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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that impacts a substantial number of individuals globally. Despite its widespread prevalence, there is currently no cure for AD. It is widely acknowledged that normal synaptic function holds a key role in memory, cognitive abilities, and the interneuronal transfer of information. As AD advances, symptoms including synaptic impairment, decreased synaptic density, and cognitive decline become increasingly noticeable. The importance of glial cells in the formation of synapses, the growth of neurons, brain maturation, and safeguarding the microenvironment of the central nervous system is well recognized. However, during AD progression, overactive glial cells can cause synaptic dysfunction, neuronal death, and abnormal neuroinflammation. Both neuroinflammation and synaptic dysfunction are present in the early stages of AD. Therefore, focusing on the changes in glia-synapse communication could provide insights into the mechanisms behind AD. In this review, we aim to provide a summary of the role of various glial cells, including microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and oligodendrocyte precursor cells, in regulating synaptic dysfunction. This may offer a new perspective on investigating the underlying mechanisms of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) are a cognitive impairment that occurs after anesthesia, especially in elderly patients and significantly affects their quality of life. The hippocampus, as a critical region for cognitive function and an important location in PND research, has recently attracted increasing attention. However, in the hippocampus the impact of anesthesia and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This review focuses on investigation of the effects of anesthesia on the hippocampal dopamine (DA) system and explores its potential association with PND. Through comprehensive review of existing studies, it was found that anesthesia affects the hippocampus through various pathways involved in metabolism, synaptic plasticity and oxygenation. Anesthesia may also influence the DA neurotransmitter system in the brain which plays a role in emotions, rewards, learning and memory functions. Specifically, anesthesia may participate in the pathogenesis of PND by affecting the DA system within the hippocampus. Future studies should explore the molecular mechanisms of these effects through techniques such as neuroimaging to study real-time effects to improve animal models to better simulate clinical observations. For clinical application, it is recommended that physicians exercise caution when selecting and managing anesthetic drugs by adopting comprehensive cognitive assessment methods to reduce post-anesthesia cognitive risk. Overall, this review provides a better understanding of the relationship between the hippocampal DA system and perioperative neurocognitive function and provides valuable guidance for prevention and treatment strategies for PND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lakes and reservoirs are an important sources of drinking water for human life. However, numerous water quality indexes show seasonal fluctuation under different climatic conditions. We conducted a one-year investigation of Taiping Lake in year 2022 to construct relationship between water quality parameters and water quality. High water temperature promotes the growth of algae, and the existence of N species could provide the essential nutrient substance for the growing of algae. Under the irradiation of sunlight, algae will consume carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and release oxygen which can raise oxygen levels in the water. However, the rapid growth of algae could influence the acid-base balance in water through the consumption of carbon dioxide; thus, resulting in the increasing of pH values. These pH changes may pose a threat to drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on morphological observations and comparisons, a new species of Primulina (Gesneriaceae), P. arcuata G.L.Xu & L.Ding, is described and illustrated. This new species resembles P. jiulianshanensis in leaf blade shape, but differs from the latter by corolla tube curved-tubular (vs. funnelform); calyx lobes oblong (vs. lanceolate); peduncle, pedicel, both surfaces of bracts, both surfaces of bracteoles and abaxial surface of calyx lobes covered with glandular-puberulent hairs (vs. with eglandularpuberulent hairs). A detailed description, photographs, distribution information and a provisional conservation status assessment are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroimaging‐driven brain age estimation has become popular in measuring brain aging and identifying neurodegenerations. However, the single estimated brain age (gap) compromises regional variations of brain aging, losing spatial specificity across diseases which is valuable for early screening. In this study, we combined brain age modeling with Shapley Additive Explanations to measure brain aging as a feature contribution vector underlying spatial pathological aging mechanism. Specifically, we regressed age with volumetric brain features using machine learning to construct the brain age model, and model‐agnostic Shapley values were calculated to attribute regional brain aging for each subject's age estimation, forming the brain age vector. Spatial specificity of the brain age vector was evaluated among groups of normal aging, prodromal Parkinson disease (PD), stable mild cognitive impairment (sMCI), and progressive mild cognitive impairment (pMCI). Machine learning methods were adopted to examine the discriminability of the brain age vector in early disease screening, compared with the other two brain aging metrics (single brain age gap, regional brain age gaps) and brain volumes. Results showed that the proposed brain age vector accurately reflected disorder‐specific abnormal aging patterns related to the medial temporal and the striatum for prodromal AD (sMCI vs. pMCI) and PD (healthy controls [HC] vs. prodromal PD), respectively, and demonstrated outstanding performance in early disease screening, with area under the curves of 83.39% and 72.28% in detecting pMCI and prodromal PD, respectively. In conclusion, the proposed brain age vector effectively improves spatial specificity of brain aging measurement and enables individual screening of neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a qualitative model of a pair of artificial atoms: oxygen and hydrogen in a single-mode optical cavity coupled by one valent electron and immersed in a heat bath. The interaction of the electron with the cavity field depends on the state of the nuclei, which in turn is determined by the temperature of the heat bath phonon mode. The system quantum dynamics is simulated by computer. The simulation shows stability of the molecular ion as a whole and of the neutral oxygen atom and the positive hydrogen ion separately at various phonon mode temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteolytic bone disease is a hallmark of multiple myeloma (MM). A significant fraction (~20%) of MM patients do not develop osteolytic lesions (OLs). The molecular basis for the absence of bone disease in MM is not understood. We combined PET-CT and gene expression profiling (GEP) of purified BM CD138+ MM cells from 512 newly diagnosed MM patients to reveal that elevated expression of cystatin M/E (CST6) was significantly associated with the absence of OL in MM. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed a strong correlation between CST6 levels in BM serum/plasma and CST6 mRNA expression. Both recombinant CST6 protein and BM serum from patients with high CST6 significantly inhibited the activity of the osteoclast-specific protease cathepsin K and blocked osteoclast differentiation and function. Recombinant CST6 inhibited bone destruction in ex vivo and in vivo myeloma models. Single-cell RNA-Seq showed that CST6 attenuates polarization of monocytes to osteoclast precursors. Furthermore, CST6 protein blocks osteoclast differentiation by suppressing cathepsin-mediated cleavage of NF-κB/p100 and TRAF3 following RANKL stimulation. Secretion by MM cells of CST6, an inhibitor of osteoclast differentiation and function, suppresses osteolytic bone disease in MM and probably other diseases associated with osteoclast-mediated bone loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three kinds of Keggin-type titanium-based polyoxometalate-ionic liquid catalysts were prepared, and the chemical structure, crystal structure and thermal stability of the three catalysts were analyzed and tested by infrared spectrometer, ultraviolet-visible spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer, and thermogravimetric analyzer, respectively. Afterwards, their performance in catalyzing the coupling reaction of ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl succinate (DMSu) to synthesize polyethylene succinate (PES) was studied, and the effects of different metals on the catalytic performance and the mechanism of action were discussed. The optimal process parameters for the coupling reaction were explored. Finally, the chemical structure of PES was characterized by infrared spectrometer. The results show that under the same process parameters, the polyoxometalate-ionic liquid catalyst Bmims [Ti(H2O)TiMo11039] had the best catalytic effect. Under the optimal process parameters, Bmims [Ti(H2O)TiMo11 O39] had obvious inhibitory effect on side reactions, and the yield and selectivity of PES prepolymer were up to 72. 23% and 88. 64%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The singlet state of a system of two two-level atoms changes smoothly, remaining dark, as the Hamiltonian TC is slowly deformed, despite the inapplicability of the adiabatic theorem to this case. In this case, there is a small probability of emission of free photons, which does not depend on the smoothness of the deformation of the Hamiltonian. The effect of spontaneous emission is enhanced by the addition of one more pair of atoms in the singlet state due to the exchange of virtual photons in the cavity. A similar effect was also established for the case when atoms can move between two cavities, but here, on the contrary, with an increase in the number of atoms, the emission decreases. This purely quantum effect must be taken into account in practical manipulations with atomic singlets; however, its weakness testifies, rather, to the stability of dark states and the prospects for their use in information exchange (quantum cryptographic protocols) and as an energy accumulator for nono-devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

H4O14CoV4.4, monolinic, P2/m (no. 10), a = 8.1091(8) Å, b = 3.5128(2) Å, c = 9.7590(9) Å, β = 111.553(11)°, V = 258.55(4) Å3, Z = 1, Rgt(F) = 0.0401, wRref(F2) = 0.0922, T = 293(2) K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Shenxiong Drop Pill (SXDP) on cerebral infarction (CI) in rats, and the involvement of anti-inflammatory response in the process. Methods: Rats were sacrificed at three different time points, viz, 24, 48 and 72 h after establishment of CI model. Neurological deficit score (NDS) was determined using Bederson's neurological behavioral scoring method, whereas triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to show brain injury. The integrated optical density (IOD) of Nissl bodies and caspase-3-positive nerve cells were measured with Nissl staining and SP kit, respectively. The mRNA expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) was determined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: SXDP produced neuroprotective effect at high, medium, and low doses. The infarct volumes in the high-, medium- and low-dose SXDP, and cyclophosphamide groups were significantly reduced at each time point. Different doses of SXDP significantly reduced the mRNA expression of ICAM-1 and the IOD of caspase-3. Conclusion: These results indicate that SXDP exerts neuroprotective effects against ischemic injury by negatively regulating ICAM-1/caspase-3 downstream of inflammatory and apoptosis pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we obtain a new Menon-type identity:... where λj(b) := exp(2πiwjb/n) is an additive character of Z/nZ for 1 ⩽ j ⩽ r, (c1, . . .,cs) ∈ Zs is a fixed vector such that gcd(c1, . . .,cs,n) = 1, ϕs(n) = nsΠp|n(1- p-s) is the Jordan's totient function and σr(n) = Σd|n dr is the rth divisor function. This extends Rao's identity ([9]) and Sury's identity ([11]) to additive characters. Following the method of T'oth [14], we also generalize the above identity to arbitrary arithmetic function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between soil texture and the degree of apple replant disease (ARD) was analyzed from the perspective of the microbial community structure and diversity within the rhizosphere soil of Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings. Three different textured soils were taken from different apple orchards in Laizhou, Yantai. The soils were divided into two parts, one was kept in replanted conditions, and the other was fumigated with methyl bromide to act as a high standard control. The strength of ARD occurrence was examined by measuring fresh and dry weight suppression (%) of the M. hupehensis seedlings. Differences in the fungal community structure (especially in Fusarium) among the three soil texture types were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that replanted loam clay soil had the highest fungal diversity, followed by sandy loam soil and finally loam soil. The richness of fungi between soil textures, however, was not significantly different. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Fusarium was 1.96%, 0.78%, and 10.89% in replanted sandy loam, replanted loam soil, and replanted loam clay soil, respectively. Moreover, the gene copy number of Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and the inhibition rate of fresh weight of M. hupehensis seedlings were the same in the three soil textures. The plant height, photosynthesis (net) (Pn), and stomatal conductance (gS) of the M. hupehensis seedlings were significantly less in the replanted soil compared with the control treatments, with the overall difference being greatest in replanted loam clay soil, followed by replanted sandy loam and then replanted loam soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple replant disease (ARD) negatively affects plant growth and reduces yields in replanted orchards. In this study, biochar was applied to apple replant soil with Fusarium oxysporum. Our aim was to investigate whether biochar could promote plant growth and alleviate apple replant disease by reducing the growth of harmful soil microorganisms, changing soil microbial community structure and improving the soil environment. This experiment included five treatments: apple replant soil (CK), methyl bromide fumigation apple replant soil (FM), replant soil with biochar addition (2%), replant soil with F. oxysporum spore solution (8 × 107 spores $ mL-1), and replant soil with biochar and F. oxysporum spore solution addition. Seedling biomass, the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the leaves and roots, and soil environmental variables were measured. Microbial community composition and community structure were analyzed using 16S rDNA and ITS2 gene sequencing. Biochar significantly reduced the abundance of F. oxysporum and increased soil microbial diversity and richness. Biochar also increased the soil enzyme activities (urease, invertase, neutral phosphatase, and catalase), the biomass (plant height, fresh weight, dry weight) and the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase). The root indexes of apple seedlings was also increased in replant soil by