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Water flow under vegetated environments is a noteworthy research topic in environmental hydraulics and restoration ecology, and this research is particularly important for maintaining water transport and streambed stability in water ecosystems. The calculation of the resistance coefficient in vegetated water flow is the core of this research. But there are still problems such as complex expressions and low simulation accuracy in this research field. To solve this scientific problem, this research, based on the theoretical study of environmental hydraulics and genetic algorithm, selected three basic parameters of vegetation submergence, resistance length and curvature degree, and successfully constructed the formula for calculating the resistance coefficient for flexible vegetated flow by using a wide range of data sets. New quantitative relationship between the drag coefficient and the relative roughness of flexible vegetation was established in this study. The formula of drag coefficients for flexible vegetation conditions has a more concise form and can be successfully applied to both flexible and rigid vegetation. As flexible vegetation is deformed under the action of water flow, and the quantitative expressions of Vogel number and relative roughness are given quantitatively through the analysis of its physical properties. Overall, this study improves the basic theoretical study of vegetated flow in environmental fluid dynamics and provides scientific theoretical support for vegetation restoration.

Cong Wang,1,* Wen-lin Xu,1,* Guan-wu Li,2 Cong Fu,1 Jin-jin Li,1 Jing Wang,1 Xin-yu Chen,3 Zhen Liu,1 Yun-fei Chen1 1Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Acupuncture and Tuina Academy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Dongfang College, Hebei, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yun-fei Chen; Zhen LiuDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 110 Ganhe Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200437, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86-21-65162628Email icyf1968@163.com; liuzhen8918@163.comStudy Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture at HT 7 (Shenmen) and KI 7 (Fuliu) on sleep and comorbid symptoms for chronic insomnia.Methods and Design: A randomized, single-blind, parallel and sham-controlled trial consisted of an acupuncture group (n = 41) and a sham acupuncture group (n = 41). Setting: a tertiary hospital of integrated Chinese and Western medicine. Participants: 82 subjects with chronic insomnia based on the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition (ICSD-3). Interventions: a 10-session acupuncture treatment at bilateral HT 7 and KI 7 or sham acupoints with shallow needling was performed over 3 weeks. Measurements: the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and insomnia severity index (ISI) were evaluated at baseline, posttreatment, and at two follow-ups as the primary outcome measures. Polysomnography (PSG) on two consecutive nights, the Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), the Beck depression inventory (BDI) fatigue severity scale (FSS) and the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) were evaluated at baseline and posttreatment as the secondary outcome measures.Results: After the treatments, PSQI scores decreased by 5.04 in the acupuncture group and 2.92 in the sham acupuncture group. ISI scores decreased by 7.65 in the acupuncture group and 5.05 in the sham acupuncture group. The between-group differences in the primary outcome measures posttreatment were statistically significant. However, no differences were found between the two groups during the two follow-ups. Regarding the PSG data, there were significantly lower levels of sleep onset latency (SOL), a lower percentage of sleep stage N1 and a higher percentage of sleep stage N3 in the acupuncture group than in the sham acupuncture group. After treatment, there were lower levels of comorbid symptoms (BAI, BDI, FSS and ESS) in both groups. However, no significant differences were observed between the groups.Conclusion: Acupuncture at HT 7 and KI 7 is an effective and safe nonpharmacologic intervention option for chronic insomnia.Clinical Trial Registration: The study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, registration ID: ChiCTR1900023787, China.Keywords: acupuncture, chronic insomnia, sleep and comorbid symptoms, randomized clinical trial

AIM: To examine the relationship between age-related cataracts (ARC) and comorbid hypertension and diabetes. METHODS: We analyzed the administrative records of 6,467 patients aged 50 years and older admitted to the ophthalmological department of a tertiary hospital from January 1st, 2011 to May 20th, 2017. With either eye considered, an ARC (n=3,343) was defined as the presence of lens opacity or previous cataract surgery without evidence of trauma, congenital anomalies or using certain medications. Patients admitted to the same department during the same period due to ocular traumas without clinical evidence of cataracts (n=379) were recruited as the cataract-free controls. Unconditional logistic regressions were obtained the odds ratio (OR) of hypertension and diabetes among ARC patients adjusted for age, sex and health care accessibility. RESULTS: Hypertension was diagnosed in 29.54% of men with any type of cataracts, in 30.12% of men with an ARC, and 10.82% of men of cataract-free controls. Diabetes was diagnosed in 16.64% of men with any type of cataracts, in 16.48% of men with ARC and 4.22% of men of cataract-free controls. Similar patterns were observed among women. After adjusting for age, sex, and health care accessibility, hypertension was weakly [OR=1.83 (95%CI: 1.23, 2.74)] and diabetes was strongly [3.38 (1.86, 6.15)] associated with ARCs. The adjusted OR of comorbid hypertension and diabetes among adults with ARC was 18.20 (4.38, 75.59). CONCLUSION: Hypertension and diabetes were independently associated with ARC. Hypertension and diabetes, if co-existing, multiplicatively strengthened the association with ARC.

