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Objective: To present clinical experiences regarding surgical treatment of patients with severe cicatricial tracheal stenosis. Patients and methods: From January 2008 to March 2020, 14 patients underwent tracheal resection and reconstruction under general anesthesia. Nine cases had cervical tracheal stenosis and five cases had thoracic tracheal stenosis. The mean diameter and length of strictured trachea was 0 − 8 mm with a mean of 4.5 ± 2.4 mm and 1 − 3 cm with a mean of 1.67 ± 0.63 cm, respectively. General anesthesia and mechanical ventilation were performed in ten cases and four patients underwent femoral arteriovenous bypass surgery due to severe stenosis. End-to-end anastomosis of trachea was performed in 13 cases and the anastomosis between trachea and cricothyroid membrane was performed in one case. Absorbable and unabsorbable sutures were used for the anterior and posterior anastomoses, respectively. Postoperative neck anteflexion was maintained by a suture between the chin and superior chest wall. The relevant data of the 14 patients were retrospectively reviewed, and the operation time, blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications and follow-up were retrieved. Results: There was no intraoperative death. The length of resected trachea ranged from 1.5 to 4.5 cm with a mean of 1.67 ± 0.63 cm. Operation time ranged from 50 − 450 min with a mean of 142.8 ± 96.6 min and intraoperative hemorrhage ranged from 10 − 300 ml with a mean of 87.8 ± 83.6 ml. Follow-up period ranged from 5 to 43 months with a mean of 17.9 ± 10.6 months. None of the patients had recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis during postoperative follow-up. Ten cases were discharged uneventfully. Anastomosis stenosis occurred in three cases who received interventional therapies. Bronchopleurocutaneous fistula occurred in one patient after 6 days postoperatively and further treatment was declined. Conclusion: The strategies of anesthesia, mechanical ventilation, identification of stenosis lesion, the "hybrid" sutures and postoperative anteflexion are critical to be optimized for successful postoperative recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To present clinical experiences regarding surgical treatment of patients with severe cicatricial tracheal stenosis. Patients and methods: From January 2008 to March 2020, 14 patients underwent tracheal resection and reconstruction under general anesthesia. Nine cases had cervical tracheal stenosis and five cases had thoracic tracheal stenosis. The mean diameter and length of strictured trachea was 0 − 8 mm with a mean of 4.5 ± 2.4 mm and 1 − 3 cm with a mean of 1.67 ± 0.63 cm, respectively. General anesthesia and mechanical ventilation were performed in ten cases and four patients underwent femoral arteriovenous bypass surgery due to severe stenosis. End-to-end anastomosis of trachea was performed in 13 cases and the anastomosis between trachea and cricothyroid membrane was performed in one case. Absorbable and unabsorbable sutures were used for the anterior and posterior anastomoses, respectively. Postoperative neck anteflexion was maintained by a suture between the chin and superior chest wall. The relevant data of the 14 patients were retrospectively reviewed, and the operation time, blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications and follow-up were retrieved. Results: There was no intraoperative death. The length of resected trachea ranged from 1.5 to 4.5 cm with a mean of 1.67 ± 0.63 cm. Operation time ranged from 50 − 450 min with a mean of 142.8 ± 96.6 min and intraoperative hemorrhage ranged from 10 − 300 ml with a mean of 87.8 ± 83.6 ml. Follow-up period ranged from 5 to 43 months with a mean of 17.9 ± 10.6 months. None of the patients had recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis during postoperative follow-up. Ten cases were discharged uneventfully. Anastomosis stenosis occurred in three cases who received interventional therapies. Bronchopleurocutaneous fistula occurred in one patient after 6 days postoperatively and further treatment was declined. Conclusion: The strategies of anesthesia, mechanical ventilation, identification of stenosis lesion, the "hybrid" sutures and postoperative anteflexion are critical to be optimized for successful postoperative recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The observation that temperate C3 and tropical C4 forage silages easily produce large amounts of ethanol or acetic acid has puzzled researchers for many years. Hence, this study aimed to assess the effects of epiphytic microbiota from C3 forages (Italian ryegrass and oat) on fermentative products and bacterial community structure in C4 forage (sorghum) silage. Methods: Through microbiota transplantation and γ-ray irradiation sterilization, the irradiated sorghum was treated: i) sterile distilled water (STSG); ii) epiphytic microbiota from sorghum (SGSG); iii) epiphytic microbiota from Italian ryegrass (SGIR); iv) epiphytic microbiota from oat (SGOT). Results: After 60 days, all the treated groups had high lactic acid (>63.0 g/kg dry matter [DM]) contents and low pH values (<3.70), acetic acid (<14.0 g/kg DM) and ammonia nitrogen (<80.0 g/kg total nitrogen) contents. Notably, SGIR (59.8 g/kg DM) and SGOT (77.6 g/kg DM) had significantly (p<0.05) higher ethanol concentrations than SGSG (14.2 g/kg DM) on day 60. After 60 days, Lactobacillus were predominant genus in three treated groups. Higher proportions of Chishuiella (12.9%) and Chryseobacterium (7.33%) were first found in silages. The ethanol contents had a positive correlation (p<0.05) with the abundances of Chishuiella, Acinetobacter, Stenotrophomonas, Chryseobacterium, and Sphingobacterium. Conclusion: The epiphytic bacteria on raw materials played important roles in influencing the silage fermentation products between temperate C3 and tropical C4 forages. The quantity and activity of hetero-fermentative Lactobacillus, Chishuiella, Acinetobacter, Stenotrophomonas, Chryseobacterium, and Sphingobacterium may be the key factors for the higher ethanol contents and DM loss in silages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel AIE supramolecular polymer (BPK) was synthesized by bis(2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde) terephthalo hydrazone functionalized pillar [5]arene and cross-linked using a bis(4.4-dipyridinium salt)cross-linker via host-guest complexation. BPK exhibited strong aggregation-induced emission (AIE) in binary solutions of DMSO/H 2 O. BPK could be an AIE-based sensor with specific fluorescence sensing ability for L-Arg in water. The detection limit of BPK for L-Arg was 3.95 × 10−7 M, and other amino acids did not interfere with the sensing process. Moreover, in a pure DMSO solvent, BPK can self-assemble into a fibrous structure of the right-hand spiral by guest-induced supramolecular helices. At 80 % water content, BPK undergoes a morphological transformation into supramolecular polymer. Intriguingly, BPK exhibits a reversible transformation from a polymer to a nanosphere through the alternating addition of trifluoroacetic acid and arginine. Additionally, the fluorescence of BPK demonstrates an "on-off" switch. This phenomenon is attributed to the formation and disruption of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The reversible manipulation of polymer materials' morphology and optical properties holds significant potential in biomedicine and smart materials. An efficient guest-induced supramolecular helix was developed for the simultaneous detection of amino acids and precise morphology control by amino acids. [Display omitted] • In this study, a novel AIE supramolecular polymer was constructed by host-guest interaction. • We have constructed a highly sensitive sensing platform for arginine through multi-hydrogen bonding interactions. • We have achieved precise modulation of the morphology of supramolecular polymers by alternating adding L-Arg and TFA. • We report a novel supramolecular helical structure that can be realized by adding a guest K to the host BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Wnt5a, which regulates the activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, is reportedly overexpressed in osteoarthritis (OA) tissues. The purpose of this study was to elucidate its role in the development of OA by deleting Wnt5a in osteocalcin (OCN)-expressing cells. Materials and Methods: Knee OA was induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) in OCN-Cre;Wnt5afl/fl knockout (Wnt5a-cKO) mice and control littermates. Eight weeks after surgery, histological changes, cell apoptosis, and matrix metabolism of cartilage were evaluated by toluidine blue, TUNEL staining, and im-immunohistochemistry analyses, respectively. In addition, the subchondral bone microarchitecture of mice was examined by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Results: Histological scores show substantial cartilage degeneration occurred in ACLT knees, coupled with decreased collagen type II expression and enhanced matrix metalloproteinase 13 expression, as well as higher proportions of apoptotic cells. Micro-CT results show that ACLT resulted in decreased bone mineral density, bone volume/trabecular volume, trabecular number, and structure model index of subchondral bones in both Wnt5a-cKO and control littermates; although Wnt5a-cKO mice display lower BMD and BV/TV values, no significant difference was observed between Wnt5a-cKO and control mice for any of these values. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that Wnt5a deficiency in OCN-expressing cells could not prevent an osteoarthritic phenotype in a mouse model of post-traumatic OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the lungs that is ineffective at clearing pathogens. B-cell activating factor (BAFF), a cytokine involved in the development of B-cells, is known to be elevated in CF patients with subclinical infections. We postulate that the elevated BAFF levels in CF patients might be triggered by Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and it might play a protective role in the regulation of lung responses to infection. To address this hypothesis, we used a well characterized model of CFTR.KO mice infected with a clinical strain of P. aeruginosa (PA508). We quantified cell types with flow cytometry, concentration of cytokines by ELISA tests, bacterial load by colony counting and lung physiology by metacholine-induced lung resistance. Our data demonstrates that BAFF is not elevated in uninfected CF mice, and infection with Pseudomonas leads to significant induction of this regulatory cytokine. We also demonstrate that the maintenance of BAFF levels and its induction during the infection is important for clearance of Pseudomonas infection as its depletion during the course of infection leads to decrease in the resolution of infection both in WT and CFTR-KO mice. Interestingly, the depletion of BAFF not only results in a depletion of B cells numbers but also to a significant decrease in the number of regulatory T cells in the non-infected lungs. Overall, our data demonstrate for the first time that BAFF is an important regulatory molecule helping to maintain the immunological response to infection and clearance of lung infection. • BAFF is not elevated in uninfected CF mice and is induced by Pseudomonas infection. • Depletion of BAFF increases susceptibility to Pseudomonas infection. • In non-infected mice, depletion of BAFF results in the decrease of Treg cells. • IL-10 is elevated in non-infected CFTR-KO mice with lung disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This work aimed to assess whether elevated levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) S100B are associated with brain injury and unfavorable outcomes at discharge in children with central nervous system (CNS) infections.Methods: CSF S100B and associated clinical parameters were retrospectively analyzed in 83 children with CNS infections and 88 children without neurological pathology served as controls. Children with CNS infections were divided into an infectious encephalitis group and an infectious meningitis group based on whether cerebral parenchyma was involved, and CSF S100B levels in different age subgroups between the two groups were compared. The predictive value of CSF S100B in children with infectious encephalitis was evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis, and the discriminative power was investigated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.Results: CSF S100B levels in the infectious encephalitis group were significantly higher than the infectious meningitis and the control group at each age range. CSF S100B ≥ 0.96 μg/L had 62.9% sensitivity and 76.2% specificity for diagnosing cerebral parenchyma injury in children with CNS infections. Increased CSF S100B levels were proven to be an independent predictor of unfavorable outcomes in children with infectious encephalitis and the optimal cut-off value (1.77 μg/L of CSF S100B) for predicting unfavorable outcomes in children with infectious encephalitis showed 61.1% sensitivity and 96.2% specificity.Conclusions: This study has demonstrated that elevated levels of CSF S100B are associated with brain injury and could be used as an independent predictor of clinically unfavorable outcomes at discharge in children with CNS infections. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Power source is an important parameter that can affect the characteristics of atmospheric-pressure plasma jets (APPJs), because it can play a key role on the discharge characteristics and ionization process of APPJs. In this paper, the characteristics of helium APPJs sustained by both nanosecondpulse and microsecond-pulse generators are compared from the aspects of plume length, discharge current, consumption power, energy, and optical emission spectrum. Experimental results showed that the pulsed APPJ was initiated near the high-voltage electrode with a small curvature radius, and then the stable helium APPJ could be observed when the applied voltage increased. Moreover, the discharge current of the nanosecond-pulse APPJ was larger than that of the microsecond-pulse APPJ. Furthermore, although the nanosecond-pulse generator consumed less energy than the microsecond-pulse generator, longer plume length, larger instantaneous power per pulse and stronger spectral line intensity could be obtained in the nanosecond-pulse excitation case. In addition, some discussion indicated that the rise time of the applied voltage could play a prominent role on the generation of APPJs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer materials, such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), are widely used as insulators in vacuum. The insulating performance of a high-voltage vacuum system is mainly limited by surface flashover of the insulators rather than bulk breakdown. Non-thermal plasmas are an efficient method to modify the chemical and physical properties of polymer material surfaces, and enhance the surface insulating performance. In this letter, an atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge is used to treat the PMMA surface to improve the surface flashover strength in vacuum. Experimental results indicate that the plasma treatment method using Ar and CF4 (10:1) as the working gas can etch the PMMA surface, introduce fluoride groups to the surface, and then alter the surface characteristics of the PMMA. The increase in the surface roughness can introduce physical traps that can capture free electrons, and the fluorination can enhance the charge capturing ability. The increase in the surface roughness and the introduction of the fluoride groups can enhance the PMMA hydrophobic ability, improve the charge capturing ability, decrease the secondary electron emission yield, increase the surface resistance, and improve the surface flashover voltage in vacuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma jet array is a promising device for producing low-temperature plasma at atmospheric pressure. In our letter, the effect of O2 additive on spatial uniformity of one-dimensional helium plasma jet array is described. The length of the plasma jet in the middle of the array before the injection of O2 additive is less than that on the edges of the array. However, when a small amount of O2 additive is injected into the plasma jet array, the length increases and becomes approximately the same as the length of the plasma jets on the edges of the array. The improvement of spatial uniformity of the plasma jet array is due to the enhancement of the Penning ionization in the plasma jets caused by O2 additive. Too much quantity of O2 additive, however, may lead to discharge quenching in the plasma jet array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two superaromatic terpyridine ligands (1 and 2) incorporating a corannulene unit at the 4'-position are reported. The optical and metal sensing properties of both ligands were investigated by the naked eye, and UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy in this work. In 1, the corannulene motif is directly connected to the 4'-phenylterpyridine domain, while in 2, the corannulene motif and the 4'-phenylterpyridine domain are separated by an acetylene linker. Both 1 and 2 can work as chemosensors for metal ions and display different optical responses to various metal ions. It is shown that both ligands exhibit a colorimetric sensing ability for Fe2+ through an obvious color change from colorless to magenta, and this color change can be observed easily by the naked eye. The addition of Fe2+ also leads to significant changes in the absorption spectra of the ligands. A characteristic red shift in the emission spectra is observed in the presence of Zn2+, which facilitates the discrimination of Zn2+ from other metal ions. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent-density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations were performed and shown to be consistent with the observed experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, we aimed to summarize the extremely important lesson and experience in the whole process of surgical treatments of lung tumors for the benefit of steps taken to prevent against unplanned reoperation. Methods: Demographical and clinical information of 7732 patients were retrospectively retrieved and reviewed, who were diagnosed with pulmonary tumor and underwent surgical treatments from January 2016 to March 2021. Those patients who underwent unplanned reoperation for the treatment of severe complications were focused carefully and analyzed meticulously. Results: A total of forty-one patients (41/7732) received 44 unplanned reoperations. Among them, eight and thirty-three patients were diagnosed with benign and malignant tumor, respectively. The incidence of unplanned reoperations seemed to be similar on both sides (Left vs. Right: 12/3231 vs. 29/4501, p = 0.103). Lobectomy plus segmentectomy is prone to reoperation (2/16, 12.5%) as compared to the other types of surgery. The complications leading to reoperation was hemothorax, including active hemorrhage (23/44, 52.3%) and clotted hemothorax (6/44, 13.6%), chylothorax (8/44, 18.2%), and the others (7/44, 15.9%) including bronchopleural fistula, torsion, or injury of right middle bronchus and pulmonary bulla rupture. The morbidity and mortality after unplanned reoperation were 17.1% (7/41) and 12.2% (5/41), respectively. Conclusions: Bronchi or vessel stumps, the surgical edges of the lung parenchyma, and pleural adhesions should be checked to avoid postoperative bleeding. Prophylactic ligation of the thoracic duct should be recommended in case of the suspected oily-like exudation in the lymph node bed. Smooth expansion of the middle lobe is important to avoid narrowing and torsion before transection of the bronchus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of a corona discharge in atmospheric pressure air are studied using pulsed power generators that produce voltage pulses of different durations, polarities and shapes. The characteristics are measured in the single pulse, batch, and repetitively pulsed modes. It is shown that no matter what the voltage pulse polarity is, a corona discharge starts developing as a conical diffuse discharge near the electrode tip with a voltage rate of increase of ~1015 Vs-1 across an electrode of small curvature radius. With lower voltage rate of increase (~1013 Vs-1 or lower), one or several diffuse jets develop from this electrode. The diameter of the jets at their front is less than 1mm and depends on many factors (voltage pulse amplitude and increase, interelectrode gap width, pulse repetition rate, etc). It is found that at long voltage pulse durations, the radiation spectrum of the corona discharge changes, and the bands and lines of the material of the electrode appear in the UV region at 200-300 nm. It is demonstrated that a runaway electron beam in a corona discharge is generated and detected at a distance several times greater than the brightly glowing plasma region of the corona discharge. It is shown that x-rays are generated from a corona discharge at high pulse repetition rates of up to 1 kHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric barrier discharge excitated by pulsed power is a promising approach for producing nonthermal plasma at atmospheric pressure, but pulsed power generators vary widely in performance and should be chosen according to application requirements. In this paper, a repetitive unipolar nanosecond-pulse generator is constructed using resonant charging and one-stage magnetic compression circuits, where IGBT and magnetic switches are the key units, respectively. The generator is capable of providing repetitive pulses with a voltage of up to 30 kV and duration of 70 ns at a 300 Ω resistive load. Output pulse voltage can be adjusted by varying ac input voltage or trigger pulse-width. This compact and convenient generator has been used successfully to produce stable dielectric barrier discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is proved to be an effective method for surface treatment of polymers over the past 20 years and is now widely used in the fields of surface modification. In this paper, surface treatment of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films for improving the hydrophilicity using DBD excited by unipolar nanosecond pulses is presented. Two typical discharges exhibiting homogeneous and filamentary modes are obtained under certain experimental conditions, and then, they are used to modify the surface of PET films. The microstructure and properties of the film surface before and after treatment are characterized with water contact angle measurement, scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope. The results show that, with the treatment power density of 192 and 158 mW/cm2 in filamentary and homogeneous modes, respectively, surface morphology and property after treatment are significantly changed, and the physical etching and introduction of oxygen-containing polar functional groups account for the decease of surface contact angle and the increase of surface roughness. Compared with the filamentary DBD treatment, the homogeneous DBD (HDBD) is more effective in surface treatment, such as lower contact angle, higher roughness, and more oxygencontaining function groups after treatment. It is attributed to the fact that the HDBD can achieve a uniform treatment and canmake the physical and chemical interaction much sufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanosecond-pulse breakdown indicates special characteristics depending on the pulse rise-time and duration. Based on a repetitive nanosecond-pulse generator, breakdown phenomena of parallel-plane gaps in nitrogen were investigated with single pulse and repetitive bursts under different gap conditions. The relationships between applied voltage, pulse repetition frequency, breakdown time lag, repetitive pulse stress time and the number of applied pulses are presented. The curves regarding E-field strength, breakdown time lag and gas pressure are also obtained. The experimental results show that breakdown characteristics with repetitive nanosecond-pulses are different from that with single pulse. Repetitive nanosecond-pulse breakdown is concerned with the accumulation effect that is attributed to residual ions and metastable species survived from previous pulses. in addition, a modified empirical formula about E-field strength, breakdown time lag and gas density is given for the breakdown data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a Marx generator and a coaxial pulse forming line, an experimental investigation of surface flashover characteristics in vacuum is conducted by using nanosecond pulses of 10 ns rise time and 30 us full width at half maximum (FWHM). Insulator dielectrics chosen for this investigation are Teflon, PMMA and Nylon. The tested factors include gas pressure, cone angle of conical frustum, diameter and length of cylindrical insulator, material and shape of electrode, and contact style between insulator and electrodes. The effects of these parameters on the surface flashover characteristics are described and analyzed in this paper. In addition, the character of flashover time lag in the nanosecond range, and surface flashover theory in vacuum charged by nanosecond pulses are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repetitive pulsed power is becoming an important area of high-power technology. Dielectric failure data concerning electrical insulation play a basic role, but breakdown has been inadequately studied for the repetitive nanosecond-pulse conditions. This paper is concerned with the breakdown characteristics of tip-plane gas gaps under repetitive burst conditions at variant repetition rates (rep-rates) and diverse gap distances. The relationship among applied voltage, breakdown time lag, number of applied pulses to breakdown, repetitive pulse stress time, and rep-rates is presented. The experimental results presented show that breakdown polarity dependence is not distinct. The data also indicate that significant concentrations of excited particles and residual charges would be formed during the consecutive nanosecond pulses and would present a memory effect that affects the development of gas breakdown. In addition, the detachment of negative ions, cathode collision of positive ions, and deexcitation of metastable species can provide the source of avalanche-initiating electrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a visual color change pathway to differentiate and identify three phenylenediamine isomers remains an extremely fascinating and critical task. Herein, we first reasonably introduced iodine molecule(I 2) to regulate the stimuli-responsive properties of phenazine macrocycle(PNH), and thus a novel "turn-on" fluorescence sensing platform(PNH-I 2) was constructed through intermolecular halogen bonding. This platform PNH-I 2 enabled the naked-eye identification and ultra-sensitive detection of o -phenylenediamine(OPD), m -phenylenediamine(MPD) and p -phenylenediamine(PPD) at low concentration levels(2 μM). The lowest detection limits(LODs) for OPD and MPD reached 6.97 × 10−9 M and 2.90 × 10−9 M, respectively, which were much lower than those reported literatures. More importantly, the test box based on PNH-I 2 could be used