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The current landscape of chiral covalent organic frameworks (COFs) predominantly centered on constructing asymmetric molecular-scale chirality, often introducing an inherent contradiction to the COF symmetry and limiting diversity. Herein, we overcome these challenges by achieving chiral transfer between one-dimensional (1D) imine linear polymers (LPs) and two-dimensional (2D) network β-ketoenamine COFs composed of achiral monomers. We successfully synthesize several 1D imine LPs with mesoscopic helical chirality, comprising achiral C2-symmetric terephthalaldehyde and diamine linkers in a chiral supramolecular transcription system. Leveraging the irreversible tautomerism mechanism within the linker replacement approach, terephthalaldehyde (TPA) units in these helical 1D LPs are substituted with C3-symmetric 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (TP), yielding the corresponding 2D network β-ketoenamine COFs. Crystallinity and helicity of the resultant β-ketoenamine COFs intimately hinge on reaction conditions, including the aldehyde stoichiometry of Tp and TPA, as well as the quantity and concentration of the catalyst employed. Under optimized conditions, the nucleation and growth were precisely governed, achieving a harmonious equilibrium of crystallinity and helicity within the generated 2D network β-ketoenamine COFs, even with covalent bond rupture, recombination, and topological transition (from [C2 + C2] to [C3 + C2]). Impressively, the ground state chirality inherent to helical 1D LPs seamlessly transfers to helical 2D network β-ketoenamine COFs. This study not only offers new perspectives on the development of chiral functional COFs, but also provides fresh insights into the precise control of COFs' microscopic morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent, lipid peroxidation-driven cell death pathway, while Parkinson's disease (PD) patients exhibit iron deposition and lipid peroxidation in the brain. Thus, the features of ferroptosis highly overlap with the pathophysiological features of PD. Despite this superficial connection, the possible role(s) of ferroptosis-related (Fr) proteins in dopaminergic neurons and/or glial cells in the substantia nigra (SN) in PD have not been examined in depth. To explore the correlations between the different SN cell types and ferroptosis at the single-cell level in PD patients, and to explore genes that may affect the sensitivity of dopaminergic neurons to ferroptosis, we performed in silico analysis of a single cell RNA sequence (RNA-seq) set (GSE178265) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the different cell types in the human SN, and proceeded to perform enrichment analysis, constructing a protein–protein interaction network from the DEGs of dopaminergic neurons with the Metascape database. We examined the intersection of Fr genes present in the FerrDb database with DEGs from the GSE178265 set to identify Fr-DEGs in the different brain cells. Further, we identified Fr-DEGs encoding secreted proteins to implicate cell–cell interactions in the potential stimulation of ferroptosis in PD. The Fr-DEGs we identified were verified using the bulk RNA-seq sets (GSE49036 and GSE20164). The number of dopaminergic neurons decreased in the SN of PD patients. Interestingly, non-dopaminergic neurons possessed the fewest DEGs. Enrichment analysis of dopaminergic neurons' DEGs revealed changes in transmission across chemical synapses and ATP metabolic process in PD. The secreted Fr-DEGs identified were ceruloplasmin (CP), high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and transferrin (TF). The bulk RNA-seq set from the GEO database demonstrates that CP expression is increased in the PD brain. In conclusion, our results identify CP as a potential therapeutic target to protect dopaminergic neurons by reducing neurons' sensitivity to ferroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron is important for life, and iron deficiency impairs development, but whether the iron level regulates neural differentiation remains elusive. In this study, with iron-regulatory proteins (IRPs) knockout embryonic stem cells (ESCs) that showed severe iron deficiency, we found that the Pax6- and Sox2-positive neuronal precursor cells and Tuj1 fibers in IRP1−/−IRP2−/− ESCs were significantly decreased after inducing neural differentiation. Consistently, in vivo study showed that the knockdown of IRP1 in IRP2−/− fetal mice remarkably affected the differentiation of neuronal precursors and the migration of neurons. These findings suggest that low intracellular iron status significantly inhibits neurodifferentiation. When supplementing IRP1−/−IRP2−/− ESCs with iron, these ESCs could differentiate normally. Further investigations revealed that the underlying mechanism was associated with an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production caused by the substantially low level of iron and the down-regulation of iron-sulfur cluster protein ISCU, which, in turn, affected the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. Thus, the appropriate amount of iron is crucial for maintaining normal neural differentiation that is termed ferrodifferentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragalus adsurgens (A. adsurgens), which is considered a forage in China, grows widely in Eurasia and North America. However, Alternaria gansuense (A. gansuense) (synonym: Embellisia astragali) systematically infects A. adsurgens, producing swainsonine (SW), which poisons domesticated animals. In this study, we hypothesized that the A. gansuense SW-producing fungus is morphologically and molecularly related to the locoweed endophyte, Alternaria oxytropis (A. oxytropis), which systematically grows in host plants. Therefore, pure cultures of the fungi from diseased plants or endophytic interactions were collected from fields and assayed for SW via high-performance liquid chromatography linked to mass spectroscopy (HPLC–MS). The production of SW was also detected in A. adsurgens, A. oxytropis and diseased plants by assaying for the presence of the β-ketoacyl synthase (KS) gene, which is required for SW synthesis. Diseased A. adsurgens and pure cultures of A. gansuense have SW and the healthy-looking A. adsurgens plants also contained SW, probably because they were infected with A. gansuense. Therefore, A. adsurgens-infected A. gansuense are not safe for livestock consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the developing demands of massive-data services, the applications that rely on big geographic data play crucial roles in academic and industrial communities. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), combining with terrestrial wireless sensor networks (WSN), can provide sustainable solutions for data harvesting. The rising demands for efficient data collection in a larger open area have been posed in the literature, which requires efficient UAV trajectory planning with lower energy consumption methods. Currently, there are amounts of inextricable solutions of UAV planning for a larger open area, and one of the most practical techniques in previous studies is deep reinforcement learning (DRL). However, the overestimated problem in limited-experience DRL quickly throws the UAV path planning process into a locally optimized condition. Moreover, using the central nodes of the sub-WSNs as the sink nodes or navigation points for UAVs to visit may lead to extra collection costs. This paper develops a data-driven DRL-based game framework with two partners to fulfill the above demands. A cluster head processor (CHP) is employed to determine the sink nodes, and a navigation order processor (NOP) is established to plan the path. CHP and NOP receive information from each other and provide optimized solutions after the Nash equilibrium. The numerical results show that the proposed game framework could offer UAVs low-cost data collection trajectories, which can save at least 17.58% of energy consumption compared with the baseline methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timothy is a forage mainly grown in Min County, Gansu Province, China. In 2021, a leaf spot disease outbreak on timothy grass occurred in Min County, adversely affecting its growth and productivity. Therefore, this study investigated the leaf spot disease incidence in Min County, morphologically and molecularly characterized the disease-causing pathogen, and assessed its effects on the growth, photosynthesis, and biomass of timothy seedlings re-inoculated with the isolated pathogen. In the field, the disease incidence on plants and leaves was 100 and 85%, respectively. Morphologically, young lesions were ellipsoidal–fusiform with dark purple margins and an off-white center, while the mature lesions were eye-shaped spots with a light brown center and dark purple edges. Molecular characterization identified the pathogen as Cladosporium phlei causing Cladosporium eyespot disease. The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, fresh shoot weight, and dry shoot weight of timothy seedlings 14 days after inoculation with the pathogen were decreased by 29.77, 56, 45.45, and 46.42%, respectively, implying that Cladosporium eyespot disease is an important timothy grass disease in Min County. Therefore, developing an integrated control strategy is urgent to lessen the economic loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain iron overload is positively correlated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the role of iron in AD pathology is not completely understood. Furin is the first identified mammalian proprotein convertase that catalyzes the proteolytic maturation of large numbers of prohormones and proproteins. The correlation between altered furin expression and AD pathology has been suggested, but the underlying mechanism remains to be clarified. Here, we found that the expression of furin in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's model APP/PS1 mice was significantly reduced, and we demonstrated that the reduction of furin was directly caused by hippocampal iron overload using wild-type mice with intrahippocampal injection of iron. In cultured neuronal cells, this suppression effect was observed as transcriptional inhibition. Regarding the changes of furin-mediated activities caused by hippocampal iron overload, we found that the maturation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was impeded and the expression levels of synaptogenesis-related proteins were downregulated, leading to cognitive decline. Furthermore, iron chelation or furin overexpression in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice increased furin expression, restored synapse plasticity, and ameliorated cognitive decline. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of hippocampal iron accumulation on furin transcription may be an important pathway involved in iron-mediated synapse damage and memory loss in AD. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of the toxic effects of iron in neurons and AD pathophysiology and renders furin as a potential target for treatment of iron overload-related neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Paraphoma radicina is the causal pathogen of alfalfa root rot. Identification of P. radicina using the traditional morphological methods is difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, there is a need to develop rapid molecular techniques that can detect and identify P. radicina. This study employed conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays using a primer pair designed from the pathogen's internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region to detect the P. radicina levels in alfalfa plants. Accordingly, a 363 bp fragment of P. radicina DNA was amplified using the primers Par-F and Par-R. Conventional PCR could detect as little as 1.2 pg/μL, but real-time PCR was more sensitive and could amplify as low as 12 fg/μL. The two PCR methods detected P. radicina from 15 alfalfa field plants, among which nine had typical P. radicina symptoms, while the other six did not display the typical symptoms. These results show that the PCR assays were more sensitive in detecting P. radicina than the traditional isolation methods. Moreover, relative qPCR, employing the comparative threshold cycle (Ct) method, was reliable for quantifying P. radicina DNA from the infected alfalfa root tissues. The P. radicina DNA quantities detected by real-time PCR assay had high correlations with the disease severity index (DSI) rating of alfalfa cultivars. This study is the first report of P. radicina identification by conventional and real-time PCR assays. The assays might be useful in detecting P. radicina in alfalfa field plants and determining the levels of P. radicina DNA in different alfalfa cultivars for pathogen resistance evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently reported that intraperitoneal injection of 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), a brain-derived neurotrophic factor-mimicking small compound, could attenuate alcohol-related behaviors in a two-bottle choice ethanol consumption procedure (IA2BC) in rats via tropomyosin receptor kinase B in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which is closely related to alcohol use disorder. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying the regulation of 7,8-DHF on alcohol drinking behavior remain elusive. In this study, we determined the role of nitric oxide (NO), a pleiotropic signaling molecule, in the VTA in the action of 7,8-DHF upon alcohol drinking behavior. Intermittent alcohol exposure led to the overexpression of NO in the VTA, especially 72 h after withdrawal from four weeks of ethanol exposure in IA2BC rats. A higher amount of alcohol intake was also found at the same time point, consistent with the overexpression of NO in the VTA. Microinjection of NG-Nitro-l-Arginine Methyl Ester, (NO synthase inhibitor) or 2-4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (NO scavenger) into the VTA inhibited alcohol intake, whereas application of S-Nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP, the NO donor) in the VTA further enhanced alcohol consumption in IA2BC rats. Interestingly, either 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one (a sGC inhibitor) or KT5823 [a selective protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor] blocked NO's enhancing effect on ethanol intake. Intraperitoneal injection of 7,8-DHF reduced the overexpression of NO; SNAP microinjected into the VTA reversed the inhibitory effects of 7,8-DHF on alcohol consumption. Our findings suggest that NO-cGMP-PKG might be involved in regulation of 7,8-DHF on alcohol consumption in IA2BC rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to establish the role of miR-129 and miR-384-5p in cerebral ischemia-induced apoptosis. Using PC12 cells transfected with miR-129 or miR-384-5p mimics or inhibitors, oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) conditions were applied for 4 h to simulate transient cerebral ischemia. Apoptotic phenotypes were assessed via lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, MTT cell metabolism assay, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The effect of miR overexpression and inhibition was evaluated by protein and mRNA detection of bcl-2 and caspase-3, critical apoptosis factors. Finally, the direct relationship of miR-129 and bcl-2 and miR-384-5p and caspase-3 was measured by