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Herein, combined with a pervasive smartphone installed with a color recognition app, dual-responsive CDs@Eu/GMP ICPs were designed as a red-to-blue paper-based colorimetric sensor for the point-of-use analysis of cerebral acetylcholinesterase (AChE) upon Cd2+ exposure. Blue-emitting CDs with multi-functional groups as guests were encapsulated into the network of Eu/GMP ICPs to obtain CDs@Eu/GMP ICPs with the sensitized red fluorescence of Eu3+. With the presence of thiocholine (TCh), derived from acetylthiocholine (ATCh) hydrolyzed by AChE, the coordination environment of the CDs@Eu/GMP ICPs was interrupted, leading to the collapse of the CDs@Eu/GMP ICP network and the corresponding release of guest CDs into the surrounding environment. Consequently, the sensitized red fluorescence of Eu3+ decreased and the blue fluorescence of the CDs increased. This obvious red-to-blue fluorescent color changes of CDs@Eu/GMP ICPs on test paper could then be integrated with the smartphone for point-of-use analysis of cerebral AChE upon Cd2+ exposure, which not only offers a new analytical platform for a better understanding of the environmental risk of Alzheimer's Dementia (AD), but also holds great potential in the early diagnosis of AD even at the asymptomatic stage with the decrease in CSF AChE as an early biomarker.

Ossification of ligaments (OL) and osteoporosis (OP) are multifactorial disorders without definitive clinical biomarkers. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to involve in regulating pathogenesis. Here, we have identified a preosteoblast-enriched lnc-Evf2 that was overexpressed in ossified ligamentum flavum (OLF) and down-expressed in OP. lnc-Evf2 is gradually upregulated during osteogenic induction, correlating with the enhanced expression of osteogenic marker genes and matrix mineralization. Moreover, knockdown of lnc-Evf2 significantly inhibits the expression of osteogenic differentiation markers and delays the osteoblastic mineralization process, indicating that this molecule is involved in osteogenesis. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that silencing of lnc-Evf2 decreases the protein level but not the mRNA levels of Notch2, Notch3, and Hes1, all of which correlate with osteogenesis. Taken together, our data demonstrate that lnc-Evf2 promotes osteogenic differentiation and bone formation through the Notch signaling, revealing that lnc-Evf2 may serve as a novel potential clinical target of OL and OP.

To address the shortcomings on high-rate and long-term existing in recent silicon/carbon materials as anode of Li-ion batteries, we have synthesized the silicon-cored particles wrapped with multiscale flexible carbon shell pillared by lithium titanate (assigned as Si@LTO@C). With a self-adaptive shell layer effectively against volume expansion of silicon upon lithiation/delithiation, Si@LTO@C renders a reversible capacity of 848 mA h g−1 at a large current density of 15 A g−1 after 1000 cycles under a high-temperature of 80 °C. Excellent electrochemical performance could be ascribed to a superiorly stable designed 3-demension structure and enhanced kinetics, which has been particular discussed. These conspicuous features undoubtedly enable Si@LTO@C composite to be a promising anode material for high-performance lithium-ion battery under harsh environment.

The aging process is usually associated with increased oxidative stress and deficiency of tissues and organs, which causes a decline in the life quality of individuals. Some anti-oxidant factors derived from foods have been implicated in delaying senescence and sustaining health. The present study aimed to assess the anti-aging effects and underlying mechanism of the combined application of chicken embryo (CE) extract and a nutritional mixture (NM) of 52 ingredients on the aging process of d-galactose (d-gal)-induced rats. After 90 days of treatment, we observed that CE plus NM administration significantly improved the body weight, visceral indices and histological damage of aging rats. The use of CE or NM alone exhibited similar effects, but was not as effective as the combined use of CE and NM. In addition, the additional nutrients promoted the mitochondrial function of d-galactose-induced rats. With CE + NM supplementation, cells from senescent rats showed decreased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased levels of mitochondrial membrane potential, elevated numbers of mitochondria, and morphological changes towards normalization compared to the un-treated group. Furthermore, autophagosomes and autophagy-related proteins were up-regulated in aging rats upon exposure to CE + NM. Interestingly, we also found that the protein extracts of CE have similar effects to CE. These results indicate the critical role played by CE + NM in promoting the function of mitochondria and autophagy, therefore regulating the aging process in rats. Our study provides a novel compound design of nutritional support to achieve an optimal nutritional status for anti-oxidation and slowing of aging.

Herein, we reported a novel approach for the preparative separation and purification of loliolide and epiloliolide from Ascophyllum nodosum. An amine-based microporous organic polymer (MOP) was used for the pretreatment of the nodosum extract via solid-phase extraction (SPE). The obtained extract was further purified using macroporous resin chromatography and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (prep-HPLC). The loading and elution parameters of the MOP were evaluated using standard loliolide, and the optimized conditions were used during the SPE of the nodosum extract (37.5 g). After the pretreatment with MOP, the extract (2.79 g) was obtained and further purified using a D101 resin column followed by prep-HPLC. A pair of epimers were isolated and identified as loliolide (5.83 mg) and epiloliolide (2.50 mg) using high-resolution electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HRESI-MS), 1D- and 2D-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This study demonstrates the potential of MOPs in the separation and purification of monoterpenoids from complex plant samples.

Introduction Vital pulp treatment (VPT) maintains tooth vitality with certain dental materials by protecting pulp from noxious stimulation and promoting repair through enhancing cell proliferation/differentiation, migration, and inducing odontogenesis. As a non-psychotropic cannabis constituent, cannabidiol (CBD) possesses the properties of analgesic, anti-inflammation, and osteogenesis. Therefore, we hypothesize that CBD may induce the odonto/osteogenesis of human dental pulp cells (HDPCs), a critical feature using as effective pulp capping agent for VPT. Materials and methods In this in vitro study, the cytotoxicity of CBD on HDPCs was determined by MTT assay. Scratch assay was performed to analyze HDPC migration. The biomineralization was examined by collagen synthesis and calcium nodule formation and related odonto/osteogenic and angiogenic genes. Cannabinoid receptor (CB) specificity was evaluated by Western blotting and Von Kossa staining using specific antagonists AM251 for cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and AM 630 targeted at cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2). In addition, the underlying molecular mechanism of CBD-induced biomineralization were investigated by examining CB-dependent MAPK signaling pathways. Results CBD demonstrated bi-phasic effects on HDPC viability in tested concentrations. We found CBD significantly promoted cell migration, enhanced collagen synthesis and mineralized deposits in HDPCs when treated by 1 μM CBD supplemented in the differentiation media. RT-PCR revealed CBD increased the expression of angiogenic and odontogenic genes, such as DSPP, DMP-1, OPN, ALP, Runx2, VEGFR1 and ICAM-1. These effects were via MAPK activation in a manner mainly mediated by CB2. Conclusion The results from this study suggested that CBD can induce odonto/osteogenesis from HDPCs and has the potential to develop new therapeutics in VPT in dentistry.

