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Highlights This review provides a comprehensive summary associated with recent progress in the preparation and application of microgels. The characteristics and applications of microgels and microgel-based scaffolds for cell culture and delivery are elaborated with an emphasis on the advantages of these carriers in cell therapy. This review expounds on the ongoing and foreseeable applications and current limitations of microgels and their aggregate in the field of biomedical engineering. Through stimulating innovative ideas, the present review paves new avenues for expanding the application of microgels in cell delivery techniques.

K subgroup of Avian leukemia virus (ALV-K), as the latest reported exogenous ALV subgroup, can cause severe immunosuppression and tumorigenesis in infected chickens and bring serious threats to the poultry. Culling the positive chickens from breeder flocks is the most effective measurement for controling its infection at present. To setup a specific and rapid method for detecting ALV-K, an immunochromatographic strip (ICS) based on colloidal gold nanoparticles and double monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) immunochemical reaction was successfully developed. The solution containing colloidal gold particles (colloidal 20 nm) was prepared by sodium citrate reduction, and the ascites MAbs against ALV-K were purified and identified. The antibody concentration of the colloidal gold-MAb complex reaction system was 9.6 μg/mL, and the optimum pH was 7.5. The optimum coating concentrations of the captured antibody and quality control antibody on the NC membrane were 1.2 mg/mL and 0.6 mg/mL, respectively. The results showed that the prepared ICS could specifically detect ALV-K and had no cross reaction with exogenous ALV-A/B/J strains. Its sensitivity was 64 TCID50/mL against ALV-K and 0.25 μg/mL against ALV-K gp85 protein. The ICS stored at 4 °C for 180 d, at 25 °C for 45 d, and at 37 °C for 15 d could stably detect ALV-K in the samples. In comparision detection of 128 clinical samples, the coincidence rates in cloacal swab samples, serum samples, egg albumen samples and tissue homogenate samples between the ICS and the commercial ALV p27 antigen ELISA kit were 100 %, 100 %, 96.7 % and 96.9 %, respectively; moreover, the prepared ICS in operations was simpler and more convenient. This study supplies a new specific and rapid method for detecting ALV-K in clinics. This is the first report on the application of nano-colloidal gold ICS in ALV-K differential detection.

The Fuxingchang salt anticline is an important oil-bearing structure in the Jiangling Sag of the Jianghan Basin, while its structural evolution and formation mechanism are unclear, which restricts the delicate exploration of oil and gas. Therefore, the analysis of structural evolution and formation mechanism of the Fuxingchang salt anticline is not only helpful to understand the influence of salt bed flow under different stress backgrounds on the formation and evolution of the anticline, but also important to understand the process of petroleum accumulation. The structural characteristics and genetic mechanism of Fuxingchang anticline were studied by analyzing 3D seismic data and combining with the techniques of balance restoration of key structural layers and growth strata analysis. The results show that the Fuxingchang anticline is a salt anticline with significant structural features that vary along strike, resulting from multiple stages of fault reconstruction and complex deformation mechanisms. The anticline was initially formed during normal faulting in the sedimentary period from Early Eocene Xingouzui Formation to the early period of Late Eocene, which formed roller fold and caused the accumulation of salt layer. From the late period of Late Eocene to Oligocene, the differential loading of sedimentary strata drove salt beds to flow from west to east, resulting in the westward dip of the whole structure and the formation of monoclinal structure, which was uplifted and denudated in the late period of Oligocene. The anticline was finalized from Neogene to Quaternary, and evolved into a compressional salt anticline, associated with reverse faults and kink-band structures. The formation and evolution of Fuxingchang anticline are influenced by the combined effects of regional stress background, salt layer of Shashi Formation, the east-dipping normal faults, sub-salt paleostructures, etc. The structural trap formed by Fuxingchang salt anticline occurred slightly earlier than the main oil expulsion period of source rocks, and during the main oil expulsion period, the structure was in the depression stage, with weak fault activity, which was conducive to the early accumulation of trapped oil and gas.