as intelligent fluorescence display material, which had good application value in the detection and identification of three phenylenediamine isomers. Moreover, the fluorescence sensor PNH-I 2 could successfully perceive the presence of OPD and MPD in real water sample. Such a novel strategy is expected to open up new applications of phenazine derivatives in environmental science. • Built a fluorescent sensor(PNH-I 2) based on phenazine macrocycle by halogen bond. • PNH-I 2 had attractive advantages of ultra-sensitivity and ultra-stability. • PNH-I 2 could distinguish and detect phenylenediamine isomers by the naked eye. • PNH-I 2 was applied to detect phenylenediamine isomers in real water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper illustrates images of dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) excitated by repetitive unipolar nanosecond pulses in atmospheric air. Different images are obtained for three barrier dielectrics and various gap lengths. Discharge images show that the nanosecond-pulse DBD observed with the eye is a diffuse glowlike mode when air gap is 2 mm; clear filamentary discharge is seen with the eye in the case of air gap of 8 mm. The results show that gap length and dielectrics are the important factors influencing the transition from diffusive to filamentary discharges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulsed discharge in a nonuniform electric field accompanied by the appearance of bright spots due to explosive electron emission on electrodes has been investigated. The experiments were carried out using three experimental setups, a voltage pulse duration at a matched load of 2 ns, 40 ns, and 130 ns, respectively. Data on the formation of electrode spots during diffuse discharges in tube-plate or needle-plate gap configurations filled with gases at elevated pressures (air, nitrogen and argon) were obtained. It was found that in the air and other gases, bright spots arise on the flat electrode, and on the negative polarity of the electrode with a small radius of curvature, during the direction change of the current through the gap and the increase of the voltage pulse duration. It was shown that at the positive polarity of the electrode with a small radius of curvature, bright spots on the flat electrode arise due to the participation of the dynamic displacement current in the gap conductance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the experimental results with nanosecond-pulse discharges formed in the air gap between a flat electrode and a sharp electrode. The appearance of anode and cathode spots on the electrodes is studied experimentally. It is considered that bright spots on the flat cathode with positive polarity of the sharp electrode are formed due to the explosive electron emission on the cathode and the dynamic displacement current in the gap. It is also shown that with negative polarity of the sharp electrode, bright spots on the flat anode are formed after changing the polarity of the flat electrode due to the discharge oscillatory mode. Under these conditions, the explosive electron emission firstly forms on the sharp cathode. With negative polarity of the sharp electrode of the subnanosecond-pulse pulser, the runaway electron beam current is measured behind the anode foil with a time resolution of no more than 100 ps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, rarely affects children younger than 5 years. Here, we studied a multiplex leprosy family that included monozygotic twins aged 22 months suffering from paucibacillary leprosy. Whole genome sequencing identified three amino acid mutations previously associated with Crohn's disease and Parkinson's disease as candidate variants for early onset leprosy: LRRK2 N551K, R1398H and NOD2 R702W. In genome-edited macrophages, we demonstrated that cells expressing the LRRK2 mutations displayed reduced apoptosis activity following mycobacterial challenge independently of NOD2. However, employing co-immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy we showed that LRRK2 and NOD2 proteins interacted in RAW cells and monocyte-derived macrophages, and that this interaction was substantially reduced for the NOD2 R702W mutation. Moreover, we observed a joint effect of LRRK2 and NOD2 variants on Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-induced respiratory burst, NF-κB activation and cytokine/chemokine secretion with a strong impact for the genotypes found in the twins consistent with a role of the identified mutations in the development of early onset leprosy. Author summary: Children younger than 5-years old are rarely affected by leprosy, a chronic infectious disease of the skin and peripheral nerves caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Here, we report a case of a family with three generation of leprosy cases including a rare pair of identical twins of less than two years of age. To investigate if genetic factors in the twins may explain the early disease onset, we conducted a whole genome sequence analysis of family members. We found three amino acid changes in LRRK2 and NOD2 as candidate susceptibility variants for early onset leprosy. In follow-up functional assays, we demonstrated that LRRK2 and NOD2 proteins physically interact in macrophages and that this interaction was strongly impacted by the NOD2 variant. Furthermore, we showed a joint effect of LRRK2 and NOD2 variants that results in a reduced antimycobacterial response in these cells. Interestingly, the variants in LRRK2 and NOD2 found in the twins had previously been identified as genetic modulators for risk of Parkinson's and Crohn's diseases with the two LRRK2 variants showing antagonistic pleiotropy. This suggests pleiotropic effects of the NOD2 and LRRK2 variants across neurodegenerative, inflammatory and infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This multi‐center study was aimed at retrospectively evaluating the feasibility, safety, clinical outcomes, and surgical learning curve of an optimized procedure for right upper lobectomy (RUL), which is challenging because of the anatomical structures and features of this lobe. Methods: This study included 45 RUL cases of robot‐assisted thoracoscopy (RATS) in a pilot cohort and 187 RUL cases of video‐assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) in three cohorts. A total of 121 and 111 patients underwent traditional and optimized RUL, respectively. The optimized surgical procedure was performed to consecutively transect the superior arterial trunk and bronchus, and finally disconnect the pulmonary vein and posterior ascending artery with interlobar fissures. Clinical and radiological data were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Optimized RUL can be performed successfully by RATS or VATS. The optimized procedure yielded better clinical outcomes than the traditional procedure, including shorter operation times, less blood loss, fewer complications, shorter hospital times, lower costs, and a lower likelihood of postoperative intermedius bronchial kinking. Additionally, for calcified interlobar lymph nodes, the optimized VATS group was less likely to be converted to thoracotomy than the traditional group. The skills required to perform optimized VATS RUL can be gained by surgeons after 12 to 15 cases. The two RUL procedures in the pilot cohort showed similar disease‐free survival. Conclusions: The optimized RUL was safe, economical, and feasible, with a short learning curve and satisfactory disease‐free survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The influence of epiphytic microbiota and chemical composition on fermentation quality and microbial community of Italian ryegrass silage was evaluated. Italian ryegrass harvested at the filling stage (FS) and the dough stage (DS) was sterilized by gamma-ray irradiation and inoculated as follows: (I) FS epiphytic microbiota + irradiated FS (F F); (II) FS epiphytic microbiota + irradiated DS (F D); (III) DS epiphytic microbiota + irradiated DS (D D); (IV) DS epiphytic microbiota + irradiated FS (D F). RESULTS: After 60 days of ensiling, silage made from irradiated FS had a lower pH and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) content and a higher lactic acid (LA) content than that made from irradiated DS. Similarly, silage inoculated with the epiphytic microbiota of DS had a lower pH and NH3-N content and a higher LA content than that inoculated with the epiphytic microbiota of FS. However, LA-type fermentation (lactic acid:acetic acid > 2:1) was presented at D F and D D. The principal coordinates analysis showed that the distance between F F and D F and F D and D D was closer than other treatments, suggesting that the microbial community of silages made from irradiated FS (or DS) was more similar. CONCLUSION: The epiphytic microbiota played a more important role in the fermentation type, whereas the chemical composition had a great influence on the contents of fermentation end-products. However, chemical composition had a stronger effect on the microbial community of silage than the epiphytic microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the fermentation profiles, bacterial