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1,3-Dipolar cycloadditions of isatins, benzylamine and benzylideneacetones were studied to prepare a series of novel spiropyrrolidine-oxindoles – 4′-acetyl-3′,5′-diarylspiro[indoline-3,2′-pyrrolidin]-2-ones and 3′-acetyl-4′,5′-diarylspiro[indoline-3,2′-pyrrolidine]-2-ones in good yields of up to 94% and with good regioselectivities. Regioselectivities are reversible by the addition of water or 4-nitrobenzoic acid, respectively. The substituent effects on the regioselectivity were also investigated.

Osteoporosis is a common systemic metabolic disease characterized by a decrease in bone density and bone mass, destruction of bone tissue microstructure, and increased bone fragility leading to fracture susceptibility. Pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis is the focus of current research, and anti-osteoporosis drugs usually play a role in inhibiting bone resorption, promoting bone formation, and having a dual role. However, most of the drugs have the disadvantages of single target and high toxic and side effects. There are many types of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), from a wide range of sources and mostly plants. Herbal plants have unique advantages in regulating the relationship between osteoporosis and the immune system, acupuncture therapy has significant therapeutic effects in combination with medicine for osteoporosis. The target cells and specific molecular mechanisms of TCM in preventing and treating osteoporosis have not been fully elucidated. At present, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of the pathological mechanism of the disease. Therefore, a better understanding of the pathological signaling pathways and key molecules involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis is crucial for the design of therapeutic targets and drug development. In this paper, we review the development and current status of anti-osteoporosis drugs currently in clinical application and under development to provide relevant basis and reference for drug prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, with the aim of promoting pharmacological research and new drug development.

Abstract Liver injury is a core pathological process in the majority of liver diseases, yet the genetic factors predisposing individuals to its initiation and progression remain poorly understood. Here we show that asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1), a lectin specifically expressed in the liver, is downregulated in patients with liver fibrosis or cirrhosis and male mice with liver injury. ASGR1 deficiency exacerbates while its overexpression mitigates acetaminophen-induced acute and CCl4-induced chronic liver injuries in male mice. Mechanistically, ASGR1 binds to an endoplasmic reticulum stress mediator GP73 and facilitates its lysosomal degradation. ASGR1 depletion increases circulating GP73 levels and promotes the interaction between GP73 and BIP to activate endoplasmic reticulum stress, leading to liver injury. Neutralization of GP73 not only attenuates ASGR1 deficiency-induced liver injuries but also improves survival in mice received a lethal dose of acetaminophen. Collectively, these findings identify ASGR1 as a potential genetic determinant of susceptibility to liver injury and propose it as a therapeutic target for the treatment of liver injury.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydrolysed yeast from Kluyveromyces fragilis (HK) on growth performance, diarrhoea incidence, plasma antioxidant efficiency and immune status, and faecal microbiota of weaned piglets. A total of 100 weaned piglets with BW (7.03 ± 0.14 kg) and age (25 ± 1 days) were randomly allotted to 4 groups with 5 replicates in a 21-day experiment. Piglets were fed with basal diet (NC), NC + 2 g/kg zinc oxide (PC), NC + 7.5 g/kg HK (HK1), or NC + 10 g/kg HK (HK2). Blood and faecal samples were collected on day 21. Significant differences were pointed out in the PC and HK2 piglets compared to the NC group as to the diarrhoea incidence from day 0 to 21 (p

In order to investigate the effects of co-deposition of SiC and WS2 particles on the microstructure, wear resistance and corrosion resistance of Ni coatings, the pure Ni coating, the Ni-SiC composite coating and Ni-SiC-WS2 composite coating were prepared on the surface of 1060 aluminum. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and microhardness tester, friction and ball disc wear tester and electrochemical workstation were used to detect and analyze the surface and cross section morphology, phase composition, elemental contents and microhardness of the coatings, and the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the pure Ni, Ni-SiC and Ni-SiC-WS2 composite coatings were compared. Results showed that the Ni-SiC-WS2 composite coating was flat and compact, with a mass fraction of 7.05% (mass fraction, the same below) and 2.53% for SiC and WS2, respectively. This resulted in the reduction of nickel grain size by 63.39% and 21.63%, compared with the pure Ni coating and the Ni-SiC composite coating, respectively. The microhardness of Ni-SiC-WS2 composite coating was up to 424.73 HV0.5 N, which was 57.70% and 20.46% higher than that of the pure Ni coating and the Ni-SiC composite coating, respectively. WS2 particles in the coating had good antifriction effect, which made the friction coefficient of the Ni-SiC-WS2 composite coating further reduced by 17.39% compared to Ni-SiC composite coating, and wear rate reduced by 24.62%. The self-corrosion current density of Ni-SiC-WS2 composite coating was the lowest, at 4.68 μA/cm2, which was reduced by 53.85% and 11.36%, compared with the pure Ni coating and the Ni-SiC composite coating, respectively. The Ni-SiC-WS2 composite coating had higher impedance value of 112 361 Ω·cm2, which demonstrated better corrosion resistance than the Ni coating and the Ni-SiC composite coating.