Pyrethrins constitute a class of terpene derivatives with high insecticidal activity and are mainly synthesized in the capitula of the horticulturally important plant

The present case report describes a case of mediastinal atypical carcinoid and a favorable outcome linked with the treatment. Mediastinal atypical carcinoid is a rare and aggressive type of neuroendocrine tumor. A 56-year-old man was admitted at the Respiratory Department due to intermittent tightness of the chest for 1 month. An initial diagnosis of a mass in the left anterior mediastinum was conducted using CT scan and immunohistochemistry. Laboratory data revealed the following values: Neuron Specific Enolase of 62.13 ng/ml (reference range, 0-40 ng/ml); CYFRA21 of 3.01 ng/ml (reference range, 0-3.3 ng/ml); CEA of 4.22 (0-6.5) ng/ml; SCC of 0.5 (0-1.5) ng/ml; CA125 of 67.24 (0-35) U/ml; AFP of 23 (0-25) U/ml; CRP of 96.7 (0-10) mg/l; PCT

Pyrethrins constitute a class of terpene derivatives with high insecticidal activity and are mainly synthesized in the capitula of the horticulturally important plant, Tanacetum cinerariifolium. Treatment of T. cinerariifolium with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in the field induces pyrethrin biosynthesis, but the mechanism linking MeJA with pyrethrin biosynthesis remains unclear. In this study, we explored the transcription factors involved in regulating MeJA-induced pyrethrin biosynthesis. A single spray application of MeJA to T. cinerariifolium leaves rapidly upregulated the expression of most known pyrethrin biosynthesis genes and subsequently increased the total pyrethrin content in the leaf. A continuous 2-week MeJA treatment resulted in enhanced pyrethrin content and increased trichome density. TcMYC2, a key gene in jasmonate signaling, was screened at the transcriptome after MeJA treatment. TcMYC2 positively regulated expression of the pyrethrin biosynthesis genes TcCHS, TcAOC, and TcGLIP by directly binding to E-box/G-box motifs in the promoters. The stable overexpression of TcMYC2 in T. cinerariifolium hairy roots significantly increased the expression of TcAOC and TcGLIP. Further transient overexpression and viral-induced gene-silencing experiments demonstrated that TcMYC2 positively promoted pyrethrin biosynthesis. Collectively, the results reveal a novel molecular mechanism for MeJA-induced pyrethrin biosynthesis in T. cinerariifolium involving TcMYC2.

Background Traditional CRISPR/Cas9 systems that rely on U6 or U3 snRNA promoters (RNA polymerase III-dependent promoters) can only achieve constitutive gene editing in plants, hampering the functional analysis of specifically expressed genes. Ribozyme-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 systems increase the types of promoters which can be used to transcribe sgRNA. Therefore, such systems allow specific gene editing; for example, transcription of the artificial gene Ribozyme-sgRNA-Ribozyme (RGR) is initiated by an RNA polymerase II-dependent promoter. Genetic transformation is indispensable for editing plant genes. In certain plant species, including pyrethrum, genetic transformation remains challenging to do, limiting the functional verification of novel CRISPR/Cas9 systems. Thus, this study’s aim was to develop a simple Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated hairy root transformation system to analyze the function of a ribozyme-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system in pyrethrum. Results A hairy root transformation system for pyrethrum is described, with a mean transformation frequency of 7%. Transgenic hairy roots transformed with the pBI121 vector exhibited significantly increased beta-glucuronidase staining as a visual marker of transgene expression. Further, a ribozyme-based CRISPR/Cas9 vector was constructed to edit the TcEbFS gene, which catalyzes synthesis of the defense-related compound (E)-β-farnesene in pyrethrum. The vector was transferred into the hairy roots of pyrethrum and two stably transformed hairy root transgenic lines obtained. Editing of the TcEbFS gene in the hairy roots was evaluated by gene sequencing, demonstrating that both hairy root transgenic lines had DNA base loss at the editing target site. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry showed that the (E)-β-farnesene content was significantly decreased in both hairy root transgenic lines compared with the empty vector control group. Altogether, these results show that RGR can be driven by the CaMV35S promoter to realize TcEbFS gene editing in pyrethrum hairy roots. Conclusion An A. rhizogenes-mediated hairy root transformation and ribozyme-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system in pyrethrum was established, thereby facilitating gene editing in specific organs or at a particular developmental stage in future pyrethrum research.

