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Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (KR) is a flavonoid glycoside derived from traditional Chinese medicine, plants, and tea, and has good myocardial protection. This study focuses on the mechanism of myocardial protection with KR and whether myocardial protection can be achieved by activating the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase–silent mating-type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (sirtuin) (AMPK/SIRT1) signal pathway. Molecular docking technique was used to predict the binding affinity of KR to AMPK. The inflammatory injury model of H9c2 cells was established by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induction. H9c2 cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit -8 assay. The apoptosis rate was measured by flow cytometry. Levels of interlukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assay. AMPK and SIRT1 expression levels were quantified through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting assay. Results indicated that KR has a certain binding affinity with AMPK. KR could increase the growth of H9c2 inhibited by LPS, reduce apoptosis rate, and reverse the elevated levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Furthermore, KR could suppress the expression levels of AMPK and SIRT1, and AMPK-specific inhibitor (Compound C) could significantly counteract the activation of KR, indicating that its anti-inflammatory effect is achieved by regulating the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway.

Polygonatum polysaccharide (PP) has good myocardial protection. This study aims to find whether PP can relieve inflammation and play a protective role in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin was used to induce DCM in rats, which were then separated into four groups: model group, PP-200 group (200 mg/kg PP), PP-400 group (400 mg/kg PP), and Met group (120 mg/kg metformin). Both control (NC) and model groups of rats were administered normal saline. According to the kit instructions mentioned on the kit, the levels of blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, insulin (INS), and myocardial enzymes (creatinine kinase, B-type natriuretic peptide, and cardiac troponin I) were measured after 8 weeks. Cardiac function was detected by echocardiography. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson staining were used to observe pathological changes. Myocardial RNA and protein levels of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, and Gasdermin D (GSDMD) were quantified through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis. The in vivo findings showed that PP could reduce blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and INS levels, enhance heart functioning, restore histological alterations and myocardial enzymes, and relieve myocardial fibrosis. Furthermore, PP suppressed the expressions of NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD. PP could reduce inflammation in DCM rats by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are currently the major cause of death and morbidity on a global scale. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is a marker related to metabolism, oxidation, and inflammation induced in CVDs. The overexpression of TXNIP is closely related to the occurrence and development of CVDs. Hence, TXNIP inhibition is critical for reducing the overactivation of its downstream signaling pathway and, as a result, myocardial cell damage. Due to the chemical variety of dietary phytochemicals, they have garnered increased interest for CVDs prevention and therapy. Phytochemicals are a source of medicinal compounds for a variety of conditions, which aids in the development of effective and safe TXNIP-targeting medications. The objective of this article is to find and virtual screen novel safe, effective, and economically viable TXNIP inhibitors from flavonoids, phenols, and alkaloids derived from foods and plants. The results of the docking study revealed that silibinin, rutin, luteolin, baicalin, procyanidin B2, hesperetin, icariin, and tilianin in flavonoids, polydatin, resveratrol, and salidroside in phenols, and neferine in alkaloids had the highest Vina scores, indicating that these compounds are the active chemicals on TXNIP. In particular, silibinin can be utilized as a lead chemical in the process of structural alteration. These dietary phytochemicals may aid in the discovery of lead compounds for the development of innovative TXNIP agents for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is defined by atherosclerosis, which can result in stenosis or blockage of the arterial cavity, leading to ischemic cardiac diseases such as angina and myocardial infarction. Accumulating evidence indicates that the gut microbiota plays a vital role in the beginning and progression of CHD. The gut microbial metabolite, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), is intimately linked to the pathophysiology of CHD. TMAO is formed when trimethylamine (TMA) is converted by flavin-containing monooxygenases in the hepatocytes. Therefore, inhibition of TMA production is essential to reduce TMAO levels. Flavonoids may reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. In this article, we reviewed and evaluated twenty-two flavonoids for the therapy of CHD based on their inhibition of TMA-lyase by molecular docking. Docking results revealed that baicalein, fisetin, acacetin, and myricetin in flavonoid aglycones, and baicalin, naringin, and hesperidin in flavonoid glycosides had a good binding effect with TMA-lyase. This indicates that these chemicals were the most active and could be used as lead compounds for structural modification in the future. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Flavonoids are a large class of polyphenolic compounds found in fruits, vegetables, flowers, tea, and herbal medicines, which are inexorably metabolized and transformed into bioactive metabolites by α-rhamnosidase, β-glucuronidase, β-glucosidase, and nitroreductase produced by the gut microbiota, which plays a beneficial role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Because flavonoids protect the cardiovascular system and regulate the gut microbiota, and the gut microbiota is directly connected to TMAO, thus, reducing TMAO levels involves blocking the transition of TMA to TMAO, which may be performed by reducing TMA synthesis. Molecular docking results found that baicalein, fisetin, acacetin, and myricetin in flavonoid aglycones, and baicalin, naringin, and hesperidin in flavonoid glycosides had good binding effects on TMA-lyase, which were the most active and could be used as lead compounds for structural modification.

