Search

Background: Cell division cycle 45 (CDC45) plays an important role in the occurrence and development of numerous carcinomas, but its effect in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remains uncle...

Obesity is an important independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, remaining an important health concern worldwide. Evidence shows that saturated fatty acid-induced inflammation in cardiomyocytes contributes to obesity-related cardiomyopathy. Dapagliflozin (Dapa), a selective SGLT2 inhibitor, exerts a favorable preventive activity in heart failure. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of Dapa against cardiomyopathy caused by high fat diet-induced obesity in vitro and in vivo. Cultured rat cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells were pretreated with Dapa (1, 2.5 μM) for 1.5 h, followed by treatment with palmitic acid (PA, 200 μM) for 24 h. We showed that Dapa pretreatment concentration-dependently attenuated PA-induced cell hypertrophy, fibrosis and apoptosis. Transcriptome analysis revealed that inhibition of PA-activated MAPK/AP-1 pathway contributed to the protective effect of Dapa in H9c2 cells, and this was confirmed by anti-p-cJUN fluorescence staining assay. Using surface plasmon resonance analysis we found the direct binding of Dapa with NHE1. Gain and loss of function experiments further demonstrated the role of NHE1 in the protection of Dapa. In vivo experiments were conducted in mice fed a high fat diet for 5 months. The mice were administered Dapa (1 mg·kg

Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Activation of the innate immune system initiates an inflammatory response during cardiac remodeling induced by isoproterenol (ISO). Here, we investigated whether Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2) mediates ISO-induced inflammation, hypertrophy, and fibrosis. TLR2 was found to be increased in the heart tissues of mouse with HF under ISO challenge. Further, cardiomyocytes and macrophages were identified as the main cellular sources of the increased TLR2 levels in the model under ISO stimulation. The effect of TLR2 deficiency on ISO-induced cardiac remodeling was determined using TLR2 knockout mice and bone marrow transplantation models. In vitro studies involving ISO-treated cultured cardiomyocytes and macrophages showed that TLR2 knockdown significantly decreased ISO-induced cell inflammation and remodeling via MAPKs/NF-κB signaling. Mechanistically, ISO significantly increased the TLR2-MyD88 interaction in the above cells in a TLR1-dependent manner. Finally, DAMPs, such as HSP70 and fibronectin 1 (FN1), were found to be released from the cells under ISO stimulation, which further activated TLR1/2-Myd88 signaling and subsequently activated pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and cardiac remodeling. In summary, our findings suggest that TLR2 may be a target for the alleviation of chronic adrenergic stimulation-associated HF. In addition, this paper points out the possibility of TLR2 as a new target for heart failure under ISO stimulation.

During the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019, there exist quite a few studies on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and SARS-CoV-2 infection, while little is known about ACE2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The detailed mechanism among ACE2 and HCC still remains unclear, which needs to be further investigated. In the current study with a total of 6,926 samples, ACE2 expression was downregulated in HCC compared with non-HCC samples (standardized mean difference = −0.41). With the area under the curve of summary receiver operating characteristic = 0.82, ACE2 expression showed a better ability to differentiate HCC from non-HCC. The mRNA expression of ACE2 was related to the age, alpha-fetoprotein levels and cirrhosis of HCC patients, and it was identified as a protected factor for HCC patients via Kaplan–Meier survival, Cox regression analyses. The potential molecular mechanism of ACE2 may be relevant to catabolic and cell division. In all, decreasing ACE2 expression can be seen in HCC, and its protective role for HCC patients and underlying mechanisms were explored in the study., Graphical Abtstract

Aim: To investigate the clinical role of transmembrane protease serine 3 (TMPRSS3) in radioresistance and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Standardized mean difference (SMD) and summary area under the curve (AUC) of TMPRSS3 were calculated by combining all available high-throughput data globally. The prognostic significance of TMPRSS3 was determined by Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses. Results: TMPRSS3 was remarkably upregulated in 198 CRC radioresistant cases compared with nonradioresistance (SMD = 0.38, AUC = 0.71). Overexpression of TMPRSS3 was observed in 1601 CRC patients compared with control subjects without CRC. TMPRSS3 was a risk factor for disease-free survival of CRC with the summarized hazard ratio 1.28. Conclusion: TMPRSS3 contributes to the radioresistance and unfavorable prognosis of CRC.

