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Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration extragalactic radio transients. They fall into the categories of repeaters and apparent nonrepeaters. However, such a classification causes a lack of motivation to investigate the physical picture. Here, we propose a unified geometric model to distinguish between repeaters and apparent nonrepeaters, in which the quasi-tangential (QT) propagation effect within the magnetosphere of a neutron star is considered. In this model, apparent nonrepeaters arise from sources whose emitting region has a smaller impact angle with respect to the magnetic axis, while repeaters come from sources whose emitting region has a larger impact angle. The observational discriminant polarization properties between repeaters and apparent nonrepeaters are an important clue for verifying this unified geometric model since the polarization is sensitive to the QT propagation effect. Moreover, our model effectively explains all of the other discriminant properties, including bandwidth, duration, peak luminosity, energy, brightness temperature, time–frequency downward drifting, and repetition rate, providing compelling evidence for the magnetospheric origin of FRBs.

Recently, some fast radio bursts (FRBs) have been reported to exhibit complex and diverse variations in Faraday rotation measurements (RM) and polarization, suggesting that dynamically evolving magnetization environments may surround them. In this paper, we investigate the Faraday conversion (FC) effect in a binary system involving an FRB source and analyze the polarization evolution of FRBs. For a strongly magnetized high-mass companion binary, when an FRB with ∼100% linear polarization passes through the radial magnetic field of the companion star, the circular polarization (CP) component will be induced and oscillate symmetrically around the point with the degree of CP equal to zero, the rate and amplitude of the oscillation decrease as the frequency increases. The very strong plasma column density in the HMCBs can cause CP to oscillate with frequency at a very drastic rate, which may lead to depolarization. Near the superior conjunction of the binary orbit, the DM varies significantly due to the dense plasma near the companion, and the significant FC also occurs in this region. As the pulsar moves away from the superior conjunction, the CP gradually tends toward zero and then returns to its value before incidence. We also investigate the effect of the rotation of the companion star. We find that a sufficiently significant RM reversal can be produced at large magnetic inclinations and the RM variation is very diverse. Finally, we apply this model to explain some polarization observations of PSR B1744-24A and FRB 20201124A.

Incubation systems were established to investigate the effects of quercetin, kaempferol, isoquercitrin and astragalin in Lysimachia clethroides Duby on the activities of CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 in rat liver microsomes in vitro. Probe substrates of 4-nitrophenol and testosterone as well as flavonoids at different concentrations were added to the incubation systems. After incubation, a validated high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was applied to separate and determine the relevant metabolites. The results suggested that kaempferol exhibited a weak inhibition of CYP2E1 activity with an IC50 of 60.26 ± 2.54 μM, while quercetin and kaempferol caused a moderate inhibition of CYP3A4 activity with IC50 values of 18.77 ± 1.69 μM and 32.65 ± 1.32 μM, respectively. Isoquercitrin and astragalin had no effects on the activities of either CYP2E1 or CYP3A4. It could be speculated from these results that the inhibitory effects of quercetin and kaempferol on the activities of CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 could be the mechanisms underlying the hepatoprotective effects of L. clethroides.

Abstract An increasing number of elderly individuals are experiencing postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) problems after undergoing hip replacement surgery, with gut microbiota metabolites playing a role in its pathogenesis. Among these, the specific effects of trimethylamine N‐oxide (TMAO) on POCD are still unclear. This study aimed to explore the role of TMAO on cognitive dysfunction and underlying mechanisms in mice. The POCD model was created through femoral fracture surgery in elderly mice, followed by cognitive function assessments using the Morris Water Maze and Novel Object Recognition tests. The gut microbiota depletion and fecal microbiota transplantation were performed to examine the relationship between TMAO levels and cognitive outcomes. The effects of TMAO treatment on cognitive dysfunction, microglial activation, and inflammatory cytokine levels in the brain were also evaluated, with additional assessment of the role of microglial ablation in reducing TMAO‐induced cognitive impairment. Elevated TMAO levels were found to be associated with cognitive decline in mice following femoral fracture surgery, with gut microbiota depletion mitigating both TMAO elevation and cognitive dysfunction. In contrast, fecal microbiota transplantation from postoperative mice resulted in accelerated cognitive dysfunction and TMAO accumulation in germ‐free mice. Furthermore, TMAO treatment worsened cognitive deficits, neuroinflammation, and promoted microglial activation, which were reversed through the ablation of microglia. TMAO exacerbates cognitive dysfunction and neuroinflammation in POCD mice, with microglial activation playing a crucial role in this process. Our findings may provide new therapeutic strategies for managing TMAO‐related POCD and improving the quality of life for elderly patients.

The present study aimed to determine and compare total phenolic, flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity of Nigella sativa L. seeds crude extract and various fractions obtained through macroporous resin. Antioxidant activity were evaluated by DPPH assay. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined as pyrocatechol and rutin equivalents, respectively, and correlated with antioxidant activities. Results showed that fraction with 40% ethanol exhibited the highest content of total phenolic (138.85 ± 0.53 mg PE/g extract). Besides, the highest concentration of flavonoids (140.11±5.47mg RU/g extract) and the highest antioxidant activity DPPH assay (IC50 = 1.26±0.21 µg/ml) were observed for fraction with 20% ethanol. Total phenolic content and total flavonoid highly correlated each other and well correlated with antioxidant activity. To conclude, macroporous resin could be a very good low cost and nontoxic technical for natural sources of antioxidant substances with high value for fractionation of N. sativa L. seeds with 20% ethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]