin and electrotherapy offered better improvement than electrotherapy on back-specific function (MD= -6.03, 95% CI= -8.45 to -3.61, P 0.00001). Three trials suggested that Baduanjin alone or in combination with other treatments achieved greater effects on the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score improvement than other treatments. No adverse event was identified in the only study reporting on safety data.The present study indicated that Baduanjin is effective for LBP. However, evidence supporting the finding is limited due to the small sample size, potential methodological flaws and significant heterogeneity. More large-scale, well-designed RCTs are warranted.

The influence of Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) on the vortex reversal driven by an out-of-plane spin-polarized current in an off-centered nanocontact structure is investigated. The simulation results show that DMI plays a vital role in vortex core reversal, including reversal current density, reversal velocity and reversal time. Under the influence of DMI, magnetic vortices still reverse polarity through the nucleation and annihilation of vortex and anti-vortex, with some peculiar characteristics. These results open up new possibilities for the application of magnetic vortex-based spin-transfer encryption nano-storage.

Methylprednisolone (MP) is widely used to treat clinical spinal cord injury (SCI). Treadmill training is also considered an important treatment after SCI to improve motor function in patients, resulting in an evident improvement. Therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate and contrast the effects of MP and treadmill training administered in combination or alone after SCI in adult rats. A rat spinal cord T10 contusion model was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats using an impact device. A total of 40 rats were divided into four groups (n=10 rats/group): the MP, MP + treadmill training, SCI and sham group. At 30 min after injury, MP sodium succinate was injected into the rats of the MP and MP + treadmill training groups. Treadmill training began on the second week post-trauma and was performed for 8 weeks. The results showed that MP therapy combined with treadmill training significantly ameliorated several parameters of hind limb function compared with those by MP treatment alone (all P

Methylprednisolone is a commonly used drug for the treatment of spinal cord injury, but high doses of methylprednisolone can increase the incidence of infectious diseases. Methotrexate has anti-inflammatory activity and immunosuppressive effects, and can reduce inflammation after spinal cord injury. To analyze gene expression changes and the molecular mechanism of methotrexate combined with methylprednisolone in the treatment of spinal cord injury, a rat model of spinal cord contusion was prepared using the PinPoint™ precision cortical impactor technique. Rats were injected with methylprednisolone 30 mg/kg 30 minutes after injury, and then subcutaneously injected with 0.3 mg/kg methotrexate 1 day after injury, once a day, for 2 weeks. TreadScan gait analysis found that at 4 and 8 weeks after injury, methotrexate combined with methylprednisolone significantly improved hind limb swing time, stride time, minimum longitudinal deviation, instant speed, footprint area and regularity index. Solexa high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze differential gene expression. Compared with methylprednisolone alone, differential expression of 316 genes was detected in injured spinal cord treated with methotrexate and methylprednisolone. The 275 up-regulated genes were mainly related to nerve recovery, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic functions, while 41 down-regulated genes were mainly related to proinflammatory and pro-apoptotic functions. These results indicate that methotrexate combined with methylprednisolone exhibited better effects on inhibiting the activity of inflammatory cytokines and enhancing antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects and thereby produced stronger neuroprotective effects than methotrexate alone. The 316 differentially expressed genes play an important role in the above processes.

Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) enhances steroid 1-dehydrogenation biotransformation by Arthrobacter simplex. In this work, HP-β-CD-induced improvement of A. simplex CPCC 140451 cell envelope permeability which had positive effects on the steroid bioconversion was confirmed by a comparative investigation which showed a lower dehydrogenase activity and higher cell permeability of the cells after being incubated with HP-β-CD. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy micrographs showed that HP-β-CD altered the size, sharpness, and surface structure of the cell envelope. The analysis of lipid composition revealed that the proportion of extractable lipids decreased and the fatty acids profile was considerably altered. The contents of unsaturated fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids were reduced by 11.77 and 14.98%, respectively. The total leakage of protein level increased to 8%. Proteins belonging to the ATP-binding cassette superfamily and major facilitator superfamily were observed outside the cell. These alterations can explain the change of permeability on the molecular level under HP-β-CD treatment. Results showed the material basis and mechanisms underlying the cellular changes, thus most likely contributing to the conversion rate in addition to cyclodextrins known effects on substrate solubility.

