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We investigate the empirical relation between country governance quality and stock market liquidity, as well as information asymmetry, using a sample of non-U.S. stocks from 17 emerging markets listed on the NYSE between 2004 and 2019. We find that non-U.S. stocks from emerging markets with higher democracy quality tend to have narrower spreads and larger depth, suggesting improved liquidity. Higher autocracy levels, on the other hand, are associated with wider spreads and lower depth, indicating poorer liquidity. Additionally, stronger democracy and polity qualities are linked to reduced price impact, while heightened autocracy levels are associated with increased price impact and a higher probability of informed trading. Moreover, we show that changes in our liquidity and information asymmetry measures significantly relate to changes in the country governance index over time. Our results remain remarkably robust across regions and when using different measures of liquidity and information-based trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Given the escalating demand for care services, understanding the impact of informal caregiving, providing unpaid care for family members, on own health is essential. This study longitudinally analyzed the association of caregiving (and different caregiver types) with mental, physical, and self-rated health. Urban–rural, gender, and employment heterogeneity were further investigated. Method: Based on three-wave data (2011, 2013, and 2018) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we used growth curve models to assess the impact of informal caregiving (providing care to family members) and caregiver types (caregivers to grandchildren, parents, spouses, or multiple family members) on three health outcomes (depressive symptoms, self-rated health, and activities of daily living limitations). Results: Our study included 13,377 individuals. Results showed a negative correlation of caregiving with mental, physical, and self-rated health. Compared to noncaregivers, spousal caregivers and multiple caregivers were both associated with worsening mental, self-rated, and physical health. In contrast, adult child caregivers were only negatively associated with mental health, and grandparent caregiving did not significantly affect any health outcomes. Further heterogeneity analysis showed that gender did not moderate the relationship between caregiving and health, whereas the negative association between caregiving and health was more pronounced among the rural population and those employed in agriculture. Discussion: Findings from the present study suggest that caregiving is detrimental to health, and recommend considering caregiver type when examining caregiving and health. These findings have vital implications for policymakers in addressing the challenges of structuring and implementing a sustainable informal care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Films with low dielectric constants have broad prospective applications in microelectronic devices. In this study, octavinyloctasilasesquioxane (POSS) was grafted with fluorinated long carbon chains on its eight vertices by clicking reaction. The successful synthesis of fluorinated POSS (F-POSS) was confirmed by NMR, FT-IR, and XPS analyses. Then, the F-POSS/poly (arylene sulfide sulfone) (F-POSS/PASS) composite films were fabricated via solution casting. When 15 wt.% of F-POSS was added, the dielectric constant of the F-POSS/PASS film at 1 MHz decreased from 3.52 to 2.65, while the Tan δ value dropped from 1.18*10–2 to 9.32*10–3, respectively. The developed F-POSS/PASS film showed excellent hydrophobicity (water contact angle of 120.3°) which was attributed to the fluorinated long carbon chains. In addition, the optimized F-POSS/PASS film also exhibited good mechanical properties (tensile strength 66.87 MPa), promising thermal stability, and flame-retardant property. Given the above-mentioned excellent properties, the F-POSS/PASS composite films will have great potential in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have found a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk, but limited research evaluated the association of reallocating excessive sleep to other behavior with CKD. We included 104 538 participants from the nationwide cohort of the Risk Evaluation of Cancers in Chinese Diabetic Individuals: A Longitudinal Study, with self-reported time of daily-life behavior. Using isotemporal substitution models, we found that substituting 1 h of sleeping with sitting, walking, or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with a lower CKD prevalence. Leisure-time physical activity displacement was associated with a greater prevalence reduction than occupational physical activity in working population. In stratified analysis, a lower CKD prevalence related to substitution toward physical activity was found in long sleepers. More pronounced correlations were observed in long sleepers with diabetes than in those with prediabetes, and they benefited from other behavior substitutions toward a more active way. The U-shaped association between sleep duration and CKD prevalence implied the potential effects of insufficient and excessive sleep on the kidneys, in which the pernicious link with oversleep could be reversed by time reallocation to physical activity. The divergence in the predicted effect on CKD following time reallocation to behavior of different domains and intensities and in subpopulations with diverse metabolic statuses underlined the importance of optimizing sleeping patterns and adjusting integral behavioral composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive understanding of the terrestrial carbon sink is essential for proficient regional carbon management. However, previous studies predominantly relied on net ecosystem productivity (NEP) as an indicator of regional carbon sink, overlooking the impacts of carbon emissions from physical processes and carbon leakage associated with anthropogenic activities. In this study, net region productivity (NRP), a vital metric representing carbon sink dynamics in regional multi-landscape ecosystems, was employed to systematically analyze the patterns, trends, and causes of carbon sink in Ordos. The results revealed that spatially averaged NRP in Ordos was 70.334 g·m−2·a−1, indicating a carbon sink effect. The coefficient of variation of NRP was 68.035%, with a higher NRP in the southern region. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) predominantly controlled the spatial heterogeneity of NRP in Ordos, while precipitation emerged as the primary climatic factor influencing spatial differences in NRP. Regional variations in the impact of environmental factors on NRP were evident. In most areas, NRP showed a notable increasing trend influenced by various factors. Specifically, the simultaneous rise in NDVI and improvements in hydrothermal conditions contributed to the gradual elevation of NRP, each with varying degrees of influence across Ordos and its sub-regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyphenols are indispensable as the main antioxidant substances of Phyllanthus emblica. In this study, ultrasonic-assisted extraction of emblic leafflower fruit polyphenol was performed with ethanol, and a response surface method was used to optimize the extraction results and determine parameters for the best conditions. These parameters included a drying temperature of 80 °C emblic leafflower fruit pulp, 60% alcohol concentration, solid‒liquid ratio, ultrasonic extraction time of 24 min and ultrasound temperature of 45 °C. Under the experimental conditions, the yield of polyphenols obtained from P. emballiae was 10.40%, which was almost the same as the ideal prediction value (10.39%). The established regression model shows a good fitting degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on first-principle calculations using density functional theory, the effects of alternate substituting of Fe, Ru, Os, Co, and Ni on the magnetic properties of the silicone