Modified smoothed particle hydrodynamics approach for modelling dynamic contact angle hysteresis

Dynamic wetting plays an important role in the physics of multiphase flow, and has a significant influence on many industrial and geotechnical applications. In this work, a modified smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) model is employed to simulate surface tension, contact angle and dynamic wetting effects at meso-scale. The wetting and dewetting phenomena are simulated in a capillary tube, where the liquid particles are raised or withdrawn by a shifting substrate. The SPH model is modified by introducing a newly developed viscous force formulation at the liquid-solid interface to reproduce the rate-dependent behaviour of the moving contact line. Dynamic contact angle simulations with the interfacial viscous force are conducted to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of this new formulation. In addition, the influence of interfacial viscous forces with different magnitude on the contact angle dynamics is examined by empirical power-law correlations;the derived constants suggest that the dynamic contact angle changes monotonically with the interfacial viscous force. The simulation results are consistent with experimental observations and theoretical predictions, implying that the interfacial viscous force can be associated with the slip length of flow and the microscopic surface roughness. This work demonstrates that the modified SPH model can successfully account for the rate-dependent effects of a moving contact line, and can be used for realistic multiphase flow simulations under dynamic conditions.

Analysis of the Drug Sensitivity of Escherichia coli Isolated from Sheep in Yangling,Shaanxi Province

This study was conducted to investigate the drug sensitivity of Escherichia coli isolated from sheep, providing data reference for clinical medication. Fifty-four samples were collected from a certain sheep farm in Yangling, Shaanxi Province for E. coli isolation and identification, and K-B disk diffusion method was used to carry out the dug sensitivity test of 40 E. coli to the eight antimicrobials of spectinomycin, amikacin, tobramycin, enrofloxacin, nalidixic acid, levofloxacin, salafloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The results showed that there were 40 positive E. coli strains and the isolation rate was 74.7%. The resistance rates of the 40 E. coli to spectinomycin, amikacin,tobramycin and nalidixic acid were 85%, 95%, 97.5% and 87.5%, respectively, while the resistance rate to enrofloxacin, levofloxacin, salafloxacin and ciprofloxacin were relatively low and the resistance rates were 35%, 20%, 25% and 17.5%, respectively. The isolates showed different levels of drug resistance to eight antimicrobials and the highest resistance rate was 97.5%. It reminds that the sheep farm should strictly control the dosage according to the antimicrobial sensitive data in clinic.

Phylogenetic analysis of 48 gene families revealing relationships between Hagfishes, Lampreys, and Gnathostomata

It has become clear that the extant vertebrates are divided into three major groups, that is, hagfishes, lampreys, and jawed vertebrates. Morphological and molecular studies, however, have resulted in conflicting views with regard to their interrelationships. To clarify the phylogenetic relationships between them, 48 orthologous protein-coding gene families were analyzed. Even as the analysis of 34 nuclear gene families supported the monophyly of cyclostomes, the analysis of 14 mitochondrial gene families suggested a closer relationship between lampreys and gnathostomes compared to hagfishes. Lampreys were sister group of gnathostomes. The results of this study supported the cyclostomes. Choice of outgroup, tree-making methods, and software may affect the phylogenetic prediction, which may have caused much debate over the subject. Development of new methods for tackling such problems is still necessary.

Tissue factor/FVII regulates doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in glioblastoma via activating PI3K/Akt signaling

Objective： To investigate the role of tissue factor （TF） in chemotherapeutic reagent - induced apoptosis on human glioblastoma and explore its mechanism. Methods： The expression of TF was examined by Western blotting. The cytotoxicity of doxorubicin was determined by WST assay. The activation of Caspase-3 and PARP induced by adoxorubicin were tested by Western blotting. Results： Human glioblastoma cell line U373MG expressed high level of TF while LN-229 was with low-TF level. The chemotherapeutic reagent doxorubicin revealed stronger cytotoxic effect on high-TF U373MG cells than IowoTF LN-229 cells. Enforced strong expression of TF was achieved by transfection of TF-pcDNA3 combinant on LN-229 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Enforced TF expression in transfected LN-229 cells not only impaired the doxorubicin-induced cleavage of Caspase-3 and PARP, but also inhibited the cytotoxic effect of doxorubicin. Furthermore, activation of Akt was strong in high-TF U373MG cells but weak in IowoTF LN-229 cells. Incubation of factor VII （FVII） with enforced TF-expressing LN-229 cells increased the phosphorylaUon of Akt in a time-dependent manner. Conclusion： These results suggest that over-expression of TF on glioblastoma could inhibit doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Interaction of FVII and TF activates the downstream PI3K/Akt pathway. Tumor-derived over-expression of TF might play a role in chemotherapy resistance in glioblastoma, at lest in part, by activating PI3K/Akt-mediated survival and anti-apoptotic mechanism through the interaction of TF/FVII signaling.

