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ABSTRACT: In this paper, mathematical models of smooth and enhanced tubes were established. A new mathematical model in evaluating single-tube falling film absorption effect outside enhanced tubes is proposed. The liquid film outside enhanced tubes is assumed to consist of two layers, i.e. internal and external layers. The analytical solutions to the distribution of the velocity, temperature and concentration in the internal layer are obtained by means of theoretical analysis, while the solutions in the external layer are calculated by using numerical method. The governing equations of the two layers are coupled using a second-order coupling method. The effects of the height and the angle of the ribs on the performances of the heat and mass transfer of the liquid film are discussed. It is shown that the agreement is good between the calculation results and the experimental data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Serum response factor (SRF), a transcription factor highly expressed in neurons, is involved in neuronal survival and the pathogenesis of some neurodegenerative disorders. The ablation of SRF renders the midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons vulnerable to 1-methyl 4-phenyl 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced neurotoxicity, however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we report decreased SRF levels in the substantia nigra (SN) of rotenone-treated rats that was associated with the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons. SRF expression was also reduced in rotenone-treated PC12 cells in vitro . In addition, Srf knockdown augmented rotenone-induced toxicity in PC12 cells. In contrast, overexpression of Srf attenuated the cells’ sensitivity to rotenone and alleviated rotenone-induced α-synuclein accumulation. The protective effect of SRF was abolished when the expression of autophagy-related proteins Beclin 1 and Atg5 was suppressed. These results suggested that SRF may promote DA neuron survival by regulating autophagy, and thus serves as a critical molecule in PD progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Many children with Wilson's disease are complicated with dyslipidemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for the development of fatty liver disease (FLD) in children with Wilson's disease., Methods: We evaluated sex, age, weight, the disease course, treatment course, clinical classification, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, total biliary acid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, homocysteine, uric acid, fibrinogen (FBG), creatinine, procollagen III N-terminal propeptide, laminin, hyaluronic acid, type IV collagen, and performed receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to investigate the forecast value of individual biochemical predictors and combined predictive indicators to evaluate FLD in Wilson's disease., Results: The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that ALT [odds ratio (OR), 1.011; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.004-1.02; P  = 0.006], uric acid (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.002-1.018; P  = 0.017), FBG (OR, 3.668; 95% CI, 1.145-13.71; P  = 0.037), creatinine (OR, 0.872; 95% CI, 0.81-0.925; P  < 0.001), and laminin (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.002-1.018; P  = 0.017) acted as independent risk factors in Wilson's disease complicated with FLD. The receiver operating characteristic curves for combined predictive indicators demonstrated an area under the curve values of 0.872, which was found to be a significant predictors for FLD in Wilson's disease., Conclusions: We screened out the most important risk factors, namely ALT, uric acid, creatinine, FBG, and laminin for Wilson's disease complicated with FLD. The joint prediction achieved is crucial for identifying children with Wilson's disease complicated with FLD., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is gaining worldwide popularity as a complementary and alternative medicine. The isolation and characterization of active ingredients from TCM has become optional strategies for drug development. In order to overcome the inherent limitations of these natural products such as poor water solubility and low bioavailability, the combination of nanotechnology with TCM has been explored. Taking advantage of the benefits offered by the nanoscale, various drug delivery systems have been designed to enhance the efficacy of TCM in the treatment and prevention of diseases. Methods: The manuscript aims to present years of research dedicated to the application of nanotechnology in the field of TCM. Results: The manuscript discusses the formulation, characteristics and therapeutic effects of nano-TCM. Additionally, the formation of carrier-free nanomedicines through self-assembly between active ingredients of TCM is summarized. Finally, the paper discusses the safety behind the application of nano-TCM and proposes potential research directions. Discussion: Despite some achievements, the safety of nano-TCM still need special attention. Furthermore, exploring the substance basis of TCM formulas from the perspective of nanotechnology may provide direction for elucidating the scientific intension of TCM formulas., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhang, Wang, Wang, Peng, Kong and Tian.)

