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We study the conditions under which the isometry of spaces with metrics generated by weights given on the edges of finite trees is equivalent to the isomorphism of these trees. Similar questions are studied for ultrametric spaces generated by labelings given on the vertices of trees. The obtained results generalized some facts previously known for phylogenetic trees and for Gurvich---Vyalyi monotone trees.

The present investigation was undertaken to increase our insight into the molecular basis of the physiological changes in rat testis induced by food withdrawal, and to clarify whether reduced testicular function can be ameliorated by mild exercise. Male rats were selected for four separate experiments. The first of each group was chow-fed, the second was chow-fed and submitted to exercise (5 bouts in total for 30 min at 15 m/min, and 0° inclination), the third was submitted to food withdrawal (66 h) and the fourth was submitted to food withdrawal and to exercise. At the end of experiments, we investigated (i) serum and testicular sex hormone levels; (ii) protein levels of StAR, 3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and P450 aromatase, which play a key role in steroid hormone biosynthesis; and (iii) protein levels of mitotic and meiotic markers of spermatogenesis in rats, in relation to testis morphology and morphometry. We found that mild exercise or food withdrawal alone induced a significant increase or decrease in both serum and testis testosterone levels, respectively. Interestingly, we found that these levels were brought back to basal levels when food withdrawal was combined with mild exercise. The changes in testosterone levels observed in our experimental groups correlated well with the expression of steroidogenic enzymes as well as with spermatogenic activity. With mild exercise the increased testosterone/17β-estradiol (T/E2) ratio in the testis correlated with an increased spermatogenic activity. The T/E2 ratio dropped in fasted rats and was significantly reversed when food withdrawal was combined with exercise. Histological and morphometric analyses confirmed that spermatogenic activity varied in concomitance with each experimental condition. Importantly, the testis and serum T/E2 ratios correlated, confirming that exercise rescues the decline in food withdrawal-induced spermatogenesis. In conclusion, this study highlights that mild exercise normalizes the reduced spermatogenic activity caused by food withdrawal through the modulation of the steroidogenic pathway and restoring the T/E2 ratio, underlining the beneficial effects of mild exercise on the prevention and/or amelioration of reduced testis function caused by restricted caloric intake.

The research of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) has been ongoing for more than three decades, and more research are still being carried out today. Being the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved nanomedicine, LNPs not only provide various advantages, but also display some unique properties. The unique lipid bilayer structure of LNPs allows it to encapsulate both fat-soluble and water-soluble molecules, hence enabling a wide range of possibilities for the delivery of therapeutic agents with different physical and chemical properties. The ultra-small size of some LNPs confers them the ability to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB), thus obtaining superiority in the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The ability of tumor targeting is one of the basic requirements to be an excellent delivery system, where the LNPs have to reach the interior of the tumor. Factors that influence tumor extravasation and the permeability of LNPs are size, surface charge, lipid composition, and shape. The effect of size, surface charge, and lipid composition on the cellular uptake of LNPs is no longer recent news, while increasing numbers of researchers are interested in the effect of shape on the uptake of LNPs and its consequential effects. In our study, we prepared three lipid nanostars (LNSs) by mixing phosphatidylcholine (PC) with different backbone lengths (C14:C4 or C16:C6 or C18:C8) at a 3:1 ratio. Although several star-shaped nanocarriers have been reported, these are the first reported star-shaped LNPs. These LNSs were proven to be safe, similar in size with their spherical controls (~100 nm), and stable at 37°C. The release rate of these LNSs are inversely related to the length of the lipid backbone. Most importantly, these LNSs exhibited greatly enhanced cellular uptake and in vivo tumor extravasation compared with their spherical controls. Based on the different uptake and pharmacokinetic characteristics displayed by these LNSs, numerous route formulations could be taken into consideration, such as via injection or transdermal patch. Due to their excellent cellular uptake and in vivo tumor accumulation, these LNSs show exciting potential for application in cancer therapy.

The main idea of the article is how the early Russian symbols influenced the formation of heraldic images of the PRC in 1949. The author analyzes, how the same symbols can be interpreted depending on the cultural and political context. It becomes obvious, that the PRC relied on the experience of the USSR in forming its symbols that mark power. Based on the idea of Lenin's concept of building socialism and how the results of the 1917 revolution affected the future of Russia, China was able to «avoid the mistakes» of the USSR and build its own socialism, but with the Chinese characteristics

Prior research on consumers’ web searches primarily examined the effect of web searches on product sales or the characteristics of the web searchers. Differing from prior research, we investigate the effect of marketing activities on web search volume. We selected 314 movies released in China whose box office revenues were greater than RMB 10,000. Then, we collected data points on web search volume and marketing activities from the Baidu, Sina Weibo, and Douban platforms from the 3 weeks prior to the release of each movie. Marketing activity data points were derived from three sources: news media, social network marketing, and film stars. Our data analysis of 6594 observations revealed two major findings. First, news media, social network marketing, and the effect of film stars increased the web search volumes of the films. In particular, social network marketing had the strongest impact on the web search volume. Second, the previous-day web search volume increased the present-day web search volume without marketing activities, suggesting a spillover effect. We discuss the academic contributions and managerial implications of our findings in the context of online marketing and new product launches.

