Transcription Factors AhR and ARNT Regulate the Expression of CYP6SX1 and CYP3828A1 Involved in Insecticide Detoxification in Bradysia odoriphaga.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) mediate the responses of adaptive metabolism to various xenobiotics. Here, we found that BoAhR and BoARNT are highly expressed in the midgut of Bradysia odoriphaga larvae. The expression of BoAhR and BoARNT was significantly increased after exposure to imidacloprid and phoxim. The knockdown of BoAhR and BoARNT significantly decreased the expression of CYP6SX1 and CYP3828A1 as well as P450 enzyme activity and caused a significant increase in the sensitivity of larvae to imidacloprid and phoxim. Exposure to ß-naphthoflavone (BNF) significantly increased the expression of BoAhR, BoARNT, CYP6SX1, and CYP3828A1 as well as P450 activity and decreased larval sensitivity to imidacloprid and phoxim. Furthermore, CYP6SX1 and CYP3828A1 were significantly induced by imidacloprid and phoxim, and the silencing of these two genes significantly reduced larval tolerance to imidacloprid and phoxim. Taken together, the BoAhR/BoARNT pathway plays key roles in larval tolerance to imidacloprid and phoxim by regulating the expression of CYP6SX1 and CYP3828A1.

Effect of Different Exercise Interventions on Grip Strength, Knee Extensor Strength, Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Index, and Skeletal Muscle Index Strength in Patients with Sarcopenia: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Sarcopenia is a systemic skeletal muscle disease that is more prevalent in older adults. The role of exercise in improving the disease has been demonstrated. However, due to the variety of exercise modalities, it is not clear what type of exercise provides the best benefit. The aim of this meta-analysis was to analyze the effects of different exercise modalities on grip strength, appendicular skeletal muscle index, skeletal muscle index, and knee extensor strength in elderly patients with sarcopenia. The protocol for this evaluation was registered on the PROSPERO website and the databases PubMed, WOS, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched. Thirteen studies were included in the analysis. The results showed that exercise interventions had positive effects on grip strength and knee extension muscle strength, with resistance training being the most effective. There was no significant improvement in appendicular skeletal muscle index or skeletal muscle index. This study still has limitations. For example, age group and exercise duration were not considered. Future studies should further explore benefits in age groups as well as other relevant outcome indicators.

Controllable Regulation of the Oxygen Redox Process in Lithium-Oxygen Batteries by High-Configuration-Entropy Spinel with an Asymmetric Octahedral Structure.

Designing bifunctional electrocatalysts to boost oxygen redox reactions is critical for high-performance lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs). In this work, high-entropy spinel (Co0.2Mn0.2Ni0.2Fe0.2Cr0.2)3O4 (HEOS) is fabricated by modulating the internal configuration entropy of spinel and studied as the oxygen electrode catalyst in LOBs. Under the high-entropy atomic environment, the Co-O octahedron in spinel undergoes asymmetric deformation, and the reconfiguration of the electron structure around the Co sites leads to the upward shift of the d-orbital centers of the Co sites toward the Fermi level, which is conducive to the strong adsorption of redox intermediate LiO2 on the surface of the HEOS, ultimately forming a layer of a highly dispersed Li2O2 thin film. Thin-film Li2O2 is beneficial for ion diffusion and electron transfer at the electrode-electrolyte interface, which makes the product easy to decompose during the charge process, ultimately accelerating the kinetics of oxygen redox reactions in LOBs. Based on the above advantages, HEOS-based LOBs deliver high discharge/charge capacity (12.61/11.72 mAh cm-2) and excellent cyclability (424 cycles). This work broadens the way for the design of cathode catalysts to improve oxygen redox kinetics in LOBs.

Validation of the PL-C Quest in China: understanding the pictorial physical literacy self-report scale.

