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Notch pathway has played a significant role in the pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, the role of Jagged 2 (Jag2), one ligand of Notch, remains to be elucidated.Therefore, determining the contribution of Jag2 to PH and its impact on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) was the aim of this investigation. Adeno-associated virus-mediated Jag2 inhibition was used to explore the role of Jag2 in peripheral pulmonary vascular remodeling assessed in a rat model of chronic hypoxia (10% O2, 4 weeks) induced pulmonary hypertension. In vitro, the effect of Jag2 silencing on hypoxia (1% O2, 24h) induced rat PASMCs was determined. Group differences were assessed using a 2-sided unpaired Student's t-test for two groups and one-way ANOVA for multiple groups. Jag2 upregulation was first confirmed in rats with sustained hypoxia-induced PH using publicly available gene expression data, experimental PH rat models and hypoxia induced rat PASMCs. Jag2 deficiency decreased oxidative stress injury, peripheral pulmonary vascular remodeling (0.276±0.020 vs. 0.451±0.033 μm, P<0.001, <50μm), and right ventricular systolic pressure (36.8±3.033 vs. 51.8±4.245 mmHg, P<0.001) in the chronic hypoxia-induced rat model of PH. Moreover, Jag2 knockdown decreased proliferation (1.227±0.051 vs. 1.45±0.07, P = 0.012), increased apoptosis (16.733%±0.724% vs. 6.56%±0.668%, P<0.001), and suppressed mitochondrial injury in hypoxia–treated rat PASMCs. Jag2 inhibition restored the activity of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, which was abolished by Sirtuin 1 deficiency. These findings show that Jag2 is essential for modulating pulmonary vascular dysfunction and accelerating PH, and that inhibition of Jag2 expression suppresses the progression and development of PH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) is associated with poor survival rates. The identification of potential therapeutic targets for preventing sepsis-induced ALI has clinical importance. This study aims to investigate the role of estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) in sepsis-induced ALI. Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to simulate sepsis-induced ALI model in rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs). The effects of ERRα overexpression and knockdown on LPS-induced endothelial permeability, apoptosis and autophagy were determined by horseradish peroxidase permeability assay, TdT-mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) assay, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, RT-PCR and Western Blotting. The rat model with sepsis-induced ALI was established by cecal ligation and puncture in anesthetized rats to verify the results of in vitro experiments. Animals were randomly assigned to receive intraperitoneal injection of vehicle or ERRα agonist. Lung vascular permeability, pathological injury, apoptosis and autophagy were examined. Results: Overexpression of ERRα ameliorated LPS-induced endothelial hyperpermeability, degradation of adherens junctional molecules, upregulation of bax, cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved caspase 9 levels, downregulation of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 level, and promoted the formation of autophagic flux, while the knockdown of ERRα exacerbated LPS-induced apoptosis and inhibited the activation of autophagy. Administration of ERRα agonist alleviated the pathological damage of lung tissue, increased the levels of tight junction proteins and adherens junction proteins, and decreased the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. Promoting the expression of ERRα significantly enhanced the process of autophagy and reduced CLP-induced ALI. Mechanistically, ERRα is essential to regulate the balance between autophagy and apoptosis to maintain the adherens junctional integrity. Conclusion: ERRα protects against sepsis-induced ALI through ERRα-mediated apoptosis and autophagy. Activation of ERRα provides a new therapeutic opportunity to prevent sepsis-induced ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Chronic hepatitis B liver fibrosis is an important intermediate link in the development of liver cirrhosis. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Longhua Hospital affiliated to the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in order to prove whether integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine could improve the incidence of CHB complications and clinical prognosis. There are 130 patients with hepatitis B liver fibrosis (being treated from 2011–2021) included in the study, and the patients were divided into 64 TCM users (NAs combined with TCM) and 66 TCM nonusers (NAs antiviral therapy). The serum noninvasive diagnostic model (APRI, FIB-4) and LSM value were used to classify the stages of fibrosis. The results showed that the LSM value was decreased significantly in TCM users compared with TCM nonusers (40.63% versus 28.79%). Indicators of FIB-4 and APRI of TCM users have improved significantly compared with that of TCM nonusers (32.81% versus 10.61% and 35.94% versus 24.24%). The AST, TBIL, and HBsAg levels in TCM users were lower than those in TCM nonusers, and the HBsAg level was inversely correlated with the CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ in TCM users. The PLT and spleen thickness of TCM users also were improved considerably. The incidence rate of end-point events (decompensated cirrhosis/liver cancer) in TCM nonusers was higher than that of TCM users (16.67% versus 1.56%). The long course of the disease and a family history of hepatitis B were the risk factors for disease progression, and long-term oral administration of TCM was the protective factor. As a result, the serum noninvasive fibrosis index and imaging parameters in TCM users were lower than those of TCM nonusers. Patients in the treatment of NAs combined with TCM had better prognoses such as a lower HBsAg level, a more stable lymphocyte function, and a lower incidence of end-point events. The present findings suggest the effect of TCM combined with NAs in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B liver fibrosis is better than that of single drug treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a group of myopathies that present with muscle weakness and multiple extra-muscular manifestations, in which lymphocytes play central roles in myositis pathogenesis. This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics of lymphocyte subsets, especially B cell subsets, in patients with IIM. Our study included 176 patients with active IIM and 210 gender/age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Compared to HCs, patients have reduced counts of T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells. In addition, B cell subsets from 153 patients with IIM and 92 HCs were characterized. Patients had a lower percentage of memory B cells and translational memory B cells, while those patients were with an elevated percentage of CD19+ B cells, plasmablast and naïve B cells compared with HCs. Moreover, to further explore the heterogeneity of B cells in IIM, patients were categorized into three clusters based on clustering analysis. Cluster 1 was dominated by CD19+ B cells, Bregs and naïve B cells, cluster 3 was dominated by memory B cells and plasmablast, and cluster 2 had the highest proportion of translational memory B cells. Notably, patients in cluster 1 presented with higher CK levels, indicating muscle damage, whereas patients in cluster 3 showed a higher incidence of chest tightness. Our study indicated that lymphopenia is a common manifestation in patients with IIM. B cell subsets are abnormally expressed and showed high heterogeneity in patients with IIM. The patients with IIM were divided into three different clusters with different percentages of chest tightness and distinct CK levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Condensed-to-atom Fukui functions which reflect the atomic reactivity like the tendency susceptible to either nucleophilic or electrophilic attack demonstrate the bonding trend of an atom in a molecule. Accordingly, Fukui functions based concepts, that is, bonding reactivity descriptors which reveal the bonding properties of molecules in the reaction were put forward and then applied to pericyclic and cluster reactions to confirm their effectiveness and reliability. In terms of the results from the bonding descriptors, a covalent bond can readily be predicted between two atoms with large Fukui functions (i.e., one governs nucleophilic attack while the other one governs electrophilic attack, or both of them govern radical attacks) for pericyclic reactions. For SinOm clusters' reactions, the clusters with a low O atom ratio readily form a bond between two Si atoms with big values of their Fukui functions in which they respectively govern nucleophilic and electrophilic attacks or both govern radical attacks. Also, our results from bonding descriptors show that Si—Si bonds can be formed via the radical mechanism between two Si atoms, and formations of Si—O and O—O bonds are possible when the O content is high. These results conform with experimental findings and can help experimentalists design appropriate clusters to synthesize Si nanowires with high yields. The approach established in this work could be generalized and applied to study reactivity properties for other systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of single cell protein (SCP) has become a method for alleviating the shortage of protein feed that microorganisms propagate in a suitable culture medium. In this study, SCP was produced by yeast to use the nutrition contained in the biogas slurry of chicken manure. Results: The results showed that Galactomyces candidum was the most efficient at producing SCP among the seven yeasts studied. The maximum cell dry weight (CDW) 6.79 g/L and protein content 39.39%, were obtained under the fermentation conditions of initial NH4 + -N concentration of 2000 mg/L and a C/N ratio of 6:1 with acetate as the pH regulator. The total CDW increased to 9.24 g/L after secondary fermentation. Metal elements had a little effect on the growth of G. candidum. The addition of sulfur not only promoted the synthesis of sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine but also increased protein content by promoting the synthesis of glutamic acid and glutamine. Conclusions: Future experiments should focus more on achieving high-density cultivation and more efficient utilization of ammonia nitrogen in the biogas slurry. How to cite: Zhou Pan, Zhang Lu, Ding Hongxia, et al. Optimization of culture conditions of screened Galactomyces candidum for the production of single cell protein from biogas slurry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal fibrosis, which is characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation in the renal tubulointerstitium, can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD). The role of microfiber‐associated protein 4 (MFAP4), which is an ECM protein that interacts with elastin and collagen, in renal fibrosis has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to examine the role of MFAP4 in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis and the underlying mechanism using in vivo and in vitro models. The MFAP4−/− mice were subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) to elucidate the role of MFAP4 in renal fibrosis in vivo. Compared to the wild‐type mice, the MFAP4−/− mice exhibited decreased protein expression of p‐p65 and p‐IKBα and ECM deposition after UUO. The MFAP4−/− mice exhibited attenuated nuclear translocation of p65 (the hub subunit of nuclear factor (NF)‐κB signaling pathway), suppressed activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β/Smad pathways, and downregulated expression of fibronectin, collagen I, and plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1. The knockdown of MFAP4 mitigated the TGF‐β‐induced upregulated expression of fibronectin, collagen I, and plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 in the human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK‐2). Compared to the HK‐2 cells transfected with sh‐MFAP4, the HK‐2 cells co‐transfected with sh‐MFAP4 and Ad‐MFAP4 exhibited severe inflammatory response and increased fibrosis‐related proteins expression. Mechanistically, the knockdown of MFAP4 inhibited the activation of NF‐κB and TGF‐β/Smad signaling pathways and downregulated the expression of fibrosis‐related proteins. The findings of this study indicate that MFAP4 is involved in UUO‐induced renal fibrosis through regulation of NF‐κB and TGF‐β/Smad pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new hybrid composite structure containing CNTRC and matrix cracked FRC layers is presented to model damaged blades. • A meshless based computational framework is proposed for nonlinear vibration behaviors of the hybrid composite blade. • The matrix cracks are revealed to have larger effect on the higher order frequency than the first order frequency. • The nonlinear vibration of cracked blade with a larger pretwisted angle is less sensitive to the deflection. A modeling of the large amplitude free vibration of pretwisted hybrid composite blades is studied by considering the laminated structure which is composed of carbon nanotube reinforced composite (CNTRC) layers and matrix cracked fiber reinforced composite (FRC) layers. Two assumptions are made to facilitate this vibration study of hybrid nanocomposite: (1) CNTs are distributed across the layer thickness uniformly or functionally graded, and (2) the parallel slit matrix cracks disperse in the matrix homogeneously. Based on the theory of differential geometry, a novel shell model for pretwisted hybrid nanocomposites blade is developed. The von Kármán strains are adopted to capture the geometrically nonlinear behaviors of blades. The established governing equations are solved accurately and efficiently via the IMLS-Ritz method. The proposed numerical model is verified by making comparison studies and then the influence of crack density, pretwisted angle, CNT distribution and volume fraction, aspect ratio, width-to-thickness ratio, and ply-angle on the large amplitude vibration characteristics of matrix cracked pretwisted hybrid composite blade are scrutinized systematically. The present study serves as a useful benchmark to researchers who intend do further research in this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate whether Taraxacum officinale (T. officinale) -derived exosome-like nanovesicles (ELNs) exerted hypotensive effects in intermittent hypoxia (IH)-induced hypertensive disorders and their potential mechanisms. In this study, we developed T. officinale -derived natural nanoparticles with ideal size and stable negative surface charge, containing large amount of lipids and some functional proteins. We found that ELNs effectively reduced IH-induced hypertension, exhibited local anti-inflammatory effects on intestinal tissues in a rat model of IH-induced hypertension, and reduced intestinal tissue damage, including loss of goblet cells and barrier integrity damage, and ultimately inhibited the systemic inflammatory response. In addition, we evaluated intestinal microbial composition and SCFAs content and found significant changes in the structure and diversity of intestinal microbes, where butyrate was identified as the most important cause of the overall differences in the flora. Therefore, we further evaluated whether butyrate was a key target for ELNs to exert their effects in IH-induced hypertensive disease. We found that butyrate intervention further inhibited systemic inflammatory response and vascular wall remodeling by improving the intestinal microenvironment in IH rats, thereby attenuating IH-induced hypertension. T. officinale -derived ELNs were effective in the treatment of IH-induced hypertensive disease, whereas butyrate played a major role in mediating the effects of ELNs in anti-IH-induced hypertensive disease. