血栓通对阿尔茨海默症模型小鼠认知功能及神经异常兴奋性的作用及其机制研究

目的探究血栓通[主要有效成分为三七皂苷(panax notoginseng,PNS)]对阿尔茨海默症(Alzheimer’s disease,AD)模型小鼠认知功能及神经兴奋性的影响,并探讨其潜在分子机制。方法用APP/PS1小鼠作为AD研究动物模型,在小鼠淀粉样蛋白尚未检测到阶段(2月龄)开始每日以60 mg/kg对血栓通组(APP/PS1+PNS)行灌胃给药,每日1次,连续给药6个月(给药至8月龄);对照组小鼠予同等体积的0.9%氯化钠(APP/PS1+vehicle)灌胃处理,同月龄野生型小鼠予0.9%氯化钠灌胃处理作为正常对照组(WT+vehicle),每组各15只。6个月后,新物体识别实验、Morris水迷宫实验检测小鼠的认知功能;EEG脑电检测、Western blot、细胞表面生物素化试验以检测各组小鼠皮质与海马中BACE1的活性、Nav1.1α的分布、表达以及Navβ2的表达与酶解情况(Navβ2的酶解片段Navβ2 full length及Navβ2-CTF表达检测)。结果新物体识别实验显示,与对照组APP/PS1小鼠相比,血栓通用药后APP/PS1小鼠的辨别指数(discrimination index,DI)上升(P<0.05);Morris水迷宫检测结果发现,血栓通灌胃6个月后小鼠在探索实验中逃避潜伏期缩短(P<0.05),撤除平台后在目标象限停留时间增加(P<0.05)、穿梭平台次数增加(P<0.05);EEG脑电检测结果发现,血栓通给药后减少了APP/PS1小鼠棘波放电出现的频率(P<0.05)。血栓通给药后显著降低了BACE1蛋白水平的表达(P<0.05),而全长片段Navβ2的蛋白水平显著上升(P<0.05),并纠正了Nav1.1α在神经元内外的异常分布(P<0.05)。结论血栓通可以改善AD模型小鼠的学习记忆能力、纠正大脑异常兴奋性,其作用机制可能与抑制BACE1的活性从而减少Navβ2由APP/PS1诱导的过度酶解,纠正皮质、海马神经元Nav1.1α的异常表达与分布,调节神经元的兴奋性有关。

Comment on “The late swing and early stance of sprinting are most hazardous for hamstring injuries” by Liu et al.

We have carefully read the description of the proposed mechanisms of hamstring muscle strain injury by Liu et al.1and noticed that they suggest that hamstring strain injuries may be associated with extensive muscle force and occur during the early stance phase of sprinting when the hamstrings are thought to work concentrically.We did not find any evidence in our extensive literature review to support this

京津冀生态补偿是否具有“增绿”效应——来自国家重点生态功能区转移支付重点补助的证据

生态文明建设是促进经济社会发展全面绿色转型的战略布局,也是实现中国式现代化的本质要求。国家重点生态功能区转移支付重点补助作为修复改善生态环境的重要制度安排,是“十四五”期间推进生态文明建设迈上新台阶的重点工作,其政策效果评价及作用机制探究具有十分重要的现实意义。本文基于2002—2021年京津冀地区县级数据构造多期双重差分模型,对国家重点生态功能区转移支付重点补助政策的生态环境改善效应进行实证检验。研究表明,国家重点生态功能区转移支付重点补助改善了京津冀地区的生态环境质量,设立国家重点生态功能区的县域体现出更为显著的政策效果。此外,河北省相关制度实施时间更长、资金规模更大,该省的生态环境改善效果也更加明显。进一步,本文研究发现转移支付重点补助政策的作用机制是通过提高农村居民收入水平、增强生态环境保护的内在激励,优化其经济生产行为得以实现的。基于此,本文提出应加大激励约束措施实施力度、加速培育生态产业、在现有制度基础上探索横向转移支付的政策建议,以充分发挥国家重点生态功能区转移支付重点补助的政策导向功能,助力美丽中国目标早日实现。

虚拟现实VR技术在有机化学课程教学中的应用探究

针对有机化学教学中结构抽象、反应复杂导致学生理解困难的现状,采用虚拟现实(Virtual Reality,VR)的化学元宇宙技术与有机化学课程相结合的方式,将有机化合物的分子结构、空间构象、反应机理等,以学生交互式模式进行学习。不但提高了有机化学课程教学质量,而且提升了学生的学习兴趣以及动手能力和创新能力,同时分析了VR技术在有机化学教学应用方面的挑战及创新性,弥补了VR技术应用于国内高校有机化学课程教学研究的空白,具有很大潜力和重要意义。