Corneal wound healing is a highly regulated biological process that is of importance for reducing the risk of blinding corneal infections and inflammations. Traditional eye drop was the main approach for promoting corneal wound healing. However, its low bioavailability required a high therapeutic concentration, which can lead to ocular or even systemic side effects. To develop a safe and effective method for treating corneal injury, we fabricated rutin-encapsulated gelatin hydrogel/contact lens composites by dual crosslinking reactions including in situ free radical polymerization and carboxymethyl cellulose/N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide crosslinking. In vitro drug release results evidenced that rutin in the composites could be sustainedly released for up to 14 days. In addition, biocompatibility assay indicated nontoxicity of the composites. Finally, the effect of rutin-encapsulated composites on the healing of the corneal injury in rabbits was investigated. The injury was basically cured in corneas using rutin-encapsulated composites (healing rate, 98.3% ± 0.7%) at 48 h post-operation, while the damage was still present in corneas using the composite (healing rate, 87.0% ± 4.5%). Further proteomics analysis revealed that corneal wound healing may be promoted by the ERK/MAPK and PI3K/AKT signal pathways. These results inform a potential intervention strategy to facilitate corneal wound healing in humans.

Purpose To investigate the contribution of phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) on the delayed epithelial regeneration and impaired Akt activation in diabetic mice. Methods The expression of PTEN on cornea was compared between normal and diabetic mice. The corneal epithelial and nerve regeneration rate was evaluated in diabetic mice after the treatment with PTEN small interfering RNA (siRNA), PTEN inhibitors, or Akt inhibitor. The reactivation of epithelial regeneration-related signaling, including phosphorylated (p)-Akt, p-Stat3, Sirt1, and Parkin, were assessed with Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. The effects of PTEN inhibition on cellular proliferation and migration were further evaluated in cultured mouse corneal epithelial cells. Results PTEN messenger RNA and protein levels exhibited up-regulation in diabetic cornea. Upon central epithelial debridement, the epithelial regeneration rate was significantly promoted in diabetic mice with the treatment of PTEN inhibition than that of vehicle control (P < 0.05), which accompanied with the recovered levels of p-Akt, p-Stat3, Sirt1, and Parkin. However, the promotion of diabetic corneal epithelial regeneration rate and Akt reactivation was completed reversed by Akt inhibitor. In vitro, PTEN inhibition promoted their migration, but not the proliferation capacity. In addition, PTEN inhibitor treatment also improved the recovery of corneal nerve fiber density and sensitivity that was impaired in diabetic mice. Conclusions Elevated PTEN expression contributes to the impaired corneal epithelial regeneration and Akt activation in diabetic mice, which can be improved with PTEN inhibition. Translational Relevance Our study suggests that PTEN inhibition may serve as a new strategy for restoring the impaired corneal epithelial regeneration ability in patients with diabetes.

In the work, the non-woven cellulose acetate (CA) nanofiber mats were prepared via electrospinning, and CA nanofiber were incorporated into the core layer of the high-pressure laminates (HPLs). When the concentration of CA was 16 wt%, SEM images demonstrated that the morphology of the CA nanofiber mat was the best, with an average diameter of 654±246 nm. When CA nanofiber mats were incorporated into the core layer of HPLs, the mechanical properties of the resulted HPLs composites were significantly improved. Specifically, the tensile strength and elongation at break of the nanofiber mats reinforced HPLs composites increased remarkably to 40.8 ±1.1 MPa and 27.9 ± 0.9 %, respectively, which were nearly 6 times and 4.4 times higher than those of the pure HPLs. Furthermore, the incorporation of the CA nanofiber mats also significantly improved the flame retardancy of the HPLs, which was revealed from the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results.

Background: Major bleeding and allogeneic transfusion leads to negative outcomes in patients receiving cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Ulinastatin, a urine trypsin inhibitor, relieves systemic inflammation and improves coagulation profiles with however sparse evidence of its effects on blood loss and allogeneic transfusion in this specific population. Methods: In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 426 consecutive patients receiving open heart surgery with CPB were randomly assigned into three groups to receive ulinastatin (group U, n=142), tranexamic acid (group T, n=143) or normal saline (group C, n=141). The primary outcome was the total volume of post-operative bleeding and the secondary outcome included the volume and exposure of allogeneic transfusion, the incidence of stroke, post-operative myocardial infarction, renal failure, respiratory failure and all-cause mortality. A ten-year follow-up was carried on to evaluate long-term safety.Results: Compared with placebo, ulinastatin significantly reduced the volume of post-operative blood loss within 24 hours (688.39±393.55ml vs 854.33±434.03ml MD -165.95ml, 95%CI -262.88ml to -69.01ml, pConclusions: Ulinastatin reduced post-operative blood loss and allogeneic erythrocyte transfusion in heart surgery with CPB. The mortality and major morbidity was comparable among the groups shown by the 10-year follow-up. Trial registration: The trial was retrospectively registered on February 2, 2010. Trial registration number: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Identifier: NCT01060189.

Aging is spontaneous and inevitable processes that lead to changes in biological systems. The present paper was designed to investigate the anti-aging roles of chick embryo (CE) and nutrient mixture (NM) in aging rats. Aging was induced by administration of D-galactose (D-gal, 500 mg/kg/day for 90 days). CE and NM were administered to aging rats through different dose gavage once a day. Cognitive function assessment was performed using the Morris water maze test. At the end of experiment, serum and tissues were collected for immunity and antioxidation function. The organs and tissues were excised for histological study. The results demonstrated that CE plus NM was superior treatment to improve the histopathologic changes and reverse learning and memory impairment of the aging rats. CE plus NM also increased the spleen and thymus index as well as splenocyte proliferation, and reversed inflammatory cytokine levels. In addition, the biochemical index showed that CE plus NM could improve the antioxidant enzyme activity of the aging rats, decrease lipofuscin (LF) and glutamate content. CE plus NM also inhibited the activation of TLR4/NF-κB pathway stimulated by LPS in splenic B lymphocytes. Overall, these results seem to be implying that CE plus NM was used as potentially natural supplement or functional food for preventing aging.