Background: Recently, antitranspirant or radiation-reflective products have been studied in several crops to mitigate the negative effects of global warming in Mediterranean climates. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, there is a scarce availability of information studying their effects on blueberries and much less from applications of sunscreens elaborated based on a mixture of dicarboxylic acids. Methods: Controls and three treatments were performed in ‘Duke’ and ‘Star’ blueberries as follows: (i) control without water stress (T1 = 100% ETc); (ii) foliar application of sunscreen in plants without water stress (T2 = 100% ETc + sunscreen); (iii) water stress in plants without foliar application of sunscreen (T3 = 50% ETc); (iv) foliar application of the sunscreen in plants with water stress (T4 = 50% ETc + sunscreen). Stem water potential (Ψs), stomatal conductance (gs), yield, berry weight and berry total soluble solids were determined. (3) Results: As expected, the decrease in irrigation frequency in water stress treatments (T3 and T4) allowed for a decrease in the water applied at 25% compared to non-stressed plants (T1 and T2). This resulted in an increase in the Ψs on the days closest to harvest in both varieties, decreasing gs in blueberries plants subjected to water stress conditions. Sunscreen applications to Duke plants subjected to water stress (T4) induced higher total berry soluble solids than the treatments performed in non-stressed plants (T1 and T2). Sunscreen applications to Star plants subjected to water stress (T4) promoted similar gs levels and did not affect total soluble solids concerning irrigated plants (T1 and T2). (4) Conclusions: The results suggest that the response to water stress to sunscreen application based on dicarboxylic acid salts depended on the cultivar. Therefore, despite the novelty of this research, it is necessary to perform long-term studies to establish accurate conclusions.

The paper analyses celebrity culture in the former Yugoslavia (Ex YU) as well as public relations strategies and techniques that were used by the participants of its cultural scenery in their making and lifelong existence. The research deals with some of the famous singers, actors and sportsmans of the Ex YU celebrity scene, such as Lepa Brena, Severina, Nina Badrić, Edin Džeko, Zana Marjanović, Moamer Kasumović, Halid Beslić, Goran Milić, Saša Lošić, Zdravko Čolić, media that created and obliterated them, and journalists as the main drivers of processes in the celebrity world. The research is based on the analyses of in-depth interviews and case studies. The primary objective of the research is understanding the management of celebrity image and how it is being controlled by the public and the media. The premise of the study is Celebrity, popularity and the impact of individuals in any sphere of the modern world, and in particular, in the field of entertainment and celebrity culture, that is directly related to the publicity in the mass media. Publicity is only partially determined by the qualitative and creative elements, but largely produced, provoked and skillfully guided by the techniques and strategies of the public relations. Based on the pre-eminent classification of celebrities worldwide, the research studies the nature of this phenomenon and the regional, Ex YU, circumstances and links them with concepts, methods, models and tactics as applied to public relations. Stemming from key criteria such as quality in the field of work, ways of communicating with their audience, and the relationship of their image, the paper defines the types of regional (Ex YU) celebrities.

For two graphs G1 and G2, the Ramsey number R(G1,G2) is the smallest integer N, such that for any graph on N vertices, either G contains G1 or Ḡ contains G2. Let Sn be a star of order n and Wm be a wheel of order m + 1. In this paper, we will show R(Wn, Sn) ≤ 5n/2 − 1, where n ≥ 6 is even. Also, by using this theorem, we conclude that R(Wn, Sn) = 5n/2 − 2 or 5n/2 −1, for n ≥ 6 and even. Finally, we prove that for sufficiently large even n we have R(Wn, Sn) = 5n/2 − 2.