天然植物多糖的提取、分离及其在皮肤领域的研究进展

植物多糖是一种从植物各部位中提取的天然高分子聚合物,由十个或十个以上的单糖单元通过糖苷键聚合而成。近年来,由于其丰富的生物活性、安全性、亲肤性等特点越来越受到人们的关注。多糖的结构和功能之间具有密切关系,不同的提取和纯化方法会对多糖的结构产生影响,进而改变其生物活性。本文阐述了植物多糖的提取、分离、纯化工艺,并同时对植物多糖具有的保湿补水、抗氧化、抗炎、抑菌、美白等功效进行了总结,以期为植物多糖在功能化妆品的开发和应用提供理论支撑。

Elaidic acid leads to mitochondrial dysfunction via mitochondria-associated membranes triggers disruption of mitochondrial calcium fluxes

Elaidic acid(EA)stimulation can lead to endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS),accompanied by a large release of Ca^(2+),and ultimately the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in Kupffer cells(KCs).Mitochondrial instability or dysfunction may be the key stimulating factors to activate NLRP3 inflammasome,and sustained Ca^(2+)transfer can result in mitochondrial dysfunction.We focused on KCs to explore the damage to mitochondria by EA.After EA stimulation,cells produced an oxidative stress(OS)response with a significant increase in ROS release.Immunoprecipitation experiments and the addition of inhibitors revealed that the increase in the level of intracellular Ca^(2+)led to Ca^(2+)accumulation in the mitochondrial matrix via mitochondria-associated membranes(MAMs).This was accompanied by a significant release of m ROS,loss of MMP and ATP,and a significant increase in mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening,ultimately leading to mitochondrial instability.These findings confirmed the mechanism that EA induced mitochondrial Ca^(2+)imbalance in KCs via MAM,ultimately leading to mitochondrial dysfunction.Meanwhile,EA induced OS and the decrease of MMP and ATP in rat liver,and significant lesions were found in liver mitochondria.Swelling of the inner mitochondrial cristae and mitochondrial vacuolization occurred,with a marked increase in lipid droplets.

Review on synergistic damage effect of irradiation and corrosion on reactor structural alloys

The synergistic damage effect of irradiation and corrosion of reactor structural materials has been a prominent research focus.This paper provides a comprehensive review of the synergistic effects on the third-and fourth-generation fission nuclear energy structural materials used in pressurized water reactors and molten salt reactors.The competitive mechanisms of multiple influencing factors,such as the irradiation dose,corrosion type,and environmental temperature,are summarized in this paper.Conceptual approaches are proposed to alleviate the synergistic damage caused by irradiation and corrosion,thereby promoting in-depth research in the future and solving this key challenge for the structural materials used in reactors.

Knockout of C6orf120 in Rats Alleviates Concanavalin A-induced Autoimmune Hepatitis by Regulating Macrophage Polarization

Objective The effect of the functionally unknown gene C6orf120 on autoimmune hepatitis was investigated on C6orf120 knockout rats(C6orf120^(-/-))and THP-1 cells.Method Six–eight-week-old C6orf120^(-/-)and wild-type(WT)SD rats were injected with Con A(16 mg/kg),and euthanized after 24 h.The sera,livers,and spleens were collected.THP-1 cells and the recombinant protein(rC6ORF120)were used to explore the mechanism in vitro.The frequency of M1 and M2 macrophages was analyzed using flow cytometry.Western blotting and PCR were used to detect macrophage polarization-associated factors.Results C6orf120 knockout attenuated Con A-induced autoimmune hepatitis.Flow cytometry indicated that the proportion of CD68^(+)CD86^(+)M1 macrophages from the liver and spleen in the C6orf120^(-/-)rats decreased.C6orf120 knockout induced downregulation of CD86 protein and the mRNA levels of related inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 in the liver.C6orf120 knockout did not affect the polarization of THP-1 cells.However,rC6ORF120 promoted the THP-1 cells toward CD68^(+)CD80^(+)M1 macrophages and inhibited the CD68^(+)CD206^(+)M2 phenotype.Conclusion C6orf120 knockout alleviates Con A-induced autoimmune hepatitis by inhibiting macrophage polarization toward M1 macrophages and reducing the expression of related inflammatory factors in C6orf120^(-/-)rats.