Sea fog is a hazardous natural phenomenon that reduces visibility, posing a threat to ports and nearshore navigation, making the identification of nearshore sea fog crucial. Millimeter-wave radar has significant advantages over satellites in capturing sudden and localized sea fog weather. The use of millimeter-wave radar for sea fog identification is still in the exploratory stage in operational fields. Therefore, this paper proposes a nearshore sea fog identification algorithm that combines millimeter-wave radar with multiple machine learning methods. Firstly, Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) is used to partition radar echoes, followed by the K-means clustering algorithm (KMEANS) to divide the partitions into recognition units. Then, Sea-Fog-Recognition-Convolutional Neural Network (SFRCNN) is used to classify whether the recognition units are sea fog areas, and finally, the partition coverage algorithm is employed to improve identification accuracy. The experiments conducted using millimeter-wave radar observation data from the Pingtan Meteorological Observation Base in Fujian, China, achieved an identification accuracy of 96.94%. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm performs well and expands the application prospects of such equipment in meteorological operations.

Abstract The efficiency of antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) solar cells is still limited by significant interface and deep‐level defects, in addition to carrier recombination at the back contact surface. This paper investigates the use of lithium (Li) ions as dopant for Sb2Se3 films, using lithium hydroxide (LiOH) as a dopant medium. Surprisingly, the LiOH solution not only reacts at the back surface of the Sb2Se3 film but also penetrate inside the film along the (Sb4Se6)n molecular chain. First, the Li ions modify the grain boundary's carrier type and create an electric field between p‐type grain interiors and n‐type grain boundary. Second, a gradient band structure is formed along the vertical direction with the diffusion of Li ions. Third, carrier collection and transport are improved at the surface between Sb2Se3 and the Au layer due to the reaction between the film and alkaline solution. Additionally, the diffusion of Li ions increases the crystallinity, orientation, surface evenness, and optical electricity. Ultimately, the efficiency of Sb2Se3 solar cells is improved to 7.57% due to the enhanced carrier extraction, transport, and collection, as well as the reduction of carrier recombination and deep defect density. This efficiency is also a record for CdS/Sb2Se3 solar cells fabricated by rapid thermal evaporation.

The Yancheng Sag is a favorable exploration area in the Subei Basin. However, the key geological understanding of the natural gas source and reservoir formation characteristics of the sag is still controversial. Based on a set of organic geochemical experiments conducted on natural gas and associated condensate oil of the first member of the Funing Formation (E1f1) in well YCh5 and well data analysis, the oil-gas resources and reservoir formation model in the Zhujiadun gas reservoir in the Yancheng Sag, Subei Basin, were investigated. The results of this study are as follows. (1) The natural gas in the Zhujiadun gas reservoir is dry gas with high methane content, low heavy hydrocarbon content, and high maturity. The characteristics of carbon and hydrogen isotopes in the natural gas indicate that the natural gas is oil-cracked gas, which mainly originates from the source rocks of the Permian Qixia Formation. (2) The condensate oil from well YCh5 with a high degree of maturity has a high pristane/phytane ratio, low gamma-paraffin abundance, and low tricyclic terpene abundance, indicating a mixture of the Upper Paleozoic condensate oil and Cenozoic crude oil. The saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons have similar δ13C values to the Cenozoic continental crude oil. These features suggest two sources of condensate oil. (3) Oils generated from the source rocks of the Qixia Formation were cracked into highly mature gas after deep burial, which migrated along large faults into the sandstones of the E1f1 and K1t1 members. This type of reservoir was effectively preserved beneath the overlying mudstone cap rocks. Therefore, it can be inferred that a play fairway might occur in the eastern zone of the faults connected to the Paleozoic source rocks in the Yancheng Sag since this zone has similar petroleum geological conditions to well YCh5. Therefore, this zone is a favorable area for further exploration.

Based on the understandings of previous studies and exploration results, with the analyses of regional geophysical profiles and drilling data, it was discussed in this paper the deformation and distribution of marine sediments in the northern Jiangsu area under the superimposed transformation of Indosinian-Yanshanian compressional structures and Himalayan extensional structures. On this basis, the possible types of hydrocarbon accumulation and their key controlling factors of the study area were summarized by comprehensive analysis of accumulation assemblage. Results indicate that: (1) Bounded by Huaiyin-Dongtai fault, the Lower Paleozoic strata dominate the remaining strata of the west side, which basically show a stratum inversion in vertical direction and gradually change from old to new from north to south. The remaining strata of the east side are dominated by the Upper Paleozoic, which are normally distributed vertically and gradually change from old to new from north to south. (2) There are four types of hydrocarbon accumulation related to marine strata in the northern Jiangsu area, including early-stage primary-generation and residual type, late-stage new-generation and ancient-storage type, late-stage ancient-generation and new-storage type, and ancient-generation and ancient-storage type. For the early-stage primary-generation and residual type, two factors must be occurred: the favorable area for early accumulation and the weak degree of reconstruction and damage in the Yanshanian period. For the late-stage new-generation and ancient-storage type, the connection between continental hydrocarbon kitchen and marine reservoir is needed. For the late-stage ancient-generation and new-storage type, there must be late hydrocarbon generation kitchen and vertical migration channel to continental reservoir. For the late-stage ancient-generation and ancient-storage type, there must be late hydrocarbon generation kitchen and vertical regional cap rocks. The late-stage ancient-generation and new-storage type is a favorable target for recent breakthroughs in marine exploration, and the late-stage ancient-generation and ancient-storage type is favorable for further exploration.

