Shear Stress Induces a Time-Dependent Inflammatory Response in Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages.

Macrophages are innate immune cells that are known for their extreme plasticity, enabling diverse phenotypes that lie on a continuum. In a simplified model, they switch between pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes depending on surrounding microenvironmental cues, which have been implicated in disease outcomes. Although considerable research has been focused on macrophage response to biochemical cues and mechanical signals, there is a scarcity of knowledge surrounding their behavior in response to shear stress.

Investigations on corrosion resistance of steel coated with chromium-free ZTM conversion coating.

Chromium-free conversion coatings based on Zr/Ti/Mo (ZTM) compounds via chemical conversion technology were investigated to improve the corrosion performance of SPCC-JISG 31 steels. A preliminary study was carried out to evaluate the influences of critical parameters, including the concentrations of active species Zr, Ti and Mo, and the conversion bath's pH, on the protective efficiency using a Statistical design of experiments (DoE) methodology. Passivation layer with compositional Mo, Ti and Zr elements has been employed on the steels by dipping in mixed solutions containing 17 g/l NaMoO, 1 g/l KTiF and 7 g/l KZrF under pH = 5.

Crossmixed convolutional neural network for digital speech recognition.

Digital speech recognition is a challenging problem that requires the ability to learn complex signal characteristics such as frequency, pitch, intensity, timbre, and melody, which traditional methods often face issues in recognizing. This article introduces three solutions based on convolutional neural networks (CNN) to solve the problem: 1D-CNN is designed to learn directly from digital data; 2DS-CNN and 2DM-CNN have a more complex architecture, transferring raw waveform into transformed images using Fourier transform to learn essential features. Experimental results on four large data sets, containing 30,000 samples for each, show that the three proposed models achieve superior performance compared to well-known models such as GoogLeNet and AlexNet, with the best accuracy of 95.

Isolation and Characterization of Porcine Endocardial Endothelial Cells.

The heart contains diverse endothelial cell types. We sought to characterize the endocardial endothelial cells (EECs), which line the chambers of the heart. EECs are relatively understudied, yet their dysregulation can lead to various cardiac pathologies.

Trends and prospects in mitochondrial genome editing.

Mitochondria are of fundamental importance in programmed cell death, cellular metabolism, and intracellular calcium concentration modulation, and inheritable mitochondrial disorders via mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation cause several diseases in various organs and systems. Nevertheless, mtDNA editing, which plays an essential role in the treatment of mitochondrial disorders, still faces several challenges. Recently, programmable editing tools for mtDNA base editing, such as cytosine base editors derived from DddA (DdCBEs), transcription activator-like effector (TALE)-linked deaminase (TALED), and zinc finger deaminase (ZFD), have emerged with considerable potential for correcting pathogenic mtDNA variants.

Progress in and Prospects of Genome Editing Tools for Human Disease Model Development and Therapeutic Applications.

Programmable nucleases, such as zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas, are widely accepted because of their diversity and enormous potential for targeted genomic modifications in eukaryotes and other animals. Moreover, rapid advances in genome editing tools have accelerated the ability to produce various genetically modified animal models for studying human diseases. Given the advances in gene editing tools, these animal models are gradually evolving toward mimicking human diseases through the introduction of human pathogenic mutations in their genome rather than the conventional gene knockout.

Inhibition of ANO1 by - and -Resveratrol and Their Anticancer Activity in Human Prostate Cancer PC-3 Cells.

Anoctamin1 (ANO1), a calcium-activated chloride channel, is involved in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of various cancer cells including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. Inhibition of ANO1 activity or downregulation of ANO1 expression in these cancer cells is known to exhibit anticancer effects. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol abundant in wines, grapes, berries, soybeans, and peanuts, shows a wide variety of biological effects including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities.

High-efficiency reduction of -nitrophenol on green-synthesized gold nanoparticles decorated on ceria nanorods.

A green synthesis using extract from peel was developed to fabricate Au-Ce catalysts for the reduction of -nitrophenol (PNP). Au nanoparticles with a diameter of 6.6 ± 2.

Regulatory role of miR-146a in corneal epithelial wound healing via its inflammatory targets in human diabetic cornea.

Purpose: MiR-146a upregulated in limbus vs. central cornea and in diabetic vs. non-diabetic limbus has emerged as an important immune and inflammatory signaling mediator in corneal epithelial wound healing.

In-vitro and in-vivo anti-allergic effects of magnolol on allergic rhinitis via inhibition of ORAI1 and ANO1 channels.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Flos Magnoliae (the dried flower buds of Magnolia biondii Pamp, FM) is a known herbal traditional medicine used for the symptomatic relief of nasal congestion and rhinorrhea caused by rhinitis and sinusitis. Magnolol, a neolignan from the magnolia family, is a secondary metabolite known to have anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the underlying mechanisms and therapeutic effect of magnolol in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) remain elusive.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Licochalcone A via Regulation of ORAI1 and K Channels in T-Lymphocytes.