Potential energy curves (PECs) of six electronic states ( X 2 Π , a 4 Σ - , A 2 Δ , B 2 Σ - , C 2 Σ + , and D 2 Σ + ) are calculated based on multi-reference configuration interaction plus Davidson corrections (MRCI + Q), and the spin–orbit coupling (SOC) effects are considered at the MRCI + Q level. By solving the radical Schrodinger equation, the spectroscopic constants of these states are obtained, which agree well with the experimental results. The SOC effects have little influence on spectroscopic constants. The permanent dipole moments (PDMs) and transition dipole moments (TDMs) of SiH molecule are also calculated with the same method. Highly diagonally distributed Franck-Condon factors (FCFs) are determined for the transitions X 2 Π ↔ A 2 Δ ( f 00 = 0.9858) and X 2 Π ↔ C 2 Σ + ( f 00 = 0.9676). Furthermore, the suitable radiative lifetimes τ of the A 2 Δ and C 2 Σ + states are 3.4625 × 10−7 s and 1.6462 × 10−7 s, which are evaluated for rapid laser cooling. Schemes to laser cooling SiH molecule are designed, and the proposed laser cooling drives for the transition X 2 Π ( ν ″ ) ↔ A 2 Δ ( ν ′ ) and X 2 Π ( ν ″ ) ↔ C 2 Σ + ( ν ′ ) both use three wavelengths. Main pump laser λ 00 for the two transitions are 401.31 and 319.64 nm. These results not only prove the feasibility of laser cooling SiH, but also provide a microkelvin cool temperature for this molecule.

Tumor metastasis is a major cause of cancer-related death in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been widely known to modulate proliferation invasion, metastasis, and apoptosis of cancer cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the function and novel target of miR-193a-3p and miR-224 in RCC. The levels of miR-193a-3p and miR-224 were significantly increased in RCC tissues and RCC cell lines. Alpha-2,3-Sialyltransferase IV (ST3GalIV) was highly expressed in adjacent nontumor tissues and human normal proximal tubular cell line HK-2 compared to RCC tissues and cell lines. ST3GalIV expression was negatively correlated with miR-193a-3p and miR-224. Further analysis indicated that miR-193a-3p and miR-224 directly targeted ST3GalIV. MiR-193a-3p and miR-224 increased cell proliferation and migration by directly inhibiting ST3GalIV, and this effect was reversed by co-transfection with ST3GalIV in vitro. Overexpression of miR-193a-3p and miR-224 increased RCC cell proliferation in vivo. Furthermore, the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway was mediated by miR-193a-3p and miR-224 in RCC cell lines. Collectively, these results suggested that miR-193a-3p and miR-224 played an important role in regulation of RCC by targeting ST3GalIV via PI3K/Akt pathway.

Aplastic anaemia (AA) is characterised by pancytopenia resulting from a marked reduction in haemopoietic stem cells (HSC). The regulation of haemopoiesis depends on the interaction between HSC and various cells of the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment, including BM-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSC). The purpose of this study was to analyse the biological effect of nutritional supplement (NS), a dietary supplement consisting of thirty-six compounds: amino acids, nucleotides, vitamins and micronutrients on the BMSC of AA rats. The AA rat model was established by irradiating X-ray (2·5 Gy) and intraperitoneal injections of cyclophosphamide (35 mg/kg; Sigma) and chloramphenicol (35 mg/kg; Sigma). Then AA rats were fed with NS in a dose-dependent manner (2266·95, 1511·3, 1057·91 mg/kg d) by intragastric administration. The effect of NS on the BMSC of AA rats was analysed. As compared with AA rats, NS treatment significantly improved these peripheral blood parameters and stimulated the proliferation of total femoral nucleated cells. NS treatment affected proliferative behaviour of BMSC and suppressed BMSC differentiation to adipocytes. Furthermore, NS treatment of AA rats accelerated osteogenic differentiation of BMSC and enhanced bone mineral density. Co-incubation of HSC with mesenchymal stromal cells and serum from AA rats subjected to high-dose NS markedly improved the yield of CD34+cells. Protein microarray analysis revealed that there were eleven differentially expressed proteins in the NS group compared with the AA rat group. The identified specific NS might be implicated in rehabilitation of BMSC in AA rats, suggesting their potential of nutritional support in AA treatment.

The ammonia-based solar thermochemical energy storage (TCES) is one of the most promising solar TCESs. However, the solar-to-electric efficiency is still not high enough for further commercialization. The efficiency is limited by the high ammonia decomposition reaction temperature, which does not only increase the exergy loss through the heat recuperation but also causes a large re-radiation loss. Nonetheless, lowering the reaction temperature would impact the conversion and the energy storage capacity. Thanks to the recent development of the membrane technology, the hydrogen permeation membrane has the potential to enhance the conversion of ammonia decomposition under the moderate operating temperature. In this paper, an ammonia-based solar thermochemical energy storage system implemented with hydrogen permeation membrane is proposed for the first time. The system model has been developed using the Aspen Plus software implemented with user-defined Fortran subroutines. The model is validated by comparing model-generated reactor temperatures and conversions profiles with data from references. With the validated model, an exergy analysis is performed to investigate the main exergy losses of the system. Furthermore, the effects of the membrane on system efficiency improvement are studied. The results show that exergy loss in the charging loop is dominant, among which the exergy losses of Heat Exchanger Eh,A, together with that of the re-radiation Er, play important roles. Compared with the conventional system, i.e., the system without the membrane, the Eh,A and Er of the proposed system are more than 30% lower because the hydrogen permeation membrane can improve ammonia conversion at a lower endothermic reaction outlet temperature. Consequently, the proposed system, presumably realized by the parabolic trough collector at ~400 °C, has a theoretical solar-to-electric efficiency of ηste, which is 4.4% higher than the conventional ammonia-based solar thermochemical energy storage system. Last but not least, the efficiency is 3.7% higher than that of a typical parabolic trough solar power plant, which verifies the thermodynamic feasibility of further commercialization.

