Search

Traffic restriction policy (TRP) is common practice to alleviate urban congestion and air pollution. However, effects of TRP for non-local vehicles and elevated expressways on local and regional air quality are understudied. Using air pollutant data collected by ground-based national and roadside environmental monitoring stations and field measurements, comparative research design and regression discontinuity analysis were performed to investigate the local and regional variations in air pollutant concentrations with and without the TRP. Results indicate that traffic restriction significantly decreased the local and regional concentration levels of primary gaseous pollutants (e.g., NOX and CO), particularly under more stringent TRP during China International Import Expo, which also brought an ozone increase due to the reduced effect of NOX titration. However, the TRP only exhibited limited impacts on mitigating regional particulate pollution. These findings suggest that the air quality improvements due to the non-local TRP highly depend on the types of pollutants and the spatial locations.

Melasma is a common but complex skin condition concerning cosmetic problems. Tranexamic acid (TA) has been proved to be effective in treatment of melasma with still unclear mechanisms. Here, we show that VEGF165 enhanced the expression of VEGF receptors (VEGFRs, including VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2 and NRP-1) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), which was attenuated by TA. VEGF165 also promoted tyrosine phosphorylation of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 in HUVECs, which was again abolished by TA. TA further showed similar effects to neutralization of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 in inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation of HUVECs induced by VEGF165, suggesting that TA could inhibit angiogenesis by targeting VEGFRs in HUVECs. In addition, VEGF165 enhanced the expression of VEGFRs and promoted tyrosine phosphorylation of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 in normal human melanocytes, which were also attenuated by TA. Furthermore, TA showed similar effects to neutralization of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 in inhibiting tyrosinase activity, melanin production and even melanogenic proteins induced by VEGF165, suggesting that TA could reduce melanogenesis via inhibiting activation of VEGFRs and subsequent expression of melanogenic proteins in melanocytes. Taken together, we demonstrate that TA can inhibit angiogenesis and melanogenesis in vitro at least in part by targeting VEGFRs, which may offer a new understanding of the pathogenesis of melasma as well as the molecular mechanism for TA in treatment of the disease.

Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) is primarily recognized as an inhibitory receptor involved in the regulation of immunological tolerance. However, recent studies have indicated that PD-1/PD-L1 signaling could also regulate the functions of nonimmune cells and may be involved in regulating hair biology. In this study, we showed in a mouse model of depilation-induced hair cycling that PD-1/PD-L1 are expressed in the murine epidermis and hair follicle (HF) in a hair cycle-dependent manner. During HF morphogenesis, PD-1 expression was strongly decreased during the anagen phase compared with the catagen and telogen phases. PD-L1 expression was enhanced during the catagen phase compared with the anagen and telogen phases. Moreover, direct blockade of PD-L1 not only accelerated hair anagen phase onset but also delayed catagen progression. In conclusion, our findings indicated that PD-1/PD-L1 signaling may act as a negative regulator of hair cycle transition. Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy may thus be a promising strategy for treating anagen-reduced hair loss.

Hair loss is characterized by a shortened hair anagen phase and hair follicles (HF) miniaturization. Morroniside is the most abundant iridoid glycoside extracted from Cornus officinalis and has various bioactivities in different cell functions and tissue regeneration. In this study, we investigated the effects and the underlying mechanism of morroniside on hair growth and regulation of HF cycle transition. Morroniside treatment significantly enhanced outer root sheath cell (ORSC) proliferation and migration in vitro. Additionally, morroniside upregulated Wnt10b, β-catenin and lef1. The enhanced ORSC proliferation and migration due to morroniside treatment were partly rescued by a Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor, DKK1. Furthermore, in a hair-induced mouse model, morroniside injection accelerated the onset of anagen and delayed HF catagen, as shown by histological examination. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway expression was upregulated in the HFs. These findings suggest that morroniside regulates HF growth and development partly through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and may be a potential treatment for hair loss.

Recently, VEGFR-2 has been detected not only in vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells but also in some non-vascular endothelial cells, particularly human hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands. In addition, VEGFR-2 has been confirmed to play direct roles in hair follicle keratinocyte regulation beyond simply angiogenesis. To elucidate whether VEGFR-2 activation plays a role in hair follicle cycling regulation, immunofluorescence of VEGFR-2 expression was performed during hair cycling of the dorsum of the mouse induced by hair plucking. We observed that staining for VEGFR-2 in hair follicles during anagen II and IV was much stronger than during anagen VI, catagen and telogen. During anagen II, intense staining for VEGFR-2 was observed on the keratinocyte strands of the hair follicle. Subsequently, we detected intense staining for VEGFR-2 in the ORS, IRS and hair bulb during anagen IV. Moderate staining for VEGFR-2 was detected in the ORS and hair bulb, but staining was most intense in IRS during anagen VI. During catagen, staining for VEGFR-2 in the IRS remained intense, while staining in the ORS and hair bulb was significantly weakened and was negative in the dermal papilla. During telogen, we detected VEGFR-2 in germ cells, cap, and club hair adjoining the epidermis. In conclusion, VEGFR-2 was expressed on the hair follicles of the dorsum of the mouse and varied in expression on the mouse hair follicles during hair cycling, suggesting that VEGFR-2 may exert roles in hair cycle regulation in hair follicles on the dorsum of mice.

