Tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene-6 ameliorates early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage by suppressing NLRC4 inflammasome-mediated astrocyte pyroptosis

Subarachnoid hemorrhage is associated with high morbidity and mortality and lacks effective treatment.Pyroptosis is a crucial mechanism underlying early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage.Previous studies have confirmed that tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene-6(TSG-6)can exert a neuroprotective effect by suppressing oxidative stress and apoptosis.However,no study to date has explored whether TSG-6 can alleviate pyroptosis in early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage.In this study,a C57BL/6J mouse model of subarachnoid hemorrhage was established using the endovascular perforation method.Our results indicated that TSG-6 expression was predominantly detected in astrocytes,along with NLRC4 and gasdermin-D(GSDMD).The expression of NLRC4,GSDMD and its N-terminal domain(GSDMD-N),and cleaved caspase-1 was significantly enhanced after subarachnoid hemorrhage and accompanied by brain edema and neurological impairment.To explore how TSG-6 affects pyroptosis during early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage,recombinant human TSG-6 or a siRNA targeting TSG-6 was injected into the cerebral ventricles.Exogenous TSG-6 administration downregulated the expression of NLRC4 and pyroptosis-associated proteins and alleviated brain edema and neurological deficits.Moreover,TSG-6 knockdown further increased the expression of NLRC4,which was accompanied by more severe astrocyte pyroptosis.In summary,our study revealed that TSG-6 provides neuroprotection against early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage by suppressing NLRC4 inflammasome activation-induced astrocyte pyroptosis.

Low-fat microwaved peanut snacks production:Effect of defatting treatment on structural characteristics,texture,color,and nutrition

This study develops low-fat microwaved peanut snacks(LMPS)using partially defatted peanuts(PDP)with different defatting ratios,catering to people’s pursuit of healthy,low-fat cuisine.The effects of defatting treatment on the structural characteristics,texture,color,and nutrient composition of LMPS were comprehensively explored.The structural characteristics of LMPS were characterized using X-ray micro-computed tomography(Micro-CT)and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The results demonstrated that the porosity,pore number,pore volume,brightness,brittleness,protein content,and total sugar content of LMPS all significantly increased(P<0.05)with the increase in the defatting ratio.At the micro level,porous structure,cell wall rupture,and loss of intracellular material could be observed in LMPS after defatting treatments.LMPS made from PDP with a defatting ratio of 64.44%had the highest internal pore structural parameters(porosity 59%,pore number 85.3×105,pore volume 68.23 mm3),the brightest color(L*78.39±0.39),the best brittleness(3.64±0.21)mm^(–1)),and the best nutrition(high protein content,(34.02±0.38)%;high total sugar content,(17.45±0.59)%;low-fat content,(27.58±0.85)%).The study provides a theoretical basis for the quality improvement of LMPS.

Effects of Enteromorpha prolifera polysaccharides on growth performance,intestinal barrier function and cecal microbiota in yellow-feathered broilers under heat stress