A new facile, rapid, sensitive and selective colorimetric assay is proposed for the determination of manganese ions (Mn 2+ ) utilizing cysteic acid (CA)-capped silver nanoparticles (CA-AgNPs) as colorimetric probes. The CA-AgNPs were prepared by reducing AgNO 3 with NaBH 4 in the presence of CA as the capping ligand. The presence of Mn 2+ induces the quick aggregation of CA-AgNPs, associated with notable color changes of the CA-AgNPs solution from yellow to dark green. The Mn 2+ can form a coordinated structure with CA capping on the AgNPs and leads to formation of large particles aggregation. We also used density functional theory (DFT) to calculate the change of the Gibbs free energy (ΔG) of the interactions between the CA-AgNPs and various metal ions, which shows that CA-AgNPs have high specificity for Mn 2+ . The high sensitivity and selectivity for Mn 2+ were achieved and the detection limit is as low as 5 nM. Furthermore, the proposed method was successfully applied in detecting Mn 2+ in a rat model of focal ischemia and the results indicate that our proposed method has great potential for practical applications.

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text., Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of sodium hyaluronate (HA) eye drops for the treatment of diabetic ocular surface diseases in mice. Methods: Male 6- to 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice underwent induction of type 1 diabetes with intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin, with normal mice as the control. Topical 0.3% HA, 0.1% HA, 0.4% polyethylene glycol eye drops, and normal saline were administered to diabetic mice with an intact or debrided corneal epithelium. Normal saline was applied in the controls. Corneal epithelial wound healing rate, corneal sensation, nerve fiber density, conjunctival goblet cell number, and MUC-5AC content were measured and compared. Results: Compared with the controls, topical 0.3% HA use in diabetic mice showed significant improvements in the corneal epithelial wound healing rate (48 hours: 91.5% ± 4.8% vs. 79.8% ± 6.1%; P < 0.05), corneal sensitivity (4.1 ± 0.3 cm vs. 3.5 ± 0.3 cm; P < 0.05), nerve fiber density (12.9% ± 2.3% vs. 6.6% ± 2.4%; P < 0.05), conjunctival goblet cell number (31.0 ± 8.4/100 μm vs. 19.6 ± 7.1/100 μm; P < 0.05), and MUC-5AC content (12.5 ± 1.4 ng/mg vs. 7.8 ± 1.5 ng/mg protein; P < 0.05). The beneficial effects of 0.3% HA were better than those of 0.1% HA and 0.4% polyethylene glycol. Conclusions: Topical 0.3% HA treatment promoted corneal epithelial regeneration, improved corneal sensation, and increased density of corneal nerve fibers and conjunctival goblet cells in mice with diabetic ocular surface diseases.

The allergenicity of large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) proteins has been widely reported to cause many serious food safety problems. In this study, the protein sample extracted from Larimichthys crocea was digested and analyzed by reversed phase liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (RPLC-MS/MS) for globally proteomic analysis, and the Larimichthys crocea proteins were digested with simulated gastric fluid (SGF) at different time intervals and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The digestion-resistant proteins were further done with in-gel digestion and analyzed by RPLC-MS/MS. Then, sequence homology analysis between identified proteins and known allergens was performed. Results showed that 33 kinds of distinct proteins were feasibly identified from Larimichthys crocea by RPLC-MS/MS and the protein band (approximately 44.0 kDa) presented in SDS-PAGE was considered as protein-resistant to SGF digestion. Two potential allergens, β-enolase and tropomyosin α−1 chain, were found from proteins resistant to SGF digestion by sequence homology analysis. It was observed that most of these SGF digestion-resistant proteins were potential allergens with high sequences similarity to the known protein allergens from other species. Therefore, this strategy provides an efficient alternative for potential allergens screening with high-throughput, which exhibits great potential application in fish protein allergens related food safety control.

Annexin A1 (AnxA1) has been shown to exert potent anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic activities in a range of systemic inflammatory disorders. Corneal scarring is characterized by myofibroblast differentiation and disorganized extracellular matrix deposition. This study was aim to explore the potential therapeutic properties of Ac2-26, a mimetic peptide of AnnexinA1 (AnxA1), on TGF-β induced human corneal myofibroblast differentiation and mechanical injury-induced mouse corneal haze. The results found that Ac2-26 treatment dose dependently reduced α-SMA level and other fibrogenic gene expressions in HTK cells stimulated by exogenous TGF-β1. While this anti-fibrotic effect was abolished by an FPR2/ALX inhibitor WRW4. In mice, topical Ac2-26 application suppressed the development of corneal scarring, inhibited myofibroblast differentiation, while promoted the corneal epithelial wound healing. Moreover, Ac2-26 treatment inhibited Ly6G + neutrophil infiltration and reduced corneal inflammatory response. The results provided in vivo and in vitro supports the anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects of AnxA1 derived peptide Ac2-26, and suggest that AnxA1 mimetic agents might be a promising strategy for the treatment of corneal scarring.

Antimony is a competitive and promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity. However, the poor rate capability and fast capacity fading greatly restrict its practical application. To address the above issues, a facile and eco-friendly sacrificial template method is developed to synthesize hollow Sb nanoparticles impregnated in open carbon boxes (Sb HPs@OCB). The as-obtained Sb HPs@OCB composite exhibits excellent sodium storage properties even when operated at an elevated temperature of 50 °C, delivering a robust rate capability of 345 mAh g-1 at 16 A g-1 and rendering an outstanding reversible capacity of 187 mAh g-1 at a high rate of 10 A g-1 after 300 cycles. Such superior electrochemical performance of the Sb HPs@OCB can be attributed to the comprehensive characteristics of improved kinetics derived from hollow Sb nanoparticles impregnated into 2D carbon nanowalls, the existence of robust SbOC bond, and enhanced pseudocapacitive behavior. All those factors enable Sb HPs@OCB great potential and distinct merit for large-scale energy storage of SIBs.

Aging is spontaneous and inevitable processes that lead to changes in biological systems. The present paper was designed to investigate the anti-aging roles of chick embryo (CE) and nutrient mixture (NM) in aging rats. Aging was induced by administration of D-galactose (D-gal, 500 mg/kg/day for 90 days). CE and NM were administered to aging rats through different dose gavage once a day. Cognitive function assessment was performed using the Morris water maze test. At the end of experiment, serum and tissues were collected for immunity and antioxidation function. The organs and tissues were excised for histological study. The results demonstrated that CE plus NM was superior treatment to improve the histopathologic changes and reverse learning and memory impairment of the aging rats. CE plus NM also increased the spleen and thymus index as well as splenocyte proliferation, and reversed inflammatory cytokine levels. In addition, the biochemical index showed that CE plus NM could improve the antioxidant enzyme activity of the aging rats, decrease lipofuscin (LF) and glutamate content. CE plus NM also inhibited the activation of TLR4/NF-κB pathway stimulated by LPS in splenic B lymphocytes. Overall, these results seem to be implying that CE plus NM was used as potentially natural supplement or functional food for preventing aging.

