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Stone matrix asphalt and asphalt concrete mixture with 13.2 mm nominal maximum aggregate size (named SMA13 and AC13, respectively) are widely used in the surface course of asphalt pavement in China. Generally, the pavement performance of SMA13 is superior to that of AC13, while the cost of the former is significantly higher than that of the latter. The objective of this paper was to develop a new hot mix asphalt (named SMAC13) whose performance and cost are between SMA13 and AC13. A boundary sieve size (BSS) of 2.36 mm was selected between fine and coarse aggregates. Based on the union set of aggregate gradation ranges of SMA13 and AC13, the family of gradation curves in the forms of S shapes were designed in terms of the BSS passing rate. According to the evaluation of the skeleton interlock of coarse aggregate of the gradation curve family, the aggregate gradation range of SMAC13 was determined. Also, the performance of three kinds of asphalt mixtures were compared through laboratory tests. The results indicated that SMA13 shows the best rutting resistance, followed by SMAC13 then AC13, while in terms of low-temperature performance in resistance to cracking, the sequence is SMAC13, AC13, and SMA13. The sequence of water stability is AC13, SMAC13, and SMA13. Furthermore, the cost of SMAC13 is 25% less than that of SMA13. Therefore, SMAC13 can be used as an alternative for the surface course of asphalt pavement in terms of performance and cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the planting of 'Qi-Nan' is continuously increasing, yet a substantial amount of 'Qi-Nan' leaves have not been properly exploited. To improve the 'Qi-Nan' tree 's utilization value, 'Qi-Nan' leaves were used as a raw material. An ultrasound-assisted method was performed to obtain the flavonoids from the 'Qi-Nan' leaves, followed by optimization of the extraction factors using a one-way and response surface methodology to enhance the extraction of flavonoids. Subsequently, the composition of the flavonoids, as well as their bioactive abilities, were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) and in vitro activity testing methods. The findings demonstrated that a 1:50 material-to-liquid ratio, 60% ethanol concentration, and ultrasound-assisted extraction time of 30 min were the ideal procedures for extracting flavonoids (flavonoid content: 6.68%). Meanwhile, the 'Qi-Nan' leaves possessed the antioxidant and medicinal potential to prevent diabetes and Alzheimer 's disease, as evidenced by the semi-inhibitory concentrations (IC50 values) of flavonoid extracts for scavenging DPPH• free radicals, scavenging ABTS•+ free radicals, inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, and inhibiting α-glucosidase, which were 12.64 μg/mL, 66.58 μg/mL, 102.31 μg/mL, and 38.76 μg/mL, respectively, which indicated that the 'Qi-Nan' leaves possessed the properties of antioxidant and medicinal potential for the prevention of Alzheimer 's disease and diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a broad-spectrum antineoplastic agent that widely used in clinic. However, its application is largely limited by its toxicity in multiple organs. Fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) showed protective potential in various liver diseases, but the role of endogenous FGF1 in DOX-induced liver damage is currently unknown. Both wild-type (WT) and FGF1 knockout (FGF1-KO) mice were treated with DOX. DOX induced loss of body weight and liver weight and elevation of ALT and AST in WT mice, which were aggravated by FGF1 deletion. FGF1 deletion exacerbated hepatic oxidative stress mirrored by further elevated 3-nitrosative modification of multiple proteins and malondialdehyde content. These were accompanied by blunted compensatively antioxidative responses indicated by impaired upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and its downstream antioxidant gene expression. The aggravated oxidative stress was coincided with exacerbated cell apoptosis in DOX-treated FGF1-KO mice reflected by further increased TUNEL positive cell staining and BCL-2-associated X expression and caspase 3 cleavage. These detrimental changes in DOX-treated FGF1-KO mice were associated with worsened intestinal fibrosis and increased upregulation fibrotic marker connective tissue growth factor and α-smooth muscle actin expression. However, DOX-induced hepatic inflammatory responses were not further affected by FGF1 deletion. These results demonstrate that endogenous FGF1 deficiency aggravates DOX-induced liver damage and FGF1 is a potential therapeutic target for treatment of DOX-associated hepatoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric microspheres naturally possess unique optical properties by which the light's focus and confinement can be manipulated on a microscale. Combining microspheres and optical or Raman microscopy, super‐resolution imaging beyond the diffraction limit and enhancement of Raman signals are demonstrated to provide abundant spectroscopic information on materials. However, microsphere‐aided super‐resolution scanning photocurrent imaging remains challenging to date. Here, based on the photonic nanojet mechanism, a super‐resolution photocurrent and spectral microscopy equipped with a scanning tip with silica dielectric microspheres are presented. With such microsphere‐aided microscopy, order of magnitude enhancements for single‐point Raman