luciferase reporter assay. The overexpression of miR-384-5p and miR-129 deficiency significantly enhanced cell viability, reduced LDH release, and inhibited apoptosis. By contrast, overexpression of miR-129 and miR-384-5p deficiency aggravated hypoxia-induced apoptosis and cell injury. miR-129 overexpression significantly reduced mRNA and protein levels of bcl-2 and miR-129 inhibition significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of bcl-2 in hypoxic cells.miR-384-5p overexpression significantly reduced protein levels of caspase-3 while miR-384-5p deficiency significantly increased protein levels of caspase-3. However, no changes were observed in caspase-3 mRNA in either transfection paradigm. Finally, luciferase reporter assay confirmed caspase-3 to be a direct target of miR-384-5p; however, no binding activity was detected between bcl-2 and miR-129.Transient cerebral ischemia induces differential expression of miR-129 and miR-384-5p which influences apoptosis by regulating apoptotic factors caspase-3 and bcl-2, thereby participating in the pathological mechanism of cerebral ischemia, and becoming potential targets for the treatment of ischemic cerebral injury in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoresponsive materials with high photoresponse sensitivity and photofatigue resistance are indispensable for applications, such as textiles and sensors fields. Herein, we synthesized photoresponsive polyamide 6 (PA6) with spiropyran (SP) as molecular component, by incorporating spiropyran-containing diisocyanate activator into anionic ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactam. To improve photosensitivity and reduce response time, the corresponding nanofibrous membranes were obtained by electrospinning. The reversibility of the isomerization of SP resulted in colored nanofibrous membrane patterns, which can be written, erased, and rewritten, using UV light and visible light. It revealed that photosensitivity of nanofibrous membranes were further improved, when appropriate polyethylene glycol was covalently embedded into PA6 segments to increase the chain flexibility. Photoresponse reversibility and photofatigue resistance displayed that UV–vis absorbance intensity of SP-embedded PA6 nanofibrous membrane decreased just 13% after 10 cycles of UV light irradiation, while its absorbance intensity in UV–vis spectra after visible light irradiation has negligible decrease. For better understanding the structure, electronic characteristics and UV–vis absorbance peak of SP-embedded PA6, theoretical calculations were also carried out. Finally, UV absorption of transparent and flexible poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS)/photoresponsive nanofibers composite film was assessed. The composite film was photochromic, and possessed excellent property for blocking ultraviolet radiation. This work explores a strategy for synthesizing photoresponsive SP-embedded polyamide 6 by incorporating spiropyran-containing activator into anionic ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactam. SP-embedded PA6 nanofibrous membrane with excellent photosensitivity and photofatigue resistance was electrospun. The isomerization reversibility of spiropyran-merocyanine (SP-MC) resulted in colored patterns which can be written, erased, and rewritten using UV light and visible light. Transparent photochromic composite film for UV absorption and protection was also developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) is a clinicoradiologic syndrome typically characterized by transient mild encephalitis or encephalopathy with reversible lesions being found in the splenium of corpus callosum (SCC) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A variety of pathogens including influenza virus, rotavirus, and adenovirus associated with MERS have been reported. However, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-related MERS is relatively rare in infants. In this study, we report two Chinese infants who suffered from RSV-related MERS. Both infants manifested as fever, seizure, and altered states of consciousness with confirmed detections of RSV-RNA in the specimens from throat swab. Clinical symptoms/signs such as apnea and shallow breathing were also noted in these two infants. Furthermore, brain MRI images indicated reversible isolated lesions with transiently reduced diffusion in the SCC. Fortunately, both of these two infants recovered completely following treatment within a month. Our study suggests that RSV may serve as a novel causative agent for MERS in infants. Clinicians should focus more attention on RSV-related MERS in infants in order to improve early accurate diagnosis and therapeutic decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional poststack inversion uses standard recursion formulas to obtain impedance in a single trace. It cannot allow for lateral regularization. In this paper, ID edge-preserving smoothing (EPS) filter is extended to 2D/3D for setting precondition of impedance model in impedance inversion. The EPS filter incorporates a priori knowledge into the seismic inversion. The a priori knowledge incorporated from EPS filter preconditioning relates to the blocky features of the impedance model, which makes the formation interfaces and geological edges precise and keeps the inversion procedure robust. Then, the proposed method is performed on two 2D models to show its feasibility and stability. Last, the proposed method is performed on a real 3D seismic work area from Southwest China to predict reef reservoirs in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol use–associated disorders are highly comorbid with anxiety disorders; however, their mechanism remains unknown. The amygdala plays a central role in anxiety. We recently found that 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) significantly reduces withdrawal symptoms in a rat model of chronic intermittent alcohol (ethanol) exposure. This study aimed to determine the role of 7,8-DHF in regulating anxiety induced by chronic alcohol exposure and its associated underlying mechanism. Male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to chronic intermittent alcohol for 3 weeks followed by alcohol withdrawal for 12 h with or without 7,8-DHF administered intraperitoneally. All mice were tested using an open field test and elevated plus maze to assess anxiety-like behaviors. Synaptic activity and intrinsic excitability in basal and lateral amygdala (BLA) neurons were assessed using electrophysiological recordings. 7,8-DHF alleviated alcohol-induced anxiety-like behavior and attenuated alcohol-induced enhancement of activities in BLA pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, 7,8-DHF prevented alcohol withdrawal–evoked augmentation of glutamatergic transmission in the amygdala and had no effect on GABAergic transmission in the amygdala, as demonstrated by unaltered frequency and amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents. Microinjection of K252a, a tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) antagonist, into the BLA blocked the effects of 7,8-DHF on anxiety-like behavior and neuronal activity in the BLA. Our findings suggest that 7,8-DHF alleviates alcohol-induced anxiety-like behavior induced by chronic alcohol exposure through regulation of glutamate transmission involving TrKB in the BLA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fraction C (1.6 g) was purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting successively with (CH SB 2 sb Cl SB 2 sb -MeOH, 100:1-0:1) and further Sephadex LH-20 (MeOH) to yield compound B 10 b and Fr. C1. Therefore, secondary metabolites of I M. sativa i L. infected with I L. australis i were studied their antifungal activity, which provides a new green pesticide lead compound for the biological control of I L. australis i . Among these tested compounds, compounds B 1 b and B 2 b displayed weak antifungal activity with a 38.2% and 21.1% inhibition rate, respectively. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Small fiber neuropathy (SFN)—the early stage of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN)—progresses gradually and is difficult to diagnose using neurophysiological tests. To facilitate the early diagnosis of SFN, biomarkers for SFN must be identified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of SFN in prediabetic patients and the relationship between pNF-H and SFN. Methods: 44 IGT patients (inpatients and outpatients) were selected at random. 33 healthy subjects served as controls. Data on clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters were collected. Quantitative sensory testing (QST), electromyography (EMG), and Sudoscan were performed, and pNF-H was measured by ELISA. Results: 24 of the 44 patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were diagnosed with SFN according to the modified Toronto Diabetic Neuropathy Expert Group consensus criteria. The thermal sensory thresholds of the IGT-SFN group were significantly different from those of the CTRL group (p < 0.05), except for the heat pain threshold. The sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) of the sural nerve was 12.39 in the IGT-SFN group, which was significantly lower than those in the other groups. No significant difference in nerve conduction velocity (NCV) was observed among the three groups. The electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) in the IGT-SFN group was 69.78 ± 14.03uS, which was significantly lower than that in the CTRL group. The pNF-H in the IGT-SFN group was 170.6 (140.0, 223.6) pg/ml, which was significantly higher than those in the CTRL and IGT-non-SFN groups (76.55 and 64.7 pg/ml, respectively). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that pNF-H and 2h plasma glucose were independently correlated with SFN; the ORs (95% CI) were 1.429 (1.315, 1.924) and 2.375 (1.157, 4.837), respectively. Conclusions: Serum pNF-H may be associated with SFN in IGT patients, and serum pNF-H could therefore serve as a sensitive biomarker for the detection of SFN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Burial dissolution of feldspar and carbonate minerals has been proposed to generate large volumes of secondary pores in subsurface reservoirs. Secondary porosity due to feldspar dissolution is ubiquitous in buried sandstones; however, extensive burial dissolution of carbonate minerals in subsurface sandstones is still debatable. In this paper, we first present four types of typical selective dissolution assemblages of feldspars and carbonate minerals developed in different sandstones. Under the constraints of porosity data, water–rock experiments, geochemical calculations of aggressive fluids, diagenetic mass transfer, and a review of publications on mineral dissolution in sandstone reservoirs, we argue that the hypothesis for the creation of significant volumes of secondary porosity by mesodiagenetic carbonate dissolution in subsurface sandstones is in conflict with the limited volume of aggressive fluids in rocks. In addition, no transfer mechanism supports removal of the dissolution products due to the small water volume in the subsurface reservoirs and the low mass concentration gradients in the pore water. Convincing petrographic evidence supports the view that the extensive dissolution of carbonate cements in sandstone rocks is usually associated with a high flux of deep hot fluids provided via fault systems or with meteoric freshwater during the eodiagenesis and telodiagenesis stages. The presumption of extensive mesogenetic dissolution of carbonate cements producing a significant net increase in secondary porosity should be used with careful consideration of the geological background in prediction of sandstone quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three series of thiazolylhydrazone derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their neuraminidase (NA) inhibitory activity against influenza virus H1N1 in vitro. Compounds 1 and 2 were synthesized via the one-pot reaction and compound 3 was synthesized in two steps. Pharmacological results showed that the majority of the target compounds 1, 2, and 3 exhibited moderate-to-good influenza NA inhibitory activity. The NA inhibitory activity of the most active compound 2g (IC50 = 7.12 μg/ml) is better than that of the lead compound A. Molecular docking was performed to study the possible interactions between compound 2g and the active site of NA. On the basis of biological results, a preliminary structure–activity relationship (SAR) was derived and discussed. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) calculation was also performed to explain why the thiazolylhydrazone skeleton has NA inhibitory activity, especially compound 2g with the most potent inhibitory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the sediment and the dissolved matter laden in the river meet a clear water in reservoirs, the turbid water will plunge and spread into the clear water, forming the turbidity current and influencing the water quality and the life of the reservoir. Due to the unsteady nature of the flood, the turbidity current is unsteady. In the present study, we use the MIKE 3 computational fluid dynamics code to simulate continuous and discontinuous turbidity currents on a flat slope. With the model used by us, the turbulence is divided into two parts: the horizontal turbulence and the vertical turbulence, which are separately modeled by the Smagorinsky model and our model to capture the anisotropic turbulence. In this model, the sediment settling and deposition are considered. The simulation results concerning the flume water surface level, the front velocity and sediment concentration profiles are found consistent with the experimental data, particularly, for the sediment concentration profiles with an absolute mean error of 0.026 kg/m3 and the root mean square error of 0.046 kg/m3. This finding suggests that this model can be used to well predict the turbidity current on the flat slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AlN/Co nanocomposite thin films were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition and investigated as new anode materials for lithium-ion batteries for the first time. The combination of electrochemically inactive AlN and Co in nanometer scale boosted the electrochemical performance of the thin films surprisingly. A high reversible capacity of 555 mAh·g−1 after 100 discharge-charge cycles at a current density of 500 mA·g−1 is obtained for the AlN/Co nanocomposite thin films, and 372 mAh·g−1 can be retained at a high rate up to 16C, exhibiting promising cycle stability and rate capability. The electrochemical reaction mechanism study reveals that Co nanoparticles could not only provide high electronic conductivity for the thin films, which facilitate the thorough decomposition of AlN in the initial discharge process, but also react with Li3N to form a new species Co2N during charge process, thus ensuring large capacity and high reversibility of AlN/Co nanocomposite thin films in subsequent cycles. This study provides a new perspective to design advanced electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the ultimate load capacity of K-type tube-gusset plate connections with stiffened plate, the static tests of five full-scale specimens were conducted in this study. The results indicate that the end stiffened plate is critical for improving the load capacity of the connections. In addition, the parametric nonlinear finite element analysis