Calcium signaling plays a vital role in the regulation of various cellular processes, including activation, proliferation, and differentiation of T-lymphocytes, which is mediated by ORAI1 and potassium (K) channels. These channels have also been identified as highly attractive therapeutic targets for immune-related diseases. Licochalcone A is a licorice-derived chalconoid known for its multifaceted beneficial effects in pharmacological treatments, including its anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumorigenic properties.

constituent fargesin has an anti-allergic effect ORAI1 channel inhibition.

magnoliae (FM), the dry flower buds of or its related species, is a traditional herbal medicine commonly used in Asia for symptomatic relief of and treating allergic rhinitis, headache, and sinusitis. Although several studies have reported the effects of FM on store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) the ORAI1 channel, which is essential during intracellular calcium signaling cascade generation for T cell activation and mast cell degranulation, the effects of its isolated constituents on SOCE remain unidentified. Therefore, we investigated which of the five major constituents of 30% ethanoic FM (vanillic acid, tiliroside, eudesmin, magnolin, and fargesin) inhibit SOCE and their physiological effects on immune cells.

Magnetic Ni-Doped TiO Photocatalysts for Disinfection of Bacteria.

Ni-doped TiO nanoparticles have been synthesized by a modified sol-gel method. The crystal phase composition, particle size, and magnetic and optical properties of the samples were comprehensively examined using x-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis, Raman spectroscopy, magnetization measurements, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption techniques. The results showed that the prepared Ni-doped TiO samples sintered at 400°C crystallized completely in anatase phase with average particle size in the range from 8 nm to 10 nm and presented broad visible absorption.

Nootkatol prevents ultraviolet radiation-induced photoaging ORAI1 and TRPV1 inhibition in melanocytes and keratinocytes.

Skin photoaging occurs due to chronic exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UV), the main factor contributing to extrinsic skin aging. Clinical signs of photoaging include the formation of deep, coarse skin wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. Although melanogenesis and skin wrinkling occur in different skin cells and have different underlying mechanisms, their initiation involves intracellular calcium signaling via calcium ion channels.

Improved Field Emission Properties of Carbon Nanostructures by Laser Surface Engineering.

We herein present an alternative geometry of nanostructured carbon cathode capable of obtaining a low turn-on field, and both stable and high current densities. This cathode geometry consisted of a micro-hollow array on planar carbon nanostructures engineered by femtosecond laser. The micro-hollow geometry provides a larger edge area for achieving a lower turn-on field of 0.

The association of sex steroid hormone concentrations with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver enzymes in US men.

Background & Aims: This study aimed to analyse the association of sex hormone levels with liver enzyme levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a nationally representative sample of men.

Methods: A total of 919 men from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) III were included in this cross-sectional analysis of data from 1988 to 1991. We used existing data on serum total and free testosterone, total and free estradiol, androstanediol glucuronide (AAG) and sex steroid-binding globulin (SHBG), and estimated their associations with aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and NAFLD, as determined using ultrasound, after adjusting for possible confounders including age, race, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, waist circumference and steroid hormones.

Nonautonomous Young Differential Equations Revisited.

In this paper we prove that under mild conditions a nonautonomous Young differential equation possesses a unique solution which depends continuously on initial conditions. The proofs use estimates in -variation norms, the construction of greedy sequence of times, and Gronwall-type lemma with the help of Shauder theorem of fixed points.

College instruction is not so stress free after all: A qualitative and quantitative study of academic entitlement, uncivil behaviors, and instructor strain and burnout.

The vast majority of today's college students are millennials, who have traits of confidence, tolerance, but also of entitlement and narcissism (Twenge, 2006). Therefore, college instructors face a unique challenge: dealing with the requests from academically entitled students, who have unreasonable expectations of receiving academic success, regardless of performance (Chowning & Campbell, 2009). We conducted two studies to examine whether student academic entitlement would increase instructors' strain and burnout via uncivil behaviors.

Evaluating the relation between psychopathy and affective empathy: two preliminary studies.

It is widely believed that impairment in an ability to experience affective empathy for others is a central feature of psychopathy. The authors tested this assumption by covertly manipulating and measuring state experiences of emotional contagion and empathic concern in college undergraduates and male forensic inpatients. Surprisingly, they found little evidence of a negative association between psychopathy and affective empathy in either sample.

Leprosy: ongoing medical and social struggle in Vietnam.

Background: Until recently, leprosy had been prominent in 33 countries worldwide, and Vietnam was ranked among the top 14 endemic countries.

Objective: The leprosy situation in Vietnam was reviewed as a sample of the worldwide ongoing medical and social struggle to assess the need for continued support for leprosy control activities and for social programs of integration of leprosy victims into the community.

Methods: A search was conducted of official Vietnamese publications, World Health Organization documents, major electronic databases, and popular leprosy Web sites; as well, notes from visits to local leprosy clinics and interviews with health workers were checked.

Genetic variation of Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. (Avicenniaceae) in Vietnam revealed by microsatellite and AFLP markers.

Genetic variation of Avicennia marina in the costal area of Vietnam was examined using microsatellite and AFLP markers. By using five microsatellite loci a total of 21 alleles were detected. The average number of alleles per locus per population ranged from 1.