Background Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) play a critical role in the regulation of hair follicle (HF) growth, formation, and cycling. DPCs are thought to regulate HF growth through a paracrine mechanism, in which exosomes may play a critical role. Methods DPC-Exos were cutaneously injected into HFs at different HF cycle stages and the effects were evaluated by histological and immunohistochemical analyses. The effects of DPC-Exos on proliferation, migration, and cell cycle status of outer root sheath cells (ORSCs) were evaluated. After treatment of DPC-Exos, changes in mRNA and protein levels of β-catenin and Sonic hedgehog (Shh) in ORSCs were detected. Results DPC-Exos were approximately 105 nm in diameter and expressed tumor susceptibility gene 101, cluster of differentiation (CD)9, and CD63. Injection of DPC-Exos accelerated the onset of HF anagen and delayed catagen in mice. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that β-catenin and Shh levels were upregulated in the skin. In vitro, DPC-Exo treatment enhanced ORSC proliferation and migration, and stimulated the expression of β-catenin and Shh. Conclusion DPC-Exos contribute to the regulation of HF growth and development, and provide a potential avenue for the treatment of hair loss.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (Pparδ) is a nuclear receptor that plays critical roles in lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, and cell growth and differentiation. Several recent studies have shown that Pparδ promotes blastocyst hatching in vitro. However, the mechanism by which it promotes preimplantation embryonic development in vitro remains unclear. In this study, oocytes and parthenotes were treated with a specific agonist of PPARδ, GW501516. The activation of PPARδ had no effect on oocyte maturation for 1 μM and 10 μM GW501516 compared with the control group. Additionally, the PPARδ agonist did not affect blastocyst formation (77.79 ± 3.59% [10 μM], 79.00 ± 5.53% [50 μM], and 79.64 ± 6.00% [100 μM] vs. 81.69 ± 2.61% [control]). However, the blastocyst hatching rate was significantly greater for parthenotes treated with 10 and 50 μM agonist, and did not differ between those treated with 100 μM agonist and the control group (61.80 ± 3.03% [10 μM], 65.10 ± 5.25% [50 μM], and 38.85 ± 7.45% [100 μM] vs. 41.77 ± 10.88% [0 μM]). Activation of PPARδ also increased blastocyst quality and cell number, as well as ATP production. There were no clear differences in mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrion copy number, or glucose consumption between the treatment and control groups. However, PPARδ activation enhanced lipid accumulation via Fabp3 and Fabp5. Fatty acid oxidation also increased in response to treatment with the agonist via the rate-limiting gene Cpt2. Reactive oxygen species were modified and REDOX maintenance-related gene expression increased significantly in GW501516-exposed blastocysts. In addition, the activation of PPARδ resulted in changes in miRNA content. After treatment with the PPARδ agonist, miR-99 increased and miR-32 decreased. These data showed that PPARδ has a positive impact on blastocyst hatching via the regulation of lipid metabolism.

Glossogyne tenuifolia (GT) is the traditional herbal tea in Penghu Island, Taiwan. Recent research has shown that the active components in GT are potential inhibitors of α-glucosidase. The present study investigated that whether or not GT could improve the status of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Male Wistar rats aged eight weeks were induced to be hyperglycemic by subcutaneous injection of streptozotocin-nicotinamide (STZ-NA) and combination of high-fat diet (HFD). The animals were given GT extracts at the low dose or high dose, or the anti-diabetic drug (acarbose), in drinking water for 4 weeks. The results showed that hot water extracts from GT resulted in significantly decreases in fasting blood glucose at the 1st and 2nd weeks, fasting insulin levels at the 2nd week, 1 hour postprandial blood glucose after the starch tolerance test on Day 23 and blood glucose levels after oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at the 60th minute on Day 25. In addition, diabetic rats treated with GT extracts from hot water for 4 weeks displayed significantly decreased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the serum, liver and kidney, serum total cholesterol, fasting insulin levels and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Overall, these results demonstrate that the hot water extracts of GT might improve the progression of diabetes and decrease oxidative stress in STZ-NA-induced diabetic rats.

Glossogyne tenuifolia (GT) Cassini is a special herbal tea in the Penghu Islands, Taiwan, and has a long history of being used as an antipyretic, detoxifying, and anti-inflammatory remedy in folk medicine among local residents. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hot water extracts from GT on oxidative stress and lipid metabolism in animals. Five- to 6-week-old male Syrian hamsters were divided into four groups (n = 14) for different treatments, that is: control group (C), high-fat/cholesterol (HF) group, HF diet containing 0.5% (GT0.5) and 1.5% (GT1.5) GT extracts for 4 weeks. Hamsters fed with 0.5% GT powder as well as 1.5% GT powder exhibited reduced serum total cholesterol (TC), conjugated diene of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and increased serum antioxidant capacity, but 1.5% GT powder was more potent at lowering serum LDL cholesterol and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance concentrations than 0.5% GT. GT extracts significantly lowered liver triacylglycerol (TG) concentration by diminishing activities of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH). In addition, fecal excretion of cholesterol and bile acids were increased in GT extract groups. In conclusion, GT extracts increase the antioxidative capacity, decrease serum TC, inhibit the activities of FAS and G-6-PDH, and further reduce liver TG accumulation in hamster fed on atherogenic diets.

DECORIN is a prototypical member of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan (SLRP) family that plays important roles in numerous biological processes and cellular biological pathways. We previously showed that Decorin expression was highly enhanced in mouse dorsal hair follicles (HFs) during the anagen phase and was reduced during the catagen and telogen phases, suggesting that Decorin might modulate follicular cycling and morphogenesis. In this study, to further clarify the effects of DECORIN on hair cells and the cycling transition, an in vitro overexpression strategy and Decorin-null (Dcn-/- ) mice were used to investigate the effects of DECORIN on outer root sheath (ORS) keratinocytes. DECORIN overexpression significantly enhanced proliferation and migration in ORS keratinocytes in vitro. Moreover, DECORIN overexpression upregulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of WNT10b, β-CATENIN and LEF1. The DECORIN overexpression-induced increase in the proliferation and migration of ORS keratinocytes was partially inhibited by a Wnt/β-catenin inhibitor. Furthermore, Dcn-/- mice had a shortened anagen phase and lower levels of β-catenin expression than were observed in wild-type mice in imaging and histological analyses. Taken together, these findings suggest that DECORIN promotes the proliferation and migration of ORS keratinocytes in vitro and maintains hair anagen in mice.

Single crystalline noble metal nanocages are the most promising candidates for heterogeneous catalysis due to their large specific surface area, well-defined structure and enhanced structural stability. Herein, based on the observation of an unexpected phenomenon that the alloying of Pt and transition metals by co-reduction is more preferential than the formation of pure Pt NCs, we propose a feasible one-pot strategy to synthesize a uniformly epitaxial core–shell Pt–Ni structure with a Ni-rich alloy as the core and a Pt-rich alloy as the shell. The as-prepared Pt–Ni core–shell structures are subsequently etched into monocrystalline Pt–Ni branched nanocages with the wall thickness being 2.8 nm. This unique structure exhibits excellent catalytic performance and stability for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline solution which is of great significance for the energy-intensive water-alkali and chlor-alkali industry.

The variety and content of phenolic acids and flavonoids in a Chinese herb Rhinacanthus nasutus were determined by developing an HPLC method coupled with photodiode-array-detection and tandem-mass-spectrometry. A high yield of phenolic acids and flavonoids was obtained using 30% ethanol-in-water and shaking in 60 °C water-bath for 3 h. By employing a C18 column and gradient mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid-in-water and acetonitrile, a total of 20 phenolic acids and 3 flavonoids were separated within 45 min with detection at 280 nm, flow rate at 0.8 mL/min and column temperature at 35 °C. Internal standards vanillic acid and quercetin were used for quantitation of phenolic acids and flavonoids in R. nasutus, respectively, which included caffeic acid derivatives (6.40 mg/g), quercetin derivatives (4.43 mg/g), ferulic acid derivatives (3.20 mg/g), p-coumaric acid derivatives (1.63 mg/g), sinapic acid hexoside (1.11 mg/g), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (1.02 mg/g), hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (0.44 mg/g) and protocatechuic acid (0.39 mg/g).