In 1979 Tarsi showed that an edge decomposition of a complete multigraph into stars of size m exists whenever some obvious necessary conditions hold. In 1992 Lonc gave necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an edge decomposition of a (simple) complete graph into stars of sizes m 1 , ... , m t. We show that the general problem of when a complete multigraph admits a decomposition into stars of sizes m 1 , ... , m t is NP -complete, but that it becomes tractable if we place a strong enough upper bound on max ⁡ (m 1 , ... , m t). We determine the upper bound at which this transition occurs. Along the way we also give a characterisation of when an arbitrary multigraph can be decomposed into stars of sizes m 1 , ... , m t with specified centres, and a generalisation of Landau's theorem on tournaments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia (LCAH) is caused by mutations in STAR. Classic (CLCAH) and nonclassic (NCLCAH) forms were reported as total and partial deficiencies, respectively, of adrenal and gonadal steroid hormones. The rarity of LCAH has precluded large-scale epidemiological and clinical investigations.Objective: To determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 2 forms of LCAH.Design: A multicenter cross-sectional cohort study in Japan on December 1, 2017.Participants: Fifty-seven patients with LCAH (median age, 23.7 years; range, 0.0-47.5 years).Main Outcome Measures: Patient demographics, STAR genotype, Quigley grade, endocrinological and imaging data, treatment, and prognosis.Results: Fifty-three and 4 patients fulfilled definite and probable diagnostic criteria for LCAH, respectively. When NCLCAH was defined as either Quigley grade 1 in XY karyotype, no episode of salt losing or requirement of fludrocortisone, or onset of primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) at 1 year or older, patients were divided into groups of 43 patients with CLCAH (75.4%), 11 with NCLCAH (19.3%), and 3 with unclassified LCAH (5.3%). All of the patients with CLCAH and 7/11 NCLCAH (63.6%) were treated with fludrocortisone. CLCAH was diagnosed at a significantly younger age than NCLCAH (median, 0.0 vs 4.0 years). STAR-Arg272Cys or -Met225Thr was identified only in NCLCAH (8/11, 72.7%).Conclusions: We demonstrated the relative proportions and clinical and molecular characteristics of NCLCAH and CLCAH in Japan. These criteria for NCLCAH correspond to all previously published cases and our cases whose masculinization of the external genitalia, ability of mineralocorticoid production, and onset of PAI were described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the collaborative efforts of various state and national agencies working together to recruit and retain agriculture teachers in the states of Kentucky, South Carolina, and Ohio. We contrast multiple measures of recruitment and retention in these states with those from the comparator states of Arkansas, West Virginia, and Alabama. The strategies outlined market to new agriculture teachers and maintain current teachers in the profession targeting work-life balance, emotional, physical and social health. These have been a focal point in the federal State Teach Ag Results (STAR) program, but the effects of participation in STAR on recruitment and retention require additional investigation. Using a difference-in-differences regression model, we assume parallel trends and no spillovers (SUTVA) between participating and non-participating states in the Southeastern US and Ohio Valley regions to model changes in multiple measures of recruitment and retention of agriculture teachers. We find a positive and significant effect of STAR participation on recruitment, an insignificantly positive effect of participation on retention, and an insignificantly negative impact of participation on creation of new agricultural positions in public schools. Our results suggest that recruitment is lagged behind existing positions, which necessitates further work investigating new policy aimed at filling those positions before creating any new ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al-Tarikh al-Kabir is a very important biographies book. This is due to the high status of this book and the knowledge it includes. Al-Bukhari gathered a big number of biographies in an abridged way. Doing this, al-Bukhari mentions the name of narrator, his teachers, and points of strength and weakness in regard to his transmission of hadith. But he wasn’t mentioning the teachers in a comprehensive way, therefore he was mentioning some of the teachers, on some occasions he wasn’t mentioning any of them. Therefore, we try to present the reasons that made al-Bukhari mention some of the teachers in particular, and points of strength and weakness in regard to his transmissions of hadith. we reached a number of conclusinds, amongst which that al-Bukhari’ selection of narrator’s teachers was with an aim, which is the high lightness of points of strength and weakness in regard to his transmission of hadith. and that al-Tarikh al-Kabir was a step towards compiling his Sahih, al-Tarikh al Kabir wasn’t mere a biography book, but a work that needs attention and investigation in the light of the information deposited in it and the context in which such information is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence indicates that dietary n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) alter the fatty acid composition of corpus luteum (CL) and directly affect the luteal function in the cow, which is independent of the inhibitory effect on the endometrial PGF2α production. The present study, thus, investigated the effects of n‐3 PUFA rich fish oil (FO) supplementation on the transcriptional modulation of genes involved in the biosynthesis of progesterone (P4) in the CL collected during the luteolytic phase of oestrous cycle in the goat. On the day of synchronized oestrus, goats (n = 6/group) were fed