system were investigated, and the stability, charge density, electronic structure, and optical properties of the system were analyzed. The results show that all the substituting systems show subferromagnetic properties except for the Ru atom–substituting silicone system which shows magnetic quenching and exhibits paramagnetism. Within the current study, the substituting of Fe, Ru, Os, Co, and Ni atoms does not change the metallic properties of silicone. Comparing the four substituting atoms of Fe, Os, Co, and Ni, it is revealed that the magnetic moment of the Fe-, Os-, and Co-substituting silicone system is mainly provided by the dopant atoms, and the magnetic moment of the Ni-substituting system is not contributed by the Ni atoms, but by the Si atoms in the silicone that are not covalently bonded to the Ni atoms induced by the dopants. The possible reason for the paramagnetic properties of Ru atom–substituting silicone systems is the strong hybridization and resonance between the dopant Ru atom and Si atom orbitals, which leads to the formation of stable covalent bonds between Ru–Si and quenching of the orbital magnetic moment. The magnetic properties induced by the transition metal can enhance the light absorption intensity and have an effect on the photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the accuracy of cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screws placement guided by a spinous process clamp (SPC) guide. A total of 32 patients who received single-level midline lumbar fusion (MIDLF) surgery between June 2019 and January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into free-hand (FH) and SPC-guided groups according to the surgical approach. In the FH group, CBT screws was implanted with the assistance of fluoroscopy, while in the SPC group, CBT screws was implanted using the SPC navigator hardwire. A total of 128 screws were assessed in this study, with higher rates of clinically acceptable screw placement (grades A and B) and grade A screws in the SPC group than in the FH guide group (92.2% vs. 79.7%, P = 0.042 and 54.7% vs. 35.9%, P = 0.033, respectively). Misplacement screws (grades C, D, and E) occurred more often in the FH group than in the SPC guide group (20.3% vs. 7.8%, P = 0.042). The incidence of proximal facet joint violation (FJV) was higher in the FH group than in the SPC group (15.6% vs. 3.1%, P = 0.030). The radiation dose and time in the SPC guide group were comparable to those in the FH group (P = 0.063 and P = 0.078). The average operative time was significantly longer in the SPC guide group than in the FH group (267.8 ± 45.5 min vs. 210.9 ± 44.5 min, P = 0.001). Other clinical parameters, such as the average bone mineral density (BMD), intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative hospital stay, were not significantly different. Oswestry disability index (ODI) and back pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were significantly improved in both groups compared with preoperatively. SPC guided screw placement was more accurate than the fluoroscopy-assisted FH technique for single-level MIDLF at L4/5. Patients undergoing SPC-guided screw placement can achieve similar clinical outcomes as the fluoroscopy-assisted FH technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with precise designable structures are becoming popular semiconductor materials for photocatalytic applications. In this study, a hydrazone-linked COFs (TFPT-ODH) material was constructed from the reversible polycondensation of 2,4,6-tris(4-formylphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine with oxalohydrazide. Thanks to the bottom-up strategy, the as-prepared TFPT-ODH exhibited satisfactory crystallinity, high thermal and chemical stability. The benefit of the combined effects of narrow band gap and efficient separation of photogenerated carriers, the photofunctional TFPT-ODH further demonstrated outstanding photocatalytic activity, stability, and recyclability in the photocatalytic cyclization reactions of 2-isocyanodiaryl compounds with phenylhydrazine. The photocatalytic mechanism for the photocyclization approach to phenylphenanthridines was proposed based on experimental data and spectrum techniques. Our work also demonstrates application in developing COFs-based photocatalysts for the photocatalytic cyclization of bioactive PAHs derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) with highly ordered catalytic units have demonstrated potential in sustainable catalysis. A salen-based conjugated microporous polymer (CMP-Salen-Zn) was firstly synthesized by condensation polymerization of dialdehyde derivative of Salen-Zn and pyrrole. The resulting CMP-Salen-Zn with excellent thermal stability was fully accessed by a combination of spectroscopy techniques. The CMP-Salen-Zn exhibited a fair porosity with a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of up to 444.6 m2 g−1. The CMP-Salen-Zn also exhibited high CO2 uptakes with 59.5 mg g−1 at 273 K and 1 bar and an outstanding catalytic performance for cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxides. The catalytic systems feature atom economy, environmental friendliness, low catalyst loading and mild reaction conditions for the synthesis of a wide range of cyclic carbonates. Moreover, the catalytic system was found to be recycled up to eight times without significant loss of catalytic activity. The resulting CMP catalyst was also found to catalyze Knoevenagel condensation reaction between aromatic aldehyde and malononitrile in excellent conversion with environmentally friendly solvent. These results offered a promising strategy for screening the correlation between structural features and catalytic properties through the fine-tuning of active centers on CMP catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification and validation of bioactive small-molecule targets is a significant challenge in drug discovery. In recent years, various in-silico approaches have been proposed to expedite time- and resource-consuming experiments for target detection. Herein, we developed several chemogenomic models for target prediction based on multi-scale information of chemical structures and protein sequences. By combining the information of a compound with multiple protein targets together and putting these compound-target pairs into a well-established model, the scores to indicate whether there are interactions between compounds and targets can be derived, and thus a target prediction task can be completed by sorting the outputted scores. To improve the prediction performance, we constructed several chemogenomic models using multi-scale information of chemical structures and protein sequences, and the ensemble model with the best performance was used as our final model. The model was validated by various strategies and external datasets and the promising target prediction capability of the model, i.e., the fraction of known targets identified in the top-k (1 to 10) list of the potential target candidates suggested by the model, was confirmed. Compared with multiple state-of-art target prediction methods, our model showed equivalent or better predictive ability in terms of the top-k predictions. It is expected that our method can be utilized as a powerful computational tool to narrow down the potential targets for experimental testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we developed a convenient and efficient method via protonation of p-toluenesulfonic acid promoted cyclocondensation of o-phenylenediamine and aldehydes for selectively synthesizing 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles. This method displayed broad substrate adaptability and afforded the desired products in moderate to excellent yield in short reaction time. The effect of different substituents on the yield was investigated by extending optimum reaction conditions, which was further confirmed by theoretical calculations. It suggested that the surface electrostatic potential of oxygen atom and nitrogen atom on the substrates played important role in the synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles. Besides, the