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the effects of several vegetable oils and blended oil composed of soybean and camellia oils on blood lipid reduction and antioxidative activity. Methods Forty male hamsters were fed an AIN-93 G diet for 1 wk, followed by dividing into five groups: control group-1 was fed a low-fat diet containing 5% oil for 6 wk, and the other four groups were fed high-fat diets with group-2 containing 14% palm oil, group-3 containing 14% camellia oil, group-4 containing 14% soybean oil, and group-5 containing 14% blended oil (8.4% soybean oil and 5.6% camellia oil) along with 0.2% cholesterol and 0.1% bile acid. Results High-fat diets raised serum triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, and aspartate aminotransferase in hamsters without affecting alanine aminotransferase. Compared with palm oil-containing diet, the other three high-fat diets reduced serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and the ratio of low-density lipoprotein to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with an opposite trend for liver total cholesterol. However, compared with the control group, the serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was raised for all four high-fat diets. The higher the degree of oil unsaturation, the higher the serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and the lower the liver triacylglycerol level and activities of fatty acid synthase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and malic enzymes. Both soybean and blended oils lowered the antioxidative activity of liver. Conclusion Camellia and blended oils were more efficient than soybean oil in elevating serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and decreasing the ratio of low-density lipoprotein to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in hamsters.

The present study investigated the anti-oxidative and hepatoprotective effects of Glossogyne tenuifolia (GT) Cassini, against acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury in BALB/c mice. The extracts of GT by various solvents (hot water, 50% ethanol and 95% ethanol) were compared for their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, reducing power, total phenolic content, and total anti-oxidant capacity. The results showed that hot water (HW) extracts of GT contained high levels of phenolics and exerted an excellent anti-oxidative capacity; thus, these were used in the animal experiment. The male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control group, acetaminophen (APAP) group, positive control group and two GT groups at low (GT-L) and high (GT-H) dosages. The results showed that mice treated with GT had significantly decreased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). GT-H increased glutathione levels and the ratios of reduced glutathione and oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) in the liver, and inhibited serum and lipid peroxidation. This experiment was the first to determine phenolic compounds, chlorogenic acid and luteolin-7-glucoside in HW extract of GT. In conclusion, HW extract of GT may have potential anti-oxidant capacity and show hepatoprotective capacities in APAP-induced liver damaged mice.

Aims/Introduction The aim of the present study was to investigate an appropriate level of physical activity and optimal dietary intake in older type 2 diabetes patients. Materials and Methods The cross-sectional study enrolled 210 older type 2 diabetes patients. Participants were interviewed to obtain information on physical activity, 24-h dietary recall and typical weekly dietary patterns. Anthropometric measurements, and biochemical analysis of blood and urine were determined. Results Moderate physical activity (either moderate leisure-time physical activity or moderate physical activity level) and diet with protein intake of ≥0.8 g/kg/day were associated with lower glycated hemoglobin and triglyceride, higher high-density lipoprotein, lower waist circumference, body mass index and body fat, as well as better serum magnesium and albumin levels in older diabetic patients. In contrast, inadequate protein intake was correlated with higher glycated hemoglobin, triglyceride, body fat percentage, waist circumference and body mass index. In addition, high physical activity with inadequate protein and magnesium intake might exacerbate magnesium deficiency, resulting in poor glycemic control in older diabetic patients. Furthermore, low physical activity and inadequate protein intake were linked with poor glycemic control, and lower high-density lipoprotein, and higher triglyceride, body fat percentage, waist circumference and body mass index. Conclusions Moderate physical activity and adequate dietary protein intake (≥0.8 g/kg/day) might be the optimal recommendation for better metabolic control in older adults with type 2 diabetes.

This study evaluated the feasibility of the mixed material as matrix of eco-toilet and the temporal change of pH value, T-N, T-P, T-K, organic matter and total reduction rate of dry weight in the compost. The mixed material of beanstalk and sawdust with a volume ratio of 1:1 can be used as reaction matrix of on-site composting-type eco-toilet to improve the microbial treatment of human feces. The human feces and urine could be composted to organic fertilizer rich in elements N, P and K. Change of pH in the toilet was divided two phases: changing phase (7.1-8.8) and stable phase (8.4-8.5). T-N, T-P and T-K contents increased with gradual input of feces and urine. Organic matter content decreased from 82.8% to 71.7% and the total reduction rate of dry weight increased gradually from 62.9% to 92.2%. Compost produced in the toilet could be used as organic fertilizer with the optimal concentration ratios for different plants.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of physiological and pathological angiogenesis. The biological effects of VEGF are mediated by receptor tyrosine kinases. VEGF receptor-2, the primary receptor for VEGF, is thought to mediate most functional effects. In this study, we examined the expression and roles of VEGF receptor-2 on human outer root sheath cells (ORS). The expression of VEGFR-2 was determined at mRNA and protein levels by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. Localization of VEGFR-2 in ORS cells was detected by immunofluorescence. The effect of VEGF on ORS cell proliferation was determined by MTT assays. Our data showed the expression of VEGFR-2 on ORS cells at both mRNA and protein levels. Immunostaining for VEGFR-2 demonstrated strong signal on cultured ORS cells. Exogenous VEGF(165) stimulated proliferation of ORS cells and upregulated expression of VEGFR-2 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, VEGF(165) induced phosphorylation of VEGFR-2, PLC-γ1, PKC-α, MEK, and p44/42 MAPK (ERK1/2) in a time-dependent manner. Taken together, human ORS cells express functional VEGF receptor-2 and exogenous VEGF(165) upregulates expression of VEGFR-2 and stimulates proliferation of ORS cells via VEGFR-2 mediated ERK signaling pathway.

Drinking deep seawater (DSW) with high levels of magnesium (Mg) decreased serum lipids in animal studies. Therefore the effects of drinking DSW on blood lipids and its antioxidant capacity in hypercholesterolemic subjects were investigated. DSW was first prepared by a process of filtration and reverse osmosis, and then the concentrated DSW with high levels of Mg was diluted as drinking DSW. Forty-two hypercholesterolemic volunteers were randomly divided into three groups: reverse osmotic (RO) water, DSW (Mg: 395 mg/L, hardness 1410 ppm), and magnesium-chloride fortified (MCF) water (Mg: 386 mg/L, hardness 1430 ppm). The subjects drank 1050 mL of water daily for 6 weeks, and blood samples were collected and analyzed on weeks 0, 3, and 6. Drinking DSW caused a decrease in blood total cholesterol levels and this effect was progressively enhanced with time. Serum low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol (LDL-C) was also decreased by DSW. Further, total cholesterol levels of subjects in the DSW group were significantly lower than those in the MCF water or RO water groups. Compared with week 0, the DSW group had higher blood Mg level on weeks 3 and 6, but the Mg levels were within the normal range in all three groups. DSW consumption also lowered thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) values in serum. In conclusion, DSW was apparently effective in reducing blood total cholesterol and LDL-C, and also in decreasing lipid peroxidation in hypercholesterolemic subjects.

