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In the 21st century, translation studies has expanded its boundaries and paradigms so that it is now possible to use its tools and methods to research the communication of fashion at textual as well as material levels, as inter-semiotic and cultural translation. Fashion communication, from the perspective of post translation studies, can be viewed as a process of cultural translation with visual symbols as its main text form, visual rhetoric as its core meaning system and a visual designer as its translator. At the intersection of translation, communication and fashion studies, the article takes Kenzo's most successful "tiger icon" as the main research object, through the analysis of different forms of visual text structures throughout the whole process of fashion communication, to explore the semiotic transformation process and strategy of the "tiger icon" by means of visual rhetoric theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mixing within a full depth lock-exchange gravity current was investigated experimentally with planar laser-induced fluorescence PLIF. The scalar edge of the gravity current was identified via an edge detection algorithm. A strong mixing region located along this edge was extracted from the flow field and analyzed. A dimensionless background potential energy was defined to characterize the local mixing rate in this region, which showed a two-stage behavior. In the section near the nose, mixing rate oscillates strongly under the influence of the lobe and cleft shifting, while in the upper part, the mixing rate grows gradually under the mechanism of billows rolling up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which hypothesized that fumagillin and ovacilin inhibit type 2 methionine aminopeptidase (MetAP2) by irreversible blockage of the active site. Features of fumagillin and ovacilin; Materials and methods; Results from the synthesis of deoxyfumagillin analogs.

The flapping of a flag in the wind is a classical fluid-structure problem that concerns the interaction of elastic bodies with ambient fluid. We focus on the desirable experimental results of the flow around the flapping flag. By immersing the elastic yet self-supporting heavy flag into water flow, we use particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques to obtain the whole flow field around the midspan of the flag interacting with a fluid in periodic state. A unique PIV image processing method is used to measure near-wall flow velocities around a moving elastic flag. There exists a thin flow circulation region on the suction side of the flag in periodic state. This observation suggests that viscous flow models may be needed to improve the theoretical predictions of the flapping flag in periodic state, especially in a large amplitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of hatching weight (HW) on the growth, immunity and oxidative status ofbroilers for 21 d. Male chicks (Arbor Acres) were divided into 2 groups according to HW (51.30 ± 0.21 and 42.97 ± 0.11 g, respectively), each of which consisted of 8 replicates of 10 birds. Chicks with high HW exhibited heavier body weight in the first two weeks (P<0.05). Concentrations of total protein (TP), globulin (GLB) and albumin (ALB) were higher in broilers with heavier HW at d 14, 14 and 7, respectively (P<0.05). At d 7, heavier chick exhibited a higher liver glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratio (P<0.05), which may result from simultaneously decreased GSSG content (P=0.092). Meanwhile, a trend for decreased serum malon-dialdehyde (MDA) (P=0.055) and total corticosterone (CORT) content (P=0.086) was observed in heavier chicks. In addition, heavier chicks tended to have a higher serum GSH content at d 21 (P=0.063). A higher HW would exert a significant effect on the body weight and oxidative status of broilers but not on nutrient digestibility and immune function at immediate posthatch, which then gradually disappeared as birds grew older. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether carnitine was responsible for the increased energy metabolism observed in Sprague-Dawley rats following inclusion of lamb meat in their diet. This was tested by feeding one of the following three diets: a control diet (control) based on a standard formulation (AIN-93G), a carnitine-supplemented control diet (CD) and a lamb meat diet (LD). All diets were isocaloric (15.46 kJ/g DM) and contained 18.3% protein, 7.1% fat and 58.3% carbohydrate. The carnitine concentrations in the control diet, CD and LD were 29, 984 and 953 mg/kg, respectively. The expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I(CPT-I)α and CTP-Iβ genes, Na,K-ATPase activities and the contents of fat, ATP and creatine phosphate (Cr.P) in liver and skeletal muscle tissues were measured on Days 7 and 14. Bodyweights, bodyweight gains and oxygen consumption rates (OCR) of rats were also measured. The rats fed the LD had higher OCR, ATP and Cr.P concentrations, expressions of CPT-I gene, Na,K-ATPase activities, and lower fat contents, bodyweights and bodyweight gains (P < 0.05) than did the control-group