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Sustainable development in mountainous areas is closely linked to human ecological well-being. The coordination of ecological conservation and economic development is an important issue that urgently requires exploration. This study, based on a re-examination of the relationship between ecological conservation and economic development, revises the coupling framework between ecosystem assets in mountainous areas and regional economic development. Utilizing county-level statistical data in conjunction with remote sensing data, the study employs the coupling coordination degree model to characterize the interactive relationship between mountainous ecosystem assets and regional economic development. Additionally, machine learning methods are integrated to measure the contributions of driving factors within different zones characterized by varying degrees of coupling and economic features. The study's findings indicate: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the coupling coordination relationship between EA (Ecological Assets) and RE (Regional Economy) in the Qinling has been continuously improving. The northeastern part of the Qinling is an area where the coupling coordination status is relatively poor. (2) Urbanization contributes the most to the coupling coordination system across different zones, but this marginal impact is continuously diminishing with the increase in the urbanization rate. (3) The tourism industry, under the condition of lower secondary industry development levels, has a weaker driving effect on economic development. Moderate development of light industry would be more conducive to the coupling coordination of ecosystem asset protection and economic development in mountainous areas. The research findings can provide scientific reference for the formulation of green development strategies in mountainous regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), a key member of the MMPs family, is involved in the modulation of endometrial inflammation and innate immunity. However, the role of MMP3 in bovine endometritis remains unknown. To investigate the role of MMP3 in bovine endometritis, endometrial MMP3 expression were determined in uterine biopsies from twenty 40–60 days postpartum dairy cows, which six were healthy cows and fourteen were endometritic cows. Moreover, MMP3 expression were also detected at different intensity of inflammatory response, which was induced by graded concentrations (0, 1, 5, 10 μg/ml) of LPS in bovine endometrial epithelial cells (BEECs) in vitro. RT-qPCR was used to test the mRNA levels of MMP3 in tissues or cells. Western blot was conducted to measure protein levels, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for TNF-α and IL-1β in cell supernatant. Results showed that MMP3 mRNA and protein levels significantly increased and positive correlative with severity of endometritis in vivo. Likewise, MMP3 expression also positive correlative with intensity of LPS inflammatory response in BEECs in vitro. These results indicate that increasing of MMP3 directly correlates with bovine endometritis, and its increasing may contribute to progression of bovine endometritis. • Gene and protein levels of MMP3 were up-regulated in bovine endometrium with endometritis. • Increasing of MMP3 were positive correlative with severity of bovine endometritis. • Elevated MMP3 was positive correlative with inflammatory intensity in bovine endometrial epithelial cells induced by LPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the antimicrobial susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from cases of subclinical bovine mastitis in China, as well as resistance mechanisms and virulence genes encoding adhesins and toxins. We determined antimicrobial susceptibility using the disk diffusion method, and analyzed resistance, adhesin, and toxin genes using PCR. We confirmed MRSA in 73 of 498 (14.7%) Staph. aureus isolates recovered from subclinical mastitic milk samples. All isolates were positive for mecA. The MRSA isolates showed high resistance to penicillin (100.0%), gentamicin (100.0%), and tetracycline (98.6%). All MRSA isolates harbored resistance genes blaZ (penicillin), aacA/aphD (gentamicin), and tetM (alone or in combination with tetK , tetracycline). Moreover, all isolates carried the adhesin genes fnbpA , clfA , clfB , cna , sdrE , and map/eap , and most carried sdrC (98.6%), sdrD (95.9%), bbp (94.5%), and ebpS (80.8%). The toxin genes seh , hla , and hld were present in all isolates, and most isolates carried sea (71.2%), seg (84.9%), sei (82.2%), lukE-lukD (97.3%), and hlg (72.6%). These findings of high-level resistance to antimicrobials commonly used in dairy cattle should lead to calls for antibiogram analysis before antimicrobial therapy. The high frequency of adhesin and toxin genes in MRSA indicates their potential virulence in bovine mastitis in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti-doped diamond-like carbon nanocomposite thin films with different Ti contents are prepared by closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Designed Ti target current increases from 0.3A to 1.0A. The effect of Ti content on microstructures and properties is investigated. The phases of nano-TiC and amorphous carbon are confirmed. The film (containing less than 50% sp3 C content) deposited with a Ti target current of 0.4A obtains the highest hardness of 44.6 GPa, which is rarely reported. Besides, the film with a Ti target current of 0.3A exhibits the lowest the friction coefficient of 0.02 and 99.10% reduction in wear rate compared with the untreated specimen due to its lubricating effect and the gradient multilayer structure. Moreover, the films have a high open-circuit corrosion potential, a low anodic current density and a wide passivation range, indicating its enhanced corrosion resistance. Most importantly, these inspiring results demonstrated that the excellent mechanical, tribological and anti-corrosion properties can be realized simultaneously by introducing the as-deposited films with the merits of high hardness, self-lubricating and chemical inertness. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China faces increasingly severe water stress from its limited, unevenly distributed water resources and rapid economic growth. Interregional trade of goods and services within China further leads to a redistribution of water resources through virtual water transfers. Such virtual transfers are subject to constant changes due to the temporal variabilities in driving factors such as production efficiency, consumption patterns and population. Here we use the most recent public data to measure the water footprints of 31 provincial-level regions in China and virtual water transfers among these regions in 2012. We find that virtual water transfer plays a significant role in regional water footprints and greatly changes the allocation of water resources towards regional consumptions. Already water-scarce north China regions benefit from virtual water transfer by outsourcing water-intensive products from other regions. However, the water-scarce Northwest China suffers from virtual water transfer by exporting water-intensive products. We suggest policy makers pay attention to demand-side measures to incentivize parties to improve water efficiency in their production and reduce the consumption of water-intensive goods. Policymaking should consider economic policy and water conservation policy together to alleviate regional water stress through virtual water transfers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel coupled region-to-region numerical procedure for electric field potential calculations. A conventional segregated scheme is also introduced to illustrate the coupling issues that exist in performance calculations in electrochemical devices. Numerical simulations are conducted for a solid oxide cell operating in both fuel cell and electrolysis modes. The cell performance is predicted with both segregated and coupled methods. A comparison between the coupled and segregated schemes shows that the former greatly outperforms the latter, reducing convergence times (from 5000 to 300 iterations) and improving stability. A smaller coupling coefficient contributes to the convergence as well, however, less markedly. The coupled region-to-region approach may readily be applied to numerous other scenarios, e.g., heat transfer problems between multiple phases and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from subclinical bovine mastitis cases in China. Enterococcus faecalis isolates were identified by 16S rRNA amplification and sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the disc diffusion method. Antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes were tested by PCR. Overall, E. faecalis was recovered from 81 of 1,787 (4.5%) mastitic milk samples. The isolates showed high resistance against tetracycline (87.7%) and erythromycin (79.0%). The most prevalent resistance genes found in the E. faecalis were tetK (96.3%), tetL (79.0%), and tetM (87.7%) for tetracycline and ermC (97.5%) for erythromycin. Moreover, gelE (70.4%), esp (85.2%), efaA (91.4%) were the most common virulence genes. This is the first report to characterize E. faecalis recovered from subclinical bovine mastitis cases in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining the density functional theory with the non-equilibrium Green's function, three kinds of polyporphyrin nanoribbons (PPNRs) with different edge configurations have been considered: 1) all carbocyclic eight-membered rings (C8-Rs) located in edge are broken (M1); 2) all C8-Rs located in edge are perfect (M2); 3) partial C8-Rs located in edge are broken, subject to two kinds of configurations, as illustrated by M3 and M4. Calculation results indicate that the completeness of the C8-Rs can influence the electronic structures and transport properties of the nanoribbons. M1 is a nonmagnetic indirect semiconductor, while M2 and M3 are magnetic metals, M4 behaves as the bipolar magnetic semiconductor. Moreover, the spin-dependent transport properties of the two-lead devices based on PPNRs show that the significant spin-filtering effect can be realized in the device with partially broken C8-Rs in edge. Our results indicate that the PPNRs based devices would be suitable for spintronics devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escherichia coli is the leading causative agent of bovine mastitis worldwide. Quinolone-resistant E. coli is becoming a potential threat to veterinary and public health. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of quinolone-resistant E. coli isolated from bovine mastitis cases in China. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates against 15 antimicrobial agents was determined by disc diffusion method. Phylogenetic grouping was detected by PCR. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing isolates were determined by double-disc synergy test. In addition, the plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) and β-lactamase-encoding genes, as well as mutations of quinolone resistance-determining regions in GyrA, GyrB, ParC, and ParE, were measured by PCR and DNA sequencing. Overall, 75 (22.9%) out of 328 E. coli isolates were confirmed as ciprofloxacin-resistant from 2,954 mastitic milk samples. Phylogenetic group analysis showed that the majority of these strains belonged to phylogenetic group A (57.3%) and group B1 (24.0%). All the resistant isolates were identified as multidrug resistant, showing high resistance to cephalosporins and non-β-lactams. Forty-nine (65.3%) of the quinolone-resistant isolates were positive for PMQR genes; aac-(6')-Ib-cr was the most common PMQR determinant detected in 33 (44.0%) isolates. Eighteen (24.0%), 4 (5.3%), 3 (4.0%), and 1 (1.3%) of the quinolone-resistant isolates were harboring oqxA/B, qepA4, qnrS, and qnrB2, respectively. Additionally, 55 (73.3%) of the quinolone-resistant E. coli isolates were found to be extended-spectrum β-lactamase producers. The preponderant β-lactamase-encoding gene, blaTEM, was detected in 44 (58.7%) isolates; blaCTX-M, blaCMY, and blaSHV were found in 35 (46.7%), 22 (29.3%), and 2 (2.7%) isolates, respectively. Moreover, the most frequently identified substitutions were S83L/D87N or S83L in GyrA, detected in all of the quinolone-resistant isolates. Meanwhile, 74 (98.7%), 33 (44.0%), and 6 (8.0%) of the isolates were carrying substitutions S80I in ParC, S458A in ParE, and S492N in GyrB, respectively. All 58 (77.3%) isolates with a high level of ciprofloxacin resistance (>32 µg/mL) carried single or double mutations in GyrA combined with single mutation in ParC. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the high occurrence of PMQR determinants and quinolone-determining resistant regions mutations in quinolone-resistant E. coli isolated from bovine mastitis in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Evaluated the spatio-temporal distribution of ecological risk under different scenarios on the QTP from 2000 to 2030. • Using the Sharpe ratio of future uncertainty to assess ecological risk. • Spatial heterogeneity in the ecosystem service values on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau under future scenarios. • Discussing the different impacts of uncertainty in integrated scenario-based risk assessment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. As one of the world's critical ecological regions – often called the "Third Pole" – the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) has outstanding ecosystem service values (ESV). However, its variable climate and fragile environmental conditions make it vulnerable to disturbance by human activities. Based on land use data from 2000, 2010, and 2020, we developed three simulated scenarios of land use distribution on the QTP: business as usual (BAU), farmland protection (FP), and ecological protection (EP). Finally, we employed the Sharpe Index to evaluate ecological risk across the QTP. The results showed that from 2000 to 2020, land use change was mainly in the form of conversion of grassland to unused land, totaling an area of 63,717 km2. The ecosystem service value showed an increasing trend, from US$752.6 billion to US$783.0 from 2010 to 2020. The simulation results from the three scenarios revealed significant differences. Farmland area shows a declining trend in both the EP and BAU scenarios, while exhibiting an increasing trend in the FP scenario. Forest area on the plateau experiences a decreasing trend in the EP and BAU scenarios, but shows an increase in the FP scenario, predominantly in the southeastern region, including Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. The ecological risk assessment results indicate that the eastern region has higher ecological risk compared to the western region, highlighting the western region as a priority area for risk control. The expansion of built-up land and unused land has had significant impacts on regional ecological risk. Integrating risk assessment outcomes with land use planning to identify focal areas can provide guidance for the sustainable development of this globally important ecoregion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Bai-Hu-Tang (BHT), a classical anti-febrile Chinese formula comprising of liquorice, anemarrhena rhizome, gypsum and rice, has been traditionally used to anti-febrile treatment and promote the production of body fluid to relieve thirst. In this paper, we aim to explore anti-febrile mechanism of BHT at protein level through analyzing alteration of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) both lipopolysaccharide (LPS) fever syndrome and that was treated with BHT in rabbits. Materials and methods Febrile model was induced by LPS injection ( i.v. ) in rabbits, and BHT (750 mg dry extract/kg body weight) was gavaged to another group of LPS fever rabbits. After sacrifice of animals, total protein of liver tissue was isolated, and two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC) - tandem mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) labeling analysis was employed to quantitatively identify differentially expressed proteins in two group animals, which were compared with control group. Then bioinformatic analysis of DEPs was conducted through hierarchical Clustering, Venn analysis, gene ontology (GO) annotation enrichment, and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathways enrichment. Result The results demonstrated there were 63 and 109 DEPs in LPS fever group and BHT-treated group, respectively. Enrichment analysis of GO annotations indicated that BHT mainly regulated expression of some extracellular structural proteins for response to stimulus and stress. KEGG analysis showed that ribosome and phagosome were the most significant pathways. Thereinto, several proteins in phagosome pathway were significantly up-regulated by BHT, including F-actin, coronin, Rac, and major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I), which work in phagocytosis and cross-presentation Conclusion BHT may contribute to pyrogen clearance by boosting antigenic phagocytosis, degradation, and cross presentation in the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the effects of N -acetylcysteine (NAC) on β-lactam antibacterial activity against 20 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from bovine mastitis. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined by the E-test method. The presence of 10 m M NAC reduced the MIC of penicillin, ampicillin, oxacillin, cefoxitin, ceftazidime, and cefotaxime to MRSA. Importantly, the MIC of cefoxitin in MRSA in the presence of NAC was lower than the susceptible breakpoint of cefoxitin. The results provide a new way to use current β-lactam antibiotics combined with NAC against MRSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The scarcity value of ecosystem services (ES) was evaluated on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) by linking supply and demand. • The spatial heterogeneities of ES scarcity value and its response to urbanization were identified. • The surging demand for public-good ES contributed to a significant increase in scarcity value. • There was a spatial consistency between ES scarcity value and economic conditions during urbanization. As a result of the land degradation it causes, rapid urbanization can severely impact the form and function of the natural environment. Because of the limited availability of natural capital and the ecosystem services they provide in many regions, fluctuations in supply and demand should rigorously considered in decision-making. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is a globally-important ecoregion that generates significant ecosystem services value. Focusing on the QTP, we calculated the value change in the supply of ecosystem services using a coefficient table and the change in demand based on population, GDP, and income elasticity. The impact of supply and demand on the scarcity value of ecosystem services (ESSV) was then compared across four representative scenarios. The results showed that the ESSV on the QTP rose considerably between 1990 and 2020, particularly between 2000 and 2010. Between 1990 and 2020, the public-goods services grew faster than private-goods services. The most important element impacting the ESSV was demand-driven scarcity. The level of urbanization gradually increased during 1990–2020, with a consistent distribution of high ESSV and high urbanization across the region. High-High types and Low-Low types had a significant aggregation effect, located primarily in the north and west of the QTP, respectively. The Low-High type was scattered along with the Low-Low type, indicating fragile ecological conditions that merit greater protection from land degradation. The degree of coupling reveals an increasing degree of synergy between ESSV and urbanization on the QTP, indicating potential for more synergistic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Zigzag/armchair Cr 2 C nanoribbons have intrinsic magnetic half-metallic behavior. • IV characteristics of arm_Cr 2 C shows obviously saturation effect and NDR. • Cr 2 C-porphyrin-Cr 2 C junction presents 100% spin polarization behavior. • Porphyrin molecule significantly reduces I α due to