Road network vulnerability is the loss estimate of multiple-link failure in road network cause by unplanned incidents. To evaluate road network vulnerability, the research adopted the improved Beckmann and FIM composite pattern. Then it carries out a solution based on Genetic Algorithm to quantify the road network vulnerability by defining the condition of combination road sections (open or closed) in road network which can find the critical links and nodes in the road network at the same time. The research turns out to be helpful both on road network planning and planning process of resource allocation for mitigation and recovery under disruption (take the snow disaster in southern China for instance).

Short-term traffic flow forecasting for junction of isomerism road network which consists of freeway network and urban road network, is the key technology of traffic management and intelligent control. Real-time and reliability of short-term traffic flow forecasting is directly related to traffic management and collaborative control. There are various methods that have been established to forecast traffic flow, but most of the forecasting models are constructed according to analysis of the historical and current traffic flow series in selected sections or crossings, without considering the dynamic information of related traffic network. According to the traffic flow characters of junction of isomerism road network system, the paper analyzes the relationship between the traffic flow of a certain section with other section's flow, and calculates the dynamic correlation coefficient. Following, the paper selects input variables, and establishes the Radial Basic Function (RBF) neural network model for prediction on the basis of dynamic correlation coefficient. Finally, the paper takes the G2 freeway and Beijing road network that consists of the junction of isomerism road network as an example to forecast the short-term traffic flow. The result of forecasting is very accurate, and the relative errors are within the 15%. It indicates that the model could be used to forecast the short-term traffic flow for junction of isomerism road network system.

Cyclodextrins (CDs) can improve productivity in the biotransformation of steroids by increasing conversion rate, conversion ratio, or substrate concentration. However, little is known of the proportion of products formed by multi-catabolic enzymes, e.g., via sterol side chain cleavage. Using three strains with different androst-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) to androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD) ratios, Mycobacterium neoaurum TCCC 11028 (MNR), M. neoaurum TCCC 11028 M1 (MNR M1), and M. neoaurum TCCC 11028 M3 (MNR M3), we found that hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) can appreciably increase the ratio of ADD to AD, the reaction rate, and the molar conversion. In the presence of HP-β-CD, conversion of 0.5 g/L of phytosterol (PS) was 2.4, 2.4, and 2.3 times higher in the MNR, MNR M1, and MNR M3 systems, respectively, than in the controls. The ADD proportion increased by 38.4, 61.5, and 5.9 % compared with the control experiment, which resulted in a strong shift in the ADD/AD ratio in the ADD direction. Our results imply that the three PS-biotransforming strains cause efficient side chain degradation of PS, and the increased conversion of PS when using HP-β-CD may be associated with the higher PS concentration in each case. A similar solubilizing effect may not induce a prominent influence on the ADD/AD ratio. However, the different activities of the Δ1-dehydrogenase of PS-biotransforming strains result in different incremental percentage yields of ADD and ADD/AD ratio in the presence of HP-β-CD.

The 395 late-type spiral galaxies brighter than 15 m in r -band are selected from the Data Release 2 of Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the colormagnitude relations of these galaxies and their disks are investigated. It is found that the colors g − r , r − z and g − z of these galaxies and their disks are strongly correlated with the r -band absolute magnitudes, i.e., the more luminous galaxies (or disks) have the redder colors than the less luminous galaxies (or disks). And the correlation of galaxies is stronger than that of their disks.

The petroleum products leakage from the storage tank bottom could not be discovered in time without store contents emptied out because of the bottom not being accessed easily and the amount of leakage in the beginning being too small to be detected by the ways now available such as interstitial monitoring, liquid sensing probes and cables, volumetric and mass measurement methods, statistical inventory control methods, automatic tank gauging, passive-acoustic sensing etc. The experiments of the leak detection by testing vapor in the tank foundation is proposed and its experiments made on two model tanks with 300cm capacity and two real tanks in site with 3000cm capacity, in which a Photo Ionization Detector (PID) is used for testing oil vapor concentration in the tank foundation, its sensitivity up to grade PPM, and that means “fine” leak detection. Still, based on the results from the experiment, studied are the testing time and location of the leak detection and the distribution and trend of oil leakage and vapor diffusion. The results of the experiments on both model and real tanks show that the leakage from tank bottom could be detected in time by testing and monitoring oil vapor in tank foundation, and also prove that vapor testing and monitoring in tank foundation is a feasible and efficient method to detect the leaks from tank bottom much more earlier than other way to discover these leaks. And also the detection of vapor testing in tank's foundation were taken in the cases when the leakage suspected exciting in two tanks with diesel oil storage and capacity more than 20000 cm, and that further verified and demonstrated the availability and effectiveness of this technique.