Various types of sedimentary facies were developed during the Longtan period of the Late Permian, Sichuan Basin. To discover the shale gas exploration potential of belts with different sedimentary facies, a systematic analysis of shale gas generation conditions was carried out on the basis of different typical wells. The organic-rich shale developed in the Sichuan Basin during the Late Permian Longtan period was mainly distributed in tidal flat-lagoon and shelf facies. With complex lithological combinations, the tidal flat-lagoon facies shale was distributed in the Ziyang-Yongchuan-Qijiang areas. Mudstone, shale, and argillaceous carbonate rocks were interbedded with varying thickness and coal seams were also developed in all sections. Furthermore, it has the characteristics of "high TOC, clay and gas contents, and high porosity". The main organic matter type is type Ⅲ. The shallow water, mixed shelf facies in the Longtan Formation was mainly distributed in the Guang'an-Changshou-Nanchuan area, with reduced coal seams and increased ash content. Coal seams were barely developed in the second member of the Longtan Formation. Its organic matter type is Ⅱ2-Ⅱ1, with stable thickness as well as medium TOC and brittle mineral contents. Gas logging was anomalous. The deep-water shelf facies in the Wujiaping Formation were mainly distributed in Shizhu-Wanxian and Guangyuan-Liangping. Coal seams were only developed at the bottom of the Wujiaping Formation. Moreover, the second member of the Wujiaping Formation is composed of siliceous shale and mudstone, which has the characteristics of "high TOC content, high brittle mineral content, high porosity, high gas content, and high gas saturation". Its organic matter type is Ⅱ1, with widespread organic pores. It is currently the main strata for the exploration and development of Permian shale gas in the Sichuan Basin.

Background Studies indicate that muscle strength is associated with good mental health. However, it remains unclear whether muscle strength is directly correlated with psychological symptoms in Chinese adolescents. Given the declining muscle strength and worrying mental health status of Chinese adolescents, the present study aimed to estimate the correlation between muscle strength and psychological symptoms as well as explore the gender differences in those correlations in Chinese adolescents. Method From April to July 2018, a total of 14,344 Chinese adolescents from eight provinces were selected using a stratified clustered sampling method. Psychological symptoms were evaluated using the Multidimensional Sub-health Questionnaire of Adolescents (MSQA), a verified and validated questionnaire that assesses three psychological areas: emotional symptoms, behavioral symptoms, and social adaptation difficulties. Muscle strength was assessed using grip strength, sit-ups, and standing long jump. The Chi-square test was used to compare the detection rates of the different categories of psychological symptoms. A logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlations between muscle strength and psychological symptoms and explore the gender differences in those correlations in Chinese adolescents. Results In general, the detection rate of psychological symptoms for Chinese adolescents was 21.39%. Males had a higher detection rate of psychological symptoms (22.12%) than females (20.66%, p < 0.05). Psychological symptoms were present in significantly fewer Chinese adolescents with a muscle strength index >P75 (19.26%) than among Chinese adolescents with a muscle strength index ≤P25 (23.00%) (χ2 = 23.417, p < 0.01). Compared with females, the OR values for males in most groups were over one (OR = 1.04–1.43), indicating that males have a higher risk of psychological symptoms than females. Conclusions The psychological symptom detection rate of Chinese adolescents is correlated with muscle strength. Psychological symptoms were more correlated to muscle strength in males than in females. The significance of the present study lies in the important insights for integrated mental and physical fitness intervention strategies that promote muscle strength and psychological symptoms simultaneously.