We investigated the efficacy of mung bean sprout in reducing hypertension. Different dosages of raw sprout extract (RSE) or dried sprout extracts (DSE) and enzyme-digested sprout extracts were used in a single intragastric administration test to examine the short-term effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Results indicated that high doses (600 mg peptide/kg body weight) extracts significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) of the rats after administration for 6–9, 3–6 and 3–9 h, respectively. Plasma angiotensin I-converting enzyme activities in the treated rats also decreased. A long-term (1 month) intervention study that consists of treatment groups of fresh sprout powder, dried sprout powder and concentrated extracts of the sprouts (RSE and DSE, respectively) was carried out. Results indicated that the sprout powders were not as efficacious as concentrated sprout extracts. SBP of the rats in the RSE and DSE groups were significantly reduced during the intervention period from week 1–4 and week 2–4, respectively. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The results suggested that although fresh and low doses of mung bean sprout or sprout extracts did not have apparent antihypertensive effects, high doses of sprout extracts significantly decreased blood pressure in the experimental animals. Therefore, concentrated mung bean sprout juice has potential applications in the preventive management of hypertension. It might be utilized for physiologically functional food with antihypertensive activity.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of two CLAs , 9-cis, 11-trans CLA and 10-trans, 12-cis on cholesterol degradation and cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) formation in lard during heating for varied length of time. No CLAs and approximately 1770.1 µg/mL of cholesterol were detected in lard. Additionally, there was no significant change in the level of cholesterol and COPs in lard during heating at 100°C over a period of 240 min. But, at 150 or 200°C, the degradation of cholesterol was prominent with substantial amount of COPs being formed. Formation profiles of 7-OOH, 7-OH, and 7-keto at 150°C as well as 5,6-epoxides at both 150 and 200°C were fitted by a first-order equation, while a pseudo-second-order model described the kinetic pathway of 7-OH and 7-keto formation at 200°C. The formation of 7-OOH at 200°C were fitted as multiple first-order formation and first-order degradation curves as its level reached a peak at 60 min and declined to zero. Incorporation of 100 µg/mL CLA showed antioxidant activity, whereas a prooxidant activity was observed for CLA at 500 µg/mL. The outcome of this study demonstrated the potential of CLA to be an antioxidant in oil system.

This study aims to investigate the changing of operational parameters and waste reducing rate, as well as the possibility of using produced composts as organic fertilizer in an on-site composting-type eco-toilet filled with mixed materials of beanstalk and sawdust as reaction matrix. During the 23-week period, change of pH was divided into three phases: acid phase (6.63-7.00), alkaline phase (9.00-9.71) and stable phase (8.10-9.00). With continuous input of feces and urine, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total potassium contents was increased to reach 4.3%, 1.06% and 2.03%, respectively. Organic matter content decreased from 95.6% to 76.2% and the total reduction rate of dry weight increased gradually from 46.93% to 92.29%. The composts could be used as organic fertilizer at suitable concentrations. The suitable concentration for cucumber, cabbage and rape growth was obtained to be at compost ratios of 1:15-1:30, 1:15-1:20 and 1:25-1:40, respectively. Microbial utilization efficiency of human feces and urine could be improved when the mixed material of beanstalk and sawdust was used as reaction matrix in an on-sit composting-type eco-toilet. The mixed materials with beanstalk and sawdust at a volume ratio of 1:1 was found to be efficient to transform human feces and urine into organic fertilizer rich in the elements of N, P and K.

Excessive UVR ranks among the most harmful environmental influences on human skin. However, the direct impact of UVR on human skin appendages remains to be systematically investigated. Organ-cultured human anagen hair follicles in vitro were irradiated, and reduction of hair shaft elongation, premature catagen entry, and reduced hair matrix keratinocyte proliferation were observed upon irradiation with UVB (20/50 mJ cm(-2)). At 20 mJ cm(-2), apoptotic cell death prevailed (casp-3/p53 activation), whereas at 50 mJ cm(-2), necrotic cell death was predominant (lactate dehydrogenase increase). Mitochondrial common deletion and oxidatively damaged genomic DNA (8-OH-dG) was mainly observed at 20 mJ cm(-2). Follicular melanogenesis and ACTH immunoreactivity drastically declined, but alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone remained unchanged, whereas transforming growth factor-beta(2) expression shifted from the outer toward the inner root sheath. Both the number of Giemsa+ mast cells and the degree of mast-cell degranulation increased in the connective tissue sheath (CTS), and CD117 immunoreactivity of CTS cells and matrix keratinocytes was upregulated. Thus, UVR differentially modifies hair growth and cycle, promotes cell death, and induces complex regulatory events in human hair follicles in vitro. The leads from this human organ model, which is a living and human tissue interaction system under physiologically relevant in situ conditions, may encourage its use for general investigation of UV-induced effects as well as for testing possible agents for their UV-protective potency.

Soft-shelled turtle is a highly economic species and plays a mystical role in traditional Chinese medicine. The present study analyzed the positional distribution in triacylglycerol (TG) of soft-shelled turtle oil (STO) and its effects on lipid metabolism in hamsters fed a high fat diet. Analysis showed that TG made up the maximum fragments among lipid classes of STO, with eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) integrated in the sn-1,3 position of TG. For the animal study, forty male hamsters were randomly divided into five groups and fed a control diet (5% fat), high fat diet (HF, 10% fat) and HF diets containing 2% (STO2), 4% (STO4) or 6% (STO6) soft-shelled turtle oil for 28 days. The body weight gain and food intakes were comparable between hamsters fed HF diet and HF diet containing STO from 2% to 6% during the experiment. Hamsters fed HF diets containing 2–6% STO showed decreased liver TG, and HF diets containing 4% or 6% STO showed decreased serum TG but increased serum total cholesterol. In addition, enzyme activities of lipogenesis in hepatic malic enzyme and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were lower in hamsters fed 4% or 6% STO than in those fed the high fat diet. These results suggest that dietary 4% or 6% STO, with different intramolecular distributions of n-3 PUFA, might decrease serum and liver TG concentrations by diminishing enzyme activities involved in liver fatty acid synthesis.