biochar. In sum, biochar promoted the growth of plants, improved the replant soil environment, and alleviated apple replant disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple replant disease (ARD) has been reported in all major fruit-growing regions of the world and is often caused by biotic factors (pathogen fungi) and abiotic factors (phenolic compounds). Soil chemical fumigation can kill soil pathogenic fungi; however, the traditionally used fumigant methyl bromide has been banned because of its ozone-depleting effects. There is thus a need to identify greener fumigant candidates. We characterized the effects of different fumigants on the replanted soil environment and the growth characteristics of Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings. All five experimental treatments [treatment 1 (T1), metham-sodium; treatment 2 (T2), dazomet; treatment 3 (T3), calcium cyanamide; treatment 4 (T4), 1,3-dichloropropene; and treatment 5 (T5), methyl bromide] promoted significantly the biomass, root growth, and root respiration rate of M. hupehensis seedlings and the ammonium nitrogen (NH4 +-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) contents of replanted soil. Metham sodium (T1) and dazomet (T2) had stronger effects compared with 1,3-dichloropropene (T4) and calcium cyanamide (T3). At 172 days after T1, the height, root length, and root respiration rate of Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings, and the NH4 +-N and NO3 --N contents of replanted soil increased by 91.64%, 97.67%, 69.78%, 81.98%, and 27.44%, respectively, compared with the control. Thus, dazomet and metham sodium were determined to be the optimal fumigants for use in practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish an evaluation method for the ecological benefits of rocky desertification control in karst areas, data reference was provided for the benefits of the national comprehensive control project of rocky desertification. This article analyzed the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of soil conservation, water yield, and net primary productivity (NPP) of southwestern China using GIS spatial analysis technology and INVEST Model, the trade-offs and synergistic relationship between ecosystem services and its influencing factors were discussed. The results showed that: (1) During the 15 years, the average value of ecosystem services showed an increasing trend. NPP, water yield, and soil conservation were increased by 43.04 gC/m2, 4.37 mm, and 15.4 t·ha−1, respectively. (2) There was a synergistic relationship between NPP and soil conservation. Increased NPP could improve soil erosion, while water yield exhibited trade-off relationship with NPP and soil conservation. (3) Over the past 15 years, the average comprehensive score of the ecological condition in the study area has increased from 0.30 to 0.31, meanwhile the ecological situation of the study area is gradually improved. (4) Through the analysis of hotspots, we found that more than half of the regions had no hotspots for ecosystem services, meanwhile this region was mainly karst area. Through this study, the trade-offs and synergies between ecosystem services were understood. The ecological benefits of rocky desertification control were evaluated based on the background of ecosystem services, which also provided a reference for the subsequent research on rocky desertification control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spinal cord dorsal horn is the first relay station of the neural network for processing somatosensory information. High-throughput optical recording methods facilitate the study of sensory coding in the cortex but have not been successfully applied to study spinal cord circuitry until recently. Here, we review the development of an in vivo two-photon spinal calcium imaging preparation and biological findings from the first systematic characterization of the spinal response to cutaneous thermal stimuli, focusing on the difference between the coding of heat and cold, and the contribution of different peripheral inputs to thermosensory response in the spinal cord. Here we also report that knockout of TRPV1 channel impairs sensation of warmth, and somatostatin- and calbindin2-expressing neurons in the spinal dorsal horn preferentially respond to heat. Future work combining this technology with genetic tools and animal models of chronic pain will further elucidate the role of each neuronal type in the spinal thermosensory coding and their plasticity under pathological condition. • Ca2+ imaging is a novel platform to study sensory coding in the spinal cord. • Spinal Ca2+ imaging reveals the coding logic of temperature sensation. • Warmth sensation requires TRPV1 channel and TRPM8-expressing DRG neurons. • Temperature stimuli-evoked responses in genetically-defined spinal cell types. • Ca2+ imaging is suited for genetic neural circuit dissection and chronic pain study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrauterine or early postnatal high-fat diet (HFD) has substantial influences on adult offspring health; however, studies of HFD-induced maternal obesity on regulation of adult offspring bone formation are sparse. Here, we investigated the effects of HFDinduced maternal obesity on both fetal and adult offspring skeletal development. We found that HFD-induced maternal obesity significantly decreased fetal skeletal development, but enhanced fetal osteoblastic cell senescence signaling and significantly increased the expression of inflammatory factors of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) in osteo-progenitors. It was found that p300/CBP activation led to H3K27 acetylation to increase the expression of senescence-related genes and PPARγ in embryonic mouse osteogenic calvarial cells from HFD obese dams. These results were recapitulated in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC MSCs) isolated from offspring of pregnant obese and lean mothers following delivery. Regardless of postnatal HFD challenge, adult offspring from HFD obese dams showed significantly suppressed bone formation. Such early involution of bone formation of adult offspring from HFD obese dams may at least in part due to histone acetylation, i.e., epigenetic regulation of genes involved in cell senescence signaling in pre-osteoblasts from prenatal development. These findings indicate fetal pre-osteoblastic cell senescence signaling is epigenetically regulated by maternal obesity to repress bone formation in adult offspring in rodents and suggest that at least some of these effects may also manifest in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously demonstrated that cystatin E/M (CST6), which is elevated in a subset of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) lacking osteolytic lesions (OLs), suppresses MM bone disease by blocking osteoclast differentiation and function. CST6 is a secreted type 2 cystatin, a cysteine protease inhibitor that regulates lysosomal cysteine proteases and the asparaginyl endopeptidase legumain. Here, we developed B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) CST6 chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells), which lysed MM cells and released CST6 proteins. Our in vitro studies show that these CAR-T cells suppressed the differentiation and formation of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive (TRAP+) osteoclasts. Using xenografted MM mice, bioluminescence images showed that both BCMA-CAR-T and BCMA-CST6-CAR-T cells inhibited MM growth to a similar extent. Reconstructed micro-computed tomography images revealed that BCMA-CST6-CAR-T cells, but not BCMA-CAR-T cells, prevented MM-induced bone damage and decreased osteoclast numbers. Our results provide a CAR-T strategy that targets tumor cells directly and delivers an inhibitor of bone resorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) sample was used to investigate the cavitation-induced