Hepcidin Exacerbates Iron Metabolism Imbalance in Septic Mice.

Purpose: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition associated with acute organ dysfunction. Iron is an essential trace element for multicellular organisms and almost all microorganisms, and its role in sepsis has been increasingly recognized. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in iron metabolism in caecal ligation and puncture solution (CLP) -induced septic mice and the effects of hepcidin pretreatment on serum inflammatory marker levels and liver iron metabolism in CLP-induced septic mice.

Comprehensive Secondary Metabolite Profiling and Antioxidant Activity of Aqueous and Ethanol Extracts of (Roxb.) Bosser Fruits.

Background: (Rubiaceae) is a well-recognized medicinal plant with recorded therapeutical attributes. However, a thorough assessment of active compounds in its fruits is lacking, limiting their use and valorization in pharmacological industries.

Methods: Thus, this study investigated variations in the fruits' secondary metabolite (SM) profiles, as well as antioxidant activities in aqueous (WA) and ethanol (ET) extracts.

Design and Experimental of the Soil Removal Device for Root-Soil Complex of Imitating the Percussion of Woodpeckers.

A soil removal device for the root-soil complex of imitating the percussion function of a woodpecker was designed to improve the soil removal efficiency of harvesting devices for rhizome-type traditional Chinese herbal medicines. Based on the physical parameters of roots and the root-soil complex of , the structure parameters of the striking arm and the actual profile of the cam are determined according to the physical parameters when the woodpecker knocks on the tree. The key parameters that affect the working performance of the soil removal device and their suitable value ranges have been identified through the impact test and analysis of the root-soil complex of .

LPS exacerbates TRPV4-mediated itch through the intracellular TLR4-PI3K signalling.

Pruritus is often accompanied with bacterial infections, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Although previous studies revealed that lipopolysaccharides (LPS) could directly activate TRPV4 channel and TRPV4 is involved in the generation of both acute itch and chronic itch, whether and how LPS affects TRPV4-mediated itch sensation remains unclear. Here, we showed that LPS-mediated TRPV4 sensitization exacerbated GSK101-induced scratching behaviour in mice.

Advances in Extraction Protocols, Degradation Methods, and Bioactivities of Proanthocyanidins.

Proanthocyanidins, natural polyphenolic compounds abundantly present in plants, exhibit diverse bioactivities, including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. These bioactivities are intricately linked to the degree of polymerization of these compounds. Through a comprehensive analysis of recent domestic and international research, this article synthesizes the latest advancements in the extraction process, degradation methods, as well as the biological activities and underlying mechanisms of proanthocyanidins.

Low-loss and polarization insensitive 32 × 4 optical switch for ROADM applications.

Integrated switches play a crucial role in the development of reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs) that have greater flexibility and compactness, ultimately leading to robust single-chip solutions. Despite decades of research on switches with various structures and platforms, achieving a balance between dense integration, low insertion loss (IL), and polarization-dependent loss (PDL) remains a significant challenge. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a 32 × 4 optical switch using high-index doped silica glass (HDSG) for ROADM applications.

Exploring the interactions between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and micronutrients: from molecular mechanisms to clinical applications.

Metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has emerged as a significant global health concern, representing a major cause of liver disease worldwide. This condition spans a spectrum of histopathologic stages, beginning with simple fatty liver (MAFL), characterized by over 5% fat accumulation, and advancing to metabolic (dysfunction)-associated steatohepatitis, potentially leading to hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite extensive research, there remains a substantial gap in effective therapeutic interventions.

The antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from .

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides. It explored whether polysaccharides (AgP) could prevent HepG cells from HO-induced oxidative damage. The results demonstrated that HepG cells were significantly protected by AgP, and efficiently suppressed the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HepG cells.

A Bionic Walking Wheel for Enhanced Trafficability in Paddy Fields with Muddy Soil.

To improve wheel trafficability in soft and muddy soils such as paddy fields, a bionic walking wheel is designed based on the structural morphology and movement mode of the feet of waders living in marshes and mudflats, similar to the muddy soil of paddy fields. The bionic walking wheel adopts the arrangement of double-row wheel legs and staggered arrays to imitate the walking posture of waders. The two legs move alternately, cooperate with each other, and improve the smoothness of movement.

A Review of the Research Applications of .

is a traditional Chinese medicine with wide applications and diverse pharmacological effects. Scholars have conducted extensive studies on its relevant clinical applications, especially its remarkable efficacy in cancer treatment. This paper thoroughly investigates the chemical composition and identification, pharmacological effects, and toxicity, along with the safety of , so as to lay the foundation for corresponding clinical applications and product development.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Roots from a Wild Eggplant Species in Defense Response to Inoculation.

Eggplant verticillium wilt, caused by spp., is a severe eggplant vascular disease. , a wild species of eggplant that is resistant to verticillium wilt, will be beneficial for genetically modifying eggplants.

Effect of Eleutheroside E on an MPTP-Induced Parkinson's Disease Cell Model and Its Mechanism.

This research investigated the effects of eleutheroside E (EE) on the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease cell model and its mechanism. Methods: To create a cell model of Parkinson's disease, MPTP (2500 μmol/L) was administered to rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cells (PC-12) to produce an MPTP group. Selegiline (50 μmol/L) and MPTP had been administered to the positive group beforehand.