Background Global warming leading to heat stress(HS)is becoming a major challenge for broiler production.This study aimed to explore the protective effects of seaweed(Enteromorpha prolifera)polysaccharides(EPS)on the intestinal barrier function,microbial ecology,and performance of broilers under HS.A total of 144 yellow-feathered broilers(male,56 days old)with 682.59±7.38 g were randomly assigned to 3 groups:1)TN(thermal neutral zone,23.6±1.8℃),2)HS(heat stress,33.2±1.5℃ for 10 h/d),and 3)HSE(HS+0.1%EPS).Each group contained 6 replicates with 8 broilers per replicate.The study was conducted for 4 weeks;feed intake and body weights were measured at the end of weeks 2 and 4.At the end of the feeding trial,small intestine samples were collected for histomorphology,antioxidant,secretory immunoglobulin A(s Ig A)content,apoptosis,gene and protein expression analysis;cecal contents were also collected for microbiota analysis based on 16S r DNA sequencing.Results Dietary EPS promoted the average daily gain(ADG)of broilers during 3–4 weeks of HS(P<0.05).At the end of HS on broilers,the activity of total superoxide dismutase(T-SOD),glutathione S-transferase(GST),and the content of s Ig A in jejunum were improved by EPS supplementation(P<0.05).Besides,dietary EPS reduced the epithelial cell apoptosis of jejunum and ileum in heat-stressed broilers(P<0.05).Addition of EPS in HS group broilers'diet upregulated the relative m RNA expression of Occludin,ZO-1,γ-GCLc and IL-10 of the jejunum(P<0.05),whereas downregulated the relative m RNA expression of NF-κB p65,TNF-αand IL-1βof the jejunum(P<0.05).Dietary EPS increased the protein expression of Occludin and ZO-1,whereas it reduced the protein expression of NF-κB p65 and MLCK(P<0.01)and tended to decrease the protein expression of TNF-α(P=0.094)in heat-stressed broilers.Furthermore,the proportions of Bacteroides and Oscillospira among the three groups were positively associated with jejunal apoptosis and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression(P<0.05)and negatively correlated with jejunal Occludin level(P<0.05).However,the proportions of Lactobacillus,Barnesiella,Subdoligranulum,Megasphaera,Collinsella,and Blautia among the three groups were positively related to ADG(P<0.05).Conclusions EPS can be used as a feed additive in yellow-feathered broilers.It effectively improves growth performance and alleviates HS-induced intestinal injury by relieving inflammatory damage and improving the tight junction proteins expression.These beneficial effects may be related to inhibiting NF-κB/MLCK signaling pathway activation and regulation of cecal microbiota.

掺杂质子化石墨相氮化碳增强碳基太阳能电池中钙钛矿的结晶质量

钙钛矿层的品质极大影响钙钛矿太阳能电池性能.然而,在溶液法生成多晶钙钛矿膜过程中会不可避免地形成缺陷和陷阱位.通过在钙钛矿层中嵌入添加物改善钙钛矿晶化,用于减少和钝化缺陷是非常重要的.本文合成一种环境友好的二维纳米材料质子化石墨相氮化碳(p-g-C_(3)N_(4)),并掺杂于碳基钙太阳能电池的钙钛矿层中.实验证明,在钙钛矿前驱体溶液中添加p-g-C_(3)N_(4)不仅能调解碘铅甲胺(MAPbI_(3))结品的成核和生长速率,获得大晶粒尺寸的平滑表面,还能减少钙钛矿层的本征缺陷.质子化过程在氮化碳表面引入活性基团-NH_(2)/-NH_(3),它们和钙钛矿晶体表面N-H键发生强化学作用,有效地钝化电子陷阱,提高钙钛矿结晶质量.结果表明,与不掺杂的对照电池(效率为4.48%)和掺杂石墨相氮化碳(g-C_(3)N_(4))电池(效率为5.93%)相比,掺杂质子化石墨相氮化碳(p-g-C_(3)N_(4))的电池获得了6.61%的较高效率.本工作展示了一种通过掺杂改性添加物改善钙钛矿膜的简单方法,为碳基钙钛矿太阳能电池的低成本制备提供了建议.

Effect of quadratic pressure gradient term on a one-dimensional moving boundary problem based on modified Darcy's law