Natural pyrethrins have been widely used as natural pesticides due to their low mammalian toxicity and environmental friendliness. Previous studies have mainly focused on Tanacetumcinerariifolium, which contains high levels of pyrethrins and volatile terpenes that play significant roles in plant defense and pollination. However, there is little information on T. coccineum due to its lower pyrethrin content and low commercial value. In this study, we measured the transcriptome and metabolites of the leaves (L), flower buds (S1), and fully blossomed flowers (S4) of T. coccineum. The results show that the expression of pyrethrins and precursor terpene backbone genes was low in the leaves, and then rapidly increased in the S1 stage before decreasing again in the S4 stage. The results also show that pyrethrins primarily accumulated at the S4 stage. However, the content of volatile terpenes was consistently low. This perhaps suggests that, despite T. coccineum and T. cinerariifolium having similar gene expression patterns and accumulation of pyrethrins, T. coccineum attracts pollinators via its large and colorful flowers rather than via inefficient and metabolically expensive volatile terpenes, as in T. cinerariifolium. This is the first instance of de novo transcriptome sequencing reported for T. coccineum. The present results could provide insights into pyrethrin biosynthetic pathways and will be helpful for further understanding how plants balance the cost–benefit relationship between plant defense and pollination.

In this paper, we consider the scheduling problem of minimising the total weighted job completion time when a set of jobs must be processed on m parallel machines with a single server. This problem...

A thermo-responsive copolymer with a gas-switchable LCST-type phase transition was synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), followed by post-polymerization functionalization with sodium 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATANa). Incorporating ionic moieties provides an elevated cloud point of 61 °C. Importantly, both CO2 and SO2 cause a reduction in the cloud point of the polymer solution. The CO2-triggered system can be easily and fully recovered to its initial state by introducing an inert gas (e.g. N2), whereas the SO2-triggered system shows only partial recovery. The pH-dependent phase transition behaviors confirm that the gas bubbling-induced pH changes contribute to the gas-switchable cloud point of P(NIPAM-co-(GMA-ATANa)). In addition, P(NIPAM-co-(GMA-ATA)) (ATA: 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole), a counterpart of P(NIPAM-co-(GMA-ATANa)), was prepared and the relevant solution phase transition behavior was studied. Its cloud point shift in response to gas bubbling and pH adjustment is opposite to that of P(NIPAM-co-(GMA-ATANa)), indicating that the latter does not result from the protonation of amidine groups. Alternatively, a reversible H+-induced decrease in hydrophilicity was thus proposed. This contribution enriches the family of thermo-responsive polymers by introducing gas-sensitive polyelectrolytes and also broadens the scope of gas-responsive smart materials.

In this study, the chloroplast genome (Cp) of Clausena anisum-olens ((Blanco) Merrill) was sequenced by high-throughput sequencing technology. We found that the length of the chloroplast genome of Clausena anisum-olens was 159,753 bp, and the total GC content was 38.7%, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 87,623 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,986 bp, and 27,072 bp pairs of reverse repeats (IRS). The Cp genome encoded 129 genes, containing 86 protein-coding, 37 tRNA, and 6 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of the genome sequence showed that Clausena anisum-olens was closely related to Micromelum minutum and Glycosmis mauritiana.

Oily water treatment has become an urgent need in our daily life because of its harmful potential to the ecological system. In recent years, functional materials with superwetting or superantiwetting property have experienced a rocketing development due to their applications in various areas, including self-cleaning, anti-icing, printing, water collection, liquid transfer, oil/water separation, and so on. In this regard, recent advances in polymer science hold the promise of fine-tuning the composition and morphology for a targeted design to meet the requirements in specific application fields. This review focused on polymeric materials, especially smart polymers, for controllable oil/water separations. Starting from the fundamental theories and criteria related to the separation mechanisms, different stimuli including pH, solvent, ions, chemicals, temperature, photo, electric, pressure, and dual stimuli for triggering smart oil/water separation processes were summarized. Highlights on polymer types, polymer synthesis approaches, separation materials fabrication method, as well as separation performances were present. Current limitations and future perspective were also given. This review aims to offer deep insights into polymer-based interfacial science and provide guidance for the fabrication of smart polymeric surfaces for oily water separation.

