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Ten compounds (1–10) were obtained from soil-derived Penicillium cremeogriseum W1-1 with the antimicrobial guided isolation procedure. Among them, 4 presented broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities and its preliminary mechanisms were evaluated. Compound 4 showed growth inhibition on drug-resistant pathogenic strains Escherichia coli and Candida albicans with post-contact effect (PCE), changed the morphology and membrane structure, killed cells with leakage, inhibited the growth of C. albicans by eradicating biofilms. Interestingly, the fraction containing 4 presented in vivo anti-pathogenic activities in mice, indicating this indole diterpenoid alkaloid could been used as potential antimicrobial agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MDSPI16 exerts a significant anti-inflammatory effect. • MDSPI16 could inhibit the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. • MDSPI16 could be proposed as a potential and novel drug therapy for ALI. A previous study described a novel serine protease inhibitor 16 from Musca domestica (MDSPI16), which inhibited the elastase and chymotrypsin. It also exhibited a potential anti-inflammatory activity for acute lung injury (ALI), while its effects on ALI are yet to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the effects and the underlying mechanisms of MDSPI16 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged mice and bone marrow neutrophils. The ALI model based on the results of LPS-induced mice demonstrated that MDSPI16 markedly reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells, protein exudation in lung tissues, and downregulated the level of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Furthermore, the LPS-stimulated mouse bone marrow neutrophils model was employed to determine the role of MDSPI16. The cytokine levels were quantified by both the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Consequently, the expression of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α was found to be inhibited by MDSPI16 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, MDSPI16 also inhibited the mouse neutrophils nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway, ERK1/2 and AP-1 signaling pathway in addition to the expression of iNOS and COX-2 proteins, which in turn, might alleviate the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines during ALI. Therefore, MDSPI16 could be proposed as a potential and novel drug therapy for ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial aconitase (Aco2) catalyzes the conversion of citrate to isocitrate in the TCA cycle, which produces NADH and FADH2, driving synthesis of ATP through OXPHOS. In this study, to explore the relationship between adipogenesis and mitochondrial energy metabolism, we hypothesize that Aco2 may play a key role in the lipid synthesis. Here, we show that overexpression of Aco2 in 3T3‐L1 cells significantly increased lipogenesis and adipogenesis, accompanied by elevated mitochondrial biogenesis and ATP production. However, when ATP is depleted by rotenone, an inhibitor of the respiratory chain, the promotive role of Aco2 in adipogenesis is abolished. In contrast to Aco2 overexpression, deficiency of Aco2 markedly reduced lipogenesis and adipogenesis, along with the decreased mitochondrial biogenesis and ATP production. Supplementation of isocitrate efficiently rescued the inhibitory effect of Aco2 deficiency. Similarly, the restorative effect of isocitrate was abolished in the presence of rotenone. Together, these results show that Aco2 sustains normal adipogenesis through mediating ATP production, revealing a potential mechanistic link between TCA cycle enzyme and lipid synthesis. Our work suggest that regulation of adipose tissue mitochondria function may be a potential way for combating abnormal adipogenesis related diseases such as obesity and lipodystrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of distributed target detection when there is signal mismatch, this paper proposes a tunable detector, which is characterised by a tunable parameter. The proposed detector can realise the flexible detection of mismatch signals by adjusting the tunable parameter, and hence the directivity (robustness or selectivity to mismatched signals) of the tunable detector can be smoothly adjusted. In addition, the tunable detector can obtain approximately the same detection performance as the corresponding generalised likelihood ratio test in the absence of signal mismatch. The proposed tunable detector also possesses the constant false alarm rate property. Numerical examples illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed detector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the problem of detecting a multichannel signal embedded in subspace interference and Gaussian noise. The interference lies in a known subspace but with unknown coordinates, while the noise, in the general sense, consisting of thermal noise and clutter, has an unknown covariance matrix. To estimate the covariance matrix, it is assumed that there are sufficient signal-free training data. Two cases are considered, namely, the homogeneous environment (HE) and partially HE (PHE). The test and training data in the HE have the same noise covariance matrix, while the test and training data in the PHE share the same noise covariance matrix up to an unknown scaling factor. We derive the corresponding Wald tests both in the HE and PHE. Remarkably, these two detectors reject the clutter by using the sample covariance matrix, and then reject interference and integrate signal simultaneously