dramatic decrease of DOS. Edge states and interfacial design are important influencing factors for spin transport property modulation of nanoscale devices. Electronic structure and spin charge transmission path of both armchair/zigzag Cr 2 C nanoribbon and single-porphyrin molecular junctions with Cr 2 C nanoribbon electrodes are studied based on spin polarized density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's function method. The results show that both zigzag and armchair oriented Cr 2 C nanoribbons have intrinsic magnetic half-metallic behavior. Volt-ampere characteristics of zigzag Cr 2 C nanodevices are linear, and that of armchair Cr 2 C nanodevice shows obvious saturation effect and negative differential resistance effect (NDR). These two cases maintain both strong spin polarization current intensity and 100% spin filtering efficiency (SFE). In addition, the intercalation of porphyrin molecule significantly reduces electron accumulation near the Fermi level in case of armchair Cr 2 C nanodevice which retains 100% spin polarization behavior. This work expands a potential application of intrinsic magnetic two-dimensional materials in field of molecular spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Bai-Hu-Tang (BHT) has been traditionally used to clear heat and engender fluids. Aim of the study To reveal the alteration of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between lipopolysaccharide (LPS) febrile syndrome in rabbits and treatment with BHT which is a classical anti-febrile formula in traditional Chinese medicine. Materials and methods Febrile model was induced by LPS injection ( i.v. ) in rabbits, and BHT was gavaged to another group of febrile rabbits. After sacrifice of animals, total RNA of liver tissue was isolated, processed, and hybridized to rabbit cDNA microarrays obtained from Agilent Co. The data of DEGs were obtained by lazer scanning and analyzed with Cluster program 3.0. Then bioinformatic analysis of DEGs was conducted through gene ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. In addition, expression levels of four relative genes were detected by quantitative real time ployenzyme chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to validate the accuracy of microarrays. Result The results demonstrated that genes expression pattern could be clustered into three groups significantly, and there were 606 up-regulated genes and 859 down-regulated genes in the model group, and 106 up-regulated genes and 429 down-regulated genes in BHT treated group. There were 286 DEGs existed as the common in two experimental groups. Enrichment analysis of GO annotations indicated that DEGs in model and BHT treated animals mainly referred catalytic activity and oxidoreductase activity for metabolic processes located in the membrane system at intracellular part, and binding activities increased significantly in treatment with BHT. Enrichment of KEGG analysis showed that the pathways of phagosome and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum contained the most altered genes in the LPS group, but the percentage of phagosome pathway almost doubled in BHT group. Most DEGs involved in the LPS signal recognition system was up-regulated in LPS group, but partly decreased in BHT group. RT-PCR results of eight relative genes were consistent with the results of microarrays. Conclusion DEGs of LPS febrile syndrome mainly involved oxidoreductase and catalytic activity of the metabolic processes, and pathways of processing protein for pyrotoxin recognition; BHT mostly regulated the DEGs in the phagosome pathway to clear LPS in the liver, and partly interfered with gene expression in LPS recognition system. The study provided an important pioneering result on gene expression profiling research, and will facilitate the clinical care or further studies of the formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Bearing load identification method based on three section strain gauge is proposed. [•] It can reduce the modeling error, especially for the machines with irregular parts. [•] This method can be used to identify the specific bearing load. [•] It is suitable for entire shaft load distribution study with high fault tolerant. [•] The accuracy of the method depends on the strain gauge locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Bai-Hu-Tang (BHT) was traditionally used to reduce fever heat and promote generation of body fluids. Aim of the study: To investigate the effect and mechanism of BHT in the prevention of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) fever in manners of immune modulation. Materials and methods: The model of fever syndrome of Chinese medicine pattern was imitated by LPS injection i.v. in rabbits, and BHT was gavaged. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL-6, 10) and immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, and IgM) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were tested by biochemical methods. Liver tissue damage was detected by hematoxylin–eosin (H&E) stain. Subpopulation of T cells was detected by Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter (FACS). Genes expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) in liver tissue were assayed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Result: The results demonstrated that BHT prevented sudden increase of IL-10, TNF-α, ALT and AST, and liver damage induced by LPS. BHT also prevented significant decrease of the percentage of CD8+ T cells since LPS injection. At the same time, BHT did not affect the gene expression of TLR4 and serum concentration of three immunoglobulins, which were increased by LPS, but made gene expression of LBP higher. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that BHT played an important role in immunity protection and anti-injury through preventing immunoinflammatory damage by LPS. The achievement thereby scientifically provided mechanism of BHT in the prevention of febrile disease, and supported its traditional use. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Mn exposure increases host manganic bioaccumulation and β-Amyloid (Aβ) production in brain, and caused hippocampus degeneration and necrosis. • Mn exposure led to decreased gut bacteria richness. • Mn exposure changed the metabolism of tryptamine, taurodeoxycholic acid, β-hydroxypyruvic acid and urocanic acid. • Fecal microbiome transplantation from normal rats could alleviate neurotoxicity of Mn exposure by shaping the gut microbiota. Among all types of pollution, heavy metals are considered the greatest threat to human health, and heavy metals are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Manganese (Mn) exposure is well reported to exert neurotoxicity and various neurodegenerative disorders, but the mechanisms are not clear. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the bidirectional gut-brain axis that integrates the gut and central nervous system (CNS) activities. The changes in chemical signaling, metabolism and gut microbiota associated with Mn exposure have provided deeper insight into the neurotoxic mechanism of Mn. We observed that Mn exposure increases host manganic bioaccumulation, and β-amyloid (Aβ), receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3) and caspase-3 production in the brain, and causes hippocampal degeneration and necrosis. Mn exposure led to decreased gut bacterial richness, especially for Prevotellaceae , Fusobacteriaceae and Lactobacillaceae. In addition, Mn exposure altered the metabolism of tryptamine, taurodeoxycholic acid, β-hydroxypyruvic acid and urocanic acid. Meanwhile, we found correlations between the abundance of certain bacterial species and the level of tryptamine, taurodeoxycholic acid, β-hydroxypyruvic acid and urocanic acid. Fecal microbiome transplantation from normal rats could alleviate the neurotoxicity of Mn exposure by shaping the gut microbiota. Our findings highlight the role of gut dysbiosis-promoted neurotoxicity in Mn exposure and suggest a novel therapeutic strategy of remodeling the gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Annealed + aged Al 0.25 CoCrFeNi alloy shows high hydrogen embrittlement resistance. • High dislocation density and aggregated second phase help the initiation of HE crack. • Decreasing dislocation density and aging precipitation improve HE resistance of alloy. In this study, the influences of annealing and aging treatments on the hydrogen embrittlement (HE) behavior of the cryo-rolled Al 0.25 CoCrFeNi high entropy alloy (HEA) were investigated through tensile tests and electrochemical hydrogen charging experiments. The results found that the aged sample showed high strength but was more susceptible to HE. A trade-off between the strength and HE resistance was achieved in the annealed + aged sample. Electron backscatter diffraction analysis and fracture characteristics were performed to clarify the HE mechanism. The high dislocation density and aggregated second phase along the grain boundaries in the aged sample were the important factors to help the initiation of HE crack, and then increasing the HE susceptibility. The annealed + aged sample with low dislocation density and aging precipitation reduced the risk of hydrogen-induced cracking and resulting in the excellent HE resistance. This work offered the method to obtain a comprehensive improvement in the strength and HE resistance of this alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometritis is a prevalent reproductive disease in dairy cows, and is a superficial inflammation of the endometrium. S100 calcium-binding protein A4 (S100A4) is suggested to be implicated in the progression of inflammation. However, to our knowledge, no study has reported the changes of S100A4 during bovine endometritis. The objective of this study was to investigate S100A4 gene expression and protein levels in the uterus with endometritis in dairy cows. Vaginal mucus samples were collected for diagnosis of the severity degree of endometritis and the detection of S100A4 protein content. Blood samples and endometrial biopsies were collected and divided into the control (CN), mild endometrtis (M), and severe endometritis (S) groups according