Soil degradation in low soil humus content karst areas is a serious problem. Humus is composed of a series of polymer organic compounds, with no fixed form, therefore it is difficult to study, especially humin. In this study, 13C CP/MAS NMR was used to study the humic acids (HA), fulvic acids (FA), and humin (HM) components in the soil profiles of carbonate rocks and argillaceous rocks in the Northern Guizhou region. Through the vertical distribution of humus in soil, the transformation mechanism among functional groups of humus was studied. The content of HA and FA in the soil of Zunyi New Area was low, and the humification degree was low. FA was the main HA with simple molecules, which were directly related to the surface vegetation in the area. There may have been some genetic relationship between Aliphatic C and Aromatic C, Aliphatic C and Carboxyl C in the same group of humus. In the phylogenetic relationship of HA, FA, and HM, more transformations existed between HA and FA, and between HA and HM, while the transformations between FA and HM were very rare. This study provides an important scientific basis for the theory of the formation and transformation of soil humus in karst area.

To explore the influencing factors of understory plant species diversity of为探究巨桉人工林林下植物多样性的影响因素,选择四川省丹棱县4和8年生不同密度(1200、1600和2000株·hm

Objectives: Tuberculous pleurisy is a common type of tuberculosis (TB), but its diagnosis is challenging. This study aimed to profile the protein expression of this disease and identify new diagnostic makers. Methods: Biopsy tissues from patients with tuberculous pleurisy and controls were taken through thoracoscopy, and proteins were extracted for Tandem Mass Tag Mass Spectrometry. Differential protein expression was performed between patients and controls, and the identified proteins were analyzed for pathway enrichment. Selected proteins were further validated in another set of samples using a more quantitative method. Results: A total of 5101 proteins were detected and quantified in a discovery set of patients and controls. Overall protein expression was quite different between patients and controls. Most proteins were down-expressed, while a minority were overly expressed in the patient samples. At p value < 0.05 and absolute fold change >2, 295 proteins were found to be up-expressed and 608 down-expressed. The top enriched pathways included ECM-receptor interaction, complement and coagulation cascades and focal adhesion. All 19 selected candidates were validated in an independent set of patient and control samples. Conclusion: This unbiased proteomics approach not only provided unique insights into protein expression and pathways, but also discovered potential diagnostic markers for tuberculous pleurisy.

IntroductionInsomnia with short sleep duration has a more serious negative impact on patient health. The existing literature suggests that medication therapy is more effective for this phenotype of insomnia compared with cognitive–behavioural therapy. However, the potential side effects of hypnotic medications hinder their clinical application. Acupuncture has been widely used in the treatment of insomnia, but it remains unclear whether it has therapeutic efficacy for insomnia with short sleep duration. The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for insomnia with short sleep duration.Methods and analysisThis study is designed as a randomised, single-centre, single-blinded, placebo acupuncture controlled trial involving 152 participants. Eligible patients will be divided into two groups according to the objective total sleep time: insomnia with normal sleep duration group and insomnia with short sleep duration group. Then, patients in each group will be randomly assigned to two subgroups, the treatment group (acupuncture) and the control group (placebo acupuncture), in a 1:1 ratio with 38 subjects in each subgroup. The primary outcome is the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Insomnia Severity Index. Secondary outcomes are actigraphy, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Fatigue Severity Scale. All adverse effects will be assessed by the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale. Outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, post treatment, as well as at 1-week and 1-month follow-up.Ethics and disseminationThis protocol has been approved by the ethics committee of Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (no. 2019-17). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals for publications.Trial registration numberChiCTR1900023473; Pre-results.