through the oblique projection. Numerical examples show that the two proposed detectors can provide better detection performance than existing detectors in some situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Radon–Fourier transform (RFT) with a long coherent integration time has recently been proposed for detecting a moving target with an across range cell (ARC) effect. However, without effective clutter suppression, clutter will also be integrated via the RFT, which may affect weak target detection. Based on the maximal signal-to-clutter-plus-noise ratio (SCNR) criteria, a novel adaptive RFT (ARFT) is proposed in this paper to effectively detect a “low-observable” target in a clutter background. The proposed ARFT can combine RFT and adaptive clutter suppression by introducing an optimal filter weight, which is determined from the clutter's covariance matrix as well as a steering vector for a moving target with the ARC effect. In the transformed range-velocity space, the proposed ARFT can suppress background clutter and optimally integrate the target's energy. Nevertheless, with the increase in the integration time, the ARFT needs to address two difficulties in its real implementation. One is the lack of independently and identically distributed (i.i.d.) training samples in a heterogeneous clutter background, and the other is that the computational complexity is too high due to the large number of pulse samples. Therefore, a subaperture ARFT (SA-ARFT) is further proposed in this paper. It divides all coherent pulse samples into several subapertures and accomplishes adaptive clutter suppression in each subaperture. Subsequently, SA-ARFT implements coherent integration among the outputs of different subapertures. The proposed SA-ARFT method can obtain a similar SCNR improvement factor (SCNR IF) with a large number of i.i.d. training samples, while it can obtain a much higher SCNR IF than the ARFT with limited i.i.d. training samples and much lower computational complexity in a heterogeneous clutter background. Finally, some numerical results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the two proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the coherent wave packet dynamics of a two-level atom trapped in a symmetric double-well potential in a near-resonance cavity. Prepared on one side of the double-well potential, the atom wave packet oscillates between the left and right wells, while recoil induced by the emitted photon from the atom entangles the atomic internal and external degrees of freedom. The collapse and revival of the tunneling occurs. Adjusting the width of the wave packets, one can modify the tunneling frequency and suppress the tunneling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the problem of distributed target detection with subspace signal mismatch. Precisely, the echoes reflected by the distributed target all come from the same direction, and the signal steering vector is assumed to lie in a preassigned subspace. However, the actual signal steering vector does not completely belong to the presumed subspace, resulting in subspace signal mismatch. We focus on the design of selective detectors, which have good capabilities of mismatched signal rejection. To this end, we add a fictitious signal under the null hypothesis, which is orthogonal to the nominal signal subspace in the whitened or quasi-whitened subspace. According to the generalized likelihood ratio test criterion, we devise two effective detectors. Compared with the existing ones, the proposed detectors exhibit improved selectivity capabilities for signal mismatch at the price of a little bit performance loss in the case of no signal mismatch. Moreover, for the case of point-like target, which is a special case of distributed target, we derive analytical expressions for the probabilities of detection and false alarm. Simulation results illustrate the superiority of the proposed detectors and confirm our theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Long non-coding RNA and mRNA profiles of mouse brains infected with Toxoplasma gondii Pru strain were compared. • A total number of 2,090 annotated lncRNAs along with 3,577 novel lncRNAs were identified. • The majority of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of mouse brains were down-regulated compared to that in the sealed brood cells. • A putative mRNA-lncRNA co-expression network was constructed and identified several hub regulatory RNAs based on the transcriptome data. • DEGs along with some hub LncRNAs were further confirmed by qPCR. Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite which seriously threatens the health of domestic animals and humans. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-protein-coding transcripts greater than 200 nucleotides, which are widely involved in transcriptional and epigenetic regulations. However, little is known about the roles of host lncRNAs in the response to T. gondii infections. In this study, using Illumina sequencing technology, we analyzed the expression profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs in BALB/c mouse brain following infection by T. gondii PRU strain (type II genotype) cysts. The identified differentially expressed (DE) RNAs were subjected to bioinformatics analysis. A total of 2,090 annotated lncRNAs along with 3,577 novel lncRNAs were identified. In the acutely infected mouse brain, a total of 330 mRNAs and 19 lncRNAs were dys-regulated, whereas 136 DE mRNAs and 9 DE lncRNAs were identified in chronically infected mouse brain. GO analysis revealed that these DE mRNAs identified at acute infection stage were involved in immune response, whereas DE mRNAs found at chronic infection stage were mostly enriched in response to protozoan. KEGG analysis showed that DE mRNAs were significantly enriched in disease related pathways. In addition, the putative mRNA-lncRNA co-expression network was constructed, and several hub regulatory RNAs were identified based on the transcriptome data. This study firstly characterized the co-expression profile of mRNAs and lncRNAs in mouse brain infected with T. gondii and provided a framework for further studies of the roles of lncRNAs in host neuropathology during toxoplasmosis progression. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two adaptive detectors based on gradient test are proposed for homogeneous environment (HE) and partially HE (PHE), respectively. • These two detectors both ensure the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) property. • The proposed Gradient-based detectors can outperform their competitors under some certain parameter settings. This paper investigates the adaptive detection problem of a distributed target embedded in Gaussian noise with unknown covariance matrix, where the target signal is assumed to belong to a known subspace, but corresponding coordinate is unknown. Resorting to the gradient test, we propose two adaptive detectors for homogeneous environment (HE) and partially HE (PHE), respectively. These two detectors both ensure the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) property. Simulation results show that the proposed detectors outperform its competitors in some scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate the effect of urapidil on myocardial perfusion, and ventricular function in patients with ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: Fifty-four patients were randomized into urapidil (12.5 mg, ic, n =27) or control group. Infarct related artery (IRA) was targeted with PCI following urapidil administration. TIMI blood flow, corrected TIMI frame count (cTFC), myocardial blush grade (MBG), ST resolution (STR) on ECG, creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) were measured before, and after PCI. Results: cTFC (18.38±3.30 vs 21.44±4.26, P =0.005), in the treatment group was lower than the placebo group, whereas MBG was higher (P =0.04). More patients in the urapidil group achieved significant STR following PCI (93% vs 70%, P =0.04). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), measured with echocardiography, in the urapidil group was higher than the control group 30 days after PCI (0.58±0.06 vs 0.54±0.06, P =0.04). Peak CK-MB and peak cTnT in the urapidil group was lower than the control group (P <0.01). Myocardial nitric oxide concentration in the urapidil group was higher than that of the control group (P <0.01). Following PCI, the endothlin-1 level did not change in the urapidil group (P >0.05) but it was increased in the control group (P <0.05). Conclusions: Urapidil treatment improves coronary flow, myocardial perfusion and left ventricular function following PCI in patients with ST-elevation ACS. These beneficial effects are associated with an enhanced biosynthesis of nitric oxide. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Modest variations in SA508 steel chemistry have a marked impact on EB weld residual stresses. • Significant stresses remain after an ASME-compliant post-weld heat treatment. • Single-pass EB welds are likely to have thickness-dependent residual stress distributions. • Phase transformation kinetics must be incorporated into models for stress development. Reduced-pressure electron beam (EB) plate butt welds were manufactured in two low-alloy pressure-vessel steels, SA508 Gr 3 Cl 1 and SA508 Gr 2, at two thicknesses in both steels, 30 mm and 130 mm. Transient temperatures during welding were recorded using thermocouple arrays. Residual stresses in the as-welded condition and after post-weld heat treatment were measured using diverse methods: neutron diffraction and the contour method at 30 mm thickness; and deep hole drilling and the contour method at 130 mm. Incremental centre hole drilling measurements were performed at 130 mm thickness to better understand near-surface stresses. Weld and heat-affected zone microstructures and microconstituents were evaluated using a combination of hardness mapping, optical microscopy and electron microscopy. The as-welded residual stresses exhibit the characteristic M-shaped distribution for hardenable steels, reaching 500–600 MPa in tension in both steels at both thicknesses. However, the modest changes to the chemical composition and the change in plate thickness both significantly influenced microstructures, mechanical properties and residual stress distributions. These sensitivities underline the need for physically faithful models. This extensive characterisation study enables the development and validation of models that predict the development of microstructures and residual stresses in EB welds in low alloy pressure vessel steels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Knowing the atomistic processes of low-energy impact is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of energetic deposition. In this study, molecular dynamics techniques were used to simulate the impact of low-energy Pt atoms on Pt (111) doped with Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, and Pd atoms using an atomic interaction potential with an embedded atom method. We studied the dependence of adatom creation, sputtering behavior, and vacancy creation on the incident energy of Pt atoms in the range 0.1 to 200 eV. It is found that doping with noble metal atoms may enable adatom yields, sputter yields, and vacancy