Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors gama ameliorates liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by inhibiting TGF-β/Smad signaling activation

Background:Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is a chronic condition characterized by a progressive decline in liver function,leading to disruptions in liver integrity and metabolic function,resulting in lipid deposition and excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix(ECM).The pathogenesis of NAFLD is complex and not yet fully understood,contributing to the absence of specific therapeutic strategies.Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma(PPARγ)is a ligand-activated transcription factor pivotal in regulating lipid and glucose metabolism.However,the impacts of PPARγon NAFLD remains insufficiently explored.Thus,this study aimed to investigate the role of PPARγin NAFLD and its underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods:Chemical detection kits were utilized to quantify collagen content,alanine aminotransferase(ALT),and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)level variations.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was employed to assess alterations in extracellular matrix-related genes and inflammatory response genes in liver tissue and HepG2 cells,while western blotting was conducted to analyze the levels of both PPARγand the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.Results:Our findings unveiled significantly reduced PPARγexpression in a rat model of NAFLD,leading to subsequent activation of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.Furthermore,PPARγactivation effectively mitigated NAFLD progression by inhibiting inflammation and fibrosis-related gene expression and collagen production.On a cellular level,PPARγactivation was found to inhibit the expression of extracellular matrix-related genes such as matrix metalloproteinase 2(MMP2)and matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9),along with inflammatory response genes interleukin(IL)-1βand IL-6.Additionally,PPARγactivation led to a significant decrease in the levels of ALT and AST.At the molecular level,PPARγnotably down-regulated the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway,which is known to promote liver fibrosis.Conclusion:These groundbreaking findings underscore PPARγactivation as a promising therapeutic approach to delay NAFLD progression by targeting the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in hepatic cells.This highlights the potential of PPARγas a promising therapeutic target for NAFLD management in clinical settings.

Promotion effect of Re additive on the bifunctional Ni catalysts for methanation coupling with water gas shift of biogas: Insights from activation energy

The cheap manganese sand was first modified by H2O2 and was further creatively utilized as Ni-based catalyst support.In order to enhance the catalytic performance,Re was added into the Ni-based catalyst and the promotion effect of Re on the methanation coupling with water gas shift of biogas was investigated from the perspective of activation energy.It was found that CH4 and CO2 formation rates,which separately represented the reaction rate of methanation and water gas shift,were both enhanced after Re addition compared to non-added catalyst.Two kinetics models including empirical model and K-model were employed and from the results of calculation,it showed that Re selectively decreased the activation energy of methanation reaction and had little impact on the activation energy of water gas shift.The increased CO2 formation rate was owing to the assistance of accelerated H2O production from methanation rather than the activation energy change in water gas shift.

Molecular biomarkers:multiple roles in radiotherapy

Preoperative chemoradiation therapy(CRT)is becoming the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.However,individual differences in response to treatment range from a complete response to complete resistance.Predicting the tumor response to radiotherapy may improve the efficacy of radiotherapy.This review mainly summarizes recent studies about the molecular biomarkers that can predict the response to radiotherapy in rectal cancer.These studies have indicated that the molecular markers involved in the response to radiotherapy mainly include genes related to radiosensitivity,cancer stem cell-related markers,non-coding RNAs(ncRNAs),single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)and gene methylation,and other factors including carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)level,anemia,lymphocytes,and signaling pathways.Many of these identified markers are mainly associated with DNA repair,apoptosis,and cell cycle,but some involve unknown cell mechanisms.We speculate that predictors of radiotherapy response may involve combinations of multiple molecular biomarkers that may be useful for the development of individualized therapy for rectal cancer patients.