community and predicted metabolic characteristics of Sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense Stapf.) during ensiling. Methods: First-cutting Sudangrass was harvested at the vegetative stage and ensiled in laboratory-scale silos (1 L capacity). Triplicate silos were sampled after 1, 3, 7, 15, 30, and 60 days of ensiling, respectively. The bacterial communities on day 3 and 60 were assessed through high-throughput sequencing technology, and 16S rRNA-gene predicted functional profiles were analyzed according to the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes using Tax4Fun. Results: The Sudangrass silages showed good fermentation quality, indicated by higher lactic acid contents, and lower pH, butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen contents. The dominant genus Lactococcus on day 3 was replaced by Lactobacillus on day 60. The metabolism of amino acid, energy, cofactors and vitamins was restricted, and metabolism of nucleotide and carbohydrate was promoted after ensiling. The 1-phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase of bacterial community seemed to play important roles in stimulating the lactic acid fermentation, and the promotion of arginine deiminase could help lactic acid bacteria to tolerate the acidic environment. Conclusion: High-throughput sequencing technology combined with 16S rRNA genepredicted functional analyses revealed the differences during the early and late stages of Sudangrass ensiling not only for distinct bacterial community but also for specific functional metabolites. The results could provide a comprehensive insight into bacterial community and metabolic characteristics to further improve the silage quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective surface charge removal is critical to diverse applications of polymer and other soft organic materials in electrical devices and systems. Here, we report on the application of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (AP-DBD) to deposit SiOx thin films to improve the surface charge dissipation on an epoxy resin surface. The SiOx nanofilms are formed at atmospheric pressure, with the replacement of organic groups (C-H, C=O and C=C) with inorganic groups (Si-O-Si and Si-OH) within the thin surface layer. After the plasma deposition, the initial surface charge decreased by 12% and the surface charge dissipation was accelerated. The flashover voltage which characterizes the insulation property of the epoxy resin is increased by 42%. These improvements are attributed to the lower density of shallow charge traps introduced by SiOx film deposition, which also corresponds to the surface conductivity increase. These results suggest that the SiOx deposition by AP-DBD is promising to accelerate surface charge dissipation. This method is generic, applicable for other types of precursors and may open new avenues for the development of next-generation organic-inorganic insulation materials with customized charge dissipation properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffuse discharges preionized by runaway electrons can produce large-area homogeneous discharges at elevated pressures, which is an intriguing phenomenon in the physics of pulsed discharges. In this paper, runaway-electron-preionized diffuse discharge (REP DD) was obtained in a wide pressure range (0.05-0.25 MPa), and under certain conditions a positive streamer and a cathode-directed spark leader could be observed to propagate at some angles to the applied (background) electric field lines. For a 16-mm gap at an air pressure of 0.08-0.1MPa, the percentage of pulses in which such propagation is observed is about 5%-50% of their total number, and in the other pulses such bent paths could not be observed because there is even no streamer or cathode-directed spark leader in diffuse discharges. In our opinion, such propagation of the positive streamer and the cathode-directed spark leader at some angle to the background electric field lines owes to different increase rates of the electron density in different regions of the discharge volume under REP DD conditions. Therefore, during the formation of a REP DD, the increase of the electron density is inhomogeneous and nonsimultaneous, resulting in an electron density gradient at the ionization wave front. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the work is to evaluate the effects of four chemical additives on fermentation quality, aerobic stability, and in vitro ruminal digestibility of total mixed ration (TMR) silage. TMR containing 15% spent mushroom substrate, 25% soybean sauce residue, 45% napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum (L.) Schum.), and 15% concentrate was ensiled with the following: (1) no additives (control), (2) potassium sorbate (PS, 0.1%), (3) sodium benzoate (SB, 0.1%), (4) sodium diacetate (SDA, 0.5%), and (5) calcium propionate (CAP, 0.5%) based on fresh weight. All silos (10 L) were opened for fermentation quality, in vitro ruminal digestibility analysis after 60 days of ensiling, and then subjected to aerobic stability test for 9 days. All TMR silages were well-conserved, as indicated by low pH, butyric acid, and ammonia nitrogen contents. During aerobic exposure, SDA was more stable with higher (p < 0.05) lactic acid and acetic acid contents and lower (p < 0.05) yeast counts than other TMR silages. In addition, SDA significantly (p < 0.05) increased cumulate gas production and in vitro dry matter digestibility compared with the control. Overall, SDA is recommended as additives to improve fermentation quality, in vitro ruminal digestibility, and aerobic stability of TMR silage prepared with local food by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) is a promising method for a flow control. Flow fields induced by a SDBD actuator driven by the ac voltage in static air at low pressures varying from 1.0 to 27.7 kPa are measured by the particle image velocimetry method. The influence of the applied ac voltage frequency and magnitude on the induced flow fields is studied. The results show that three different classes of flow fields (wall jet flow field, complex flow field, and vortex-shape flow field) can be induced by the SDBD actuator in the low-pressure air. Among them, the wall jet flow field is the same as the tangential jet at atmospheric pressure, which is, together with the vertical jet, the complex flow field. The vortex-shape flow field is composed of one vertical jet which points towards the wall and two opposite tangential jets. The complex and the vortex-shape flow fields can be transformed to the wall jet flow field when the applied ac voltage frequency and magnitude are changed. It is found that the discharge power consumption increases initially, decreases, and then increases again at the same applied ac voltage magnitude when the air pressure decreases. The tangential velocity of the wall jet flow field increases when the air pressure decreases. It is however opposite for the complex flow field. The variation of the applied ac voltage frequency influences differently three different flow fields. When the applied ac voltage magnitude increases at the same applied ac voltage frequency, the maximal jet velocity increases, while the power efficiency increases only initially and then decreases again. The discharge power shows either linear or exponential dependences on the applied ac voltage magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Mast cells (MCs) play a role in ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury in many organs. However, a recent study found that MCs are not involved in I/R injury in isolated rat livers that were perfused only for 1 h. The purpose of this study is to reevaluate the role of MCs in hepatic I/R injury in rat. Materials and methods: A warm hepatic I/R injury model of 1 h ischemia followed by 24 h of reperfusion was used. MC modulation was induced via cromolyn injection or a method called MC depletion using compound 48/80. The effects of MC modulation were evaluated by toluidine blue staining and assessment of mast cell tryptase in sera. The role of MCs in I/R injury was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining graded by Suzuki criteria, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels in sera, and malondialdehyde levels in liver homogenates. Results: First, MC degranulation peaked after 2 h of reperfusion and liver damage peaked after approximately 6 h of reperfusion. Second, a method called MC depletion previously used in the skin with repeated injections of compound 48/80 worked similarly in the hepatic setting. Third, stabilization of MCs with cromolyn or depletion of MCs with compound 48/80 each decreased hepatic I/R injury. The most noticeable effects of cromolyn and compound 48/80 treatment were observed after approximately 6 h of reperfusion. Conclusions: MC degranulation promotes hepatic I/R injury in rats. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent times, there has been significant interest in the utilization of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) films as the foundation for supercapacitors due to their three-dimensional structure, flexibility and eco-friendliness. An ultrasonic and vacuum filtration method was used to prepare a hybrid film consisting of MXene (Ti 3 C 2 T x), CNF and liquid metal (LM). The combination of CNF and LM with MXene produces a porous structure with higher electrical conductivity, which facilitates the transportation of ions and electrons within the composition and confers the material with heightened electrochemical properties. The CNF/MXene/LM electrode has a significant area capacitance of 871.3 mF cm−2 at a current density of 5 mA cm−2. The hybrid film demonstrates excellent stability, maintaining a high conductivity of 546.4 S∙cm−1 and retaining 96.9 % capacitance after 2000 cycles at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. By utilizing the thin film as an electrode, a high-performance quasi-solid supercapacitor was fabricated, with a remarkably thin thickness of only 0.319 mm. Supercapacitors show exceptional electrical properties, including a surface-specific capacitance of 188.2 mF cm−2 at a current density of 5 mA cm−2. This study indicates that flexible electrodes made from cellulose nanofiber have extensive potential in the realm of supercapacitors. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) remains a major cause of graft injury, dysfunction and even failure post-transplantation. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) has been found to be an attractive target for anti-inflammatory therapies and a potential candidate responsible for cell injury. The objective of this study was to investigate whether preconditioning the donor liver with Nodosin perfusion upregulates HO-1 and then lessens IRI in rat models. Methods: Wistar rats were divided into four groups: experimental group, control group, positive control group and negative control group in which the donor liver was preconditioned with Nodosin, lactated ringer's solution, cobalt protoporphyrin and zinc protoporphyrin perfusion, respectively. We measured HO-1 expression and enzyme activity in rat livers of each group ex vivo at 0, 1 and 2 h after perfusion. At 1 h after perfusion, donor livers of Wistar rats were transplanted into Sprague-Dawley rats orthotopically. Serum transaminase levels, degree of cell apoptosis and Suzuki's score were used to assess ischemia/reperfusion injury in recipients at 24 h after transplantation. Results: Ex vivo, donor liver preconditioning with Nodosin perfusion induced HO-1 expression and enzyme activity significantly, compared with the control group ( P < 0.05). In vivo, serum transaminase levels, cell apoptosis degree and Suzuki's score of representative recipients in the Nodosin group were lower than that in the control group ( P < 0.05). Preconditioning with Nodosin perfusion induced HO-1 protein mainly in Kupffer cells. Conclusions: This study suggests that preconditioning with Nodosin perfusion provides a potential protective effect through inducing HO-1 expression to attenuate ischemia/reperfusion injury in liver transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A needle-circular electrode structure helium plasma jet driven by microsecond pulsed power is studied. Spatially resolved emission results show that the emission intensity of He(33S1) line decreases monotonically along the axial direction, while those of N2(C3Πu), N2 + (B2 Σ+ u), and O (3p5P) reach their maxima at 3 cm, 2.6 cm, and 1.4 cm, respectively. The plasma plume of the four species shows different characteristics: The N2 emission plume travels at a fast speed along the entire plasma jet; the N2 + emission plume is composed of a bright head and relatively weak tail and travels a shorter distance than the N2 emission plume; the He emission plume travels at a slower speed for only a very short distance; propagation of the O emission plume is not observed. Results of calculation of radiation fluxes emitted by positive streamers propagating along helium plasma jets are presented. It is shown, in agreement with the results of the present experiment and with other available experimental data, that the intensities of radiation of N2(C3Πu) molecules and He(33S1) atoms vary with time (along the plasma jet) quite differently. The factors resulting in this difference are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of storage time and formic acid (FA) on fermentation characteristics, epiphytic microflora, carbohydrate components and in vitro digestibility of rice straw silage. Methods: Fresh rice straw was ensiled with four levels of FA (0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6% of fresh weight) for 3, 6, 9, 15, 30, and 60 d. At each time point, the silos were opened and sampled for chemical and microbial analyses. Meanwhile, the fresh and 60-d ensiled rice straw were further subjected to in vitro analyses. Results: The results showed that 0.2% and 0.6% FA both produced well-preserved silages with low pH value and undetected butyric acid, whereas it was converse for 0.4% FA. The populations of enterobacteria, yeasts, moulds and aerobic bacteria were suppressed by 0.2% and 0.6% FA, resulting in lower dry matter loss, ammonia nitrogen and ethanol content (p<0.05). The increase of FA linearly (p<0.001) decreased neutral detergent fibre and hemicellulose, linearly (p<0.001) increased residual water soluble carbohydrate, glucose, fructose and xylose. The in vitro gas production of rice straw was decreased by ensilage but the initial gas production rate was increased, and further improved by FA application (p<0.05). No obvious difference of FA application on in vitro digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent fibre, and acid detergent fibre was observed (p>0.05). Conclusion: The 0.2% FA application level promoted lactic acid fermentation while 0.6% FA restricted all microbial fermentation of rice straw silages. Rice straw ensiled with 0.2% FA or 0.6% FA improved its nutrient preservation without affecting digestion, with the 0.6% FA level best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recurrence is a major challenge in early‐stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) treatment. Here, we investigated the role and mechanism of high‐mobility group AT‐hook 1 (HMGA1) and glucose‐regulated protein 75‐kDa (GRP75) in stage I LUAD and evaluated their potential as biomarkers for predicting the recurrence and prognosis of stage I LUAD. Methods: The TCGA dataset was used to investigate the clinical significance of HMGA1 and GRP75 in early‐stage LUAD. The biological functions of HMGA1 and GRP75 in LUAD were investigated both in vitro and in vivo through overexpression and knockdown experiments. The interaction and regulation between HMGA1 and GRP75 were evaluated with coimmunoprecipitation and ubiquitination assays. The downstream signaling pathway of the GRP75/HMGA1 axis was investigated by mRNA‐sequencing analysis. Results: Both HMGA1 expression levels and GRP75 expression levels were associated with recurrence in stage I LUAD patients. In particular, HMGA1 had potential as an independent prognostic factor in stage I LUAD patients. Overexpression of GRP75 or HMGA1 significantly stimulated LUAD cell growth and metastasis, while silencing GRP75 or HMGA1 inhibited LUAD cell growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, GRP75 inhibited ubiquitination‐mediated HMGA1 degradation by directly binding to HMGA1, thereby causes HMGA1 upregulation in LUAD. In addition, the GRP75/HMGA1 axis played its role by activating JNK/c‐JUN signaling in LUAD. Conclusions: The activation of GRP75/HMGA1/JNK/c‐JUN signaling is an important mechanism that promotes the progression of stage I LUAD, and a high level of HMGA1 is a novel biomarker for predicting recurrence and a poor prognosis in stage I LUAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the improvement in utilization efficiency of total mixed ration (TMR) on Tibetan plateau, TMR were ensiled with different additives. Methods: A total of 150 experimental silos were prepared in a completely randomized design to evaluate the six treatments: i) control (without additive), ii) Lactobacillus buchneri (L. buchneri), iii) acetic acid, iv) propionic acid, v) 1,2-propanediol; and vi) 1-propanol. After 90 days of ensiling, silos were opened for fermentation quality and in vitro analysis, and then subjected to an aerobic stability test for 14 days. Results: Treating with L. buchneri, acetic acid, 1,2-propanediol and 1-propanol decreased propionic acid contents and yeast number, whereas increased (p<0.05) pH, acetic acid and ethanol contents in the fermented TMR. Despite increased dry matter (DM) loss in the TMRs treated with 1,2-propanediol and 1-pronanol, additives did not affect (p>0.05) all in vitro parameters including gas production at 24 h (GP24), GP rate constant, potential GP, in vitro DM digestibility and in vitro neutral detergent fibre digestibility. All additives improved the aerobic stability of ensiled TMR to different extents. Specially, aerobic stability of the ensiled TMR were substantially improved by L. buchneri, acetic acid, 1,2-propanediol, and 1-propanol, indicated by stable pH and lactic acid content during the aerobic stability