stress-whitening phenomenon during stretching at different temperatures via the ultrasmall-angle X-ray scattering technique. Two modes of cavitation were found that mode I cavitation activated around yield point followed by mode II cavitation generated in highly oriented state. The critical strain for initiating the mode II cavitation increases with the increase of the stretching temperature, whereas the critical stress grew steadily in the lower temperature regime (30-60 °C) and reached a plateau at 70 °C. The appearance of mode II cavitation at large strains was independent of the mode I cavitation. The mode I cavitation was attributed to the competitive process between the formation of cavities and shearing yield of lamellae, whereas the mode II cavitation was proven to be related to the failure of the whole highly oriented entangled amorphous network because of the breaking of interfibrillar load-bearing tie molecules. Size distribution of cavities has been successfully calculated using a model fitting procedure. The results showed that the quantity of cavities increased heavily while the size was kept nearly constant during the propagation of the mode II cavitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A few retrospective studies have indicated that neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer may change biomarker profiles of the primary tumor. Little is known about the status of HER-2 gene of the synchronous nodal metastases when that of the residual tumor undergoes negative conversion in a neoadjuvant setting. Case presentation: We describe a female patient with left breast cancer (T2N2M0) who underwent negative conversion of HER-2 in the primary tumor instead of the synchronous nodal lesions after NAC. Core needle biopsy showed invasive ductal carcinoma with HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) (2+) and amplified HER-2 gene determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Then, the patient underwent 4 cycles of anthracycline- and taxane-based NAC and subsequent left modified radical mastectomy. Postoperative pathology showed invasive ductal carcinoma involving 4 of 12 surgically excised axillary lymph nodes with HER2 IHC (1+) and FISH negative (HER2 gene not amplified) in the residual tumor of the breast specimen. Due to the negative genic switch of HER2 after NAC, the patient rejected to accept trastuzumab. Under the patient's consent, the synchronous nodal lesions were further investigated and showed HER2 IHC(-) but FISH positive (HER-2 gene amplified). Therefore, the patient agreed to accept adjuvant trastuzumab treatment every 3 weeks for 1 year. Conclusions: We propose further assessment of HER2 gene in the synchronous nodal metastases, especially when negative genic switch of HER-2 occurs in the primary tumor after NAC in order to tailor the systemic regimens for breast cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, many studies have found low morbidity of asthma in epidemic areas of parasitic diseases, as shown by the hygiene hypothesis. It is obvious that some parasite infections can prevent asthma and studies have been carried out to clarify the mechanism of the preventive effect and search for the future asthmatic therapies. Previous findings have indicated that this mechanism may be related to the immune response switching from Th1 to Th2 and important cells induced by parasites, including the regulatory T cells, regulatory B cells, dendrite cells, and alternatively activated macrophages. Cytokine IL-10 also plays a nonredundant role in protection against allergic airway inflammation in asthma. This review focuses on the relationship between parasites and asthma, and the potential protection mechanism involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotactic polypropylene samples annealed at three temperatures were used to explore their fibrillation behaviors during tensile deformation at elevated temperatures via in situ synchrotron small and wide-angle X-ray scattering techniques. Fibrillation denotes the transition of the isotropic spherulitic morphology into a highly oriented one during tensile stretching of a semicrystalline polymer. It was found that the fibrillation was accomplished by a stress-induced melting and recrystallization process. Three regions, identified as fibrillation with the formation of only mesophase, fibrillation with the formation of both mesophase and a crystallites, and fibrillation with the formation of complete a modification, were identified in a map of deformation and annealing temperature. Such results are tightly linked to the different molecular mobilities of the samples prepared at different annealing temperatures and deformed at different temperatures. Lower annealing temperature and higher deformation temperature facilitate formation of a modification after stress-induced mechanical melting of the original crystallites. However, thicker lamellar crystallite deformed at lower temperatures presenting limited chain mobility ends up with a large amount of oriented mesophase structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ small-, ultrasmall-, and wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements were performed to investigate the structural evolution of crystalline lamellae and cavities as a function of deformation ratio during tensile deformation of isothermally crystallized poly(ε-caprolactone). The cavities were modeled as cylinder-shaped objects which are oriented along the stretching direction and randomly distributed in the samples, and their dimensions were evaluated by direct model fitting of scattering patterns. At small deformations, the orientation of these cavities at the onset of cavity formation was related to the isothermal crystallization temperature. Upon further stretching, the cavities were found to cluster in the interfibrillar regions at moderate strains where the long spacing of the newly developed lamellae along the stretching direction remained essentially constant. At large orientations, the cooperative deformational behavior mediated via slippage of fibrils was evidenced, the extent of which depended on the cavity number, which could be traced back to the significantly different coupling forces imposed by chains connecting adjacent fibrils. Furthermore, wide-angle X-ray scattering results revealed that a fraction of the polymer chains with their orientation perpendicular to the stretching direction were still preserved even at large macroscopic strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional status during intrauterine and early postnatal life impacts the risk of chronic diseases; however, evidence for an association between early-life dietary factors and bone health in adults is limited. Soy protein isolate (SPI) may be one such dietary factor that promotes bone accretion during early life with persistent effects into adulthood. In the present study, we fed postnatal day (PND) 24 weanling female rats an SPI diet for 30 d [short-term SPI (ST-SPI)], and on PND 55, we switched SPI diet to control Cas diet until age 6 mo. Rats then underwent either ovariectomy (OVX) or sham surgery and thereafter either continued to be fed an SPI diet or control diet for 1 or 3 wk. We showed significantly increased bone mass in 30-d SPI-fed young rats compared with controls. OVX-induced bone loss was associated with increased osteoblastic cell senescence. On the one hand, both long-term SPI (continuous SPI diet throughout life) and ST-SPI diet only in early life protected against 1 wk post-OVX-associated bone loss. On the other hand, long-term SPI diet diminished the loss of total, trabecular, and cortical bone mineral density, whereas ST-SPI diet only reduced cortical bone mineral density loss 3 wk post-OVX. Persistent and protective effects of SPI diets on OVX-induced bone loss were associated with down-regulation of the caveolin-1/p53-mediated senescence pathway in bone. We recapitulated these