of the K-type tube-gusset plate specimens was performed with account of such non-dimensional parameters as chord diameter-to-thickness ratio (γ), plate width-to-chord diameter ratio (α), plate thickness-to-chord thickness ratio (τ1), stiffened plate thickness (td), and nominal-to-yield stress ratio (η). The above analysis implies that the ultimate load capacity decreases with the increment of γ and increases with the increment of α and τ1, while it is only slightly affected by the stiffened plate thickness. Compare the results of the finite element analysis with assessment by design guides existing. Based on the former results, an equation for estimating the load capacity of K-type tube-stiffened gusset plate is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transplantation of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAM-MSCs) seems to be a promising strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the clinical therapeutic effects of hAM-MSCs and their mechanisms of action in AD remain to be determined. Here, we used amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin1 (PS1) double-transgenic mice to evaluate the effects of hAM-MSC transplantation on AD-related neuropathology and cognitive dysfunction. We found that hAM-MSC transplantation into the hippocampus dramatically reduced amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) deposition and rescued spatial learning and memory deficits in APP/PS1 mice. Interestingly, these effects were associated with increasing in Aβ-degrading factors, elevations in activated microglia, and the modulation of neuroinflammation. Furthermore, enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus (DG) and enhanced synaptic plasticity following hAM-MSC treatment could be another important factor in reversing the cognitive decline in APP/PS1 mice. Instead, the mechanism underlying the improved cognition apparently involves a robust increase in hippocampal synaptic density and neurogenesis that is mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In conclusion, our data suggest that hAM-MSCs may be a new and effective therapy for the treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AC motors, especially the squirrel cage induction motors have the advantages of simple structure, good reliability and low cost. They are more suitable to be used as electrical dynamometers to provide dynamic load for bench test systems. But, the speed and torque of induction motors are not easy to be controlled accurately. In this work, an electrical dynamometer based on the induction motor is proposed. In order to get better control performance of torque and speed of induction motor, an improved direct torque control method (DTC) is also developed based on the space vector modulation (SVM) technique. The performance of the proposed dynamometer system is validated in the Matlab/Simulink platform. The simulation results show that the new dynamometer has good torque and stator flux response. And the torque and stator current ripples of it are reduced significantly compared with using the conventional DTC method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to investigate the possible mechanisms of microRNA-133a (miR-133a) targeting CD47 on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion in laryngeal carcinoma. Forty-two laryngeal carcinoma tissue specimens confirmed by pathological examination from laryngeal carcinoma patients as the case group were collected, and 20 chronic laryngitis tissues were gathered as the control group. The human laryngeal carcinoma cell line Hep-2 was marked as the miR-133a mimic, negative control (NC), miR-133a inhibitor, CD47-siRNA, miR-133a inhibitor + CD47-siRNA, and Mock groups. The expression of CD47 protein and miR-133a was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR. Dual luciferase assay system was used to determine the relationship between CD47 and miR-133a. Western blotting was used to measure the protein expression of CD47 and miR-133a. 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EDU) method was used to detect the cell proliferation, and flow cytometry and Transwell were used to measure the cell apoptosis and migration and invasion, respectively. The miR-133a expression in laryngeal carcinoma tissues was significantly lower, while the CD47 expression was higher than that in chronic laryngitis tissues (both P < 0.01). The expression of miR-133a in the miR-133a mimic group was significantly higher than that in other groups ( P < 0.05), and the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of CD47 in the CD47-siRNA and miR-133a mimic groups were significantly lower than those in the Mock and NC group (all P < 0.05), while the mRNA and protein expression of CD47 in the miR-133a inhibitor group were higher than in other groups (all P < 0.05). After transfection, the CD47-siRNA group had the strongest inhibitory activity, while the number of living cells in the miR-133a inhibitor group was significantly higher than that in other groups (all P < 0.05). The apoptosis rates in the miR-133a mimic and CD47-siRNA groups were significantly higher than that in the Mock and NC groups (all P < 0.05). The cell numbers that penetrated membrane in the miR-133a mimic and CD47-siRNA groups were less than in the Mock and NC groups (all P < 0.05). Upregulated miR-133a could inhibit proliferation, invasion, and migration and promote cell apoptosis in laryngeal carcinoma by targeting CD47. miR-133a targeting CD47 could be a new direction in the diagnosis and treatment of laryngeal carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Human amniotic membrane mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) are considered ideal candidate stem cells for cell-based therapy. In this study, we assessed whether hAMSCs transplantation promotes neurological functional recovery in rats after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). In addition, the potential mechanisms underlying the possible benefits of this therapy were investigated. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to SCI using a weight drop device and then hAMSCs, or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were immediately injected into the contused dorsal spinal cord at 2 mm rostral and 2 mm caudal to the injury site. Our results indicated that transplanted hAMSCs migrated in the host spinal cord without differentiating into neuronal or glial cells. Compared with the control group, hAMSCs transplantation significantly decreased the numbers of ED1 macrophages/microglia and caspase-3 cells. In addition, hAMSCs transplantation significantly increased the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the injured spinal cord, and promoted both angiogenesis and axonal regeneration. These effects were associated with significantly improved neurobehavioral recovery in the hAMSCs transplantation group. These results show that transplantation of hAMSCs provides neuroprotective effects in rats after SCI, and could be candidate stem cells for the treatment of SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The control synthesis of nanoparticles was the implementation process of material ideal design. Nano-hydroxyapatite (HAP) was prepared by a hydrothermal method with calcium nitrate and diammonium hydrogen phosphate as raw material, to study its characteristics for morphology modification by arginine-functionalization and doping with rare earth such as Tb. The crystallization, grain size and dispersibility of the sample HAP were analyzed and discussed. The results show that the surface Zeta potential of arginine-functionalized HAP is changed, and the growth rate of HAP is inhibited to a certain extent during the synthesis. The structure of HAP/Arg is not affected during the