an isocaloric diet supplemented with either FO or palm oil (PO). The dose of oil supplementation was 0.6 mlkg‐1 body weight, and the duration was 55–57 days. The FO provided 156 mgkg‐1 body weight of n‐3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The CL was collected by laparotomy on day 16 post‐oestrus, and the relative abundance of P450 side‐chain cleaving enzyme, steroid acute regulatory protein (StAR) and 3β‐hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase (3β‐HSD) genes was quantitated by real‐time PCR. The results indicated that the dietary FO significantly upregulated the expression of 3β‐HSD by 1.13‐fold and downregulated StAR by ~2‐fold as compared to PO group (p <.05). It is concluded that dietary FO differently affected the expression of genes involved in P4 synthesis in the CL during the luteolytic window of the oestrous cycle in the goat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased testicular temperature reduces sperm motility, morphology and fertility. Our objectives were to characterize effects of testicular hyperthermia (scrotal insulation) on acute testosterone concentrations and gene expression in Bos indicus testes. Nelore bulls (n = 20), ∼27 mo of age, 375 kg, scrotal circumference >31 cm, with ≥30% motile sperm, were allocated into four groups (n = 5/group): non-insulated (Control) and insulation removed after 12, 24, or 48 h. Immediately after insulation, intratesticular temperatures (needle thermocouples) were coolest in Control bulls and warmest in 48-h bulls (mean ± SEM, 35.28 ± 0.31 vs 38.62 ± 0.57 °C, P < 0.05). Bulls were castrated and testes recovered. Testicular testosterone concentrations were higher in Control versus 48-h bulls (3119 ± 973.3 and 295.5 ± 122.8 ng/g of tissue, respectively, P < 0.05). Total RNA was extracted, reverse transcribed and RT-qPCR done. For STAR, mRNA abundance decreased from Control to 48 h (1.14 + 0.32 vs 0.32 + 0.5, P < 0.05). For BCL2, expression decreased from Control to 24 h (1.00 + 0.07 vs 0.70 + 0.12, P < 0.05), but then rebounded. In addition, GPX1 had a 70% increase (P < 0.05) at 48 h, whereas HSP70 had a 34-fold increase (P < 0.05) at 12 h and 2- and 14-fold increases (P < 0.05) at 24 and 48 h, respectively. HSF1, BAX, P53 and CASP 8 remained unchanged. Downregulation of STAR, critical in androgen production, was consistent with reduced testosterone concentrations, whereas increased GPX1 enhanced testicular antioxidative capability. Huge increases in HSP70 conferred protection again apoptosis and cell destruction, whereas reduced BCL2 promoted apoptosis. These findings provided novel insights into acute tissue responses (testosterone and gene activity) to testicular hyperthermia in B. indicus bulls. • Scrotums of Nelore (Bos indicus) bulls were insulated from 0 (Control) to 48 h. • After 48 h, testes were ∼3 °C warmer, with 90% less testosterone. • mRNA abundance of STAR and BCL2 decreased, whereas GPX1 and HSP70 increased. • Apoptosis prevented by increased HSP70, but promoted by lower BCL2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let H be a graph. A decomposition of H is a set of edge-disjoint sub- graphs of H whose union is H. A Hamiltonian path (respectively, cycle) of H is a path (respectively, cycle) that contains every vertex of H exactly once. A k-star, denoted by Sk, is a star with k edges. In this paper, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for decomposing the complete graph into α copies of Hamiltonian path (cycle) and β copies of S3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An edge magic total (EMT) labeling on a graph Γ = (V (Γ), E(Γ)) with |V (Γ)| = p and |E(Γ)| = q is a bijective function: V (Γ) [ E(Γ) ! {1, 2, ..., p + q} with the property that for each edge uv E(??), ψ(u) + ψ(uv) + ψ(v) = c, where c is a constant. An edge magic total (EMT) labeling is called super edge magic total (SEMT) labeling if the smallest numbers are given to the vertices. In this paper, we study the existence of SEMT labeling of disjoint union of stars and subdivided stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has many physiological roles. However, its effects on stem and progenitor Leydig cell development remain unclear. Rat stem and progenitor Leydig cells were cultured with different concentrations of EGF alone or in combination with EGF antagonist, erlotinib or cetuximab. EGF (1 and 10 ng/mL) stimulated the proliferation of stem Leydig cells on the surface of seminiferous tubules and isolated CD90+ stem Leydig cells and progenitor Leydig cells but it blocked their differentiation. EGF also exerted anti‐apoptotic effects of progenitor Leydig cells. Erlotinib and cetuximab are able to reverse EGF‐mediated action. Gene microarray and qPCR of EGF‐treated progenitor Leydig cells revealed that the down‐regulation of steroidogenesis‐related proteins (Star and Hsd3b1) and antioxidative genes. It was found that EGF acted as a proliferative agent via increasing phosphorylation of AKT1. In conclusion, EGF stimulates the proliferation of rat stem and progenitor Leydig cells but blocks their differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A graph labeling is an algorithm that assignment the labels, traditionally represented by integers, to the edges or vertices, or both, of a network(graph) G. Formally, given a graph G = (V, E), a vertex labeling is a function of V to a set of labels. A graph with such a function defined is called a vertex-labeled graph. Likewise, an edge labeling is a function of E to a set of labels. In this case, the graph is called an edge-labeled graph. We study an edge irregular reflexive k-labeling for the star, double star and caterpillar graphs and determine the exact value of the reflexive edge strength for these graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of its unequal beauty and mathematical sophistication, Islamic art has received a great attention from several scientists. Hence, several