results in cell cultures. Reprogramming of cellular senescence signaling by SPI-associated isoflavones in osteoblastic cells may explain the persistent effects of SPI on bone. These results suggest that OVX-induced bone loss, in part, is a result of increased osteoblastic cell senescence, and that ST-SPI diet early in life has modest but persistent programming effects on bone formation to prevent OVX-induced bone loss in adult female rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conspectus: Carbon materials are tremendously important as electrode materials in both fundamental and applied electrochemistry. Recently, significant attention has been given not only to traditional carbon materials, but also to carbon nanomaterials for various electrochemical applications in energy conversion and storage as well as sensing. Importantly, many of these applications require fast electron-transfer (ET) reactions between a carbon surface and a redox-active molecule in solution. It, however, has not been well understood how heterogeneous ET kinetics at a carbon/solution interface is affected by the electronic structure, defect, and contamination of the carbon surface. Problematically, it is highly challenging to measure the intrinsic electrochemical reactivity of a carbon surface, which is readily passivated by adventitious organic contaminants. This Account summarizes our recent studies of carbon nanomaterials and graphite by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) not only to reveal the fast ET kinetics of simple ferrocene derivatives at their graphitic surfaces, but also to obtain mechanistic insights into their extraordinary electrochemical reactivity. Specifically, we implemented new principles and technologies to reliably and reproducibly enable nanoscale SECM measurements. We took advantage of a new SECM imaging principle to resolve the high reactivity of the sidewall of individual single walled carbon nanotubes. In addition, we developed SECM-based nanogap voltammetry to find that monolayer graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition yields an unprecedentedly high standard ET rate constant, k0, of ≥25 cm/s, which was >1000 times higher than that reported in the literature. Remarkably, the nonideal asymmetry of paired nanogap voltammograms revealed that the high reactivity of graphitic surfaces is compromised by their contamination with airborne hydrocarbons. Most recently, we protected the clean surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite from the airborne contaminants during its exfoliation and handling by forming a water adlayer to obtain a reliable k0 value of ≥12 cm/s from symmetric pairs of nanogap voltammograms. We envision that SECM of clean graphitic surfaces will enable us to reliably address not only effects of their electronic structures on their electrochemical reactivity, but also the activity of carbon-based or carbon-supported electrocatalysts for fuel cells and batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High electrochemical reactivity is required for various energy and sensing applications of graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Herein, we report that heterogeneous electron transfer can be remarkably fast at CVD-grown graphene electrodes that are fabricated without using the conventional poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) for graphene transfer from a growth substrate. We use nanogap voltammetry based on scanning electrochemical microscopy to obtain very high standard rate constants k0≥25 cms-1 for ferrocenemethanol oxidation at polystyrene-supported graphene. The rate constants are at least 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than those at PMMA-transferred graphene, which demonstrates an anomalously weak dependence of electron-transfer rates on the potential. Slow kinetics at PMMA-transferred graphene is attributed to the presence of residual PMMA. This unprecedentedly high reactivity of PMMA-free CVD-grown graphene electrodes is fundamentally and practically important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High electrochemical reactivity is required for various energy and sensing applications of graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Herein, we report that heterogeneous electron transfer can be remarkably fast at CVD-grown graphene electrodes that are fabricated without using the conventional poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) for graphene transfer from a growth substrate. We use nanogap voltammetry based on scanning electrochemical microscopy to obtain very high standard rate constants k0 ≥ 25 cms-1 for ferrocenemethanol oxidation at polystyrene-supported graphene. The rate constants are at least 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than those at PMMA-transferred graphene, which demonstrates an anomalously weak dependence of electrontransfer rates on the potential. Slow kinetics at PMMAtransferred graphene is attributed to the presence of residual PMMA. This unprecedentedly high reactivity of PMMA-free CVD-grown graphene electrodes is fundamentally and practically important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone remodeling is age-dependently regulated and changes dramatically during the course of development. Progressive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been suspected to be the leading cause of many inflammatory and degenerative diseases, as well as an important factor underlying many effects of aging. In contrast, how reduced ROS signaling regulates inflammation and remodeling in bone remains unknown. Here, we utilized a p47phox knockout mouse model, in which an essential cytosolic co-activator of Nox2 is lost, to characterize bone metabolism at 6 wks and 2 yrs of age. Compared to their age-matched wild type controls, loss of Nox2 function in p47phox -/- mice resulted in age-related switch of bone mass and strength. Differences in bone mass were associated with increased bone formation in 6 wks old p47phox -/- mice, but decreased in 2 yrs old p47phox -/- mice. Despite decreases in ROS generation in bone marrow cells and p47phox/Nox2 signaling in osteoblastic cells, 2 yrs old p47phox -/- mice showed increased senescence-associated secretory phenotype in bone compared to their wild type controls. These in vivo findings were mechanistically recapitulated in ex vivo cell culture of primary fetal calvarial cells from p47phox -/- mice. These cells showed accelerated cell senescence pathway accompanied by increased inflammation. These data indicate that the observed age-related switch of bone mass in p47phox deficient mice occurs through an increased inflammatory milieu in bone and that p47phox/Nox2-dependent physiological ROS signaling suppresses inflammation in aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) is an important electrode material as a structural model of graphitic nanocarbons such as graphene and carbon nanotubes. Here, we apply scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) to demonstrate quantitatively that the electroactivity of the HOPG basal surface can be significantly lowered by the adsorption of adventitious organic impurities from both ultrapure water and ambient air. An SECM approach curve of (ferrocenylmethyl)trimethylammonium (FcTMA+) shows the higher electrochemical reactivity of the HOPG surface as the aqueous concentration of organic impurities, i.e., total organic carbon (TOC), is decreased from ~20 to ~1 ppb. SECM-based nanogap voltammetry in ~ 1 ppb-TOC water yields unprecedentedly high standard electron-transfer rate constants, k°, of ⩾17 and ⩾13 cm/s for the oxidation and reduction of the FcTMA2+/+ couple, respectively, at the respective tip--HOPG distances of 36 and 45 nm. Anomalously, k° values and nanogap widths are different between the oxidation and reduction of the same redox couple at the same tip position, which is ascribed to the presence of an airborne