A relatively high formation pressure gradient can exist in seepage flow in low-permeable porous media with a threshold pressure gradient, and a significant error may then be caused in the model computation by neglecting the quadratic pressure gradient term in the governing equations. Based on these concerns, in consideration of the quadratic pressure gradient term, a basic moving boundary model is constructed for a one-dimensional seepage flow problem with a threshold pressure gradient. Owing to a strong nonlinearity and the existing moving boundary in the mathematical model, a corresponding numerical solution method is presented. First, a spatial coordinate transformation method is adopted in order to transform the system of partial differential equa- tions with moving boundary conditions into a closed system with fixed boundary conditions; then the solution can be sta- bly numerically obtained by a fully implicit finite-difference method. The validity of the numerical method is verified by a published exact analytical solution. Furthermore, to compare with Darcy＇s flow problem, the exact analytical solution for the case of Darcy＇s flow considering the quadratic pressure gradient term is also derived by an inverse Laplace transform. A comparison of these model solutions leads to the conclu- sion that such moving boundary problems must incorporate the quadratic pressure gradient term in their governing equa- tions; the sensitive effects of the quadratic pressure gradient term tend to diminish, with the dimensionless threshold pres- sure gradient increasing for the one-dimensional problem.

Numerical investigation of dual-porosity model with transient transfer function based on discrete-fracture model

Based on the characteristics of fractures in naturally fractured reservoir and a discrete-fracture model, a fracture network numerical well test model is developed. Bottom hole pressure response curves and the pressure field are obtained by solving the model equations with the finite-element method. By analyzing bottom hole pressure curves and the fluid flow in the pressure field, seven flow stages can be recognized on the curves. An upscaling method is developed to compare with the dual-porosity model （DPM）. The comparisons results show that the DPM overestimates the inter-porosity coefficient ）, and the storage factor w. The analysis results show that fracture conductivity plays a leading role in the fluid flow. Matrix permeability influences the beginning time of flow from the matrix to fractures. Fractures density is another important parameter controlling the flow. The fracture linear flow is hidden under the large fracture density. The pressure propagation is slower in the direction of larger fracture density.

A numerical approach for pressure transient analysis of a vertical well with complex fractures

A new well test model for a vertical fractured well is developed based on a discrete-fracture model in which the fractures are discretized as one dimensional（1-D） entities.The model overcomes the weakness of complex meshing,a large number of grids, and instability in conventional stripe-fracture models. Then, the discrete-fracture model is implemented using a hybrid element finite-element method.Triangular elements are used for matrix and line elements for the fractures. The finite element formulation is validated by comparing with the semi-analytical solution of a single vertical fractured well. The accuracy of the approach is shown through several examples with different fracture apertures,fracture conductivity, and fracture amount. Results from the discrete-fracture model agree reasonably well with the stripefracture model and the analytic solutions. The advantages of the discrete-fracture model are presented in mesh generation, computational improvement, and abilities to handle complex fractures like wedge-shaped fractures and fractures with branches. Analytical results show that the number of grids in the discrete-fracture model is 10 % less than stripefracture model, and computational efficiency increases by about 50 %. The more fractures there are, the more the computational efficiency increases.

The occurrence of diffuse axonal injury in the brain:associated with the accumulation and clearance of myelin debris

The accumulation of myelin debris may be a major contributor to the inlfammatory response after diffuse axonal injury. In this study, we examined the accumulation and clearance of myelin debris in a rat model of diffuse axonal injury. Oil Red O staining was performed on sections from the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and brain stem to identify the myelin debris. Seven days after diffuse axonal injury, many Oil Red O-stained particles were observed in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and brain stem. In the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, the amount of myelin debris peaked at 14 days after injury, and decreased signiifcantly at 28 days. In the brain stem, the amount of myelin debris peaked at 7 days after injury, and decreased signiifcantly at 14 and 28 days. In the cortex and hippocampus, some myelin debris could still be observed at 28 days after diffuse axonal injury. Our ifndings suggest that myelin debris may persist in the rat central ner-vous system after diffuse axonal injury, which would hinder recovery.

