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Multi-layer commingle production is a common development technique to improve the overall oil recovery of multi-layer reservoirs. However, this technique is mainly used at low water cut stage. Research on this technique at high water cut stage is comparatively few. Therefore, in order to improve productivity and recovery of wells, feasibility analysis of commingle production of multi-layer reservoirs in the high water cut stage is analyzed. To achieve a good commingle production result, the production layers must be optimized and inter-layer interference must be analyzed and reduced as much as possible. Factors, such as permeability, porosity, viscosity, capillary pressure, gravity, pressure difference, and water cut difference, have impact on commingle production. But it is difficult to consider all these factors. Therefore, according to the geological reservoir characteristics of X Oilfield, a model is established to simulate commingle production process, and the results are compared and analyzed. The interference degree is characterized by seepage resistance. The commingle production effect is evaluated by dimensionless oil increase coefficient, production index, and production index interference coefficient. The results show that the larger the difference of permeability ratio and water cut between multi-layers, the more severe the interlayer interference; dimensionless oil increase coefficients are all positive, it means that commingle production can achieve good oil increase effect even in the high water cut stage; the recommended technical limits for commingle production are that: permeability ratio is less than 5; commingle production timing is that water cut of low permeability layer is higher than 80%. This technique has been applied to X Oilfield, and the oil recovery increased about 2.8%, which confirmed this method feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophages play crucial and versatile roles in regulating tissue repair and regeneration upon injury. However, due to their complex compositional heterogeneity and functional plasticity, deciphering the nature of different macrophage subpopulations and unraveling their dynamics and precise roles during the repair process have been challenging. With its distinct advantages, zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as an invaluable model for studying macrophage development and functions, especially in tissue repair and regeneration, providing valuable insights into our understanding of macrophage biology in health and diseases. In this review, we present the current knowledge and challenges associated with the role of macrophages in tissue repair and regeneration, highlighting the significant contributions made by zebrafish studies. We discuss the unique advantages of the zebrafish model, including its genetic tools, imaging techniques, and regenerative capacities, which have greatly facilitated the investigation of macrophages in these processes. Additionally, we outline the potential of zebrafish research in addressing the remaining challenges and advancing our understanding of the intricate interplay between macrophages and tissue repair and regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we constructed a neural network proxy model (NNPM) to estimate the hydrodynamic resistance in the ship hull structure design process, which is based on the hydrodynamic load data obtained from both the potential flow method (PFM) and the viscous flow method (VFM). Here the PFM dataset is applied for the tuning, pre-training, and the VFM dataset is applied for the fine-training. By adopting the PFM and VFM datasets simultaneously, we aim to construct an NNPM to achieve the high-accuracy prediction on hydrodynamic load on ship hull structures exerted from the viscous flow, while ensuring a moderate data-acquiring workload. The high accuracy prediction on hydrodynamic loads and the relatively low dataset establishment cost of the NNPM developed demonstrated the effectiveness and feasibility of hybrid dataset based NNPM achieving a high precision prediction of hydrodynamic loads on ship hull structures. The successful construction of the high precision hydrodynamic prediction NNPM advances the artificial intelligence-assisted design (AIAD) technology for various marine structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metformin is among the most widely used antidiabetic drugs. Studies over the past few years have identified multiple novel molecular targets and pathways that metformin acts on to exert its beneficial effects in treating type 2 diabetes as well as other disorders involving dysregulated inflammation and redox homeostasis. In this mini-review, we discuss the latest cutting-edge research discoveries on novel molecular targets of metformin in glycemic control, cardiovascular protection, cancer intervention, anti-inflammation, antiaging, and weight control. Identification of these novel targets and pathways not only deepens our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which metformin exerts diverse beneficial biological effects, but also provides opportunities for developing new mechanistically based drugs for human diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to complex mesoscopic and the distinct macroscopic evolution characteristics of ice, especially for its brittle-to-ductile transition in dynamic response, it is still a challenging task to build an accurate ice constitutive model to predict ice loads during ship-ice collision. To address this, we incorporate the conventional multi-yield-surface plasticity model with the state-based peridynamics to simulate the stress and