yields to be changed. This variation can be attributed to the mass effect of dopants. Preferential sputtering of light dopants results in a reduction in the threshold energy for sputtering. We also found the cohesive energy of Pt atoms and the threshold energy for sputtering to be the measures dominating the interaction of low-energy Pt atoms with doped Pt (111) surfaces. A model based on a reflection mechanism of incident atoms in the framework of binary collision theory is suggested to describe the interaction of low-energy atoms with the doped Pt (111) surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we reconsider the problem of detecting a matrix-valued rank-one signal in unknown Gaussian noise, which was previously addressed for the case of sufficient training data. We relax the above assumption to the case of limited training data. We re-derive the corresponding generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) and two-step GLRT (2S–GLRT) based on certain unitary transformation on the test data. It is shown that the re-derived detectors can work with low sample support. Moreover, in sample-abundant environments the re-derived GLRT is the same as the previously proposed GLRT and the re-derived 2S–GLRT has better detection performance than the previously proposed 2S–GLRT. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the re-derived detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the problem of detecting a multichannel signal in interference and noise when signal mismatch happens. We first propose two selective detectors, since their strong selectivity is preferred in some situations. However, these two detectors would not be suitable candidates if a robust detector is needed. To overcome this shortcoming, we then devise a tunable detector, which is parametrized by a non-negative scaling factor, referred to as the tunable parameter. By adjusting the tunable parameter, the proposed detector can smoothly change its capability in rejecting or robustly detecting a mismatch signal. Moreover, one selective detector and the tunable detector with an appropriate tunable parameter can provide nearly the same detection performance as existing detectors in the absence of signal mismatch. We obtain analytical expressions for the probabilities of detection (PDs) and probabilities of false alarm (PFAs) of the three proposed detectors, which are verified by Monte Carlo simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditional treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD), including medication and therapy, often fail and have undesirable side effects. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) uses electrical currents to induce brief seizures in the brain, resulting in rapid and potent antidepressant effects. However, owing to misconceptions and controversies, ECT is not as widely used as it could and often faces stigmatization., Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ECT compared to those of medication and/or therapy in patients with severe MDD., Methods: This prospective cohort study included 220 individuals with severe MDD who were divided into the ECT and non-ECT groups. The patients in the ECT group underwent bilateral ECT three times a wk until they either achieved remission or reached a maximum of 12 sessions. The non-ECT group received medication and/or therapy according to clinical guidelines for MDD. The primary outcome was the variation in the hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) score from treatment/ECT initiation to week 12. In addition, patients' quality of life, cognitive abilities, and biomarkers were measured throughout the study., Results: Although both groups showed significant improvements in their HDRS scores over time, the improvement was more pronounced in the ECT group than in the non-ECT group. Additionally, the ECT group exhibited a more substantial improvement in the quality of life and cognitive function than those of the non-ECT group. Compared with the non-ECT group, the ECT group exhibited evi-dently lower variations in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. The side effects were generally mild and comparable between the two groups. ECT is safer and more potent than medication and/or therapy in mitigating depressive symptoms, enhancing well-being, and bolstering cognitive capabilities in individuals with severe MDD. ECT may also affect the levels of BDNF and IL-6, which are indicators of neuroplasticity and inflammation, respectively., Conclusion: ECT has emerged as a potentially advantageous therapeutic approach for patients with MDD who are unresponsive to alternative treatments., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors of this manuscript having no conflicts of interest to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

A new compound named koninginin W (1) and four known polyketides (2-5) were isolated from endophytic fungus Trichoderma koningiopsis YIM PH30002 of Panax notoginseng. The structures of 1 - 5, including absolute configuration of 1, were elucidated on the detailed analysis of the HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, and X-ray crystallographic data. Koninginin W (1) presented weak antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella typhimurium., (© 2021 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Two rearranged triterpenoids, representing new subtypes of pentacyclic triterpenoids, with unique 6/6/6/7/5 and 6/6/5/6/6/6 ring systems were isolated from Alstonia scholaris . Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Both compounds exhibited potent antihyperuricemic bioactivity in vitro and in vivo .

