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Psychological stress promotes nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) development. However, the pathogenesis of psychological stress-induced NASH remains unclear. This study aims to explore the underlying mechanism of restraint stress-induced NASH, which mimics psychological stress, and to discover potential NASH candidates. Methionine choline deficient diet- and high fat diet-induced hepatosteatotic mice are subjected to restraint stress to induce NASH. The mice are administrated with Xiaoyaosan granules, NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inhibitors, farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists, or macrophage scavengers. Pathological changes and NLRP3 signaling in the liver are determined. These results demonstrate that restraint stress promotes hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in hepatosteatotic mice. Restraint stress increases the expressions of NLRP3, Caspase-1, Gasdermin D, interleukin-1β, cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase, and sterol 12α-hydroxylase and decreases the expression of FXR in NASH mice. Xiaoyaosan granules reverse hepatic inflammation and fibrosis and target FXR and NLRP3 signals. In addition, inhibition of NLRP3 reduces the NLRP3 inflammasome and liver damage in mice with restraint stress-induced NASH. Elimination of macrophages and activation of FXR also attenuate inflammation and fibrosis by inhibiting NLRP3 signaling. However, NLRP3 inhibitors or macrophage scavengers fail to affect the expression of FXR. In conclusion, restraint stress promotes NASH-related inflammation and fibrosis by regulating the FXR/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Xiaoyaosan granules, NLRP3 inhibitors, FXR agonists, and macrophage scavengers are potential candidates for the treatment of psychological stress-related NASH.

The present study explored the associations among the core resources, strategic alliances, and business strategies of the Taiwanese controlled-environment mushroom industry. A total of 492 responses were collected, and the results support the hypothesised alliance-mediating model. The results indicate that core resources comprise four dimensions: organisational capabilities, individual capabilities, tangible assets, and intangible assets. The mushroom industry has two major types of strategic alliance, namely cost reduction and strengthening professional alliances, and the business strategies employed in the industry involve international market entry and focusing on domestic market operations. The results indicate that international market entry is directly influenced by cost reduction alliances and tangible assets, and indirectly influenced by organisational and individual capabilities. Whether an organisation focuses on its domestic market operations is directly affected by organisational capabilities, cost reduction alliances and intangible assets, and indirectly affected by organisational and individual capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to discover the surface characteristics of cyclonic plasma‐deposited films and the effect of nitrogen gas addition. The influence of nitrogen gas addition on the surface characteristics of organosilicon films in hexamethyldisilazane (HMDSN) and HMDSN/nitrogen (HMDSN/N2) cyclonic plasmas at atmospheric pressure was evaluated. It was found that the addition of nitrogen gas is a crucial factor affecting organosilicon film growth in the plasma cyclone in one atmosphere. SEM, AFM, and ATR‐FTIR results indicated that on adding nitrogen gas, the surface morphology became rougher, the peak corresponding to the Si–O–Si group was detected at approximately 1050 cm−1, the degree of porosity was relatively low, and the proportion of the SiCHx group decreased. In general, the surface energies of the films deposited in the HMDSN discharge and the HMDSN/N2 gas mixture discharge exhibited similar features. SEM and AFM evaluations showed high roughness values of 44.5 nm for the film formation in the HMDSN/N2 gas mixture discharge, while the films grown in the HMDSN discharge exhibited a relatively flat surface with a roughness of 24.5 nm. Based on ATR‐FTIR detection, cyclonic plasma‐deposited films deposited in the HMDSN discharge obtained organic moieties, while the films generated in the HMDSN/N2 gas mixture discharge exhibited strong Si–O–Si absorption signals. A possible nano‐organosilicon film growth that prevails in atmospheric pressure plasma deposition is proposed based on atmospheric‐pressure plasma chemistry, nitrogen gas addition, and experimental observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD) is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine formula for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance (IR). The effects of GQD treatment on intestinal flora and its metabolism, however, are yet to be understood. In this study, the effects of GQD treatment on the fecal metabonome of high fructose-induced IR rats were investigated with a 1H NMR-based approach. The IR model was established by feeding the rats with 10% fructose solution for 8 consecutive weeks. The animals in the GQD treatment group were gavaged with GQD daily (18.2 g/kg/day) from the 5th to 8th week. Compared with control group, The IR rats showed significantly increases in water/food intakes, body weight and IR index at the ends of the 4th and 8th week. The fasted plasma glucose (FPG) level of the IR rats increased by the end of the 8th week. The GQD treatment lowered the IR index and normalized fecal metabonome by increasing the levels of propionate, acetate, succinate, taurine and glycerol, while decreasing the levels of n-butyrate, alanine and glutamate. These results indicated that the GQD treatment induced positive changes in amino acid metabolism, fatty acid oxidation and gut microbiota metabolism in the IR rats.