Functional nano-coatings have been a research hotspot in recent years. The nano-size composition units provide good volume effect and surface effect for functional nano-coatings, and greatly optimize the mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance and wear resistance of the coatings. The preparation technology and properties of functional nano-coatings determine the application range of nano-coatings. However, most reviews focus on certain properties, preparation methods or applications of functional nano-coatings, and lack of reviews on the integrity of functional nano-coatings. Firstly, this work introduced the concept and classification of functional nano-coatings briefly. Secondly, the preparation techniques of functional nano-coatings were described in detail, including traditional chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition and sol-gel method, the latest plasma spraying technology and other preparation techniques. Moreover, the principles, advantages and disadvantages of various nano-coatings preparation technologies and the application of nano-coatings in materials were analyzed and summarized. Finally, the latest and popular applications of functional nano-coatings were reviewed in detail, and the application prospect and potential of functional nano-coatings were prospected.

Abstract Changing the shape of the blade trailing edge profile of a centrifugal pump is one of the effective means to improve the internal unsteady flow and pressure pulsation of a centrifugal pump. In this paper, the effect of four shapes of the blade trailing edge profile on the internal nonconstant pressure pulsation and internal flow of a multistage centrifugal pump is investigated by numerical simulation. The four types of blade trailing edges include prototype impeller (original trailing edge), pressure surface cut (ellipse on pressure side [EPS]), suction surface cut (ellipse on suction side [ESS]), and two‐side cut (ellipse on both sides). The results show that reasonable cutting of the trailing edge of the blade can reduce the pressure pulsation of the centrifugal pump. By comparing the pressure pulsation at fBPF, we found that the blade trailing edge profile can change the pressure pulsation. When the speed decreases, the periodicity of pressure pulsation becomes worse and the amplitude of pressure pulsation at fBPF decreases. The static pressure distribution at the trailing edge of the blade shows that EPS and ESS can effectively reduce the area of the high‐pressure gradient region at the trailing edge of the blade, and the dynamic–static interference effect is weakened, which leads to a lower pressure pulsation amplitude. The distribution of turbulent energy in different blade trailing edge centrifugal pumps corresponds to the distribution of static pressure in different blade trailing edge centrifugal pumps, further demonstrating the reliability of the static pressure distribution. The results of this study will further provide theoretical support for the optimization of the blade trailing edge profile.

Abstract Background Streptococcus mutans is a well-known oral pathogen that plays a critical role in the development of dental caries. Many studies have been directed to discover the chemical compounds present in natural products to inhibit the growth and biofilm formation activity of S. mutans. Thymus essential oils exhibit good inhibition on the growth and pathogenesis of S. mutans. However, details about the active compounds in Thymus essential oil and the inhibition mechanism still remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of 6 Thymus species (Three samples of Thymus vulgaris, two samples of Thymus zygis, and one sample of Thymus satureioides essential oils) on S. mutans, to identify the potential active components, and to reveal the underlying mechanism. Methods The composition of Thymus essential oils was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. And its antibacterial effect was evaluated based on the bacterial growth, acid production, biofilm formation and genetic expression of virulence factors by S. mutans. Potential active components of the Thymus essential oil were identified using molecular docking and correlation analysis. Results GC–MS analysis showed that the major components in the 6 Spain Thymus essential oils were linalool, α-terpineol, p-cymene, thymol and carvacrol. MIC and MBC analysis showed that 3 Thymus essential oils showed very sensitive antimicrobial activity, and were chosen for further analysis. The 3 Thymus essential oil exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on acid production, adherence and biofilm formation of S. mutans and the expression of virulence genes, such as brpA, gbpB, gtfB, gtfC, gtfD, vicR, spaP and relA. Correlation analysis showed that phenolic components, such as carvacrol and thymol, were positively related to DIZ value, which suggests that they are the potential antimicrobial components. Molecular docking between the Thymus essential oil components and virulence proteins also found that carvacrol and thymol exhibited strong binding affinity with functional domains of virulence genes. Conclusions Thymus essential oil showed significant inhibition against the growth and pathogenesis of S. mutans depending on their composition and concentration. And phenolic compounds, such as carvacrol and thymol, are the major active components. Thymus essential oil could be used in oral healthcare products as a potential anti-caries ingredient.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness and corticosteroid-sparing capabilities of methotrexate (MTX) in the treatment of chronic non-necrotizing anterior scleritis in Chinese patients. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all patients with active anterior scleritis between January 2015 and June 2019 was conducted. All patients received 10 to 15 mg/wk MTX orally, and corticosteroids (10 to 40 mg/d prednisolone or equivalent methylprednisolone) with slow tapering. Topical corticosteroid eye drops (1% prednisolone actate, 0.1% dexmathosone or 0.1% fluoromethalone) were applied to control comorbid anterior uveitis at presentation or during follow up. The main outcomes were inflammation control and corticosteroid-sparing success, and secondary outcomes were reduction of immunosuppression load and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS: Thirty-two eyes (22 patients) were included. The proportion of patients who achieved corticosteroid-sparing success was 50.0% at 3mo and 77.3% at 12mo [8 (36.4%) patients discontinued corticosteroid]. The proportion of eyes that achieved inflammation control was 59.4% at 3mo and 78.1% at 12mo. The immunosuppression load was 5.14±0.87 at presentation and 2.76±2.34 at 12mo (P