Defect-Induced, Ferroelectric-Like Switching and Adjustable Dielectric Tunability in Antiferroelectrics.

Antiferroelectrics, which undergo a field-induced phase transition to ferroelectric order that manifests as double-hysteresis polarization switching, exhibit great potential for dielectric, electromechanical, and electrothermal applications. Compared to their ferroelectric cousins, however, considerably fewer efforts have been made to understand and control antiferroelectrics. Here, it is demonstrated that the polarization switching behavior of an antiferroelectric can be strongly influenced and effectively regulated by point defects.

Challenges in the Diagnosis of Epstein-Barr Virus-positive Inflammatory Follicular Dendritic Cell Sarcoma: Extremely Wide Morphologic Spectrum and Immunophenotype.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive inflammatory follicular dendritic cell (FDC) sarcoma (EBV + IFDCS) is a rare entity, and its histopathological characteristics have not been fully described. Here, we investigated the wide morphologic spectrum and immunophenotype of this tumor with the aim to help avoid misdiagnosis. Thirteen cases of EBV + IFDCS were retrospectively analyzed, combined with a review of 70 cases reported in the literature.

Pure total flavonoids from citrus improve nonalcoholic steatohepatitis liver inflammatory responses by regulating the CCL2/CCR2-PI3K-Akt signal transduction pathway.

Background And Aim: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a critical stage in the prognosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Pure total flavonoids from circus (PTFC) play essential roles in the improvement of NASH symptoms, but the underlying regulatory mechanism remains elusive. Our previous high-throughput omics screening results indicate that the CCL2/CCR2-PI3K-Akt signaling pathway is a key pathway that regulates the liver inflammatory response.

Cellular Antioxidant Properties of Polysaccharide.

A predominant polysaccharide isolated from Ischnoderma resinosum underwent evaluation for its capacity to scavenge free radicals and its potential antioxidant properties at a cellular-oriented level. This proved that Ischnoderma resinosum polysaccharide (IRP) remarkably curtailed AAPH-induced erythrocyte hemolysis through the inhibition of the generation of ROS (p < 0.05).

Effects of Wet Fermented Soybean Dregs on Physical and Mechanical Properties of Pellets of Corn Stover.

Pelleting experiments were carried out in this study to clarify the influence mechanism of wet-fermented soybean dregs on the forming of corn stover. The effects of addition of water or wet fermented soybean dregs on the forming quality of corn stover were comparatively studied under different corn stover particle sizes and compression displacement. The fermented soybean dregs significantly affected the relaxed density, dimensional stability coefficient, and hardness of feed pellets.

Bionic research on scales for drag reduction.

Drag reduction is a key problem in marine vehicles and fluid transportation industries. Reducing drag strategies and mechanisms need to be further investigated. To explore a bionic approach for reducing flow resistance, experimental and numerical simulation research was conducted to study the drag reduction characteristics of the surface microstructure.

Xiaoketongbi Formula vs pregabalin for painful diabetic neuropathy: A single-center, randomized, single-blind, double-dummy, and parallel controlled clinical trial.

Background: We assessed the efficacy and safety of the Xiaoketongbi Formula (XF) vs. pregabalin in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN).

Methods: Patients with PDN (n = 68) were included in a single-center, randomized, single-blind, double-dummy, parallel controlled clinical trial.

The effect of high-frequency oscillatory ventilator combined with pulmonary surfactant in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) combined with pulmonary surfactant (PS) in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS).

Methods: This study is a retrospective clinical study. Seventy-two NRDS neonates were selected as the subjects from November 2019 to November 2020, and divided into observation group (40 cases, HFOV treatment) and control group (32 cases, conventional mechanical ventilation treatment).

Water Status and Predictive Models of Moisture Content during Drying of Soybean Dregs Based on LF-NMR.

To explore the drying characteristics of soybean dregs and a nondestructive moisture content test method, in this study, soybean dregs were dried with hot air (80 °C), the moisture content was measured using the drying method, water status was analyzed using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and the moisture content prediction models were built and validated. The results revealed that the moisture contents of the soybean dregs were 0.57 and 0.

Preparation of a bionic lotus leaf microstructured surface and its drag reduction performance.

Reducing machinery surface friction resistance can improve the efficiency of energy utilization. The lotus leaf, as everyone knows, has a strong capacity for self-cleaning and hydrophobicity. In this paper, the bionic surface of the lotus leaf was prepared in large-area, and its drag reduction performance was studied by both numerical simulation and experimental analysis.

The complete chloroplast genome of (Solanaceae), the wild eggplant.

is a critical wild eggplant resource with resistance to many serious diseases that affect eggplant production. In this study, the chloroplast genome of was successfully sequenced using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology. The length of the complete chloroplast genome is 155,771 bp, and its GC content is 37.

Generation of Heritable Prominent Double Muscle Buttock Rabbits via Novel Site Editing of Myostatin Gene Using CRISPR/Cas9 System.

Rabbits have been domesticated for meat, wool, and fur production, and have also been cherished as a companion, artistic inspiration, and an experimental model to study many human diseases. In the present study, the muscle mass negative regulator gene myostatin () was knocked out in rabbits at two novel sites in exon3, and the function of these mutations was determined in subsequent generations. The prominent double muscle phenotype with hyperplasia or hypertrophy of muscle fiber was observed in the -KO rabbits, and a similar phenotype was confirmed in the F1 generation.