contaminant layer on the HOPG surface in the noncontaminating water. This hydrophobic layer is more permeable to FcTMA+ with less charge than its oxidized form so that the oxidation of FcTMA+ at the HOPG surface results in the higher tip current and, subsequently, apparently narrower gap and higher k°. Mechanistically, we propose that HOPG adsorbs organic impurities mainly from ambient air and then additionally from ~20 ppb-TOC water. The latter tightens a monolayer of airborne contaminants to yield lower permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The voluntary prisoner's dilemma (VPD) game has sparked interest from various fields since it was proposed as an effective mechanism to incentivize cooperative behavior. Current studies show that the inherent cyclic dominance of the strategies of the VPD game results in periodic oscillations in population. This paper investigated the influence of the level of individual rationality and the size of a population on the evolutionary dynamics of the VPD game. Different deterministic dynamics, such as the replicator dynamic, the Smith dynamic, the Brown-von Neumann-Nash (BNN) dynamic and the best response (BR) dynamic, for the evolutionary VPD game were modeled and simulated. The stochastic evolutionary dynamics based on quasi birth and death (QBD) process was proposed for the evolutionary VPD game and compared with deterministic dynamics. The results indicated that with the increase of the loners' fixed payoff, the loner is more likely to remain in the stable state of a VPD game under any of the dynamics mentioned above. However, the different speeds of motion under the dynamics in the cycle dominance proved to be diverse under different evolutionary dynamics and also highly sensitive to the rationality of individuals in a population. Furthermore, in QBD stochastic dynamics, the size of the population has a remarkable effect on the possibility distribution. When the population size increases, the limited distribution of the QBD process will be in accordance with the results in the deterministic dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a CH4-based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR), we studied perchlorate (ClO4-) reduction by a biofilm performing anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification (ANMO-D). We focused on the effects of nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) surface loadings on ClO4- reduction and on the biofilm community's mechanism for ClO4- reduction. The ANMO-D biofilm reduced up to 5 mg/L of ClO4- to a nondetectable level using CH4 as the only electron donor and carbon source when CH4 delivery was not limiting; NO3- was completely reduced as well when its surface loading was ⩽0.32 g N/m2-d. When CH4 delivery was limiting, NO3- inhibited ClO4- reduction by competing for the scarce electron donor. NO2- inhibited ClO4- reduction when its surface loading was ⩾0.10 g N/m2.d, probably because of cellular toxicity. Although Archaea were present through all stages, Bacteria dominated the ClO4--reducing ANMO-D biofilm, and gene copies of the particulate methane mono-oxygenase (pMMO) correlated to the increase of respiratory gene copies. These pieces of evidence support that ClO4- reduction by the MBfR biofilm involved chlorite (ClO2-) dismutation to generate the O2 needed as a cosubstrate for the mono-oxygenation of CH4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A radially polarized doughnut Gaussian beam is first introduced to generate a subwavelength focal spot. The focusing characteristics of a radially polarized doughnut Gaussian beam by a lens with high numerical aperture are investigated based on the Richards-Wolf diffraction integral formulae. Numerical results indicate that a sub-wavelength focusing can be obtained for a radially polarized doughnut Gaussian incident beam. Therefore, the radially polarized doughnut Gaussian beam is of great importance in the super-resolution focusing area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that external temperature is first detected by the free nerve endings in the skin. It mentions that scientists have discovered various molecular detectors expressed by these primary sensory neurons that convert temperature information to electric impulses that can be transmitted through the nervous system. It explains how electric signals generated at periphery are processed in the central nervous system, which ultimately leads to physiological/behavioral responses.

LIGHT, a TNF superfamily member (TNFSF14), is a type II transmembrane protein expressed on activated T cells and immature dendritic cells (DCs). However, the expression of LIGHT on mature DCs is down-regulated. Recent studies demonstrated that LIGHT provides potent costimulatory activity for T cells, enhancing proliferation and the production of Th1 cytokines independently of the B7-CD28 pathway. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of peptide-pulsed DC-mediated antiviral immunity in HBV transgenic mice and the immunoadjuvant effect of LIGHT. The bone marrow-derived DCs were modified in vitro with an adenovirus (Ad) vector expressing mouse LIGHT (Ad-LIGHT), the expression of costimulatory molecules was up-regulated and the secretion of cytokines IL-12 and IFN-? increased. LIGHT-modified DCs enhanced allostimulation for T cells in mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). HBV peptide-pulsed DCs elicited HBV specific CD8+ T cell response and reduced the level of HBsAg and HBV DNA in sera of HBV transgenic mice. Importantly, LIGHT-modified DCs could induce stronger antiviral immunity. These results support the concept that genetic modification of DCs with a recombinant LIGHT adenovirus vector may be a useful strategy for antiviral immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate whether vitamin A combined with iron supplementation for preschool children resulted in improved changes in children's infectious morbidity. Method: In this randomized placebo-controlled and blinded field intervention trial, totally 445 preschoolers, ages 3 to 6 y old, were randomly selected. All children were randomly divided into four groups: vitamin A supplement-only group (group I), iron supplement-only group (group II), vitamin A and iron supplement group (group III), and no vitamin A and ferrous sulfate as placebo-control (group IV) for 6 mo. The morbidity of diarrhea and respiratory infections, were collected during supplementation. Results: There was evidence of the lowest incidence rate of respiratory-related illnesses and fewest symptoms of runny nose, cough, and fever for children in group III compared with children in groups I, II and IV (P < 0.05). Moreover, despite the undistinguished incidence rate of vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain, the rate of diarrhea-related illness was significantly lower for children in group III than for those in the other three groups. Conclusion: The beneficial affects on infectious morbidity over 6 mo, highlight the potential of vitamin A plus an iron supplement for preschool-aged children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In both rodents and humans, excessive consumption of a typical Western diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol is known to result in disruption of energy metabolism and development of obesity and insulin resistance. However, how these high-fat, energy-dense diets affect bone development, morphology, and modeling is poorly understood. Here we show that male weanling rats fed a high-fat (HF) diet containing 45% fat and 0.5% cholesterol made with casein (HF-Cas) for 6 wk displayed a significant increase in bone marrow adiposity and insulin resistance. Substitution of casein with soy protein isolate (SPI) in the HF diet (HF-SPI) prevented these effects. Maintenance of bone quantity in the SPI-fed rats was associated with increased under-carboxylated osteocalcin secretion and altered