For the welded plate heat exchangers in service, problems such as shortened working life due to the corrosion of the plates are still unavoidable. This paper reviews the application environment, structural style and corrosion type of plate heat exchangers. In addition, the research and relevant progress of solving the corrosion problem of welded plate heat exchangers by applying coating technology were summarized. Finally, the future development direction of anti - corrosion technology for welded plate heat exchangers was prospected.

Backgrounds: Liensinine (Lien), Neferine (Nef), Isoliensinine (Iso) and Tetrandrine (Tet), benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), have been shown inhibitory effects on pulmonary fibrosis (PF) through anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative activities, inhibition of cytokines and NF-κB. Effects of other similar BIAs, Dauricine (Dau), Papaverine (Pap) and lotusine (Lot), on PF remain unclear. Here, we explored the effects of five bisbenzylisoquinoline (Lien, Nef, Iso, Tet and Dau) and two monobenzylisoquinoline (Pap, Lot) alkaloids on normal and PF fibroblasts. Methods: Primary normal and PF lung fibroblasts were cultured and treated with these alkaloids. Proliferation, activation, migration and apoptosis changes were detected by MTT, wound healing assay, flow cytometry. Protein level was analyzed by Western blot. Results: All BIAs inhibited proliferation of normal and PF lung fibroblasts induced by TGF-β. α-SMA protein level in normal and PF lung fibroblasts decreased after Lien, Nef, Iso, Tet and Dau treatment. Pap and Lot had no influence on α-SMA expression. Dau showed the strongest inhibitory effects on proliferation and activation among alkaloids. The migration rates of normal and PF lung fibroblasts were inhibited by Lien, Nef, Iso, and Dau. Lien, Nef, Iso and Dau significantly promoted apoptosis, while Tet had no effect on apoptosis. Pap and Lot had no influence on activation, migration and apoptosis. Dau significantly inhibited Smad3/4 and p-ERK1/2 protein overexpression induced by TGF-β1. Conclusions: Bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids had stronger effects on inhibiting lung fibroblasts than monobenzylisoquinoline alkaloids. Dau expressed the strongest inhibitory effects, which may be related to its inhibition of TGF-β1/Smad3/4 and p-ERK1/2 pathway proteins.

Stimbiotic supplementation may provide an innovative feed additive solution to accelerate the proliferation of beneficial fiber-degrading bacteria in the distal intestine and the utilization of dietary fiber. Optimal utilization of dietary fiber has multiple benefits for gut health and nutrient utilization. This study was conducted to evaluate the late gestation and lactation performance, the plasma, colostrum, and milk immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgM) concentrations, and the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant biomarkers in plasma of sows fed with or without a stimbiotic during the late gestation and lactation phase. A total of 40 sows were allocated to two treatment groups: control (CT) with no supplementation or 100 mg/kg stimbiotic (VP), with 20 sows per treatment. Sows were fed the treatment diets from d 85 of gestation to d 28 of lactation. In the results, the average daily weight gain of piglets during lactation was greater from sows fed in the VP group compared to that in the CT group (p < 0.05). The plasma concentrations of IgM at farrowing and IgG at weaning of the sows fed the diet with the stimbiotic supplementation were much higher than those in the CT sows (p < 0.05), respectively. In addition, the dietary stimbiotic increased the concentrations of IgM in the colostrum and of IgA and IgM in the milk at d 14 of lactation (p < 0.05). Plasma concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) on d 0 and d 28 of lactation tended to be lower in sows fed the VP diets compared with those of the sows fed the CT diets. Thus, our study indicated that stimbiotic supplementation could improve the daily weight gain of piglets and the immune function of sows in lactation.