Phytochemical profiling and biological activity of Plectranthus amboinicus(Lour.) mediated by various solvent extracts against Aedes aegypti larvae and toxicity evaluation

Objective:To analyze the phytochemical compounds and to investigate the bio-toxic efficacy of various solvent extracts of Plectranthus amboinicus against mosquito larvae activity and lethality on non-targeting organisms.Methods:The methanol,ethyl acetate,hexane,and aqueous extracts of Plectranthus amboinicus were subjected to analyze the mosquitocidal activity against the dengue vector,Aedes aegypti and toxicity assays on zebra fish and brine shrimp.Three replications were performed,and negative control was also maintained.Amongst,ethyl acetate extract of Plectranthus amboinicus was chosen for the determination of bio-active compounds.Results:The mosquitocidal assays of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of Plectranthus amboinicus showed the maximal activity with minimal concentration against the 4 th instar mosquito-larvae of Aedes aegypti through the following lethal concentration(LC50 and LC90)values:53.36&92.51μg/m L and 13.64&86.09μg/mL,respectively.In addition,the plant extracts showed no toxicity on zebra fish embryo and brine shrimp assays.The gas-chromatography analysis of the ethyl acetate extract of Plectranthus amboinicus revealed the presence of seven different compounds.Among them,PAEA-fraction 60 contained a major active bioactive compound,hexadecanoic acid,methyl ester(270.0).Conclusions:Plectranthus amboinicus possesses mosquitocidal properties and could be used as a potential alternative source for preparing the mosquitocidal agents.

Altitudinal Variation in Digestive Tract Length in Yunnan Pond Frog (Pelophylax pleuraden)

The digestive tract plays an important role in digestion and the acquisition of food energy. Understanding the impact of abiotic environments on digestive tract morphology is especially important for evolution of digestive tract across different environments. Here, we investigated altitudinal variation in digestive tract length in the Yunnan Pond Frog （Pelophylaxpleuraden） across five populations ranging from 1413 m to 1935 m a.s.1, in Ningnan County, Sichuan province in western China. Frogs were collected during the breeding season, from 1-5 June 2012. Our results revealed that females had longer digestive tract and relative digestive tract （i.e. digestive tract length / body size） lengths in com- parison to males, on average, but the differences between them decreased with increasing altitude. Digestive tract and relative digestive tract lengths increased with increasing altitude suggesting that a higher proportion of indigestible ma- terials may be consumed at high-altitude sites and result in a relative increase in digestive tract dimensions.

Structural Characteristics and Evolution Process of the Metamorphic Buried Hill: A Case of BZ Oilfield in Bohai Bay, China

Bozhong oilfield which is abbreviated as BZ oilfield is the first oilfield with deep metamorphic buried hill that is discovered reserves of billion-ton in Bohai Bay. Affected by multi-stage tectonic movements, the distribution of fractures is very complex in this area, therefore it is significant to study the evolution of structures for understanding the distribution of fractures. In view of the complexity on the tectonic evolution of the buried hill region in the study area, the influence of tectonic movements on the formation of fractured reservoir is analyzed, and the research results lay the foundation for the efficient development in this type of the oilfield. The results show that main faults, which is formed during early Indosinian and Yanshanian period, are mainly developed in the BZ oilfield area, and the fracture strike has mainly east-west and north-east-east trend. Based on the analysis of the relationship among tectonic evolution, regional stress field and fracture development, it is considered that Indosinian extrusion is the main reason for the formation of main direction faults in the study area. Yanshanian strike-slip transformation and Himalayan reactivation further controlled the development of the fractured reservoirs in the later stage, and formed the present fracture network system. Well block 5 is located in passive plate system during Indosinian period, it is affected by Himalayan stretching and long-term activation of large faults in the later stage, so that the effective fractures are relatively developed. The result plays an important role in guiding the overall plan deployment of the BZ oilfield.