Objective: To explore the changes of cerebral white matter diffusion tensor in epilepsy., Methods: This study was a retrospective study based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Twenty-six epileptic patients and 42 normal controls matched for sex, age and handedness were enrolled in our research. Based on the method of tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), we analyzed the changes of each relevant parameter index of DTI in white matter of the brain in all subjects, including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD)., Results: In comparison with the control group, epileptic patients had decreased FA and elevated MD, AD, and RD in the anterior thalamic radiation, corticospinal tract, forceps major, forceps minor, cingulum, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Widespread white matter integrity was observed in epileptic patients, which may be the structural basis for the development of affective disorders, impaired cognition, and motor abnormalities., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2022.)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on quality of life, anxiety, and depression in patients with epilepsy., Methods: Each study subject was randomly assigned to a CBT (n=46) or control (n=49) group (1:1 ratio), and the first group underwent an 8-week CBT treatment. Anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QOLIE-31) were assessed at both baseline and endpoint using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Hamilton Depression Scale (HDMA) and quality of life in Epilepsy-31 (QOLIE-31) scales. The statistical analyses included between-and within-group comparisons of the effects of CBT on these measures and associations with demographic and clinical variables., Results: No differences were found between variables at baseline (P>0.05). The repeated-measures analyses found that CBT group had greater improvement in depression score compared to the control group ( P <0.05). The analysis of anxiety score showed that compared to the control group, CBT intervention had no statistical significance in the total anxiety population. However, the CBT intervention decreased anxiety in women and Combined-drug group ( P <0.05). The CBT group had greater improvement in overall score, medication effect, and seizure worry score than the control group ( P <0.05). Stratified analysis found total and medication effects score of CBT intervention group for the combined-drug group were higher than those of the single drug group ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: Increases in overall scores, seizure worry, cognitive functioning, and medication effect were better in the CBT group. CBT can improve anxiety, depression, and quality of life in patients with epilepsy. Women and combined-drug patients with epilepsy benefit most from CBT., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2022.)

Aim: To assess the effect of inhibition of caspase-1 on acute renal injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP)., Methods: Forty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: healthy controls (HC, n = 6), SAP rats treated with saline (SAP-S, n = 18), or SAP rats treated with a caspase-1/interleukin (IL)-1β-converting-enzyme (ICE) inhibitor (SAP-I-ICE, n = 18). SAP was induced by retrograde infusion of 5% sodium taurocholate into the bile-pancreatic duct. HC rats were subjected to identical treatment and surgical procedures without sodium taurocholate. Rats received an intraperitoneal injection of isotonic saline (SAP-S) or the inhibitor (SAP-ICE-I) at 2 and 12 h after induction of acute pancreatitis. Surviving rats were sacrificed at different time points after SAP induction; all samples were obtained and stored for subsequent analyses. The levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) were measured using automatic methods, and serum IL-1β concentrations were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Intrarenal expression of IL-1β, IL-18 and caspase-1 mRNAs was detected by RT-PCR. IL-1β protein expression and the pathologic changes in kidney tissues were observed by microscopy after immunohistochemical or hematoxylin and eosin staining, respectively., Results: The serum levels of BUN and Cr in the SAP-S group were 12.48 ± 2.30 mmol/L and 82.83 ± 13.89 μmol/L at 6 h, 23.53 ± 2.58 mmol/L and 123.67 ± 17.67 μmol/L at 12 h, and 23.60 ± 3.33 mmol/L and 125.33 ± 21.09 μmol/L at 18 h, respectively. All were significantly increased compared to HC rats (P < 0.01 for all). Levels in SAP-ICE-I rats were significantly decreased compared to SAP-S rats both at 12 and 18 h (P < 0.01 for all). Serum IL-1β levels in the SAP-S group were 276.77 ± 44.92 pg/mL at 6 h, 308.99 ± 34.95 pg/mL at 12 h, and 311.60 ± 46.51 pg/mL at 18 h; all significantly higher than those in the HC and SAP-ICE-I groups (P < 0.01 for all). Intrarenal expression of IL-1β mRNA was weak in HC rats, but increased significantly in SAP-S rats (P < 0.01). ICE inhibition significantly decreased the expression of IL-1β and IL-18 mRNAs (P < 0.05 for all vs SAP-S), whereas caspase-1 mRNA expression was not significantly different. Weak IL-1β immunostaining was observed in HC animals, and marked staining was found in the SAP-S group mainly in renal tubular epithelial cells. IL-1β immunostaining was significantly descended in SAP-ICE-I rats compared to SAP-S rats (P < 0.05). Caspase-1 inhibition had no effect on the severity of kidney tissue destruction., Conclusion: The expression of caspase-1-activated cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 plays a pivotal role in acute renal injury in rats with experimental SAP. Caspase-1 inhibition improves renal function effectively.