crystal structure of compound 2t in the orthorhombic space group P2(1)/c was presented. Also, the anti-mycolicibacterium smegmatis (MC2155) activity was evaluated using rifampicin as a positive control. The products (2a, 2b, 2c, 2i, 2j, 2k, 2m) showed good antibacterial activities which were comparable to rifampicin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension caused by a high-salt (HS) diet is one of the major causes of cardiovascular diseases. Underlining pathology includes oxidative stress and inflammation in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). This study investigates genistein's (Gen) role in HS-induced hypertension and the underlying molecular mechanism. We placed male Wistar rats on HS (8% NaCl) or normal salt diet (0.3% NaCl). Then, we injected bilateral PVN in rats with Gen, vehicle, or nicotinamide (NAM) for 4 weeks. Tail cuff was used weekly to assess the systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Cardiac hypertrophy was analyzed by heart weight/body weight ratio and wheat germ agglutinin staining. ELISA kits, Western blot, or dihydroethidium staining determined the levels of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers. Western blot measured protein levels of Sirt1, Ac-FOXO1, Nrf2, NQO-1, HO-1, and gp91phox. Our result showed that PVN infusion of Gen significantly reduced the increase of systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and MAP induced by an HS diet. Additionally, there was a decrease in cardiac hypertrophy and the levels of inflammatory cytokines in PVN and plasma. Meanwhile, PVN infusion of Gen notably inhibited the levels of oxidized glutathione and superoxide dismutase and improved the glutathione level and total antioxidant capacities and superoxide dismutase activities. It also decreased the level of reactive oxygen species and gp91phox expression in PVN. Furthermore, Gen infusion markedly increases the Sirt1, Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO-1 levels and decreases the Ac-FOXO1 level. However, PVN infusion of NAM could significantly block these changes induced by Gen in HS diet rats. Our results demonstrated that PVN infusion of Gen could inhibit the progression of hypertension induced by an HS diet by activating the Sirt1/Nrf2 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SMIFH2 is a small molecule inhibitor of the formin family of cytoskeletal regulators that was originally identified in a screen for suppression of actin polymerization induced by the mouse formin Diaphanous 1 (mDia1). Despite widespread use of this compound, it is unknown whether SMIFH2 inhibits all human formins. Additionally, the nature of protein/inhibitor interactions remains elusive. We assayed SMIFH2 against human formins representing six of the seven mammalian classes and found inhibitory activity against all formins tested. We synthesized a panel of SMIFH2 derivatives and found that, while many alterations disrupt SMIFH2 activity, substitution of an electron-donating methoxy group in place of the bromine along with halogenation of the furan ring increases potency by approximately five-fold. Similar to SMIFH2, the active derivatives are also pan-inhibitors for the formins tested. This result suggests that while potency can be improved, the goal of distinguishing between highly conserved FH2 domains may not be achievable using the SMIFH2 scaffold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal dysfunction is frequently driven by abnormalities of specific genes, microbiota, or microenvironmental factors, which usually differ across individuals, as do intestinal physiology and pathology. Therefore, it's necessary to develop personalized therapeutic strategies, which are currently limited by the lack of a simulated intestine model. The mature human intestinal mucosa is covered by a single layer of columnar epithelial cells that are derived from intestinal stem cells (ISCs). The complexity of the organ dramatically increases the difficulty of faithfully mimicking in vivo microenvironments. However, a simulated intestine model will serve as an indispensable foundation for personalized drug screening. In this article, we review the advantages and disadvantages of conventional 2-dimensional models, intestinal organoid models, and current microfluidic intestine-on-a-chip (IOAC) models. The main technological strategies are summarized, and an advanced microfluidic primary IOAC model is proposed for personalized intestinal medicine. In this model, primary ISCs and the microbiome are isolated from individuals and co-cultured in a multi-channel microfluidic chip to establish a microengineered intestine device. The device can faithfully simulate in vivo fluidic flow, peristalsis-like motions, host-microbe crosstalk, and multi-cell type interactions. Moreover, the ISCs can be genetically edited before seeding, and monitoring sensors and post-analysis abilities can also be incorporated into the device to achieve high-throughput and rapid pharmaceutical studies. We also discuss the potential future applications and challenges of the microfluidic platform. The development of cell biology, biomaterials, and tissue engineering will drive the advancement of the simulated intestine, making a significant contribution to personalized medicine in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of studies investigated the association between air pollution during pregnancy and the risk of eczema in offspring. However, no meta-analysis has confirmed the existence and size of their association to date. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases to select the observational controlled studies published from the inception date to October 16, 2021. Quality evaluation was guided by the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). Sensitivity analysis was applied to assess the impact of each included study on the combined effects, and publication bias was examined by Begg's tests and Egger's tests. A total of 12 articles involving 69,374 participants met our eligibility criteria. A significant association between the maternal exposure to NO2 (per 10 μg/m3 increased) and childhood eczema was observed, with a pooled risk estimate of 1.13 (95% CI: 1.06–1.19), but no association was observed between exposure to PM10, PM2.5, and SO2 and the risk of eczema in offspring. Besides, the effect of maternal NO2 exposure on childhood eczema was significant in the first and second trimesters, but not in the third trimester. There was notable variability in geographic location (p = 0.037) and air pollutant concentration (p = 0.031) based on meta-regression. Our findings indicated that prenatal exposure to NO2 was a risk factor for elevated risk of eczema in childhood, especially in the first and second trimesters. Further studies with larger sample sizes considering different constituents of air pollution and various exposure windows are needed to validate these associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, short rod-shaped and aerobic bacterial strain, designated as CFH 74456 T, was isolated from sediment of a hot spring, Tengchong, Yunnan Province, south-western China. Growth occurred at 20–53 ºC (optimum 45 ºC), pH 7.0–9.0 (optimum pH 8.0) and up to 2.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 0–1.0%, w/v). The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone 10 (Q-10). The major fatty acids (> 10%) were C17:1ω6c (17.9%) and summed feature 8 (38.6%). The polar lipid profile of strain CFH 74456 T was identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, three unidentified glycolipids and three unidentified polar lipids. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain CFH 74456 T belongs to the genus Qipengyuania, and was most closely related to Qipengyuania sediminis CGMCC 1.12928 T (95.7%). The draft genome size of the isolate was 2.29 Mb with G + C content of 68.5%. The amino acid identity, average nucleotide identity and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain CFH 74456 T and the closest relatives ranged from 67.0 to 67.9%, 73.0 to 74.2% and 18.2–19.3%, respectively. On the basis of phenotypic, phylogenetic and genotypic analyses, it is concluded that strain CFH 74456 T represents a new species of the genus Qipengyuania, for which the name Qipengyuania thermophila sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CFH 74456 T (= KCTC 62921 T = CCTCC AB 2018237 T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics are easily consumed by marine animals, thereby entering the food chain and endangering animal health. However, there are few studies focusing on the effects of microplastics in mangrove sediments on microbial communities. In order to study the influence of microplastics on microorganisms, microplastics and microorganisms were extracted from Zhanjiang (Guangdong Province, China) mangrove sediments and analyzed. The results showed that there were differences in Shannon and Simpson indices of the microbial community in microplastics (p < 0.05), and there were also differences between JG30_KF_CM45 and Natranaerovirga at the genus level, indicating that microplastics may affect the diversity and composition of microorganisms in sediments. In addition, FAPROTAX function prediction analysis showed that microplastics may affect the nitrification of microbial communities. The results from this study indicate that microplastics affected the diversity and richness of microorganisms in mangrove sediments, which provides an experimental basis for the relationship between microplastics and microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the association of soy intake with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in a Chinese population composed of 97,930 participants aged ≥ 40 years old without CVD at baseline in 2011. Habitual soy intake over a period of 12 months was evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire. All participants were classified into four groups based on their soy food consumption levels: < 15, 15–29, 30–59, and ≥ 60 g/day, with the lowest category as the reference group. Follow-up was conducted between 2014 and 2016 to assess CVD incidence and all-cause mortality since baseline, which was collected from the local mortality and disease registers of the National Disease Surveillance Point System and National Health Insurance System. The Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze the relationship of soy intake with later CVD events and all-cause mortality. Results: During 350,604 person-years of follow-up (median [interquartile range]: 3.16 [2.98, 4.77] years), 2523 total CVD events and 1473 all-cause mortalities were documented. After controlling for covariates, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for total CVD events across increasing soy intake levels were 1.03 (0.93–1.14); 0.96 (0.86–1.07); and 0.86 (0.75–0.98; p for trend = 0.0434), while those for all-cause mortality were 0.88 (0.77–1.02); 0.86 (0.74–1.00); and 0.83 (0.69–0.99; p for trend = 0.0084). Conclusion: High soy intake was associated with a reduced risk of total CVD events and all-cause mortality among a Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autosomal recessive microcephaly and chorioretinopathy (MCCRP) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by delayed psychomotor development, growth retardation with dwarfism, and ocular abnormalities, and its occurrence has been found to be closely related to variants of the gene encoding centrosomes. However, the association between centrosomal duplication defects and the etiology of microcephaly syndromes is poorly understood. It is well known that polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4) is a key regulator of centriole duplication, and the abnormalities of centrosomal function caused by its protein variation need to be further explored in the pathogenesis of microcephaly. In our study, we found that a patient with microcephaly and chorioretinopathy harbored compound heterozygous missense variants NM_014264.4: c.2221C > T (p.Gln741*) and NM_014264.4: c.2062 T > C (p.Tyr688His) in the PLK4 gene. Overexpression experiments of the variant PLK4 proteins then showed that the G741 variant rather than the T688H variant had lost centrosomal amplification ability, and the G741 variant but not the T688H variant induced centrosomal replication disorder, which further inhibited cell proliferation, cycle division and cytoskeleton morphology in HeLa cells. Moreover, the overexpression of the two variant proteins had inconsistent effects on the target protein PLK4 by western blot analysis, also indicating that T688H variant overexpression is not functionally equivalent to WT-PLK4 overexpression. Therefore, all data support the idea that the PLK4 mutation induces centriolar duplication disorder and reduces the efficiency of mitosis inducing cell death or cell proliferation in the etiology of microcephaly disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in response to injurious self and non-self-stimuli exerts detrimental effects on neurons, which may lead to cognitive impairment. Luteolin, a typical kind of natural flavonoid in honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, and Herba Schizonepetae, is widely recognized to be anti-inflammatory and antioxidant against peripheral inflammation. However, its protective effect against inflammation-induced cognitive impairment is currently unknown. In this paper, we investigated the relief potential of luteolin against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation and its possible anti-inflammatory mechanisms in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV2 microglia cells. In this study, luteolin ameliorated LPS-induced cognitive impairments, indicated by behavioral performance of neuroinflammatory model mice in Morris water maze tests. Protein analyses and histological examination also revealed protective effect of luteolin against neuronal damage, through inhibiting overproduction of inflammatory cytokines in both hippocampus and cortex of mice. We also observed luteolin in vitro significantly suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 β (IL-1β), and inflammatory mediators like nitric oxide. Taken together, these results demonstrated luteolin was effective in alleviating cognitive impairment and limited neuronal damage via inhibiting the release of inflammatory mediators, suggesting luteolin is potential for further therapeutic research of neuroinflammation-related neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term maternal salt intake induces the hypertension in offspring. Numerous studies have also indicated that high-salt diet causes the inflammation and an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) which increases the blood pressure and sympathetic activity. This study aimed to explore whether maternal salt intake induces hypertension in their male offspring by increasing the inflammation and changing the neurotransmitters balance in the paraventricular nucleus of offspring. This study includes two parts: Part I to explore the effect of high-salt diet on pregnant rats and the changes in inflammation and neurotransmitters in their male offspring PVN; Part II to reveal the influence on their offspring of bilateral PVN infusion of c-Src inhibitor dasatinib (DAS) in pregnant rats fed a high-salt diet. Maternal high-salt diet intake during copulation, pregnancy, and lactation impacted the offspring mean arterial pressure (MAP) and elevated the offspring PVN levels of p-Src, proinflammatory cytokines, and excitatory neurotransmitters. Bilateral PVN infusion of a c-Src inhibitor combined with maternal high-salt diets decreased MAP in the offspring. The infusion was also shown to suppress the Src-induced MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway (p38 MAPK, JNK, Erk1/2), which attenuates inflammatory reactions. Finally, bilateral PVN infusion of the Src inhibitor in pregnant rat with high-salt diets improved the levels of inhibitory neurotransmitters in offspring PVN, which restored the excitatory-inhibitory neurotransmitter balance in male offspring. High-salt diets increase sympathetic activity and blood