In response to the urgent need for the development of low-orbit 5th Generation Mobile Networks (5G) protocol standards, R16 protocol standards and terminal baseband chips based on 5G low-orbit broadband satellite communication systems, a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) detection algorithm of " two blocks combined and divided into two cross-correlation" is proposed for coarse frequency offset estimation based on the analysis of the Low Earth Orbit (LEO)-5G system's PBCH link structure and downlink time-frequency synchronization overall architecture. The frequency offset is further estimated through Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) correlation, and combined with Cell-Specific Reference Signal (CRS) pilot signal to determine the precise synchronization LEO-5G downlink synchronization algorithm with Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The feasibility and effectiveness of the algorithm were verified by simulation using Vivado and Matlab. The results show that the synchronization algorithm has good real-time performance and high stability. The accuracy rate of the downstream time-frequency synchronization FPGA module with Management Information Base (MIB) parsing is about 83.07%. The chip storage resource consumption for the evaluation of timing and resource consumption is only 11.7%. All indicators meet the indicator requirements.

Objective To investigate whether zinc deficiency may induce myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury through mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Methods The zinc-deficient rat model was established by feeding with a zinc-deficient fodder, myocardial I/R injury was induced with isolated rat hearts which were subjected to 30 min of global ischemia followed by 120 min of reperfusion. Left ventricular catheterization was used to detect cardiac function. The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was spectrophotometically measured; and 2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium(TTC) staining method was applied to measure the area of myocardial infarction; Mitochondrial swelling induced by calcium was adapted as a method to examine the opening degree of mPTP. Results Rats with zinc deficiency showed an increased myocardial infarct size and LDH release (P＜0.05), which was associated with a decreased recovery rate of left ventricular contractility(P＜0.05). Compared to control rats, mPTP opening reduced in mitochondria of the heart of zinc-deficient rats before ischemia(P＜0.05), but increased significantly after 30 min ischemia (P＜0.05). The myocardial I/R injury in both control and zinc-deficient rats was significantly attenuated by inhibition of mPTP opening(P＜0.01). Conclusions Zinc deficiency may increase the myocardial I/R injury in rats through increase of mPTP opening.

The unbalanced burden on the nodes nearing the ground station pose challenges on the multi-hop data transmission in aerial sensor networks(ASNs).In order to achieve reliable and efficient multi-hop data transmission in ASNs,a reinforcement-learning based queue-efficient geographic routing(RLQE-GR) protocol is proposed.The RLQE-GR protocol maps routing problem into the general reinforcement learning(RL) framework,where each UAV is treated as one state and each successful packet forwarding is treated as one action.Based on the framework,the RLQE-GR protocol designs a reward function related to geographical location,link quality and available transmission queue length.Then,the Q-function is employed to converge all the sta-teaction values(Q-values),and each packet is forwarded based on potential state-action values.To converge all Q values and minimize performance deterioration during the convergence process,a beacon mechanism is employed in RLQE-GR protocol.In contrast to existing geographic routing protocols,the RLQE-GR protocol simultaneously takes the queue utilization,link quality and relative distance into consideration for forwarding packets.This makes the RLQE-GR protocol achieve load balancing,meanwhile not introducing strict performance deteriorations on routing hop and link quality.Moreover,due to the near-optimization character of RL theory,the RLQE-GR protocol can achieve routing performance optimization on packet delivery ratio and end-to-end delay.

Objective To explore whether cognitive frailty increases the risk of falls 5 years later in elderly Chinese population. Methods The data were collected from the Rugao Aging Cohort. Fried frailty phenotype was used to evaluate frailty. Those who met ≥3 of the five criteria were defined as frailty, those who met 1-2 criteria were defined as pre-frailty, and those who did not meet any criteria were considered to be robust. The revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale(HDS-R) was used to evaluate cognitive function. Excluding severe cognitive impairment (HDS-R≤10), the lowest quartile of scores was cognitive impairment. Those with both frailty and cognitive impairment were defined as cognitive frailty. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze frailty and falls risk at 5-year follow-up, and explore the effect of cognitive frailty (frailty plus cognitive function assessment) on falls risk. Results This study included 962 subjects with a mean age of 74.7±3.7 years at baseline, including 526 females. After 5 years of follow-up, 134 people experienced falls in the last year of following up . The incidence of falls was higher in female, illiterate and unmarried subgroups. Logistic regression analysis showed that the frail subjects at baseline were more likely to fall(OR=4.360,95% CI=1.955-9.722), and those with cognitive frailty had a higher risk of fall than those robust without cognitive impairment (OR=6.000,95% CI=1.935-18.603). After adjusting for covariates, the higher five-year falls risk for cognitive frailty remained statistically significant (OR=6.736,95% CI=1.897-23.922, P＜0.05). Conclusions Cognitive frailty is significantly correlated with a higher risk of falls after 5 years. The assessment of cognitive frailty is important for assessing the risk of falls in older adults.