In this paper, a novel solar hydrogen production system integrating high temperature electrolysis (using solid oxide electrolyzer cell) with ammonia based thermochemical energy storage is proposed for the first time. Without a significantly high concentration ratio, the thermochemical energy storage can upgrade relatively low-temperature solar energy to high-temperature reaction heat for high temperature electrolysis (HTE). Furthermore, thermal coupling of ammonia based thermochemical energy storage system, sCO2 Brayton cycle and HTE will result in substantially higher fuel production efficiency as compared to conventional low-temperature water electrolysis. A system model, including ammonia based thermochemical energy storage, sCO2 Brayton cycle and solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) system, has been developed using the Aspen Plus software implemented with user-defined Fortran subroutines. The models including reactors, sCO2 Brayton cycle and SOEC have been validated by comparing the model-generated results with the data from references. The effects of the endothermic reactor inlet temperature T2, charging loop ammonia mass flow rate m c , turbine inlet temperature T11 and current density J on the system performance have been investigated parametrically. The results show that the solar to hydrogen efficiency η STH increases with T2, T11 and J increasing. In addition, there is an optimum η STH by varying m c . Further, a maximum η STH = 26% has been obtained by optimizing the parameters in predefined ranges, which is 7% higher than the state-of-the-art of the solar HTE with TES. Based on a preliminary techno-economic analysis, the capital cost of the proposed system is estimated to be 9.28 $/kg H2, which is 18.9% lower than a typical photovoltaic based electrolyzer system. Therefore, the proposed system is economically feasible.

Hydrogen is of great significance for replacing fossil fuels and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The application of hydrogen mixing with natural gas in gas network transportation not only improves the utilization rate of hydrogen energy, but also reduces the cost of large-scale updating household or commercial appliance. This paper investigates the necessity of a gas mixing device for adding hydrogen to existing natural gas pipelines in the industrial gas network. A three-dimensional helical static mixer model is developed to simulate the mixing behavior of the gas mixture. In addition, the model is validated with experimental results. Parametric studies are performed to investigate the effect of mixer on the mixing performance including the coefficient of variation (COV) and pressure loss. The research results show that, based on the, the optimum number of mixing units is three. The arrangement of the torsion angle of the mixing unit has a greater impact on the COV. When the torsion angle θ = 120°, the COV has a minimum value of 0.66%, and when the torsion angle θ = 60°, the COV has a maximum value of 8.54%. The distance of the mixing unit has little effect on the pressure loss of the mixed gas but has a greater impact on the COV. Consecutive arrangement of the mixing units (Case A) is the best solution. Increasing the distance of the mixing unit is not effective for the gas mixing effect. Last but not least, the gas mixer is optimized to improve the mixing performance.

Mooren's ulcer (MU) is a refractory autoimmune corneal ulcer with a high recurrence rate. So far, its molecular profiles and pathomechanisms remain largely unknown. Therefore, we aim to characterize the protein profiles of MU specimens by data-independent-acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry (MS), and to define the functions of differentially-expressed proteins (DEPs). Through LC-MS/MS, 550 DEPs were identified between MU biopsies and age-matched controls (Ctrl). KEGG analysis revealed that the significantly enriched pathways of the up-regulated proteins mainly covered lysosomes, antigen processing and presentation, and phagosomes. We subsequently validated the expressions of the selected candidates using parallel-reaction-monitoring (PRM)-based MS and immunohistochemistry (IHC), including cathepsins, TIMP3, MMP-10, MYOC, PIGR, CD74, CAT, SOD2, and SOD3. Moreover, immunoglobulin (Ig) components and B lymphocytes associated proteins MZB1, HSPA5, and LAP3 in MU were significantly increased and validated by PRM-based MS and IHC. The remarkable enrichment of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) components in MU samples was also identified and determined. The up-regulated Ig components and NETs components suggested that B lymphocytes and neutrophils participated in the immunopathology of MU. Importantly, we also identified and validated much more expression of peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PADI4) in MU samples. The double-immunofluorescence staining showed the co-localization of citrulline residues with MPO, NE, and IgG in MU samples. These results indicated the presences of PADI4-mediated citrullination modification and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) in MU samples. Our findings, for the first time, provide a global proteomic signature of MU, which may open a new avenue towards disease pathology and therapeutics.

Objective Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is an essential molecule participating in multiple physiological and pathophysiological processes. In diabetic cornea, the NAD+-consuming enzyme SIRT1 was down-regulated and contributed to the delayed wound healing. However, the impact of hyperglycemia on corneal NAD+ biosynthesis remained elusive. This study was to investigate the relationship of NAD+ biosynthesis and the delayed corneal wound healing in diabetic mice. Methods Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) mice were induced by streptozotocin and corneal epithelial wound healing models were constructed by epithelial scraping. The NAD+ contents of corneal epithelium were measured using the NAD/NADH quantification kit. Expression of key enzymes involved in the NAD+ biosynthesis in type 1 DM mice and type 2 DM patients were analyzed. The nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT)-specific siRNA and the selective inhibitor FK866 were used to achieve the blockade of NAMPT, whereas exogenous NAD+ and its precursors were replenished to the corneal epithelial cells and DM mice. Results Hyperglycemia attenuated NAD+ content and NAMPT expression in the corneal epithelium of both type 1 DM mice and type 2 DM patients. Local knockdown of NAMPT by siRNA or FK866 consistently recapitulated the delayed corneal epithelial wound healing in normal mice. Moreover, NAD+ replenishment recovered the impaired proliferation and migration capacity by either FK866 or high glucose treatment in cultured corneal epithelial cells. Furthermore, in DM mice, NAD+ and its precursors nicotinamide mononucleotide and nicotinamide riboside also facilitated corneal epithelial and nerve regeneration, accompanied with the recovered expression of SIRT1 and phosphorylated EGFR, AKT, and ERK1/2 in epithelium and corneal sensitivity. Conclusion Hyperglycemia-reduced NAD+ biosynthesis and contributed to the impaired epithelial wound healing in DM mice. The replenishment of NAD+ and its precursors facilitated diabetic corneal wound healing and nerve regeneration, which may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of diabetic corneal complications.