YAP蛋白的亚细胞定位在瘢痕疙瘩发生中的作用

瘢痕疙瘩主要是由于皮肤修复过程中出现异常纤维化,打破了细胞外基质合成与降解的平衡,使细胞外胶原过度沉积而形成。目前瘢痕疙瘩的治疗方式以包含手术切除、局部注射、激光、放射治疗的综合治疗为主,但仍有较高的复发率。探究瘢痕疙瘩发生发展的分子机制对瘢痕疙瘩的临床治疗有重要意义。Hippo通路可能是瘢痕疙瘩发生的重要通路之一。Hippo通路下游转录调节因子YAP蛋白的亚细胞定位同瘢痕疙瘩的发生发展存在一定联系。本文对瘢痕疙瘩发生过程中Hippo通路的作用及其机制进行综述,为瘢痕疙瘩的治疗提供一定的理论支持。

Research on the Relationship between Grain Composition and Repose Angle of Coal Gangue in Dongkuang Mine, Heshan City, Guangxi, China

Heshan, a city in Southwest China, has been built over an old coal mining area. Due to low level of reclamation, coal gangue had been stacked in large heaps and caused geological environ- mental problems. To facilitate designing management project of coal gangue, we made an investigation of the largest coal gangue heap in Dongkuang Mine of Heshan. Firstly, the grain composition of coal gangue was estimated through the sieving method, then the representative grading curve was drawn through the statistics method of coarse grain content, and lastly the relationship between the repose an- gle and grain grading was studied by piling up coal gangue with different mix proportion. The result indicates that there is a wider range of grain size in the upper part of coal gangue heap, and the repre- sentative grain grading is well graded and easy to be compacted as filling materials. Besides, the wavy relationship curve of repose angle and coarse grain content shows that the content of 70% is the infiec- tion point of ascent stage and 85% the inflection point of descent stage of the repose angle. What＇s more, the repose angle corresponding to the representative grading of coal gangue is approximately 38.4° and this has guiding significance for management project of coal gangue.

In-situ catalytic decomposition of emitted ammonia from municipal solid waste gasification by Ni–M bimetallic catalysts supported on sewage sludge-derived biochar

Gasification technology can effectively realize energy recovery from municipal solid waste(MSW)to reduce its negative impact on the environment.However,ammonia,as a pollutant derived from MSW gasification,needs to be treated because its emission is considered harmful to mankind.This work aims to decompose the NH3 pollutant from MSW gasification by an in-situ catalytic method.The MSW sample is composed of rice,paper,polystyrene granules,rubber gloves,textile and wood chips.Ni–M(M=Co,Fe,Zn)bimetallic catalysts supported on sewage sludge-derived biochar(SSC)were prepared by co-impregnation method and further characterized by X-ray diffraction,N2 isothermal adsorption,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy and NH3 temperature programmed desorption.Prior to the experiments,the catalysts were first homogeneously mixed with the MSW sample,and then in-situ catalytic tests were conducted in a horizontal fixed-bed reactor.The effect of the second metal(Co,Fe,Zn)on the catalytic performance was compared to screen the best Ni-M dual.It was found that the Ni–Co/SSC catalyst had the best activity toward NH3 decomposition,whose decomposition rate reached 40.21%at 650℃.The best catalytic performance of Ni–Co/SSC can be explained by its smaller Ni particle size that facilitates the dispersion of active sites as well as the addition of Co reducing the energy barrier for the associative decomposition of NH species during the NH3 decomposition process.Besides,the activity of Ni–Co/SSC increased from 450℃to 700℃as the NH3 decomposition reaction was endothermic.