Objective: To observe the effects of ginseng and Ligustrazine drug containing serum on the proliferation, vitality, and extracellular-signal-responsive kinase (ERK) pathway in neural stem cells undergoing in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation culture., Methods: The cultured neural stem cells were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the normal control group (Group A), the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation group (Group B), the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation +ginseng serum group (Group C), the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation + Ligustrazine serum group (Group D), and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation +ginseng and Ligustrazine drug serum group (Group E).The protein expression levels of ERK and phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) were observed using immunoblotting. The proliferation of neural stem cells was observed using 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay. The vitality of neural stem cells was detected using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetry., Results: The p-ERK level increased transiently at 10 min and 30 min after reoxygenation, but it decreased to the normal level at 4 h, 6 h, and 1 day, respectively. Compared with Group B, the p-ERK level at 6 h after reoxygenation could be elevated in Group C, D, and E. The proliferation and the vitality of neural stem cells at 1 day after reoxygenation could be enhanced. Furthermore, the effects of combination of ginseng and Ligusticum were better than those of using ginseng or Ligusticum alone., Conclusions: Combination of ginseng and Ligusticum could promote the proliferation and vitality of rats' neural stem cells undergoing oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation culture through ERK signal pathway. Its effects was better than that of using ginseng or Ligusticum alone.

Objective: To investigate the in vivo functional roles of the La autoantigen (La), the human homologue of the 33-kDa vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein (hVAP-33), and the subunit gamma of the human eukaryotic initiation factors 2B (eIF2Bgamma) as co-infection factors supporting chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV)., Methods: Small interfering (si)RNAs were designed against the HCV internal ribosome entry site (IRES) and transfected into Huh7 cells chronically infected with the HCV pseudovirus (designated as Huh7-HCV cells). The IRES siRNA producing the most effective silencing was selected for further analysis by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). siRNAs designed against La, hVAP-33, and eIF2Bgamma and the IRES-specific siRNA were then transfected, respectively or in various combinations, into the Huh7-HCV cell line for 48 h. The delta CT values were calculated and used to compare the HCV inhibitive efficacies of the siRNAs in isolation or in combination. Western blotting analysis was used to compare the quantity of core protein expression in each group., Results: The four gene-specific siRNAs, in isolation or in combination, caused inhibition of HCV replication and gene and protein expressions to varying degrees. The combination of La + IRES siRNAs produced the strongest inhibition of HCV core antigen expression. The combinations of hVAP-33 + IRES siRNAs and eIF2Bgamma + IRES siRNAs produced stronger inhibitions of HCV replication and gene and protein expressions than either hVAP-33 siRNA or eIF2Bgamma siRNA alone., Conclusion: La, hVAP-33, and eIF2Bgamma act as co-infection factors of HCV chronic infection in vivo. HCV replication and gene and protein expression can be inhibited significantly by RNA interference of these co-infection factors and/or HCV IRES.