pressure in adult offspring, probably by activating the c-Src/MAPKs/NF-κB signaling pathway-induced inflammation. Moreover, NF-κB disrupts the downstream excitatory-inhibitory neurotransmitter balance in the PVN of male offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small sample size (SSS) problems pose a tremendous challenge in modeling tasks due to insufficient training samples, especially in process industry where thousands of useless samples overwhelm very limited valuable samples, leading to deterioration on the prediction ability of trained models for key variables. In this study, the prediction ability to forecast models is enhanced by generating virtual samples. Considering the integrated effects of attributes, a new data augment approach, called ITNN-VSG, which integrates virtual sample generation (VSG) with input-training neural network (ITNN), was put forward to enlarge training datasets for improving the performance of forecasting models. In the absence of any available domain-specific knowledge about target models, a query-driven interpolation process was first developed to explore the overall tendency of data distribution in both sparse regions and dense regions. Second, an ITNN with fixed weights was used to calculate the input corresponding to the virtual output generated by the interpolation process. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, several in silico experiments were carried out on a benchmark dataset from sinc(x) function, followed by a real-world application to purified terephthalic acid (PTA) solvent system. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed approach outperformed other existing approaches such as mega-trend-diffusion and tree-based-trend-diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension, as one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, significantly affects human health. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and the E3-class prostanoid (EP3) receptor have previously been demonstrated to modulate blood pressure and hemodynamics in various animal models of hypertension. The PGE2-evoked pressor and biochemical responses can be blocked with the EP3 receptor antagonist, L-798106 (N-[(5-bromo-2methoxyphenyl)sulfonyl]-3-[2-(2-naphthalenylmethyl) phenyl]-2-propenamide). In the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), sympathetic excitation can be introduced by PGE2, which can activate EP3 receptors located in the PVN. In such a case, the central knockdown of EP3 receptor can be considered as a potential therapeutic modality for hypertension management. The present study examined the efficacy of the PVN infusion of L-798106, by performing experiments on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs). The rats were administered with chronic bilateral PVN infusion of L-798106 (10 μg/day) or the vehicle for 28 days. The results indicated that the SHRs had a higher mean arterial pressure (MAP), an increased Fra-like (Fra-LI) activity in the PVN, as well as a higher expression of gp91phox, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and proinflammatory cytokines in the PVN compared with the WKYs. Additionally, the expression of Cu/Zn-SOD in the PVN of the SHRs was reduced compared with the WKYs. The bilateral PVN infusion of L-798106 significantly reduced MAP, as well as plasma norepinephrine (NE) levels in the SHRs. It also inhibited Fra-LI activity and reduced the expression of gp91phox, proinflammatory cytokines, and MAPK, whereas it increased the expression of Cu/Zn-SOD in the PVN of SHRs. In addition, L-798106 restored the balance of the neurotransmitters in the PVN. On the whole, the findings of the present study demonstrate that the PVN blockade of EP3 receptor can ameliorate hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy partially by attenuating ROS and proinflammatory cytokines, and modulating neurotransmitters in the PVN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Pro)renin receptor (PRR) and Yes-associated protein (YAP) play an important role in cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of PRR–YAP pathway in the pathogenesis of DCM is also not clear. We hypothesized that PRR–YAP pathway may promote pathological injuries in DCM by triggering redox. Wistar rats and neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts were respectively used in vivo and in vitro studies. In order to observe the effects of PRR mediated YAP pathway on the pathogenesis of DCM, animal experiments were divided into 3 parts, including the evaluation the effects of PRR overexpression, PRR RNAi silencing and YAP RNAi silencing. Recombinant-adenoviruses-carried-PRR-gene (Ad-PRR), Ad-PRR-shRNA and lentivirus-carried-YAP-shRNA were constructed and the effects of PRR mediated YAP on the pathogenesis of DCM were evaluated. YAP specific inhibitor Verteporfin was also administrated in cardiac fibroblasts to explore the impact of PRR–YAP pathway on oxidative stress and myocardial fibrosis. The results displayed that PRR overexpression could enhance YAP expression but PRR RNAi silencing down-regulated its expression. Moreover, PRR overexpression could exacerbate oxidative stress and myocardial fibrosis in DCM, and these pathological changes could be rescued by YAP blockade. We concluded that PRR–YAP pathway plays a key role in the pathogenesis of DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The clinical characteristics of various adenovirus (ADV) infection are underexplored up till now. To investigate the risk factors, manifestation, current status of ADV species, treatment and prognosis of this disease. Methods: We performed a Pubmed and Embase systematic review for case report reporting the ADV infection to analyze the clinical characteristics of disease. Results: Initial database searched identified articles of which 168 (228 cases) were included in the final analysis. Previous solid organ transplantation [odds ratio (OR) = 3.45, 95% CI 1.31–9.08, P = 0.01], hematopoietic stem cell transplant (OR = 4.24, 95% CI 1.33–13.51, P = 0.01) and hematological malignancy (OR = 4.78, 95% CI 1.70–13.46, P = 0.01) were associated with increased risk of disseminated ADV infection. Use of corticosteroids (OR = 3.86, 95% CI 1.21–12.24, P = 0.02) was a significant risk factor for acquiring urinary tract infections. A total of six species (21 types) of ADV infection have been identified in 100/228 (43.9%) cases. ADV B was the most common species. ADV B species (26/60, 52.0% or 5/41, 12.2% P = 0.001) were more isolated in patients with ADV pneumonia. ADV C (13/15, 86.7% versus 35/86, 40.7% P = 0.001) species were more identified in patients with disseminated disease. The species associated with keratoconjunctivitis is only ADV D in our analysis. Urinary tract ADV infections were observed in ADV A/B/D species. Cidofovir (CDV) (82/228, 36.0%) remained the most commonly antiviral therapy in our cases, followed by ribavirin (15/228, 6.6%), ganciclovir (18/228, 7.9%), and brincidofovir (12/228, 5.3%). Brincidofovir was administered as salvage therapy in 10 cases. Death was reported in 81/228 (35.5%) patients. Mortality rate was higher among patients with gastrointestinal (GI) ADV infection (5/10, 50.0%), ADV pneumonia (20/45, 44.4%) and disseminated ADV infection (53/122, 43.4%). Conclusion: Previous solid organ transplantation, hematopoietic stem cell transplant and hematological malignancy were risk factors for disseminated ADV infection. Use of corticosteroids was significant for urinary tract ADV infection. Different species correlated with different clinical manifestations of infection. Mortality rate was higher among patients with GI disease, pneumonia and disseminated disease. Our review clarified the current treatment of ADV infections, and more treatment required further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The irradiation stability of a material in the temperature range from 300°C to 500°C represents an important step for a variety of nuclear applications. Here we used dual-beam irradiation to investigate the response of an amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) to extreme environments (temperature and irradiation). The amorphous SiOC was prepared in thin film form by sputtering and then fabricated into cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens, and finally irradiated with helium (He) and krypton (Kr) ions inside a TEM. In-situ TEM observations revealed that He bubble and void formation are highly suppressed after irradiation up to 95 dpa with simultaneous He implantation up to 231 at.