In both normal turnover of the hepatic tissue and acute hepatic injury, the liver predominantly activates terminally differentiated hepatocytes to proliferate and repair. However, in chronic and severe chronic injury, this capacity fails, and liver progenitor cells (LPCs) can give rise to hepatocytes to restore both hepatic architecture and liver metabolic function. Although the promotion of LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation to acquire a considerable number of functional hepatocytes could serve as a potentially new therapeutic option for patients with end-stage liver disease, its development first requires the identification of the molecular mechanisms driving this process. Here, we found that the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a progenitor cell marker, regulates the differentiation of LPCs into hepatocytes through Notch1 signaling pathway. Western blotting (WB) revealed a consistent expression pattern of EpCAM and Notch1 during LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation in vitro. Additionally, overexpression of EpCAM blocked LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation, which was in consistent with the repressive role of Notch signaling during hepatic differentiation. WB and immunofluorescence data also showed that the upregulation of EpCAM expression increased the generation of Notch intracellular domain (N1ICD), indicating the promotion of Notch1 activity. Our results established the EpCAM-Notch1 signaling axis as an inhibitory mechanism preventing LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation in vitro.

Background: Simultaneous atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation and left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) is sometimes recommended for both rhythm control and stroke prevention. However, the advantages of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) guidance for this combined procedure have been scarcely reported. To evaluate the clinical outcomes and safety of ICE guided LAAC within a zero-fluoroscopy catheter ablation procedure. Methods and Results:From April 2019 to April 2020, 56 patients with symptomatic AF underwent concomitant catheter ablation and LAAC. ICE with a multi-angled imaging protocol mimicking the TEE echo windows was used to guide LAAC. Successful radiofrequency catheter ablation and LAAC was achieved in all patients. Procedure-related adverse event rate was 3.6%. During the 12-month follow-up, 77.8% of patients became free of arrhythmia recurrences and oral anticoagulants were discontinued in 96.4% of patients. No ischemic stroke occurred despite two cases of device-related thrombosis versus an expected stroke rate of 4.8% based on the CHA2DS2-VASc score. The overall major bleeding events rate was 1.8%, which represented a relative reduction of 68% versus an expected bleeding rate of 5.7% based on the HAS-BLED score of the patient cohort. The incidence of iatrogenic atrial septal defect secondary to a single transseptal access dropped from 57.9% at 2 months to 4.2% at 12 months TEE follow-up. Conclusion:The combination of catheter ablation and LAAC under ICE guidance was safe and effective in AF patients with high stroke risk. ICE with our novel protocol was technically feasible for comprehensive and systematic assessment of device implantation.

Cardiac hypertrophy is an adaptive cardiac response that accommodates the variable hemodynamic demands of the human body during extended periods of preload or afterload increase. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have pointed to a potential connection between myocardial hypertrophy and abnormal expression of non-coding RNAs. Circular RNA (circRNA), as one of the non-coding RNAs, plays an essential role in cardiac hypertrophy. However, few studies have systematically analyzed circRNA-related competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks associated with cardiac hypertrophy. Therefore, we used public databases from online prediction websites to predict and screen differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs and ultimately obtained circRNAs related to cardiac hypertrophy. Based on this result, we went on to establish a circRNAs-related ceRNA regulatory network. This study is the first to establish a circRNA-mediated ceRNA regulatory network associated with myocardial hypertrophy. To verify the results of our analysis, we used PCR to verify the differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs in animal myocardial hypertrophy model samples. Our findings suggest that three mRNAs (Col12a1, Thbs1, and Tgfbr3), four miRNAs (miR-20a-5p, miR-27b-3p, miR-342-3p, and miR-378a-3p), and four related circRNAs (circ_0002702, circ_0110609, circ_0013751, and circ_0047959) may play a key role in cardiac hypertrophy.