rats. However, rats fed the CD were not significantly different from those fed the control diet, except for the higher CPT-Iα expression, ATP concentrations and lower fat contents in liver (P < 0.05). We conclude that carnitine intake from lamb was not the main factor accounting for the significant effects of lamb consumption on energy metabolism. However, it is likely that carnitine intake by consumption of lamb meat in the LD partly contributed to lowering fat contents in liver, compared with the CD and the control diet groups. There is potential for lamb to be promoted as a meat-based functional food. Carnitine from lamb has been found to reduce the liver fat content of rats. Meat-based functional foods are being seen as an opportunity to improve the 'image' of meat as a healthy product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: VacA is a vacuolation protein toxin secreted by Helicobacter pylori. Many compounds have been implicated in the regulation of VacA toxin activity. In this study, regulation of cell vacuolation induced by VacA was observed with the addition of glycine, glycine hydrochloride, xylitol, and taurine by neutral red dye uptake assay using gastric human epithelial cell cultures. Glycine, xylitol, and taurine increased cell vacuolation significantly after 48h (p <0.05), with their effect apparent in a wide concentration range (0.2mM to about 100mM). Changes were sharp in respect of concentration and showed little dose–response characteristics. In contrast, upregulation of glycine hydrochloride on cell vacuolation in weak acidic extracellular pH was much retarded with VacA activity not initiated until 72h. In addition, our results showed that cell vacuolation was highest when the pH was 6.8. The increase in vacuolation was gentle in weak acidic extracellular pH and the increase dose-dependent with a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) of 0.986 from 0.2 to 6.25mM. In this concentration range and at the same time point, the pH decrease was negatively correlated with vacuolating activity (r =0.922, p <0.01). In conclusion, our study showed that three small molecular compounds can increase vacuolation induced by VacA toxin in vitro. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Provides information on a study investigating the total synthesis of taxane systems focusing on the development of practical route for complete functionalization of the A ring. Methodology used to conduct the study; Information on the consideration of dual activation as a tool for possible introduction of the bridgehead olefinic bond; Success of the dihydroxylation pathway; Findings of the study.

The effects of dietary palygorskite (Pal) supplementation on growth performance, oxidative status, and intestinal barrier function in ducks were investigated. In total, 720 one-day-old Cherry Valley ducks were categorized into 4 treatments comprising 6 replicates with 30 ducks each. Ducks were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 5, 10, or 20 g/kg Pal for 42 days. Twenty-four ducks (1 male/replicate) were slaughtered at 14 and 42 days and samples were collected for analysis. Pal supplementation quadratically increased weight gain and linearly and quadratically increased feed intake (P<0.05) during the starter period. Pal enhanced serum glutathione peroxidase activity (GSHPx) at 14 (linear and quadratic, P<0.05) and 42 days (linear, P<0.001), and lowered serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content at 14 and 42 days (quadratic, P<0.05). It enhanced 42-day liver superoxide dismutase activity (linear, P< 0.003) and GSH-Px activity at 14 (quadratic, P<0.044) and 42 days (linear and quadratic, P<0.001), but decreased 14-day liver MDA content (quadratic, P<0.003). Pal reduced 42-day serum diamine oxidase activity (linear and quadratic, P<0.05) and serum endotoxin content at 14 (linear and quadratic, P<0.05) and 42 days (quadratic, P<0.017). It linearly and quadratically increased jejunal mucosal immunoglobulin (Ig) M at 42 days and IgG at 14 and 42 days, and 42-day ileal mucosal IgG and secretory IgA (P<0.05). Ileal mucosal IgM content was quadratically increased at 14 and 42 days (P<0.05) by Pal. Moreover, Pal enhanced the mRNA expression of 14-day occludin in the jejunal mucosa (quadratic, P<0.033) and that of 42-day zonula occludens-1 in the ileal mucosa (linear, P<0.027). Thus, dietary Pal supplementation exerts beneficial effects through improving growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal barrier function of ducks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shortened current direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies while less expensive, have not provided satisfactory efficacy in naïve cirrhotics, treatment experienced non-cirrhotics or even genotype-3 (GT3)-infected patients. Since DAA regimens consist of the same classes of inhibitors—NS5A (NS5Ai) and NS5B (NS5Bi) +/- NS3 (NS3i) inhibitors—it is likely that their costs will be high and will provide similar degrees of protection. Integrating drugs with distinct mechanisms of action (MoA) into DAA regimens could provide the solution for shortening the period of