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become crucial components of building air–ground integrated networks for sixth-generation mobile communications. UAV-related technology has advanced quickly in both military and civilian contexts. Problems with long-distance and dynamic communication need to be fixed in the non-terrestrial transmission channels of high-altitude UAVs. For long-distance UAV dynamic non-terrestrial transmission channel modeling, a spatial statistical channel model–ray tracing (SSCM-RT) hybrid channel model is proposed and verified, and SSCM-RT channel simulations incorporating spatial consistency analysis are carried out to realize the description of the communication process in the dynamic scenario of the non-terrestrial transmission in symmetric and asymmetric situations. The SSCM-RT model can output channel state information continuously, which is helpful for the quantitative description and characterization of the UAV channel in practical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient and practical method has been developed for the divergent synthesis of N-arylenaminones and 3-aroylquinolines from 2-aminoaryl ketones and N,N-dimethylenaminones in the presence of 4-toluenesulfonic acid through synergistic control of the temperature and amount of catalyst. Furthermore, gram-scale synthesis and synthetic applications have been evaluated. Features of this protocol include controllable results, mild conditions, good functional-group tolerance, operational simplicity, and excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mn(OAc)3-promoted oxidative phosphonylation of N,N-dimethylenaminones with H-phosphonates, involving a chemo- and regioselective Csp²-Csp² bond cleavage and Csp³-P bond formation in one step, provided successfully functionalized β-ketophosphonates under mild reaction conditions. Oxidative Csp³-H/P-H cross-coupling reactions via Csp³-C(C-O) bond cleavage and mechanistic studies are conducted preliminarily, and a possible mechanism is proposed. This novel method proceeds in good to excellent yields, shows operational simplicity, broad substrate scope, and large-scale preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the great efficacy of indomethacin (IND) as an anti-inflammatory agent, its clinical translation has been obstructed by the water insolubility, severe side effects, and exceedingly low bioavailability. Indomethacin prodrug-based nanoparticles (NPs) combining the strengths of both nanotechnology and prodrugs that might overcome this crucial problem are presented. Here, using the carbodiimide-mediated couple reaction, IND was conjugated to clinically approved poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymer via peptide linkage that was cleavaged in the presence of cathepsin B, which was significantly induced after inflammatory. The synthesized IND-PEG-IND conjugate was characterized by UV–vis, FTIR, 1 H NMR, XRD, and MALDI-TOF-MS analyses. For its intrinsic amphiphilic property, the IND prodrug self-assembled into NPs in aqueous solution and served two roles-as an anti-inflammatory prodrug and a drug carrier. The constructed IND-PEG-IND NPs had naoscaled particle size of approximately 80 nm, negative surface, spherical shape, good water-dispersity, and high and fixed drug-loading content of 20.1 wt%. In addition, IND-PEG-IND NPs demonstrated sustained and cathepsin B-controlled drug release behavior. More importantly, IND-PEG-IND NPs significantly reduced the acute totoxicity agaist normal osteoblast cells and displayed the more potent anti-inflammatory effect against macrophage cells compared to the free IND. Taken together, the nanoprodrug might exhibit increased potency for nanomedicine-prospective therapeutic use in clinical treatement of implant inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient approach for the synthesis of 4-spiro-1,4-DHP derivatives has been developed, involving one-pot three-component reaction of isatins, N, N-dimethylenaminones with ammonium acetate in EtOH--water solution promoted by acetic acid. Compared with the previous [1+2+3]-cyclisation method, this [1+2+1+2]-cyclisation procedure has advantages as it is more environmentally friendly, has easier operational simplicity, and requires milder reaction conditions. Moreover, these novel compounds have been obtained in moderate to good yields and their structures have been confirmed by ¹H NMR, 13C NMR and IR and HRMS spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of supplementing different concentrations of extruded full-fat soybean (EFS) to corn-soybean meal-based lactation diets, at the expense of soybean meal and oil, on sow and litter performance. During gestation, a total of 60 Landrace x Yorkshire multiparous sows were fed the same gestational diet. After farrowing, sows were randomly allotted to one of four treatments including Control (corn-soybean meal-soybean oil), and 6.1%, 12.2%, and 18.3% EFS diets, until Day 21 of lactation. Individual weight at weaning tended to be heavier in the 12.2% EFS group as compared with Controls (P = 0.07). Litter weight in 12.2% EFS group was significantly increased compared with Controls, representing an increase of 7.8%. Average daily feed intake of sows in the 12.2% EFS group tended to increase (P = 0.08) when compared with the other three groups. At Day 21 of lactation, fat and protein content in the milk of the 12.2% EFS group were higher than those of the Control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these results demonstrated that feeding lactating sows diets supplemented with EFS had a positive effect on milk composition as well as litter performance. Among the three dietary levels of EFS tested, 12.2% EFS supplementation level showed preferable reproductive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proliferation of smooth muscle cells, oxidative stress, and pulmonary vasoconstriction resulting from intermittent hypoxia (IH) facilitate pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The role of Phosphodiesterase 4 B (PDE4B) in PH has not yet been established. Herein, we investigated whether PDE4B inhibition ameliorates experimental PH by modulating cAMP signaling. We performed an integrative analysis of PDE4B expression in Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, experimental IH-induced rat PH samples, and IH-induced pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). PDE4B expression was modulated using siRNA in vitro and a specific adeno-associated virus serotype 1 in vivo. In the databases of mouse models of IH-induced and sustained hypoxia-induced PH and in a rat model of six weeks of IH, the expression of PDE4B was up-regulated. Inhibition of PDE4B attenuated IH-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and right ventricular hypertrophy. Our results also showed that PDE4B deficiency inhibited IH-induced proliferation of PASMCs with less mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial damage. Meanwhile, IH induced an increase in ATF4, which positively regulated the expression of PDE4B through transcription, and inhibition of ATF4 exerted effects similar to those of PDE4B inhibition. Mechanistically, downregulating the expression of PDE4B resulted in the activation of the cAMP/PKA/p-CREB/PGC-1α pathway in PASMCs after IH. Taken together, our present study provides evidence that inhibition of PDE4B attenuates IH-induced PH by regulating cAMP signaling. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a directed self-assembly mechanism toward obtaining defect-free perpendicular lamellar phases of diblock copolymer (BCP) thin films. In our numerical study, a thin BCP film having a flat top surface is cast on a unidirectional corrugated solid substrate. The substrate is treated chemically and has a weak preference toward one of the two BCP components. Employing self-consistent field theory (SCFT), we find that there is an enhanced synergy between two substrate characteristics: its topography (geometrical roughness) combined with a weak surface preference. This synergy produces the desired perpendicular lamellar phase with perfect in-plane ordering. Defect-free BCP lamellar phases are reproducible for several random initial states and are obtained for a range of substrate roughness and chemical characteristics, even for a unidirectional multimode substrate roughness. Our theoretical study suggests possible experiments that will explore the interplay between unidirectional substrate corrugation and chemical surface treatment. It may lead to viable and economical ways of obtaining BCP films with defect-free lateral alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pollution is a great challenge for air environment management. However, macro quantitative research on VOC control technologies (VOCTs) evolution and global knowledge transfer is still lacking. Therefore, we analyzed the 6,636 global patents for VOCTs from 1961 to 2020 in the Derwent Innovation Index database to give a quantitative study, by using patent analysis methods such as text mining and technology life cycle analysis. The results showed that global patents surged from 2014 to 2018, and China held the most patents, followed by the US. Chinese 2013–2017 intensive atmospheric environment governance policy was the main possible reason for the sharp increase of VOC patents. However, very few Chinese patents were transferred. On the contrary, the US was the most important source country for transferred patents, and its main overseas markets were Europe, followed by China. Up to now, absorption and adsorption were the most mature technologies, accounting for 51% of the end-of-pipe patent. Biodegradation and membrane separation patents were active in transfer, indicating their high demand in the global market, so they may be promising technologies in the future. These findings enrich the literature on the evolution and transnational diffusion of VOCTs, and help policy-makers, scholars, and company managers better understand future research directions and the demands of the international market. [Display omitted] • Global 6,636 patents in 1961–2020 on VOCTs were evaluated quantitively. • The U.S. had the strongest VOCTPs market ties with Europe, followed by the U.S. with China. • Over half (51%) of the VOCTPs for end-of-pipe focused on adsorption and absorption. • The technologies of biodegradation and membrane separation were promising directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pollution is a great challenge for air environment management. However, macro quantitative research on VOC control technologies (VOCTs) evolution and global knowledge transfer is still lacking. Therefore, we analyzed the 6,636 global patents for VOCTs from 1961 to 2020 in the Derwent Innovation Index database to give a quantitative study, by using patent analysis methods such as text mining and technology life cycle analysis. The results showed that global patents surged from 2014 to 2018, and China held the most patents, followed by the US. Chinese 2013–2017 intensive atmospheric environment governance policy was the main possible reason for the sharp increase of VOC patents. However, very few Chinese patents were transferred. On the contrary, the US was the most important source country for transferred patents, and its main overseas markets were Europe, followed by China. Up to now, absorption and adsorption were the most mature technologies, accounting for 51% of the end-of-pipe patent. Biodegradation and membrane separation patents were active in transfer, indicating their high demand in the global market, so they may be promising technologies in the future. These findings enrich the literature on the evolution and transnational diffusion of VOCTs, and help policy-makers, scholars, and company managers better understand future research directions and the demands of the international market. [Display omitted] • Global 6,636 patents in 1961–2020 on VOCTs were evaluated quantitively. • The U.S. had the strongest VOCTPs market ties with Europe, followed by the U.S. with China. • Over half (51%) of the VOCTPs for end-of-pipe focused on adsorption and absorption. • The technologies of biodegradation and membrane separation were promising directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a theoretical study on "seeing" through an elastic structure to uncover the root cause of sound and vibration by using nearfield acoustical holography (NAH) and normal modes expansion. This approach is of generality because vibro-acoustic responses on the surface of a vibrating structure can always be reconstructed, exactly or approximately. With these vibroacoustic responses, excitation forces acting on the structure can always be determined, analytically or numerically, given any set of boundary conditions. As an example, the explicit formulations for reconstructing time-harmonic excitation forces, including point, line and surface forces, and their arbitrary combinations acting on a rectangular thin plate in vacuum mounted on an infinite baffle are presented. The reason for choosing this example is that the analytic solutions to vibro-acoustic responses are available, and in-depth analyses of results are possible. Results demonstrate that this approach allows one to identify excitation forces based on measured acoustic pressures and reveal their characteristics such as locations, types and amplitudes, as if one could "see" excitation forces acting behind the plate based on acoustic pressure measured on the opposite side. This approach is extendable to general elastic structures, except that in such circumstance numerical results must be sought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Amorphous MoS2 nanoflowers assembled by lamellar nanosheets have been successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and evaluated as electrochemical catalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Moreover, the effect of preparation temperature was also discussed. It was found that these catalysts exhibited excellent HER activity compared to commercial bulk MoS2 microparticles due to the special structure of nanoflowers assembled by nanosheets with few layers, exposing much more active sites and reducing intrinsic resistance. And the catalyst obtained at 220 °C showed the best activity with the largest exchange current density and the smallest Tafel slope of 52 mV dec−1, which made it a promising HER electrocatalyst for practical applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Standard Watson−Crick adenine−thymine (AT) base pair has been investigated by using the B3LYP functional with 6-31G(d, p) basis set, at which level of theory the geometrical characteristics of the AT base pair are the best in agreement with the experiment. It exhibits simultaneously red-shifted N−H···O and N−H···N hydrogen bonds as well as a blue-shifted C−H···O contact. AIM analysis suggests that the blue-shifted C−H···O contact exists as van der Waals interaction, and the electron density ρ that reflects the strength of a bond has been used to explain the red- and blue-shifted. By means of NBO analysis, we report a method to estimate the effect of hyperconjugation quantitatively, which combines the electron density in the X−H (X = N, C) σ bonding orbital with that in the σ* antibonding orbital. The effect of structural reorganization on the origins of the red- and blue-shifted has been considered by the partial optimization, its behavior on the X−H (X = N, C) bond is quite different. Rehybridization and repolarization models are employed, and they act as bond-shortening effects. The competition between the electrostatic attractions and Pauli/nucleus repulsions is present in the two typical red-shifted