PurposeTo explore the relationship between Chinese middle school students' lifestyles and psychological symptoms and compare the differences between genders.MethodUsing the method of stratified cluster sampling, 14,356 students aged 13–18 years from 8 cities in China were selected as participants. The Multidimensional Sub-health Questionnaire of Adolescents was used to estimate psychological symptoms. Chi-square test and Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between lifestyle and psychological symptoms.ResultsThe psychological symptom detection rate of Chinese middle school students was 21.37%. The detection rate of psychological symptoms for boys was 22.1%, which was significantly higher than for girls (20.64%, χ2 = 4.608, P < 0.05). According to the Logistic regression analysis, factors that have a positive correlation with the demonstration of psychological symptoms (P < 0.01) include: how the students go to school (by foot or on the vehicle) (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.07–1.25); inadequate time for sleep (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.28–1.72); video watching time ≥2 h/d (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.13–1.39); never exercise (OR = 2.39, 95% CI: 2.07–2.76); never participate in extracurricular exercises (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.27–1.66); have breakfast occasionally (OR = 1.35, 95% CI:1.22–1.50); never have breakfast (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.62–2.24); always have snacks (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.13–1.44); always drink sugared beverages (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.22–1.55); picky with food occasionally (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.11–1.33).ConclusionsThere was a positive correlation between unhealthy lifestyle and the occurrence of psychological symptoms, and boys are more easily influenced by lifestyles than girls.

Recently, there has been increased attention in the scientific community to the phenomenon of sub-concussive impacts, those hits to the head that do not cause the signs and symptoms of a concussion. Some authors suggest that sub-concussive impacts may alter behavior and cognition, if sustained repetitively, but the mechanisms underlying these changes are not well-defined. Here, we adapt our well-established weight drop model of repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (rmTBI) to attempt to produce a model of low-level repetitive head impacts (RHI). The model was modified to eliminate differences in latency to right following impact and gross behavioral changes after a single cluster of hits. Further, we varied our model in terms of repetition of impact over a 4-h span to mimic the repeated sub-concussive impacts that may be experienced by an athlete within a single day of play. To understand the effects of a single cluster of RHIs, as well as the effect of an increased impact frequency within the cluster, we evaluated classical behavioral measures, serum biomarkers, cortical protein quantification, and immunohistochemistry both acutely and sub-acutely following the impacts. In the absence of gross behavioral changes, the impact protocol did generate pathology, in a dose-dependent fashion, in the brain. Evaluation of serum biomarkers revealed limited changes in GFAP and NF-L, which suggests that their diagnostic utility may not emerge until the exposure to low-level head impacts reaches a certain threshold. Robust decreases in both IL-1β and IL-6 were observed in the serum and the cortex, indicating downregulation of inflammatory pathways. These experiments yield initial data on pathology and biomarkers in a mouse model of low-level RHIs, with relevance to sports settings, providing a starting point for further exploration of the potential role of anti-inflammatory processes in low-level RHI outcomes, and how these markers may evolve with repeated exposure.

We report herein a facile Hiyama cross-coupling reaction of arylsilanes with thiuram reagents (tetraalkylthiuram disulfides or tetraalkylthiuram monosulfide) enabled by copper fluoride. Compared to our previous work, this protocol is an alternative protocol for the generation of S-aryl dithiocarbamates. It features low toxic and readily available substrates, cost-effective promoter, easy performance, and provides good yields.

Gentamicin ototoxicity can generate free radicals within the inner ear, leading to permanent damage to sensory hair cells (HCs) and eventually hearing loss. The following study examined the alterations of oxidative damage-related genes in the cochlea and important molecules responsible for oxidation following gentamicin injury in vitro. The RT2 Profiler polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array was used to screen candidate targets for treatment to prevent hearing loss caused by gentamicin. We found that during gentamicin-induced death in HCs, Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) had a high fold change in the HCs of the cochlea. Moreover, the use of CoPPIX to induce HO-1 inhibited gentamicin-induced HC death, while HO-1 inhibitors ZnPPIX after CoPPIX reversed this process. Furthermore, the inhibitors of NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) reduced the expression of HO-1 and inhibited the protective effect of HO-1 after gentamicin, thus suggesting that the Nrf2/HO-1 axis might regulate gentamicin-associated ototoxicity. We further demonstrated that induction of HO-1 up-regulated the expression of Nrf2 in both cochlear and HEI-OC1 cells. In summary, these findings indicated that HO-1 protects HCs from gentamicin by up-regulating its expression in HCs and interacting with Nrf2 to inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS).