Introduction: The notion of physical literacy is gaining interest from several countries as a potential mechanism for understanding the development of the physical self. This research endeavor represents an inaugural attempt to translate the Australian Physical Literacy Questionnaire for Children (PL-C Quest) into Chinese to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the PL-C Quest to assess physical literacy among children in mainland China. Methods: The Beaton translation paradigm was used to carry out language translation, back-translation, cultural adaptation, and presurveys. Data were collected from 642 children aged 6-12 years, with a mean age of 9.71 years (SD 1.816), to test the reliability of the Chinese version of the PL-C Quest. Results: The PL-C Quest items translated well (6.187 ~ 15.499) and correlated well (0.441 ~ 0.622). The Chinese version of the PL-C Quest had good reliability, with retest reliability values ranging from 0.91 to 0.74, Cronbach's alpha from 0.65 to 0.894, and McDonald's ω from the Spearman-Brown Coefficient was 0.84. The validity results are acceptable because the CFI, IFI, and TLI values are above 0.8 and close to 0.9, but the model fit's chi-square degrees-of-freedom ratio of 2.299, the RMSEA of 0.05, which was less than 0.08. Discussion: After translation and cultural adaptation, the Chinese version of the PL-C Quest is a reliable measurement tool and can be used in the Chinese region.

Optimized Lithium Ion Coordination via Chlorine Substitution to Enhance Ionic Conductivity of Garnet-Based Solid Electrolytes.

Garnet-type solid-state electrolytes attract abundant attentions due to the broad electrochemical window and remarkable thermal stability while their poor ionic conductivity obstructs their widespread application in all-solid-state batteries. Herein, the enhanced ionic conductivity of garnet-type solid electrolytes is achieved by partially substituting O2- sites with Cl- anions, which effectively reduce Li+ migration barriers while preserving the highly conductive cubic phase of garnet-type solid-state electrolytes. This substitution not only weakens the anchoring effect of anions on Li+ to widen the size of Li+ diffusion channel but also optimizes the occupancy of Li+ at different sites, resulting in a substantial reduction of the Li+ migration barrier and a notable improvement in ionic conductivity. Leveraging these advantageous properties, the developed Li6.35 La3 Zr1.4 Ta0.6 O11.85 -Cl0.15 (LLZTO-0.15Cl) electrolyte demonstrates high Li+ conductivity of 4.21×10-6  S cm-1 . When integrated with LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode and metallic lithium anode, the LLZTO-0.15Cl electrolyte enables the solid-state battery to operate for more than 100 cycles with a high capacity retention of 76.61% and superior Coulombic efficiency of 99.48%. This work shows a new strategy for modulating anionic framework to enhance the conductivity of garnet-type solid-state electrolytes.

Green synthesis of iron nanoparticles using mulberry leaf extract: characterization, identification of active biomolecules, and catalytic activity.

The synthesis of iron-based nanoparticles (Fe NPs) using traditional preparation methods suffered from the disadvantages of high cost, environmental harm, and easy agglomeration. In this study, a novel eco-friendly method was proposed for the synthesis of iron nanomaterials (ML-Fe NPs): using antioxidant components extracted from mulberry leaf to reduce divalent iron (II). The preparation conditions of ML-Fe NPs were optimized by orthogonal tests. The prepared ML-Fe NPs exhibited an amorphous core-shell structure, displaying excellent dispersion and stability. During the synthesis process of ML-Fe NPs, the polyphenol molecules in mulberry leaf extract played a dominant role. A possible synthetic mechanism involving complexation, reduction, and encapsulation was proposed. Furthermore, the ML-Fe NPs were utilized to construct an ML-Fe NPs/peroxymonosulfate catalytic system for the degradation of Rhodamine B dye wastewater. The ML-Fe NPs demonstrated remarkable catalytic potential, achieving a 99% degradation efficiency for Rhodamine B within a span of 40 min.

Structure and Charge Regulation Strategy Enabling Superior Cycling Stability of Ni-Rich Cathode Materials.