Gradient coil design with enhanced shielding constraint for a cryogen-free superconducting MRI system

The relatively fragile low-temperature stability of cryogen-free superconducting magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)magnets requires the careful management of exogenous heat sources.A strongly shielded gradient magnetic field is important for the optimal operation of cryogen-free MRI systems.In this study,we present an enhanced shielding method incorporating a regionalized stray field constraining strategy.By optimizing the constraint parameters,we could develop engineering-feasible gradient coil schemes without increasing system complexity but with the stray field intensity reduced by half.In real measurement in an integrated MRI system,the developed gradient assembly demonstrated good performance and supported to output images of excellent quality.Our findings suggested that the proposed method could potentially form a useful design paradigm for cryogen-free MRI magnets.

油料作物育种的分子工具和技术创新

油料作物的主要育种目标是提高产量、品质和抗逆性。目前,就产量而言,全球主要油料作物依次为大豆、油菜、向日葵和花生。本文综述了这些主要油料作物育种的分子工具和技术创新,包括基因组选择、基因组编辑、分子设计育种等新技术,指出了当前在遗传研究和育种实践中存在的主要问题,并对技术进展和未来应用前景进行了展望,旨在为油料作物高产、优质、高效育种提供借鉴。

Butterfly taxonomic and functional diversity in the urban green spaces of Hefei city

Urbanization has profound impacts on ecological environments. Green spaces are a vital component of urban ecosystems and play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and enhancing sustainability. This study aimed to investigate the community composition characteristics of butterflies in urban green spaces within the context of rapid urbanization. Simultaneously, it explored the status and differences in butterfly taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and functional traits among different types of urban green spaces, regions, and urban gradients to provide relevant insights for further improving urban green space quality and promoting biodiversity conservation. We conducted a year-long survey of 80 green spaces across different urban regions and ring roads within Hefei City, Anhui Province, with monthly sampling intervals over 187 transects. A total of 4822 butterflies, belonging to 5 families, 17 subfamilies, 40 genera, and 55 species were identified. The species richness, Shannon, Simpson, functional richness, and Rao's quadratic entropy indices of butterflies in urban park green spaces were all significantly higher than those in residential and street green spaces(P < 0.05). Differences in butterfly diversity and functional traits among different urban regions and ring roads were relatively minor, and small-sized, multivoltine, and long flying duration butterflies dominated urban green spaces. Overall, these spaces offer more favorable habitats for butterflies. However, some residential green spaces and street green spaces demonstrate potential for butterfly conservation.

Effect of thinning intensity on the carbon sequestration of natural mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests in Xiaoxing'an Mountains, China

To study the effect of thinning intensity on the carbon sequestration by natural mixed coniferous and broad-leaf forests in Xiaoxing’an Mountains,China,we established six 100 m×100 m experimental plots in Dongfanghong For-est that varied in thinning intensity:plot A(10%),B(15%),C(20%),D(25%),E(30%),F(35%),and the control sample area(0%).A principal component analysis was performed using 50 different variables,including species diversity,soil fertility,litter characteristics,canopy structure param-eters,and seedling regeneration parameters.The effects of thinning intensity on carbon sequestration were strongest in plot E(0.75),followed by D(0.63),F(0.50),C(0.48),B(0.22),A(0.11),and the control(0.06).The composite score of plot E was the highest,indicating that the carbon sequestration effect was strongest at a thinning intensity of 30%.These findings provide useful insights that could aid the management of natural mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests in Xiaoxing’an Mountains,China.This information has implications for future studies of these forests,and the methods used could aid future ecological assessments of the natural forests in Xiaoxing’an Mountains,China.

Separation of halogens and recovery of heavy metals from secondary copper smelting dust

The separation of halogens and recovery of heavy metals from secondary copper smelting(SCS)dust using a sulfating roasting−water leaching process were investigated.The thermodynamic analysis results confirm the feasibility of the phase transformation to metal sulfates and to gaseous HF and HCl.Under the sulfating roasting conditions of the roasting temperature of 250℃ and the sulfuric acid excess coefficient of 1.8,over 74 wt.%of F and 98 wt.%of Cl were volatilized into flue gas.Approximately 98.6 wt.%of Zn and 96.5 wt.%of Cu in the roasting product were dissolved into the leaching solution after the water leaching process,while the leaching efficiencies of Pb and Sn were only 0.12%and 0.22%,respectively.The mechanism studies indicate the pivotal effect of roasting temperature on the sulphation reactions from various metal species to metal sulfates and the salting out reactions from various metal halides to gaseous hydrogen halides.