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that transmembrane protease serine 3 (TMPRSS3) is abnormally expressed in various tumours and its expression is closely related to tumorigenesis and progression [1-3]. However, there have been no reports regarding the role of TMPRSS3 in colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of the current study was to comprehensively explore the clinical value of TMPRSS3 on the radioresistance of CRC.MethodsIn this study, we evaluated the expression level of TMPRSS3 in radioresistant CRC tissues as well as CRC tissues by analysing public data sets from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), ArrayExpress, and GTEx databases, as well as explored the relationship between TMPRSS3 and lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and prognosis. In addition, we investigated the biological function of TMPRSS3 by gene ontology (GO) and analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Finally, we created a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to identify hub genes that may function in concert with TMMPRSS3.ResultsEight radiation-processed CRC tissue data sets and 26 CRC mRNA data sets were obtained. The pooled analysis revealed that TMPRSS3 was significantly highly expressed in CRC radioresistant tissues—SMD = 0.38 (95% CI: 0.14~0.63; p-value < 0.05). In addition, TMPRSS3 is also as highly expressed in CRC tissues—SMD = 1.55 (95% CI: 1.20~1.90; p-value < 0.05). Subsequently, we explored the relationship between TMPRSS3 and both metastasis and prognosis. The results revealed no relationship between TMPRSS3 and lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis (p-value > 0.05). Furthermore, pooled analysis of HR revealed that TMPRSS3 could be used as a risk factor for DFS—SMD = 1.28 (95% CI: 1.03~1.60; p-value < 0.05). Finally, we obtained 429 co-expressed genes for bioinformatics analysis and selected a total of four hub genes: MSLN, MFI2, CKAP4, and PXN. The results revealed that these genes cooperate with TMPRSS3 to participate in biological processes, such as CRC development, metastasis, and radioresistance by affecting autophagy, cell-cell adhesion, and extracellular matrix breakdown.ConclusionThis study reveals that TMPRSS3 has potential as a new biomarker and radioresistant therapeutic target for CRC and also has a few implications for the prognosis of CRC patients. However, this conclusion must be further experimentally verified.

Here we report two young patients with atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter complicated with cardiogenic cerebral embolism. Electrophysiological study revealed a large area of low-voltage zone or area of electric silence in both sides of the atrium during restoration of sinus rhythm, and the echocardiogram showed loss of mechanical function of the atrium. The electrical-mechanical dysfunction of the atrium was considered to be the cause of embolic event in this type of patient who was "very low" stroke risk atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. The idiopathic, fibrotic atrial cardiomyopathy may be underlying in these patients.

Rationale: The idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (iDILI) is a major cause of acute liver injury and a key challenge in late-stage drug development. Individual heterogeneity is considered to be an essential factor of iDILI. However, few in vitro model can predict heterogeneity in iDILI. We have previously shown that mouse and human hepatocytes can be converted to expandable liver progenitor-like cells in vitro (HepLPCs). However, the limited proliferation potential of human HepLPCs confines its industrial application. Here, we reported the generation of a novel hepatocyte model not only to provide unlimited cell sources for human hepatocytes but also to establish a tool for studying iDILI in vitro. Methods: Human primary hepatocytes were isolated by modified two-step perfusion technique. The chemical reprogramming culture condition together with gene-transfer were then used to generate the immortalized HepLPC cell lines (iHepLPCs). Growth curve, doubling time, and karyotype were analyzed to evaluate the proliferation characteristics of iHepLPCs. Modified Hepatocyte Maturation Medium and 3D spheroid culture were applied to re-differentiate iHepLPCs. Results: iHepLPCs exhibited efficient expansion for at least 40 population doublings, with a stable proliferative ability. They could easily differentiate back into metabolically functional hepatocytes in vitro within 10 days. Furthermore, under three-dimensional culture conditions, the formed hepatic spheroids showed multiple liver functions and toxicity profiles close to those of primary human hepatocytes. Importantly, we established a hepatocyte bank by generating a specific number of such cell lines. Screening for population heterogeneity allowed us to analyze the in vitro heterogeneous responses to hepatotoxicity induced by molecular targeted drugs. Conclusions: In light of the proliferative capacity and the heterogeneity they represented, these iHepLPCs cell lines may offer assistance in studying xenobiotic metabolism as well as liver diseases in vitro.

Rationale: We developed a cocktail of soluble molecules mimicking the in vivo milieu supporting liver regeneration that could convert mature hepatocytes to expandable liver progenitor-like cells in vitro. This study aimed to induce endogenous liver progenitor cells by the administration of the soluble molecules to provide an alternative approach for the resolution of liver fibrosis. Methods: In vitro cultured hepatocyte-derived liver progenitor-like cells (HepLPCs) were transplanted into CCL4-treated mice to investigate the therapeutic effect against liver fibrosis. Next, we used HGF in combination with a cocktail of small molecules (Y-27632, A-83-01, and CHIR99021 (HACY)) to induce endogenous CD24+ liver progenitor cells and to inhibit the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) during CCL4-induced hepatic injury. RNA sequencing was performed to further clarify the features of HACY-induced CD24+ cells compared with CCL4-induced CD24+ cells and in vitro derived HepLPCs. Finally, we evaluated the expansion of HACY-induced CD24+ cells in human hepatocyte-spheroids from fibrotic liver tissues. Results: HepLPCs exhibited the capacity to alleviate liver fibrosis after transplantation into CCL4-treated mice. The in vivo administration of HACY not only induced the conversion of mature hepatocytes (MHs) to CD24+ progenitor cells but prevented the activation of HSCs, thus leading to enhanced improvement of liver fibrosis in CCL4-treated mice. Compared to CD24+ cells induced by CCL4 alone, HACY-induced CD24+ cells retained an enhanced level of hepatic function and could promote the restoration of liver function that exhibited comparable gene expression profiles with HepLPCs. CD24+ cells were also observed in human liver fibrotic tissues and were expanded in three-dimensional (3D) hepatic spheroids in the presence of HACY in vitro. Conclusions: Hepatocyte-derived liver progenitor-like cells are crucial for liver regeneration during chronic hepatic injuries. The administration of HACY, which allowed the induction of endogenous CD24+ progenitor cells and the inactivation of HSCs, exerts beneficial effects in the treatment of liver fibrosis by re-establishing a balance favoring liver regeneration while preventing fibrotic responses.

