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Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic condition of the digestive tract with limited therapeutic options. Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) and transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) are implicated in modulating inflammatory responses. Berberine (BBR) and evodiamine (EVO) are known to activate TAS2Rs and TRPV1, respectively. However, whether BBR and EVO can ameliorate GERD by targeting TAS2Rs and TRPV1 remains uncertain. This study aims to determine whether BBR and EVO mitigate esophageal injury by targeting TAS2R38 and TRPV1 and to elucidate their underlying molecular mechanisms. A GERD rat model was developed using esophagogastric anastomosis, while GERD in human esophageal epithelial cells (HEECs) was induced via bile acid (BA) exposure. Esophageal pathology was analyzed through hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). mRNA and protein levels were measured via qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Small interfering RNA was used to silence TAS2R38 and TRPV1 in HEECs. The activation of TAS2R38 and TRPV1 by BBR and EVO was assessed through Ca2+ mobilization assays. Finally, in vivo validation was conducted using U73122 to inhibit TAS2Rs and resiniferatoxin (RTX) to ablate TRPV1. BBR and EVO treatments significantly improved esophageal pathology in GERD rats and reduced BA-induced inflammation in HEECs. Additionally, BBR and EVO suppressed proinflammatory factors expression, upregulated barrier proteins such as E-cadherin and claudin-1, and inhibited the phosphorylation of p65, JNK, and ERK in the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways in both in vivo and in vitro models. Furthermore, BBR and EVO, whether individually or in combination, reduced dilated intercellular spaces (DIS), increased desmosome numbers, and modulated macrophage polarization in GERD rats. Knockdown of TAS2R38 and TRPV1 in HEECs notably diminished the stimulatory effects of BBR and EVO. Moreover, the regulation of barrier function and MAPK/NF-κB pathway proteins by BBR and EVO in BA-induced HEECs was abrogated upon TAS2R38 and TRPV1 knockdown. Similarly, U73122 and RTX reversed the effects of BBR and EVO on macrophage polarization and MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways in vivo. We firstly demonstrate that BBR and EVO alleviate GERD, with enhanced synergistic efficacy observed when used in combination. Mechanistically, BBR and EVO activate the TAS2R38 and TRPV1, respectively, leading to downregulation of phosphorylation in MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways and modulation of macrophage polarization. These findings offer a novel foundation for the clinical application of BBR and EVO in GERD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a novel strategy for fabricating the three-dimensional graphene-like nanosheets network (3D-GLNN) in a nickel (Ni) matrix composite through spark plasma sintering induced welding between graphene-like nanosheets grown on the surface of Ni foams. The in-situ constructed 3D interconnected GLNN architecture can significantly improve the load transfer capacity, thereby increasing the yield strength of the bulk composite. The crack bridging in the fracture process induced by the 3D-GLNN blocks the crack propagation during tensile deformation and results in significant strengthening and toughening. This study provides an innovative design idea (using the 3D-connected Ni foam as a template) to synergistically enhance the strength and strain-hardening capacity, thereby breaking the strength-ductility trade-off of graphene-reinforced metal matrix composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystalline quality and capping agent ratio are crucial to the electrical property of silver nanowires (AgNWs). In this paper, in order to achieve the high conductance, the crystalline quality of AgNWs was regulated by a comparative study of mediated ions Cu 2+ and Fe 3+ in polyol process, and the capping ratio of Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) on the surface of AgNWs was intensively adjusted. The proper addition of Fe 3+ ions was a more favorable route to achieve AgNWs with fine crystallinity and uniform dimension, and a monolayer PVP capping on AgNWs surface was finally obtained. The as-prepared AgNWs was applied to formulate a conductive ink and then conductive tracks were formed on polymeric substrate after a mild temperature treatment. A high electrical conductivity of 3.93 × 10 5  S/cm and an outstanding bending resistance were achieved for these tracks. Moreover, 20 wt% AgNWs was embedded into polypyrrole (PPy) as a filler to form a flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding thin film. The AgNWs could greatly improve the conductivity of PPy film, and correspondingly the shielding effectiveness (SE T ) of PPy/AgNWs was almost 3.57 times higher than that of pure PPy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Quaternized poly(vinyl alcohol) (q-PVA) was synthesized, and crosslinked by glutaraldehyde to reduce the swelling of the q-PVA in an aqueous solution. The structure of the q-PVA and its crosslinked membranes was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and water contact angle measurements. Pervaporation performance of the membranes was studied by the dehydration of 85wt% ethanol solution at 50°C. The introduction of quaternary ammonium groups enhanced the hydrophilicity and water permselectivity. The water permeability and permselectivity of the q-PVA membranes increased simultaneously with increasing degree of quaternization (DQ). The crosslinking caused a decrease in swelling and an increase in water permselectivity of the q-PVA membranes. The q-PVA membrane with DQ of 4.035% has a highest water permeability of 12.628gμmm−2 h−1 kPa−1, and the crosslinked q-PVA membrane with degree of crosslinking of 3.92% has a highest water permselectivity of 75. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]