Cyanidin suppresses amyloid beta-induced neurotoxicity by inhibiting reactive oxygen speciesmediated DNA damage and apoptosis in PC12 cells

Amyloid beta（Aβ）-induced oxidative stress is a major pathologic hallmark of Alzheimer＇s disease. Cyanidin, a natural flavonoid compound, is neuroprotective against oxidative damage-mediated degeneration. However, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of cyanidin pretreatment against Aβ-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells, and explored the underlying mechanisms. Cyanidin pretreatment significantly attenuated Aβ-induced cell mortality and morphological changes in PC12 cells. Mechanistically, cyanidin effectively blocked apoptosis induced by Aβ, by restoring the mitochondrial membrane potential via upregulation of Bcl-2 protein expression. Moreover, cyanidin markedly protected PC12 cells from Aβ-induced DNA damage by blocking reactive oxide species and superoxide accumulation. These results provide evidence that cyanidin suppresses Aβ-induced cytotoxicity, by preventing oxidative damage mediated by reactive oxide species, which in turn inhibits mitochondrial apoptosis. Our study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of cyanidin in the prevention of oxidative stress-mediated Aβ neurotoxicity.

Assessment of Arctic sea ice simulations in CMIP5 models using a synthetical skill scoring method

The Arctic sea ice cover has declined at an unprecedented pace since the late 20th century. As a result, the feedback of sea ice anomalies for atmospheric circulation has been increasingly evidenced. While climatic models almost consistently reproduced a decreasing trend of sea ice cover, the reported results show a large distribution. To evaluate the performance of models for simulating Arctic sea ice cover and its potential role in climate change, this study constructed a reasonable metric by synthesizing both linear trends and anomalies of sea ice. This study particularly focused on the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea, where sea ice anomalies have the highest potential to affect the atmosphere. The investigated models can be grouped into three categories according to their normalized skill scores. The strong contrast among the multi-model ensemble means of different groups demonstrates the robustness and rationality of this method. Potential factors that account for the different performances of climate models are further explored. The results show that model performance depends more on the ozone datasets that are prescribed by the model rather than on the chemical representation of ozone.

Effect of Sn and Al additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of amorphous Ti–Cu–Zr–Ni alloys

Amorphous Ti–Cu–Zr–Ni alloys with minor addition of Sn and Al were prepared by melt spinning technique.The effects of Sn and Al additions on the microstructures and mechanical properties of glassy ribbons were investigated.The amorphous state of ribbons was confirmed by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy,where those ribbons with Sn addition exhibited a fully amorphous state.The characteristic temperature indicates that Ti45Cu35Zr10Ni5Sn5 alloy has a stronger glass-forming ability,as proven by differential scanning calorimetry.Ti45Cu35Zr10Ni5Al5 alloy showed a better hardness of 9.23 GPa and elastic modulus of 127.15 GPa and good wear resistance.Ti45Cu35Zr10Ni5Sn5 alloy displayed a pop-in event related to discrete plasticity according to nanoindentation.When the temperature is below 560 K,Ti45Cu35Zr10Ni5Sn5 alloy mainly exhibits elasticity.When the temperature rises between 717 K and 743 K,it shows a significant increase in elasticity but decrease in viscoelasticity after the ribbon experiences the main relaxation at 717 K.When the temperature is above 743 K,the ribbon shows viscoplasticity.

Evaluation of Circulating Antisperm Antibody in Infertile Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Objective To evaluate levels of the circulating antisperm antibody （ASA） in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS）.Methods Forty-six infertile women with PCOS were enrolled into this study. The serum was screened by the indirect immunobead test for ASA type IgG and IgA according to the WHO laboratory manual.Results Of the 46 patients assessed for ASA-IgG, 3 cases had immunobead binding which were 20%, 27% and 35%, respectively, and the sub-positive rate was 6.5%. No case had the clinical positive level according to the WHO criteria （50% or more of the motile sperm with immunobead binding）. ASA-IgA was not detected in all cases. Conclusion The circulating ASA is not associated with the pathogenesis of infertile women with PCOS.