works have been done to investigate its mathematical structure, and to discover its principle of construction. Up to now, no method of constructing new self-similar patterns were proposed. In this paper, we will present a method for constructing new self-similar patterns. The proposed method is based on successive subdivisions of the golden mean triangles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work was aimed to evaluate the protective effects of alpha‐tocopherol (α‐toco) and/or Lactobacillus plantarum (LCB) against testicular atrophy induced by mercuric chloride (MCH). Rats were injected with 5 mg/kg MCH for 5 days consecutively, then treated with 100 mg/kg α‐toco and 6 × 1010 CFU 1.8701/kg LCB alone or together for 3 weeks. The MCH elevated serum TNF‐α, IL‐ 6, caspase‐3, and testicular malondialdehyde. However, serum testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, testicular messenger RNA of a steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, 17‐β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 3β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, glutathione level, and superoxide dismutase activity were decreased. Protein expression of Nrf2 was downregulated whereas that of Bax and DNA fragmentation was upregulated in the testicular tissues. Treatment with α‐toco and LCB ameliorated the deviated biochemical parameters and improved tissue injury. It was concluded that the combination of LCB and α‐toco achieved promising results in the amelioration of MCH‐induced testicular atrophy. Nrf2, Bax expressions, and DNA fragmentation are involved in the testicular atrophy induced by MCH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation was undertaken to increase our insight into the molecular basis of the physiological changes in rat testis induced by food withdrawal, and to clarify whether reduced testicular function can be ameliorated by mild exercise. Male rats were selected for four separate experiments. The first of each group was chow-fed, the second was chow-fed and submitted to exercise (5 bouts in total for 30 min at 15 m/min, and 0° inclination), the third was submitted to food withdrawal (66 h) and the fourth was submitted to food withdrawal and to exercise. At the end of experiments, we investigated (i) serum and testicular sex hormone levels; (ii) protein levels of StAR, 3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and P450 aromatase, which play a key role in steroid hormone biosynthesis; and (iii) protein levels of mitotic and meiotic markers of spermatogenesis in rats, in relation to testis morphology and morphometry. We found that mild exercise or food withdrawal alone induced a significant increase or decrease in both serum and testis testosterone levels, respectively. Interestingly, we found that these levels were brought back to basal levels when food withdrawal was combined with mild exercise. The changes in testosterone levels observed in our experimental groups correlated well with the expression of steroidogenic enzymes as well as with spermatogenic activity. With mild exercise the increased testosterone/17β-estradiol (T/E2) ratio in the testis correlated with an increased spermatogenic activity. The T/E2 ratio dropped in fasted rats and was significantly reversed when food withdrawal was combined with exercise. Histological and morphometric analyses confirmed that spermatogenic activity varied in concomitance with each experimental condition. Importantly, the testis and serum T/E2 ratios correlated, confirming that exercise rescues the decline in food withdrawal-induced spermatogenesis. In conclusion, this study highlights that mild exercise normalizes the reduced spermatogenic activity caused by food withdrawal through the modulation of the steroidogenic pathway and restoring the T/E2 ratio, underlining the beneficial effects of mild exercise on the prevention and/or amelioration of reduced testis function caused by restricted caloric intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For given simple graphs H 1 , H 2 , ... , H t , the Ramsey number R (H 1 , H 2 , ... , H t) , which is often called multi-color Ramsey number, is the smallest integer n such that for an arbitrary decomposition { G i } i = 1 t of the complete graph K n , there is at least one G i has a subgraph isomorphic to H i . Let m , n 1 , n 2 , ... , n t be positive integers and Σ = ∑ i = 1 t (n i - 1) . Raeisi and Zaghian obtained the R (K 1 , n 1 , ... , K 1 , n t , C m) and R (K 1 , n 1 , ... , K 1 , n t , W m) for odd m ≤ Σ + 2 . In this paper, we establish R (K 1 , n 1 , ... , K 1 , n t , W m) for odd m ≥ Σ + 3 and even m ≥ 2 Σ + 2 . We also determine the rest values of R (K 1 , n 1 , ... , K 1 , n t , C m) except for even m ≤ Σ + 1 and R (K 1 , n 1 , ... , K 1 , n t , P m) for m ≥ Σ + 1 , or m ≤ Σ and Σ ≡ 0 , 1 (mod m - 1) , which extends a result on R (K 1 , n 1 , ... , K 1 , n t , P m) obtained by K. Zhang and S. Zhang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) has been ongoing for more than three decades, and more research are still being carried out today. Being the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved nanomedicine, LNPs not only provide various advantages, but also display some unique properties. The unique lipid bilayer structure of LNPs allows it to encapsulate both fat-soluble and water-soluble molecules, hence enabling a wide range of possibilities for the delivery of therapeutic agents with different physical and chemical properties. The ultra-small size of some LNPs confers them the ability to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB), thus obtaining superiority in the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The ability of tumor targeting is one of the basic requirements to be an excellent delivery system, where the LNPs have to reach the interior of the tumor. Factors that influence tumor extravasation and the permeability of LNPs are size, surface