Ni-rich layered oxides LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (NCMs, x > 0.8) are the most promising cathode candidates for Li-ion batteries because of their superior specific capacity and cost affordability. Unfortunately, NCMs suffer from a series of formidable challenges such as structural instability and incompatibility with commonly used electrolytes, which seriously hamper their practical applications on a large scale. Herein, the Al/Ta codoping modification strategy is proposed to improve the performance of the LiNi0.83Co0.1Mn0.07O2 cathode, and the as-prepared Al/Ta-modified LiNi0.83Co0.1Mn0.07O2 delivers exceptional cycling stability with a capacity retention of 97.4% after 150 cycles at 1C and an excellent rate performance with a high capacity of 143.2 mAh g-1 even at 3C. Based on the experimental study, it is found that the structural stability of NCM is strengthened due to the regulated coordination of oxygen by introducing a robust Ta-O covalent bond, which prevents the layered structure from collapsing. Moreover, the reconstructed rock-salt-like surface is capable of effectively inhibiting interfacial side reactions as well as the overgrowth of the cathode-electrolyte interface. Theoretically, the energy of Li/Ni mixing is significantly increased with the introduction of Al and Ta elements in Al/Ta codoped NCM, leading to inhibited adverse phase transition during cycling. A feasible pathway for designing and developing advanced Ni-rich cathode materials for Li-ion batteries is provided in this work.

Adjusting Li+ Solvation Structures via Dipole-Dipole Interaction to Construct Inorganic-Rich Interphase for High-Performance Li Metal Batteries.

Practical applications of lithium metal batteries are limited by unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and uncontrollable dendrite Li deposition. Regulating the solvation structure of Li+ via modifying electrolyte components enables optimizing the structure of the SEI and realizing dendrite-free Li deposition. In this work, it is found that the ionic-dipole interactions between the electron-deficient B atoms in lithium oxalyldifluoro borate (LiDFOB) and the O atoms in the DME solvent molecule can weaken the interaction between the DME molecule and Li+ , accelerating the desolvation of Li+ . On this basis, the ionic-dipole interactions facilitate the entry of abundant anions into the inner solvation sheath of Li+ , which promotes the formation of inorganic-rich SEI. In addition, the interaction between DFOB- and DME molecules reduces the highest occupied molecular orbital energy level of DME molecules in electrolytes, which improves the oxidative stability of the electrolytes system. As a result, the Li||Li cells in LiDFOB-containing electrolytes exhibit an excellent cyclability of over 1800 h with a low overpotential of 18.2 mV, and the Li||LiFePO4 full cells display a high-capacity retention of 93.4% after 100 cycles with a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.3%.

The Orco gene involved in recognition of host plant volatiles and sex pheromone in the chive maggot Bradysia odoriphaga.

The insect olfactory recognition system plays a crucial role in the feeding and reproductive behaviors of insects. The odorant receptor co-receptor (Orco), as an obligatory chaperone, is critical for odorant recognition by way of forming heteromeric complexes with conventional odorant receptors (ORs). To investigate the biological functions of Orco in perceiving host plant volatiles and sex pheromone, the Orco gene was identified from the chive maggot Bradysia odoriphaga transcriptome data. Multiple sequence alignment reveals that BodoOrco exhibits an extremely high sequence identity with Orcos from other dipteran insects. The expression of BodoOrco is significantly higher in adults than in larvae and pupae, and the BodoOrco gene is primarily expressed in the antennae of both sexes. Furthermore, the Y-tube assay indicated that knockdown of BodoOrco leads to significant reductions in B. odoriphaga adults' response to all tested host plant volatiles. The dsOrco-treated unmated male adults show less attraction to unmated females and responded slowly compared with dsGFP control group. These results indicated that BodoOrco is involved in recognition of sex pheromone and host plant volatiles in B. odoriphaga and has the potential to be used as a target for the design of novel active compounds for developing ecofriendly pest control strategies.

Transcription factor CncC potentially regulates cytochrome P450 CYP321A1-mediated flavone tolerance in Helicoverpa armigera.