Soft-shelled turtle (SST) is a high-value animal cultivated in Asia, possessing many mystical folk curative properties in traditional Chinese medicine. This study investigated the effects of enzymatic hydrolysate derived from defatted SST powder on inhibition of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and on antihypertensive effect of spontaneously hypertension rats (SHR). The SST powder showed limited inhibition of ACE (IC 50 = 16.7 mg/ mL), while its enzymatic hydrolysate exhibited a fivefold increase in inhibition of ACE (IC 50 = 3.2 mg/mL). The fraction of molecular weight (Mr) less than 1000 Da obtained through ultrafiltration exhibited the best inhibition of ACE (IC 50 = 2.8 mg/mL). The fraction of Mr less than 1000 was then separated into six fractions by gel filtration, eluted with deionized water, and the ACE inhibitory activity from three fractions was analyzed. Fractions 4 and 5 with Mr at 560-600 Da and 440-480 Da had the strongest inhibition on ACE. Single oral administration of 500 mg/kg BW dose from enzymatic hydrolysates to SHR showed a noticeable decrease ofsystolic blood pressure (SBP) at the sixth and eighth hour after the administration when compared to 0 h (P < 0.05). The fractions with Mr over 5000 Da from enzymatic hydrolysate significantly lowered SBP after a single oral administration at a dose of 500 mg/kg BW in SHR. On the other hand, Mr less than 5000 and 1000 Da significantly lowered SBP after a single oral administration at a dose of 150 and 50 mg/kg BW. The results suggested that hydrolysates of defatted SST powder, produced with a gastrointestinal enzyme, showed inhibition of ACE activity and antihypertensive effect in SHR.

Lecithin vesicles, prepared by the dehydration-rehydration (DR) method, were used to encapsulate bovine serum albumin (BSA). These were used to test the feasibility of making liposomes containing phytosterols, such as β-sitosterol and stigmasterol, as a substitute for cholesterol. Their physicochemical properties such as encapsulation efficiency (EE), stabilities of storage, pH, and oxidization were investigated to assess substitutability. Liposomes prepared with phytosterols or cholesterol exhibited higher EE for BSA than those prepared without the addition of sterols. In addition, the EE of liposomes was increased with repeating a DR cycle five times. Liposomes at pH 6 or 7 were most stable, irrespective of phytosterols or cholesterol being added. Liposomes stored at 4 °C had a higher residual percentage than those stored at -20 °C or room temperature. The addition of sterols to liposomes was effective in decreasing thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) during storage periods; the antioxidation was more marked when α-tocopherol was added to liposomes. The results indicate that replacing cholesterol with phytosterols in preparing liposomes is feasible and recommended.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of genistein supplementation in a vitamin E-deficient diet on the genistein concentrations and the lipid oxidation of serum, liver and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) of hamsters. Thirty-six male hamsters were randomly divided into three groups and fed a vitamin E-deficient semisynthetic diet (AIN-76) containing different levels of genistein, i.e., G0 (control group, genistein-free diet), G50 (50 mg genistein/kg diet) and G200 (200 mg genistein/kg diet) for 5 weeks. The concentrations of genistein in serum and liver significantly increased with the increase of genistein supplementation. The vitamin E contents in LDL were higher in hamsters fed G50 or G200 diets than in hamsters fed genistein-free diet. Genistein supplementation to hamsters significantly reduced the propagation rate during conjugated diene formation of LDL oxidation, and the lag time of LDL oxidation in hamsters fed G200 diets was significantly lower than that of G0 diets. In addition, genistein supplementation significantly raised serum total antioxidant capacity and decreased the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) of LDL and liver in hamsters. However, no significant differences in TBARS were found in serum, irrespective of genistein addition. On the other hand, the relative contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids in LDL were decreased after genistein supplementation. There was a negative correlation between lag time and P/S ratio, and a positive correlation between lag time and vitamin E contents. These data demonstrate that genistein supplementation markedly increased its concentrations in body tissues and reduced oxidative stress of lipid oxidation of serum, liver and LDL.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a mixture of dietary chicken essence and fish oil on possible lowering of blood and hepatic lipids in hamsters. Forty male hamsters were randomly divided into four groups and fed a chow diet, high fat/cholesterol diet (HFC), HFC diets containing 4% (HFC4) or 8% (HFC8) fish oil with essence of chicken for 42 days. The experimental diets contained 10% (w/w) fat. Hamsters fed HFC diets containing either 4 or 8% fish oil with essence of chicken showed significantly decreased serum triacylglycerols (TG) compared to hamsters fed HFC diets. In addition, hamsters fed HFC8 diets exhibited significantly reduced hepatic TG than those fed HFC diet. However, hamsters fed HFC4 or HFC8 diets significantly increased low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) when compared with those on HFC diet. These results suggest that 4% (or more) fish oil with essence of chicken might significantly lower serum TG and hepatic TG in hamsters, but seem to increase serum cholesterol levels on HFC diets.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of different P/S (polyunsaturated/saturated) ratios on lipid peroxidation of plasma, liver and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in rats, using dietary fats with different saturation levels. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing about 300 g were randomly divided into five groups and fed a semisynthetic diet containing 10% (w/w) fat for 6 weeks. The fat was composed of 100, 75, 50, 25, 0% corn oil and 0, 25, 50, 75, 100% lard (CO100, CO75, CO50, CO25 and LA groups, with P/S ratios of 3.81, 2.13, 1.21, 0.64, and 0.28, respectively) respectively. The body and liver weight of rats fed dietary fat with different P/S ratios were comparable among 5 groups. The CO100 group had higher plasma TBARS (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances) than the CO25 and LA groups. The TBARS of LDL in LA and CO25 groups were lower than those of the other (CO100, CO75 and CO50) groups. In addition, the rats fed P/S ratio ≦1.21 (i.e., CO50, CO25, and LA groups) had lower LDL TBARS than rats fed P/S ratio >1.21 (i.e., CO100 and CO75 groups) when LDL were incubated with Cu 2+ at 37 °C for 2 or 5 h. On the other hand, rats fed diets with P/S ratio ≦1.21 experienced significantly increase lag time of conjugated diene formation in LDL than those fed P/S >1.21. The fatty acid content of 18:2 (n-6) in LDL was reduced by decreasing the ratio of P/S in dietary fat. The ratio of linoleic acid content to oleic acid content was inversely correlated with the lag time of LDL oxidation. However, different P/S ratio in the diet did not affect 18:1 (n − 9), vitamin E levels and the TBARS values in liver of rats. The results suggested that P/S ratios in the diet influenced the LDL oxidation, and the lipid peroxidation might have a threshold of P/S ratios between 1.21 and 0.64.