Endophytic fungi play important roles for host's stress tolerance including invasion by pathogenic microbes. Small molecules are common weapons in the microbe-microbe interactions. Panax notoginseng is a widely used traditional Chinese medicinal plant and harbors many endophytes, some exert functions against pathogens. Here, we report six new compounds named myrothins A-F (1-6) produced by Myrothecium sp. BS-31, an endophyte isolated from P. notoginseng, and their antifungal activities against pathogenic fungi causing host root-rot disease. Their structures were elucidated with analysis of spectroscopic data including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS. Myrothins B (2) and E (5) showed the weak activity against Fusarium oxysporum and Phoma herbarum, and myrothins F (6) showed weak activity against F. oxysporum., (© 2021 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Introduction: The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical significance of Ly-1 antibody reactive clone (LYAR) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Material and Methods: The expressions of LYAR at the protein level in representative paired NSCLC tumor tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues were measured by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival curve of patients with NSCLC. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and flow cytometry were used to estimate the cell proliferation and cell cycle, respectively. Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed to detect cell apoptosis., Results: LYAR was dramatically overexpressed in NSCLC tissues which were closely related to the survival of patients with NSCLC. In clinical studies, the expression of LYAR was related to the clinical stage, histological differentiation, and Ki-67 expression. A positive correlation was found between LYAR and Ki-67 expression by Spearman's correlation test. After serum starvation for 72 h, serum re-addition significantly increased the expression of LYAR, PCNA, and Cyclin A and promoted the cell cycle progression. LYAR knockdown inhibited the proliferation and induced the G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of A549 cells., Conclusions: The present study revealed the clinical significance of LYAR in NSCLC. LYAR might serve as a tumor promoter in NSCLC progression by promoting the proliferation and inhibiting the apoptosis of NSCLC cells. Inhibiting the expression of LYAR was considered as a potential novel therapeutic strategy for NSCLC.

Obesity and related metabolic disorders are associated with intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, disrupted intestinal barrier, and chronic inflammation. Neohesperidin (Neo), a natural polyphenol abundant in citrus fruits, is known for its preventative and therapeutic effects on numerous diseases. Here, we report that Neo administration attenuates weight gain, low-grade inflammation, and insulin resistance in mice fed high-fat diet (HFD). Also, Neo administration substantially restores gut barrier damage, metabolic endotoxemia, and systemic inflammation. Sequencing of 16S rRNA genes in fecal samples revealed that Neo administration reverses HFD-induced intestinal microbiota dysbiosis: an increase in the diversity of gut microbiota and alteration in the composition of intestinal microbiota (particularly in the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes). Furthermore, systemic antibiotic treatment abolishes the beneficial effects of Neo in body weight control, suggesting that the effect of Neo on obesity attenuation largely depends on the gut microbiota. More importantly, we demonstrate that the impact of Neo on the regulation of obesity could be transferred from Neo-treated mice to HFD-fed mice via fecal microbiota transplantation. Collectively, our data highlight the efficacy of Neo as a prebiotic agent for attenuating obesity, implying a potential mechanism for gut microbiota mediated the beneficial effect of Neo., (© 2020 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.)

Methylstilbene-alt-maleic acid copolymers spontaneously convert biological membranes into bilayer discs with ∼20 nm diameters. This readily functionalizable class of copolymers has the compositional homogeneity, hydrophobicity, dynamics, and charge that may help to achieve optimal structural resolution, membrane dissolution, stability, and broad utility.

Ischemic heart disease is widely considered as a major health threat, which causes a high number of deaths every year worldwide. Much evidence has shown that oxidative stress (OS) is implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). This study aims to evaluate the effect of miR-590-3p on the OS of IRI mice through the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway by targeting receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1). IRI mouse models were established for extracting myocardial tissues and isolating myocardial cells. The expression of inflammatory related-factors was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in tissues were determined. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis were performed to assess the role of miR-590-3p in the expression of NF-κB-related factors and apoptosis-related factors. Besides, the regulatory effects of miR-590-3p on myocardial cell proliferation and apoptosis were also assessed. According to the obtained results, we found that IRI mice displayed higher expression of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and interferon-γ, lower expression of IL-10 in serum, a decreased SOD level, and an increased MDA level. In addition, RIPK1 was determined as a target gene of miR-590-3p. After transfection of overexpressed miR-590-3p or si-RIPK1, declined RIPK1, NF-κB, Toll-like receptor 4, caspase-3, FasL, p53, and c-myc levels, increased B-cell lymphoma-2 level, promoted cell proliferation, promoted cell cycle distribution and inhibited apoptosis of myocardial cells were found. Our study demonstrates that miR-590-3p can alleviate the OS of IRI mice through the inhibition of the RIPK1 and NF-κB signaling