crack formation of ice under impact. Additionally, we take into account of the effects of inhomogeneous temperature distribution, strain rate, and pressure sensitivity. By doing so, we can successfully predict material failure of isotropic freshwater ice,iceberg ice, and columnar saline ice. Particularly, the proposed ice constitutive model is validated through several benchmark tests, and proved its applicability to model ice fragmentation under impacts, including drop tower tests and ballistic problems. Our results show that the proposed approach provides good computational performance to simulate ship-ice collision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Neurogenic bladder (NGB) is a serious complication after spinal cord injury (SCI), a destructive neurological disease. This study focused on exploring the efficacy of the magnetic stimulation of sacral nerve roots combined with Tui-na in treating NGB after SCI. Methods: One hundred patients with NGB after SCI were studied, and intermittent clean catheterization was performed with a water intake program, and patients were grouped into four groups by the random number table method: general treatment group, Tui-na group, magnetic stimulation group, and combined treatment group. A series of relevant factors (voiding diary, urodynamics, and quality of life scores) and clinical efficacy of patients in the four groups before and after treatment were observed. Results: The magnetic stimulation of sacral nerve roots alone, Tui-na alone, and the combination of both were all effective in improving bladder function and quality of life in patients with NGB after SCI, including improvements in voiding frequency, single urine output, maximum urine output, residual urine output, bladder volume and quality of life scores in patients with NGB after SCI. The efficacy of the magnetic stimulation of sacral nerve roots combined with Tui-na was better than that of the magnetic stimulation of sacral nerve roots alone and the Tui-na alone. Conclusion: This research demonstrates that the magnetic stimulation of sacral nerve roots combined with Tui-na treatment could effectively improve the urinary system and the quality of life of patients with NGB after SCI, which is worthy of clinical promotion and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coalbed methane (CBM) is primarily stored and transported through the pores in the coal matrix, making it essential to study the development of different scales of pores in coal to better understand the evaluation and exploration of CBM. In this study, four coal samples of varying ranks (Ro,max = 0.68%–2.86%) were selected, and different scale pores were obtained through low-pressure CO2 and Ar adsorption (LP-CO2/ArGA) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) experiments. A full-scale pore evaluation model was established, and the impact of pores on methane adsorption and restriction was analyzed and discussed through high-pressure adsorption experiments. Our results show that (1) at high pressures (> 100 MPa), the MIP technique caused pore compression and overestimated the pore size below 30 nm by up to 47.2%; (2) to obtain a comprehensive pore evaluation, we developed an accurate model that combines LP-CO2/ArGA with NLDFT and BJH and NLDFT models to determine micropore (0.3–1.5 nm) and mesopore (1.5–30 nm) parameters. By combining this model with MIP test results, we can obtain a full-scale pore size in the range of 0.3 nm–200 μm; (3) coal rank affected the development of full-scale pore characteristics. As coal rank increased, the specific surface area (SSA) of micropores and adsorption capacity of methane first decreased, then increased. Micropores were found to be the most important storage space for CBM and control gas adsorption, with a microporous SSA and PV to total SSA and total PV ratio of 97.93% and 63.69%, respectively. (4) We also observed a significant linear relationship between the fractal dimension of micropores and the Langmuir volume (VL) based on fractal theory. As the fractal dimension increased, VL also increased (R2 = 0.8581), indicating that VL is controlled by the complexity of micropores, which is consistent with the comprehensive evaluation index (Dt) and VL (R2 = 0.8744). Based on our predicted model, VL can be estimated using the SSA of micropores and Dt. Our findings shed light on the relationship between pore morphology and CBM occurrence and have practical implications for fields such as catalytic synthesis, E-CBM, and gas purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-performance electro-thermal heater needs not only excellent thermal conductivity but high electric conductivity with the aim of a lower operating voltage to generate heat continuously and effectively. The graphene-poly(vinyl alcohol) composite film with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) network structure had been fabricated which has outstanding electrical conductivity and electric heating ability. The influence of CNTs on the electrical conductivity and electro-thermal ability of the composite film materials was investigated by adjusting the ratio of CNTs to Gr. The results show that the Gr sheets and CNTs were successfully connected by chemical bonding using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The sheet resistivity of Gr/CNTs composite film decreases significantly with the improvement of CNTs content. Besides, the sheet resistivity of Gr/CNTs composite film decreases gradually with the bending times increase. The voltage of 7.0 V can generate a temperature of 143.7 °C, which is not only a human-safe voltage, but also within the support range of most portable power sources. Accordingly, the thin Gr/CNTs