and photoluminescence signals can be achieved, and the spatial resolutions for photocurrent and spectral mapping surpass the best resolution of the original confocal system restricted by the diffraction limit. This versatile system enables correlative super‐resolution spectral and photocurrent imaging, serving as a reliable tool for comprehensively understanding and uncovering the optoelectronic properties of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of bio-organic fertilizers on the physiological characteristics and leaf nutrient content of "Qi-Nan" agarwood seedlings. The aim is to provide a theoretical foundation for the efficient cultivation of "Qi-Nan". The experiment was conducted under field conditions using a Randomized complete block design. The control group received no fertilization, while the three fertilizer-treated groups received vermicompost, sheep manure, or microbial organic fertilizer. The results indicate that the application of bio-organic fertilizer significantly promoted the growth of plant height and diameter, increased the contents of soluble proteins, soluble sugar, chlorophyll, and leaf nutrients; and decreased the contents of free proline, peroxidase, malondialdehyde, and other stress indices. Redundancy analysis showed that the main factors affecting the seedlings height and diameter were free proline, chlorophyll, total nitrogen, and total potassium. Principal component analysis and membership function analysis revealed significant variations in growth, physiological characteristics, and nutrient content among the three fertilizer groups and the control group, with vermicompost > microbial organic fertilizer > sheep manure > no fertilization. In conclusion, biological organic fertilizer significantly promotes the growth of "Qi-Nan" seedlings, and vermicompost is the most effective fertilizer in this experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous innovation in artificially-induced agarwood technology is increasing the amount of agarwood and substantially alleviating shortages. Agarwood is widely utilized in perfumes and fragrances; however, it is unclear whether the overall pharmacological activity of induced agarwood can replace wild agarwood for medicinal use. In this study, the volatile components, total chromone content, and the differences in the overall activities of wild agarwood and induced agarwood, including the antioxidant, anti-acetylcholinesterase, and anti-glucosidase activity were all determined. The results indicated that both induced and wild agarwood's chemical makeup contains sesquiterpenes and 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones. The total chromone content in generated agarwood can reach 82.96% of that in wild agarwood. Induced agarwood scavenged 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+) radicals and inhibited acetylcholinesterase activity and α-glucosidase activity with IC50 values of 0.1873 mg/mL, 0.0602 mg/mL, 0.0493 mg/mL, and 0.2119 mg/mL, respectively, reaching 80.89%, 93.52%, 93.52%, and 69.47% of that of wild agarwood, respectively. Accordingly, the results distinguished that induced agarwood has the potential to replace wild agarwood in future for use in medicine because it has a similar chemical makeup to wild agarwood and has comparable antioxidant, anti-acetylcholinesterase, and anti-glucosidase capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning discriminative features is of vital importance for automatic facial expression recognition (FER) in the wild. In this article, we propose a novel Slide-Patch and Whole-Face Attention model with SE blocks (SPWFA-SE), which jointly perceives the discriminative locality characteristics and informative global features of the face for effective FER. Specifically, the well-designed slide patches are proposed to extract local features. Different from the existing methods, our slide patches not only can maintain the information at the edge area of patches, but also do not need to detect facial landmarks. Moreover, to make the model adaptively focus on the distinguishable regions, an attention module is proposed in the patch level to learn the weight of each patch. Furthermore, squeeze-and-excitation blocks are explored in the channel level to learn the weight of each channel. As such, the proposed multi-level feature extraction and attention mechanisms can enhance the representative ability of the learned features. Extensive experiments on five challenging datasets demonstrate that our method can achieve state-of-the-art performance. Cross database experiments on another three databases show the superior generalization performance of our model. Furthermore, complexity analysis results show that our model contains fewer parameters with fast training advantages than other competing models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impairment in endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) functions results in dysregulation of vascular homeostasis and dysfunction of the endothelium under diabetic conditions. Improving EPC function has been considered as a promising strategy for ameliorating diabetic vascular complications. Liraglutide has been widely used as a therapeutic agent for diabetes. However, the effects and mechanisms of liraglutide on EPC dysfunction remain unclear. The capability of liraglutide in promoting blood perfusion and angiogenesis under diabetic conditions was evaluated in the hind limb ischemia model