pathway. Thus, miR-590-3p represents a potential target for IRI repair., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Purpose: To establish a new animal model of trigeminal neuralgia（TN） produced by administration of talc to peripheral infraobital nerve in rats., Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 groups. Talcum powder (30％,0.3 mL) was injected into the peripheral infraorbital foramen in one group, the same dose of normal saline was injected by the same method in another group. On 3 day before surgery and 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 and 12 weeks postoperatively, mechanical pain behavior was determined. Statistical analysis of the threshold of pain response was performed and the behavior of pain was observed in the area of infraorbital nerve innervation in rats. Histopathological changes of the peripheral infraorbital nerve tissue in the rats were observed 3 days, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks postoperatively. The expression of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin -1β (IL-1β) in the territory of the infraorbital nerve was detected by immunohistochemistry. SPSS16.0 software package was used to analyze the data., Results: The mechanical pain threshold of rats in the infraorbital innervation area 3 days postoperatively in the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that in the preoperative group and the control group (P<0.01). The rats in the experimental group 3 days postoperatively experienced symptoms of irritability, scratching the face or aggressive behavior. Twelve weeks after operation, the mechanical pain threshold was still significantly decreased. Histopathological examination in the experimental group 3 days postoperatively mainly showed inflammation with a few inflammatory factors（IL-1β and TNF-α）expression. Inflammation in the experimental group 1week postoperatively was more intense and more inflammatory factors were expressed. Four weeks postoperatively, there was more proliferation of granulation tissue in the area of peripheral infraorbital nerve tissue and expression of inflammatory factors was highest. Four to twelve weeks, the inflammatory response in the experimental group was gradually reduced, increased scar and infraorbital nerve compressing by scar were observed, and the expression of inflammatory factors decreased gradually., Conclusions: Injection of talc to the peripheral infraorbital foramen can establish a reliable and stable animal model for research of etiology and treatment of TN.

Exendin-4, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, demonstrated cytoprotective actions beyond glycemic control in recent studies. The aims of the present study were to investigate the effects of exendin-4 on high glucose (HG)-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and the possible mechanisms. Rat cardiomyocytes were divided into 3 groups: normal glucose group (NG group), HG group and HG +exendin-4 group (HG+Ex Group). Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was evaluated by double-staining with annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)/propidium iodide (PI) and flow cytometry. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was detected by 2’,7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCHF-DA) incubation and fluorescence microscopy. LY294002 (LY), a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway inhibitor, was added to the medium of the HG+Ex+LY Group for further western blot analysis. The proteins analyzed involved oxidative stress-associated proteins, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2), and apoptosis-associated proteins, caspase-3, Bax/B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and p-AKT/AKT. HG treatment induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis (P = 0.00) and clearly upregulated ROS production (P = 0.00); exendin-4 co-incubation also ameliorated cardiomyocyte apoptosis (P = 0.004) and decreased ROS (P = 0.00) level significantly. HO-1 and Nrf-2 protein expression levels decreased significantly in the HG group (P < 0.05), but the levels were elevated by exendin-4 intervention (P < 0.05). Furthermore, exendin-4 attenuated HG-induced higher protein expression, including cleaved caspase-3 and Bax, increased the expression of Bcl-2 protein (P < 0.05). However, these impacts of exendin-4 were counteracted significantly by co-incubation with LY294002. In addition, exendin-4 ameliorated HG-induced p-AKT/AKT lower expression, and this impact was also suppressed by LY294002. Exendin-4 ameliorates HG-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and the mechanisms may involve anti-oxidative stress via the HO-1/Nrf-2 system, as well as intervention of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Oxytocin (OXT), a nonapeptide posterior hormone of the pituitary, is mainly synthesized and secreted in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON). The present study was to investigate in which level, brain or periphery, OXT effecting on the behavioral activity in the behavioral despair depression rat model. The results showed that (1) either the forced swimming or the tail suspension significantly increased OXT concentration in the brain (PVN, SON, frontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, lumbar spinal cord) and in the periphery (posterior pituitary and serum); (2) intraventricular injection (icv) of OXT decreased the animal immobility time, whereas OXT receptor antagonist-desGly-NH2, d(CH2)5[D-Tyr2, Thr-sup-4]OV (icv) increased the animal immobility time in a dose-dependent manner in forced swimming test (FST) and in tail suspension test (TST); (3) neither OXT nor OXT receptor antagonist (intravenous injection) influenced the animal immobility time in FST and in TST. OXT levels were increased in several areas of the brain and in the periphery following the behavioral despair, one stressor, yet pre-treatment with OXT appeared to be beneficial in term of reducing immobility time. The data suggested that behavioral despair could enhance OXT synthesis and secretion not only in the brain