This study focuses on clarifying the regulation of chicken 14-3-3σ protein on the fibrous histiocyte proliferation caused by ALV-J-SD1005 strain infection. DF-1 cells were inoculated with 102 TCID50 of ALV-J-SD1005 strain; the cell proliferation viability was dramatically increased and 14-3-3σ expressions were dramatically decreased within 48 h after inoculation. Chicken 14-3-3σ over-expression could significantly decrease the cell proliferation and the ratio of S-phase cells, but increase the ratio of G2/M-phase cells in ALV-J-infected DF-1 cells; by contrast, chicken 14-3-3σ knockdown expression could cause the opposite effects. Additionally, chicken 14-3-3σ over-expression could also dramatically down-regulate the expressions of CDK2/CDC2, but up-regulate p53 expressions in the DF-1 cells; in contrast, the knockdown expression could significantly increase the expressions of CDK2/CDC2 and decrease p53 expressions. It can be concluded that chicken 14-3-3σ can inhibit cell proliferation and cell cycle by regulating CDK2/CDC2/p53 expressions in ALV-J-infected DF1 cells. ALV-J-SD1005 strain can promote cell proliferation by reducing 14-3-3σ expressions. This study helps to clarify the forming mechanism of acute fibrosarcoma induced by ALV-J infection.

Salmonella is a common food-borne Gram-negative pathogen with multiple serotypes. Pullorum disease, caused by Salmonella Pullorum, seriously threatens the poultry industry. Many previous studies were focused on the epidemiological characteristics of Salmonella infections in conventional antibiotic use poultry. However, little is known about Salmonella infections in chicken flocks fed on antibiotic-free diets. Herein, we investigated and compared Salmonella infections in three Chinese native breeders fed on antibiotic-free diets, including the Luhua, Langya, and Qingjiaoma chickens, and one conventional breeder, the Bairi chicken, via analyzing 360 dead embryos in 2019. The results showed that the main Salmonella serotypes detected in a total of 155 isolates were S. Pullorum (82.6%) and S. Enteritidis (17.4%). Coinfection with two serotypes of Salmonella was specifically found in Bairi chicken. The sequence type (ST) in S. Pullorum was ST92 (n = 96) and ST2151 (n = 32), whereas only ST11 (n = 27) was found in S. Enteritidis. The Salmonella isolates from three breeder flocks fed on antibiotic-free diets exhibited phenotypic heterogeneity with a great variety of drug resistance spectrum. Most of the isolates among three chicken breeds Luhua (64.9%, 50/77), Langya (60%, 12/20) and Qingjiaoma (58.3%, 7/12) fed on antibiotic-free diets were resistant to only one antibiotic (erythromycin), whereas the rate of resistance to one antibiotic in conventional Bairi chicken isolates was only 4.3% (2/46). The multidrug-resistance rate in Salmonella isolates from layer flocks fed on antibiotic-free diets (20.2%, 22/109) was significantly (P < 0.0001) lower than that from chickens fed on conventional diets (93.5%, 43/46). However, high rate of resistance to erythromycin (97.4%~100%) and streptomycin (26%~41.7%) were also found among three breeder flocks fed on antibiotic-free diets, indicating resistance to these antibiotics likely spread before antibiotic-free feeding in poultry farms. The findings of this study supplement the epidemiological data of salmonellosis and provide an example of the characteristics of Salmonella in the chicken flocks without direct antibiotic selective pressure.

To establish a multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella, Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), four pairs of specific primers were designed according to the conservative regions of phoA gene for E. coli, invA gene for Salmonella, khe gene for K. pneumoniae, nuc gene for S. aureus. The quadruple PCR system was established through optimization of multiplex PCR and detection of specificity, sensitivity, and stability. The results showed that target gene bands of E. coli (622 bp), Salmonella (801 bp), K. pneumoniae (303 bp), and S. aureus (464 bp) could be amplified by this method specifically and simultaneously from the same sample containing the four pathogens, with a detection sensitivity of 100 pg/μL. Meanwhile, no bands of common clinical bacteria, including Clostridium perfringens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pasteurella multocida, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus sciuri, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecalis, and Bacillus subtilis were amplified. In addition, 380 tissue samples were detected by multiplex and single PCR established in current study, respectively. Among the 368 carcass samples, positive detection rates of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Salmonella, and S. aureus were 33.7, 12.0, 10.6, and 13.9%. Among the 12 visceral tissue samples, positive detection rates of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Salmonella, and S. aureus were 41.7, 25.0, 16.7, and 8.3%, respectively. Positive detection rates of multiplex PCR were consistent with that of single PCR. Compared with single PCR, the multiplex PCR method had the advantages of time-saving, high specificity and high sensitivity. The results showed that the minks in these farms had mixed infection of these four pathogens, and the method established in this study could be applied to the rapid and accurate detection and identification of these four bacteria. In conclusion, the multiplex PCR method has stable detection results, good repeatability, and short detection time. It is suitable for the rapid and accurate detection of four kinds of bacteria above the carcass of fur animals, which could be suitable in microbial epidemiology investigation. It can provide a reliable technical reference for rapid clinical diagnosis and detection.