Insect P450s play crucial roles in metabolizing insecticides and toxic plant allelochemicals. In this study, our results demonstrate that Helicoverpa armigera can adapt to a lower concentration of flavone (a flavonoid phytochemical), and P450 activities and CYP321A1 transcript levels significantly increase after exposure to flavone. RNAi-mediated knockdown of CYP321A1 significantly reduced the tolerance of H. armigera larvae to flavone. In addition, the regulatory mechanisms driving CYP321A1 induction following exposure to flavone were investigated. Flavone exposure significantly increased H2O2 generation in the larval midgut. The mRNA levels of HaCncC and HaMaf-s significantly increased in the midgut of H. armigera after exposure to flavone. Knockdown of HaCncC significantly inhibited expression of flavone-induced CYP321A1 and resulted in a decrease in flavone induction of CYP321A1. HaCncC knockdown significantly reduced the tolerance of H. armigera larvae to flavone. Taken together, these results indicate that HaCncC regulates expression of the CYP321A1 gene responsible for flavone tolerance in H. armigera.

Preparation of a ternary composite based on water caltrop shell derived biochar and gelatin/alginate for cadmium removal from contaminated water: Performances assessment and mechanism insight.

A ternary composite (SA/GE@BC) for cadmium removal from wastewater was successfully prepared. The alginate and gelatin were successfully impregnated with biochar (derived from water caltrop shell) to improve the recyclability and adsorption capacity. The prepared SA/GE@BC demonstrated a good removal for cadmium at pH 4.0-7.0 conditions. The cadmium removal increased with increasing SA/GE@BC dosage. The adsorption kinetics process was well consistent with the pseudo-second order model. And the Langmuir model (R2 > 0.99) best described the isotherm data. The calculated adsorption capacity reached a maximum of 86.25 mg/g. The adsorption was a spontaneous and endothermic process, and elevating temperature favored the removal of cadmium. The alginate-gelatin composition enhanced the number of oxygenated functional groups and exchangeable ions. This enhanced the removal of cadmium by complexation and cation ion exchange. Also, the removal mechanism of cadmium on SA/GE@BC involved electrostatic attraction and π-bond coordination. The saturated SA/GE@BC could be well regenerated by 0.1 M HNO3. All these results suggested the preparation of SA/GE@BC could effectively use waste resources to produce highly effective adsorbents for removing cadmium from contaminated water.

Adjusting the 3d Orbital Occupation of Ti in Ti3 C2 MXene via Nitrogen Doping to Boost Oxygen Electrode Reactions in Li-O2 Battery.

Rationally designing efficient catalysts is the key to promote the kinetics of oxygen electrode reactions in lithium-oxygen (Li-O2 ) battery. Herein, nitrogen-doped Ti3 C2 MXene prepared via hydrothermal method (N-Ti3 C2 (H)) is studied as the efficient Li-O2 battery catalyst. The nitrogen doping increases the disorder degree of N-Ti3 C2 (H) and provides abundant active sites, which is conducive to the uniform formation and decomposition of discharge product Li2 O2 . Besides, density functional theory calculations confirm that the introduction of nitrogen can effectively modulate the 3d orbital occupation of Ti in N-Ti3 C2 (H), promote the electron exchange between Ti 3d orbital and O 2p orbital, and accelerate oxygen electrode reactions. Specifically, the N-Ti3 C2 (H) based Li-O2 battery delivers large discharge capacity (11 679.8 mAh g-1 ) and extended stability (372 cycles). This work provides a valuable strategy for regulating 3d orbital occupancy of transition metal in MXene to improve the catalytic activity of oxygen electrode reactions in Li-O2 battery.

Gut Microbiome Differences in Rescued Common Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) Before and After Captivity.

Gut microbes significantly impact animal health, yet research on the gut microbiota of most birds, especially raptors, is lacking. This study investigated the effects of dietary and environmental changes on the composition and abundance of gut microbiota in 17 rescued common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) through 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing of microorganisms in the feces of the birds. Firmicutes (relative abundance, 43.63%), Proteobacteria (37.26%), Actinobacteria (7.31%), and Bacteroidetes (5.48%) were the dominant phyla in the gut microbiota of the common kestrels. A comparison of the gut microbiota before and after captivity revealed that community composition and abundance of the common kestrel gut microbiota differed among different living conditions including diet and environment. At the phylum level, the abundance of Firmicutes was higher (P < 0.05), and that of Proteobacteria was lower (P < 0.05), after captivity (54.62 and 27.16%, respectively) compared with before captivity (33.67 and 46.41%, respectively), but no significant differences were found among other phyla. At the genus level, the abundance of Lactobacillus was higher (P < 0.05) after captivity (15.77%) compared with the abundance before captivity (5.02%). Hierarchical clustering and principal component analyses showed that common kestrels in different living conditions exhibited differences (P < 0.05) in gut microbiota at phylum and genus levels. Functional prediction of gene sequences using PICRUSt2 further revealed that pathways related to glucose metabolism and amino acid metabolism were enhanced (P < 0.05) after captivity. Collectively, the findings from this study demonstrated that the relative abundance of specific microbes in the gut of the rescued common kestrels either increased or decreased, and that dietary and environment changes might be the predominant factors affecting the gut microbiota of these birds during rescue or captivity.