DNA damage response-related immune activation signature predicts the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors: from gastrointestinal cancer analysis to pan-cancer validation

Objective: DNA damage response(DDR) deficiency has emerged as a prominent determinant of tumor immunogenicity. This study aimed to construct a DDR-related immune activation(DRIA) signature and evaluate the predictive accuracy of the DRIA signature for response to immune checkpoint inhibitor(ICI) therapy in gastrointestinal(GI) cancer.Methods: A DRIA signature was established based on two previously reported DNA damage immune response assays. Clinical and gene expression data from two published GI cancer cohorts were used to assess and validate the association between the DRIA score and response to ICI therapy. The predictive accuracy of the DRIA score was validated based on one ICI-treated melanoma and three pan-cancer published cohorts.Results: The DRIA signature includes three genes(CXCL10, IDO1, and IFI44L). In the discovery cancer cohort, DRIA-high patients with gastric cancer achieved a higher response rate to ICI therapy than DRIA-low patients(81.8% vs. 8.8%;P < 0.001), and the predictive accuracy of the DRIA score [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC) = 0.845] was superior to the predictive accuracy of PD-L1 expression, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, and Epstein–Barr virus status. The validation cohort demonstrated that the DRIA score identified responders with microsatellite-stable colorectal and pancreatic adenocarcinoma who received dual PD-1 and CTLA-4 blockade with radiation therapy. Furthermore, the predictive performance of the DRIA score was shown to be robust through an extended validation in melanoma, urothelial cancer, and pan-cancer.Conclusions: The DRIA signature has superior and robust predictive accuracy for the efficacy of ICI therapy in GI cancer and pancancer, indicating that the DRIA signature may serve as a powerful biomarker for guiding ICI therapy decisions.

异落新妇苷的美白作用及抗氧化作用研究

为了揭示异落新妇苷(isoastilbin,ISO)的美白作用及抗氧化作用。建立了紫外线B(UVB)诱导的皮肤光老化(SP)小鼠模型,使用3个剂量(1,2,4 mg/cm^(2))的异落新妇苷对小鼠进行经皮给药。治疗8周后,检测了小鼠的表皮含水量。通过HE染色和Masson三色染色观察皮肤表皮和真皮形态。按试剂盒说明书检测皮肤氧化应激指标(超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)和丙二醛(MDA))水平。采用NaOH溶解法检测皮肤黑色素含量。采用酶联免疫吸附剂测定(ELISA)法检测皮肤酪氨酸酶(TYR)活性。通过RT-qPCT检测皮肤基质金属蛋白酶-1(MMP-1)和CollagenⅠ的mRNA水平。通过Western blotting检测皮肤细胞核核因子红细胞2相关因子2(Nrf2)的蛋白表达水平。结果显示,异落新妇苷剂量依赖性地提高了UVB诱导的SP小鼠的表皮含水量,降低了表皮厚度,减少了胶原纤维变性,降低了MMP-1的mRNA相对表达量,升高了CollagenⅠ的mRNA相对表达量,升高了SOD、CAT和GSH-Px活性,降低了MDA含量,升高了细胞核Nrf2的蛋白相对表达量,降低了黑色素含量和TYR活性(P<0.05)。本研究表明,异落新妇苷可减轻UVB诱导的小鼠SP,并具有美白作用,其机制与提高皮肤抗氧化能力以及降低黑色素含量和TYR活性有关。

Elaidic acid-induced intestinal barrier damage led to gut-liver axis derangement and triggered NLRP3 inflammasome in the liver of SD rats

Previous studies have shown that trans fatty acids(TFA) are associated with several chronic diseases,the gut microbiota is directly influenced by dietary components and linked to chronic diseases.Our research investigated the effects of elaidic acid(EA),a typical TFA,on the gut microbiota to understand the underlying mechanisms of TFA-related chronic diseases.16S rDNA gene sequencing on faecal samples from Sprague-Dawley rats were performed to explore the composition change of the gut microbiota by EA gavage for 4 weeks.The results showed that the intake of EA increased the abundance of well-documented harmful bacteria,such as Proteobacteria,Anaerotruncus,Oscillibacter and Desulfovibrionaceae.Plus,EA induced translocation of lipopolysaccharides(LPS) and the above pathogenic bacteria,disrupted the intestinal barrier,led to gut-liver axis derangement and TLR4 pathway activation in the liver.Overall,EA induced intestinal barrier damage and regulated TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB/MAPK pathways in the liver of SD rats,leading to the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and inflammatory liver damage.