The past decades have witnessed an increasing interest in developing advanced polymerization techniques subjected to external fields. Various physical modulations, such as temperature, light, electricity, magnetic field, ultrasound, and microwave irradiation, are noninvasive means, having superb but distinct abilities to regulate polymerizations in terms of process intensification and spatial and temporal controls. Gas as an emerging regulator plays a distinctive role in controlling polymerization and resembles a physical regulator in some cases. This review provides a systematic overview of seven types of external-field-regulated polymerizations, ranging from chain-growth to step-growth polymerization. A detailed account of the relevant mechanism and kinetics is provided to better understand the role of each external field in polymerization. In addition, given the crucial role of modeling and simulation in mechanisms and kinetics investigation, an overview of model construction and typical numerical methods used in this field as well as highlights of the interaction between experiment and simulation toward kinetics in the existing systems are given. At the end, limitations and future perspectives for this field are critically discussed. This state-of-the-art research progress not only provides the fundamental principles underlying external-field-regulated polymerizations but also stimulates new development of advanced polymerization methods.

Lichen aureus is a particularly rare subtype of pigmented purpuric dermatosis and is characterized by the sudden appearance of golden or rust-colored macules or needle-tip-sized flat papules (concentrated in one region to form lichenoid papules) on the lower limbs. These skin lesions are usually confined to an isolated, unilateral distribution, and linear segmental distribution is rare. In this report, we have documented one such case, where the lesions on the limb were arranged in strips (segmental distribution) that roughly followed the direction of the venous drainage. And the first attack and subsequent aggravation were both associated with the onset of allergic rhinitis, a Type I hypersensitivity.

A well-controlled atom transfer radicfal polymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) was realized by mechanical mediation (mechanoATRP) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, 50% v/v). High conversions of typically over 90% were achieved. The resulting polymers had well-controlled molecular weights and very low dispersities (Đ = 1.03–1.09). No polymerization of MA was observed under various conditions from bulk up to 33.3% DMSO (v/v) solution. It was found that adding an equivalent volume of DMSO with respect to MA activated the polymerization. This finding suggested that DMSO played a crucial role in the mechanoATRP of MA. DMSO not only improved the solubility of CuBr2 complex but also facilitated an electron transfer process in the mechanical reduction of CuBr2. For a proof of the concept, a DMSO analogue acrylate, 2-(methylsulfinyl)ethyl acrylate (MSEA), was also polymerized. In addition, the high chain-end functionality of the polymers collected at ∼95% conversion was confirmed by 1H NMR, MALDI-ToF-MS, and in-situ c...

In this work, we reported a stable isotope labelling-flow injection analysis-mass spectrometry (SIL-FIA-MS) method for high throughput analysis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content in drinks. 3-Nitrophenylhydrazine (3-NPH) and 13C6-3-Nitrophenylhydrazine hydrochloride (13C6-3-NPH) were used as pared labelling reagents to selectively label HMF. With a simple centrifugal operation, a certain volume of sample was directly mixed with 3-NPH solution. After adding a small amount of 13C6-3-NPH labelled HMF as internal standard, the sample can be directly transferred for the subsequent MS analysis owing to the contamination-free feature of excess 3-NPH. By using a multi-well thermostatic oscillator to carry out bath derivatization, the average time cost for each sample pretreatment was less than 1 min. Coupled with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer, FIA-MS with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was used for the rapid and high throughput detection of the labelled HMF in negative ion mode. The time cost for MS detection including injection process for each sample was about 1.5 min. Namely, the whole procedure including sample pretreatment and MS detection can be completed within 3 min per sample, which was very suitable for routine analysis for its high throughput and simplification. By labelling HMF with 3-NPH, the characteristic fragment ion after labelling and detection in interference-lesser negative ion mode enabled high detection specificity even without chromatographic separation. By using 13C6-3-NPH labelled HMF as internal standard to counteract the matrix effect during MS analysis, the detection accuracy and precision were guaranteed. In order to achieve the best conditions for the derivatization of HMF, several derivatization conditions including the acid concentration, the proportion of acetonitrile (ACN), the derivatization reagent concentration, reaction temperature and reaction time were investigated in detail. Under the optimized derivatization, quantitative analysis method was validated in ranges of 0.050–5.0 μg/mL. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of inter-day and intra-day precision were less than 5.42% and 4.89%, respectively, showing satisfied reproducibility. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the analysis of HMF in sugar-sweetened drinks for feasibility verification in real samples.