The auxiliary frequency regulation of the unit is a new measure to solve the safe and stable operation of the power grid after the large-scale clean energy supply is connected to the grid. Through R&D, the application of advanced control technology to increase the frequency regulation capacity of active thermal power units is an investment efficient method. Based on the calculation method of comprehensive frequency modulation capacity index of thermal power unit, the direction of improving frequency modulation performance of thermal power unit is proposed. This paper introduces the principle of a new cascade controller(NCC) based on inertial combinatorial filter, the engineering setting method of ncc controller and the application and actual operation result of the control system based on the power plant No.3,4.

Tumor tissue has great clinical and scientific value which relies highly on the proper preservation of primary materials. Conventional tumor tissue cryopreservation using slow-freezing method has yielded limited success, leading to significant cell loss and morphological damage. Here we report a standardized vitrification-based cryopreservation method, by which we have successfully vitrified and warmed 35 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) tissues with up to 80% viability of the fresh tumor tissues. Cryopreserved ICC tissue could generate patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) with take rates of 68.2% compared to 72.7% using fresh tumor tissues. Histological and genetic analyses showed that no significant alterations in morphology and gene expression were introduced by this cryopreservation method. Our procedure may facilitate collection, long-time storage and propagation of cholangiocarcinoma or other tumor specimens for (pre)clinical studies of novel therapies or for basic research.

Living tumors are of great scientific value for clinical medicine and basic research, especially for drug testing. An increasing number of drug tests fail due to the use of imperfect models. The aim of the present study was to develop a novel method combining vitrification-based cryopreservation of tumor biopsies and precision-cut slice cultivation for the assessment of anticancer drug responses. Biological characteristics of rectal cancer liver metastasis biopsies could be retained by vitrification-based cryopreservation. The patient-derived xenograft models were successfully established using both fresh and warmed biopsy tissues. Precision-cut slicing provided a similar three-dimensional architecture and heterogeneity to the original tumor. The positive drug responses in the xenograft model were consistent with those in precision-cut slice cultures in vitro. The present study demonstrated that live tumor biopsies could be preserved using vitrification-based cryopreservation. The warmed tissues developed xenograft tumors, which were also useful for either in vivo or in vitro anticancer drug testing. Precision-cut slices derived from the warmed tissues provided an efficient tool to assess anticancer drug response in vitro.

Clinical advancement of the bioartificial liver is hampered by the lack of expandable human hepatocytes and appropriate bioreactors and carriers to encourage hepatic cells to function during extracorporeal circulation. We have recently developed an efficient approach for derivation of expandable liver progenitor-like cells from human primary hepatocytes (HepLPCs). Here, we generated immortalized and functionally enhanced HepLPCs by introducing FOXA3, a hepatocyte nuclear factor that enables potentially complete hepatic function. When cultured on macroporous carriers in an air-liquid interactive bioartificial liver (Ali-BAL) support device, the integrated cells were alternately exposed to aeration and nutrition and grew to form high-density three-dimensional constructs. This led to highly efficient mass transfer and supported liver functions such as albumin biosynthesis and ammonia detoxification via ureagenesis. In a porcine model of drug overdose-induced acute liver failure (ALF), extracorporeal Ali-BAL treatment for 3 hours prevented hepatic encephalopathy and led to markedly improved survival (83%, n = 6) compared to ALF control (17%, n = 6, P = 0.02) and device-only (no-cell) therapy (0%, n = 6, P = 0.003). The blood ammonia concentrations, as well as the biochemical and coagulation indices, were reduced in Ali-BAL-treated pigs. Ali-BAL treatment attenuated liver damage, ameliorated inflammation, and enhanced liver regeneration in the ALF porcine model and could be considered as a potential therapeutic avenue for patients with ALF.