%. Atomic pair-distribution functions suggested that the amorphous structures are almost the same before and after irradiation, and no crystallization, nor phase separation was detected. This study demonstrates the stability of amorphous SiOC under dual-beam irradiation at nuclear reactor operation temperatures, suggesting that this material is applicable as a structural material for advanced nuclear reactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel biochar was prepared by ball milling using bamboo as raw material. The aim of this study was to find a good alternative way to improve the potentials of biochar for ammonium adsorption from aqueous solution. The sorption performance of ball-milled bamboo biochar (BMBB) was compared with that of bamboo biochar (BB) using batch adsorption experiments. Different adsorption kinetics models proved that the pseudo-second order was the best kinetic model for explanation of the adsorption kinetics characteristics, indicative of the energetically heterogeneous solid surface of the biochar. The Langmuir model could fit the isothermal adsorption data of BMBB well. The maximum adsorption capacity of BMBB (22.9 mg g−1) was much higher than that of BB (7.0 mg g−1). This study offers a relatively cost-effective and efficient methodology for the improvement in the adsorption capacity of biochar for ammonium nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolic compounds are considered the main bioactive components in kiwifruit. In order to well understand the accumulation pattern of health-beneficial phenolics, and to obtain high-quality kiwifruits with health-promoting characteristics, the changes of physicochemical properties, phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacities, and inhibitory effects on digestive enzymes of "Donghong" kiwifruits during maturation were systematically investigated. Noticeable variations in physicochemical properties and phenolic profiles were observed throughout the maturation stages of "Donghong" kiwifruit. According to the HPLC analysis, phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acid, (−)-epicatechin, procyanidin B2, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, gallic acid, neochlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid, were found in "Donghong" kiwifruit, while chlorogenic acid was the most abundant phenolic compound. Considering the accumulation patterns of both total phenolics and soluble solids content, the optimum harvest time of kiwifruit with relatively high level of health-beneficial components was determined. Furthermore, "Donghong" kiwifruit exerted remarkable antioxidant capacities, and inhibitory effects on pancreatic lipase and α-glucosidase. Indeed, the Pearson's correlation showed that chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, (−)-epicatechin, and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside could be major contributors to the antioxidant activity and inhibitory effects on digestive enzymes. Results are beneficial for better understanding of the accumulation patterns of health-beneficial phenolic compounds, which can aid in the targeting of specific developmental stages with an optimal phenolic profile for the production of health-beneficial products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient strategy for synthesizing of 3-substituted bis-isoxazole ether bearing 2-chloro-3-pyridyl under microwave radiation was reported. The reactive regioselectivity was improved by changing mainly the solvent and acid-binding agent. 3-(2-Chloropyridin-3-yl)-5-(((3-substituted phenyl isoxazol-5-yl)methoxy)methyl)isoxazoles were synthesized in 31–92% yields and were characterized by FT-IR, HRMS, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The single crystal of 3-(2-chloropyridin-3-yl)-5-(((3-(p-tolyl)isoxazol-5-yl)methoxy)methyl)isoxazole was obtained, and the structure of compound has also been determined by X-ray diffraction technique. Weak intra- and intermolecular C–H∙∙∙O interactions and a C–H∙∙∙π interaction link molecules into a three-dimensional network. The results showed that the synthesized compounds belonged to triclinic system, and their regioselectivity depended on the solvent and acid-binding agent. The merits of this method include the environmentally friendly, efficient, simple operation, and higher regional selectivity. An efficient synthesis of 3-substituted bis-isoxazole ethers was developed via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction starting from 3-substituted phenyl-5-((prop-2-yn-1-yloxy))methyl)isoxazoles and (Z)-2-chloro-N-hydroxynicotinimidoyl chloride using NaHCO3 as an acid-binding agent in THF solvent-dissolved trace water under catalyst-free microwave-assisted conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and cellular Src (c-Src) are closely associated with inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress in hypertension, so we designed this study to explore the exact role of c-Src in the mechanism of action of the TLR4 signaling pathway in salt-induced hypertension. Salt-sensitive rats were given a high salt diet for 10 weeks to induce hypertension. This resulted in higher levels of TLR4, activated c-Src, pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and arterial pressure. Infusion of a TLR4 blocker into the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) decreased the activated c-Src, while microinjection of a c-Src inhibitor attenuated the PVN levels of nuclear factor-kappa B, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress. Our findings suggest that a long-term high-salt diet increases TLR4 expression in the PVN and this promotes the activation of c-Src, which upregulates the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and results in the overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, inhibiting central c-Src activity may be a new target for treating hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Budesonide is a glucocorticoid for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). The current study aims to develop a thermosensitive in situ and adhesive gel for rectal delivery of budesonide. HPMC K4M was selected as the adhesive agent based on the adhesive force and the effect on gel performance. The formulation of gel was optimized by using the central composite design-response surface methodology (CCD-RSM); a mathematical model was successfully developed to predict desired formulations as well as to analyze relationships between the amount of Pluronic F-127, Pluronic F-68, and HPMC K4M and the performances of gel. Based on CCD-RSM, a thermosensitive in situ and adhesive gel consisting of 0.002% budesonide, 0.74% HPMC, 4.87% F-68, and 19.0% F-127 was developed. Furthermore, the in vivo behavior of gel was evaluated in Sprague-Dawley rats. In comparison with budesonide solution, rectal administration of budesonide gel at 0.1 mg/kg in rats showed relative bioavailability of 230% with significant increase in rectum uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma is a rare primary malignancy of bone that is prone to early metastasis. Resection surgery and chemotherapeutic regimens are current standard treatments for osteosarcoma. However, the long-term survival rate of patients with osteosarcoma is low due to a high risk of metastasis. Hence, a new approach is urgently needed to improve the treatment of osteosarcoma. Compared with chemotherapy, natural active constituents isolated from herbs exhibit less adverse effects and better anti-tumor effects. This study aimed to summarize the anticancer effects of constituents of herbs on the progression and metastasis of osteosarcoma