synthesis by a small amount of rare earth ions doped such as Tb, and has a single phase of HAP with good dispersibility. The synthesized HAP is also of nano-sized level. Nano-hydroxyapatite argininefunctionalized and doped with rare earth such as Tb, is suitable for the application of gene delivery as a gene carrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships between permeability and dynamics in hydrocarbon accumulation determine oil-bearing potential (the potential oil charge) of low permeability reservoirs. The evolution of porosity and permeability of low permeability turbidite reservoirs of the middle part of the third member of the Shahejie Formation in the Dongying Sag has been investigated by detailed core descriptions, thin section analyses, fluid inclusion analyses, carbon and oxygen isotope analyses, mercury injection, porosity and permeability testing, and basin modeling. The cutoff values for the permeability of the reservoirs in the accumulation period were calculated after detailing the accumulation dynamics and reservoir pore structures, then the distribution pattern of the oil-bearing potential of reservoirs controlled by the matching relationship between dynamics and permeability during the accumulation period were summarized. On the basis of the observed diagenetic features and with regard to the paragenetic sequences, the reservoirs can be subdivided into four types of diagenetic facies. The reservoirs experienced two periods of hydrocarbon accumulation. In the early accumulation period, the reservoirs except for diagenetic facies A had middle to high permeability ranging from 10 × 10 μm to 4207 × 10 μm. In the later accumulation period, the reservoirs except for diagenetic facies C had low permeability ranging from 0.015 × 10 μm to 62 × 10 μm. In the early accumulation period, the fluid pressure increased by the hydrocarbon generation was 1.4-11.3 MPa with an average value of 5.1 MPa, and a surplus pressure of 1.8-12.6 MPa with an average value of 6.3 MPa. In the later accumulation period, the fluid pressure increased by the hydrocarbon generation process was 0.7-12.7 MPa with an average value of 5.36 MPa and a surplus pressure of 1.3-16.2 MPa with an average value of 6.5 MPa. Even though different types of reservoirs exist, all can form hydrocarbon accumulations in the early accumulation period. Such types of reservoirs can form hydrocarbon accumulation with high accumulation dynamics; however, reservoirs with diagenetic facies A and diagenetic facies B do not develop accumulation conditions with low accumulation dynamics in the late accumulation period for very low permeability. At more than 3000 m burial depth, a larger proportion of turbidite reservoirs are oil charged due to the proximity to the source rock. Also at these depths, lenticular sand bodies can accumulate hydrocarbons. At shallower depths, only the reservoirs with oil-source fault development can accumulate hydrocarbons. For flat surfaces, hydrocarbons have always been accumulated in the reservoirs around the oil-source faults and areas near the center of subsags with high accumulation dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic mechanisms of the secondary pore development zones in the lower part of the fourth member of the Shahejie Formation (Es) were studied based on core observations, petrographic analysis, fluid inclusion analysis, and petrophysical measurements along with knowledge of the tectonic evolution history, organic matter thermal evolution, and hydrocarbon accumulation history. Two secondary pore development zones exist in Es, the depths of which range from 4200 to 4500 m and from 4700 to 4900 m, respectively. The reservoirs in these zones mainly consist of conglomerate in the middle fan braided channels of nearshore subaqueous fans, and the secondary pores in these reservoirs primarily originated from the dissolution of feldspars and carbonate cements. The reservoirs experienced 'alkaline-acidic-alkaline-acidic-weak acidic', 'normal pressure-overpressure-normal pressure', and 'formation temperature increasing-decreasing-increasing' diagenetic environments. The diagenetic evolution sequences were 'compaction/gypsum cementation/halite cementation/pyrite cementation/siderite cementation-feldspar dissolution/quartz overgrowth-carbonate cementation/quartz dissolution/feldspar overgrowth-carbonate dissolution/feldspar dissolution/quartz overgrowth-pyrite cementation and asphalt filling'. Many secondary pores (fewer than the number of primary pores) were formed by feldspar dissolution during early acidic geochemical systems with organic acid when the burial depth of the reservoirs was relatively shallow. Subsequently, the pore spaces were slightly changed because of protection from early hydrocarbon charging and fluid overpressure during deep burial. Finally, the present secondary pore development zones were formed when many primary pores were filled by asphalt and pyrite from oil cracking in deeply buried paleo-reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrographic analysis combined with various techniques, such as thin section identification, fluid inclusions, isotopic data, petro-physical property testing and oil testing results, was used to study diagenetic evolution and its effect on reservoir-quality of fan delta reservoirs of Es4s in the Bonan sag. The diagenesis is principally characterized by strong compaction, undercompaction, multi-phase of dissolution and cementation. Compaction played a more important role than cementation in destroying the primary porosity of the sandstones. The reservoirs have experienced complicated diagenetic environment evolution of 'weak alkaline- acid-alkalinity-acid-weak alkalinity' and two-stage of hydrocarbon filling. The diagenetic sequences are summarized as 'early compaction/early pyrite/gypsum/calcite/dolomite cementation→feldspar dissolution/the first stage of quartz overgrowth → early hydrocarbon filling→quartz dissolution/anhydrite/Fe-carbonate cementation→Fe-carbonate dissolution/feldspar dissolution/ the second stage of quartz overgrowth → later hydrocarbon filling→later pyrite cementation. In the same diagenetic context, the diagenetic evolution processes that occurred in different sub/micro-facies during progressive burial have resulted in heterogeneous reservoir properties and oiliness. The braided channel reservoirs in fan delta plain are poorly sorted with high matrix contents. The physical properties decrease continually due to the principally strong compaction and weak dissolution. The present properties of braided channel reservoirs are extremely poor, which is evidenced by few oil layers developed in relatively shallow strata while dry layers entirely in deep. The reservoirs both in the underwater distributary channels and mouth bars are well sorted and have a strong ability to resist compaction. Abundant pores are developed in medium-deep strata because of modifications by two-stage of acidic dissolution and hydrocarbon filling. The present properties are relatively well both in the underwater distributary channels and mouth bars and plenty of oil layers are developed in different burial depth. The present reservoir properties both in interdistributary channel and pre-fan delta are poor caused by extensively cementation. Small amounts of oil layers, oil-water layers and oil-bearing layers are developed in relatively shallow strata while dry layers totally in deep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NiCr-CrC metal-ceramic composite coating is commonly produced on metal substrate by laser cladding to be used as wear-resistant coating under medium- or high-temperature working conditions. The coating has high hardness, generally over three times that of the substrate. In order to make the