of diabetic mice. The effect of liraglutide on the angiogenic function of EPC was evaluated by cell scratch recovery assay, tube formation assay, and nitric oxide production. RNA sequencing was performed to assess the underlying mechanisms. Liraglutide enhanced blood perfusion and angiogenesis in the ischemic hindlimb of db/db mice and streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic mice. Additionally, liraglutide improved tube formation, cell migration, and nitric oxide production of high glucose (HG)-treated EPC. Assessment of liraglutide target pathways revealed a network of genes involved in antioxidant activity. Further mechanism study showed that liraglutide decreased the production of reactive oxygen species and increased the activity of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Nrf2 deficiency attenuated the beneficial effects of liraglutide on improving EPC function and promoting ischemic angiogenesis under diabetic conditions. Moreover, liraglutide activates Nrf2 through an AKT/GSK3β/Fyn pathway, and inhibiting this pathway abolished liraglutide-induced Nrf2 activation and EPC function improvement. Overall, these results suggest that Liraglutide represents therapeutic potential in promoting EPC function and ameliorating ischemic angiogenesis under diabetic conditions, and these beneficial effects relied on Nrf2 activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase encoded by the c-met protooncogene. In this study, we demonstrated that c-met expression was upregulated in the kidney after obstructive injury in mice. Because the pattern of c-met induction was closely correlated with transforming growth factor-[beta]1 (TGF-[beta]1) expression in vivo, we further investigated the regulation of c-met expression in renal tubular epithelial (HKC) cells by TGF-[beta]1 in vitro. Real-time RT-PCR and Northern and Western blot analyses revealed that TGF-[beta]1 significantly induced c-met expression in HKC cells, which primarily took place at the gene transcriptional level. Overexpression of inhibitory Smad7 completely abolished c-met induction, indicating its dependence on Smad signaling. Interestingly, TGF-[beta]1-induced c-met expression was also contingent on a functional Sp1, as ablation of Sp1 binding with mithramycin A abrogated c-met induction in HKC cells. Transfection and sequence analysis identified a cis-acting TGF-[beta]1-responsive region in the c-met promoter, in which resided a putative Smad-binding element (SBE) and an adjacent Sp1 site. TGF-[beta]1 not only induced Smad binding to the SBE/Sp1 sites in the c-met promoter, but also enhanced the binding of Sp proteins. Furthermore, Sp1 could form a complex with Smads in a TGF-[beta]1-dependent fashion. These results suggest a novel regulatory mechanism controlling c-met expression by TGF-[beta]1 in renal epithelial cells, in which both Smad and Sp proteins participate and cooperate in activating c-met gene transcription. transforming growth factor-[beta]1; hepatocyte growth factor; gene transcription; unilateral ureteral obstruction; tubular epithelial cells

We investigated the expression pattern and underlying mechanism that controls hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor (c-met) expression in normal kidney and a variety of kidney cells. Immunohistochemical staining showed widespread expression of c-met in mouse kidney, a pattern closely correlated with renal expression of Sp1 and Sp3 transcription factors. In vitro, all types of kidney cells tested expressed different levels of c-met, which was tightly proportional to the cellular abundances of Sp1 and Sp3. Both Sp1 and Sp3 bound to the multiple GC boxes in the promoter region of the c-met gene. Coimmunoprecipitation suggested a physical interaction between Sp1 and Sp3. Functionally, Sp1 markedly stimulated c-met promoter activity. Although Sp3 only weakly activated the c-met promoter, its combination with Sp1 synergistically stimulated c-met transcription. Conversely, deprivation of Sp proteins by transfection of decoy Sp1 oligonucleotide or blockade of Sp1 binding with mithramycin A inhibited c-met expression. The c-met receptor in all types of kidney cells was functional and induced protein kinase B/Akt phosphorylation in a distinctly dynamic pattern after HGF stimulation. These results indicate that members of the Sp family of transcription factors play an important role in regulating constitutive expression of the c-met gene in all types of renal cells. Our findings suggest that HGF may have a broader spectrum of target cells and possess wider implications in kidney structure and function than originally thought. hepatocyte growth factor; Sp1; Sp3; gene regulation; Akt kinase