Predictive value of angiopoietin-like protein 8 in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and its progression:A case-control study

BACKGROUND The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)is rapidly increasing,currently affecting approximately 25%of the global population.Liver fibrosis represents a crucial stage in the development of MAFLD,with advanced liver fibrosis elevating the risks of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.Simple serum markers are less effective in diagnosing liver fibrosis compared to more complex markers.However,imaging techniques like transient elastography face limitations in clinical application due to equipment and technical constraints.Consequently,it is imperative to identify a straightforward yet effective method for assessing MAFLD-associated liver fibrosis.AIM To investigate the predictive value of angiopoietin-like protein 8(ANGPTL8)in MAFLD and its progression.METHODS We analyzed 160 patients who underwent abdominal ultrasonography in the Endocrinology Department,Xiaogan Central Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology,during September 2021-July 2022.Using abdominal ultrasonography and MAFLD diagnostic criteria,among the 160 patients,80 patients(50%)were diagnosed with MAFLD.The MAFLD group was divided into the liver fibrosis group(n=23)and non-liver fibrosis group(n=57)by using a cut-off fibrosis-4 index≥1.45.Logistical regression was used to analyze the risk of MAFLD and the risk factors for its progression.Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the predictive value of serum ANGPTL8 in MAFLD and its progression.RESULTS Compared with non-MAFLD patients,MAFLD patients had higher serum ANGPTL8 and triglyceride-glucose(TyG)index(both P<0.05).Serum ANGPTL8(r=0.576,P<0.001)and TyG index(r=0.473,P<0.001)were positively correlated with MAFLD.Serum ANGPTL8 was a risk factor for MAFLD[odds ratio(OR):1.123,95%confidence interval(CI):1.066-1.184,P<0.001).Serum ANGPTL8 and ANGPTL8+TyG index predicted MAFLD[area under the curve(AUC):0.832 and 0.886,respectively;both P<0.05].Compared with MAFLD patients without fibrosis,those with fibrosis had higher serum ANGPTL8 and TyG index(both P<0.05),and both parameters were positively correlated with MAFLD-associated fibrosis.Elevated serum ANGPTL8(OR:1.093,95%CI:1.044-1.144,P<0.001)and TyG index(OR:2.383,95%CI:1.199-4.736,P<0.013)were risk factors for MAFLD-associated fibrosis.Serum ANGPTL8 and ANGPTL8+TyG index predicted MAFLD-associated fibrosis(AUC:0.812 and 0.835,respectively;both P<0.05).CONCLUSION The serum levels of ANGPTL8 are elevated and positively correlated with MAFLD.They can serve as predictors for the risk of MAFLD and liver fibrosis,with the ANGPTL8+TyG index potentially exhibiting even higher predictive value.

Hypoparathyroidism with situs inversus totalis:A case report

BACKGROUND Hypoparathyroidism(HP)is a rare endocrine disorder,while situs inversus totalis(SIT)is a rare condition in which the internal organs are positioned in a mirrored pattern compared to their usual positions.This case illustrates some potential shared mechanisms between HP and SIT,highlighting the importance of accurate identification and prompt first emergency,offering insights for future research.CASE SUMMARY This report discusses a case of a middle-aged patient with adolescent-onset HP with concurrent SIT.The patient experienced recurrent episodes of increased neuromuscular excitability(manifesting as spasms in the hands and feet and laryngospasms)and even periods of unconsciousness.Initially,these symptoms led to a misdiagnosis of epilepsy.Nevertheless,upon thorough examination and treatment in the general medicine ward,the correct diagnosis was established.Corresponding treatment resulted in improved management of the patient’s symptoms.CONCLUSION Co-occurrence of HP and SIT may be associated with genetic mutations,chromosomal anomalies,or hereditary factors,as may other similar conditions.