Background We investigated the effects of liraglutide on the formation and progression of atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats. Methods Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into control group, diabetes group and liraglutide treated group. The T2DM rats model with atherosclerosis were induced by high fat diet followed small dosage streptozotocin injection. Body weight and blood glucose levels were monitored once a week for 3 months and then the rats were sacrificed.Peripheral blood and aorta tissues were collected for further biochemical and pathological estimation respectively. Moreover, immunohistochemistry staining was used to detect the infiltration of macrophages and cell apoptosis in tissue samples. The amount of microvesicles of atherosclerotic plaques was determined by ELISA. Western blot was applied to detect the protein expressions of CHOP, GRP78 and caspase-3 in tissue samples. The mRNA expressions of SREBP-1c and FAS were detected by RT-PCR. Results The rat model of diabetic atherosclerosis was established successfully. Compared with the control group, glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, AST, ALT, BUN, fasting insulin and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance levels in peripheral blood were significantly increased in the diabetes group. While, these indicators in the liraglutide group were significantly lower than that in the diabetes group. Moreover, the atherosclerotic plaques were observed in the rats of diabetes group but not remarkable in the liraglutide group. The ratio between aorta intima and media thickness was significantly greater in the diabetes group than that in the liraglutide group. Compared with the diabetes group, the infiltration and apoptosis of macrophages were milder in the liraglutide group. The expressions of CD68, caspase-3, CHOP and GRP78 in aorta tissue samples were significantly downregulated in the liraglutide group than that in the diabetes group. Furthermore, the microvesicles of aorta tissues in the liraglutide group were significantly decreased than that in the diabetes group. The mRNA expressions of SREBP-1c and FAS were lower in the liraglutide group than that in the diabetes group. Conclusion Liraglutide attenuates diabetic atherosclerosis by inhibition of ER stress and subsequent macrophage apoptosis and microvesicles production in T2DM rats.

The Danjiangkou Reservoir in China is characterized by significantly high concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), and the sources are not clear. Recently, research on this reservoir has focused on the N cycle, the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of N, and the factors influencing N concentration. Significant temporal and spatial differences in TN concentrations exist, both in the reservoir area and the tributaries. N concentration in the area is affected by numerous factors, including N transported by tributaries, nonpoint source pollution around the reservoir, internal N release, and atmospheric N deposition. Moreover, a dam heightening project led to a larger water-fluctuation zone and more bays in the reservoir, directly affecting its N cycle. However, further research is required to explore the N cycle on a large watershed scale in the Danjiangkou Reservoir and upper stream areas, determine N pollution sources using satellite remote sensing, and conduct simulations of a water body N cycle model based on data fusion. Although the issue of excessive TN has been alleviated to some extent by the South-North Water Diversion Project, the excessively high TN concentrations require more research to aid the implementation of N-reducing strategies.

Doxorubicin (Dox) is commonly used for the treatment of malignant tumors, including colon cancer. However, the development of P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR) in tumor chemotherapy has seriously reduced the therapeutic efficacy of Dox. Natural product curcumin (Cur) was demonstrated to have a variety of pharmacological effects, such as anti-tumor, anti-oxidation and anti-aging activities. Here, we examined the MDR reversal capability of Cur in drug sensitive-(SW620) and resistant-(SW620/Ad300) colon cancer cells, and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms at the metabolic level. It was found that Cur reversed P-gp-mediated resistance in SW620/Ad300 cells by enhancing the Dox-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis. Further mechanistic studies indicated that Cur inhibited the ATP-dependent transport activity of P-gp, thereby increasing the intra-celluar accumulation of Dox in drug-resistant cells. Metabolomics analysis based on UPLC-MS/MS showed that the MDR phenomenon in SW620/Ad300 cells was closely correlated with the upregulation of spermine and spermidine synthesis and D-glutamine metabolism. Cur significantly inhibited the biosynthesis of spermine and spermidine by decreasing the expression of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and suppressed D-glutamine metabolism, which in turn decreased the anti-oxidative stress ability and P-gp transport activity of SW620/Ad300 cells, eventually reversed MDR. These findings indicated the MDR reversal activity and the related mechanism of action of Cur, suggesting that Cur could be a promising MDR reversal agent for cancer treatment.

Successful fabrication of mussel-inspired V-shaped copolymer based materials for pH controllable oil/water separation was reported. Triblock copolymer, polydimethylsiloxane-block-poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMS- b -PHEMA- b -PDMAEMA) was designed and synthesized through copper(0)-mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP). Hydroxyl-containing PHEMA block enabled the covalent reaction to occur between polymer and polydopamine (PDA) functionalized substrates. The mixed polymer brushes of oleophilic/hydrophobic PDMS and pH-responsive PDMAEMA endowed the substrates with good pH responsive oil/water wettability and stability. As a proof of concept, the functionalized mesh can separate a range of different immiscible oil/water mixtures with high separation efficiency over 98.5% and high oil flux of 8800–9500 L h −1 m −2 and water flux of 7400–7800 L h −1 m −2 . Additionally, the functionalized sponge realized reversible oil capture and release in aqueous media. Because dopamine through self-polymerization can form strong adhesive films on inorganic and organic substrates in alkalescence solution, the method used in current contribution would be also suitable for producing polymer brush functionalized intelligent materials based on other common substrates.