cells. It showed that many constituents of herbs inhibited osteosarcoma by targeting proliferation, matrix metalloproteinases, integrin and cadherin, and angiogenesis. The findings might be beneficial for the development of new drugs and treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ventura Thrust system in California is capable of producing large magnitude earthquakes. Geological studies suggest that the fault geometry is complex, composed of multiple segments at different dips: thrust ramps dipping 30°–50° linked with bed-parallel décollements dipping < 10°. These latter types of gently dipping faults form due to preexisting weaknesses in the crust, and therefore have different frictional parameters from thrust ramps; the faults also experience different stresses because of how stresses are resolved onto the fault planes. Here, we use a two-dimensional fault model to assess how geometry and frictional properties of the ramp/décollement system should affect the seismic cycle. We test velocity-strengthening, velocity-weakening, and conditionally stable décollements, and in addition explore how the dip angle of the décollement changes the earthquake behavior. A velocity-strengthening décollement cannot replicate the through-going earthquake ruptures that have been inferred for the Ventura fault system. We therefore suggest that this and other décollements may be better represented using a velocity-weakening or conditionally stable response. Our results show that minor variations in fault geometry produce slip amounts and recurrence intervals that differ only by 10–20%, but do not fundamentally alter the types of earthquakes and interseismic slip. We conclude that geological constraints on fault geometry are typically sufficient to produce modeled earthquake sequences that are statistically consistent with paleoseismic records. However, both frictional parameters along the fault and effective normal stress influence earthquake rupture patterns significantly. More research is needed to adequately constrain these quantities in order for earthquake rupture models to work as effective predictors of fault behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong, ductile, and irradiation-tolerant structural materials are in urgent demand for improving the safety and efficiency of advanced nuclear reactors. Amorphous ceramics could be promising candidates for high irradiation tolerance due to thermal stability and lack of crystal defects. However, they are very brittle due to plastic flow instability. Here, we realized enhanced plasticity of amorphous ceramics through compositional and microstructural engineering. Two metal–amorphous ceramic composites, Fe-SiOC and Cu-SiOC, were fabricated by magnetron sputtering. Iron atoms are preferred to form uniformly distributed nano-sized Fe-rich amorphous clusters, while copper atoms grow non-uniformly distributed nano-crystalline Cu particles. The Fe-SiOC composite exhibits high strength and plasticity associated with strain hardening, as well as a good thermal stability and irradiation tolerance. In contrast, the Cu-SiOC composite displays a very low plasticity and poor thermal stability. These findings suggest that the metal constituents play a crucial role in developing microstructure and determining properties of metal–amorphous composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work deals with quantitative analysis of multicomponent mud logging gas based on infrared spectra. An accurate analysis method is proposed by combining a genetic algorithm (GA) and a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN). The GA is used to screen the infrared spectrum of the mixed gas, while the selected spectral region is used as the input of the RBFNN to establish a calibration model to quantitatively analyze the components of logging gas. The analysis results demonstrate that the proposed GA-RBFNN performs better than FS-RBFNN and ES-RBFNN, and our proposed method is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supercapacitors based on transition metals oxides (TMOs) have recently attracted immerse attentions in lightweight and durable energy-storage devices. Noted that poor conductivity is a major problem for the TMOs active materials, such as CuO. Herein, vertically-aligned CuO nanowire arrays@poly (3,4 ethylenedioxythiopene)/poly (styrene-4-sulfonate) (CuO NWAs@PEDOT:PSS) were synthesized in situ on Cu foam through a facile wet-chemical approach combined with immersion method. The PEDOT:PSS layer provides the electron transport paths to maximize the charge storage (the capacitance) and contributes to the additional pseudocapacitance, as well as alleviates the exfoliation and dissolution of CuO NWAs during the charge storage process. The prepared CuO NWAs@PEDOT:PSS composite electrodes exhibit a higher areal capacitance (907.5 mF/cm2 at 3 mA/cm2), which is about 2.5 times of the pure CuO NWAs electrode, together with a longer cycle life span. The enhanced electrochemical performances originate from the unique structure design of double conductive layer with the top conductive polymer and the bottom metal foam for CuO NWAs active material. This effective approach is of great significance for portable energy-storage devices based on TMO materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a thorough analysis of the storage structure of hive files and then proposes a new method for processing hive files independently of the Windows registry API and for achieving direct access. The method has the advantages of high priority and of preserving the computing environment. In particular, it is suitable for occasions when the hive files of the target operating system cannot be copied or directly loaded. This paper also presents a set of algorithms for key operations associated with hive files such as access, deletion, creation, and expansion. These operations are designed to be independent of the Windows API. Third-party developers can develop other specialized applications on the basis of this set of algorithms. A complete hivedit program to carry out the operations described above has been implemented. This program can be executed before loading the operating system with the assistance of the ECM-XDP3 emulator, and the correctness of all the algorithms has been verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bainong male sterile (BNS) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a thermo-sensitive genic male sterile line with excellent sterility and self-restoration. We focused on transcriptional profiles of differentially expressed probes between BNS sterile and fertile anthers. Anthers, rachis and spikes from sterile line and fertile line were collected. Extracted RNA was assayed using wheat expression microarray and Gene Ontology was analyzed using Cytoscape with ClueGO. An indole (indole-3-acetic acid: IAA) metabolism pathway sub-network was almost formed in all differentially expressed profiles between sterile and fertile samples. IAA sub-network contained four nodes of indole and alkaloid metabolism connecting main network via indole compounds. This sub-network was absent in rachis and intact in transformed fertile anthers, which was the main differently expressed metabolism pathway in F1 anthers with restorer genes. Alkaloid metabolism was absent in sterile anthers. Abnormal metabolism of IAA may be involved in BNS sterility. BNS transformation may be regulated by the production of IAA and alkaloid metabolism pathway, which favor the safe utilization of the sterile line in hybrid wheat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metformin (MET), an antidiabetic agent, also has antioxidative effects in metabolic-related hypertension. This study was designed to determine whether MET has anti-hypertensive effects in salt-sensitive hypertensive rats by inhibiting oxidative stress in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Salt-sensitive rats received a high-salt (HS) diet to induce hypertension, or a normal-salt (NS) diet as control. At the same time, they received intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of MET