test. Conclusion: L. buchneri, acetic acid, 1,2-propanediol, and 1-propanol had no adverse effect on in vitro digestibility, while ensiling TMR with the additives produced more acetic acid and ethanol, subsequently resulting in improvement of aerobic stability. There is a potential for some fermentation boosting additives to enhance aerobic stability of fermented TMR on Tibetan plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1:2 B-site cation ordered Ba(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramic was synthesized using conventional solid-state reaction at 1600 °C for 12 h. The structure parameters were obtained through Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction data. The Raman peak frequencies were obtained by Lorenz fitting on Raman spectrum. Four-parameter semiquantum model was used to fit the infrared (IR) reflectivity spectrum, and the fitted parameters were used to calculate the dielectric permittivity e and dielectric loss tand. A total of 9 active Raman and 16 active IR modes were obtained using first-principle calculations based on density functional theory with local density approximation. All of the vibrational modes were assigned and represented by linear combinations of the symmetry coordinates deduced using group theory analysis. The Raman mode with the highest frequency A1g (4) (789 cm-1) can be described as the breathing vibration of NbO6. The IR modes Eu (1) (149 cm-1) and A2u (2) (212 cm-1), which can be described as the twisting vibrations of Ba-MgO6/Ba-NbO6 on the a-b plane and the stretching vibrations of Ba-MgO6/Ba-NbO6 along the c direction, respectively, are the dominant contributing modes to e and tand. The dielectric property parameters obtained using IR spectrum fittings, first-principal calculations, and microwave measurements were compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore feed resources capable of replacing regular poor-quality fodder, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of additives on the fermentation quality, in vitro digestibility and aerobic stability of mulberry leaves silage. Methods: The mulberry leaves were ensiled either untreated (control) or treated with 1×106 cfu/g fresh matter Lactobacillus plantarum (L), 1% glucose (G), 3% molasses (M), a combination of 1% glucose and Lactobacillus plantarum (L+G), and a combination of 3% molasses and Lactobacillus plantarum (L+M). The fermentation quality and chemical composition were analyzed after 7, 14, 30, and 60 d, respectively. The 60-d silages were subjected to an aerobic stability test and fermented with buffered rumen fluid to measure the digestibility. Results: Inoculating lactic acid bacteria (LAB) resulted in more rapid increase in lactic acid concentrations and decline in pH of mulberry leaves silage as compared control. Higher acetic acid and lower ethanol and ammonia nitrogen concentrations (p<0.05) were observed in the LAB-inoculated silages as opposed to control during ensiling. The LAB-inoculated silages contained lower water-soluble carbohydrates compared with control during the first 14 d of ensiling, and lower neutral detergent fibre (p<0.05) concentrations as compared with non-LAB inoculated silages. Adding molasses alone increased (p<0.05) the digestibility of dry matter (DM). The aerobic stability of mulberry leaves silage was increased by LAB inoculation, whereas decreased by adding glucose or molasses. Conclusion: The LAB inoculation improved fermentation quality and aerobic stability of mulberry leaves silage, while adding glucose or molasses failed to affect the fermentation and impaired the aerobic stability. Inoculating LAB alone is recommended for mulberry leaves especially when ensiled at a relatively high DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information about the engineering bacterial outer membrane vesicles as transdermal nanoplatforms for photo-tumor necrosis factor related apoptosisinducing ligand (TRAIL)–programmed therapy against melanoma. It discusses the development of the outer membrane vesicles derived from transgenic Escherichia coli, modified with integrin peptide targeting ligand and indocyanine green to induce the transdermal photo-TRAIL-programmed treatment in skin melanoma.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of the novel clinical formulation of fenretinide (LAU-7b) for the treatment of allergic asthma. To study the association between LAU-7b treatment in allergic asthma and the modulation of very long chain ceramides (VLCC). Methods: We used two allergens (OVA and HDM) to induce asthma in mouse models and we established a treatment protocol with LAU-7b. The severity of allergic asthma reaction was quantified by measuring the airway resistance, quantifying lung inflammatory cell infiltration (Haematoxylin and eosin stain) and mucus production (Periodic acid Schiff satin). IgE levels were measured by ELISA. Immunophenotyping of T cells was done using Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis. The analysis of the specific species of lipids and markers of oxidation was performed using mass spectrometry. Results: Our data demonstrate that 10 mg/kg of LAU-7b was able to protect OVA- and HDM-challenged mice against increase in airway hyperresponsiveness, influx of inflammatory cells into the airways, and mucus production without affecting IgE levels. Treatment with LAU-7b significantly increased percentage of regulatory T cells and CD4+ IL-10-producing T cells and significantly decreased percentage of CD4+ IL-4-producing T cells. Our data also demonstrate a strong association between the improvement in the lung physiology and histology parameters and the drug-induced normalization of the aberrant distribution of ceramides in allergic mice. Conclusion: 9 days of 10 mg/kg of LAU-7b daily treatment protects the mice against allergen-induced asthma and restores VLCC levels in the lungs and plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the utilization efficiency of total mixed ration (TMR) on Tibetan plateau, the effects of different additives on fermentation quality and aerobic stability of the ensiled TMR prepared with local feed resources were studied. A total of 150 experimental silos were prepared in a completely randomized design to evaluate the following treatments: (a) control; (b) Lactobacillus buchneri; (c) acetic acid; (d) propionic acid; (e) 1,2-propanediol; and (f) 1-propanol. After 90 days of ensiling, silos were opened for fermentation quality and in vitro parameters analysis, and then subjected to an aerobic stability test for 14 days. The acetic acid, 1,2-propanediol and 1-propanol treatments increased (p < .05) pH and acetic acid content, and lowered (p < .05) the lactic acid production in comparison to control. There were no statistically significant differences in in vitro digestibility parameters among the treatments. Treatments of acetic acid, 1,2-propanediol and 1-propanol substantially improved the aerobic stability of the ensiled TMR, as indicated by almost unchanged pH and lactic acid contents throughout the aerobic exposure test. These results indicated that acetic acid, 1,2-propanediol and 1-propanol had no adverse effect on in vitro digestibility and could be effective additives for enhancing the aerobic stability of ensiled TMR prepared on Tibetan plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the contribution of plant enzyme and microbial activities on protein degradation in silage, this study evaluated the nitrogen transformation dynamics during ensiling of non- and irradiated alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). Methods: Alfalfa and red clover silages were prepared and equally divided into two groups. One group was exposed to γ-irradiation at a recommended dosage (25 Gky). Therefore, four types of silages were produced: i) non-irradiated alfalfa silage; ii) irradiated alfalfa silage; iii) non-irradiated red clover silage; and iv) irradiated red clover silage. These silages were opened for fermentation quality and nitrogen components analyses after 1, 4, 8, and 30 days, respectively. Results: The γ-irradiation successfully suppressed microbial activity, indicated by high pH and no apparent increases in fermentation end products in irradiated silages. All nitrogen components, except for peptide-N, increased throughout the ensiling process. Proteolysis less occurred in red clover silages compared with alfalfa silages, indicated by smaller (p<0.05) increment in peptide-N and free amino acid N (FAA-N) during early stage of ensiling. The γ-irradiation treatment increased (p<0.05) peptide-N and FAA-N in alfalfa silage at day 1, whereas not in red clover silage; these two nitrogen components were higher (p<0.05) between day 4 and day 30 in non-irradiated silages than the irradiated silages. The ammonia nitrogen and non-protein nitrogen were highest in non-irradiated alfalfa silage and lowest in irradiated red clover silage after ensiling. Conclusion: The result of this study indicate that red clover and alfalfa are two forages varying in their nitrogen transformation patterns, especially during early stages of ensiling. Microbial activity plays a certain role in the proteolysis