The removal efficiency of catalytic ozonation of bezafibrate (BZF) by red mud loaded Co catalysts (Co/RM) was used as the index value in statistical experimental designs. The most important factors influencing BZF degradation (P0.05) in water were dipping mass of cobalt and calcination temperature. Under the conditions of 4.14% of dipping mass of cobalt and 389 degrees C of calcination temperature, the BZF removal efficiency was 71.29% as calculated by predictive value and a maximum removal efficiency of 70.74% was actually achieved. The experiment data was very close to the predictive value and the deviation was 1% (5%). The results indicated that the response surface methodology and mathematical model was reliable for experimental design. By comparing the differences of BZF degradation in RM and Co/RM processes, it was observed that Co/RM exhibited the greater catalytic activity. Furthermore, the surface structure and composition properties of the two catalysts were evaluated by N2 adsorption, XRD and UV-Vis analysis. It was found that the specific surface area and total pore volume had the same variation trend, RMCo/RM, which was consistent with the trend of catalytic ozonation. It was also found that Co3O4, the active component formed on the surface of RM by the addition of cobalt into red mud, enhanced the catalytic activity. Moreover, the dissolved metal concentration in the solution for catalytic ozonation of BZF degradation by RM or Co/RM was determined by ICP-OES. The results showed that for both catalysts there was no leaching of catalytic active components into the solution, which could suggest that the two catalysts were safe and could have certain application prospect.

Red mud as one kind of aluminum industrial wastes was used as raw material for catalyst preparation. It was activated by acidification in order to enhance its catalytic activity in the system of catalytic ozonation. Furthermore, removal performance and reaction mechanism in degradation of organic pollutants were discussed. Results showed that acid modified red mud had more significant catalytic activity than the raw red mud. The removal efficiency of nitrobenzene by catalytic ozonation with acidified red mud (RM6.0) increased with the increasing ozone concentration. When the ozone concentration was increased from 0.4 mg x L(-1) to 1.7 mg x L(-1), the removal efficiency of nitrobenzene increased from 45% to 92%. There was a consistent effect of water pH on the removal efficiency and the ozone concentration variation. The variation of the removal efficiency depended on the initial water pH. This was because the concentration of OH(-) led to ozone decomposition to generate hydroxyl radicals. The higher water pH value led to the quenching of hydroxyl radicals, resulting in the reduction of catalytic activity of RM6.0. The experimental results of aqueous ozone concentration variation in the presence of RM6.0 and inhibition by hydroxyl radicals indicated that the main reaction mechanism was catalytic ozonation of NB. Firstly, aqueous ozone was absorbed onto the surface of RM6.0, and then the concentrated ozone oxidized NB in water which was with a combination of direct and indirect oxidation. In catalytic reaction, hydroxyl radicals were present, which were generated during the oxidation of NB on the surface of RM6.0.

Oroxylin A is a flavonoid that is found in the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. Here, we investigated the antitumor effect of oroxylin A in human cervical cancer HeLa cell line in vitro and in vivo. We found that after inoculated with the HeLa cells the mice treated with oroxylin A showed a significant decrease of tumor volumes and tumor weight compared with the control. Meanwhile, the growth inhibition of oroxylin A on HeLa cells were observed by MTT assay and the value of IC50 was 19.4 ± 0.7 μM after treatment for 48 h. Upon our previous research, the inhibition by oroxylin A might be through apoptosis. Then apoptosis induced by oroxylin A in HeLa cells was characterized by DAPI staining and Annexin V/PI double staining, and degradation of PARP (poly-ADP–ribose polymerase) was both found in HeLa cells and tumor tissue. Next, activation of the caspase cascade for both the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways were demonstrated in vivo and in vitro, including caspase-8, -9 and -3. We also found that the expression of Bcl-2 protein decreased, which leading to an increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Our results showed that oroxylin A exhibited strong antitumor effect in HeLa cell line and apoptosis induction involved in it.