N−H···O and N−H···N hydrogen bonds as well as in the blue-shifted C−H···O van der Waals contact. Electrostatic attraction between H and Y atoms (Y = O, N) is an important reason for the red shift, while the nucleus−nucleus repulsion between H and O atoms may be a factor leading to the C−H bond contraction and its blue shift. The electric field effect induced by the acceptor O atom on the C−H bond is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stiffness degradation due to matrix cracks is the main initial form of damage in composite laminates. Moreover, the vibration characteristics may change due to the degradation of blade stiffness caused by the introduction of matrix cracks. This paper presents a solution method for studying the static free vibration behaviors of pretwisted hybrid composite blade containing carbon nanotube reinforced composite (CNTRC) layers as well as matrix cracked fiber reinforced composite (FRC) layers. Two types of structure, namely Structure-I and Structure-II, are investigated. The CNTRC layers in Structure-I are considered with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) arranged in uniformly distributions, while Structure-II arranged in functionally graded distributions. The degraded stiffness of cracked layers is modeled via the self-consistent model (SCM) micromechanical framework. A shell model for pretwisted blade is proposed based on the theroy of differential geometry. To consider the effect of the transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia on the vibration behaviors, the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) is adopted in describing the kinematics of blade. The improved moving least-squares Ritz (IMLS-Ritz) method is engaged to discretize the partial differential equations over the computational domain. Comparison studies indicate that the proposed predictive model can furnish very accurate results for pretwisted blades. Parametric studies on the effect of CNT distribution configuration, matrix crack density, aspect ratio, width-to-thickness ratio, twisted angle, as well as ply-angle on the vibration characteristics are revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive understanding of the vibration characteristics of rotating blades is critical to avoid resonance fracture. This paper presents the vibration analysis and lay-up optimization of rotating pre-twisted laminated functionally graded CNTs reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) shallow conical shells. A numerical shallow conical shell model is proposed, and the displacement fields of the shell model are described via the first-order shear deformation theory. Considering the rotating speed, the governing equation of the rotating pre-twisted laminated conical shell is derived, and then solved using the meshless kp-Ritz method. We carry out the comparison studies to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the present model in dealing with the vibrations of this kind of structures. Detailed parametric studies are then performed and demonstrate that the CNT configuration, pre-twisted angle, and stacking sequence play essential roles in vibration behaviors of rotating FG-CNTRC blade. With the nondimensional frequency parameter being the optimization objective function, a genetic algorithm is employed to search for the optimal layering sequence of the rotating shallow conical shells. The optimized results demonstrate that the GA serves as a useful tool for sequence optimization of rotating blade in terms of improving the vibration characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain the characteristics of their cell of origin and mediate cell-tocell communication. Platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) not only have procoagulant activity but also contain platelet-derived inflammatory factors (CD40L and mtDNA) that mediate inflammatory responses. Studies have shown that platelets are activated during storage to produce large amounts of PEVs, which may have implications for platelet transfusion therapy. Compared to platelets, PEVs have a longer storage time and greater procoagulant activity, making them an ideal alternative to platelets. This review describes the reasons and mechanisms by which PEVs may have a role in blood transfusion therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metastasis of cancer cells is the main cause of death in patients with gastric cancer (GC). Mounting evidence has demonstrated the vital importance of tumor-associated macrophages in promoting tumor invasion and metastasis; however, the interaction between tumor cells and macrophages in GC is largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that cyclase-associated protein 2 (CAP2) was upregulated in GC, especially in cases with lymph node metastasis, and was correlated with a poorer prognosis. The transcription factor JUN directly bound to the promoter region of CAP2 and activated CAP2 transcription. The N-terminal domain of CAP2 bound to the WD5 to WD7 domains of receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) and induced M2 macrophage polarization by activating the SRC/focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/ERK signaling pathway, which resulted in IL-4 and IL-10 secretion. Polarized M2 macrophages induced premetastatic niche formation and promoted GC metastasis by secreting TGFB1, which created a TGFB1/JUN/CAP2 positive-feedback loop to activate CAP2 expression continuously. Furthermore, we identified salvianolic acid B as an inhibitor of CAP2, which effectively inhibited GC cell invasion capabilities by suppressing the SRC/FAK/ERK signaling pathway. Our data suggest that CAP2, a key molecule mediating the interaction between GC cells and tumor-associated macrophages, may be a promising therapeutic target for suppressing tumor metastasis in GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaves are used extensively as an indicator in research on tree growth. Leaf area, as one of the most important index in leaf morphology, is also a comprehensive growth index for evaluating the effects of environmental factors. When scanning tree surfaces using a 3D laser scanner, the scanned point cloud data usually contain many outliers and noise. These outliers can be clusters or sparse points, whereas the noise is usually non-isolated but exhibits different attributes from valid points. In this study, a 3D point cloud filtering method for leaves based on manifold distance and normal estimation is proposed. First, leaf was extracted from the tree point cloud and initial clustering was performed as the preprocessing step. Second, outlier clusters filtering and outlier points filtering were successively performed using a manifold distance and truncation method. Third, noise points in each cluster were filtered based on the local surface normal estimation. The 3D reconstruction results of leaves after applying the proposed filtering method prove that this method outperforms other classic filtering methods. Comparisons of leaf areas with real values and area assessments of the mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute error percent (MAE%) for leaves in different levels were also conducted. The root mean square error (RMSE) for leaf area was 2.49 cm2. The MAE values for small leaves, medium leaves and large leaves were 0.92 cm2, 1.05 cm2 and 3.39 cm2, respectively, with corresponding MAE% values of 10.63, 4.83 and 3.8. These results demonstrate that the method proposed can be used to filter outliers and noise for 3D point clouds of leaves and improve 3D leaf visualization authenticity and leaf area measurement accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression and anxiety are prevalent in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Recent researchers reveal that intermittent hypoxia (IH) increases the severity of bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung injury. However, experimental studies dealing