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ObjectiveTo study the transcriptomic changes of astrocytes in the brain of rats exposed to methamphetamine （METH） and its possible mechanism in neurotoxicity.MethodsThe rats were intraperitoneally injected with METH （15 mg/kg） every 12 h for 8 times in total to establish the subacute rat model of METH. After the model was successfully established, the striatum was extracted, and astrocytes were separated by the magnetic bead method. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on selected astrocytes, and the differentially expressed genes were analyzed by gene ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis.ResultsA total of 876 differentially expressed genes were obtained by transcriptome sequencing, including 321 up-regulated genes and 555 down-regulated genes. GO analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes were mainly concentrated in cell structure, biological process regulation, extracellular matrix and organelle functions. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that steroids biosynthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor （PPAR）, adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK） and other signaling pathways were significantly changed.ConclusionMETH can cause structural changes of astrocytes through multiple targets, among which cellular structure, steroids biosynthesis and fatty acid biosynthesis may play an important role in nerve injury, providing a new idea for forensic identification of METH related death.

The spatial variability is an inherent uncertainty of soils. The random field theory is used to represent the spatial variability of soils, and the random field discretization is performed by the Karhunen-Loève (KL) expansion method. Using the slope upper bound analysis based on the discrete mechanism, the discretization results of the internal friction angle random field at each point in the space are considered when generating the velocity discontinuity surface. And the strength reduction technique, bisection searching, and sequential quadratic programming method are combined to solve the safety factor of slopes. The first-order reliability method (FORM) and subset simulation (SS) are employed for slope reliability analysis. Given the characteristics of SS and the shear strength reduction technique, an optimization algorithm coupling the two is proposed to improve computational efficiency. By calculating and analyzing an earth slope, the similarities and differences between FORM and SS based on the KL expansion method in solving the slope reliability index and failure consequence are clarified. The influence of the coefficient of variation of soil strength parameters on the slope reliability index and failure consequence is investigated, providing a theoretical basis for risk analysis and prevention of slopes.

Testicular endothelial cells have been found to play an important role in spermatogenesis and fertility, but their mechanism is obscure. Exosomes released by various cells are recognized as cell–cell communication mediators during the initiation and progression of many diseases. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the protein and miRNA components of human testicular endothelial cell-derived exosomes (HTEC-Exos) and to explore their potential effects on spermatogenesis. In this study, HTEC-Exos were first isolated by the ultracentrifugation method, and then identified by nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and western blotting. The characteristics of HTEC-Exos were examined by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and microRNA (miRNA) chip analysis. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to explore the potential role of the exosomal content on spermatogenesis. A total of 945 proteins were identified, 11 of which were closely related to spermatogenesis. A total of 2578 miRNAs were identified. Among them, 30 miRNAs demonstrated potential associations with male reproductive disorders, such as azoospermia, and spermatogenesis disorders. In particular, 11 out of these 30 miRNAs have been proven to be involved in spermatogenesis based on available evidence. This study provides a global view of the proteins and miRNAs from HTEC-Exos, suggesting that HTEC-Exos may function as potential effectors during the process of spermatogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium was incorporated into Cu(In, Ga)[Se.sub.2] (CIGS) thin films by evaporating NaF before the second and third stages and after the third stage of CIGS deposition. The Na-doping dosage was precisely controlled by a light-controlling method based on reflected light signals. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy results reveal that CIGS crystalline growth and microstructure can be strongly influenced by periods of Na incorporation, which leads to different device performance characteristics. Based on the analysis of results, incorporating Na before the second stage of the standard three-stage process is suggested. OCIS codes: 160.0160, 310.3840, 310.4925.

Introduction:  Several urethroplasties have been employed in the surgical treatment of hypospadias. Neourethral strictures are among the most common postoperative complications that often require reoperation.Materials and Methods:  We created a hypospadias model in New Zealand white male rabbits through a hypospadias-like defect and acute repair. A total of 24 animals were randomly allocated into three groups: tubularized incised-plate urethroplasty (TIPU) group (8), perimeatal-based flap urethroplasty (Mathieu) group (8), onlay island flap urethroplasty (onlay) group (8), and corresponding surgical procedures were immediately performed to reconstruct neourethra. The rabbits were killed postoperatively at 5 days, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months, respectively. The penile tissue was harvested for histological and biochemical investigations to evaluate the expressions of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMactin) in all groups.Results:  All rabbits were operated on uneventfully. The amount of collagen content was increased in the Mathieu and onlay groups than in the TIPU group (p < 0.05). Biochemical analysis showed that the expression of TGF-β1 in the TIPU group was decreased compared with the two other groups at 2 or 6 weeks postoperatively (p < 0.01). The expression pattern regarding α-SMactin was similar at 6 weeks or 3 months postoperatively (p < 0.01).Conclusion:  The neourethra repaired by TIPU was practically resumed to normal anatomy and scarring was less apparent than the two other groups. Therefore, TIPU is considered as a relatively rational approach for hypospadias repair. The activity of fibroblasts has been increased in the long term, which may be the pathogenesis of neourethral stricture following hypospadias repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]