hardness increase gradually from substrate to coating surface, the nickel-based alloy Ni45 was chosen as the transition layer and NiCr-CrC coating was indirectly cladded on 20Cr2Ni4A substrate. Microstructure and composition of the coating were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Microhardness of the cross section of the coating was measured. Friction and wear behavior of NiCr-CrC coating and substrate were investigated through sliding against the SiC ball at 20, 100 and 300 °C. The morphologies of worn surfaces were analyzed by SEM and EDS. The results show that the hardness of Ni45 transition layer is between that of the substrate and NiCr-CrC coating, which avoids hardness jump and stress concentration of the coating. NiCr-CrC coating contains hard phases of CrC and CrC which enhance the wear resistance. With the temperature increasing, friction coefficient and wear rate of the substrate increase significantly. Compared with the substrate, NiCr-CrC coating has lower friction coefficient and wear rate at 100 and 300 °C, which verifies the good wear resistance of NiCr-CrC coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrographic analysis combined with various techniques, such as thin section identification, petro-physical property testing, mercury penetration, oil testing results, was used to assess basic reservoir characteristics of deep strata in Palaeogene in the northern steep slope zone of the Bonan sag, China. The formation mechanisms of high quality reservoirs in deep strata were discussed according to evolution characteristics of paleopressures and paleofluids in geological period. The deep reservoirs have poor physical properties and mainly develop extra-low porosity, extra-low and ultra-low permeability reservoirs. Reservoir spaces mainly consist of secondary pores and overpressure fractures. Early overpressure, early hydrocarbon filling and dissolution by early organic acids are the major formation mechanisms of high quality reservoirs. The conglomerate in inner fan which had a poor primary physical property mainly experienced strong compaction and calcareous matrix recrystallization. The physical properties of the inner fan were poor with weak dissolution because of poor mobility of fluid. The reservoirs mainly are type IV reservoirs and the distribution extends with the burial depth. The braided channel reservoirs in the middle fan had relative good primary physical properties and strong ability to resist compaction which favored the preservation of primary pores. Large amounts of the secondary porosities were created due to dissolution by early organic acids. A series of micro-fractures generated by early overpressures would be important migration pathways for hydrocarbon and organic acids. Furthermore, early overpressures had retarded maturation of organic matters and organic acids which had flowed into reservoirs already and could keep in acid environment for a long time. This process would contribute significantly to reinforcing the dissolution and enhancing the reservoir quality. The braided channel reservoirs were charged with high oil saturation preferentially by early hydrocarbon filling which could inhibit later cementation. Therefore, the braided channel reservoirs develop a great quantity of reservoir spaces with type I, type II and type III reservoirs in the majority in the deep strata. With the burial depth, distributions of type I and type II reservoirs are narrowed and distribution of type III reservoirs decreases first and then extends. The reservoirs both in outer fan and in interdistributary of the middle fan have extremely poor physical properties because of extensive carbonate cementation. The type of the reservoirs mainly is type IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemic injury in rodent models reliably leads to the activation of microglia, which might play a detrimental role in neuronal survival. Our preliminary studies suggest that nicotine plays a potential role in decreasing the numbers of cultured microglia in vitro. In the present study, we found treatment with nicotine 2, 6, and 12 h after ischemia for 7 days significantly increased the survival of CA1 pyramidal neurons in ischemia/reperfusion rats. This effect was accompanied by a significant reduction in the increase of microglia rather than astrocytes, as well as a significant reduction of enhanced expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) in CA1 induced by ischemia/reperfusion. Nicotine inhibits microglial proliferation in primary cultures with and without the stimulation of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Pre-treatment with α-bungarotoxin, a selective α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) antagonist, could prevent the inhibitory effects of nicotine on cultured microglial proliferation suggesting that nicotine inhibits the microglial proliferation in an α7 nAChR-dependent fashion. Our results suggest that nicotine inhibits the inflammation mediated by microglia via α7 nAChR and is neuroprotective against ischemic stroke, even when administered 12 h after the insult. α7 nAChR agonists may have uses as anti-ischemic compounds in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial ferritin (FtMt) has a significant effect on the regulation of cytosolic and mitochondrial iron levels. However, because of the deficiency of iron regulatory elements (IRE) in FtMt's gene sequence, the exact function of FtMt remains unclear. In the present study, we found that FtMt dramatically inhibited SH-SY5Y cell proliferation and tumor growth in nude mice. Interestingly, excess FtMt did not adversely affect the development of drosophila. Additionally, we found that the expression of FtMt in human normal brain tissue was significantly higher than that of neuroblastoma, but not higher than that of neurospongioma. However, the expression of transferrin receptor 1 is completely opposite. We therefore hypothesized that increased expression of FtMt may negatively affect the vitality of neuronal tumor cells. Therefore, we further investigated the underlying mechanisms of FtMt's inhibitory effects on neuronal tumor cell proliferation. As expected, FtMt overexpression disturbed the iron homeostasis of tumor cells and significantly downregulated the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Moreover, FtMt affected cell cycle, causing G1/S arrest by modifying the expression of cyclinD1, cyclinE, Cdk2, Cdk4 and p21. Remarkably, FtMt strongly upregulated the expression of the tumor suppressors, p53 and N-myc downstream-regulated gene-1 (NDRG1), but dramatically decreased C-myc, N-myc and p-Rb levels. This study demonstrates for the first time a new role and mechanism for FtMt in the regulation of cell cycle. We thus propose FtMt as a new candidate target for inhibiting neuronal tumor cell proliferation. Appropriate regulation of FtMt expression may prevent tumor cell growth. Our study may provide a new strategy for neuronal cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arg194Trp polymorphism in the X-ray cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) had been implicated in cancer susceptibility. The previous published data on the association between XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism and cancer risk remained controversial. Hence, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the association between cancer susceptibility and XRCC1 Arg194Trp (59,227 cases and 81,587 controls from 201 studies) polymorphism in different inheritance models. We used odds ratios with 95 % confidence intervals to assess the strength of the association. Overall, significantly increased cancer risk was found (recessive model: (odds ration [OR] = 1.18, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-1.27; homozygous