BackgroundThe relationship between cuproptosis and HCC is still in the exploratory stage. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been linked to the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the clinical significance of lncRNAs associated with cuproptosis remains unclear.MethodsBased on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) dataset, we identified characteristic prognostic lncRNAs by univariate, LASSO, and multifactorial regression analysis, and constructed a prognostic signature of cuproptosis-related lncRNAs in HCC. The role of lncRNAs were identified through CCK-8, clone formation in Huh-7 cells with high expression of FDX1. Prognostic potential of the characteristic lncRNAs was evaluated in each of the two cohorts created by randomly dividing the TCGA cohort into a training cohort and a test cohort in a 1:1 ratio. Immune profiles in defined subgroups of cuproptosis-related lncRNA features as well as drug sensitivity were analyzed.ResultsWe constructed a multigene signature based on four characteristic prognostic lncRNAs (AL590705.3, LINC02870, KDM4A-AS1, MKLN1-AS). These four lncRNAs participated in the development of cuproptosis. HCC patients were classified into high-risk and low-risk groups based on the median value of the risk score. The receiver operating characteristic curve area under the curve values for 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival were 0.773, 0.728, and 0.647, respectively, for the training cohort, and 0.764, 0.671, and 0.662, respectively, for the test cohort. Univariate and multifactorial regression analyses indicated that this prognostic feature was an independent prognostic factor for HCC. Principal component analysis plots clearly distinguished between low- and high-risk patients in terms of their probability of survival. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis showed that a variety of processes associated with tumor proliferation and progression were enriched in the high-risk group compared with the low-risk group. Moreover, there were significant differences in the expression of immune cell subpopulations, immune checkpoint genes, and potential drug screening, which provided distinct therapeutic recommendations for individuals with various risks.ConclusionsWe constructed a novel cuproptosis-associated lncRNA signature with a significant predictive value for the prognosis of patients with HCC. Cuproptosis-associated lncRNAs are associated with the tumor immune microenvironment of HCC and even the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy.

The aging population and high incidence of age-related diseases are major global societal issues. Consuming bioactive substances as part of our diet is increasingly recognized as essential for ensuring a healthy life for older adults. Wheat germ protein has a reasonable peptide structure and amino acid ratio but has not been fully utilized and exploited, resulting in wasted wheat germ resources. This review summarizes reformational extraction methods of wheat germ protein/peptides (WGPs), of which different methods can be selected to obtain various WGPs. Interestingly, except for some bioactive activities found earlier, WGPs display potential anti-aging activity, with possible mechanisms including antioxidant, immunomodulatory and intestinal flora regulation. However, there are missing in vitro and in vivo bioactivity assessments of WGPs. WGPs possess physicochemical properties of good foamability, emulsification and water retention and are used as raw materials or additives to improve food quality. Based on the above, further studies designing methods to isolate particular types of WGPs, determining their nutritional and bioactive mechanisms and verifying their activity in vivo in humans are crucial for using WGPs to improve human health.

For buildings with shallow foundations embedded in natural soil sediments, the underexcavation method is often used to correct building inclination. Relying on engineering experience and close field monitoring, rectification has been conducted successfully. However, theoretical studies are relatively scarce, resulting in an inadequately informed rectification design and procedure. Assuming the soil is an ideal elastic-plastic body, a simplified analysis was adopted to study the issue theoretically. First, the redistribution of the base contact pressure after building inclination was deduced. Second, according to the force balance between the total contact pressure of the base and the total stress on the horizontal plane at the excavation hole, the limit hole spacing at the critical state of building back tilt was obtained, which was also the preferable hole spacing for soil strip collapse. Third, because the amount of anticipated forced settlement at a certain section of soil excavation is equal to the volume of soil hole collapse, an accurate formula for the hole diameter was obtained. Combined with engineering experience, suggestions for the design procedure were proposed. Finally, two case histories were introduced to verify the correctness and practicability of the theoretical formula for hole spacing and diameter. These two key parameters provide a strong theoretical basis for building rectification in future engineering practice.

The startup process of pump as turbine (PAT) is actually unavoidable. In order to reveal the transient behavior of a small centrifugal pump reversing as a turbine during an atypical startup, transient experiments are carried out on PAT test rig in the case of two valve openings and four rotational speeds so as to obtain the evolution characteristic of the external performance parameters over time. Meanwhile, three dimensionless parameters are also employed to deeply reveal the transient characteristics. It is found that the shock phenomena in static pressure are prevalent at the outlet of PAT, and that it tends to lag and weaken with increasing stable rotational speed. All three dimensionless factors have maximum values at the initial stage of PAT startup, whereafter they demonstrate the different evolution characteristics.