Data driven analysis reveals prognostic genes and immunological targets in human sepsis-associated acute kidney injury

BACKGROUND:The molecular mechanism of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury(SA-AKI)is unclear.We analyzed co-differentially expressed genes(co-DEGs)to elucidate the underlying mechanism and intervention targets of SA-AKI.METHODS:The microarray datasets GSE65682,GSE30718,and GSE174220 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database.We identified the co-DEGs and constructed a gene co-expression network to screen the hub genes.We analyzed immune correlations and disease correlations and performed functional annotation of the hub genes.We also performed single-cell and microenvironment analyses and investigated the enrichment pathways and the main transcription factors.Finally,we conducted a correlation analysis to evaluate the role of the hub genes.RESULTS:Interleukin 32(IL32)was identified as the hub gene in SA-AKI,and the main enriched signaling pathways were associated with hemopoiesis,cellular response to cytokine stimulus,inflammatory response,and regulation of kidney development.Additionally,IL32 was significantly associated with mortality in SA-AKI patients.Monocytes,macrophages,T cells,and NK cells were closely related to IL32 and were involved in the immune microenvironment in SA-AKI patients.IL32 expression increased significantly in the kidney of septic mouse.Toll-like receptor 2(TLR2)was significantly and negatively correlated with IL32.CONCLUSION:IL32 is the key gene involved in SA-AKI and is significantly associated with prognosis.TLR2 and relevant immune cells are closely related to key genes.

Proactive Caching at the Wireless Edge:A Novel Predictive User Popularity-Aware Approach

Mobile Edge Computing(MEC)is a promising technology that provides on-demand computing and efficient storage services as close to end users as possible.In an MEC environment,servers are deployed closer to mobile terminals to exploit storage infrastructure,improve content delivery efficiency,and enhance user experience.However,due to the limited capacity of edge servers,it remains a significant challenge to meet the changing,time-varying,and customized needs for highly diversified content of users.Recently,techniques for caching content at the edge are becoming popular for addressing the above challenges.It is capable of filling the communication gap between the users and content providers while relieving pressure on remote cloud servers.However,existing static caching strategies are still inefficient in handling the dynamics of the time-varying popularity of content and meeting users’demands for highly diversified entity data.To address this challenge,we introduce a novel method for content caching over MEC,i.e.,PRIME.It synthesizes a content popularity prediction model,which takes users’stay time and their request traces as inputs,and a deep reinforcement learning model for yielding dynamic caching schedules.Experimental results demonstrate that PRIME,when tested upon the MovieLens 1M dataset for user request patterns and the Shanghai Telecom dataset for user mobility,outperforms its peers in terms of cache hit rates,transmission latency,and system cost.

Performance optimization of the neutron-sensitive image intensifier used in neutron imaging

As a non-destructive testing technology,neutron imaging plays an important role in various fields,including material science,nuclear engineering,and fundamental science.An imaging detector with a neutron-sensitive image intensifier has been developed and demonstrated to achieve good spatial resolution and timing resolution.However,the influence of the working voltage on the performance of the neutron-sensitive imaging intensifier has not been studied.To optimize the performance of the neutron-sensitive image intensifier at different voltages,experiments have been performed at the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS)neutron beamline.The change in the light yield and imaging quality with different voltages has been acquired.It is shown that the image quality benefits from the high gain of the microchannel plate(MCP)and the high accelerating electric field between the MCP and the screen.Increasing the accelerating electric field is more effective than increasing the gain of MCPs for the improvement of the imaging quality.Increasing the total gain of the MCP stack can be realized more effectively by improving the gain of the standard MCP than that of the n MCP.These results offer a development direction for image intensifiers in the future.

Semantic Segmentation and YOLO Detector over Aerial Vehicle Images

Intelligent vehicle tracking and detection are crucial tasks in the realm of highway management.However,vehicles come in a range of sizes,which is challenging to detect,affecting the traffic monitoring system’s overall accuracy.Deep learning is considered to be an efficient method for object detection in vision-based systems.In this paper,we proposed a vision-based vehicle detection and tracking system based on a You Look Only Once version 5(YOLOv5)detector combined with a segmentation technique.The model consists of six steps.In the first step,all the extracted traffic sequence images are subjected to pre-processing to remove noise and enhance the contrast level of the images.These pre-processed images are segmented by labelling each pixel to extract the uniform regions to aid the detection phase.A single-stage detector YOLOv5 is used to detect and locate vehicles in images.Each detection was exposed to Speeded Up Robust Feature(SURF)feature extraction to track multiple vehicles.Based on this,a unique number is assigned to each vehicle to easily locate them in the succeeding image frames by extracting them using the feature-matching technique.Further,we implemented a Kalman filter to track multiple vehicles.In the end,the vehicle path is estimated by using the centroid points of the rectangular bounding box predicted by the tracking algorithm.The experimental results and comparison reveal that our proposed vehicle detection and tracking system outperformed other state-of-the-art systems.The proposed implemented system provided 94.1%detection precision for Roundabout and 96.1%detection precision for Vehicle Aerial Imaging from Drone(VAID)datasets,respectively.