Background The functional state of vasculature is tightly controlled by vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Recent studies revealed that VEGFR-2 is expressed on hair follicle keratinocytes. Objective We proposed to investigate its effect on proliferation, adhesion and migration of cultured human outer root sheath cells from central hair follicle epithelium. Methods These studies were undertaken in vitro using human outer root sheath cells from central hair follicle epithelium, immunohistochemistry analysis, immunofluorescence microscopy, western blot analysis, MTT, trans well analysis, and RT-PCR. Results Our results show that VEGFR-2 is expressed in these cells in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, proliferation and migration of cultured human outer root sheath cells from central hair follicle epithelium is increased by VEGF 165 , while homotypic adhesion is decreased but heterotypic adhesion is increased. VEGF 165 upregulates integrin β1 but dowregulates lgr6 expression. In addition, phosphorylation of VEGFR-2, Erk1/2, c-Jun and p38, are increased following VEGF 165 treatment and these effects are reversed by a VEGFR-2 neutralizing antibody. Conclusion Our results suggest a role of VEGF/VEGFR-2 beyond angiogenesis in hair follicle regulation.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary deep frying oil (DO) on levels of plasma and liver lipids, and fecal steroid excretion in rats. The DO was prepared by frying fresh soybean oil (FO) at 200°C, 6 h each, for four consecutive days. Male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats ingested diets containing 15% FO or DO with or without 1% cholesterol for 6 weeks. Rats on the DO diet with cholesterol had a lower food intake and body weight gain compared to the FO diet with cholesterol. The concentration of plasma esterified cholesterol was higher in rats on DO diet than in rats on FO diet, although the plasma triacylglycerols (TG) were similar between the groups. The DO diet resulted in a lower content of liver TG and cholesterol, and less excretion of acidic and neutral steroids than did the FO diet. These results showed that ingestion of frying oil with cholesterol aggravated hypercholesterolemia, even though absorption of dietary cholesterol may be lower in rats on DO diet.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promotes angiogenesis and plays important roles both in physiological and pathological conditions. VEGF receptors (VEGFRs) are high-affinity receptors for VEGF and are originally considered specific to endothelial cells. We previously reported that VEGFRs were also constitutively expressed in normal human keratinocytes and overexpressed in psoriatic epidermis. In addition, UVB can activate VEGFRs in normal keratinocytes, and the activated VEGFR-2 signaling is involved in the pro-survival mechanism. Here, we show that VEGFRs were also upregulated and activated by UVA in normal human keratinocytes via PKC, and interestingly, both the activated VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 protected against UVA-induced cell death. As VEGFRs were over-expressed in psoriatic epidermis, we further investigated whether narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) phototherapy or topical halomethasone monohydrate 0.05% cream could affect their expression. Surprisingly, the over-expressed VEGFRs in psoriatic epidermis were significantly attenuated by both treatments. During NB-UVB therapy, VEGFRs declined first in the basal, and then gradually in the upper psoriatic epidermis. VEGFRs were activated in psoriatic epidermis, their activation was enhanced by NB-UVB, but turned undetectable after whole therapy. This process was quite different from that by halomethasone, in which VEGFRs and phospho-VEGFRs decreased in a gradual, homogeneous manner. Our findings further suggest that UV-induced activation of VEGFRs serves as a pro-survival signal for keratinocytes. In addition, VEGFRs may be involved in the pathological process of psoriasis, and UV phototherapy is effective for psoriasis by directly modulating the expression of VEGFRs.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the strongest regulators of physiological and pathological angiogenesis. VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), the primary receptor for VEGF, is thought to mediate major functional effects of VEGF. Previously, we have localized both VEGF and VEGFR-2 in human hair follicles. In this study, we further defined the expression and roles of VEGFR-2 on human hair follicle dermal papilla (DP) cells. The expression of VEGFR-2 on DP cells was examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis separately, and localization of VEGFR-2 was defined by immunofluorescence. The effect of VEGF on DP cells was analyzed by MTT assays and specific inhibitors. Finally, the role of VEGF involved in the signaling pathways was investigated by Western blot. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis demonstrated the expression of VEGFR-2 on DP cells. Immunostaining for VEGFR-2 showed strong signal on cultured human DP cells in vitro. Exogenous VEGF(165) stimulated proliferation of DP cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, this stimulation was blocked by a VEGFR-2 neutralizing antibody (MAB3571) and an ERK inhibitor (PD98059). VEGF(165)-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was abolished by MAB3571 and PD98059, while the phosphorylation of p38, JNK and AKT were not changed by VEGF(165). Taken together, VEGFR-2 is expressed on primary human hair follicle DP cells and VEGF induces proliferation of DP cells through VEGFR-2/ERK pathway, but not p38, JNK or AKT signaling.

Primary cultures of rat Leydig and Sertoli cells were used to evaluate the direct effects of GTW on testicular cells and to compare these to the effects of gossypol acetate. Both GTW and gossypol acetate can affect the survival of Leydig and Sertoli cells. But Sertoli cells are much more sensitive than Leydig cells, either to gossypol acetate or GTW. Leydig and Sertoli cells all died when they were exposed to gossypol acetate or GTW at a dose of 3.0 micrograms/ml or 30 micrograms/ml, respectively, for 24 hours. The cell survival-time course demonstrated that the cell numbers were decreased after 2 hours, and especially so after 8 hours. No significant changes were observed in testosterone production in Leydig cells after 24 hours of exposure to 1.0-20 micrograms/ml GTW. The forward motility of epididymal spermatozoa was completely lost and fertility of rat was significantly inhibited after the treatment of GTW in vivo. It is concluded that GTW does affect the fertility of rat and viability of cultured rat Leydig and Sertoli cells.

Objective Ingestion of deep-frying oil has been reported to cause physiologic and histologic changes in experimental animals' tissue, increase the oxidative stress, and possibly lead to death. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of deep-frying oil on oxidative stress and blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. Methods Deep-frying oil was prepared by frying fresh soybean oil at 180 ± 5°C for 8 h each day, for 4 consecutive days. Male SHR and WKY rats were fed diets containing 15% fresh soybean oil or deep-frying oil (DO) for 10 wk. Results Rats ingesting the DO diet had lower feed efficiency and higher relative liver and kidney weights but deep frying had no significant influence on blood pressure in WKY or SHR rats. The DO diet had no effect on plasma renin activity, aldosterone content, or tissue angiotension-I–converting enzyme activity. WKY rats fed the DO diet showed significantly increased urinary thromboxane B 2 and 8-iso-prostaglandin F 2α excretion, but not urinary 6-keto-prostaglandin F 1α excretion. Diets containing deep-frying oil resulted in increased plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and nitric oxide contents and decreased plasma total antioxidant capacity in SHR and WKY rats. Conclusion The ingestion of deep-frying oil seemed not to influence blood pressure or its related parameters, but altered eicosanoid metabolism and elevated oxidative stress in SHR and WKY rats.