JNK/IRS1/Akt insulin signaling in osteoblasts. The HF-Cas group had significantly greater serum nonesterified free fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations than controls, whereas the HF-SPI prevented this increase. In vitro treatment of osteoblasts or mesenchymal stromal ST2 cells with NEFAs significantly decreased insulin signaling. An isoflavone mixture similar to that found in sermn of HF-SPI rats significantly increased in vitro osteoblast proliferation and blocked significantly reduced NEFA-induced insulin resistance. Finally, insulin/ IGF1 was able to increase both osteoblast activity and differentiation in a set of in vitro studies. These results suggest that high-fat feeding may disrupt bone development and modeling; high concentrations of NEFAs and insulin resistance occurring with high fat intake are mediators of reduced osteoblast activity and differentiation; diets high in soy protein may help prevent high dietary fat-induced bone impairments; and the molecular mechanisms underlying the SPIprotective effects involve isoflavone-induced normalization of insulin signaling in bone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior and controlling factors of natural gas adsorption in the Jurassic continental shale in the northeastern Sichuan Basin are studied based on the organic geochemical features, mineral compositions and pore structure parameters through a series of experiments on samples from the shale. Results show that the total gas content of the shale measured on-site is 0.1e5.3 cm3/g, with an average of 0.7 cm3/g. The methane isothermal adsorption curves show a trend of increasing first and then decreasing, indicating an obvious excessive adsorption. The shale has a maximum adsorption capacity (VL) of 0.44 e3.59 cm³/g, with an average of 1.64 cm³/g, lower than that of marine shale in the same basin. The organic matter content and pore structure characteristics are identified as the two main factors controlling the adsorption capacity of the shale. Micropores in the shale are the main storage space for gas to be adsorbed. Due to well developed shell laminae and interlayers in the shale, calcite plays a more important role than clay minerals in affecting the adsorption of gas to the rock. The formation temperature and water content also significantly inhibit the gas adsorption to the shale. Compared with marine shale in the basin, the Jurassic continental shale is more heterogeneous and lower in TOC values. Furthermore, with a more widely developed clayey shale lithofacies and shell limy shale lithofacies as well as relatively less developed organic pores and micropores, the continental shale is inferior to marine shale in terms of gas adsorption capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass-sealed Pt electrodes with submicrometer and nanometer size have been successfully developed and applied for nanoscale electrochemical measurements such as scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). These small electrodes, however, are difficult to work with because they often lose a current response or give a low SECM feedback in current-distance curves. Here we report that these problems can be due to the nanometer-scale damage that is readily and unknowingly made to the small tips in air by electrostatic discharge or in electrolyte solution by electrochemical etching. The damaged Pt electrodes are recessed and contaminated with removed electrode materials to lower their current responses. The recession and contamination of damaged Pt electrodes are demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. The recessed geometry is noticeable also by SECM but is not obvious from a cyclic voltammogram. Characterization of a damaged Pt electrode with recessed geometry only by cyclic voltammetry may underestimate electrode size from a lower limiting current owing to an invalid assumption of inlaid disk geometry. Significantly, electrostatic damage can be avoided by grounding a Pt electrode and nearby objects, most importantly, an operator as a source of electrostatic charge. Electrochemical damage can be avoided by maintaining potentiostatic control of a Pt electrode without internally disconnecting the electrode from a potentiostat between voltammetric measurements. Damage-free Pt electrodes with submicrometer and nanometer sizes are pivotal for reliable and quantitative nanoelectrochemical measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study established an immunoaffinity column for selective extraction of aflatoxins in agri-products. Specifically, the immunoaffinity column was developed by covalently coupling monoclonal antibody 1C11 against aflatoxins to amino-silica gel microparticles and then packing these into a cartridge. The extraction conditions were thoroughly optimized in terms of loading, washing and eluting solutions. Under the optimal conditions, the immunoaffinity column had a capacity of 200 ng of aflatoxins. The detection limits (S/N = 3) for aflatoxin G1, B1, G2 and B2 were 0.03, 0.07, 0.05 and 0.09 μg·kg-1, and the corresponding quantification limits (S/N = 10) were 0.10, 0.25, 0.18 and 0.30 μg.kg-1, respectively. The recoveries of aflatoxins in samples were 90.1%-104.4% and RSDs were <4.4%. The developed method was further applied to the determination of aflatoxins in peanut, vegetable oil and tea samples, and the results indicated that peanut (26.9%), vegetable oils (28.0%) and tea (5.3%) samples were contaminated with aflatoxins, with levels ranging from 0.49 to 20.79 μg·kg-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fe(6 nm)/FePt film with perpendicular magnetization was deposited on the glass substrate. To study the oxygen diffusion effect on the coupling of Fe/FePt bilayer, the plasma oxidation with 0.5~7% oxygen flow ratio was performed during sputtered part of Fe layer and formed the FeOx(3 nm)/Fe(3 nm)/FePt trilayer. Two-step magnetic hysteresis loops were found in trilayer with oxygen flow ratio above 1%. The magnetization in FeOx and Fe/FePt layers was decoupled. The moments in FeOx layer were first reversed and followed by coupled Fe/FePt bilayer. The trilayer was annealed again at 500°C and 800°C for 3 minutes. When the FeOx(3 nm)/Fe(3 nm)/FePt trilayer was annealed at 500°C, the layers structure was changed to FeOx(6 nm)/FePt bilayer due to oxygen diffusion. The hard-magnetic FeOx(6 nm)/FePt film was coupled with single switching field. The FeOx/(disordered FePt) layer structure was observed with further annealing at 800°C and presented soft-magnetic loop. In summary, the coupling between soft-magnetic Fe, FeOx layer, and hard-magnetic L10 FePt layer can be controlled by the oxygen diffusion behavior, and the oxidation of Fe layer was tuned by the annealing temperature. The ordered L10 FePt layer was deteriorated by oxygen and became disordered FePt when the annealed temperature was up to 800°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematological malignancies frequently have a poor prognosis and often remain incurable. Drug resistance, severe side effects, and relapse are major problems of currently used drugs, and new candidate compounds are required for improvement of therapy success. The naphthoquinone shikonin derived from the Chinese medicinal herb, Lithospermum erythrorhizon, is a promising candidate for the next generation of chemotherapy. The basal cellular mechanism of shikonin is the direct targeting of mitochondria. Cytotoxicity screenings showed that the compound is particularly effective against leukemia cells suggesting an additional cellular mechanism. mRNA and miRNA microarrays were used to analyze changes in gene expression in leukemia cells after shikonin treatment and combined with stable-isotope dimethyl labeling for quantitative proteomics. The integration of bioinformatics and the three "-omics" assays showed that the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway was affected by shikonin. Deregulations of