to the characteristics of the vaginal mucus type. The isolated bovine endometrial epithelial cells (BEECs) were challenged with E. coli (2 × 106 CFU/mL, 2 × 107 CFU/mL) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 3 and 10 μg/mL) as an inflammatory model. RT-qPCR was used to detect the gene expression levels of S100A4 and cytokines, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), in tissues or cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for S100A4 protein level detection in tissues, cells, cell supernatant, vaginal mucus, and serum samples. The results showed that S100A4 gene and protein levels decreased in bovine endometrium with endometritis and in E. coli - or LPS-stimulated BEECs. We failed to detect S100A4 in the cell supernatant, vaginal mucus, and serum samples. This study suggested that S100A4 is a pathogenesis-related protein of endometritis, and decreased expression of S100A4 may pave the way for the development of endometritis in dairy cows. • S100A4 was decreased in bovine endometrium with endometritis. • S100A4 was decreased in bovine endometrial epithelial cells challenged with E.coli or LPS. • S100A4 decreasing may play an important role in the development of bovine endometritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bai-Hu-Tang (BHT) is traditionally used to treat human and animal fever syndrome with four symptoms: large and vigorous pulse, large thirst, high sweat, and high heat. To investigate the mechanism of vasodilation regulation of Bai-Hu-Tang in primary vascular endothelial cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A hydrophilic concentrate of BHT was prepared, and the main components of mangiferin and timosaponin BⅡ were determined by HLPC analysis. The rabbit fever model was constructed by intravenous injection of LPS (15 μg/kg body weight), and BHT was gavaged to treat febrile rabbits. After treatment for 6 h, animal peripheral blood was collected, and serum was isolated for endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) assays. Rabbit vascular endothelial cells (RVECs) were isolated and stimulated with 1 μg/mL LPS, and then inflammatory cells were treated with 125 or 250 μg/mL BHT for 24 h. The supernatant cytokines TNF-ɑ, IL-1β, IL-6, and ET-1 were detected by ELISA kits. Gene expression levels of endothelin receptor type B (ET B receptor) were analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and protein expression levels of PI3K and Akt were detected by Western blot. A nitrite assay was used to measure intracellular nitric oxide (NO) production, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) was measured by the T-NOS colorimetric method. Animal experiments demonstrated that BHT significantly restored ET-1 and NO in animal peripheral blood, which were disordered in LPS-induced fever rabbits. Moreover, a cytotoxicity assay demonstrated that BHT ≤700 μg/mL is innoxious to RVECs. BHT significantly repressed cellular TNF-α, IL-1β, and ET-1, which were originally elevated by LPS in RVECs. Meanwhile, BHT elevated the gene expression level of the ET B receptor and promoted NOS and NO production in RVECs induced by LPS. BHT can inhibit excessive ET-1 secretion induced by LPS in vascular endothelial cells and activate the classic ET-1 signalling pathway to promote NO production, which may facilitate vasodilation of smooth muscle cells. [Display omitted] • Bai-Hu-Tang inhibits LPS inflammatory response in vascualar endothelial cells. • Bai-Hu-Tang inhibits excessive secretion of endthelin-1 induced by LPS in vascualar endothelial cells. • Bai-Hu-Tang activates classical ET-1 signaling pathway to promote NO production in vascualar endothelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mn exposure increases Aβ and Tau production in brain, and caused hippocampus degeneration and necrosis. • Mn exposure stimulates neurotoxicity by increasing inflammation either in peripheral blood and CNS. • Fecal microbiome transplantation from normal rats could alleviate neurotoxicity of Mn exposure. Manganese (Mn) exposure has been reported to cause neurodegenerative disorders. β-Amyloid (Aβ) induced Tau pathology in an NLRP3-dependent manner is at the heart of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the bidirectional gut-brain axis that integrates the gut and central nervous system (CNS) activities. In this study, we found that Mn exposure increases Aβ 1-40 and Tau production in brain, and causes hippocampal degeneration and necrosis. Meanwhile, Mn exposure can stimulate neurotoxicity by increasing inflammation either in peripheral blood and CNS. Importantly, we found that transplantation of gut microbiota from normal rats into Mn exposure rats reduced Aβ and Tau expression, and the cerebral expression of NLRP3 was downregulated, and the expression of neuroinflammatory factors was also downregulated. Therefore, improving the composition of gut microbiota in Mn exposure rats can attenuate neuroinflammation, which is considered as a novel therapeutic strategy for Mn exposure by remodelling the gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]