treatment. One such class of agents is the cyclophilin inhibitors (CypI), which has shown efficacy in patients. Resistance-associated variants persist for years post-treatment in patients exposed to NS5Ai or NS5Bi who fail to achieve a sustained virologic response, impairing their chance for cure on retreatment with existing DAA combinations. Because of their high barrier to resistance, CypI may be particularly useful as a rescue therapy for patients who have relapsed with DAA resistance-associated variants. In this study, we analyzed the anti-HCV properties of the novel cyclosporine A (CsA) derivate—STG-175. The non-immunosuppressive STG-175 possesses a high (EC50 11.5–38.9 nM) multi-genotypic (GT1a to 4a) anti-HCV activity. STG-175 clears cells from HCV since no viral replication rebound was observed after cessation of drug treatment. It presents a higher barrier to resistance than other CypI or selected DAAs. HCV variants, which emerged under STG-175 pressure, are only ~2-fold resistant to the drug. No cross-resistance was observed with DAAs STG-175 was efficacious against DAA-resistant HCV variants. Drug combination studies revealed that STG-175 provides additive and synergistic effects against GT1a to 4a. STG-175 inhibits the infection of HCV, HIV-1 and HBV in mono-, dual- and triple-infection settings. Altogether these results suggest that the new CypI STG-175 represents an attractive drug partner for IFN-free DAA regimens for the treatment of HCV and co-infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) on the viability of the human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) epithelial cell line. AGS cells were exposed to various concentrations of MgSO4for different time-periods and the effects on cell viability, DNA fragmentation, apoptotic gene expression, and caspase activity were investigated. A range of tests were employed in this study, including a lactate dehydrogenase cell viability assay, annexin V staining, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), and several caspase activity assays. Expression of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), Fas ligand (FasL) and Fas receptor (FasR) were analyzed using RT-PCR. These analyses revealed that MgSO4induced a dose-dependent reduction in AGS cell viability. Annexin V staining did not differ between negative control and treated cells, indicating that no apoptotic cells were detected. The TUNEL assay data were consistent with the annexin V staining results. FasL mRNA expression was increased and FasR mRNA expression was decreased in a dose-dependent manner by MgSO4. MgSO4treatment tended to cause an initial (1 h) dose-dependent increase in the activities of caspase-3, -6, -8, and -9; however, these activities were subsequently inhibited (24 h). We deduced that MgSO4exerted an anti-apoptotic effect in AGS cells via caspase activation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The effects of feeding a high-grain (HG) diet on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) clearance and innate immune defence responses in the liver remain unclear. Therefore, we conducted the present study in which twelve female goats were randomly assigned to either a treatment group fed a HG diet (60% grain, n = 6) or a control group fed a low grain diet (LG; 40% grain, n = 6) for 6 weeks. Catheters were installed in the mesenteric, portal and hepatic veins, as well as one femoral artery of the goats, for determining blood flow and net clearance rate of LPS in the liver. Plasma and tissue samples were collected in the week 6 for analyzing pro-inflammatory cytokines, acute phase protein and biochemical parameters, as well as expression of genes involved in immune response. Result: HG diet feeding increased blood flow and LPS concentration in the portal vein, hepatic vein and artery. Hepatic net LPS clearance showed that HG diet feeding elevated the rate of hepatic LPS clearance, but decreased the percentage of removed LPS accounting for the total entry of LPS into the liver. Our results demonstrated that the feeding of HG diet increased plasma concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins and triggered a systemic inflammatory response. In addition, peripheral blood plasma concentrations of alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin were increased in the HG group compared to the LG group. This indicated that the impairment of hepatocytes occurred after 6 weeks of HG diet feeding. The expression of genes involved in immune response and Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 protein in the liver was up-regulated in the HG group compared to the LG group, indicating that increased entry of LPS enhanced hepatic immune defence responses and contributed to hepatic inflammatory responses. Conclusion: These results provide insight into the capacity of the liver to clear LPS. The increased entry of LPS into liver enhanced hepatic immune defence responses, thereby elevated the rate of LPS clearance. However, the reduction of the percentage of hepatic LPS clearance could be due to the formation of hepatocyte lesion during HG diet feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]