The informativeness and discriminativeness of features collaboratively ensure high-accuracy Facial Expression Recognition (FER) in the wild. Most of existing methods use the single-path deep convolutional neural network with softmax loss for basic FER, while they cannot deal with the challenging situations of the compound FER in the wild, because they fail to learn informative and discriminative features in a targeted manner. To this end, we present an Informative and Discriminative Feature Learning (IDFL) framework that consists of two key components: the Multi-Path Attention Convolutional Neural Network (MPACNN) and Balanced Separate loss (BS loss), for both basic and compound high-accuracy FER in the wild. Specifically, MPACNN leverages different paths to learn diverse features. These features are then adaptively fused into informative ones via an attention module, such that the model can adequately capture detailed information for both basic and compound FER. The BS loss maximizes the inter-class distance of features and minimizes the intra-class one. In this way, the features are discriminative enough for high-accuracy FER in the wild. Particularly, the BS loss is invoked as the objective function of MPACNN, so the model can learn informative and discriminative features at the same time, yielding better performance. Seven databases are utilized to evaluate the proposed method, and the results demonstrate that our method achieves state-of-the-art performance on both basic and compound expressions with good generalization ability. Moreover, our model contains fewer parameters and can be trained faster than other related models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial Expression Recognition (FER) is a long-standing but challenging research problem in computer vision. Existing approaches mainly focus on single-label emotional prediction, which cannot handle the complex multi-label FER task because of the coupling behavior of multiple emotions on a single facial image. To this end, in this paper, we propose a novel Self-supervised Exclusive-Inclusive Interactive Learning (SEIIL) method to facilitate discriminative multi-label FER in the wild, which can effectively handle the coupled multiple sentiments with limited unconstrained training data. Specifically, we construct an emotion disentangling module to capture the inclusive and exclusive characteristics of facial expressions, which can decouple the compound numerous emotions on an image. Moreover, an adaptively-weighted ensemble technique is conceived to aggregate category-level latent exclusive embeddings, and then a conditional adversarial interactive learning module is designed to fully leverage the complementary between the inclusive and formulated latent representations. Furthermore, to tackle the insufficient data for training, we introduce a self-supervised learning strategy to augment the amount and diversity of facial images, which can endow the model with advanced generalization ability. Under this strategy, the proposed two modules can be concurrently utilized in our SEIIL to jointly handle the coupled emotions and alleviate the overfitting problem. Extensive experimental results on six databases illustrate the superb performance of our method against state-of-the-art baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated multi-label chest X-ray (CXR) image classification has recently made significant progress in clinical diagnosis based on the advanced deep learning techniques. However, most existing methods mainly focus on analyzing locality visual cues from a single image but fail to leverage the underlying explicit correlations among different images for precise disease diagnosis. By contrast, an experienced radiologist expertizes in transferring knowledge from previous tasks to diagnose the present radiograph. To enable the machine like a radiologist, this paper proposes a novel Semantic Similarity Graph Embedding (SSGE) framework, which explicitly explores the semantic similarities among images to optimize the visual feature embedding for improving the performance of multi-label CXR images classification. Specifically, the proposed SSGE framework contains three main components: the image feature embedding (IFE) module, similarity graph construction (SGC) module, and semantic similarity learning (SSL) module. To realize interactive teaching and learning between visual and semantic information, the proposed SSGE framework is built on the “Teacher-Student” (semantic-visual) learning mechanism. With the guidance and supervision of the cross-image similarity graph generated by the SGC module, the SSL module leverages Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) to adaptively recalibrate the multi-image feature representations extracted from the IFE module, which guarantees their semantic consistency. Furthermore, we propose a novel re-weighting strategy to learn a more optimal semantic-similarity graph for the information propagation of the GCN layers. Extensive experiments on two benchmark datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in comparison with some state-of-the-art baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Berberine (BBR), an important quaternary benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for over 3,000 years. BBR has been shown in both traditional and modern medicine to have a wide range of pharmacological actions, including hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anti-obesity, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. The unregulated reaction chain induced by oxidative stress as a crucial mechanism result in myocardial damage, which is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Numerous researches have established that BBR protects myocardium and may be beneficial in the treatment of CVDs. Given that the pivotal role of oxidative stress in CVDs, the pharmacological effects of BBR in the treatment and/or management of CVDs have strongly attracted the attention of scholars. Therefore, this review sums up the prevention and treatment mechanisms of BBR in CVDs from in vitro , in vivo , and finally to the clinical field trials timely. We summarized the antioxidant stress of BBR in the