Analysis of Compliance Management Practice of American Drug Registration Applicants and Its Enlightenment to China

In order to achieve the goal of drug safety, effectiveness and quality control, corporate compliance management construction is significant. Therefore, this paper systematically analyzes the seven elements of compliance management for U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers as described in the Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers issued by the HHS-Office of Inspector General, as well as further analyzes the implementation of the guidance by representative multinational companies in different drug registration stages. Finally, some suggestions and implications are proposed to strengthen the construction of compliance management for Chinese drug registration applicants based on the former practical experience.

Estrogenic activities of two synthetic pyrethroids and their metabolites

Synthetic pyrethroids （SPs） are among the most common pesticides in current use, and so far, several SPs have been assessed for their potential estrogenicities by various methods. Previous studies have shown that the estrogenicities partly come from their metabolites. Although considerable information is available with respect to the metabolism and environmental degradation of SPs, little is known about the estrogenicities of the metabolites. In this study, permethrin （PM） and β-cypermethrin （CP）, as well as their metabolites （3-phenoxybenzoic alcohol （PBCOH）, 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde （PBCHO） and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid （PBCOOH） were evaluated for their estrogenic activities in the MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line. In the MCF-7 cell proliferation assay, PM and CP exhibited significant estrogenic activities at 10-7 mol/L, comparable to 17β-estradiol （E2） of 10-9 tool/L, with the relative proliferative effect ratios of 55.4% and 56.3%, respectively. The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qRT-PCR） results confirmed the estrogenicities of PM and CP with significant alteration of pS2 and ERα mRNA levels observed at 10-6 mol/L. For the three major metabolites, PBCOH and PBCOOH exhibited estrogenic activities in all assays, while no significant estrogenic responses was observed for PBCHO compared to the vehicle control. In particular, PBCOH had even slightly stronger estrogenic activity than its parent compounds, indicating that metabolism may be one of the reasons for the estrogenicities of the SPs. Given the widespread use of SPs, the toxicological effects of parent compounds and their metabolites should be taken into consideration in the risk assessment of SPs.

Association Between Homocysteine Level and Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Polymorphisms in Type 2 Diabetes Accompanied by Dyslipidemia

Objective To investigate the association between total homocysteine(tHcy)level in plasma and methylenetetrahydrofblate reductase(MTHFR)C677T and A1298C genetic polymorphisms in a Chinese Han nationality population with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)accompanied by dyslipidemia.Methods This case-control study enrolled T2DM patients with dyslipidemia and without dyslipidemia respectively.Sanger dideoxy-mediated chain-termination method was used to detect the gene polymorphisms of MTHFR C677T and A1298C.Plasma tHcy and lipid levels were measured as well.The genotype frequency and allele frequency between the dyslipidemia and non-dyslipidemia groups were compared by using Chi-square test.Plasma tHcy level ofT2DM patients who carried the different genotypes was compared by Student's t test.Results Finally,82 T2DM patients with dyslipidemia and 94 ones without dyslipidemia were included in this study.There was a significant correlation between tHcy level and MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism inT2DM patients(t=2.27,P=0.02).Moreover,the plasma tHcy level in the dyslipidemia patients who carried MTHFR 677TT genotype was significantly higher than that in those with CT+CC genotype(13.62+6.97 vs.10.95+3.62pmol/L,t=2.2O,P=0.03);while for patients without dyslipidemia,comparison of the tHcy level between those who carried the above two alleles showed no significantly difference(13.34±6.03 vs.12.04±5.09μmol/L,t=1.08,P=0.29).Conclusion MTHFR 677TT genotype might associate with higher tHcy level in T2DM patients with dyslipidemia.

Prevention strategies for ureteral stricture following ureteroscopic lithotripsy

Ureteral stricture formation after ureteroscopic lithotripsy is a late complication that can lead to hydronephrosis and a subsequent risk of renal deterioration.The specific incidence is unknown,and the mechanism of stricture formation has not been completely explained.In this review,we summarize the current evidence regarding the incidence of this condition and discuss its pathogenesis.We then list preventive strategies to reduce the morbidity of ureteral strictures。

Preparation and shaping of solid acid SO_4^(2-)/TiO_2 and its application for esterification of propylene glycol monomethyl ether and acetic acid