but also in the periphery, and OXT in the brain rather than the periphery played a role in the behavioral despair depression., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) storage under five different land use patterns, i. e. , poplar and Caragana microphylla plantation, C. microphylla artificial shrubland, poplar plantation, bare land and cropland were studied in the hilly [ness Plateau of northwestern Shanxi. The results showed that the contents, densities and storage of SOC and TN varied remarkably under the different land-use patterns. Soil carbon and nitrogen contents and storage in the 0-20 cm soil layer were significantly higher in the 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm soil layers under each of the five land use patterns. In the same soil layer, the contents and densities of SOC and TN under the five land use patterns were in the order of poplar and C. microphylla plantation > C. microphylla artificial shrubland > poplar plantation > bare land > cropland. The SOC storage in the 0-60 cm soil layer was in the order of poplar and C. microphylla plantation (30.09 t x hm(-2)) > C. microphylla artificial shrubland (24.78 t x hm(-2)) > poplar plantation (24.14 t x hm(-2)) > bare land (22.06 t x hm(-2)) > cropland (17.59 t x hm(-2)). Soil TN storage had the same trend as SOC storage, and TN storage in the 0-60 cm soil layer was the highest (4.94 t x hm(-2)) in poplar and Caragana microphylla plantation, followed by C. microphylla artificial shrubland (3.53 t x hm(-2)), poplar plantation (3.51 t x hm(-2)), bare land (3.40 t x hm(-2)), and cropland (2.71 t x hm(-2)). Poplar and C. microphylla plantation and C. microphylla artificial shrubland were the good land use patterns in the process of vegetation construction and ecological restoration in the hilly Loess Plateau of northwestern Shanxi.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection might initiate and contribute to the progression of lymphoma from gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). Increasing evidence shows that eradication of H. pylori with antibiotic therapy can lead to regression of gastric MALT lymphoma and can result in a 10-year sustained remission. The eradication of H. pylori is the standard care for patients with gastric MALT lymphoma. Cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) protein, one of the most extensively studied H. pylori virulence factors, is strongly associated with the gastric MALT lymphoma. CagA possesses polymorphisms according to its C-terminal structure and displays different functions among areas and races. After being translocated into B lymphocytes via type IV secretion system, CagA deregulates intracellular signaling pathways in both tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent and -independent manners and/or some other pathways, and thereby promotes lymphomagenesis. A variety of proteins including p53 and protein tyrosine phosphatases-2 are involved in the malignant transformation induced by CagA. Mucosal inflammation is the foundational mechanism underlying the occurrence and development of gastric MALT lymphoma., (© 2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.)

Oxytocin (OXT), a nonapeptide hormone of posterior pituitary, reaches the central nervous system from systemic blood circulation with a difficulty because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The interest has been expressed in the use of the nasal route for delivery of OXT to the brain directly, exploiting the olfactory pathway. Our previous study has demonstrated that OXT in the central nervous system rather than the blood circulation plays an important role in rat pain modulation. The communication tried to investigate the interaction between the OXT and pain modulation in Chinese patients with headache to understand the OXT effect on human pain modulation. The results showed that (1) intranasal OXT could relieve the human headache in a dose-dependent manner; (2) OXT concentration in both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) increased significantly in headache patients in relation with the pain level; and (3) there was a positive relationship between plasma and CSF OXT concentration in headache patients. The data suggested that intranasal OXT, which was delivered to the central nervous system through olfactory region, could treat human headache and OXT might be a potential drug of headache relief by intranasal administration., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: By measuring left ventricular diastolic function and arterial stiffness, this study aims to probe into the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on left ventricular diastolic function and arterial stiffness, and evaluate the correlation between left ventricular diastolic function and arterial stiffness., Methods: Seventy-six inpatients were enrolled. According to their coronary angiography, OGTT test results and past history of DM, patients were divided into controlled, CHD (coronary heart disease with no DM), and CHD + DM groups. Through invasive hemodynamic monitoring during left ventricular angiography, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and tau index were collected. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (c-f PWV), reflected wave augmentation index (AIx@75) and other data reflecting the degree of arterial stiffness were collected bedside with non-invasive means. SPSS 18.0 was used for statistical analysis., Results: No significant difference was found between groups for LVEDP, tau index, and AIx@75. In terms of c-f PMV, The CHD + DM group (8.79 ± 1.59) cm/s differed significantly from the CHD group (7.43 ± 1.42) cm/s and the controlled group (6.83 ± 1.14) cm/s. No correlations were found between c-f PMV and LVEDP or tau index. A positive correlation was found between AIx@75 and tau index., Conclusions: Compared with the controlled group and CHD patients with no DM, CHD + DM patients show worse arterial stiffness with no difference in ventricular diastolic function. There is a positive correlation between arterial stiffness and diastolic dysfunction.