In the present study, the effect of dietary procyanidin (PCA, from pine needles) supplementation on the innate immunity of broilers were investigated. The experiment was designed as a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement (eight cages / treatment; six birds (one-day-old) / cage) with dietary PCA concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1%) and two immune treatments (injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (0.5 mg/kg body weight) or saline). LPS was dissolved in sterile 9 g/L (w/v) NaCl solution at 16, 18, 20 days of age to mimic immune stress. The remaining birds were injected with saline as a placebo. The results indicated that, prior to LPS challenge, the PCA diet had no significant effect on bird growth performance. The injection of LPS was also not associated with any significant changes in poultry performance. LPS injection increased the activity of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines (interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10) in serum; dietary PCA decreased these concentrations (P

A simple, yet efficient fluorescent method for detecting biological aminothiols has been developed based on the inner filter effect principle that utilizes graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as the donor and aminothiol-Pb2+ complex as the absorber. Well-defined diethanol amine modified graphene quantum dots (GQD-DEA) were first synthesized by a “synthesis-modification integration” strategy. Then, the addition of aminothiols can bind with Pb2+ and displace it from the surface of preformed GQD-DEA-Pb2+, leading to the formation of aminothiol-Pb2+ complex. Due to the complementary overlap between the excitation band of GQD-DEA and the absorption band of aminothiol-Pb2+ complex, the fluorescence of GQDs was quenched, thereby a turn-off fluorescent assay for the determination of aminothiols via the inner filter effect was constructed. This strategy enabled cost-effective and selective detection of aminothiols with theoretical simplicity and low technical demands. Moreover, the fluorescent probe offered high selectivity for aminothiol due to the strong binding of aminothiol with Pb2+ in comparison with other amino acids and the inner filter effect provided by thiol-Pb2+ complex. Under the optimum conditions, the linear concentration ranges were 5 × 10−5–6 × 10−4 M for cysteine, 5 × 10−5–1 × 10−3 M for homocysteine, 1 × 10−4–2 × 10−3 M for glutathione, respectively.

Since Alzheimer's disease (AD) is becoming the prevalent dementia in the whole world, more underlying mechanisms are emerging. Long time has the transcription factor NF-κB been identified to participate in AD pathogenesis, various studies have focused on the causes and effects of AD that are linked to NF-κB. In this review we discuss diverse environmental stimuli including oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and metabolism, involved signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT, MAPK and AGE/RAGE/GSK-3 and newly found ncRNAs that mediate neuron toxicity or neuron protection through NF-κB activation and the following response associated with the same factors in AD. These may provide future orientation of investigation at transcription level and support efficient treatment to AD by a better understanding of the upstream regulators and downstream effectors of NF-κB.

Axonal degeneration is a common pathological change of neurogenical disease which often arises before the neuron death. But it had not found any effective method to protect axon from degeneration. In this study we intended to confirm the protective effect of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), investigate the optimal administration dosage and time of NAD, and identify the relationship between silence signal regulating factor 1 (SIRT1) and axonal degeneration. An axonal degeneration model was established using dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons injured by vincristine to observe the protective effects of NAD to the injured axons. In addition, the potential contribution of the SIRT1 in axonal degeneration was also investigated. Through the 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, immunochemistry staining, axons counting and length measuring, transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation, we demonstrated that NAD played an important role in preventing axonal degeneration. Further study revealed that the expression of SIRT1 and phosphorylated Akt1 (p-Akt1) was up-regulated when NAD was added into the culturing medium. Taking together, our results demonstrated that NAD might delay the axonal degeneration through SIRT1/Akt1 pathways.

The aging of many mammalian tissues is associated with loss of functional adult stem cells, especially bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). This study was aimed to analyze the biological effect of chick embryo (CE) and nutrient mixture (NM) on the BMSCs of aging rats. The aging rat model was established to be induced by D-galactose (500 mg/kg/d) for 90 days. Meanwhile, aging rats were fed with CE and NM in different dose manner by intragastric administration. At the end of the experimental period, serum was collected from rats and used for BMSCs culture. Flow cytometric analysis was used to investigate the BMSCs surface markers. Alizarin Red and oil red O staining were performed to evaluate the multi-lineage differentiation of BMSCs. The results showed that CE plus NM increased the telomere length of BMSCs and promoted BMSCs proliferation. Moreover, CE plus NM administration promoted BMSCs differentiation into osteoblasts and suppressed differentiation into adipocytes. High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that there were 326 genes were up-regulated and 59 genes were down-regulated in BMSCs of aging rats treated with CE plus NM. In conclusion, CE plus NM supplement had potential to delay aging through the recovery of BMSCs senescence and could be used as a safe effective approach for nutritional therapy of anti-aging.

Four novel lanthanide complexes [Ln(3,4-DMOBA) 3 (H 2 O) 2 ]·H 2 O·C 2 H 5 OH (Ln = Sm(1), Tb(2), Dy(3), Ho(4); 3,4-DMOBA = 3, 4-dimethoxybenzoate) have been hydrothermal synthesized and characterized. Structural analyses reveal that adjacent lanthanide ions are connected by 3,4-DMOBA ligands adopting bridging bidentate mode to generate one-dimensional (1-D) structure with the uncoordinated water and ethanol molecules. 1-D structures are linked by hydrogen bonds to form a three-dimensional (3-D) structure, which is rarely observed in lanthanide carboxylic acids complexes. Under the radiation of UV light, complex 2 exhibits the characteristic emission of Tb 3+ ion ( 5 D 4 → 7 F 6-3 ). The thermal decomposition mechanism is investigated by TG-FTIR technology. IR spectra of the evolved gases show that the uncoordinated water and ethanol molecules lose in the first step. And then 3,4-DMOBA ligand is decomposed into H 2 O, CO 2 and other gaseous molecules as well as the gaseous organic fragments.

The crystal structures of complexes [Tb(3-Br-4-MBA)3phen]2(1), [Ho(3-Br-4-MBA)3(phen)H2O]2(2) and [Er(3-Br-4-MBA)3(phen)H2O]2(3) (3-Br-4-MBA=3-bromine-4-methylbenzoate, phen=1,10-phenanthroline) have been solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. All obtained products were examined and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, IR, UV and XRD techniques. The thermogravimetric analysis of 1 to 3 was studied, indicating that the decomposition processes of 2 and 3 are different from 1. The mass loss of the first step for 2 and 3 is attributed to the H2O molecules. The three-dimensional IR accumulation spectra of gaseous of 1 to 3 were also recorded. Complex 1 emits strong and bright green fluorescence under UV light at the room temperature. The bacteriostatic activities of the three complexes against bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and fungus (Candida albicans) were tested.