this pathway are frequently associated with cancerogenesis, especially in a wide range of hematological malignancies. The effect on the PI3K-Akt-mTOR axis was validated by demonstrating a decreased phosphorylation of Akt and a direct inhibition of the IGF1R kinase activity after shikonin treatment. Our results indicate that inhibiting the IGF1R-Akt-mTOR signaling cascade is a new cellular mechanism of shikonin strengthening its potential for the treatment of hematological malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies show that maternal obesity during intrauterine and early postnatal life increases the risk of low bone mass and fracture later in life. Here, we show that bone development is inhibited in gestational embryonic day 18.5 (E18.5) embryos from rat dams made obese by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD). Moreover, fetal rat osteogenic calvarial cells (FOCCs) from these obese dams have significantly less potential to develop into mature osteoblasts compared to cells from AIN-93G diet-fed controls. Profiling of transcriptional genes for osteogenesis revealed a profound decrease in the homeodomain-containing factor A10 (HoxA10) in FOCCs from fetuses of HFD-induced obese dams. Significant methylation of the HoxA10 promoter was found in those FOCCs, as well as in mouse ST2 cells treated with a mixture of free fatty acids similar to that found in serum from HFD-induced obese rats. This was accompanied by lower expression of osteogenic markers, but higher levels of PPAR#. Control FOCCs depleted of the HoxA10 gene (shRNA) ex vivo behave similarly to cells from fetuses of obese dams; conversely, overexpression of HoxA10 gene in FOCCs from HFD rats exhibit the same phenotype as controls. Treatment of FOCCs from control rats or of ST2 cells with an artificial mixture of free fatty acids significantly downregulated HoxA10 protein expression, and cells exhibited adipocyte-like properties. These results suggest that maternal obesity impairs fetal skeletal development through down-regulation of the HoxA10 gene, which may lead to an increase in the prevalence of low bone mass in the offspring later in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the anthropometric indicators that can effectively predict the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods. The height, body weight, waist and hip circumference were measured, and body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height (WHtR) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. M-H chi square test, logistic regression analysis, and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve were employed for the analysis of risk factors. Patients or Materials. 490 patients were recruited, of whom 250 were diagnosed as NAFLD and 240 as non-NAFLD (control group). Results. Compared with the control group, the BMI, WHR, and WHtR were significantly higher in patients with NAFLD. Logistic regression analysis showed that BMI and WHR were effective prognostic factors of NAFLD. In addition, WHR plays a more important role in prediction of NAFLD by the area under curve. Conclusion. WHR is closely related to the occurrence of NAFLD. We assume that WHR is beneficial for the diagnosis NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is well established that excessive consumption of a high fat diet (HFD) results in obesity; however, the consequences of obesity on postnatal skeletal development have not been well studied. Methodology and Principal Findings: Total enteral nutrition (TEN) was used to feed postnatal day 27 male rats intragastrically with a high 45% fat diet (HFD) for four weeks to induce obesity. Fat mass was increased compared to rats fed TEN diets containing 25% fat (medium fat diet, MFD) or a chow diet (low fat diet, LFD) fed ad libitum with matched body weight gains. Serum leptin and total non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were elevated in HFD rats, which also had reduced bone mass compared to LFD-fed animals. This was accompanied by decreases in bone formation, but increases in the bone resorption. Bone marrow adiposity and expression of adipogenic genes, PPARc and aP2 were increased, whereas osteoblastogenic markers osteocalcin and Runx2 were decreased, in bone in HFD rats compared to LFD controls. The diversion of stromal cell differentiation in response to HFD stemmed from down-regulation of the key canonical Wnt signaling molecule b-catenin protein and reciprocal up-regulation of nuclear PPARc expression in bone. In a set of in vitro studies using pluripotent ST2 bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells treated with serum from rats on the different diets or using the free fatty acid composition of NEFA quantified in rat serum from HFD-fed animals by GC-MS, we were able to recapitulate our in vivo findings. Conclusions/Significance: These observations strongly suggest that increased NEFA in serum from rats made obese by HFD-feeding impaired bone formation due to stimulation of bone marrow adipogenesis. These effects of obesity on bone in early life may result in impaired attainment of peak bone mass and therefore increase the prevalence of osteoporosis later on in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Interfacial toughness as well as toughness enhancement and long term interfacial fracture behavior in sandwich beams were experimentally examined. The interfacial toughness was enhanced by inserting a chopped glass fiber mat at the interface during the fabrication process. Robust interfacial load capacity and improved toughness were obtained by the method. The long term interfacial fracture behavior presents the characteristics of the three-parameter solid (standard solid) model. The results of the long term fracture tests show a significant increment in crack opening displacement and nominal stress intensity factors. It indicates that during the process of structural design and analysis the interfacial fracture resistance may be overestimated without taking the visco-elastic effect of the materials of the structure into consideration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Relatively few studies have examined the effects of formula feeding relative to breast-feeding on bone in the neonate. Using peripheral quantitative CT scan and histomorphometric analysis, we demonstrated that neonatal piglets fed with soy-based formula (SF) and cow milk-based formula (MF) for 21 or 35 d had greater bone mineral density and content than breast-fed piglets (BF) (P < 0.051. Osteoblast numbers and bone formation rate at postnatal d 35 were greater in SF compared with other groups (P < 0.051, whereas osteoclast numbers were lower in both MF and SF groups than in the BF group IP < 0.051. Osteoblastogenesis was greater in ex vivo bone marrow cell cultures from SF than in MF or BF piglets (P< 0.051. Bone formation markers in serum were greater, whereas bone resorption markers were lower in the MF- and SF-fed groups than in the BF group (P< 0.051. Bone morphogenic protein (BMP) 2 and alkaline phosphatase mRNAs were upregulated in the MF and SF groups compared with the BF group (P < 0.05), whereas receptor activator of NF-κB ligand was downregulated (P < 0.051. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase, p38, Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation, and runt-related transcription factor 2 expression were greater in bone from the MF and SF groups compared with the BF group IP < 0.05). In vitro studies showed that 2.5% serum from SF- or MF-fed piglets was able to stimulate osteoblast differentiation but not in the presence of the BMP blocker noggin. Therefore, formula feeding promoted bone growth compared with BF. SF piglets had the highest bone volume over tissue volume. This suggests that SF-fed piglets may have the best quality bone. The anabolic effects of SF on bone appear to be mediated through enhanced BMP signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]