with anxiety- and depression-like behavior in animal models of BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in a combination of IH are lacking, hence, this study aimed to investigate that. In this study, 80 C57BL/6J male mice were intratracheally injected with BLM or normal saline at day0 and then exposed to IH (alternating cycles of FiO 2 21 % for 60 s and FiO 2 10 % for 30 s, 40 cycles/hour, 8 h/day) or intermittent air (IA) for 21 days. Behavioral tests, including open field test (OFT), sucrose preference test (SPT) and tail suspension test (TST), were detected from day22 to day26. This study found that pulmonary fibrosis developed and lung inflammation were activated in BLM-induced mice, which were potentiated by IH. Significant less time in center and less frequency of entries in the centre arena in OFT were observed in BLM treated mice, and IH exposure further decreased that. Marked decreased percent of sucrose preference in SPT, and significant increased immobility time of the TST were detected in BLM treated mice and IH widen the gaps. The expression of ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule (Iba1) was activated in the hippocampus of BLM instillation mice and IH enlarged it. Moreover, a positive correlation between hippocampal microglia activation and inflammatory factors was observed. Our results demonstrated that IH exacerbated depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in the BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis mice. The changes in pulmonary inflammation-hippocampal microglia activation may be a potential mechanism in this phenomenon, which can be researched in future. • Depressive and anxiety-like behavior tests were performed in the double hit mice model. • Depressive and anxiety-like behaviors were observed in BLM-induced fibrosis mice. • IH exposure exacerbated the depressive and anxiety-like behaviors. • Inflammation-hippocampal microglial activation may be potential mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to examine the regulatory role of multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 (MRP4) in an experimental model of sepsis-induced acute lung injury in rats. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture in anesthetized rats. Animals were then randomly assigned to receive intravenous injection of vehicle or MRP4 inhibitor (MK571, 20 mg/kg). The pathological changes were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Lung water content, lung vascular permeability and inflammatory cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were quantified. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured. In addition, lung tissue cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, the effects of MRP4 knockdown on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endothelial permeability and the cytoskeleton of rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) were detected. The protein expression levels of MRP4, Rac1, VE-cadherin, β-catenin and ZO-1 were measured by Western blot analysis. MK571 significantly reduced lung tissue damage, lung water content and lung vascular permeability. Lung tissue cAMP levels were attenuated in MK571-treated animals compared with vehicle controls. MK571 also decreased sepsis-induced inflammatory cell accumulation in BALF. In addition, the MK571 group had significantly lower serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels compared with vehicle controls. Consistently, knockdown of MRP4 protected against LPS-induced increase in the endothelial permeability and the destruction of cytoskeleton in vitro. Furthermore, silencing MRP4 gene significantly reduced MRP4 protein expression and restored the protein expression of Rac1, VE-cadherin, β-catenin and ZO-1 in rat PMVECs in response to LPS stimulation. These data suggest that inhibition of MRP4 significantly alleviates sepsis-induced acute lung injury in rats. • Multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 (MRP4) is a critical regulator of sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). • Inhibition of MRP4 significantly alleviates sepsis-induced ALI in rats. • The protective effect of MRP4 inhibition on sepsis-induced ALI is mainly via maintaining endothelial barrier function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of first principles calculations, we report that the type and density of charge carriers of epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) can be deliberately controlled by decorating the buffer layer with specific atoms (i.e., F, Cl, O, or N). More importantly, a fine tuning of the doping behavior from intrinsic n-type to charge neutrality to p-type and interface magnetism is achieved via increasing the doping concentration of F atoms on the buffer layer. Our results suggest an interesting avenue to the application of epitaxial graphene in nanoscale electronic and spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two unusual normonoterpenoid indole alkaloids rauvomine A (1) and rauvomine B (2), together with two known compounds peraksine (3) and alstoyunine A (4), were isolated from the aerial parts of Rauvolfia vomitoria. The structures with absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compound 2 is a novel C18 normonoterpenoid indole alkaloid with a substituted cyclopropane ring that forms an unusual 6/5/6/6/3/5 hexcyclic rearranged ring system. The plausible biogenetic pathways of 1 and 2 were proposed. Compound 2 exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on significant protection of kidney filter cells in human organoids and endogenous rat host kidneys. Topics include describing a scalable approach for human preclinical PD assessment of drugs targeting podocytes where cells being essential to the kidney filter barrier; and preclinical drug evaluation being induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)–derived organoids including kidney organoids.

Wepresent numerical calculations of lamellar phases of diblockcopolymers (BCP) confined between two surfaces, where the top surfaceis flat and the bottom one is corrugated. The corrugated substrateis assumed to have a single q-mode of lateral undulationswith a wavenumber qsand amplitude R. We focus on the effects of substrate roughness, parametrizedby the dimensionless quantity, qsR, on the relative stability between parallel and perpendicularorientations of the lamellar phase. The competition between film confinement,energy cost of elastic deformation, and gain in surface energy inducesa parallel-to-perpendicular transition of the BCP lamellae. Employingself-consistent field theory (SCFT), we study the critical value,(qsR)*, correspondingto this transition. The (qsR)* value increases as a function of the surface preference towardone of the two BCP components and as a function of film thickness.But, (qsR)* decreaseswith increasing values of the Flory–Huggins parameter, NχAB. Our findings are equivalent to statingthat the critical (qsR)* value decreases as the BCP molecular weight or the natural BCPperiodicity increases. We further show that the rough substrate canovercome the formation of parallel lamellae in cases where the topsurface has a preference toward one of the two BCP components. Ourresults are in good agreement with previous experiments and highlightthe physical conditions behind the perpendicular orientation of lamellarphases, as is desired in nanolithography and other industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearby Shenzhen University, Baishi Road holds a large segment where traffic is steady at peak hours. The distance between the intersection of "Yue Hai Men Cun" and "Gui Miao Cun Kou" is 1.4km, and the signal timing plans at the two intersections are similar so that its traffic signal control can be researched by using the Green Wave. The paper, uses manual calculation method to collect data acquisition and do signal timing phase of the two the intersections, then analyzes the data and implements three kinds of optimized timing plans of the Green Wave. The simulation model is established by VISSIM. Simulation results show that by using the three kinds of optimization, the total of two-way traffic delays, parking time and number of stops decrease 36. 