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Despite its low water solubility, esculetin (EC) have been described to demonstrate various health benefits. Thus, we sought to develop esculetin-loaded mixed micelles (EC-M) delivery system to purposively improve biological availability and anti-hyperglycemia activity of EC. Thin-film hydration method was employed to fabricate EC-M, amid characterization with transmission electron microscopic analysis (TEM), coupled with physical properties such as particle size (PS), poly-dispersity index (PDI), zeta-potential (ZP) and stability testing. We analyzed in-vitro release and studied EC-M pharmacokinetics in rats. The hyperglycemic mice model was established with streptozotocin (STZ) to evaluate anti-hyperglycemic activity of EC-M. The PS, PDI and ZP of EC-M were 47.97 ± 0.41 nm, 0.189 ± 0.005 and -25.55 ± 0.28 mV, respectively. The release rate of EC-M increased comparable to free EC in the three media. The oral biological availability and half-life of EC-M increased respectively by 3.06 and 1.45 folds compared to free EC. Besides, we observed 46.21% decrease in blood glucose of mice in EC-M group comparable to the model control, wherein, the anti-hyperglycemic effect of EC-M was better compared to free EC. Conclusively, EC-M may ideally serve as a novel approach to enhance biological availability and increased anti-hyperglycemic activity of EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis is a severe systemic inflammatory response induced by infection. Innate immunity recognizes pathogen components such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and mediates the polarization of immune cells and the release of cytokines. However, this process is also crucial for triggering sepsis and septic shock. To investigate the potential therapeutic function of 11H-indeno [1,2–b] quinoxalin-11-one oxime (IQ-1S) to sepsis, LPS plus d -galactosamine was used to establish a sepsis mouse model. Flow cytometry was performed to catalyze T cells and macrophages in mouse spleen. ELISA assay and qRT-PCR assay were performed to estimate the expression levels of cytokines and related genes including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, Nos2, Arg and Mrc. The protein levels of NF-κB, AP1, NF-Y, p-JNK2, JNK2, p-p38, p38, p-IκBα, IκBα, p-IKKβ and IKKβ were evaluated by Western blot assay. IQ-1S treatment significantly reduced mortality and lung inflammation in sepsis mice. IQ-1S treatment decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines in sepsis mice. Polarization of M1 macrophages was suppressed by IQ-1S in vitro. IQ-1S significantly inhibited the activation of the JNK signaling pathway and reduced the phosphorylation level of JNK2 in sepsis mice. IQ-1S protected the mice against LPS-induced sepsis through inhibiting JNK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fengyun-4A (FY-4A) meteorological satellite, a next-generation geostationary meteorological satellite, was launched on December 11, 2016. For instance, the Advanced Geosynchronous Radiation Imager (AGRI) aboard FY-4A (AGRI/FY-4A) takes full-disk images at a 15-min interval in 14 spectral bands with the 0.5–4-km resolution. Here we developed data assimilation system based on the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system in which the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) derived from FY-4A data were successfully assimilated for the first time. The capability to assimilate FY-4A Aerosol optical depth (AOD) with an hourly cycling configuration was then evaluated by a dust storm over East Asia during 12–14 May 2019. The analyses initialized Weather Research and Forecasting-Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model forecasts. The system is tested with FY-4 AOD, Himawari-8 AOD in experiments and then the results are compared to the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) AOD observations, which serving as the independent observations. The results indicated that assimilating FY-4 AOD substantially showed much better agreement with observations than those from the control. Furthermore, the Bias and RMSE generally reduced about 20% with forecast range. This study indicates that the aerosol data assimilation using data from FY-4A can be used to improve the performance of forecast model. • It is the first attempt to assimilate FY-4A AOD with a rapid-update DA system. • It was investigated for the dust storm occurred over East Asia on 12–14 May 2019. • General positive impacts were achieved from assimilating high-frequency data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Himawari-8, a next-generation geostationary meteorological satellite, is equipped with the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) that provides full-disk images of Earth every 10 min for 16 observation bands from visible to infrared. In this study, the capability to assimilate AHI Aerosol optical depth (AOD) has been developed within the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system with an hourly cycling configuration and application to a dust storm over East Asia during 5–7 May 2017. Analyses were produced hourly, and 24 h forecasts were produced every 6 h within the Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry model. It was found that the mean bias and root-mean-square error (RMSE) after data assimilation is obviously reduced (by about 30%) when compared to the control experiment which didn't assimilate any observations