composite film supplies a new and simple method preparation of the flexible electro-thermal heater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to reduce cravings in heroin-dependent (HD) individuals, but the mechanisms underlying the anti-craving effects of rTMS are unknown. Abnormalities in the default mode network (DMN) are known to be consistent findings in HD individuals and are involved in cravings. We assessed the effect of rTMS on DMN activity and its relationship to the treatment response. Thirty HD individuals were included in this self-controlled study, and all HD participants received 10-Hz rTMS 7-session during a week. Data for cravings and withdrawal symptoms and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected before and after rTMS treatment. Thirty demographically matched healthy individuals who did not receive rTMS were included as controls. We focused on changes in coupling seeded from the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and bilateral inferior parietal lobe (IPL), which are the core regions of the DMN. The craving and withdrawal symptom score of HD individuals decreased significantly after rTMS treatment. The left IPL-left middle frontal gyrus coupling and the left IPL-right inferior occipital gyrus coupling decreased significantly, and the changes in the left IPL-left middle frontal gyrus coupling were positively correlated with changes in drug-cue induced cravings. rTMS could modulate the coupling between the DMN and executive control network (ECN). Alterations of the left IPL-left middle frontal gyrus coupling may play an important mechanistic role in reducing drug cue-induced cravings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploration and development of the dual-provenance lower assemblage of the Yanchang Formation in the Jiyuan area has progressed rapidly. At the intersection of this bidirectional provenance system, a complex and variable spatial combination of sand bodies formed, resulting in significant structural heterogeneity in the development and distribution of reservoirs. Based on previous studies, this paper combines core data and logging data with a large number of analytical tests and production performance data to carry out research on the Chang 82–Chang 9 reservoir group in the lower assemblage of the Yanchang Formation in the Shijiawan-Buziwan area. Based on the analysis of sedimentary conditions, the sand body development pattern at the intersection of the bidirectional sedimentary system in the study area was analysed by stepwise dissection of the sand body architecture. After the types and characteristics of the 4th- to 5th-level architectural elements were determined, the spatial distribution of the combinations of these elements was assessed and combined with logging discriminant analysis and geometric shape prediction methods to identify a 'prism' architectural distribution pattern. The architectural elements are connected with the distribution of diagenetic facies, the spatial distribution patterns of different types of diagenetic facies under the constraints of the architecture are summarized by region, and the locations of potential favourable reservoir development are discussed. The results show that the degree of superposition and combination of the eight skeletal architectural elements in the target layers gradually deteriorate from the bottom to the top. In addition, the development scale and degree of architectural elements in the braided river delta system in the west are better than those in the meandering river delta system in the east. In the different sedimentary areas, the spatial combination styles of the architectural elements are quite different, and the combination of these elements gradually changes from a combination of braided channels (FA1) and abandoned channels (FA2) to a combination of underwater distributary channels (FA4). Matching of the distribution of diagenetic facies with the distribution of architectural elements reveals that the diagenetic facies dominated by intergranular pores and dissolution pores (associated with good reservoir physical properties) are usually found at the bottom or in the lower to middle parts of the skeletal architectural elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupled motion of roll and pitch is noticeable when trimaran sails in oblique head waves, which will lead to negative influence on the safety and comfort of navigation. In this paper, the numerical simulation of the trimaran's motion in oblique waves was carried out by open source CFD tool OpenFOAM, and the computed motion response was analyzed to study the characteristics of the torsional rolling. The OpenFOAM-based hybrid method used in this paper was briefly introduced first, and the numerical method was validated and verified by both the grid convergence test and the comparison with experimental result. Both the amplitude and the time history of the computed motion are used for analysis, and the influence of wave steepness, wave heading and forward speed of trimaran on the characteristics of torsional rolling was investigated. The result shows that the large wave steepness and the low forward speed will lead to dangerous torsional rolling motion of trimaran in oblique waves, and the dangerous condition is mainly caused by nonlinear rolling motion; the motion state is more sensitive and changing obviously with other factors at large wave steepness wave conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible, transparent and conductive films (TCFs) were prepared with silver nanowires (AgNWs) and the conductivity was enhanced via tuning junction resistance between nanowires treated by different surfactants and encapsulated by poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). The results showed that the conductivity of AgNW TCFs was obviously enhanced after being immersed into surfactant solutions because the AgNWs would approach each other directly after dislocating away from polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and the junction resistance sharply decreased. Moreover, the transmittance of AgNW TCFs immersed into different surfactant solutions just decreased little because the halogen ions induced the formation of silver nanoparticles on the surface of AgNWs. Besides, the conductivity of AgNW TCFs encapsulated by PEDOT:PSS was also enhanced because the charges can transfer between PEDOT chains and AgNWs with the little decrease of optical transmittance. Graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed a rapidly growing interest in exploring the use of spiral sound carrying artificial orbital angular momentum (OAM), toward establishing a spiral-wave-based technology that is significantly more efficient in energy or information delivering than the ordinary plane wave technology. A major bottleneck of advancing this technology is the efficient excitation of far-field spiral waves in free space, which is a must in exploring the use of spiral waves for long-distance information transmission and particle manipulation. Here, we report a low-profile planar acoustic antenna to modulate wavefronts emitted from a near-field point source and achieve far-field spiral airborne sound carrying OAM. Using the holographic interferogram as a 2D modulated artificial acoustic impedance metasurface, we show the efficient conversion from the surface wave into the propagating spiral shape beam both numerically and experimentally. The vortex fields with spiral phases originate from the complex inter-modal interactions between cylindrical surface waves and a spatially-modulated impedance boundary condition. This antenna can open new routes to highly integrated spiral sound emitters that are critical for practical acoustic functional devices. Acoustic waves that carry orbital angular momentum are difficult to create and maintain at significant distances. Here, the authors present a planar metasurface antenna that enables vortex fields at longer distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water flooding effect evaluation is considered as the basic work to formulate comprehensive adjustment measures and improve the effectiveness of oilfield development. However, natural edge-bottom water energy is seldom considered in the conventional evaluation method. So, it cannot reflect the comprehensive effect of both natural edge-bottom water and injected water. Principal component analysis is a kind of multivariate statistical analysis method, which has been widely used in social science and other fields. Based on this method, the water flooding effect of 5 edge-bottom water reservoirs is comprehensively evaluated. First, 11 indicators are selected from four aspects, including natural edge-bottom water energy, production change, water injection development and utilization, energy maintenance and deficit compensation. Then, the selection of principal components is optimized. Based on the consideration of keeping as much information as possible to get more convincing results, three principal components are obtained. Finally, take five oilfields as examples to realize comprehensive evaluation. Results indicate that the natural energy of B oilfield is quite sufficient and water injection is timely in the later stage of development. So the water flooding effect is the best among five oilfields and the comprehensive principal component value is 1.434. That of A and C oilfields are 0.527 and 1.021, respectively, ranking 3 and 2. Although D oilfield has quite sufficient natural energy, water injection is not timely. So the water flooding effect is poor and the comprehensive principal component value is 0.259. That of E oilfield is − 3.241, indicating that it has the worst water flooding effect. The ranking results of five oilfields are consistent based on principal component analysis and Tong's chart, which are both B, C, A, D and E oilfield, verifying this method's feasibility and practicability. Additionally, compared with the single index, it can reflect the comprehensive water flooding effect of both natural edge-bottom water and injected water. Specific oilfield cases are evaluated by the proposed method, which help for better understanding its application potential for evaluating the water flooding effect of natural edge-bottom water reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on CFD method, the numerical method for the manoeuvre simulation of trimaran and asymmetric twin hull by OpenFOAM was applied in this paper. The grid independency test was carried out, and the computed result of turn and zigzag manoeuvres was compared with the result of self-propulsion experiment to validate the numerical method. Then, the numerical method was applied to simulate the turn and zigzag manoeuvres of both an actual trimaran and an actual asymmetric twin hull. By the manoeuvre simulation in calm water with hull attitude fixed and free, the effect of hull attitude on the manoeuvre of trimaran and asymmetric twin hull with different layouts and Froude number was discussed, and the importance of hull attitude for the numerical simulation of turn and zigzag manoeuvres was illustrated. The result shows that, the numerical method in this paper is valid for the manoeuvre simulation of trimaran and asymmetric twin hull, and it makes sense to take the hull attitude into account for the manoeuvre simulation of trimaran and asymmetric twin hull. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mine gas disaster prediction and prevention are based on gas content measurement, which results in initial stage loss when determining coal gas desorption contents in engineering applications. We propose a Bayesian probability statistical method in the coal gas desorption model on the basis of constrained prior information. First, we use a self-made coal sample gas desorption device to test initial stage gas desorption data of tectonic coal and undeformed coal. Second, we calculate the initial stage loss of different coal samples with the power exponential function parameters by using Bayesian probability statistics and least squares estimation. Results show that Bayesian probability statistics and least squares estimation can be used to obtain regression and desorption coefficients, thereby illustrating the Bayesian estimation method's validity and reliability. Given that the Bayesian probability method can apply prior information to constrain the model's posterior parameters, it provides results that are statistically significant in the initial stage loss of coal gas desorption by connecting observation data and prior information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphiphilic block nanoparticles PEO-AuNP-PS (polyethylene oxide-AuNP-polystyrene) were prepared using 'grafting-to' method and the multi-level nanostructure had been obtained by self-driven aggregation. The results show that Janus AuNP-PEO nanoparticles and PEO-AuNP-PS block nanoparticles had been successfully prepared via shielding method, respectively. The extinction peak has a red shift of 15 nm that suggests that AuNPs graft to PEO-SH single crystal. In addition, the multi-level aggregate of Janus nanoparticles was formed on the basis of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymer in selective solvents. It will provide an avenue for the self-aggregate of nanoparticles and the exploration of new materials and nano-composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the emergence of the Future Internet and the dawning of new IT models such as cloud computing, the usage of data centers (DC), and consequently their power consumption, increase dramatically. Besides the ecological impact, the energy consumption is a predominant criterion for DC providers since it determines the daily cost of their infrastructure. As a consequence, power management becomes one of the main challenges for DC infrastructures and more generally for large-scale-distributed systems. In this paper, we present the EpoCloud prototype, from hardware to middleware layers. This prototype aims at optimizing the energy consumption of mono-site Cloud DCs connected to the regular electrical grid and to renewable-energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tectonically deformed coal (TDC) develops because of the superimposed deformation and metamorphism of a coal seam by tectonic movements. The migration and accumulation of trace elements in TDC is largely in response to stress-strain conditions. To develop a law governing the migration and aggregation of sensitive elements and investigate the geological controls on TDC, coal samples from different deformation sequences were collected from the Haizi mine, in the Huaibei coalfield in Anhui Province, China, and the concentrations of 49 elements were determined by XRF and ICP-MS, and then microscopically analyzed. The results show that the distribution and morphology of minerals in coal is related to the deformation degree of TDC. The evolutionary process runs from orderly distribution of minerals in a weak brittle deformed coal to disordered distributions in ductile deformed coal. According to the elemental distribution characteristics in TDC, four types of element migration can be identified: stable, aggregate, declining, and undulate types, which are closely related to the deformation degree of TDC. Present data indicate that the overall distribution of rare earth elements (REE) does not change with metamorphism and deformation, but it shows obvious dynamic differentiation phenomena along with the deformation of TDC. Tectonic action after coal-formation, brittle or ductile deformation, and the metamorphic mechanism and its accompanying dynamic thermal effects are the main factors that influence the redistribution of elements in TDC. We conclude that tectonic movements provide the motivation and basis for the redistribution of elements and the paths and modes of element migration are controlled by brittle and ductile deformation metamorphic processes. The dynamic thermal effect has the most significant effect on coal metamorphism and tectonic-stress-accelerated element migration and accumulation. These factors then induce the tectonic-dynamic differentiation phenomenon of element migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesalamine (5-aminosalicylic acid, 5-ASA) is known to be the first-line medication for treatment of patients with ulcerative colitis. Studies have demonstrated that ulcerative colitis patients treated with 5-ASA have an overall decrease in the risk of developing colorectal carcinoma. However, the mechanisms underlying 5-ASA-mediated anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects are yet to be elucidated. Because peroxynitrite has been critically involved in inflammatory stress and carcinogenesis, this study was undertaken to investigate the effects of 5-ASA in peroxynitrite-induced DNA strand breaks, an important event leading to peroxynitrite-elicited cytotoxicity. Incubation of φX-174 plasmid DNA with the peroxynitrite generator 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1) led to the formation of both single- and double-stranded DNA breaks in a concentration-dependent manner. The presence of 5-ASA at 0.1 and 1.0 mM was found to significantly inhibit SIN-1-induced DNA strand breaks in a concentration-dependent manner. The consumption of oxygen induced by SIN-1 was found to not be affected by 5-ASA at 0.1-50 mM, indicating that 5-ASA at these concentrations is not involved in the auto-oxidation of SIN-1 to form peroxynitrite. It is observed that 5-ASA at 0.1-1 mM showed considerable inhibition of peroxynitrite-mediated luminol chemiluminescence in a dose-dependent fashion, suggesting that 5-ASA is able to directly scavenge the peroxynitrite. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in combination with spin-trapping experiments, using 5,5-dimethylpyrroline- N-oxide (DMPO) as spin trap resulting in the formation of DMPO-hydroxyl radical adduct from peroxynitrite, and 5-ASA only at higher concentration (1 mM) inhibited the hydroxyl radical adduct while shifting EPR spectra, indicating that 5-ASA at higher concentrations may generate a more stable free radical species rather than acting purely as a hydroxyl radical scavenger. Taken together, these studies demonstrate for the first time that 5-ASA can potently inhibit peroxynitrite-mediated DNA strand breakage, scavenge peroxynitrite, and affect peroxynitrite-mediated radical formation, which may be responsible, at least partially, for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statins are known clinically by their cholesterol reduction properties through the inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase. There is mounting evidence suggesting a protective role of statins in certain types of cancer, cardiac, and vascular disease through a mechanism that extends beyond their lipid lowering ability. The root mechanism of damage likely involves the inflammatory cascade, specifically compounds known as reactive oxygen species such as the hydroxyl radical. However, direct evidence for the hydroxyl-scavenging capacity of pravastatin and fluvastatin, two forms of statins being widely used to lower LDL cholesterol, is still lacking in literature. In this study, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy in combination with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO)-spin-trapping technique was utilized to determine the abilities of pravastatin and fluvastatin in scavenging hydroxyl radical generated from Fe(II) with HO system. In addition, we examined the effects of pravastatin and fluvastatin on oxidative-induced φX-174 RF I plasmid DNA damage. We have demonstrated here for the first time that pravastatin and fluvastatin at physiologically relevant concentrations significantly decreased formation of DMPO-OH adduct indicating that both compounds could directly scavenge hydroxyl radicals. However, pravastatin and fluvastatin were not able to directly protect against oxidative DNA plasmid damage. The hydroxyl radical sequestering ability of pravastatin and fluvastatin reported in this study may contribute to their beneficial use in certain types of cancer and in cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO) represents a family of flavoproteins that catalyze the two-electron reduction of quinones and their derivatives. In mammalian systems, there are two members of NQO, namely, NQO1 and NQO2. NQO1 utilizes NAD(P)H, whereas NQO2 employs dihydronicotinamide riboside (NRH) as the electron donors. In addition to the well-documented action in reducing quinone compounds and preventing the formation of reactive oxygen species, NQO enzymes, especially NQO1 also possess other important biological activities. These include anti-inflammatory effects, direct scavenging of superoxide anion radicals, and stabilization of p53 and other tumor suppressors. Recently, multiple studies in animal models demonstrated a potential role for NQO1 in protecting against cardiovascular injury and related conditions, including atherogenesis, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Functional gene polymorphisms have been identified in human NQO1 gene. Studies on the association between NQO1 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to disease development also suggested a possible involvement of NQO1 in human cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. This review is intended to summarize the recent development regarding the biochemical properties and molecular regulation of NQO1 and its potential beneficial role in cardiovascular diseases and related conditions, including metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method is reported to simultaneously measure the nonlinear absorption and refraction coefficients of materials using a nonlinear-imaging technique with a phase object. In this technique, the sign and magnitude of both the nonlinear absorption and refraction can be acquired conveniently from the analysis of three experiment images: the linear image, the nonlinear image and the image without sample. In order to validate our approach, we demonstrate this method for ZnSe at 532 nm where two-photon absorption is present and the nonlinear refractive index n 2 is negative. The values of β (nonlinear absorption coefficient) and n 2 we measured are very close to the values found in other literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxynitrite (ONOO−) is critically involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Reaction with glutathione (GSH) was proposed to be a major detoxification pathway of ONOO− in the biological system. This study was undertaken to determine if chemically elevated intracellular GSH affords protection against ONOO−-mediated toxicity in vascular cells. Incubation of aortic smooth muscle A10 cells with 3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione (D3T) led to a concentration- and time-dependent elevation of cellular GSH. Treatment of the cells with D3T also augmented protein and gene expression of γ-glutamylcysteine ligase. To examine the effects of D3T-induced GSH on ONOO−-mediated toxicity, we pretreated A10 cells with D3T and then exposed them to either authentic ONOO− or the ONOO− generator, 3-morpholinosydnonimine. We observed that D3T pretreatment of A10 cells resulted in a significant protection against ONOO− cytotoxicity. Conversely, depletion of cellular GSH by buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) caused a marked potentiation of ONOO− cytotoxicity. To further demonstrate the causal involvement of GSH induction in D3T cytoprotection, we cotreated A10 cells with BSO to abolish D3T-induced GSH elevation. BSO cotreatment was found to greatly reverse the protective effects of D3T on ONOO−-elicited cytotoxicity. Taken together, our results demonstrate that upregulating GSH biosynthesis by D3T results in a marked protection against ONOO−-induced toxicity in vascular cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) has been suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. One of the major metabolic transformation pathways of HNE involves conjugation with glutathione (GSH) catalyzed by GSH S-transferase (GST). In this study, we have characterized the induction of GSH and GST by 3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione (D3T) and the protective effects of the D3T-elevated cellular defenses on HNE-mediated toxicity in rat aortic smooth muscle A10 cells. Incubation of A10 cells with D3T resulted in a marked concentration-dependent induction of both GSH and GST. The induction of cellular GST by D3T also exhibited a time-dependent response. Pretreatment of A10 cells with D3T led to a dramatic decrease of HNE-induced cytotoxicity, as assessed by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay and scanning electron microscopy. Incubation of A10 cells with HNE for 0.5 h and 1 h resulted in a significant depletion of cellular GSH, which preceded the decrease of cell viability. To further demonstrate the involvement of GSH and GST in protecting against HNE-induced cytotoxicity, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) and sulfasalazine were used to inhibit cellular GSH biosynthesis and GST activity, respectively. Either depletion of GSH by BSO or inhibition of GST by sulfasalazine caused great potentiation of HNE-mediated cytotoxicity. Moreover, cotreatment of A10 cells with BSO was found to completely block the D3T-mediated GSH induction and to largely reverse the cytoprotective effects of D3T on HNE-induced toxicity. Taken together, this study demonstrates that D3T can induce both GSH and GST in aortic smooth muscle cells, and that the D3T-augmented cellular defenses afford a marked protection against HNE-induced vascular cell injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber has been successfully applied in transoceanic transmission, which is considered as a promising candidate for 100 Gbit/s and beyond 100 Gbit/s coherent long-haul terrestrial optical networks. Several theoretical and experimental investigations have been reported, including provincial terrestrial field trial. To support long-haul terrestrial application, it is urgent to prove that the ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber after terrestrial deployment can significantly enhance the performance of long-haul transmission over 1000 km compared with the conventional single mode fiber. In this paper, we extended our previous work and summarized design methods for complex terrestrial environment. To verify the fiber characteristics in long-haul terrestrial transmission, we installed the longest terrestrial ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber link in the world with a total length of 1539.6 km. The results show that the transmission performances of wavelength-division-multiplexed signals with per-channel data rates of 100 Gbit/s, 200 Gbit/s, and 400 Gbit/s over the ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber are all obviously improved, demonstrating that this fiber is more suitable for ultrahigh-speed long-haul terrestrial transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alterations of oxidative phosphorylation in tumour cells were originally believed to have a causative role in cancerous growth. More recently, mitochondria have again received attention with regards to neoplasia, largely because of their role in apoptosis and other aspects of tumour biology. The mitochondrial genome is particularly susceptible to mutations because of the high level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in this organelle, coupled with a low level of DNA repair. However, no detailed analysis of mitochondrial DNA in human tumours has yet been reported. In this study, we analysed the complete mtDNA genome of ten human colorectal cancer cell lines by sequencing and found mutations in seven (70%). The majority of mutations were transitions at purines, consistent with an ROS-related derivation. The mutations were somatic, and those evaluated occurred in the primary tumour from which the cell line was derived. Most of the mutations were homoplasmic, indicating that the mutant genome was dominant at the intracellular and intercellular levels. We showed that mitochondria can rapidly become homogeneous in colorectal cancer cells using cell fusions. These findings provide the first examples of homoplasmic mutations in the mtDNA of tumour cells and have potential implications for the abnormal metabolic and apoptotic processes in cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]