Immigration,transformation,and emission control of sulfur and nitrogen during gasification of MSW:Fundamental and engineering review

This paper proposes a comprehensive summary and analysis of an important issue during municipal solid waste(MSW)gasification-sulfur and nitrogen pollution.It provides an overview of the fundamentals of MSW and the basic aspects of nitrogen and sulfur elements.Their characteristics of immigration,transformation and distribution during gasification with control solutions in realized or potential engineering are also concluded.The analysis indicates that the complete scenario of the occurrence form of sulfur and nitrogen elements in MSW is difficult to obtain,owing to the diverse sources and complicated compositions.However,with the assistance of advanced characterization and quantification methods(XPS,XRD,TG-FTIR,et al.),the common sulfur-and nitrogen-containing compounds in both organic and inorganic states can be detected.Adjustment of gasification conditions can regulate the transformation of these elements for emission control.The multiple pollutants including H_(2)S,SO_(x),COS,NH_(3),HCN and NO_(x)cannot be eliminated by one-step treatment but a combination of adsorption and catalytic treatments may realize the control goal.This research aims to benefit meeting emission standards during MSW gasification and to provide a reference for other processes such as incineration,pyrolysis and other feedstocks like biomass and refuse derived fuel(RDF).

荧光银纳米团簇的生物合成及其在痕量六价铬检测中的应用

【目的】利用季也蒙毕赤酵母ZJC-1合成银纳米团簇并用于痕量Cr(Ⅵ)的检测。【方法】使用经耐银驯化的季也蒙毕赤酵母ZJC-1生物合成荧光银纳米团簇,并对其结构和荧光性能进行了表征,探究Cr(Ⅵ)对银纳米团簇荧光的选择性猝灭作用,建立了银纳米团簇荧光强度与Cr(Ⅵ)浓度的线性关系。同时还考察了体系p H和其他金属离子对Cr(Ⅵ)检测的影响。【结果】Cr(Ⅵ)浓度在一定的范围内(1–80μmol/L)与银纳米团簇荧光强度(F_0–F)/F_0有着良好的线性关系(R~2=0.9821),线性方程为(F_0–F)/F_0=0.0054×C_(cr(Ⅵ))+0.1876,检测限为184 nmol/L(信噪比为3)。利用该方法检测实际水样(松花江、马家沟河)中的Cr(Ⅵ),回收率介于97.73%–102.88%之间。【结论】以季也蒙毕赤酵母ZJC-1为还原剂和稳定剂,制备了具有较好荧光性能的水溶性银纳米团簇,基于Cr(Ⅵ)对银纳米团簇荧光的选择性猝灭作用,建立了一种快速且灵敏检测痕量Cr(Ⅵ)的新方法,并成功地应用于松花江、马家沟河水样中Cr(Ⅵ)的测定,在分析检测领域中具有良好的应用前景。

The East Asian Monsoon since the Last Glacial Maximum:Evidence from geological records in northern China

The impact of global warming on the climate of northern China has been investigated intensively, and the behavior of the East Asian monsoon during previous intervals of climatic warming may provide insight into future changes. In this study, we use paleovegetation records from loess and lake sediments in the marginal zone of the East Asian summer monsoon(EASM) to reconstruct the EASM during the interval of warming from the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM) to the Holocene. The results show that during the LGM, desert steppe or dry steppe dominated much of northern China;in addition, the southeastern margin of the deserts east of the Helan Mountains had a distribution similar to that of the present-day, or was located slightly further south, due to the cold and dry climate caused by a strengthened East Asian winter monsoon(EAWM) and weakened EASM. During the last deglaciation, with the strengthening of the EASM and concomitant weakening of the EAWM, northern China gradually became humid. However, this trend was interrupted by abrupt cooling during the Heinrich 1(H1) and Younger Dryas(YD) events. The EASM intensified substantially during the Holocene, and the monsoon rain belt migrated at least 300 km northwestwards, which led to the substantial shrinking of the desert area in the central and eastern part of northern China, and to the large expansion of plants favored by warm and humid conditions. Paleoclimatic records from the marginal zone of the EASM all show that the EASM reached its peak in the mid-Holocene, and past global climatic warming significantly strengthened the EASM, thereby greatly improving the ecological environment in northern China. Thus, northern China is expected to become wetter as global warming continues. Finally, high resolution Holocene vegetation records are sparse compared with the numerous records on the orbital timescale, and there is a need for more studies of Holocene climatic variability on the centennial-to-decadal scale.