To deeply understand and even describe the evolutions of the low-energy twin boundary density (BLD∑3n) in a thermal-plastic deformation process, an improved twin density model as a function of average grain size and stored energy is developed. For Nimonic 80A superalloy, the model is solved based on the EBSD statistical results of grain size and BLD∑3n in the specimens compressed at temperatures of 1273–1423 K and strain rates of 0.001–10 s–1. The corresponding relationships of BLD∑3n with stored energy and grain size varying with temperature and strain rate are clarified by the superimposed contour plot maps. It is summarized that BLD∑3n increases with increasing stored energy and decreasing grain size, and higher BLD∑3n with finer grains corresponds with lower temperatures and higher strain rates. Such relationships are described by the improved twin density model, and the prediction tolerance of the solved model is limited in 2.8%.

In order to deeply understand the grain growth behaviors of Ni80A superalloy, a series of grain growth experiments were conducted at holding temperatures ranging from 1223 to 1423 K and holding time ranging from 0 to 3600 s. A back-propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) model and a Sellars model were solved based on the experimental data. The prediction and generalization capabilities of these two models were evaluated and compared on the basis of four statistical indicators. The results show that the solved BP-ANN model has better performance as it has higher correlation coefficient (r), lower average absolute relative error (AARE), lower absolute values of mean value (μ) and standard deviation (ω). Eventually, a response surface of average grain size to holding temperature and holding time is constructed based on the data expanded by the solved BP-ANN model, and the grain growth behaviors are described.

We propose theoretical schemes to realize the cyon and anyon by atoms which possess non-vanishing electric dipole moments. To realize a cyon, besides the atom, we need a magnetic field produced by a long magnetic-charged filament. To realize an anyon, however, apart from these we need a harmonic potential and an additional magnetic field produced by a uniformly distributed magnetic charges. We find that the atom will be an anyon when cooled down to the negligibly small kinetic energy limit. The relationship between our results and the previous ones is investigated from the electromagnetic duality., 6 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1806.06896

The model of a planar atom which possesses a nonvanishing electric dipole moment interacting with magnetic fields in a specific setting is studied. Energy spectra of this model and its reduced model, which is the limit of cooling down the atom to the negligible kinetic energy, are solved exactly. We show that energy spectra of the reduced model cannot be obtained directly from the full ones by taking the same limit. In order to get the energy spectra of the reduced model from the full model, we must regularize energy spectra of the full model properly when the limit of the negligible kinetic energy is taken. It is one of the characteristics of the Chern–Simons quantum mechanics. Besides this, the canonical angular momentum of the reduced model will take fractional values although the full model can only take integers. It means that it is possible to realize the Chern–Simons quantum mechanics and fractional angular momentum simultaneously by this model.

We show that it is possible to simulate an anyon by a trapped atom which possesses an induced electric dipole moment in the background of electric and magnetic fields in a specific configuration. The electric and magnetic fields we applied contain a magnetic and two electric fields. We find that when the atom is cooled down to the limit of the negligibly small kinetic energy, the atom behaves like an anyon because its angular momentum takes fractional values. The fractional part of the angular momentum is determined by both the magnetic and one of the electric fields. Roles electric and magnetic fields played are analyzed.

In order to acquire uniform and refined microstructures for Ti–6Al–4V alloy, the parameter loading path design plays a crucial role. Here, it is pursued to separate dynamic recrystallization parameter domains from a chaotic parameter system. A succession of isothermal compression tests in a temperature range of 1023–1323 K and strain rate range of 0.01–10 s−1 were performed to obtain the basic computation data. The processing maps were constructed, and the mapping relationships between microstructural mechanisms and power dissipation efficiency indicator (η) in such maps were identified by verification of microstructural observations. Then the inner relationships between processing parameters and microstructural mechanisms were mapped as a three-dimensional (3D) space, from which the grain refinement parameter domains with dynamic recrystallization mechanism were separated. But these domains were still chaotic, so finite element (FE) simulations were used to scatter and clear this system. The optimal parameter loading paths were determined. Five verification experiments with different varying strain rates were performed, and the grain refinement was more obvious than any constant strain rates. One of the optimization results shows that the original grains with average size of 200 μm are refined as 9.7 μm, while at a constant strain rate the original grains are refined as 22.3 μm.