during the dust storm period, which verified the positive effects of AOD data assimilation systems. In addition, aerosol analyses and forecasts with AOD data assimilation were substantially improved when compared to independent AOD observations from AERONET sites. Therefore, the AOD data assimilation system developed here could be used as a tool to generate better dust storm forecasts. • It is the first attempt to assimilate AHI AOD with a rapid-update DA system. • It was investigated for the dust storm occurred over East Asia on 5–7 May 2017. • General positive impacts were achieved from assimilating high-frequency data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We compare ELP-VLP vaccine efficacy with two commercial PCV2 vaccines. • We demonstrate that ELP-VLP induces stronger VN antibody and IFN-γ responses. • We show that ELP-VLP is more effective against PCV2 infection. Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is an economically important swine pathogen and vaccination is the primary tool for the disease control. Previously, we developed a more cost-effective PCV2 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine by using ELPylation technology. In the present study, we compared the ELPylated VLP (ELP-VLP) PCV2 vaccine efficacy with commercial inactivated Yuanlijia vaccine and VLP-based Circoflex vaccine by experimental challenge. After one dose of vaccination with the three different vaccines, ELP-VLP vaccine group showed significantly (p < 0.05) stronger virus neutralizing antibody and interferon-γ responses than the two commercial vaccine groups. All vaccinated pigs showed significant (p < 0.05) improvement in average daily weight gain (ADWG) before challenge. After challenge with PCV2, however, only ELP-VLP-vaccinated pigs showed significant (p < 0.05) improvement in ADWG. All vaccinated pigs showed significant (p < 0.05) reductions in PCV2 loads in the blood, nasal secretion and lymph nodes, ELP-VLP-vaccinated pigs in particular. In addition, vaccination with ELP-VLP vaccine provided stronger protection against pulmonary and lymphoid pathologies than that with the two commercial vaccines. Therefore, ELP-VLP vaccine is more effective to control PCV2 infection than the two commercial vaccines based on clinical, immunological, virological and pathological evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In consideration of the nucleophilic capacity of thiophenols, which could cleave sulfonamide bond under neutral conditions, a cyclometalated iridium(III) complex (probe 1) comprised 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonamide (DNBS) as the recognition unit was designed and synthesized to high selectivity and sensitivity detect thiophenols successfully based on internal charge transfer (ICT) mechanism. Upon addition with thiophenols to 20% DMSO/PBS solution of nearly non-fluorescent probe 1 (10 μM, pH = 7.4), fluorescent product (complex 2) was formed after cleavage of DNBS group and a significant emission enhancement at 470 nm was observed. In addition, it could be successfully applied to detect thiophenol in water samples with a high recovery, confirming its practical value in environment science. Graphical abstract A cyclometalated iridium (III) complex comprised 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonamide (DNBS) as the recognition unit (probe 1) was synthesized and its fluorescent behaviors toward thiophenols in 20% DMSO/PBS solution and water samples were investigated systematically. The results demonstrated that probe 1 could serve as a sensitive and selective fluorescent probe to detect thiophenols and could not be disturbed by aliphatic thiols. Image 1 Highlights • A iridium (Ⅲ) complex probe comprised 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonamide as recognition unit was designed and synthesized. • Its detection behaviors toward thiophenols in 20% DMSO/PBS and water samples were investigated systematically. • The mechanisms of recognition of thiophenols had been discussed through 1H NMR spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most important swine diseases affecting pig industry worldwide. Sialoadehesin (Sn) and CD163 are the two specific receptors for PRRSV infection of porcine alveolar macrophages. Our previous study showed that the soluble Sn receptor Sn4D-Fc and soluble CD163 receptor SRCR59-Fc expressed by the two recombinant adenoviral (rAd) vectors have an additive anti-PRRSV effect in vitro . In the present study, rAd-Sn4D-Fc and rAd-SRCR59-Fc were inoculated into pigs, and the efficient expression of Sn4D-Fc and SRCR59-Fc proteins was detected by ELISA. Then, PRRSV-naïve pigs were inoculated with rAd-Sn4D-Fc and/or rAd-SRCR59-Fc before contagious infection with different PRRSV strains. Among the three rAd inoculation groups, simultaneous inoculation with the two rAd vectors provided the best protection against highly pathogenic JXA1 strain PRRSV, followed by rAd-SRCR59-Fc inoculation and rAd-Sn4D-Fc inoculation. Clinical observation and quantitative RT-PCR analyses showed that all of the double rAd-inoculated pigs (n = 9) survived from the contagious infection with highly pathogenic JXA1, JS07 or SH1705 strain PRRSV with significantly alleviated clinical scores, viremia, fecal viral emission and tissue virus loads. These data suggest that rAd-Sn4D-Fc and rAd-SRCR59-Fc can be developed further as the universal therapeutic vaccine to facilitate PRRSV eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]