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Septic gut damage is critical in the progression of sepsis and multiple organ failure, characterized by gut microbiota dysbiosis and epithelium deficiency in the gut barrier. Recent studies highlight the protective effects of Erythropoietin (EPO) on multiple organs. The present study found that EPO treatment significantly alleviated the survival rate, suppressed inflammatory responses, and ameliorated intestine damage in mice with sepsis. EPO treatment also reversed sepsis-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. The protective role of EPO in the gut barrier and microbiota was impaired after EPOR knockout. Notably, we innovatively demonstrated that IL-17 F screened by transcriptome sequencing could ameliorate sepsis and septic gut damage including gut microbiota dysbiosis and barrier dysfunction, which was verified by IL-17 F-treated fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as well. Our findings highlight the protection effects of EPO-mediated IL-17 F in sepsis-induced gut damage by alleviating gut barrier dysfunction and restoring gut microbiota dysbiosis. EPO and IL-17 F may be potential therapeutic targets in septic patients. [Display omitted] • EPO treatment alleviates sepsis and septic gut damage. • EPO ameliorates gut barrier dysfunction and reverses gut microbiota dysbiosis in sepsis. • EPO promotes IL-17 F expression in the septic intestinal epithelium. • IL-17 F ameliorates gut barrier dysfunction and IL-17 F-treated FMT improves sepsis-induced gut damage and inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the current situation in China with vast territory, diverse climate, and a big difference on thermal adaptation of the indoor thermal environment among the people in different regions, the paper analyzes the typical model research of thermal adaptation, and points out the features of three representative models and the ignored reason of physiological thermal adaptation, summarizes some results on field studies of thermal adaptation in China, induces three research directions about physiological indexes selection research, physiological thermal adaptation research and multivariate evaluation model research of thermal comfort based on the physical, psychological and behavioral adjustments. The paper proposes to explain the differences of physiological thermal adaptation in these different climatic regions and to further finds out the relations between all these differences and the physiological indexes. The goal is to establish physiological index to evaluate thermal comfort and to perfect the climate adaptation model which can give some advises to the architecture designers on how to realize the comfortable and energy-saving thermal environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the law of human adaptive level changing along with indoor temperature and humidity in naturally ventilated buildings, an approach of field survey of thermal comfort has been carried out in an university of Guangzhou for about a year, and adaptive coefficient (λ) proposed in adaptive PMV model (aPMV) has been used to calculate the level of adaptation in different combination of indoor temperature and humidity. The results show that, the effects of different combinations of indoor temperature and humidity on human adaptive level vary from each other obviously, the level of adaptation in cool and dry environment (CDE) and comfortable environment (CE, PMV<0) was low, but it is high in hot and humid environment (HHE) and CE (PMV>0) .The adaptive coefficient (λ) are 0.64 (HHE), -0.06(CE, PMV<0), 1.07(CE, PMV>0) and -0.37 (CHE), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To derive deeper insight into the dynamic thermal comfort demands of the elderly in response to the seasonal climate shift, 213 people aged above 60 years in nursing homes were surveyed in a long-term field investigation conducted in Xi'an, China. A subjective questionnaire of thermal comfort and objective physical environment tests was administered, and 834 valid questionnaires were collected. Human thermal responses to seasonal climate shift, and their correlations with indoor operative temperatures were analyzed. Seasonal and yearly adaptive thermal comfort models for the elderly were then developed. Results show that clothing regulation during the transition season was most sensitive to temperature changes. Neutral temperatures during winter, transition season, and summer were 19.4 °C, 22.6 °C, and 24.1 °C, respectively. The acceptable temperature ranges that 80% and 90% respondents accepted were 14.9°C-30.4 °C and 17.7°C-27.7 °C, respectively. Nearly half the older respondents expected indoor temperature to remain unchanged during all seasons, but the percentage of respondents who wanted warmer or cooler indoor temperatures varied in different seasons. The yearly adaptive comfort model for elderly differed from models in ASHRAE 55 and EN 15251, as well as the models for elderly in Shanghai and young people in Xi'an. The results indicate that elderly in Xi'an actively adapt to the indoor thermal environment through behavioral adjustment. Moreover, they have higher acceptability and lower psychological expectations on the thermal environment. The model established in this study may have some limitations for the sample size, but can serve as references while designing comfortable and healthy indoor thermal environments for nursing homes. • Seasonal thermal comfort of elderly in nursing homes in Xi'an, China was surveyed. • Correlations between thermal responses with indoor environment varied with seasons. • Seasonal and yearly adaptive thermal comfort models of the elderly were developed. • Comfort temperatures were almost at a relatively higher level throughout the year. • Explained reasons for characteristics of thermal adaptability of the elderly in Xi'an. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene fibers have been fabricated by wet spinning, in which interfacial interactions including hydrogen bond, ionic bond, covalent bond and π-π interaction were usually constructed to achieve effective translation of the extraordinary properties inherent in graphene microscopic building blocks to macroscopic bulk materials. However, the interactions would induce the aggregation of graphene oxide (GO) spinning dope, leading to the local inhomogeneity and deteriorating mobility which was unfavorable for the translation of GO inherent performance. In order to overcome the contradiction, an interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation (IPC) spinning not involving in the usage of organic solvents was proposed to in-situ build a hierarchical assembly structure of well-ordered GO sheets and chitosan molecules by mimicking natural nacre. After partial reduction of GO fibers using HI, strong and tough graphene fibers with tensile strength of 875.5 MPa and toughness of 17.85 MJ/m3 were obtained due to strong ionic bond and hydrogen bond interactions between rGO and chitosan. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed the fracture mechanism of the graphene fibers that was the slippage of rGO sheets and chitosan molecules accompanied by the breaking and reforming of interfacial bonds. Combing the considerable electrical conductivity, the fibers exhibited a promising application potential as wearable electronics and conductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a fatal cardiovascular disease with a cancer-like phenotype. Competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks extensively involve in its pathological processes. But rare ceRNA networks and profound molecular mechanisms have been revealed in PAH. The aim of this study was to illuminate the ceRNA networks in PAH. In this work, we have chosen the idiopathic PAH as an example. GSE15197 (mRNA) and GSE56914 (miRNA) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were selected to explore key genes and novel ceRNA networks in PAH by a series of integrated bioinformatic analysis. To be more scientific, a part of pairs in identified ceRNA network were detected in hypoxia-induced HPASMCs. And the dual-luciferase assay was performed to certify the relationship between miRNAs and mRNAs. Totally, 311 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and functional enrichment analysis illuminated that the majority of DEGs were enriched in proliferation, anti-apoptosis, inflammation and cancer-related pathways. And 10 hub genes were determined via Cytohubba after PPI network construction. Sequentially, with stepwise reverse prediction and pan-cancer co-expression analysis from mRNA to LncRNA in TargetScan, miRNet, ENCORI (Starbase V3.0) databases, a crucially ceRNA network was identified including 14 LncRNAs, 2 miRNAs, and 3 mRNAs. Further, in hypoxia-induced HPASMCs, the alterations of mRNAs, miRNAs and LncRNAs and their relationship were in accordance with the results we identified. Consequently, the unique hub genes and ceRNA network we proposed may advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms in PAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exsomes play a significant role in increasing pathophysiological processes by delivering their content. Recently, a variety of studies have showed exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in pulmonary hypertension (PH) notably. In this study, we found that exosomal miR-211 was overexpressed in hypoxia-induced PH rats but its intrinsic regulation was unclear. Therefore, our aim was to reveal the underlying mechanism which overexpressed exosomal miR-211 targeted in the development of PH. 18 male SD rats were randomly divided into normoxia and hypoxia group, housed in normal or hypoxic chamber for 3 weeks respectively. Then, mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), pulmonary vascular resistance(PVR), right ventricular hypertrophy index(RV/(LV + S)), the percentage of medial wall area (WA%) and the percentage of medial wall thickness (WT%) were measured. Expression of miR-211 in exosomes was detected by qRT-PCR. Expression of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase1(CaMK1)and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-γ(PPAR-γ)in lung tissue were detected by Western blot(WB); After miR-211 overexpressed exosomes were injected to rats through caudal vein, mPAP, PVR, RV/(LV + S), WA% and WT% were also measured. Sequentially, hypoxia rats were injected with lentivirus riched in miR-211 inhibitor via tail vein, and PH-related indicators were measured. In vitro, after miR-211 was positively or negatively regulated in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) by plasmid transfection, proliferation of PASMC was detected by CCK8, as well as the expression of CaMK1 and PPAR- γ. Further, the relationship between CaMK1 and miR-211 was verified by Dual-Luciferase assay. And the regulatory relationship of CaMK1/PPAR- γ aixs was demonstrated in PASMC. Evident increases of mPAP, PVR, RVHI, WT% and WA% were observed with hypoxia administration. And the concentration of plasma exosomes in hypoxia rats was increased and positively correlated with the above indexes. miR-211 in exosomes of PH was upregulated while the expression of CaMK1 and PPAR-γ decreased in lung tissues. Further, injection of exosomes overexpressed with miR-211 demonstrated that exosomal miR-211 aggravated PH while inhibition of miR-211 attenuated PH in rats. In vitro, overexpression of miR-211 promoted the proliferation of PASMC and inhibited expression of CaMK1 and PPAR-γ in PASMC. And Dual-luciferase assay demonstrated that CaMK1 was a downstream gene of miR-211. Plasmid transfection experiments indicated that CaMK1 can promote PPAR-γ expression. Exosomal miR-211 promoted PH via inhibiting CaMK1/PPAR-γ axis, promoting PASMC proliferation in rats. Unlabelled Image • miR-211 overexpression along with plasma exosomes increase in hypoxia-induced PAH rats. • miR-211 overexpression promoted the proliferation of PASMC. • miR-211 down-regular expression of CaMK1, CaMK 1 further inhibits PPAR-γ expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]