model: OR = 1.21, 95 % CI = 1.10-1.33; additive model: OR = 1.05, 95 % CI = 1.01-1.09) when all eligible studies were pooled into the meta-analysis. In further stratified and sensitivity analyses, significantly increased glioma risk was found among Asians, significantly decreased lung cancer risk was found among Caucasians, and significant increased breast cancer risk was found among hospital-based studies. In summary, this meta-analysis suggests that Arg194Trp polymorphism may be associated with increased breast cancer risk, Arg194Trp polymorphism is associated with increased glioma risk among Asians, and Arg194Trp polymorphism is associated with decreased lung cancer risk among Caucasians. In addition, our work also points out the importance of new studies for Arg194Trp association in some cancer types, such as gastric, pancreatic, prostate, and nasopharyngeal cancers, where at least some of the covariates responsible for heterogeneity could be controlled, to obtain a more conclusive understanding about the function of the XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism in cancer development ( I > 75 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bed expansion serves an important function in the design and operation of an upflow anaerobic reactor. An analysis of the flow pattern of expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactors shows that most EGSB reactors do not behave as expanded bed reactors, as is widely perceived. Rather, these reactors behave as fluidized bed reactors based on the classic chemical reactor theory. In this paper, four bed expansion modes, divided as static bed, expanded bed, suspended bed, and fluidized bed, for bioreactors are proposed. A high-rate anaerobic suspended granular sludge bed (SGSB) reactor was then developed. The SGSB reactor is an upflow anaerobic reactor, and its expansion degree can be easily controlled within a range to maintain the suspended status of the sludge bed by controlling upflow velocity. The results of the full-scale reactor confirmed that the use of SGSB reactors is advantageous. The full-scale SGSB reactor runs stably and achieves high COD removal efficiency (about 90%) at high loading rates (average 40 kg-COD·m·d, maximum to 52 kg-COD·m·d) based on the SGSB theory, and its expansion degree is between 22% and 37%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that men and women exhibit significant differences regarding iron status. However, the effects of sex on iron accumulation and distribution are not well established. In this study, female and male Sprague-Dawley rats were killed at 4 months of age. Blood samples were analyzed to determine the red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, hematocrit (Hct), and mean red blood cell volume (MCV). The serum samples were analyzed to determine the concentrations of serum iron (SI), transferrin saturation (TS), ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and erythropoietin (EPO). The tissue nonheme iron concentrations were measured in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, kidney, heart, gastrocnemius, duodenal epithelium, lung, pallium, cerebellum, hippocampus, and striatum. Hepatic hepcidin expression was detected by real-time PCR analysis. The synthesis of ferroportin 1 (FPN1) in the liver, spleen, kidney, and bone marrow was determined by Western blot analysis. The synthesis of duodenal cytochrome B561 (DcytB), divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), FPN1, hephaestin (HP) in the duodenal epithelium was also measured by Western blot analysis. The results showed that the RBC, Hb, and Hct in male rats were higher than those in female rats. The SI and plasma TS levels were lower in male rats than in female rats. The levels of serum ferritin and sTfR were higher in male rats than in female rats. The EPO levels in male rats were lower than that in female rats. The nonheme iron contents in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and kidney in male rats were also lower (56.7, 73.2, 60.6, and 61.4 % of female rats, respectively). Nonheme iron concentrations in the heart, gastrocnemius, duodenal epithelium, lung, and brain were similar in rats of both sexes. A moderate decrease in hepatic hepcidin mRNA content was also observed in male rats (to 56.0 % of female rats). The levels of FPN1 protein in the liver, spleen, and kidney were higher in male rats than in female rats. There was no significant change in FPN1 expression in bone marrow. Significant difference was also not found in DcytB, DMT1, FPN1, and HP protein levels in the duodenal epithelium between male and female rats. These data suggest that iron is distributed differently in male and female rats. This difference in iron distribution may be associated with the difference in the hepcidin level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The causes of meningiomas are not well understood. Folate metabolism gene polymorphisms have been shown to be associated with various human cancers. It is still controversial and ambiguous between the functional polymorphisms of folate metabolism genes 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR), methionine synthase ( MTRR), and methionine synthase reductase ( MTR) and risk of adult meningioma. A population-based case-control study involving 600 meningioma patients (World Health Organization [WHO] Grade I, 391 cases; WHO Grade II, 167 cases; WHO Grade III, 42 cases) and 600 controls was done for the MTHFR C677T and A1298C, MTRR A66G, and MTR A2756G variants in Chinese Han population. The folate metabolism gene polymorphisms were determined by using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Meningioma cases had a significantly lower frequency of MTHFR 677 TT genotype [odds ratio (OR) = 0.49, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.33-0.74; P = 0.001] and T allele (OR = 0.80, 95 % CI 0.67-0.95; P = 0.01) than controls. A significant association between risk of meningioma and MTRR 66 GG (OR = 1.41, 95 % CI 1.02-1.96; P = 0.04) was also observed. When stratifying by the WHO grade of meningioma, no association was found. Our study suggested that MTHFR C677T and MTRR A66G variants may affect the risk of adult meningioma in Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered a promising tool for cell-based therapies of nervous system diseases. Bone marrow (BM) has been the traditional source of MSCs (BM-MSCs). However, there are some limitations for their clinical use, such as the decline in cell number and differentiation potential with age. Recently, amniotic fluid (AF)-derived MSCs (AF-MSCs) have been shown to express embryonic and adult stem cell markers, and can differentiate into cells of all three germ layers. In this study, we isolated AF-MSCs from second-trimester AF by limiting dilution and compared their proliferative capacity, multipotency, neural differentiation ability, and secretion of neurotrophins to those of BM-MSCs. AF-MSCs showed a higher proliferative capacity and more rapidly formed and expanded neurospheres compared to those of BM-MSCs. Both immunocytochemical and quantitative real-time PCR analyses demonstrated that AF-MSCs showed higher expression of neural stemness markers than those of BM-MSCs following neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation. Furthermore, the levels of brain-derived growth factor and nerve growth factor secreted by AF-MSCs in the culture medium were higher than those of BM-MSCs. In addition, AF-MSCs maintained a normal karyotype in long-term cultures after NSC differentiation and were not tumorigenic in vivo. Our findings suggest that AF-MSCs are a promising and safe alternative to BM-MSCs for therapy of nervous system diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]