Objective: To explore the main characteristics of syndromes in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in post-stroke depression (PSD) and to provide basis for treatments with TCM herbs., Methods: According to diagnostic criteria of PSD, stroke patients and depression patients from Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were assigned into cerebral stroke group (150 cases), depression group (151 cases) and PSD group (123 cases). Neuropsychological assessments and imaging and biochemical analyses were conducted. TCM syndrome differentiation for these diseases was performed. We also determined the characteristics of TCM syndromes of PSD, relative risk of the syndromes and their correlations with ages as well., Results: Scores of qi stagnation and blood stasis, liver qi depression, and transformation of fire due to qi stagnation in PSD group were significant higher than those in cerebral stroke group (P<0.05, P<0.01). In cerebral stroke group, majority of the patients displayed one syndrome, while in PSD and depression groups, the patients had three or more syndromes. Of these syndromes, the incidence rate of syndrome of liver qi depression complicated with transformation of fire due to qi stagnation or flaring of fire due to yin deficiency was high. The syndrome of liver qi depression occurred much more frequently in PSD group and depression group than in cerebral stroke group (P<0.05, P<0.01). The logistic regression analysis showed that the syndrome of qi stagnation and blood stasis had high relative risk to PSD. The syndrome of deficiency of heart and spleen was positively correlated with age in cerebral stroke group., Conclusion: The main TCM syndromes of PSD and depression are qi stagnation and blood stasis, liver qi depression, and transformation of fire due to qi stagnation. The syndrome of deficiency of heart and spleen is closely related to age among the stroke patients. The syndrome of qi stagnation and blood stasis serves as an independent risk factor for PSD. The more complicated the syndromes are, the more serious depression becomes.

Objective: To determine the advantage of U1 small nuclear RNA as a ribozyme vector (U1-Rz) to inhibit HCV replication in vivo., Methods: The 3rd stem-loop was substituted by HCV core specific ribozyme to construct an U1-Rz eucaryotic expression plasmid. Then it was co-transfected with pCMV/T7-NCRC Delta-luc into Huh7 cell line mediated by lipofectin. The cell lysis supernatant was subjected to Western blot and lumenometer to determine the luciferase levels., Results: A U1 snRNA chimeric ribozyme was constructed successfully. Both Rz and U1-Rz inhibited luciferase expression in Huh7 by 48.64% and 87.46%, respectively., Conclusion: Rz has more efficacy in cells when using U1 snRNA delivery system. U1 can be an efficient vector for HCV specific ribozyme.

Objective: To study the cleavage activity on the HCV RNA of a chimeric recombinant of HCV specific ribozyme and U1 small nuclear RNA, which compartmentalizes within the nucleolus., Methods: The third stem-loop sequence of human U1 snRNA (position 95-116) within pBSIISK+ U1 was substituted by hammerhead ribozyme against HCV RNA by PCR and cloning methods, and the constructed plasmid was named pBSIISK+ (U1-Rz). Then the whole gene fragment of the chimeric ribozyme was cloned into a pGEM-T vector under the control of T7 promoter, and the constructed plasmid was named pGEM- (U1-Rz). The pGEM- (U1-Rz) and pGEM-Rz (containing the same ribozyme sequence as that in U1-Rz) transcripts as enzyme were transcribed in vitro. Also the (32)P-labeled pCMV/T7-NCRC luc (containing the gene sequence of the whole 5'-NCR and part core of HCV RNA) transcripts as target-RNAs were transcribed in vitro. The enzymes were incubated with the target RNAs under different conditions and autoradiographed after denaturing gel-electrophoresis., Results: The sequencing result showed that the construction of U1 snRNA chimeric ribozyme was correct. Compared with the ribozyme alone, both of them were active at 37 degree C and with Mg2+ (10 mmol/L) and TrisCl (10 mmol/L, pH7.9), and there was no remarkable difference between them. The cleavage activity of the chimeric ribozyme increased with the prolongation of reaction time and increment of enzyme concentration., Conclusion: Both ribozyme and U1 snRNA chimeric ribozyme exhibited specifically catalytic activity against HCV RNA in vitro. There was no remarkable difference between their cleavage efficiencies.