or vehicle for 6 weeks. We found that HS rats had higher oxidative stress levels and mean arterial pressure (MAP) than NS rats. ICV infusion of MET attenuated MAP and reduced plasma norepinephrine levels in HS rats. It also decreased reactive oxygen species and the expression of subunits of NAD(P)H oxidase, improved the superoxide dismutase activity, reduced components of the renin-angiotensin system, and altered neurotransmitters in the PVN. Our findings suggest that central MET administration lowers MAP in salt-sensitive hypertension via attenuating oxidative stress, inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system, and restoring the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the PVN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) is an important biologically-active peptide of the renin-angiotensin system. This study was designed to determine whether inhibition of Ang-(1-7) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) attenuates sympathetic activity and elevates blood pressure by modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines (PICs) and oxidative stress in the PVN in salt-induced hypertension. Rats were fed either a high-salt (8% NaCl) or a normal salt diet (0.3% NaCl) for 10 weeks, followed by bilateral microinjections of the Ang-(1-7) antagonist A-779 or vehicle into the PVN. We found that the mean arterial pressure (MAP), renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), and plasma norepinephrine (NE) were significantly increased in salt-induced hypertensive rats. The high-salt diet also resulted in higher levels of the PICs interleukin-6, interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1, as well as higher gp91phox expression and superoxide production in the PVN. Microinjection of A-779 (3 nmol/50 nL) into the bilateral PVN of hypertensive rats not only attenuated MAP, RSNA, and NE, but also decreased the PICs and oxidative stress in the PVN. These results suggest that the increased MAP and sympathetic activity in salt-induced hypertension can be suppressed by blockade of endogenous Ang-(1-7) in the PVN, through modulation of PICs and oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A photoactive difluoroborate-based conjugated organic polymer (B-COP) with A3B2-type donor-acceptor arrays in the polymer framework was synthesized by direct polycondensation and exhibited amorphous structure, high thermal and photophysical stability. The B-COP was shown to be a highly efficient heterogeneous photocatalyst for a wide range of photocatalytic transformations, including the oxidative coupling of primary amine and cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions between tetrahydroisoquinolines and nucleophiles such as nitromethane, nitroethane, acetone and phenylethyl ketone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel covalent organic polymer (Salen-COP) based on Salen-type Schiff base was synthesized by one-pot protocol involving the self-condensation of 3-formyl-4-hydroxyphenylboronic acid and the subsequent aldehyde-amine condensation with benzene-1,2-diamine. The Salen-COP was characterized by 13C CP/MAS NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction spectrometry analysis. The morphological features of Salen-COP were also analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The Salen-COP exhibited the significant fluorescence enhancing for the sensing of Al3+, while the obtained polymer also exhibited the dramatic fluorescence quenching for the sensing of Fe3+ and Cu2+. The detection limits were calculated to be 0.248 µM for Salen-COP@Al3+, 0.545 µM for Salen-COP@Fe3+ and 0.140 µM for Salen-COP@Cu2+, respectively. Furthermore, the Salen-COP was founded to be a reversible chemosensor for Al3+, Fe3+ and Cu2+ ions, which provided a unique opportunity in the development of multi-response polymer-based sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple one-pot non-isocyanate route for synthesizing thermoplastic polyureas is presented. In situ urethanization was conducted from the ring-opening reaction of ethylene carbonate with poly(propylene glycol) bis(2-aminopropyl ether) and hexanediamine, m-xylylenediamine, or diethylene glycol bis(3-aminopropyl) ether at 100 °C for 6 h under normal pressure. Melt transurethane polycondensation was successively conducted at 170 °C under a reduced pressure of 399 Pa for different time periods. A series of nonisocyanate thermoplastic polyureas (NI-TPUreas) were prepared. The NI-TPUreas were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, FTIR, 1H-NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and tensile test. NI-TPUreas exhibited Mn of up to 1.67 × 104 g/mol, initial decomposition temperature over 290 °C, and tensile strength of up to 32 MPa. Several crystallizable NI-TPUreas exhibited Tm exceeding 98 °C. NI-TPUreas with good thermal and mechanical properties were prepared through a green and simple one-pot non-isocyanate route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A triphenylamine-functionalized A3B2-type covalent organic polymer (TPA-COP) was synthesized by the palladium-catalyzed Sonogashira polycondensation reaction from tris(4-ethynylphenyl)amine and 4-bromo-N-(4-bromo-2-methoxybenzylidene)-2-methoxyaniline. The obtained polymer possessing amorphous structure and good thermal stability exhibited strong yellow-green luminescence with an emission band at 498 nm. It is worth noting that the polymer also shows selective turn-on fluorescence response to Fe3+ ion over a variety of other competing metal ions such as Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Ba2+, Mn2+, Cr3+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Al3+. The fluorescent detection limit of TPA-COP sensor for Fe3+ in solution was 4.3 × 10−7 M. Furthermore, the proposed sensing mechanism should result from complexation between tridentate-coordinated Schiff base sites and Fe3+ ion, which was further investigated by fluorescence titration, 1H NMR and IR measures, together with fluorescence lifetime analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Few prospective clinical trials have investigated the role of fasting blood glucose (FBG) and/or postprandial glucose (PPG) in assessing overall glycemic control by using different insulin regimens. In the present post hoc analysis, we assessed the contribution of FBG and/or PPG in overall glycemic control in Chinese patients under insulin treatment.Methods: CLASSIFY is a phase IV, randomized, open-label, 26-week, parallel-arm, treat-to-target, multinational, controlled study in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus to compare the efficacy and safety of insulin lispro mix 25 (LM25) and insulin lispro mix 50 (LM50) as starter insulins. Insulin was titrated with an aim to target pre-meal blood glucose (BG) levels at > 3.9 and ≤ 6.1 mmol/L before breakfast and dinner. The primary outcome assessed was the change in HbA1c from baseline.Results: Chinese patients contributed 38.7% (N = 156) of the total population. The majority of patients were male (52.6%). The mean (SD) body mass index was 24.54 (3.04) kg/m2 and mean (SD) HbA1c was 8.54 (1.10) % at baseline. At week 26, LM50 showed a significantly greater reduction from baseline in HbA1c (− 2.03% vs − 1.55%, P < 0.001), average daily BG (− 3.21 vs − 2.34 mmol/L, P < 0.001), average post-meal BG (− 3.58 vs − 2.39 mmol/L, P < 0.001), and average prandial BG excursion (− 1.01 vs − 0.22 mmol/L, P = 0.006) than the LM25 group. The reductions in average pre-meal BG (− 2.59 vs − 2.28 mmol/L, P = 0.137) were not significantly different between the groups. The proportion of patients achieving HbA1c targets (< 7% or ≤ 6.5%) without nocturnal hypoglycemia or weight gain was greater (P < 0.05) with LM50 compared with LM25.Conclusion: LM50 achieved better overall glycemic control than LM25 as a starter insulin in Chinese patients, which may be due to greater improvement in PPG levels.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identification number: NCT01773473.Funding: Eli Lilly and Company, Shanghai, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]