The incidence and clinical outcome of pericardial and pleural effusion after cryoballoon ablation (CBA) or radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) have not been fully investigated.A total of 60 patients with paroxysmal AF were treated with either CBA (n = 30) or RFCA (n = 30) groups, with assessment of serum troponin I level, left atrial pulmonary vein computed tomography (CT) angiography and echocardiography within 24 hours before ablation, and serum troponin I level at 12 hours, and chest CT and echocardiography within 24 hours postablation. Repeat chest CT was performed 1 month after the index procedure in patients with pericardial or pleural effusion.With similarly distributed baseline characteristics, the CBA group relative to the RFCA group had postablation: higher serum troponin I level (13.48 vs 1.84 µg/L, P .001); similarly high pericardial effusion rates on chest CT (80% vs 93.3%, P .05), with chest CT yielding significantly higher detection rate than echocardiography; similarly high pleural effusion rates on chest CT (73.3% vs 80%, P .05); and smaller maximum depths on chest CT cross-section of pericardial effusion (5.21 ± 3.37 vs 7.13 ± 2.68 mm, P .05) and pleural effusion bilaterally (left: 4.16 ± 4.90 vs 6.96 ± 5.42 mm; right: 5.04 ± 4.46 vs 7.55 ± 4.95 mm, both P .05). The effusions self-resolved within a mean period of 1 month.Both CBA and RFCA were associated with high rates of pericardial and pleural effusion, with RFCA yielding numerically higher incidence and significantly higher effusion extent, and chest CT significantly higher detection rates than echocardiography.

The study of pathophysiological mechanisms in human liver disease has been constrained by the inability to expand primary hepatocytes in vitro while maintaining proliferative capacity and metabolic function. We and others have previously shown that mouse mature hepatocytes can be converted to liver progenitor-like cells in vitro with defined chemical factors. Here we describe a protocol achieving efficient conversion of human primary hepatocytes into liver progenitor-like cells (HepLPCs) through delivery of developmentally relevant cues, including NAD + -dependent deacetylase SIRT1 signaling. These HepLPCs could be expanded significantly during in vitro passage. The expanded cells can readily be converted back into metabolically functional hepatocytes in vitro and upon transplantation in vivo. Under three-dimensional culture conditions, differentiated cells generated from HepLPCs regained the ability to support infection or reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Our work demonstrates the utility of the conversion between hepatocyte and liver progenitor-like cells for studying HBV biology and antiviral therapies. These findings will facilitate the study of liver diseases and regenerative medicine.

Astroviruses are the principal causative agents of gastroenteritis in humans and have been associated with diarrhea in other mammals as well as birds. However, astroviral infection of animals had been poorly studied. In the present study, 211 rectal swabs collected from cattle and water buffalo calves with mild to severe diarrhea were tested for bovine astrovirus (BAstV) by RT-PCR. Results: 92/211 (43.6%) samples were positive for BAstV, at a rate of 46.10% (71/154) in cattle and 36.84% (21/57) in water buffalo. Phylogenetic analysis based on the partial and full-length of 25 ORF2 amino acid sequences obtained in this study classified the Guangxi BAstVs isolates into five subgroups under the genus of Mamastrovirus, genotype MAstV33, which suggested that the water buffalo was a new host of this genogroup that previously included only cattle and roe deer. Despite the origin of the host, the Guangxi BAstV isolates were closely related to the BAstV Hong Kong isolates (B18/HK and B76-2/HK), but highly divergent from the BAstV NeuroS1 isolate previously associated with neurologic disease in cattle in the U.S.A. Nucleotide sequence-based characterization of the ORF1b/ORF2 junction and corresponding overlapping regions showed distinctive properties, which may be common to BAstVs. Our results suggested that cattle and water buffalo are prone to infection of closely related astroviruses, which probably evolved from the same ancestor. The current study described astroviruses in water buffalo for the first time and is thus far among the largest epidemiological investigations of BAstV infection in cattle conducted in China.