The solid acid SO_4^(2-)/TiO_2 was prepared by immersion method and applied for synthesis of propylene glycol methyl ether acetate(PMA) through esterification reaction of propylene glycol monomethyl ether(PM)and acetic acid(HAc). The optimal catalyst preparation condition was determined by orthogonal analysis of parameters in a five-factor and four-level test. The obtained solid acid catalysts were characterized in detail by means of X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetry, pyridine adsorbed IR analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and BET surface area method. Synthesis of PMA was studied in this paper through experimental investigation of reaction conditions such as temperature, molar ratio of reactants, catalyst dosage and agitation speed. Based on its possible reaction mechanism, a pseudo-homogeneous kinetic model was established and its activation energies E_a^+ and E_a^-,65.68 × 10~3J·mol^(-1) and 57.78 × 10~3J·mol^(-1), were estimated. To prepare shaped solid acid catalyst SO_4^(2-)/TiO_2, the shaping method of impregnation–shaping–impregnation was applied. The optimal molding formulation of solid acid catalyst, obtained from the orthogonal test, was found to be binder 7 wt%, reinforcing agent 20 wt%, pore forming material 2.5 wt%, and lubricant 4 wt%.The results of performance test of catalyst demonstrated that the shaped solid acid catalyst exhibited high activity and stability.

Hyperoside Suppresses Lipopolysaccharide-induced Inflammation and Apoptosis in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Finding the novel drug from the effective components of traditional Chinese herbal medicine is a hotspot of the modem pharmacological research. Hyperoside （HYP） belongs to flavonoid glycosides, and it has various properties, such as anti-inflammation, anti-spasm, anti-diuretic, antitussive, lowering blood pressure, and lowering cholesterol effects as well as protective effects for the cardiac and cerebral blood vessels. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of HYP on inflammatory and apoptotic responses in vascular endothelial cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） and further to identify the possible mechanisms underlying these effects. In our study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells （HUVECs） were stimulated with 1 Bg/mL LPS in the presence or absence of HYP （10, 20 and 50 μmol/L）. Our results indicated that HYP alone exerted no cytotoxicity on HUVECs, while it had an upregulatory effect on the viability of HUVECs induced by LPS in a dose-dependent manner; increased mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα and iNOS induced by LPS was attenuated after treatment with HYP both in a dose- and time-dependent manner; LPS-induced HUVECs apoptosis and cleaved-caspase 8, 9, 3 were all significantly reduced by HYP. Furthermore, the possible pathway involved in apoptosis and inflammation by HYP was detected, and the results showed that when treated with HYP, LPS-induced mitochondrial membrane instability was significantly inhibited through up-regulation of Bcl-2 and down-regulation of Bax. Furthermore, the expression of TLR4 and the phosphorylation of IκBα and p65 in LPS-treated cells were blocked by HYP. Our results suggested that HYP treatment prevented HUVECs from LPS- induced inflammation and apoptosis responses, which might be mediated by inhibiting TLR4/ NFκB pathway.

Transesterification of palm oil to biodiesel using Brφnsted acidic ionic liquid as high-efficient and eco-friendly catalyst

The transesterification of palm oil and methanol catalyzed by Br?nsted acidic ionic liquids was investigated. Four eco-friendly Br?nsted acidic ionic liquids were prepared and their structures were characterized by NMR, FT-IR and TG–DTG. The results demonstrated that [CyN_(1,1)PrSO_3H][p-TSA] was more efficient than the other ionic liquids and chosen as catalyst for further research. The influences of various reaction parameters on the conversion of palm oil to biodiesel were performed, and the orthogonal test was investigated to seek the optimum reaction conditions, which were illustrated as follows: methanol to oil mole ratio of 24:1, catalyst dosage of 3.0 wt% of oil, reaction temperature of 120 °C, reaction time of 150 min, and the biodiesel yield achieved 98.4%. In addition, kinetic study was established for the conversion process, with activation energy and preexponential factor of 122.93 k J·mol^(-1) and 1.83 × 10^(15), respectively. Meanwhile, seven-time recycling runs of ionic liquid were completed with ignorable loss of its catalyst activity. The refined biodiesel met the biodiesel standard EN 14214.

Hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha mediates protection of DL-3-n-butylphthalide in brain microvascular endothelial cells against oxygen glucose deprivation-induced injury