Sound conditioning (SC) is defined as “toughening” to lower levels of sound over time, which reduces a subsequent noise-induced threshold shift. Although the protective effect of SC in mammals is generally understood, the exact mechanisms involved have not yet been elucidated. To confirm the protective effect of SC against noise exposure (NE) and the stress-related signaling pathway of its rescue, we observed target molecule changes caused by SC of low frequency prior to NE as well as histology analysis in vivo and verified the suggested mechanisms in SGNs in vitro. Further, we investigated the potential role of Hsp70 and Bmi1 in SC by targeting SOD1 and SOD2 which are regulated by the FoxO1 signaling pathway based on mitochondrial function and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Finally, we sought to identify the possible molecular mechanisms associated with the beneficial effects of SC against noise-induced trauma. Data from the rat model were evaluated by western blot, immunofluorescence, and RT-PCR. The results revealed that SC upregulated Hsp70, Bmi1, FoxO1, SOD1, and SOD2 expression in spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Moreover, the auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and electron microscopy revealed that SC could protect against acute acoustic trauma (AAT) based on a significant reduction of hearing impairment and visible reduction in outer hair cell loss as well as ultrastructural changes in OHCs and SGNs. Collectively, these results suggested that the contribution of Bmi1 toward decreased sensitivity to noise-induced trauma following SC was triggered by Hsp70 induction and associated with enhancement of the antioxidant system and decreased mitochondrial superoxide accumulation. This contribution of Bmi1 was achieved by direct targeting of SOD1 and SOD2, which was regulated by FoxO1. Therefore, the Hsp70/Bmi1-FoxO1-SOD signaling pathway might contribute to the protective effect of SC against AAT in a rat model.

Induction of the cis form of phosphorylated tau (cis P-tau) has previously been shown to occur in animal models of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and blocking this form of tau using antibody was beneficial in a rodent model of severe TBI. Here the authors show that cis P-tau induction is a feature of several different forms of TBI in humans, and that administration of cis P-tau targeting antibody to rodents reduces or delays pathological features of TBI.

The increasing demand for wearable glucose sensing has stimulated growing interest in stretchable electrodes. The development of the electrode materials having large stretchability, low detection limit, and good selectivity is the key component for constructing high performance wearable glucose sensors. In this work, we presented fabrication of stretchable conductor based on the copper coated carbon nanotube sheath-core fiber, and its application as non-enzymatic electrode for glucose detection with high stretchability, low detection limit, and selectivity. The sheath-core fiber was fabricated by coating copper coated carbon nanotube on a pre-stretched rubber fiber core followed by release of pre-stretch, which had a hierarchically buckled structure. It showed a small resistance change as low as 27% as strain increasing from 0% to 500% strain, and a low resistance of 0.4 Ω·cm−1 at strain of 500%. This electrode showed linear glucose concentration detection in the range between 0.05 mM and 5 mM and good selectivity against sucrose, lactic acid, uric acid, acrylic acid in phosphate buffer saline solution, and showed stable signal in high salt concentration. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.05 mM, for the range of 0.05–5 mM, the sensitivity is 46 mA·M−1. This electrode can withstand large strain of up to 60% with negligible influence on its performance.