Obesity is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is typically accompanied by higher levels of serum dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4). However, the role of DPP4 in obesity-promoted HCC is unclear. Here, we found that consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) promoted HCC cell proliferation and metastasis and led to poor survival in a carcinogen-induced model of HCC in rats. Notably, genetic ablation of DPP4 or treatment with a DPP4 inhibitor (vildagliptin) prevented HFD-induced HCC. Moreover, HFD-induced DPP4 activity facilitated angiogenesis and cancer cell metastasis in vitro and in vivo, and vildagliptin prevented tumor progression by mediating the pro-angiogenic role of chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2). Loss of DPP4 effectively reversed HFD-induced CCL2 production and angiogenesis, indicating that the DPP4/CCL2/angiogenesis cascade had key roles in HFD-associated HCC progression. Furthermore, concomitant changes in serum DPP4 and CCL2 were observed in 210 patients with HCC, and high serum DPP4 activity was associated with poor clinical prognosis. These results revealed a link between obesity-related high serum DPP4 activity and HCC progression. Inhibition of DPP4 may represent a novel therapeutic intervention for patients with HCC.

Berberine has been shown to reduce acute liver injury although the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Because of the anatomic connection, the liver is constantly exposed to gut-derived bacterial products and metabolites. In this study, we showed that berberine has beneficial effects on both hepatotoxicity and intestinal damage in a rat model of chronic or acute liver injury. Microbiota transplantation from the rats with chronic hepatotoxicity could aggravate acute hepatotoxicity in mice treated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN). In rat models with gut homeostasis disruption induced by penicillin or dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), their fecal microbiota could also cause an enhanced hepatotoxicity of recipient mice. When treated with berberine, the DSS-induced enteric dysbacteriosis could be mitigated and their fecal bacteria were able to reduce acute hepatotoxicity in recipient mice. This study indicates that berberine could improve intestinal dysbacteriosis, which reduces the hepatotoxicity caused by pathological or pharmacological intervention. Fecal microbiota transplantation might be a useful method to directly explore homeostatic alteration in gut microbiota.

Ball mills with double inlets and outlets (BMDIO) are widely equipped in milling systems of thermal power plants because of BMDIOs’ vantage on being able to pulverize various raw coal. In this paper, dynamic characteristics of mill’s coal level were studied by pulverizing coal mechanism analysis. Furthermore, models for filled level of mill were obtained with mathematical Equations. The nonlinear, strong coupling and large lag features of BMDIO’s dynamic characteristics were demonstrated by the model for level of materiel constructed in this paper. And, the model would be become the available theory basis for the calculation of pulverized coal into furnace and design of combustion in fossil-fired thermal unit.

This paper analyzed the influence of various turbine parameters on the low-frequency oscillation using Simulink, including the oil motive slide valve time constant, the volume time constant, power grid damping factor, power grid power factor, self-balancing rotor coefficient etc. Meanwhile, comparing the influence of the pure speed regulator and power-frequency regulation on low-frequency oscillations, proven that power-frequency regulation will exacerbate the low frequency oscillation.

Fast Cut Back condition is one of the most severe dynamic transient operation conditions for coal-fired power units. Here has carried out the study on the main parameters correlation analysis and system modeling of No. 2 unit from HaiFang thermal power plant. The prediction results show the model built here is reasonable and feasible. Besides, from the process of correlation analysis, it is obvious that Pearson correlation coefficient could be used for compression of information features in order to reduce the dimension of the model.

A nonlinear once-through coal-fired boiler-turbine unit model is introduced and analyzed for the purpose of control system design. Firstly, input-output variable pairing configurations for this 3×3 system are obtained based on static relative gain array and row-Gershgorin band analysis using its linearization model at 100% load. A decentralized PI control system is then deployed and tuned to explore its control system performance as the basis of further study. Results show that the decentralized control structure has good setpoint tracking performance, while the disturbances between loops are still notable due to non-diagonal dominance, thus control strategy of decoupling or disturbance rejection is necessary.

Fuel control is the major part during the FCB control process of the unit, especially the fuel used by W-shape of flame boiler is inferior coal which has the character of low-volatile and low heating value. The switching way, procedures and speed of the fuel during the FCB process will directly determine whether the boiler can have a stable combustion after the fuel amount is greatly reduced for the unit. In this article, the strategy for quick switching of new type of fuel amount for W-shape of boiler and quick stabilization control for boiler combustion is proposed. And in this article, we also take an example of an engineering concerning foreign affairs which has successfully implemented FCB. the boiler fuel control technology which realized the function of FCB for W-type flame boiler unit is deep analyzed. It leaves a very good reference value for the test of FCB for other similar units.