5%, 36. 8% and 40. 6%, respectively, it effectively improve the prevailing rates and service levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consistency of a response to a given post at the semantic level and emotional level is essential for a dialogue system to deliver humanlike interactions. However, this challenge is not well addressed in the literature, since most of the approaches neglect the emotional information conveyed by a post while generating responses. This article addresses this problem and proposes a unified end-to-end neural architecture, which is capable of simultaneously encoding the semantics and the emotions in a post and leveraging target information to generate more intelligent responses with appropriately expressed emotions. Extensive experiments on real-world data demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in terms of both content coherence and emotion appropriateness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophages play an important role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus-associated diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH). The immunomodulation of macrophage responses might be a potential approach for the prevention and treatment of DAH. Erythropoietin (EPO) could regulate macrophage bioactivities by binding to the EPO receptor expressing on macrophages. This study assessed the effects of EPO on DAH protection using an immune-mediated DAH murine model with macrophages as the major contributor. A DAH murine model was established in female C57BL/6 mice by an i.p. injection of pristane. We found that EPO administration alleviates DAH by reducing pulmonary macrophages recruitment and promoting phenotype switch toward M2 macrophages in vivo. EPO drove macrophages to the anti-inflammatory phenotype in the primary murine bone marrow-derived macrophages and macrophages cell line RAW 264.7 with LPS, IFN-γ, and IL-4 in vitro. Moreover, EPO treatment increases the expression of EPOR and decreases the expression of miR-494-3p, resulting in increased phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3. In conclusion, EPO can be a potential therapeutic agent in DAH by reducing cell apoptosis and regulating macrophage polarization through the EPOR/JAK2/STAT3 axis. Further studies are also needed to validate the direct target of miR-494-3p in regulating JAK2/STAT3 signaling transduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum phosphide was adopted as a new electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction for the first time, exhibiting an excellent electrocatalytic activity with a small Tafel slope of 60 mV dec-1, which is amongst the most active, acid-stable, earth abundant HER electrocatalysts reported to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secretory Ig A (sIgA) plays an important role in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis via cross-talk with gut microbiota. The defects in sIgA production could elicit dysbiosis of commensal microbiota and subsequently facilitate the development of inflammatory bowel disease. Our previous study revealed activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) as an important regulator of follicular helper T (TFH) cells in gut. ATF3 deficiency in CD4+ T cells impaired the development of gut TFH cells, and therefore diminished sIgA production, which increased the susceptibility to murine colitis. However, the potential role of microbiota in ATF3-mediated gut homeostasis remains incompletely understood. In this study, we report that both Atf32/2 and CD4creAtf3fl/fl mice displayed profound dysbiosis of gut microbiota when compared with their littermate controls. The proinflammatory Prevotella taxa, especially Prevotella copri, were more abundant in ATF3-deficient mice when compared with littermate controls. This phenotype was obviously abrogated by adoptive transfer of either TFH cells or IgA+ B cells. Importantly, depletion of gut microbiota dramatically alleviated the severity of colitis in Atf32/2 mice, whereas transfer of microbiota from Atf32/2 mice to wild-type recipients increased their susceptibility to colitis. Collectively, these observations indicate the importance of IgA-microbiota interaction in ATF3-mediated gut homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) play an important role in the control of tissue inflammation and homeostasis. However, the role of ILC2s in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has never been illustrated. In this study, we investigated ILC2s in ESRD patients and their clinical significance. Results showed that the frequencies and absolute numbers of ILC2s, not group 1 innate lymphoid cells or innate lymphoid cell precursors, were significantly elevated in the peripheral blood of ESRD patients when compared with those from healthy donor controls. Moreover, ILC2s from ESRD patients displayed enhanced type 2 cytokine production and cell proliferation. Plasma from ESRD patients significantly increased ILC2 levels and enhanced their effector function after in vitro treatment. The expression of phosphorylation of STAT5 in ILC2s, as well as the amounts of IL-2 in plasma, were increased in ESRD patients when compared with those from healthy donors. Clinically, ESRD patients with higher ILC2 frequencies displayed lower incidence of infectious complications during a mean of 21 month follow-up study. The proportions of ILC2s were negatively correlated with the prognostic biomarkers of chronic kidney disease, including serum parathyroid hormone, creatinine, and phosphorus, whereas they were positively correlated with serum calcium. These observations indicate that ILC2s may play a protective role in ESRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) play an important role in the control of tissue inflammation and homeostasis. However, the role of ILC2s in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has never been illustrated. In this study, we investigated ILC2s in ESRD patients and their clinical significance. Results showed that the frequencies and absolute numbers of ILC2s, not group 1 innate lymphoid cells or innate lymphoid cell precursors, were significantly elevated in the peripheral blood of ESRD patients when compared with those from healthy donor controls. Moreover, ILC2s from ESRD patients displayed enhanced type 2 cytokine production and cell proliferation. Plasma from ESRD patients significantly increased ILC2 levels and enhanced their effector function after in vitro treatment. The expression of phosphorylation of STAT5 in ILC2s, as well as the amounts of IL-2 in plasma, were increased in ESRD patients when compared with those from healthy donors. Clinically, ESRD patients with higher ILC2 frequencies displayed lower incidence of infectious complications during a mean of 21 month follow-up study. The proportions of ILC2s were negatively correlated with the prognostic biomarkers of chronic kidney disease, including serum parathyroid hormone, creatinine, and phosphorus, whereas they were positively correlated with serum calcium. These observations indicate that ILC2s may play a protective role in ESRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, one of the critical enzymes required for the conversion of arachidonic acid to PGs, has been demonstrated to play an important role not only in the cardiovascular system but also in the immune system. COX-1 has been found to regulate early B cell differentiation, germinal center formation, and Ab production of B cells. However, the underlying mechanisms of COX-1-mediated B cell activation remains not fully understood. In this study, we reported that COX-1 is a potential regulator for the