超声引导下不同位置收肌管阻滞用于老年全膝关节置换术后的镇痛效果观察

目的探讨超声引导下不同位置收肌管阻滞用于老年患者在全身麻醉下接受单侧全膝关节置换术后的镇痛效果。方法前瞻性收集2019年9月10日至2021年6月30日于秦皇岛市第一医院接受单侧膝关节置换术的老年患者64例,男性34例,女性30例,年龄65~83岁,按照随机数字表法分为两组(n=32),对照组采用超声引导下近端收肌管阻滞,观察组为远端收肌管阻滞。记录两组手术情况包括手术时间,神经阻滞操作时间,术中出血量和术后48 h内引流量,比较两组患者术后疼痛程度、镇痛泵按压和镇痛补救次数、股四头肌肌力以及膝关节活动情况。结果64例患者均获得随访,随访时间10~12个月。两组患者在手术时间、神经阻滞操作时间、术中出血量、术后引流量、术后镇痛药物补救方面差异无统计学意义。两组患者VAS评分和患肢活动情况进行重复测量方差分析,结果显示静息状态下VAS评分不同时间点之间差异有统计学意义(F=29.342,P=0.000)。活动时VAS评分两组间差异有统计学意义(F=12.295,P=0.001),不同时间点之间差异有统计学意义(F=3.373,P=0.010)。术后股四头肌肌力两组患者之间差异有统计学意义(F=6.918,P=0.011),两组术后膝关节活动度有差异(F=7.263,P=0.009),不同时间点差异有统计学意义(F=25.238,P=0.000)。结论远端收肌管阻滞为老年全麻下膝关节置换术后提供较为理想的镇痛效果,对股四头肌肌力影响较小,有利于早期运动功能恢复。

Secure Scheme for Locating Disease-Causing Genes Based on Multi-Key Homomorphic Encryption

Genes have great significance for the prevention and treatment of some diseases.A vital consideration is the need to find a way to locate pathogenic genes by analyzing the genetic data obtained from different medical institutions while protecting the privacy of patients’genetic data.In this paper,we present a secure scheme for locating disease-causing genes based on Multi-Key Homomorphic Encryption(MKHE),which reduces the risk of leaking genetic data.First,we combine MKHE with a frequency-based pathogenic gene location function.The medical institutions use MKHE to encrypt their genetic data.The cloud then homomorphically evaluates specific gene-locating circuits on the encrypted genetic data.Second,whereas most location circuits are designed only for locating monogenic diseases,we propose two location circuits(TH-intersection and Top-q)that can locate the disease-causing genes of polygenic diseases.Third,we construct a directed decryption protocol in which the users involved in the homomorphic evaluation can appoint a target user who can obtain the final decryption result.Our experimental results show that compared to the JWB+17 scheme published in the journal Science,our scheme can be used to diagnose polygenic diseases,and the participants only need to upload their encrypted genetic data once,which reduces the communication traffic by a few hundred-fold.

Stabilization of hexavalent chromium with pretreatment and high temperature sintering in highly contaminated soil

This study explored the effectiveness and mechanisms of high temperature sintering following prereduction with ferric sulfate(FeSO_(4)),sodium sulfide(Na_(2)S),or citric acid(C_(6)H_(8)O_(7))in stabilizing hexavalent chromium(Cr(VI))in highly contaminated soil.The soil samples had an initial total Cr leaching of 1768.83 mg/L,and Cr(VI)leaching of 1745.13 mg/L.When FeSO_(4)or C_(6)H_(8)O_(7)reduction was followed by sintering at 1000℃,the Cr leaching was reduced enough to meet the Safety Landfill Standards regarding general industrial solid waste.This combined treatment greatly improved the stabilization efficiency of chromium because the reduction of Cr(VI)into Cr(III)decreased the mobility of chromium and made it more easily encapsulated in minerals during sintering.SEM,XRD,TG-DSC,and speciation analysis indicated that when the sintering temperature reached 1000℃,almost all the chromium in soils that had the pre-reduction treatment was transformed into the residual form.At 1000℃,the soil melted and promoted the mineralization of Cr and the formation of new Cr-containing compounds,which significantly decreased subsequent leaching of chromium from the soil.However,without reduction treatment,chromium continued to leach from the soil even after being sintered at 1000℃,possibly because the soil did not fully fuse and because Cr(VI)does not bind with soil as easily as Cr(III).