The formation of trans fatty acids in chicken legs during frying in unhydrogenated and hydrogenated soybean oil was studied. Frying was conducted at 160 degrees C, 180 degrees C and 200 degrees C for 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 min, with the various cis and trans fatty acids being analyzed in unhydrogenated and hydrogenated soybean oil, as well as chicken leg meat and chicken leg skin, using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique. Results showed that the amounts of most fatty acids decreased along with increasing frying temperature and frying time when fried in unhydrogenated or hydrogenated soybean oil. No trans fatty acids were formed in chicken leg meat fried in unhydrogenated or hydrogenated soybean oil. Instead, the formation of trans fatty acids was observed in chicken leg skin fried in hydrogenated soybean oil, probably because of oil absorption. A maximum level of trans fatty acids occurred 15 min after frying and then declined thereafter.

Employing S-15 - bio-toilet as the testing device and pulverized bean stalk particles as the conditioner, an experimental study is made on the aerobic reduction and changes of nutrient content of human feces. The index changes of PH value, organic matter, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total potassium (TK) etc. are measured. The results show that using bean stalks as the bio-toilet conditioner has a good treatment effect. The average decomposition rate of the dry weight of the mixture per week is 37.49% ,and the cumulative decomposition rate reaches 95.23%. In the resulting products, the PH value is 7.2, the total amount of organic matter is 71.02% and the content of TN, TP and TK is 3.72%, 1.53% and 4.71%, respectively. The resulting products can be recycled as an efficient organic fertilizer.

In this work, the 30 stacked InAs/GaAs quantum dot infrared photodetector (QDIP) structure was grown by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy technique and demonstrated with dual-band mid- (2.7~5.6μm) and long- (7.5~13.5μm) wavelength normal-incident detections without grating and passivated process for 256×256 FPA. The 256 ×256 QDIP FPA hybridized with snapshot-mode ROIC was mounted in a 68 pin leadless ceramic chip carrier which was put in the testing dewar with IR optical cold spectral filters of the 2.9~5.5μm and 6.5~14.5 μm for the dual-band IR detections, respectively. The testing scheme for thermal imaging uniformity of the InAs/GaAs QDIP focal plane array (FPA) has been proposed and calibrated using a plane-typed blackbody source of a high temperature of 373±1K and lower ambient temperature for the two-point temperature correction. The averaged of specific detectivity (D*) and operability of the QDIP FPA have reached 1.5×10 10 cm-Hz 1/2 /W and 99% at 80K, respectively. The dominant noise equivalent temperature differences (NEDT) of typical figure of merit for QDIP thermal imaging module operated under the temperature of 80K, device biases of -0.7 V and integration time of 32ms with infrared optics and two-point temperature correction (T L =R.T. and T H = 200 °C) are 1.065 K (mid-wavelength IR) and 131mK (long-wavelength IR), respectively. Meanwhile, it is worth to note that these are the first confirmation for dual-band detections of FPA from direct InAs quantum dots matrix embedded in GaAs heterostructure. In the future, the dual-band IR QDIP FPA will become one of the important candidates for hyper-spectral detection and thermal imaging fusion application.

This paper investigated the effects of beta-cyclodextrins (beta-CD) and its two derivatives, hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD) and carboxymethyl-beta-cyclodextrin (CMCD), on the solubility and biodegradation of 2-nitrophenyl by an Acinetbacter sp. Results showed that beta-CD, HPCD and CMCD could not be utilized by Acinetbacter sp. as sole carbon source and none of the CDs had toxic effects on the growth of the bacteria in the experiments; all the CDs could enhance the apparent solubility and accelerate the biodegradation of 2-nitrobipheny. It showed that biodegradation-accelerating effects of CDs on 2-nitrobiphenyl were correlated with their solubility-enhancing effects. Among three CDs investigated, CMCD had the most obvious effects both on the apparent solubility and the biodegradation, followed by beta-CD and HPCD.

Electronic and optical properties of ideal and real quantum dots (QDs) are extensively studied and derived for the recent decade. Strain caused by the differences of the lattice constants of dot and wetting, barrier materials are decisive for both the self-assembly mechanisms and the electro-optical properties. The research is mainly investigated for realizing the strain effects on the optical properties of InAs/GaAs self-assembled QDs embedded in GaAs barrier layer incorporated with the three-dimensional (3D) Schordinger equation and solved by using finite element method (FEM). From 3D QD geometrical profiles establishing by the spatially geometric equations, the confined electron and hole bandstructures on altering sized lens and pyramidal shape-like QDs with numerical calculations and strained heterostructure of the finite element approximations have been proposed. Applying the fast FEM models, it is demonstrated that the correspondence of ground, excited eigenstates, the probability of density function (|Ψ| 2 ) of the confined levels from the single InAs QD to a matrix of nine QDs to obtain the transition energy and coordinated absorption wavelength to be predicted and summarized clearly. Through calculating energy levels within the conduction and valence band edge confinement on the InAs/GaAs heterostructure with FEM to contradistinguish with corrected to optical transitions and linear absorption spectra can be achieved for verifying to being the specific wavelengths from photoluminescence (PL) and photoresponse (PR) measurements for quantum dot infrared photodetector. By fitting the energy differences among the subbands, the geometrical shape and size of QD can be predicted. Inducting the tendency from single QD to the matrix of 9 QDs, the step-wise bands have been obtained being some regularity clearly. And from the transmission electron microscope (TEM) measurement, the dominant sizes of QDs in the really grown wafer remain the consistent with the numerical analyses applied in 3D QD profile that is interpreted using spatially geometric equations.

Background Dermal papilla cells (DPC) are a group of mesenchyme-derived cells at the base of the hair follicle, where they regulate and control hair follicle growth through the expression and secretion of cytokines. Nevertheless, the role of DPC derived chemokines and other cytokines in the hair follicle biology remain speculative. In this study, we investigated the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and stem cell factor (SCF) in different passages of cultured DPC and their effects on the biological behaviour of DPC. Methods The expression of bFGF, ET-1 and SCF in different passages of cultured DPC and their possible effects on the biological behavior of DPC are investigated using in situ hybridization and immunochemistry. In addition, we performed transplantation of hair follicle cells into nude mice. The cultured DPC, dermal sheath cells and fibroblast of human scalp, respectively, were mixed with cells of the hair follicle epithelium in different ratios, and then were cultured in hair follicle organotypic cultures or implanted into the subcutis of nude mice. Results The expression of ET-1 and SCF in early passages of cultured DPC became stronger, but turned weaker and even negative in late passages (>6 passages). Hair follicle-like structures were formed after DPC combined with the cells of hair follicle epithelium cells in hair follicle organotypic cultures. When hair follicle organotypic cultures were implanted into the subcutis of nude mice, the relative intact hair follicles were formed. After the transplantation of hair follicle cells into the nude mice, the hair follicle-like structure was formed in the group that contained DPC mixed with hair follicle epithelium cells. However, no hair follicles were formed in the other two groups. It was found that the higher the expression of ET-1 and SCF in DPC, the stronger the ability of DPC to induce hair follicle regeneration. Conclusions The cultured DPC can induce hair follicle regeneration and sustain hair growth in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, the expression of ET-1 and SCF is correlated with the ability of DPC inducing hair follicle regeneration.