charge, lipid composition, and shape. The effect of size, surface charge, and lipid composition on the cellular uptake of LNPs is no longer recent news, while increasing numbers of researchers are interested in the effect of shape on the uptake of LNPs and its consequential effects. In our study, we prepared three lipid nanostars (LNSs) by mixing phosphatidylcholine (PC) with different backbone lengths (C14:C4 or C16:C6 or C18:C8) at a 3:1 ratio. Although several star-shaped nanocarriers have been reported, these are the first reported star-shaped LNPs. These LNSs were proven to be safe, similar in size with their spherical controls (~100 nm), and stable at 37°C. The release rate of these LNSs are inversely related to the length of the lipid backbone. Most importantly, these LNSs exhibited greatly enhanced cellular uptake and in vivo tumor extravasation compared with their spherical controls. Based on the different uptake and pharmacokinetic characteristics displayed by these LNSs, numerous route formulations could be taken into consideration, such as via injection or transdermal patch. Due to their excellent cellular uptake and in vivo tumor accumulation, these LNSs show exciting potential for application in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two decades have passed since the introduction of Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) into light transport simulation by Veach and Guibas, and numerous follow-up works have been published since then. However, up until now no survey has attempted to cover the majority of these methods. The aim of this paper is therefore to offer a first comprehensive survey of MCMC algorithms for light transport simulation. The methods presented in this paper are categorized by their objectives and properties, while we point out their strengths and weaknesses. We discuss how the methods handle the main issues of MCMC and how they could be combined or improved in the near future. To make the paper suitable for readers unacquainted with MCMC methods, we include an introduction to general MCMC and its demonstration on a simple example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adrenal gland took major part during pregnancy, it’s cortex release hormones of cholesterol precursor that utilize StAR for its transfer across mitochondrial membrane, striodogenesis is associated with electron leakage lead to oxidative stress and both are changed during pregnancy. This study evaluate the histomorphotric changes of adrenal cortical zonal thickness in relation to steriodgenesis by immunohistochemical assessment of StAR protein and oxidative stress by assessment of malondialdehyde (MDA) through various stages of pregnancy in Rat. A significant variations among cortical zonal thickness was seen, with Significant variation in StAR and MDA expression among non-pregnant and pregnant groups at various gestational age (7th, 14th and 18th days) at p ≤ 0.05 . All these changes verify specific gestational stage hormonal changes that emphasized by StAR and MDA topographic localization and immunohistological expression and buildup of the oxidative stress during gestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of StAR Protein at different regions of full term human umbilical cord in relation to the coiling index of the cord. Forty five human umbilical cords, from a full term healthy pregnant women, who undergo elective caesarian section, were used. These cords divided into three groups, according to their coiling index (CI) each group with 15 umbilical cords. Then cords were sectioned into 2cm long pieces at different sites (fetal end, middle and placental end) of the cord. Sections were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded and prepared for histological; using H&E stain and immunohistochemical studies; using Anti StAR protein marker. The interpretation of IHC results achieved by applying Aperio positive pixel count algorithm software. The immunohistochemical reactivity of StAR protein in the amnion epithelial and umbilical vessels found to be negative in all parts of the three groups, while in the sub-amnion region of all groups was found to be positive with diffuse strong reaction in some areas. In the perivascular area the IHC reactivity showed a weak positive reaction in most sections in the three parts of the three groups of the umbilical cord. The intravascular region showed variable reactivity from positive to weak positive reactions. Analysis of StAR protein IHC reactivity showed a high mean positivity in sections obtained from Hypercoiled group (0.50±0.22) compared to those obtained from Hypocoiled group (0.47±0.20) and Normocoiled group (0.38±0.24), though these differences were statistically significant (p. value = 0.0001). Study concluded that The stressful effect of the hypercoiling umbilical cord may result in steroidogenesis that reflected through the maximum expression of StAR protein in hypercoiling umbilical cord, in addition to the effect of differentiation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into steroidogenic cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a graph. Let f : V (G) → {0; 1; 2; ⋯, k - 1} be a map where k ∈ ℕ and k > 1. For each edge uv, assign the label |f(u) - f(v)|. f is called k-total difference cordial labeling of G if |tdf (i) - tdf (j)| ≤ 1, i, j ∈ {0; 1; 2; ⋯ ; k - 1} where tdf (x) denotes the total number of vertices and the edges labeled with x. A graph with admits a k-total difference cordial labeling is called k-total difference cordial graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the scrutiny of famous persona by analyzing the career of actress Clara Bow, who starred in the 1927 romantic comedy film "It" by director Clarence Badger. Also cited are the prioritization of film preservation, historical empathy, and the themes of liberation and consumerism in the 1960s, and Bow's alleged sexual promiscuity and tumultuous relationships.