Three novel lanthanide complexes [Ln(3,4,5-TEOBA)3phen]2 (Ln = La(1), Pr(2), Eu(3); 3,4,5-TEOBA = 3,4,5-triethoxybenzoate; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) were synthesized and characterized. Single crystal X-ray diffraction showed that the complexes are isostructural. Each complex has two center metals and each center is coordinated with seven oxygen atoms and two nitrogen atoms to form a distorted monocapped square antiprism geometry. A carboxylic group adopts three modes coordinated with center metal: bidentate chelate, bridging bidentate and bridging tridentate. The luminescence of complex 3 showed the characteristic emission of Eu3+ (5D0 → 7F0–3). The thermal decomposition mechanism of title complexes was studied by TG/DSC-FTIR technology. The heat capacities of complexes 1–3 were measured by DSC over the temperature range from 263.15 to 463.15 K. In the temperature range from 280 to 350 K, there was a solid-to-solid phase transition for each complex, which was further evidenced by four thermal circulating processes with the scanning rate of 10 K min−1. A study of the phase transition of four thermal circulating processes under different heating rates revealed a fine linear relationship between the activation energy (E) and the percent conversion (α). In the heating and cooling runs, supercooling was observed and the endothermic and exothermic enthalpies behaved differently.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease, characterized by articular cartilage degradation and changes in all other joint tissues. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in mediating the main risk factors for OA. This study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-26a/26b on the proliferation and apoptosis of human chondrocytes by targeting fucosyltransferase 4 (FUT4) through NF-κB signaling pathway. We revealed the differential expression profiles of FUT4 and miR-26a/26b in the articular cartilage tissues of OA patients and normal people. The ability of miR-26a/26b to specifically interact with the 3′UTR of FUT4 was demonstrated via a luciferase reporter assay in chondrocytes. Further results showed altered levels of miR-26a/26b and FUT4 could regulate the process of IL-1β-induced extracellular matrix degradation in chondrocytes. Forced miR-26a/26b expression was able to affect chondrocytes proliferation and apoptosis, while altered expression of FUT4 in chondrocytes modulated progression upon transfection with miR-26a/26b mimic or inhibitor. In OA mice, the overexpression of miR-26a/26b by intra-articular injection significantly attenuated OA progression. In addition, regulating FUT4 expression markedly modulated the activity of NF-κB signaling pathway, and this effect could be reversed by miR-26a/26b. In short, miR-26a/-26b/FUT4/NF-κB axis may serve as a predictive biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in OA treatment.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-B possesses the capacity of promoting injured peripheral nerve regeneration and restore their sensory and trophic functions. However, the contribution and mechanism of VEGF-B in diabetic peripheral neuropathy remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the expression and role of VEGF-B in diabetic corneal neuropathy by using type 1 diabetic mice and cultured trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons. Hyperglycemia attenuated the endogenous expression of VEGF-B in regenerated diabetic corneal epithelium, but not that of VEGF receptors in diabetic TG neurons and axons. Exogenous VEGF-B promoted diabetic corneal nerve fiber regeneration through the reactivation of PI-3K/Akt-GSK3β-mTOR signaling and the attenuation of neuronal mitochondria dysfunction via the VEGF receptor-1 and neuropilin-1. Moreover, VEGF-B improved corneal sensation and epithelial regeneration in both normal and diabetic mice, accompanied with the elevated corneal content of pigment epithelial-derived factor (PEDF). PEDF blockade partially abolished trophic function of VEGF-B in diabetic corneal re-innervation. In conclusion, hyperglycemia suppressed endogenous VEGF-B expression in regenerated corneal epithelium of diabetic mice, while exogenous VEGF-B promoted recovery of corneal innervations and trophic functions through reactivating PI-3K/Akt-GSK-3β-mTOR signaling, attenuating neuronal oxidative stress and elevating PEDF expression.

Substance P (SP) is a neuropeptide, predominantly released from sensory nerve fibers, with a potentially protective role in diabetic corneal epithelial wound healing. However, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. We investigated the protective mechanism of SP against hyperglycemia-induced corneal epithelial wound healing defects, using type 1 diabetic mice and high glucose–treated corneal epithelial cells. Hyperglycemia induced delayed corneal epithelial wound healing, accompanied by attenuated corneal sensation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impairments of Akt, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and Sirt1 activation, as well as decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity. However, SP application promoted epithelial wound healing, recovery of corneal sensation, improvement of mitochondrial function, and reactivation of Akt, EGFR, and Sirt1, as well as increased ROS scavenging capacity, in both diabetic mouse corneal epithelium and high glucose–treated corneal epithelial cells. The promotion of SP on diabetic corneal epithelial healing was completely abolished by a neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor antagonist. Moreover, the subconjunctival injection of NK-1 receptor antagonist also caused diabetic corneal pathological changes in normal mice. In conclusion, the results suggest that SP-NK-1 receptor signaling plays a critical role in the maintenance of corneal epithelium homeostasis, and that SP signaling through the NK-1 receptor contributes to the promotion of diabetic corneal epithelial wound healing by rescued activation of Akt, EGFR, and Sirt1, improvement of mitochondrial function, and increased ROS scavenging capacity.

Selective extraction of low molecular weight (LMW) proteins and peptides from complex biological samples plays an important role in the discovery of useful biomarkers and signaling molecules. It was demonstrated that the unique pore structure of mesoporous material made it efficient to enrich LMW proteins and peptides from complex matrixes. In this study, a mesoporous material with modified external (alkyl-diol group) and internal (phenyl group) surfaces (alkyl-diol@phenyl-SiO2) was prepared by co-condensation and post-grafting, and its characteristic was evaluated by Fourier transform-infrared spectra (FT-IR) and mass spectrometry (MS). The LMW proteins and peptides enriched by the alkyl-diol@phenyl-SiO2 mesoporous material could be easily eluted by organic solvents, which was compatible with the following detection by MS. This new mesoporous material exhibited good selectivity for the extraction of LMW proteins and peptides (less than 10 kDa) from complex biological samples.