Objective To explore the role of IDH1 in the expression of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) in glioma cell line LN229. Methods Lentivirus was used to construct IDH1 knockdown and control cells, and the expression of IDH1 was validated by RT-qPCR (real-time quantitative PCR) and Western blot. Then the total RNA of cells from each group was extracted for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq); the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by limma package and enriched pathways were analyzed; the differentially expressed RBPs were selected according to the RBP database and protein-protein interaction network was constructed by string database; finally, the expression level of candidate RBPs was tested in IDH1 knockdown, over-expressed and mutant cells(R132H) respectively. Results A total of 259 DEGs were detected in IDH1 knockdown LN229 cells, including 146 upregulated and 113 downregulated genes. These DEGs were significantly enriched in interferon related pathways and included 14 RBP-encoding genes, 9 of which were significantly enriched in interferon related pathways and showed close interaction; compared with the control group, IDH1 knockdown in LN229 significantly upregulated the expression of all the nine RBPs (P＜0.001), and IDH1 overexpression only downregulated IFIT3 (P＜0.01) involving in interferon pathway, while IDH1 mutation had no significant effect on IFIT3. Conclusions IDH1 regulates expression of interferon pathway related gene IFIT3 in LN229 cells.

Scutellaria barbata D. Don (SB, Chinese: Ban Zhi Lian), a well-known medicinal plant used in traditional Chinese medicine, is rich in flavonoids. It possesses antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory activities of SB extracts and its active components against HIV-1 protease (HIV-1 PR) and SARS-CoV2 viral cathepsin L protease (Cat L PR). UPLC/HRMS was used to identify and quantify the major active flavonoids in different SB extracts, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays were used to determine HIV-1 PR and Cat L PR inhibitions and identify structure–activity relationships. Molecular docking was also performed, to explore the diversification in bonding patterns of the active flavonoids upon binding to the two PRs. Three SB extracts (SBW, SB30, and SB60) and nine flavonoids inhibited HIV-1 PR with an IC50 range from 0.006 to 0.83 mg/mL. Six of the flavonoids showed 10~37.6% inhibition of Cat L PR at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. The results showed that the introduction of the 4′-hydroxyl and 6-hydroxyl/methoxy groups was essential in the 5,6,7-trihydroxyl and 5,7,4′-trihydroxyl flavones, respectively, to enhance their dual anti-PR activities. Hence, the 5,6,7,4′-tetrahydroxyl flavone scutellarein (HIV-1 PR, IC50 = 0.068 mg/mL; Cat L PR, IC50 = 0.43 mg/mL) may serve as a lead compound to develop more effective dual protease inhibitors. The 5,7,3′,4′-tetrahydroxyl flavone luteolin also showed a potent and selective inhibition of HIV-1 PR (IC50 = 0.039 mg/mL).

Objective To explore the effect of barley plus butter dietary on the symptoms of dextran sodium sulfate induced chronic ulcerative colitis and intestinal microbial distribution in mice. Methods In customized feed(C feed), soybean oil and corn meal in standard mice breeding feed (N feed) were replaced with equal proportion of ghee and raw barley powder.28 male mice were randomly divided into 4 groups(n=7,each group):NW group fed with N feed and water; ND group fed with N feed and 1.8% DSS; CW group fed with C feed and water; CD group fed with C feed and 1.8% DSS. Colitis model was established by three cycles of 10 days supply of distilled water after 7 days supply of 1.8% DSS solution. Finally, the effects were evaluated by DAI score, colon HE staining and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing of gut microbes. Results The abundance of bacteria was increased and the diversity of intestinal flora, such as allobaculum, was improved in wild type mice fed on the barley and butter dietary. However, when the mice were treated with DSS, the barley plus butter dietary group had high DAI score(P＜0.05), showed obvious intestinal ulcers and disorganized intestinal glands by histopathological microscopy, and decreased intestinal flora abundance and diversity(P＜0.05). But the quantity of Clostridium and Sartreella was increased in barley and butter dietary group(P＜0.05). Conclusions The barley plus butter dietary increases intestinal flora Allobaculum of wild type mice and improves the composition of intestinal flora, but the dietary intervention fails to show any significant impact on the chronic ulcerative colitis symptoms induced by DSS.

Optical computing has gained much attention due to its high speed, low energy consumption, and the fact that it is naturally parallelizable and multiplexable, etc. Single-bit optical logic gates based on a four-hidden-layer diffractive optical neural network (DONN) have been demonstrated with paired apertures. Here, we show a parallel-logic operation strategy based on two-hidden-layer DONN, showcasing their efficiency by multiple-bit (up to 16-bit) optical logic (e.g., NAND) operations. In addition, we demonstrate how NAND-DONN units can be utilized to achieve NOR and AND operations by flipping and cascading the DONN.

