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Wind power is a promising electricity source. Nevertheless, wind turbine blade icing can cause severe problems in turbine operation. In this study, SiO

Background: The pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to identify the hub genes in AD pathogenesis and determine their functions and pathways.Methods: A co-expression network for an AD gene dataset with 401 samples was constructed, and the AD status-related genes were screened. The hub genes of the network were identified and validated by an independent cohort. The functional pathways of hub genes were analyzed.Results: The co-expression network revealed a module that related to the AD status, and 101 status-related genes were screened from the trait-related module. Gene enrichment analysis indicated that these status-related genes are involved in synaptic processes and pathways. Four hub genes (ENO2, ELAVL4, SNAP91, and NEFM) were identified from the module, and these hub genes all participated in AD-related pathways, but the associations of each gene with clinical features were variable. An independent dataset confirmed the different expression of hub genes between AD and controls.Conclusions: Four novel genes associated with AD pathogenesis were identified and validated, which provided novel therapeutic targets for AD.

Oxyresveratrol (Oxy) is a natural polyhydroxystilbene abundant in mulberry that has anti-inflammation and anti-oxidant activities. We evaluated the protective effect of Oxy in the context of the lipopolysaccharide and d-galactosamine (LPS/d-GalN) induced acute liver injury. Oxy restricted the development of histopathological changes, markedly reduced the activity of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), which are indicators of impaired liver function. Oxy significantly regulated the contents of oxidative stress related enzymes and products, and inhibited expressions of inflammatory mediators and cytokines. Oxy treatment diminished the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-kappa B (TLR4/NF-κB) signaling pathway in liver, activated the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(Keap1)-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway, and increased expressions of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and quinine oxidoreductase 1(NQO1). Pretreatment with Oxy decreased LPS/d-GalN stimulated hepatocyte apoptosis by efficaciously raising the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2 associated X (Bax) ratio, inhibiting the expression and activation of caspases, and activating the phosphoinoside-3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway. Our results demonstrate the hepatoprotective efficacy of Oxy. The protection is mainly due to the prevention of TLR4/NF-κB pathway activation, induced activation of Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway, and decreased hepatocyte apoptosis. Oxy warrants further study as a potential therapeutic agent candidate for the management of acute liver injury.

Morus alba L. (mulberry) is one of the most important medicine and food crops in China and other developing countries in Asia due to its large biomass (twigs) and useful by-products. Additionally, ...

Morus alba L. (mulberry) twig is known to have an inhibitory effect on pathogens in traditional Chinese medicine. In the present study, the dermophytic fungus, Trichophyton rubrum, was used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of total M. alba twig extract and extracts obtained using solvents with different polarities by the method of 96-well MTT colorimetry. The main active substance was isolated and identified by tracking its activity. In addition, the inhibitory effects of active extracts and a single active substance were investigated in combination with miconazole nitrate. Our data indicated that ethyl acetate extracts of mulberry twig (TEE) exhibited a desired inhibitory activity on T. rubrum with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1.000 mg/mL. With activity tracking, the main substance showing antimicrobial activity was oxyresveratrol (OXY), which was isolated from TEE. Its MIC for inhibiting the growth of T. rubrum was 0.500 mg/mL. The combined use of miconazole nitrate and OXY showed a synergistic inhibitory effect, as shown by a significant decrease in the MIC of both components. Based on the OXY content in TEE, the contribution rate of OXY to the inhibitory effect of TEE on T. rubrum was 80.52%, so it was determined to be the main antimicrobial substance in M. alba twig. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A series of Pd/SnO2/SiO2/Si heterojunction sensors were produced using magnetron sputtering method. It is found that the Pd/SnO2/SiO2/Si heterojunction exhibits ultrahigh H2 response of ∼17363% to 1.0% H2 at room temperature, and has fast response and recovery, excellent stability and selectivity. Therefore, this kind of heterojunction may be a promising candidate for effective H2 detection at room temperature. The H2 response characteristics and the optimum operating voltage of the sensors is modulated by the interface barrier potential between SnO2 and Si, which can be understood by the interfacial energy band characteristics of the Pd/SnO2/SiO2/Si heterojunction.

Using molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations, we focus on the influence of filling atoms on radial collapse and elasticity of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). It is shown that the filled argon (Ar) and silicon (Si) atoms can effectively improve the resistance to high pressure and radial elasticity of SWNT, which may attribute to the strong repulsive force from the filled Ar(Si) atoms. However, due to the strong interaction of Cu atoms, filling Cu atoms deteriorate SWNT’s radial elasticity. In addition, it is found that the phase transitions of the atoms filled in SWNT occur in the process of loading and unloading pressure, so that the electrical properties of the SWNTs filled with atoms change in the process of loading and unloading pressure. In view of the restorability of SWNT filled with Si atoms upon unloading, the filled SWNTs can be used to develop a new class of nano-electronic devices such as pressure sensor, relay and memory, etc.

An effective treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has not yet been found because the pathogenesis of this fatal disease is not well understood. A number of previous studies demonstrated that intermediate-length polyglutamine repeats within the ataxin-2 gene (ATXN2) might be a risk factor among patients with ALS in Western countries. Here, we aim to determine whether this sequence is a risk factor in Eastern Chinese ALS patients. Therefore, 379 unrelated sporadic ALS patients, 15 unrelated familial ALS patients, and 900 neurologically normal controls were studied. The ATXN2 CAG repeats were amplified using polymerase chain reaction. The products were separated on an 8% polyacrylamide gel and confirmed using Sanger sequencing. The results were evaluated using SPSS 17.0. We found that ATXN2 intermediate-length polyglutamine expansions greater than 24 and 27 repeats were associated with sporadic ALS. Our finding supports the hypothesis that ATXN2 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ALS.