Studies have demonstrated that DL-3-n-butylphthalide can significantly alleviate oxygen glucose deprivation-induced injury of human umbilical vein endothelial cells at least partly associated with its enhancement on oxygen glucose deprivation-induced hypoxia inducible factor-1α expression.In this study,we hypothesized that DL-3-n-butylphthalide can protect against oxygen glucose deprivation-induced injury of newborn rat brain microvascular endothelial cells by means of upregulating hypoxia inducible factor-1α expression.MTT assay and Hoechst staining results showed that DL-3-n-butylphthalide protected brain microvascular endothelial cells against oxygen glucose deprivation-induced injury in a dose-dependent manner.Western blot and immunofluorescent staining results further confirmed that the protective effect was related to upregulation of hypoxia inducible factor-1α.Real-time RT-PCR reaction results showed that DL-3-n-butylphthalide reduced apoptosis by inhibiting downregulation of pro-apoptotic gene caspase-3 mRNA expression and upregulation of apoptosis-executive protease bcl-2 mRNA expression;however,DL-3-n-butylphthalide had no protective effects on brain microvascular endothelial cells after knockdown of hypoxia inducible factor-1α by small interfering RNA.These findings suggest that DL-3-n-butylphthalide can protect brain microvascular endothelial cells against oxygen glucose deprivation-induced injury by upregulating bcl-2 expression and downregulating caspase-3 expression though hypoxia inducible factor-1α pathway.

Inhibitory Effects of Ginsenoside Rb1 on Apoptosis Caused by HSV-1 in Human Glioma Cells

To investigate the inhibitory effects of Ginsenoside Rbl （GRbl） on apoptosis caused by Herpes Simplex Virus-1 （HSV-1） in Human Glioma Cells （U251）, U251 cells were infected by HSV-1 at a multiplicity of infection of 5 and GRbl, GRbl＋HSV-1, HSV-1 and control groups. MTT and cell apoptosis assays were used to detect the inhibitory effects of GRbl on the apoptosis of U251 cells that caused by HSV-1 infection for various concentrations of drug and virus treatments by MTT assay. We found that in the 400 μg/mL GRb 1 and 400 μg/mL GRbl＋HSV-1 groups, MTT values were higher than control group at all times （P〈0.05）. Moreover, the apoptosis rate in the 400 μg/mL GRbl＋HSV-1 group was lower than the HSV-1 group （P〈0. 05）. These results confirmed that, at appropriate concentrations, GRbl could inhibit nerve cell apoptosis in HSV-1 infections.

Salinity effects on soil shrinkage characteristic curves of fine-grained geomaterials

Fine-grained clayey soils are prone to substantial volume changes during desiccation in response to the dynamics of their moisture regime,and are of critical importance in several geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering applications. As such, the complex interactions between the fraction of soil solids and the ionic pore fluid play a critical role in governing such volume changes, and have been the focus in studies dealing with marine geotechnology, mine-tailing ponds, engineered barrier systems, etc.With this in mind, the present investigation evaluates the volume changes and accompanying densification from a saturated slurry state to a constant volume state of a reference fine-grained geomaterial,kaolin, subjected to evaporative dewatering. For this purpose, several parametric studies involving determination of soil shrinkage characteristic curves(SSCCs) of kaolin under the influence of varied salt constituents and concentrations of pore fluid are performed. Furthermore, a critical assessment of SSCCs depicting progressive shrinkage and volume change behaviour of geomaterials is provided, followed by the analysis of experimentally obtained SSCCs of the kaolin to explore the impacts of pore fluid salinity.Moreover, the SSCCs are parameterised with a predictive model and the fitting parameters are used to quantitatively demonstrate the salinity-dependent volume change response of a representative finegrained porous system.

The SOC1-like gene BoMADS50 is associated with the flowering of Bambusa oldhamii

Bamboo is known for its edible shoots and beautiful texture and has considerable economic and ornamental value.Unique among traditional flowering plants,many bamboo plants undergo extensive synchronized flowering followed by large-scale death,seriously affecting the productivity and application of bamboo forests.To date,the molecular mechanism of bamboo flowering characteristics has remained unknown.In this study,a SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1(SOC1)-like gene,BoMADS50,was identified from Bambusa oldhamii.BoMADS50 was highly expressed in mature leaves and the floral primordium formation period during B.oldhamii flowering and overexpression of BoMADS50 caused early fl owering in transgenic rice.Moreover,BoMADS50 could interact with APETALA1/FRUITFULL(AP1/FUL)-like proteins(BoMADS 14-1/2,BoMADS15-1/2)in vivo,and the expression of BoMADS50 was signi ficantly promoted by BoMADS14-1,further indicating a synergistic effect between BoMADS50 and BoAP1/FUL-like proteins in regulating B.oldhamii flowering.We also identi fi ed four additional transcripts of BoMADS50(BoMADS50-1/2/3/4)with different nucleotide variations.Although the protein-CDS were polymorphic,they had flowering activation functions similar to those of BoMADS50.Yeast one-hybrid and transient expression assays subsequently showed that both BoMADS50 and BoMADS50-1 bind to the promoter fragment of itself and the SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE(SVP)-like gene BoSVP,but only BoMADS50-1 can positively induce their transcription.Therefore,nucleotide variations likely endow BoMADS50-1 with strong regulatory activity.Thus,BoMADS50 and BoMADS50-1/2/3/4 are probably important positive flowering regulators in B.oldhamii.Moreover,the functional conservatism and speci ficity of BoMADS50 and BoMADS50-1 might be related to the synchronized and sporadic flowering characteristics of B.oldhamii.