In order to grasp the distribution characteristics of the pressure field on the inner wall of the volute casing of an atypical open impeller centrifugal pump, the instantaneous pressure at different operating conditions was experimentally measured under four operating rotational speeds to obtain the distribution characteristics of the average static pressure field in the volute casing of this pump model. The pressure pulsation amplitude and pressure pulsation intensity were also analyzed at different rotational speed cases, and the standard deviation analysis was performed. The results showed that the instantaneous pressure pulsation on the inner wall of the volute casing strongly fluctuates during the pump operating, and the closer to the volute casing outlet, the more intense the pressure pulsation was. After increasing the pump shaft speed, the fluctuation amplitude gradually decreased. The pressure pulsation on the wall of tip clearance is more intense than that on the inner wall of the volute shell. The intensity of the pressure pulsation on the wall of tip clearance decreases with the increase of the rotational speed, and the higher the speed, the less intense the pressure pulsation.

The effect of track geometry on vehicle vibration is a major concern in high-speed rail (HSR) operation from the perspectives of ride comfort and safety. However, how to quantitatively characterize the relation between them remains a problem to be solved in track quality assessment. By using fractal analysis, this paper studies the detailed correlation between track surface and alignment irregularities and car body vertical and lateral acceleration in various wavelength ranges. The time-frequency features of the track irregularity and car-body acceleration are first analyzed based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD). Then, the fractal features of the inspection data are determined by calculating the Hurst exponent of their intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Finally, the fractal dimensions of the track irregularity and car-body acceleration are obtained, and the correlation between their fractal dimensions with respect to different IMFs is revealed using regression analysis. The results show that the fractal dimension is only related to the roughness of the IMF waveforms of the track irregularity and car-body vibration and is irrelevant to the amplitude of the time series of the data; the correlation coefficient of the fractal dimension of the track irregularity and car-body acceleration is greater than 0.7 for wavelengths greater than 30 m, indicating that the relationship between track irregularity and car-body vibration acceleration is more obvious for long wavelengths. The findings of this research could be used for optimizing HSR track maintenance work from the viewpoint of the ride quality of high-speed trains.

Hypericum kouytchense Lévl is a semi-evergreen plant of the Hypericaceae family. Its roots and seeds have been used in a number of traditional remedies for antipyretic, detoxification, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiviral functions. However, to date, no bioactivity compounds have been characterized from the insect gall of H. kouytchens. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral activities of different extracts from the insect gall of H. kouytchen against cathepsin L, HIV-1 and renin proteases and identified the active ingredients using UPLC–HRMS. Four different polar extracts (HW, H30, H60 and H85) of the H. kouytchense insect gall exhibited antiviral activities with IC50 values of 10.0, 4.0, 3.2 and 17.0 µg/mL against HIV-1 protease; 210.0, 34.0, 24.0 and 30.0 µg/mL against cathepsin L protease; and 180.0, 65.0, 44.0 and 39.0 µg/mL against human renin, respectively. Ten compounds were identified and quantified in the H. kouytchense insect gall extracts. Epicatechin, eriodictyol and naringenin chalcone were major ingredients in the extracts with contents ranging from 3.9 to 479.2 µg/mg. For HIV-1 protease, seven compounds showed more than 65% inhibition at a concentration of 1000.0 µg/mL, especially for hypericin and naringenin chalcone with IC50 values of 1.8 and 33.0 µg/mL, respectively. However, only hypericin was active against cathepsin L protease with an IC50 value of 17100.0 µg/mL, and its contents were from 0.99 to 11.65 µg/mg. Furthermore, we attempted to pinpoint the interactions between the active compounds and the proteases using molecular docking analysis. Our current results imply that the extracts and active ingredients could be further formulated and/or developed for potential prevention and treatment of HIV or SARS-CoV-2 infections.

The anthocyanins in black rice extract (BRA) are sensitive to metallic ions, which restrict its application in the coloration of steamed cold noodles in China that uses tap water as the solvent. Food-grade chelators were added to check if they could increase the stability of BRA. The results indicated that the color decay of BRA in tap water was mainly caused by Fe3+, Cu2+, and Fe2+, and the addition of chelators could effectively antagonize this effect. Coloration with the BRA solution containing the optimized chelator formulation of 0.01% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium, 0.08% sodium hexametaphosphate, and 0.064% sodium tartrate conferred comparable appearance and chromatic attributes with those of the noodle colored by deionized water-dissolved BRA. The steamed cold noodles colored by the chelators-containing BRA exhibited increased springiness and decreased starch retrogradation, and possessed potential health functions due to its slightly increased resistant starch content and markedly enhanced antioxidant capacity. Hence, the addition of chelators is a feasible way to increase the color stability of BRA in tap water, and the chelators-supplemented BRA could be used to produce steamed cold noodles with attractive color and health benefits.

