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It was demonstrated that ginsenosides exert anti-convulsive potentials and interleukin-6 (IL-6) is protective from excitotoxicity induced by kainate (KA), a model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Ginsenosides-mediated mitochondrial recovery is essential for attenuating KA-induced neurotoxicity, however, little is known about the effects of ginsenoside Re (GRe), one of the major ginsenosides. In this study, GRe significantly attenuated KA-induced seizures in mice. KA-induced redox changes were more evident in mitochondrial fraction than in cytosolic fraction in the hippocampus of mice. GRe significantly attenuated KA-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress (i.e. increases in reactive oxygen species, 4-hydroxynonenal, and protein carbonyl) and mitochondrial dysfunction (i.e. the increase in intra-mitochondrial Ca2+ and the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential). GRe or mitochondrial protectant cyclosporin A restored phospho-signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) and IL-6 levels reduced by KA, and the effects of GRe were reversed by the JAK2 inhibitor AG490 and the mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP). Thus, we used IL-6 knockout (KO) mice to investigate whether the interaction between STAT3 and IL-6 is involved in the GRe effects. Importantly, KA-induced reduction of manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD-2) levels and neurodegeneration (i.e. astroglial inhibition, microglial activation, and neuronal loss) were more prominent in IL-6 KO than in wild-type (WT) mice. These KA-induced detrimental effects were attenuated by GRe in WT and, unexpectedly, IL-6 KO mice, which were counteracted by AG490 and 3-NP. Our results suggest that GRe attenuates KA-induced neurodegeneration via modulating mitochondrial oxidative burden, mitochondrial dysfunction, and STAT3 signaling in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase inversion procedure was used to prepare Al2O3 ceramic hollow fiber substrates (AlCHFS) utilizing the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC), and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) aprotic solvents. Different aprotic solvent and non-solvent (water) interactions were used to calibrate different ceramic oxide substrates. AlCHFS with an asymmetrical structure consisting of a finger-like structure on the lumen side and a pore structure on the shell side was obtained using an aprotic solvent/non-solvent pair with a high total Hildebrand solubility (δt). As the aprotic strength was reduced, the finger-like structure on the shell sides became more prominent. Hydrogen permeation studies conducted between 350°C and 450°C reveal that the Pd-coated AlCHFS produced from DMAC aprotic solvent has the maximum hydrogen flux (~0.24 mol m−2 s−1). The activation energy for the thermally activated hydrogen transport process through the Pd-coated AlCHFSs is determined to be around 11.06–14.61 kJ mol−1 in the temperature range of 350°C to 450°C, and it increases linearly with increasing surface porosity of ceramic oxide substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What caused the surprising electoral success of an Islamist party in one of Indonesia's most Catholic regions, and why was this success short-lived? This article argues that in Ngada district on Flores Island in 2014 the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) deftly mobilised local voters not because of its own organisational and programmatic discipline but because of its "project of commonness", or adaptation to prevailing local patterns of personalistic local electoral competition. The party's growing popularity in Ngada, however, paradoxically fell after it sought to build solid and coherent relations with the electorate in preparation for the subsequent election. The case of the PKS in Flores thus suggests that under certain conditions, in which voter–party linkages are highly fragmented and cleavage-based politics remain undeveloped, party institutionalisation can harm electoral performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the carbonaceous aerosols emitted from an indoor wood stove operating with two common oaks characterized by well distinct moisture contents (%). The results presented in this work indicate that all emission factors are significantly influenced by the amount of moisture contents. In particular, with wood samples characterized by 10.34% and 56.31% moisture contents, the total carbon emission factors per wood unit were 0.25 ± 0.05 g/kg and 1.12 ± 0.09 g/kg, respectively. In addition, the PM10 emission factors of wood characterized by a low-moisture content were quite low compared with the PM10 recognized from wood with high-moisture contents. The emission factors of woods with low-moisture contents and high-moisture contents were in the lower and higher end, respectively, of the concentration ranges reported in the literature. The main results presented in this experimental article improve some recent results reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barium-chromium oxide (BaCrOx) coated Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ(BSCF) tubular membranes were successfully prepared and evaluated for oxygen separation applications under high pressure–temperature conditions. The oxygen permeation flux was measured in accordance with the temperature, air pressure, and retentate flow rate, ranging from 750–950°C, 3–9 atm, and 200–1000 mL/min, respectively. The permeation testing on the BaCrOxcoated BSCF tubular membranes showed that the oxygen flux increased as the temperature, pressure, and retentate flow rate increased. The oxygen permeation flux was 5.7 mL/(min cm2) with temperature, pressure, and retentate flow rate of 900°C, 9 atm, and 1000 mL/min, respectively. The temperature dependence of the oxygen permeation process is further investigated, and the Arrhenius pre-exponential factor, as well as the apparent activation energy, is determined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]