In this work, a new improved FEM approach is described for analyzing strain distributions, computing electronic structure, and simulating the optical property of InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dot. A window-based software FEMLAB has been employed for multiphysics simulation. This approach can be used as a guideline for fast quantum-dot device structure design, especially in quantum dot lasers and quantum dot infrared photodetectors. Furthermore, the proposed approach and model could be used to develop three-dimensional nano-device simulator with further specific device module.

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) have been reported to protect cells, tissues, and organisms against damage from a wide variety of stressful stimuli. Whether they protect against deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage in individuals exposed to environmental stresses and chemical carcinogens is unknown. In the study, we investigated the association between Hsp70 levels (the most abundant mammalian Hsp) and genotoxic damage in lymphocytes of workers exposed to coke-oven emission using Western dot blot and 2 DNA damage assays, the comet assay and the micronucleus test. The data show that there is a significant increase in Hsp70 levels, DNA damage score, and micronucleus rates in lymphocytes of workers exposed to coke-oven emission as compared with the control subjects. Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation of Hsp70 levels with DNA damage scores in the comet assay (r = −0.663, P < 0.01) and with micronucleus rates (r = −0.461, P < 0.01) in the exposed group. In the control group, there was also a light negative correlation between Hsp70 with DNA damage and micronuclei rate (r = −0.236 and r = 0.242, respectively), but it did not reach a statistically significant level (P > 0.05). Our results show that individuals who had high Hsp70 levels generally showed lower genotoxic damage than others. These results suggest a role of Hsp70 in the protection of DNA from genotoxic damage induced by coke-oven emission.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), in particular oleic acid, under fixed P/S and n-6/n-3 ratios on serum and liver lipid metabolism in rats. The male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 28 days were fed diets low in MUFA (LM) or high in MUFA (HM) with or without 1% cholesterol for 4 weeks. The experimental diets contained 10% (w/w) fat. The body weight gain, food efficiency, and liver weight were comparable among the groups except for an increase in liver weight by dietary cholesterol. When cholesterol-added diets were fed, the concentration of serum cholesterol in the HM group was higher than that of the corresponding LM group at second week and at the end of experiment. The concentration of serum triacylglycerol in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched HM diet was markedly lower than that of cholesterol-free counterpart. Both MUFA and cholesterol tended to increase serum low density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentration, but they had no interaction. Serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol in cholesterol-enriched groups was lower than that in the cholesterol-free counterparts, but it was independent of the MUFA content. Dietary cholesterol markedly increased the concentration of liver cholesterol and triacylglycerol and the increase in liver cholesterol was more marked in the HM group than in the LM group, while the level of liver triacylglycerol was comparable. The fecal excretion of neutral and acidic steroids increased when 1% cholesterol was added to the diets, irrespective of the MUFA content in the diets. Thus, the results indicate that the proposed beneficial effect of MUFA on cholesterol can be modified when diet contains cholesterol.

In this paper, a process of controlling the size of silicon (Si) quantum dots in SiO2 layers by Si+ implantation and rapid thermal annealing (RTA) is proposed. Through the proposed process, nanoscale Si islands in the range of 2–5 nm have been generated and then analyzed by various techniques including photoluminescence (PL) analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The characterization results are consistent with the results of theoretical computation based on the quantum confinement model by the finite-element method (FEM). The proposed process and results will be helpful in developing single-electron devices.

Rats hyper-responsive to a diet containing cholesterol plus cholic acid (exogenous hypercholesterolemic (ExHC) rats) were used to assess if cholesterol feeding at weanling period influences later serum cholesterol homeostasis. Diets containing cholesterol plus cholic acid (atherogenic diet) in early life, when compared to non-atherogenic diet, caused a transient suppression of serum cholesterol elevation in very-low- and low-density lipoprotein fractions during refeeding of the atherogenic diet in later life. Such an effect was not observed when ExHC rats were early given a diet supplemented with cholesterol or cholic acid alone, nor when ordinary Sprague-Dawley rats were given atherogenic diet. Early atherogenic diet caused an increased secretion of cholesterol as very-low-density lipoprotein from the perfused livers of adult ExHC rats. Neither the activity of hepatic cholesterol-7 alpha-hydroxylase of fecal steroid excretion in later life was influenced by the early dietary manipulation. Therefore, the present results show the deferred effect of early dietary manipulation on later serum cholesterol metabolism in ExHC rats, but the underlying mechanism(s) remains to be determined.

Etude de l'etalement et de l'ecoulement convergent de peintures emulsions a haute et basse concentration pigmentaire volumique

BackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus is a major global public health problem in the worldwide and is increasing in aging populations. Magnesium intake may be one of the most important factors for diabetes prevention and management. Low magnesium intake may exacerbate metabolic abnormalities. In this study, the relationships of magnesium intake with metabolic parameters, depression and physical activity in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes were investigated.MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved 210 type 2 diabetes patients aged 65 years and above. Participants were interviewed to obtain information on lifestyle and 24-hour dietary recall. Assessment of depression was based on DSM-IV criteria. Clinical variables measured included anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and biochemical determinations of blood and urine samples. Linear regression was applied to determine the relationships of magnesium intake with nutritional variables and metabolic parameters.ResultsAmong all patients, 88.6% had magnesium intake which was less than the dietary reference intake, and 37.1% had hypomagnesaemia. Metabolic syndromes and depression were associated with lower magnesium intake (p < 0.05). A positive relationship was found between magnesium intake and HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.005). Magnesium intake was inversely correlated with triglyceride, waist circumference, body fat percent and body mass index (p pfor trend = 0005). Waist circumference, body fat percentage, and body mass index were significantly lower with increase quartile of magnesium intake (pfor trend pfor trend ConclusionsThe majority of elderly type 2 diabetes who have low magnesium intake may compound this deficiency with metabolic abnormalities and depression. Future studies should determine the effects of increased magnesium intake or magnesium supplementation on metabolic control and depression in elderly people with type 2 diabetes.