Appropriate bone mass is maintained by bone-forming osteoblast and bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) lineage cells control osteoclastogenesis via expression of RANKL and OPG (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand and osteoprotegerin), which promote and inhibit bone resorption, respectively. Protein crosslinking enzymes transglutaminase 2 (TG2) and Factor XIII-A (FXIII-A) have been linked to activity of myeloid and MSC lineage cells; however, in vivo evidence has been lacking to support their function. In this study, we show in mice that TG2 and FXIII-A control monocyte-macrophage cell differentiation into osteoclasts as well as RANKL production in MSCs and in adipocytes. Long bones of mice lacking TG2 and FXIII-A transglutaminases, show compromised biomechanical properties and trabecular bone loss in axial and appendicular skeleton. This was caused by increased osteoclastogenesis, a cellular phenotype that persists in vitro. The increased potential of TG2 and FXIII-A deficient monocytes to form osteoclasts was reversed by chemical inhibition of TG activity, which revealed the presence of TG1 in osteoclasts and assigned different roles for the TGs as regulators of osteoclastogenesis. TG2- and FXIII-A-deficient mice had normal osteoblast activity, but increased bone marrow adipogenesis, MSCs lacking TG2 and FXIII-A showed high adipogenic potential and significantly increased RANKL expression as well as upregulated TG1 expression. Chemical inhibition of TG activity in the null cells further increased adipogenic potential and RANKL production. Altered differentiation of TG2 and FXIII-A null MSCs was associated with plasma fibronectin (FN) assembly defect in cultures and FN retention in serum and marrow in vivo instead of assembly into bone. Our findings provide new functions for TG2, FXIII-A and TG1 in bone cells and identify them as novel regulators of bone mass, plasma FN homeostasis, RANKL production and myeloid and MSC cell differentiation.

In multi-scale information systems, the information is often characterized at multi scales and multi levels. To facilitate the computational process of multi-scale information systems, we employ the matrix method to represent the multi-scale information systems and to select the optimal scale combination of multi-scale decision information systems in this study. To this end, we first describe some important concepts and properties of information systems using some relational matrices. The relational matrix is then introduced into multi-scale information systems, and used to describe some main concepts in systems, including the lower and upper approximate sets and the consistence of systems. Furthermore, from the view of the relation matrix, the scale significance is defined to describe the global optimal scale and the local optimal scale of multi-scale information systems. Finally, the relational matrix is used to compute the scale significance and to construct the optimal scale selection algorithms. The efficiency of these algorithms is examined by several practical examples and experiments.

Silver pomfret [Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen, 1788)] is a perciform fish that is widely distributed in coastal regions of the Indo-West Pacific, and is a favourite food species in China. A serious disease occurred in silver pomfret at a marine fish farm in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, East China, in the summer of 2018, causing high fish mortality. Infected fish showed darkened skin, imbalanced swimming or irregular breathing, and abdominal distention with reddish ascites. When dissected, fish were found to have an enlarged spleen and pale liver. No major parasites were found during microscopic examinations of the scales, fins, and mucus of diseased pomfret. However, the spleen, kidney, liver, and gills of diseased pomfret tested positive for red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV) using primers from the OIE (Oficina International de Epizootias). Typical swollen cells were observed in the spleen of RSIV-positive pomfret during histopathological analysis, with iridovirus-like particles from 131 to 178 nm in size observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Degenerated erythrocytes were observed, with decreased sizes and number of cells seen in blood smears after Wright-Giemsa staining, while the number of monocytes, thrombocytes, and lymphocytes in the blood increased compared with those in normal pomfret. The major capsid protein (MCP) and adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) genes of the iridovirus found in silver pomfret were subjected to phylogenetic analyses. In the MCP phylogenetic tree, the iridovirus isolated from pomfret was clustered in subgroup 1 of the RSIV type of Megalocytivirus, with 99.80, 99.78, 99.71, and 94.49% homology with large yellow croaker iridovirus (LYCIV)-15 (Zhejiang strain), LYCIV (Fujian strain), RSIV, and infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), respectively, and in the ATPase tree it had 100, 100, and 97% homology with LYCIV, RSIV, and ISKNV, respectively. The genetic distance of the iridovirus from silver pomfret was 0.002 from LYCIV-15 (Zhejiang), 0.002 from LYCIV (Fujian), and 0.003 from both RSIV (Japan) and marble goby iridovirus (MGIV) (Taiwan), while the distance of LYCIV (Fujian) was 0.001 from both RSIV (Japan) and MGIV (Taiwan) and 0.003 from LYCIV-15 (Zhejiang), meaning that the silver pomfret iridovirus and LYCIV (Fujian) belong to different iridovirus branches. It could be concluded that the iridovirus isolated from silver pomfret (silver pomfret iridovirus, or SPIV) is a potentially severe pathogen of silver pomfret, and a new member of subgroup 1 of the RSIV type of the Megalocytivirus genus.