management of coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial ischemia/reperfusion; it also analyzes the pathogenesis of oxidative stress in arrhythmia and heart failure and the therapeutic effects of BBR. In short, BBR is a hopeful drug candidate for the treatment of CVDs, which can intervene in the process of CVDs from multiple angles and different aspects. Therefore, if we want to apply it to the clinic on a large scale, more comprehensive, intensive, and detailed researches are needed to be carried out to clarify the molecular mechanism and targets of BBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of this study is the wood of Phoebe bournei (Hemsl.) Yang. Firstly, the macroscopic and microscopic structural characteristics of P. bournei wood were studied, and then the wood was compared with other species of the same genus. Through GC-MS technology, the volatile substance composition of P. bournei wood was studied, and the common volatile substance compositions were analyzed by using correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and orthogonal partial least square discriminant model analysis (OPLS-DA) models. The purpose of this study was to determine the significantly different components of P. bournei wood in comparison to three similar species in the same genus and explore whether these can be used as a chemical pattern recognition method for this wood. The results showed that 11 common components were found in all the P. bournei wood samples. Through the correlation analysis between the samples of P. bournei from different sources, they had a strong interrelation and high correlation coefficient. P. bournei wood could be initially distinguished from the wood of the other three similar species of the same genus by PCA. Through OPLS-DA modeling and calculation the classification effect of the model was more obvious. The variable information used to analyze the experimental model was more complete, and the model had a strong prediction ability. With the combination of the load diagram (S-plot) and variable contribution index (VIP), variable components were preliminarily screened, and then inter-group t-test and variable content analysis were conducted for the samples. The results show that the OPLS-DA model analysis of valerianol and agarspirol has obvious differences, which can be used to distinguish wood of P. bournei from three other tree species of the same genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the input-to-state stability for a general class of stochastic multi-group models with multi-dispersal. By incorporating graph theory with Lyapunov method as well as stochastic analysis techniques, novel sufficient criteria are derived, which are in the form of Lyapunov-type theorem and coefficient-type criterion, respectively. Moreover, to show the applicability of our findings, we employ coefficient-type criterion to analyze the input-to-state stability for stochastic coupled oscillators. Finally, a numerical example and its simulations are offered to demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the theoretic results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

β-Catenin is a unique intracellular protein functioning as an integral component of the cell-cell adherens complex and a principal signaling protein mediating canonical Wnt signaling. Little is known about its function in adult kidneys in the normal physiologic state or after acute kidney injury (AKI). To study this, we generated conditional knockout mice in which the β-catenin gene was specifically disrupted in renal tubules (Ksp-β-cat−/−). These mice were phenotypically normal with no appreciable defects in kidney morphology and function. In the absence of β-catenin, γ-catenin functionally substituted for it in E-cadherin binding, thereby sustaining the integrity of epithelial adherens junctions in the kidneys. In AKI induced by ischemia reperfusion or folic acid, the loss of tubular β-catenin substantially aggravated renal lesions. Compared with controls, Ksp-β-cat−/− mice displayed higher mortality, elevated serum creatinine, and more severe morphologic injury. Consistently, apoptosis was more prevalent in kidneys of the knockout mice, which was accompanied by increased expression of p53 and Bax, and decreased phosphorylated Akt and survivin. In vitro activation of β-catenin by Wnt1 or stabilization of β-catenin protected tubular epithelial cells from apoptosis, activated Akt, induced survivin, and repressed p53 and Bax expression. Hence, endogenous β-catenin is pivotal for renal tubular protection after AKI by promoting cell survival through multiple mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During renal fibrogenesis, tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition is closely associated with peritubular inflammation; however, it is not clear whether these two processes are connected. We previously identified the inhibitor of differentiation-1 (Id1), a dominant negative antagonist of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors, as a major trigger of tubular cell dedifferentiation after injury. Id1 was induced selectively in degenerated proximal tubule and collecting duct epithelia after injury and was present in both the cytoplasm and nucleus, suggesting shuttling between these two compartments. Interestingly, the upregulation of Id1 was associated with peritubular inflammation in mouse and human nephropathies. In vitro, Id1 potentiated