Stardom plays an important role in heritage film, a contemporary genre of costume drama and historical film. Stars' on-screen and off-screen presences, their star personas and worldviews, powerfully impact heritage films' historical reconstitutions, potentially influencing the spectator's 'historical thinking' and critical engagement with the past. A genre of popular and art-house/auteur cinema, heritage film provides a setting where renowned actors and actresses may assume a 'politics of stars', operating as 'star-auteurs' who offer a meaningful contribution to films' depictions of prior eras through their unique incarnation of historical figures. In the star-led phenomenon of heritage biopics, stars' roles can be instrumental in impacting the viewer's historical understanding. Iconic French Cinema star Isabelle Adjani has appeared in several crucial roles in heritage film, most notably her incarnation of Belle Époque artist and sculptress Claudel in the 1988 biopic Camille Claudel. In her adaptation of Reine-Marie Paris's original 1984 biography, Adjani's specific star presence forcefully influences the film's portrait of Parisian art worlds, salons, galleries, artists' studios, and workshops in turn-of-the-century France. Through close analysis of Camille Claudel, this article examines the biopic's reconstitution in relation to star Adjani' role, testing notions of historical realism and authenticity in consultation with historical texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to present the clinical features and gene mutation characteristics of a child with 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) caused by a novel heterozygous mutation in the NR5A1 gene to determine the potential association between this heterozygous mutation and the pathogenesis of 46,XY DSD. Methods: We present the case of a Chinese child with ambiguous genitalia at birth but a normal adrenal gland. Targeted next-generation sequencing, comprising 163 candidate genes involved in sexual differentiation and development, was performed, followed by the functional evaluation of the novel NR5A1 mutation. Result: The patient had a novel heterozygous mutation in the NR5A1 gene, c.630delG (p.Y211Tfs*85). Results revealed that overexpression of p.Y211Tfs*85 impaired steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) protein synthesis. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that both SF-1 wild-type and p.Y211Tfs*85 mutation proteins were localized in the cell nucleus. Furthermore, dual-luciferase reporter assay results revealed that the p.Y211Tfs*85 mutation could effectively downregulate the transcriptional activation of anti-Müllerian hormone and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein genes (P < 0.01). Additionally, the p.Y211Tfs*85 mutation changed three-dimensional conformation of SF-1, and three conformations could be constructed with the mutated amino acid sequences. Therefore, the novel frameshift mutation could result in decreased protein expression of SF-1. Conclusion: We described a novel mutation in NR5A1 and showed that it might affect protein structure, thereby seriously compromising the role of SF-1 in regulating gonadal development. The novel p.Y211Tfs*85 mutation in the NR5A1 gene enriches the boy of information available regarding the mutation spectrum of this gene in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the Notch pathway is modulated in response to the downregulation of the Wnt/Β-catenin system in corpora lutea (CLs) from superovulated rats. To this end, we analyzed the effect of in vitro CL Wnt/Β-catenin inhibition on the expression of Notch members and on luteal function. Mechanically isolated rat CLs were cultured with ICG-001, a Wnt/B-catenin inhibitor. In this system, Wnt/B-catenin inhibition reduced progesterone production and decreased StAR protein levels. Besides, Wnt/B-catenin inhibition stimulated the Notch system, evidenced by an increase in Hes1 expression, and promoted the expression of selected Notch family members. At long incubation times, StAR levels and progesterone concentration reached the control values, effects probably mediated by the Notch pathway. These results provide the first evidence of a compensatory mechanism between Wnt/B-catenin signaling and the Notch system, which contributes to the homeostasis of luteal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

miRNAs are endogenous noncoding single-stranded small RNAs of ~22 nucleotides in length that post-transcriptionally repress the expression of their various target genes. They contribute to the regulation of a variety of physiologic processes including embryonic development, differentiation and proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism, hemostasis and inflammation. In addition, aberrant miRNA expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases including cancer, hepatitis, cardiovascular diseases and metabolic diseases. Steroid hormones regulate virtually every aspect of metabolism, and acute and chronic steroid hormone biosynthesis is primarily regulated by tissue-specific trophic hormones involving transcriptional and translational events. In addition, it is becoming increasingly clear that steroidogenic pathways are also subject to post-transcriptional and post-translational regulations including processes such as phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, protein-protein interactions and regulation by specific miRNAs, although the latter is in its infancy state. He re, we summarize the recent advances in miRNA-mediated regulation of steroidogenesis with emphasis on adrenal and gonadal steroidogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies the Iteratively Weighted Least Squares (IWLS) algorithm to a Smooth Transition Autoregressive (STAR) model with conditional variance. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to measure the performance of the algorithm, to compare its performance to the established methods in the literature, and to see the effect of the initial value selection method. The simulation results show that lower bias and mean squared error values are received for the slope parameter estimator from the IWLS algorithm in comparison to the other methods when the real value of the slope parameter is low. In an empirical illustration, the STAR–GARCH model is used to forecast daily US Dollar/Australian Dollar and the FTSE Small Cap index returns. 1-day ahead out-of-sample forecast results show that the forecast performance of the STAR–GARCH model improves with the IWLS algorithm and the model performs better than the benchmark model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Summary: During follicular development, granulosa cells undergo functional and structural changes affecting their steroidogenic activity. Oestrogen synthesis mainly occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum and relies on aromatase activity to convert androgens that arise from theca cells. In the present study, indicators of mitochondria-related steroidogenic capacity, as steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein expression and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), have been evaluated in bovine granulosa cells (GCs) and related to follicle growth and atresia. Atresia was estimated by morphological examination of follicle walls and cumulus–oocyte complexes (COC) and assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay for apoptosis detection. Bovine ovarian follicles were macroscopically classified according to their atresia grade and grouped into small, medium or large follicles. After follicle opening, the COCs were morphologically classified for follicle atresia and the GCs were collected. Granulosa cells were fixed for immunofluorescence (IF) and TUNEL assay, frozen for western blotting (WB) or freshly maintained for MMP analyses. StAR protein expression was assessed using both IF and WB analyses. The follicle atresia grade could be efficiently discriminated based on either follicle wall or COC morphological evaluations. Granulosa cells collected from small non-atretic follicles showed a higher (P <0.01) MMP and WB-based StAR protein expression than small atretic follicles. For IF analysis, StAR protein expression in large atretic follicles was higher (P <0.05) than that in large non-atretic follicles. These results suggest a role played by mitochondria in GC steroidogenic activity, which declines in healthy follicles along with their growth. In large follicles, steroidogenic activity increases with atresia and is possibly associated with progesterone production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigate a stable spherically symmetric relativistic stellar configuration within the framework of f (R , G) gravity. Here, we consider the stellar object filled by a mixture of two non-interacting isotropic ordinary matter and anisotropic dark energy (DE) in the fluid state, named by 'dark energy star'. Also, these two stated fluids are related by a direct proportional condition between matter density and DE density. In particular, we have used Krori-Barua (K-B) matric potentials to solve the field equations. The whole discussion is performed corresponding to a fixed functional form f (R , G) = R + λ R 2 + G 10 with a constant λ. Again, in order to verify the well-behaved nature of our obtained stellar system, we have checked several attributes of our proposed DE stellar structure with a detailed graphical representation. For this connection, we have chosen three compact stars like, SAX JI808.4-3658, PSR J1614-2230, and 4U1820-30, with mass (M) and radius (R). We have shown the stability of our stellar system by exploring several tests via causality conditions, adiabatic index, Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation, and Harrison-Zeldovich-Novikov criteria. Further, we have shown that ordinary matter and DE maintain their own characters by discussing energy conditions. Finally, based on the whole discussion, we have concluded that our proposed DE stellar system is stable and also maintains all physical acceptability requirements in f (R , G) gravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ovarian circadian clock plays a regulatory role in the avian ovulation-oviposition cycle. However, little is known regarding the ovarian circadian clock of geese. In this study, we investigated rhythmic changes in clock genes over a 48-h period and identified potential clock-controlled genes involved in progesterone synthesis in goose ovarian preovulatory granulosa cells. The results showed that BMAL1, CRY1 , and CRY2 , as well as 4 genes (LHR, STAR, CYP11A1 , and HSD3B) involved in progesterone synthesis exhibited rhythmic expression patterns in goose ovarian preovulatory granulosa cells over a 48-h period. Knockdown of BMAL1 decreased the progesterone concentration and downregulated STAR mRNA and protein levels in goose ovarian preovulatory granulosa cells. Overexpression of BMAL1 increased the progesterone concentration and upregulated the STAR mRNA level in goose ovarian preovulatory granulosa cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that the BMAL1/CLOCK complex activated the transcription of goose STAR gene by binding to an E-box motif. These results suggest that the circadian clock is involved in the regulation of progesterone synthesis in goose ovarian preovulatory granulosa cells by orchestrating the transcription of steroidogenesis-related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]