and seems little affected by the presence of polyphenol oxidase in red clover compared with alfalfaa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of additives on the fermentation characteristics, chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of tetraploid black locust (TBL). The TBL leaves silage was either untreated (control) or treated with 1 × 106 cfu/g FM Lactobacillus plantarum (L), 1% glucose (G), 3% molasses (M), a combination of 1% glucose and Lactobacillus plantarum (L+G), or a combination of 3% molasses and Lactobacillus plantarum (L+M). Fermentation quality, chemical composition and nutrient digestibility were then analyzed. Ethanol and acetic acid concentrations were the dominant fermentation products in all silages except L+M silage. The L, G and L+G treatments failed to influence the fermentation. The M treatment increased (P<0.05) the lactic acid concentration and lowered (P<0.05) the pH when compared with control silage. The best fermentation properties were observed in L+M silage, as indicated by the dominance of lactic acid over ethanol in fermentation products. The M and L+M silages exhibited higher (P<0.05) dry matter, and M silage showed higher residual water-soluble carbohydrates than the control. Ensiling increased (P<0.05) the in vitro dry matter, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber degradability of TBL. Among the silages, M silage had the highest levels of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber degradability. The obtained results suggested that application of lactic acid bacteria together with 3% molasses could be an effective strategy to prevent the occurrence of ethanol fermentation and improve fermentation quality of TBL silage; addition of fermentable sugars to TBL improves nutrient availability to ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting specific T cell subtypes and intervening in their function are emerging a critical strategy for treatment of autoimmune diseases. Here we report that an RNA CD30 aptamer was utilized to deliver short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to CD30+ T cells to target retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt), leading to impaired expression of RORγt and suppression of IL-17A and IL-17F. A DNA template consisting of CD30 aptamer and RORγt shRNA sequences was synthesized and was transcribed CD30 aptamer-RORγt shRNA chimera (CD30-AshR-RORγt). Insertion of 2′-F-dCTP and 2′-FdUTP was incorporated during CD30-AshR-RORγt transcription to increase its resistance to RNase. CD30-AshR-RORγt was specifically up-taken by CD30+ Karpas 299 cells, but not by Jurkat cells which lack CD30. It was also up-taken by activated, CD30 expressing human CD4+T cells, but not by resting CD4+ T cells. The RORγt shRNA moiety of CD30-AshR-RORγt chimera was cleaved and released by Dicers. Then, CD30-AshR-RORγt suppressed RORγt gene expression in Karpas 299 cells and activated human CD4+ T cells. Consistently, silence of Th17 cell differentiation and IL-17A and IL-17F synthesis with CD30-AshR-RORγt was demonstrated in activated human CD4+ T cells from healthy donors and RA patients. CD30-AshR-negative control chimera and prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-AshR-RORγt had no significant impact on the expression of RORγt or IL-17A and IL-17F. These data present a novel strategy for shRNA delivery using CD30 RNA aptamers to down-regulate CD30+ Th17 cells and can be developed as a targeted therapy for treating Th17 cell mediated conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was to evaluate the fermentation dynamics, structural and nonstructural carbohydrate composition and in vitro gas production of rice straw ensiled with lactic acid bacteria and molasses. Methods: Fresh rice straw was ensiled in 1-L laboratory silos with no additive control (C), Lactobacillus plantarum (L), molasses (M) and molasses+Lactobacillus plantarum (ML) for 6, 15, 30, and 60 days. After storage, the silages were subjected to microbial and chemical analyses as well as the further in vitro fermentation trial. Results: All additives increased lactic acid concentration, and reduced pH, dry matter (DM) loss and structural carbohydrate content relative to the control (p<0.05). The highest organic acid and residual sugar contents and lignocellulose reduction were observed in ML silage. L silage had the highest V-score with 88.10 followed by ML silage. L and ML silage improved in vitro DM digestibility as compared with other treatments, while in vitro neutral detergent fibre degradability (IVNDFD) was increased in M and ML silage (p<0.05). M silage significantly (p<0.05) increased propionic acid (PA) content and decreased butyric acid content and acetic acid/PA as well as 72-h cumulative gas production. Conclusion: The application of ML was effective for improving both the fermentation quality and in vitro digestibility of rice straw silage. Inclusion with molasses to rice straw could reduce in vitro ruminal gas production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have demonstrated that the solute carrier family 11 member 1 (SLC11A1) is heavily glycosylated and phosphorylated in macrophages. However, the mechanisms of SLC11A1 phosphorylation, and the effects of phosphorylation on SLC11A1 activity remain largely unknown. Here, the tyrosine phosphorylation of SLC11A1 is observed in SLC11A1-expressing U937 cells when differentiated into macrophages by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). The phosphorylation of SLC11A1 is almost completely blocked by treatment with PP2, a selective inhibitor of Src family kinases. Furthermore, we found that SLC11A1 is a direct substrate for active c-Src kinase and siRNA-mediated knockdown of cellular Src (c-Src) expression results in a significant decrease in tyrosine phosphorylation. We found that PMA induces the interaction of SLC11A1 with c-Src kinase. We demonstrated that SLC11A1 is phosphorylated by Src family kinases at tyrosine 15 and this type of phosphorylation is required for SLC11A1-mediated modulation of NF-κB activation and nitric oxide (NO) production induced by LPS. Our results demonstrate important roles for c-Src tyrosine kinase in phosphorylation and activation of SLC11A1 in macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of applying three of lactic acid bacteria isolates AZZ1, AZZ4, AZZ7 and one commercial (CB) on the fermentation dynamics, microbial community and aerobic stability of Napier grass silage. The grass was ensiled with or without the addition of a lactic acid bacteria inoculant at 1.0×106 CFU/g of fresh material to Napier grass silage. Napier grass was ensiled in laboratory silos and treated as follows: no additives (control), Pediococcus acidilactici (AZZ1), Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum (AZZ4), Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. argentoratensis (AZZ7) and Lactobacillus plantarum, Ecosyl MTD/1 (CB). To follow the fermentation dynamics during ensiling samples were taken on days 7, 14, 30, 60 and 90 of ensiling for chemical and microbiological analysis. Aerobic stability was determined on day 90 of ensiling. The experimental design was a completely randomized design, with a 5 × 5 × 3. The inoculant resulted in a more decreased (P<0.0001) in pH, water soluble carbohydrate, ammonia nitrogen, organic acid, aerobic bacteria and yeast, while a higher (P<0.0001) level of lactic acid content and lactic acid bacteria compared with control group. Treatment with AZZ4 had the better (P<0.0001) fermentation results. The aerobic stability of Napier silage was reduced with strains treatment compared with the control. In conclusion, the addition of bacteria inoculant resulted in better preservation and reduced the aerobic stability of silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to isolate and identify lactic acid bacteria from elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) silage and examine their effect on the silage fermentation quality. Three of lactic acid bacteria strains were isolated from elephant silage and their characterization, identification, and influence on silage quality after 90 d of ensiling was studied. All three strains were Gram-positive, catalase-negative, and were grown in 6.5% NaCl and pH 4.00. Strains AZZ1, was identified as for genus pediococcus, whereas, AZZ4 and AZZ7 strains were classified as genus Lactobacillus according to the phenotype, 16S rRNA, and RecA gene analysis. Three strains were used as additives at 1.0×106 CFU/g of fresh material of elephant grass. Strain AZZ4 is found to be the most effective in improving the fermentation quality of the elephant grass silage, as indicated by a lower (P<0.0001) dry matter losses, pH value, water-soluble carbohydrates, acetic acid content, butyric acid, propionic acid and ammonia-N. However, the lactic acid content was higher (P<0.0001) compared to the control and other treatments. In conclusion, these results suggest that, for well-preserved silage, the isolates may be useful as inoculants for silage making, and could play a major role in developing silage production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]