Objective To observe gray matter volume changes and evaluate the relation between gray matter changes and duration of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) patients with different seizure types. Methods A total of 40 patients with mTLE, including 20 with partial seizures (mTLE-PS group) and 20 with secondarily generalized seizures (mTLE-sGS group), and 20 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers (control group) were recruited. T1-three-dimensional magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo (T1-3D-MPRAGE) was scanned for voxel.based morphometry (VBM). Bilateral frontal lobes and thalami were selected as regions of interest (ROIs) to compare gray matter volume of brain regions among 3 groups. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between gray matter volume of brain regions and duration. Results There were significant differences in gray matter volumes in bilateral superior frontal gyri, right middle frontal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus, right angular gyrus, right middle temproral gyrus, right hippocampus, bilateral thalami and bilateral cerebellar hemispheres among 3 groups (P < 0.01, for all; FWE correction). Compared with control group, gray matter volumes in bilateral superior frontal gyri, bilateral cerebellar hemispheres, right middle temproral gyrus, right hippocampus and right thalamus in mTLE-PS group were significantly decreased (P < 0.01, for all; FWE correction). Compared with control group, gray matter volumes in bilateral superior frontal gyri, bilateral thalami, bilateral cerebellar hemispheres, right angular gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus and right hippocampus in mTLE-sGS group were significantly decreased (P < 0.01, for all; FWE correction). Compared with mTLE-PS group, gray matter volumes in bilateral superior frontal gyri, bilateral thalami, right medial frontal gyrus and right gyrus rectus in mTLE-sGS group were significantly reduced (P < 0.01, for all; FWE correction). Gray matter volumes in left superior frontal gyrus (rs = -0.611, P = 0.004) and right middle frontal gyrus (rs = -0.562, P = 0.010) were negatively correlated with duration in mTLE-sGS group. Conclusions mTLE patients with different seizure types have revealed multiple gray matter damages in bilateral frontal lobes, thalami and cerebellar hemispheres, and right temporal lobe and hippocampus, but there is a difference in the injured brain regions. Bilateral frontal lobes and thalami atrophy in secondarily generalized seizures of mTLE show that thalamocortical circuit plays an important role in secondarily generalied seizures of mTLE. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.03.004

With the rapid development of cloud computing, as an advantage of cloud services, virtual machine migration technology has been widely noticed and applied. However, there are some problems about VMs migration which should be solved, such as the complication of authentication of platform and the security issues of data transmission, etc. For these problems, firstly, the existing virtual machine migration scheme based on trusted computing technology was analyzed. Secondly, three secure needs that the virtual machine migration scheme which based on trusted computing technology should meet were proposed: the authenticated platform, confidentiality and integrity preserving transfer and atomicity of the vTPCM. Thirdly, a trusted migration scheme of virtual machines for cloud environment was proposed, in which the virtual machine central migration engine and trusted migration agent were introduced to solve the atomicity protection of vTPCM during the migration process. Finally, the concrete scheme was given with verification.

Forests play a pivotal role in mitigating global warming as an important carbon sink. Recent global greening trends reflect a positive influence of elevated atmospheric CO2 on terrestrial carbon uptake. However, increasingly frequent and intense drought events endanger the carbon sequestration function of forests. This review integrates previous studies across scales to identify potential global trends in forest responses to drought and elevated CO2 as well as to identify data needs in this important research field. The inconsistent responses of ecosystem respiration to drought contributes to the change of forest net CO2 exchange, which depends on the balance of opposite effects of warming and water stress on respiration. Whether CO2 fertilization can offset the effects of drought remains controversial, however, we found a potential overestimation of global CO2 fertilization effects because of increasing water stress and other limitations such as light and nutrients (N, P) as well as the possibility of photosynthetic acclimation.

Previous studies on the propagation direction of valley topological edge states mainly focus on the matching between orbital angular momentum of the excitation source and specific pseudo-spin state of valley edge mode at certain frequency that falls in the bandgap of the topologically distinct bulk components. In this work, we propose topological photonic crystals (PCs) hosting two topological protected bandgaps. It is shown that by constructing the interface between different PC structures with distinct topological phase, edge states can be engineered inside these two bandgaps, which provides a convenient way to achieve flexible wave routing. Particularly, we study three types of meta-structures consisting of these PCs in which the valley edge states routing path highly depends on the operating frequency and inputting port of the excitation source. Our study provides an alternative way in designing topological devices such as wave splitters and frequency division devices.