Effects of nonionic surfactants on pigment excretion and cell morphology in extractive fermentation of Monascus sp. NJ1.

Background: Different nonionic surfactants in submerged fermentation of Monascus sp. demonstrate significant differences regarding increasing pigment yield. In this study, 15 surfactants from five series were analyzed to investigate the influence of nonionic surfactants on Monascus pigments, with the aim of simultaneously obtaining a novel nonionic surfactant.

Tailoring of structured hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-stabilized emulsions for encapsulation of nobiletin: modification of the oil and aqueous phases.

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-stabilized emulsions were produced and their structure was further modified by altering the oil (glycerol monolaurate, GML) and aqueous (whey protein concentrate, WPC) phases. Then, the encapsulation and release of nobiletin were evaluated. HPMC (3%) could efficiently stabilize the oil droplets with a particle size around 370 nm.

Buckling of an elastic fiber with finite length in a soft matrix.

Elastic fibers embedded in a soft matrix are frequently encountered in nature and engineering across different length scales, ranging from microtubules in cytosol and filament networks to dissociative slender fish bones in muscles and fiber-reinforced soft composites. Fibers may buckle when the composite is subjected to compression; this study investigates this issue through a combination of experiments, finite-element simulations and theoretical analysis. Analysis reveals the important role of the interfacial shear forces and leads to an explicit solution to predict the occurrence of buckling for a slender fiber with finite length.

Wrinkling pattern evolution of cylindrical biological tissues with differential growth.

Three-dimensional surface wrinkling of soft cylindrical tissues induced by differential growth is explored. Differential volumetric growth can cause their morphological stability, leading to the formation of hexagonal and labyrinth wrinkles. During postbuckling, multiple bifurcations and morphological transitions may occur as a consequence of continuous growth in the surface layer.

Inhibitory effects of edaravone in β-amyloid-induced neurotoxicity in rats.

Amyloid protein can damage nerve cells through a variety of biological mechanisms including oxidative stress, alterations in calcium homeostasis, and proapoptosis. Edaravone, a potent free radical scavenger possessing antioxidant effects, has been proved neuroprotective effect in stroke patients. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of EDA in an Aβ-induced rat model of AD, by studying Aβ 1-40-induced voltage-gated calcium channel currents in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, learning and memory behavioral tests, the number of surviving cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain, and the acetylcholine level in the hippocampus in this rat model of AD.

Effects of internal pressure and surface tension on the growth-induced wrinkling of mucosae.

Surface wrinkling of mucosae is crucial for the biological functions of many living tissues. In this paper, we investigate the instability of a cylindrical tube consisting of a mucosal layer and a submucosal layer. Our attention is focused on the effects of internal pressure and surface tension on the critical condition and mode number of surface wrinkling induced by tissue growth.

Spherical indentation method for determining the constitutive parameters of hyperelastic soft materials.

A comprehensive study on the spherical indentation of hyperelastic soft materials is carried out through combined theoretical, computational, and experimental efforts. Four widely used hyperelastic constitutive models are studied, including neo-Hookean, Mooney-Rivlin, Fung, and Arruda-Boyce models. Through dimensional analysis and finite element simulations, we establish the explicit relations between the indentation loads at given indentation depths and the constitutive parameters of materials.

[The relationship between endoplasmic reticulum stress and its particular apoptosis way caspase-12 and apoptosis in renal cortex of diabetic rats].

Objective: To investigate the expressions of 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) and Caspase-12 and their relationship with apoptosis in renal cortex of diabetic rats.

Methods: Uninephrectomized Wistar rats were used to induce diabetes by intraperitoneal injection of Streptozotocin (STZ 65 mg/kg). After 8 weeks, the expression and distribution of GRP78, Caspase-12, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were examined by immunohistochemistry.

Surface wrinkling patterns on a core-shell soft sphere.

The three-dimensional patterns of surface wrinkling on a core-shell soft sphere are investigated through buckling and postbuckling analyses under differential tissue growth or shrinkage. With increasing deformation, the sphere first exhibits a buckyball-like wrinkling pattern and then undergoes a wrinkle-to-fold transition into labyrinth folded patterns, in agreement with experimental observations. This transition involves dynamic movement, rotation, and coalescence of polygons formed during the initial buckling.

The effects of Leu or Val residues on cell selectivity of α-helical peptides.

In this study, the peptides were designed to compare the effect of multiple Leu or Val residues as the hydrophobic side of an α-helical model on their structure, function, and interaction with model membranes. The Leu-rich peptides displayed 4- to 16-fold stronger antimicrobial activity than Val-rich peptides, while Val-containing peptides showed no haemolysis and weak cytotoxicity. The peptides LR and VR showed an α-helical-rich structure under a membranemimicking environment.

[The effect of Janus kinase 2 inhibitor AG490 on renal tubular epithelial-myofibroblast transdifferentiation induced by interleukin-1β].

Objective: To investigate the effect of AG490, a Janus kinase 2 inhibitor, on epithelial-myofibroblast transdifferentiation induced by interleukin-1β (IL-1β).

Methods: Cultured human renal tubular epithelial cell line (HKCs) were divided into three groups: blank control group, IL-1β (5 ng/ml) group and AG490 group (IL-1β 5 ng/ml+AG490 10 μmol/L). The cells in all groups were collected at 24, 48, 72 hours after intervention.

Surface effects in various bending-based test methods for measuring the elastic property of nanowires.

The size-dependent elastic property of nanowires induced by the surface effect is investigated by using the core-shell model. The overall effective elastic moduli of nanowires with regular polygonal cross-sections are unified into a simple and explicit relation. It is found that the effect of surface elasticity on the elastic moduli can be well characterized by two dimensionless material and geometric parameters with clear physical meaning.

Diethyl 4-[4-(dimethyl-amino)phen-yl]-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydro-pyridine-3,5-dicarboxyl-ate.

In the title compound, C(21)H(28)N(2)O(4), the dihydro-pyridine ring adopts a flattened boat conformation. The mean plane of the dihydro-pyridine ring and the attached benzene ring form a dihedral angle of 85.1 (1) Å.