Zhou X, Chen X, Cai JJ, et al. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2015;9: 4599–4611. On page 4600, the product type and source of the relaxin used in these experiments was missed from the ‘Materials and methods’ section. Under the subheading ‘Rat model of cardiac fibrosis’ the second paragraph should read: Rats were randomly divided into five groups (ten per group) for treatment: control; myocardial fibrosis (isoproterenol [Iso]); and low-, middle-, and high-dose RLX (0.2, 2, and 20 μg⋅kg-1⋅day-1, respectively). RLX was obtained from Peprotech, Rocky Hill, NJ, USA (product number 130-15). For the Iso-model, on days 1–6, Iso (5 mg⋅kg-1⋅d-1; Sigma-Aldrich Co., St Louis, MO, USA) was injected subcutaneously in the rats. In the therapeutic groups, Iso administration was the same as in the Iso-model group, and RLX at different concentrations (0.2, 2.0, and 20 μg⋅kg-1⋅day-1) were injected at the same time as Iso injection and lasted for 6 days, then RLX injection was continued for another 8 days. The same volume of saline was injected for controls.Read the original article.

The features and functions of Autoform software for sheet metal forming simulation were introduced. Taking the auto panel as an example, based on UG and Autoform, the process of CAE simulation analysis on the drawing process was stated in this paper and the simulation results were analyzed. The results of analyses indicated that the crack tendency was in the two salient of auto panel flange in the drawing process. By optimizing and adjusting the parameters of mold, the problem of crack tendency was solved. The optimal stamping process was finally determined based on the results of the simulation. Compared with the traditional stamping technology and die designing, the quality of die designing was improved by adopting CAE technique.

In view of the importance of proper gate location and size in mould design process, with the basic analog theory for simulating the filling process of plastic melts in the cavity of injection moulds, injection moulding CAE technology was proposed for the optimum design of gate location and size. Based on Moldflow software, the analysis process of the best gate location and size was stated. The gate location and size and injection moulding technical parameters were optimized in this paper by example. The optimal rectangular gate dimension was 5mm×2.5mm, filling state was fine, filling time was reduced from 0.72s to 0.69s. It was resulted in products of high previewed quality, reduced the cost of production and enhanced the competitive power of mould enterprises.

The enterprise of port logistics has its own traits such as very high specialty of assets, high uncertainty of internal and external environment and high frequency of transaction. Establishing the strategic alliance of port logistics is the necessary way to improve the competition of port logistic enterprise. The selection of the strategic partner of port logistics is the key to the supply chain. The unascertained evaluation is a simple and efficient mode to offer the method of rational evaluation for the enterprise of port logistics to select the strategic partner.

The e-commerce transaction process customers are most worried about is the security issues. Targeted e-commerce transaction authentication security that prevail in question time synchronization based on a dynamic password authentication technology, and gives a concrete realization of identity authentication process. The main advantage of this technology is a dynamic one-time passwords, and simple operation, transmission using RSA encryption algorithm. Network Time Protocol NTP for time synchronization of standard internet protocols, to solve the difficult problem of time synchronization.

X Zhou,1 X Chen,2 JJ Cai,2 LZ Chen,3 YS Gong,4 LX Wang,5 Z Gao,1 HQ Zhang,1 WJ Huang,1 H Zhou1 1Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 2Wenzhou Medical University, 3Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wenzhou Central Hospital, 4Institute of Hypoxia Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, 5Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People’sRepublic of China Background: Relaxin (RLX) can prevent cardiac fibrosis. We aimed to investigate the possible mechanism and signal transduction pathway of RLX inhibiting cardiac fibrosis.Methods: Isoproterenol (5 mg·kg-1·d-1) was used to establish the cardiac fibrosis model in rats, which were administered RLX. The cardiac function, related targets of cardiac fibrosis, and endothelial–mesenchymal transition (EndMT) were measured. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) was used to induce EndMT in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, which were pretreated with RLX, 200 ng·mL-1, then with the inhibitor of Notch. Transwell cell migration was used to evaluate cell migration. CD31 and vimentin content was determined by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis. Notch protein level was examined by Western blot analysis.Results: RLX improved cardiac function in rats with cardiac fibrosis; it reduced the content of collagen I and III, increased the microvascular density of the myocardium, and suppressed the EndMT in heart tissue. In vitro, RLX decreased the mobility of human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by TGF-β, increased the expression of endothelial CD31, and decreased vimentin content. Compared to TGF-β and RLX co-culture alone, TGF-β + RLX + Notch inhibitor increased cell mobility and the EndMT, but decreased the levels of Notch-1, HES-1, and Jagged-1 proteins.Conclusion: RLX may inhibit the cardiac fibrosis via EndMT by Notch-mediated signaling. Keywords: relaxin, endothelial to mesenchymal transition, transforming growth factor β, myocardial fibrosis, Notch