Background: The association between increased serum uric acid (SUA) levels and cardiovascular risk has been debated for decades. Several large studies have provided conflicting results regarding the clinical significance of elevated SUA levels in cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cerebrovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between SUA and CVD and all-cause mortality and their potential diagnostic value., Methods: A total of 3570 in-patients ranging in age from 56 to 95 years (mean (67.36 +/- 11.36) years) were selected from 20 hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai. A carefully designed questionnaire was used to gather baseline data of each patient. All patients were divided into two main groups according to their SUA levels: high SUA and normal SUA groups. Serum indices and other important parameters were measured., Results: Compared with normal SUA group, high SUA group had significant difference in systolic blood pressure (SBP), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), body mass index (BMI), and age (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). High SUA prevailed in female and patients with history of essential hypertension, while history of smoking and diabetes showed no significant difference between two groups. All-cause and CVD mortality occurred more frequently in high SUA group than in normal SUA group. In the accumulative survival analysis, high SUA group had lower survival rate than normal SUA group both in CVD and all-cause mortality. COX regression analysis indicated that the history of smoking, age and high SUA were independent risk factors for the development of CVD., Conclusions: These preliminary observations suggest that patients with high SUA levels would face higher risk of mortality. SUA measurement may be applied as a routine predictor for clinical assessment.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of Phyllodium elegans., Methods: The compounds were isolated and purified by extraction, chromatography on silica gel and recrystallization. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectra analysis., Results: Three triterpenoids were isolated and identified as lupenone (1), lupeol (2), betulin (3)., Conclusion: Compound 2 is obtained from the genus for the first time, Compounds 1-3 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Objective: To investigate the relation between of the angiotensin II receptors 1 and 2 (AT1-R and AT2-R), and aldosterone (Ald) synthetase CYP11B2 gene expression and atrial structural remodeling., Methods: Thirty-eight patients were divided into three groups: sinus rhythm (SR) group (n = 11), paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF) group (n = 13, with a duration of AF < 6 months), and constant atrial fibrillation (cAF) group (n = 14, with a duration of AF > 6 months) and underwent open thoracic surgery. 500 mg of tissue of right appendage was taken during the off-pump operation (tissue of left appendage was also taken in 8 patients of the cAF group). The levels of AT1-R, AT2-R, and CYP11B2 were detected. With semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemistry was used to localize AT1-R., Results: The mean diameter of the left atrium of the cAF group was (5.8 +/- 0.6) cm, significantly greater than those of the pAF and SR groups (4.2 +/- 0.7) cm and (3.3 +/- 0.4) cm respectively, (both P < 0.01). However, there was not significant difference in the mean diameter of left atrium between the pAF and SR groups (P > 0.05). The CYP11B2R mRNA expression of the cAF group was 0.41 +/- 0.03, significantly higher than those of the pAF and SR groups (0.27 +/- 0.09 and 0.23 +/- 0.01 respectively, both P < 0.05). The AT1-R mRN expression level of the cAF group was 1.03 +/- 0.04, significantly lower than that of the SR group (0.90 +/- 0.10, P < 0.05). The AT2-R mRNA expression level of the cAF group was 1.16 +/- 0.16, significantly higher than that of the SR group (0.90 +/- 0.10, P < 0.05). In the SR group the AT1-R protein expression was mainly seen in the cellular membrane of the atrial cardiac muscle cells and rarely seen in the fibroblasts and vascular sooth muscle cells, however, in the pAF group AT1-R positive staining was seen in the cellular membrane, cytoplasm of the atrial cardiac cells, fibroblasts, and vascular sooth muscle cells, and the AT1-R positive staining of the cAF group was stronger than that of the pAF group and weaker then that of the SR group., Conclusion: The atrial structural remodeling is mediated by tissue RAS. The downregulation of AT1-R mRNA is probably an excessive reaction of atrial myocardium to tissue Ang II, while the upregulation of AT2-R mRNA is probably an adaptive and compensatory reaction of atrial myocardium to tissue Ang II. The regulation of AT-R may occur at the level of transcription and translation of the protein synthesis. In the cAF and pAF patients, the increase of the gene expression of CYP11B2 shows that Ald may be involved in the pathophysiological process of atrial remodeling in AF.