Enhancement of CD4^+ T cell activities and modulation of Th1/Th2 lineage development in radiated tumor-bearing rats treated with male zooid of Antheraea pernyi extracts

AIM： To investigate whether supplementation of male zooid of Antheraea pernyi extracts （MZAPE） could enhance immune function of radiated tumor-bearing rats. METHODS： Eighty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group, a simple radiation group, a MZAPE group, and a radiation plus MZAPE group. With the tumor model established by implanting Walker-256 ascites tumor cells, tumor weight and tumor control rate were calculated. The rats in the simple radiation and radiation plus MZAPE groups were underwent to radiation at 10 Gy within 2 d. In the MZAPE and radiation plus MZAPE groups, the MZAPE was gavaged at a dose of 16.53 mg/kg once a day for 7 d. T cell subsets in peripheral blood were determined by flow cytometry and the expression of IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 in sera were determined by ELISA on the 8th d. RESULTS： The tumor weight of simple radiation group, MZAPE group and radiation plus MZAPE group was lower than that of control group （P 〈 0.01） and tumor control rates were 63.08% ± 6.43%, 69.86%± 7.12% and 35.30% ± 7.67%, respectively. CD^4＋ T and CD^8＋ T cells in the peripheral blood of the simple radiation group were fewer than in control group. In the MZAPE and radiation plus MZAPE groups, the number of CD^4＋ T cells was higher while CD^8＋ T cells was lower than in the control and simple radiation groups. Expression of IL-2 and INF-y in the radiation group was lower than in control group, and significantly enhanced during MZAPE therapy （P 〈 0.05）. Expression of IL-4 and IL-10 in the radiation group had no significant changes compared with the control group, and decreased significantly after MZAPE treatment （P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： MZAPE administration may help improve the immune function of the radiated tumor-bearing rats and reverse the radiation-induced immune inhibition by promoting the proliferation of T helper cells and inducing the transdifferentiation from Th2 to Th1.

Mechanisms of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for antidepression: Evidence from preclinical studies

This review summarizes the anti-depressant mechanisms of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in preclinical studies,including anti-inflammatory effects mediated by activation of nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 signaling pathway,anti-oxidative stress effects,enhancement of synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis via activation of the endocannabinoid system and brain derived neurotrophic factor signaling pathway,increasing the content of monoamine neurotransmitters via inhibition of Sirtuin 1/monoamine oxidase A signaling pathway,and reducing the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis.We also discuss the shortcomings of transcranial magnetic stimulation in preclinical studies such as inaccurate positioning,shallow depth of stimulation,and difficulty in elucidating the neural circuit mechanism up-and down-stream of the stimulation target brain region.

Polymeric ionic liquids(PILs)with high acid density:Tunable catalytic performance for biodiesel production

A series of polymeric ionic liquids(PILs)used as effective heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production via esterification of free fatty acids(FFAs)were effectively prepared by the reaction of poly(ethylene imine)(PEI)polymers with different molecular weight and 1,3-propanesultone,followed by the further acidification with differential effective acids,i.e.H2SO4,CF3SO3H,CH3SO3H or p-toluenesulfonic acid(p-TSA).Ultrahigh acidity and catalytic performance were achieved and could be fine-tuned by simply adjusting the molecular weight of PEI and by further treatment of acids.Specifically,under the optimal conditions(i.e.reaction temperature was 70℃,reaction time was 2.0 h,catalyst dosage was 3.15%(mass),and alcohol/acid molar ratio was 14:1)acquired through the Box-BEHNKEN response surface methodology,a high oleic acid conversion of 98.42%could be obtained over the optimal PIL,PEI(70000)-PS-p-TSA.Additionally,our PILs also showed high generality for esterification of other FFAs,with general high conversion over 90%noted in each case even under much milder reaction conditions compared to other conventional catalysts.