The role of the free fatty acid (FFA) receptor and the intracellular metabolites of linoleic acid (LA) in LA-stimulated increase in cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)]i) was investigated. [Ca(2+)]i was measured using Fura-2 as indicator in rat pancreatic β-cells in primary culture. LA (20 µM for 2 min) stimulated a transient peak increase followed by a minor plateau increase in [Ca(2+)]i. Elongation of LA stimulation up to 10 min induced a strong and long-lasting elevation in [Ca(2+)]i. Activation of FFA receptors by the non-metabolic agonist GW9508 (40 µM for 10 min) resulted in an increase in [Ca(2+)]i similar to that of 2-min LA treatment. Inhibition of acyl-CoA synthetases by Triacsin C suppressed the strong and long-lasting increase in [Ca(2+)]i. The increase in [Ca(2+)]i induced by 2 min LA or GW9508 were fully eliminated by exhaustion of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca(2+) stores or by inhibition of phospholipase C (PLC). Removal of extracellular Ca(2+) did not influence the transient peak increase in [Ca(2+)]i stimulated by 2 min LA or GW9508. The strong and long-lasting increase in [Ca(2+)]i induced by 10 min LA was only partially suppressed by extracellular Ca(2+) removal or thapsigargin pretreatment, whereas remaining elevation in [Ca(2+)]i was eliminated after exhaustion of mitochondrial Ca(2+) using triphenyltin. In conclusion, LA stimulates Ca(2+) release from ER through activation of the FFA receptor coupled to PLC and mobilizes mitochondrial Ca(2+) by intracellular metabolites in β-cells.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive and fatal fibrotic disease of the lungs with unclear etiology. Recent insight has suggested that early injury/inflammation of alveolar epithelial cells could lead to dysregulation of tissue repair driven by multiple cytokines. Although dysregulation of interleukin- (IL-) 22 is involved in various pulmonary pathophysiological processes, the role of IL-22 in fibrotic lung diseases is still unclear and needs to be further addressed. Here we investigated the effect of IL-22 on alveolar epithelial cells in the bleomycin- (BLM-) induced pulmonary fibrosis. BLM-treated mice showed significantly decreased level of IL-22 in the lung. IL-22 produced γδT cells were also decreased significantly both in the tissues of lungs and spleens. Administration of recombinant human IL-22 to alveolar epithelial cell line A549 cells ameliorated epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and partially reversed the impaired cell viability induced by BLM. Furthermore, blockage of IL-22 deteriorated pulmonary fibrosis, with elevated EMT marker (α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)) and overactivated Smad2. Our results indicate that IL-22 may play a protective role in the development of BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis and may suggest IL-22 as a novel immunotherapy tool in treating pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: The platform chemical lactate is currently produced mainly through the fermentation of sugars presented in biomass. Besides the synthesis of biodegradable polylactate, lactate is also viewed as a feedstock for the green chemistry of the future. Pyruvate, another important platform chemical, can be produced from lactate through biocatalysis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: It was established that whole cells of Pseudomonas stutzeri SDM catalyze lactate oxidation with lactate-induced NAD-independent lactate dehydrogenases (iLDHs) through the inherent electron transfer chain. Unlike the lactate oxidation processes observed in previous reports, the mechanism underlying lactate oxidation described in the present study excluded the costliness of the cofactor regeneration step and production of the byproduct hydrogen peroxide. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Biocatalysis conditions were optimized by using the cheap dl-lactate as the substrate and whole cells of the lactate-utilizing P. stutzeri SDM as catalyst. Under optimal conditions, the biocatalytic process produced pyruvate at a high concentration (48.4 g l(-1)) and a high yield (98%). The bioconversion system provides a promising alternative for the green production of pyruvate.

Inflammation is one of main mechanisms of autoimmune disorders and a common feature of most diseases. Appropriate suppression of inflammation is a key resolution to treat the diseases. Sirtuin1 (Sirt1) has been shown to play a role in regulation of inflammation. Resveratrol, a potent Sirt1 activator, has anti-inflammation property. However, the detailed mechanism is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammation role of Sirt1 in NIH/3T3 fibroblast cell line. Upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases 9 (MMP-9), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), IL-6 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in 3T3 cells and resveratrol suppressed overexpression of these pro-inflammatory molecules in a dose-dependent manner. Knockdown of Sirt1 by RNA interference caused 3T3 cells susceptible to TNF-α stimulation and diminished anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol. We also explored potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms of resveratrol. Resveratrol reduced NF-κB subunit RelA/p65 acetylation, which is notably Sirt1 dependent. Resveratrol also attenuated phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and S6 ribosomal protein (S6RP) while ameliorating inflammation. Our data demonstrate that resveratrol inhibits TNF-α-induced inflammation via Sirt1. It suggests that Sirt1 is an efficient target for regulation of inflammation. This study provides insight on treatment of inflammation-related diseases.