In this work, a photoinduced iron(III)-based atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) without any reducing agents and additional initiators was suggested. In addition, detailed kinetic studies, including the effects of ligand and catalyst concentrations on polymerization kinetics, and the polymerization behaviors using various solvents and monomer types were evaluated for this new polymerization technique. Results showed that photoinduced iron(III)-mediated ATRP using 5000 ppm catalyst loading with 1 equiv of ligand in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) produced poly(methyl methacrylate) with low molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn < 1.45) and that the evolution of molecular weight (Mn) was linearly related to monomer conversion. 1H NMR analysis confirmed that the resulting polymer prepared through photoinduced ATRP in the present work was initiated by methyl 2,3-dichloroisobutyrate. Facile temporal control and the successful chain extension highlighted the good chain-end functionality of the resulting polym...

Smart polymeric surfaces with switchable oil/water wettability are ideal candidates for oil/water separation, which still suffer from significant restrictions in practical separation applications. Appropriate fabrication method should be explored to devise and mass produce smart polymeric membranes. Herein, we prepared two smart membranes through solution-casting method and electrospinning technology, respectively, based on temperature-responsive copolymer poly(methyl methacrylate)-block-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PMMA-b-PNIPAAm). According to the thermo-responsive component PNIPAAm, both membranes exhibited temperature-modulable oil/water wettability. Electrospun fibrous membrane owned an extended transition range of oil/water wettability compared to polymer solution-casting membrane because of its 3D network porous structure of the random entangled fibers. The as-prepared membranes realized gravity-driven oil/water separation with efficiency higher than 98% through regulating temperature. Solution-casting membrane exhibited a water flux of about 6200 L h−1 m−2 and an oil flux of about 1550 L h−1 m−2. By contrast, characteristics of the high porosity and the large surface-to-volume ratio made the electrospun fibrous membrane achieve higher fluxes of about 9400 L h−1 m−2 for water and about 4200 L h−1 for oil. Electrospinning is a powerful and cost-effective method to construct smart membrane with excellent wetting property and separation performance.

Interest in functional soft matter with stimuli-responsive wettability has increasingly intensified in recent years. From the chemical product engineering viewpoint, this study aims to fabricate reversible pH-responsive polymeric surfaces with controllable wettability using [poly(2,2,3,4,4,4-hexafluorobutyl methacrylate)-block- poly(acrylic acid) (PHFBMA-b-PAA)] block copolymers. To attain this aim, three block copolymers with different PAA segment lengths were synthesized for the first time through Cu(0)-mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerization and hydrolysis reaction. pH-induced controllable wettability was achieved by spin-coating the resulting block copolymers onto silicon wafers. Results showed that the pH-responsive wetting behavior was introduced by incorporating the PAA block, and that the responsiveness of as-fabricated surfaces was greatly influenced by PAA content. All three evolutions of water contact angle with pH shared a similar inflection point at pH 5.25. Furthermore, on the basis of the wetting properties and mechanism understanding, the application of copolymer coated meshes in layered water/oil separation was exploited. Given their superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity, PHFBMA70-b-PAA148 and PHFBMA70-b-PAA211 coated stainless steel meshes (SSMs) can efficiently separate water from different mixtures of organic solvent and water with high flux. However, considering long-term use, the PHFBMA70-b-PAA148 coated SSM with good stability may be the best copolymer for water/oil separation. Therefore, a coordination of structure, composition, and functionality was necessary to enable practical applications of the functional materials. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 1758–1771, 2016