development of follicular Th (TFH) cells. COX-1-deficient (COX-1-/-) mice displayed a significant reduction of TFH cells upon influenza infection or immunization with keyhole limpet hemocyanin, which led to a severe impairment of germinal center responses. We further demonstrated that COX-1-derived PGE2, via binding with its receptors EP2/EP4, represents the underlying mechanism. The administration of EP2/EP4 agonists or PGE2 almost completely rescued the defective TFH cell generation in COX-1-/- mice. Taken together, our observations indicate that COX-1 plays an important role in the development of TFH cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Diels-Alder reaction between 3-vinylindoles and methyleneindolinone can proceed both under catalyst-free conditions and with bisthiourea as the catalyst. The reaction with bisthiourea is much faster and results in higher stereoselectivity of the product. The reaction mechanism, origin of stereoselectivity, and role of the catalyst were elaborated based on quantum mechanical calculations and theoretical methods of reactivity indices, NCI, QTAIM, and distortion/interaction models. In the uncatalyzed reaction, the two C-C bonds that are formed undergo conversion from noncovalent to covalent bonding via a concerted asynchronous mechanism. The weak intermolecular interactions formed in the transition state play important roles. The difference between the interaction and distortion energies is responsible for the stereoselectivity. In the catalyzed reaction, bisthiourea induces both the diene and dienophile to approach it via weak intermolecular interactions, which greatly lowers the energy barrier of the reaction and leads to the product with excellent stereoselectivity. The possible pathways of this reaction were explored, which suggested that the formation of the two C-C bonds goes through either a stepwise or concerted asynchronous mechanism. These results detail the reaction mechanism and shed light on both the significant role of the bisthiourea catalyst and the origin of stereoselectivity for this type of Diels-Alder reaction and related ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies suggested that supplementation of lactating sows with ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) could improve the performance of weaning pigs, but there were little information in the muscle fiber type transformation of the offspring and the subsequent performance in pigs from weaning through finishing in response to maternal HMB consumption. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of supplementing lactating sows with HMB on skeletal muscle fiber type transformation and growth of the offspring during d 28 and 180 after birth. A total of 20 sows according to their body weight were divided into the control (CON, n = 10) or HMB groups (HMB, n = 10). Sows in the HMB group were supplemented with ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate calcium (HMB-Ca) 2 g/kg feed during d 1 to 27 of lactation. After weaning, 48 mixed sex piglets were blocked by sow treatment and fed standard diets for post-weaning, growing, finishing periods. Growth performance was recorded during d 28 to 180 after birth. Pigs were slaughtered on d 28 (n = 6/treatment) and 180 (n = 6/treatment) postnatal, and the longissimus dorsi (LD) was collected, respectively. Results: The HMB-fed sows during lactation showed increased HMB concentration (P < 0.05) in milk and LD of weaning piglets (P < 0.05). In addition, offsprings in HMB group had a higher finishing BW and lean percentage than did pigs in CON group (P < 0.05), meanwhile, compared with pigs from sows fed the CON diet, pigs from sows fed HMB diet showed higher type II muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA), elevated myosin heavy chain (MyHC) IIb and Sox6 mRNA, and fast-MyHC protein levels in LD (P < 0.05). Conclusions: HMB supplemented to sow diets throughout lactation increases the levels of HMB in maternal milk and skeletal muscle of pigs during d 28 after birth and promotes subsequent performance of pigs between d 28 and 180 of age by enhancing glycolytic muscle fiber transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the global trend in the field of nanomedicine has been toward the design of combination of nature active constituents and phospholipid (PC) to form a therapeutic drug-phospholipid complex. As a particular amphiphilic molecular complex, it can be a unique bridge of traditional dosage-form and novel drug delivery system. In thisarticle, on the basis of drug-phospholipid complex technique and self-assembly technique, we chose a pharmacologically safe and low toxic drug curcumin (CUR) to increase drug-loading ability, achieve controlled/sustained drug release and improve anticancer activity. A novel CUR-soybean phosphatidylcholine (SPC) complex and CUR-SPC complex self-assembled nanoparticles (CUR-SPC NPs) were prepared by a co-solvent method and a nanoprecipitation method. DSPE-PEG-FA was further functionalized on the surface of PEG-CUR-SPC NPs (designed as FA-PEG-CUR-SPC NPs) to specifically increase cellular uptake and targetability. The FA-PEG-CUR-SPC NPs showed a spherical shape, a mean diameter of about 180 nm, an excellent physiological stability and pH-triggered drug release. The drug entrapment efficiency and drug-loading content was up to 92.5 and 16.3%, respectively.In vitrocellular uptake and cytotoxicity studies demonstrated that FA-PEG-CUR-SPC NPs and CUR-SPC NPs presented significantly stronger cellular uptake efficacy and anticancer activity against HeLa cells and Caco-2 cells compared to free CUR, CUR-SPC NPs and PEG-CUR-SPC NPs. More importantly, FA-PEG-CUR-SPC NPs showed the prolonged systemic circulation lifetime and enhanced tumor accumulation compared with free CUR and PEG-CUR-SPC NPs. These results suggest that the FA targeted PEGylated CUR-SPC complex self-assembled NPs might be a promising candidate in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a visible-light driven oxo-acyloxylation of aryl alkenes with carboxylic acids and molecular oxygen. A metal-free photoredox system, consisting of an acridinium photocatalyst, an organic base, and molecular sieve (MS) 4 Å, promotes chemoselective aerobic photooxidation of aryl alkenes. This approach may provide a green, practical, and metal-free protocol for a wide range of α-acyloxy ketones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L-Arginine and L-arginine-metabolizing enzymes play important roles in the biology of some types of myeloid cells, including macrophage and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. In this study, we found evidence that arginase 1 (Arg1) is required for the differentiation of mouse dendritic cells (DCs). Expression of Arg1 was robustly induced during monocyte-derived DC differentiation. Ectopic expression of Arg1 significantly promoted monocytic DC differentiation in a granulocyte-macrophage colonystimulating factor culture system and also facilitated the differentiation of CD8α+ conventional DCs in the presence of Flt3 ligand. Knockdown of Arg1 reversed these effects. Mechanistic studies showed that the induced expression of Arg1 in differentiating DCs was caused by enhanced recruitment of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) to the Arg1 promoter region, which led to a reduction in the acetylation of both the histone 3 and STAT6 proteins and subsequent transcriptional activation of Arg1. Further investigation identified a novel STAT6 binding site within the Arg1 promoter that mediated its regulation by STAT6 and HDAC4. These observations suggest that the cross talk between HDAC4 and STAT6 is an important regulatory mechanism of Arg1 transcription in DCs. Moreover, overexpression of Arg1 clearly abrogated the ability of HDAC inhibitors to suppress DC differentiation. In conclusion, we show that Arg1 is a novel regulator of myeloid DC differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]