Alginate-chitosan multilayer beads containing α-glucosidase inhibiting peptide (GIP) from Ruditapes philippinarum were prepared to develop stable, non-toxic microcapsules. The optimal conditions were alginate concentration (w/v) 1.0%, alginate/GIP ratio (w/w) 1:5, calcium chloride concentration (w/v) 5% and chitosan concentration (w/v) 2.0%, which were obtained through single factor tests and orthogonal experiments. Under the conditions, the encapsulation efficiency (EE%) was 67.21% and the drug-loading percentage was 33.67%.According to the release study, the release rate of GIP was lower than 30% after incubation in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) for 3h and the rate was higher than 70% after incubation in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) for 5h. The inhibiting rate was 25.13% after treatment in SIF when the concentration of GIP was 10mg/mL. Accordingly,the microcapsules prepared in this paper are acid resistant and therefore can be given orally.

Purpose To investigate the therapeutic effects of targeting signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) activation on the ocular surface damage of dry eye in mice. Methods Adult Balb/C and C57BL/6 mice with benzalkonium chloride (BAC) treatment, lacrimal gland excision, and meibomian gland dysfunction were used as dry eye models. The levels of phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) were detected with immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting. STAT3 inhibition was performed by topical application of STAT3 inhibitor S3I-201. Corneal epithelial barrier function, tear production, and conjunctival goblet cell density were quantified with fluorescein sodium staining, phenol red cotton test, and histochemical staining. The expressions of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3/9, TUNEL, and inflammation cytokines were assessed with immunofluorescence staining, qPCR, and ELISA assays. The therapeutic effect of S3I-201 was further compared with the Janus kinase inhibitor tofacitinib and ruxolitinib. Results Elevated levels of nuclear p-STAT3 were detected in the corneal and conjunctival epithelium of three dry eye models. Topical application of S3I-201 improved corneal epithelial barrier function, increased tear production and conjunctival goblet cell density in BAC-induced dry eye mice. Moreover, S3I-201 decreased the expression of MMP-3/9, suppressed the apoptosis of corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells, and reduced the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17A, and IFN-γ. Compared with tofacitinib and ruxolitinib, the STAT3 inhibitor S3I-201 showed superior improvement of tear production and inflammatory cytokine expression in lacrimal gland. Conclusions Elevated STAT3 activation is involved in the pathogenesis of dry eye, while targeting STAT3 effectively alleviates BAC-induced ocular surface damage.

Cerebrosides were extracted from Asterina pectinifera using ethanol extraction and silica gel column chromatography. The identification of the cerebrosides was established based on thin layer chromatography (TLC), UV, IR and HRMS. The cerebrosides exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities against Hela and BEL7402 cell lines. At the concentration range of 10-400μg/ml, cytotoxicity of cerebrosides on two human tumor cells showed a dose-and time-dependent manner.

A simple and novel method for evaluating antioxidants in complex biological fluids has been developed based on the interaction of dye-labeled single-strand DNA (ssDNA) and polydopamine (PDA). Due to the interaction between ssDNA and PDA, the fluorescence of dye-labeled ssDNA (e.g., FITC-ssDNA, as donor) can be quenched by PDA (as acceptor) to the fluorescence "off" state through Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). However, in the presence of various antioxidants, such as glutathione (GSH), ascorbic acid (AA), cysteine (Cys), and homocysteine (Hcys), the spontaneous oxidative polymerization reaction from DA to PDA would be blocked, resulting in the freedom of FITC-ssDNA and leading to the fluorescence "on" state. The sensing system shows great sensitivity for the monitoring of antioxidants in a fluorescent "turn on" format. The new strategy also exhibits great selectivity and is free from the interferences of amino acids, metal ions and the biological species commonly existing in brain systems. Moreover, by combining the microdialysis technique, the present method has been successfully applied to monitor the dynamic changes of the striatum antioxidants in rat cerebrospinal microdialysates during the normal/ischemia/reperfusion process. This work establishes an effective platform for in vivo monitoring antioxidants in cerebral ischemia model, and promises new opportunities for the research of brain chemistry, neuroprotection, physiological, and pathological events.

Background A 2 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to investigate the protective effect of procyanidin (PCA) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute gut injury by the regulations of oxidative state for a 21-days feeding trial. Methods A total of 384 1-days-old broiler chicks were assigned to 8 treatments with 8 replicate of 6 broiler chickens per pen. Broiler chickens fed diets based on 4 levels of dietary PCA (0, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1 % of the requirements). Half of the birds from each treatment group were challenged with 0.9 % NaCl solution or LPS (250 μg/kg body weight, injection administered) at 16, 18 and 21 days of age. Results The results indicated that, prior to LPS challenge, there was no dietary effect on bird growth performance (P > 0.05). The injection of LPS were also not associated with any significant changes in poultry performance (P > 0.05). But LPS injection increased serum diamine oxidase (DAO) level and the malondialdehyde (MDA) content of intestinal mucosa (P

Corneal nerves are mainly derived from the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal ganglion (TG). Corneal neuropathy contributes to epithelial degenerative changes in diabetic keratopathy. Efficient drug delivery to TG may be beneficial for the treatment of diabetic keratopathy. This article described intranasal delivery of nanomicelle curcumin to correct pathophysiological conditions in TG to promote corneal epithelial/nerve wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. A diabetic mice model with corneal epithelium abrasion was established. Ocular topical and/or intranasal nanomicelle curcumin treatments were performed and treatment efficacy and mechanisms of action were explored. Results showed that intranasal nanomicelle curcumin treatment promoted corneal epithelial wound healing and recovery of corneal sensation. Enhanced accumulation of reactive oxygen species, reduced free radical scavengers, increased mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines and decreased mRNA expressions of neurotrophic factors in the cornea and TG neuron were observed in diabetic mice with corneal epithelium abrasions. Intranasal nanomicelle curcumin treatment effectively recovered these pathophysiological conditions, especially that of the TG neuron and a strengthened recovery was observed with ocular topical combined with intranasal treatment. These findings indicated that intranasal curcumin treatment effectively helped promote diabetic corneal epithelial/nerve wound healing. This novel treatment might be a promising strengthened therapy for diabetic keratopathy.

Metal surface treatment by silane provides an alternative replacer to the existing toxic hexavalent chromium passivation technique. This article deals with the two fundamental aspects, viz reactivity and processability, of different hydrolyzing silane systems. By conductivity determination, the conversion of Si-OC2H5 into Si-OH and Si-OH condensation were studied for different hydrolyzing systems. The optimum hydrolyzed system was proposed based the desired balance of reactivity and processability.