IntroductionAvailable data show that approximately 8%–18% of patients with primary hypertension will develop resistant hypertension. In recent years, catheter-based renal denervation (RDN) has emerged as a potential treatment option for resistant hypertension. A number of observational studies and randomised controlled trials among non-Chinese patients have demonstrated its potential safety and efficacy.Methods and analysisThis is a multicentre, randomised, open-label, parallel-group, active controlled trial that will investigate the efficacy and safety of a 5F saline-irrigated radiofrequency ablation (RFA) used for RDN in the treatment of Chinese patients with resistant hypertension. A total of 254 patients who have failed pharmacological therapy will be enrolled. Eligible subjects will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to undergo RDN using the RFA plus antihypertensive medication or to receive treatment with antihypertensive medication alone. The primary outcome measure is the change in 24 hours average ambulatory systolic blood pressure from baseline to 3 months, comparing the RDN-plus-medication group with the medication-alone group. Important secondary endpoints include the change in office blood pressure from baseline to 6 months after randomisation. Safety endpoints such as changes in renal function will also be evaluated. The full analysis set, according to the intent-to-treat principle, will be established as the primary analysis population.Ethics and disseminationAll participants will provide informed consent; the study protocol has been approved by the Independent Ethics Committee for each site. This study is designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of RDN using a 5F saline microirrigated RFA. Findings will be shared with participating hospitals, policymakers and the academic community to promote the clinical management of resistant hypertension in China.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ID:NCT02900729; pre-results.

To observe the effect of curcumin on nitric oxide (NO) in plasma of atherosclerotic rabbits, activity of constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and discuss curcumin's effect against AS and its correlation with ADMA.Thirty-eight male Japanese white rabbits were randomly divided into four groups: the control group (eight rabbits fed with standard diets), the model group (ten rabbits fed with high-fat diets), the low dose curcumin group (ten rabbits fed with high-fat diets and 100 mg . kg-1 d -1 ) and the high dose curcumin group (ten rabbits fed with high-fat diets and 200 mg kg-1 d-1 curcumin). At the end of the 12th week, their plasmas were tested for TC, LDL-C, NO, endothelin (ET) , ADMA and activity of aortic cNOS. Aortic tissues were collected for histological examinations.The three groups fed with high-fat diets showed higher plasma ADMA and ET than the control group (P0. 01) , but with decrease in plasma NO concentration and arterial cNOS activity (P0. 01). Compared with the model group (P0. 05) , the curcumin groups showed lower plasma ADMA and ET (P0. 05), but higher plasma NO concentration and arterial cNOS activity than the model group (P0. 01). There was no significant difference between the two curcumin groups.Curcumin may play an important protective role in AS process by reducing plasma ADMA level. [Key words] atherosclerosis; asymmetric dimethylarginine; crucumin; nitric oxide; nitric oxide synthase

Bivalirudin was widely used as an anticoagulant during coronary interventional procedure in western countries. However, it was not available in China before this clinical trial was designed. This randomized, single-blind and multicenter clinical trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and the safety of domestic bivalirudin during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).A randomized, single-blind, multicenter trial was designed. Elective PCI candidates in five centers were randomized into a bivalirudin group and a heparin group, which were treated with domestic bivalirudin and non-fractional heparin during the PCI procedure. The efficacy was evaluated by comparing the activated coagulation time (ACT), the procedural success rate (residual stenosis20% in target lesions without any coronary artery related adverse events within 24 hours after PCI), and the survival rate without major adverse cardiac events at 30 days after PCI between the two groups. Safety was evaluated by the major/minor bleeding rate.A total of 218 elective PCI patients were randomized into a bivalirudin group (n = 110) and heparin group (n = 108). Except for two patients needing additional dosing in the heparin group, the ACT values of all other patients in both groups were longer than 225 seconds at 5 minutes after the first intravenous bolus. Procedural success rates were respectively 100.0% and 98.2% in the bivalirudin group and heparin group (P0.05). Survival rates without major adverse cardiac events at 30 days after PCI were 100.0% in the bivalirudin group and 98.2% in the heparin group (P0.05). Mild bleeding rates were 0.9% and 6.9% (P0.05) at 24 hours, and 1.9% and 8.8% (P0.05) at 30 days after PCI in the bivalirudin group and heparin group respectively. There was one severe gastrointestinal bleeding case in the heparin group.Domestic bivalirudin is an effective and safe anticoagulant during elective PCI procedures. The efficacy is not inferior to heparin, but the safety is superior to heparin.