NF-κB signaling and augmented RANTES expression in kidney epithelial cells, which led to an enhanced recruitment of inflammatory cells. Id1 also induced Snail1 expression and triggered tubular epithelial dedifferentiation. In vivo, genetic ablation of Id1 in mice reduced peritubular inflammation and decreased tubular expression of RANTES following ureteral obstruction. Mice lacking Id1 were also protected against myofibroblast activation and matrix expression, leading to a reduced total collagen deposition in obstructive nephropathy. Thus, these results indicate that Id1 shuttles between nucleus and cytoplasm, and promotes peritubular inflammation and tubular epithelial dedifferentiation, suggesting that these two events are intrinsically coupled during renal fibrogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A state-owned glass production enterprise introduces the strategic investor to carry on the assets reorganization, including the purchase of two float glass production lines with subsequent technology transformations and the construction of a new float glass production line with domestic leading technology. The fuel consumption structure has changed from coal-burning to natural gas or fuel oil. The following auditing procedures were followed according to Chinese national standards. These procedures include constituting an ordinance on energy management, strengthening the energy measurement and data statistical system, and improving production lines as well as energy-saving measures. Production scale expanded approximately twice during the period of audit. Comprehensive energy consumption was 2.58ton coal equivalent (tce) at aqual in heat value (AHV refers to energy consumed to generate each kWh of electric power, each m3 of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, or each kg of steam. The term of AHV provides a unification measurement criterion for fossil fuels consumed before the energy transformation.) account per 10,000 Yuan output value, and 2.17tce at heat value equivalent (HVE) account. Comprehensive energy consumption per unit of product was 15.35kg coal equivalent (kce) per weight box. The percentage of energy cost among total cost reduced from 51.19% in 2007 to 46.48% in 2008. Consequently, the comprehensive energy conversion level holds a leading position among peers in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, we analyzed the mechanism and the process of fungal-induced agarwood formation in Aquilaria sinensis and studied the functional changes in the xylem structure after the process. The microscopic structure of the white zone, transition zone, agarwood zone, and decay zone of 12-and 18-months of inoculation A. sinensis xylem was studied. The distribution of nuclei, starch grains, soluble sugars, sesquiterpenes, fungal propagules, and mycelium in xylem tissues was investigated by histochemical analysis. The results show that the process of agarwood formation was accompanied by apoptosis of parenchyma cells such as interxylary phloem, xylem rays, and axial parenchyma. Regular changes in the conversion of starch grains to soluble sugars, the production of sesquiterpenoids, and other characteristic components of agarwood in various types of parenchyma cells were also observed. The material transformation was concentrated in the interxylary phloem, providing a structural and material basis for the formation of agarwood. It is the core part of the production of sesquiterpenoids and other characteristic products of agarwood. Compared with the A. sinensis inoculated for 12 months, the xylem of the A. sinensis inoculated for 18 months was more vigorous. There were no significant differences between the 12 and 18 months of inoculation in terms of sugars and agarwood characteristic products. In production, harvesting after 12 months of inoculation can improve harvesting efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Vitamin D, especially its most active metabolite 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 or calcitriol, is essential in regulating a wide variety of biologic processes, such as calcium homeostasis, immune modulation, cell proliferation and differentiation. Clinical studies show that the circulating level of calcitriol is substantially reduced in patients with chronic renal insufficiency. Administration of active Vitamin D results in significant amelioration of renal dysfunction and fibrotic lesions in various experimental models of chronic kidney diseases. Active Vitamin D elicits its renal protective activity through multiple mechanisms, such as inhibiting renal inflammation, regulating renin–angiotensin system and blocking mesangial cell activation. Recent studies indicate that calcitriol induces anti-fibrotic hepatocyte growth factor expression, which in turn blocks the myofibroblastic activation and matrix production in interstitial fibroblasts. Furthermore, in vivo and in vitro studies demonstrate that active Vitamin D effectively blocks tubular epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a phenotypic conversion process that plays a central role in the evolution of renal interstitial fibrosis. Together, it is becoming increasingly clear that a high level of active Vitamin D may be obligatory in the maintenance of normal kidney structure and function. Thus, supplementation of active Vitamin D could be a rational strategy for the therapeutics of chronic kidney diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]