Lycopene Improves Bone Quality and Regulates AGE/RAGE/NF-кB Signaling Pathway in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at examining the effects of lycopene on bone metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)- induced obese mice and to identify the potential underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Mice were fed a HFD for 12 weeks and then continue with or without lycopene intervention (15 mg/kg) for additional 10 weeks. The effects of lycopene on blood glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined by biochemical assays. Bone histomorphological features and osteoclast activity were assessed by hematoxylin/eosin and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining. Bone microstructure at the proximal tibial metaphysis and diaphysis was determined by microcomputed tomography. Tibial biomechanical strength and material profiles were measured by a three-point bending assay and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Protein expressions involved in the AGE/RAGE/NF-кB signaling pathway were determined by western blot and/or immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Lycopene consumption reduced body weight gain and improved blood glucose and lipid metabolism in HFD-induced obese mice. In addition, lycopene treatment preserved bone biomechanical strength, material profiles, and microarchitecture in obese mice. Moreover, these alterations were associated with an increase in serum levels of T-AOC and SOD, and a decline in serum levels of MDA, as well as a reduction of AGEs, RAGE, cathepsin K, and p-NF-кBp65 and NF-кBp65 expressions in the femurs and tibias of obese mice. CONCLUSION: Lycopene may improve bone quality through its antioxidant properties, which may be linked with the regulation of the AGE/RAGE/NF-кB signaling pathway in obese mice. These results suggest that lycopene consumption may be beneficial for the management of obesity-induced osteoporosis.

Integration of transcriptomics and metabolomics confirmed hepatoprotective effects of steamed shoot extracts of ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) on toxicity caused by overdosed acetaminophen.

The study aimed, by integrating transcriptomics and metabolomics, to reveal novel biomarkers caused by overdosed acetaminophen (APAP) and liver protection substances procured by pre-administration of ginseng shoots extract (GSE). Totally 4918 genes and 127 metabolites were identified as differentially expressed genes and differential metabolites, respectively. According to KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment, such pathways as primary bile acid biosynthesis, bile secretion, retinol metabolism, histidine and several other amino-related metabolism were significantly altered by GSE and disturbed by subsequent overdosed APAP at the transcriptomic as well as metabolomic levels. Fifteen key biomarker metabolites related to these pathways were up-regulated in APAP-treated vs GSE-pretreated liver tissues, and were reported exerting anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and/or immunomodulate functions, three of which even possessed direct hepatoprotection effects. Twenty five vital unigenes modulating these metabolites were further verified by correlation analysis and expression levels of fifteen of them were examined by qRT-PCR. Our findings indicate that GSE may be an effective dietary supplement for preventing the liver damage caused by the overdosed APAP.

MiR-141 attenuates sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy by targeting DAPK1.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the possible effects of microRNA-141 (miR-141) in sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC) via targeting death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1). METHODS: An SIC mouse model was constructed by abdominal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and divided into control, LPS, LPS + pre-miR-141, and LPS + anti-miR-141 groups. Hemodynamic indicators and heart function indexes of mice were detected. ELISA was used to determine the serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, while TUNEL staining to observe the apoptosis of myocardial cells of mice, as well as qRT-PCR and Western blotting to clarify the expression of miR-141 and DAPK1. Lastly, in vitro experiment was also conducted on the primary neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVCMs) to validate the results. RESULTS: Mice in the LPS group, as compared to the control group, had lower left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular fractional shortening, left ventricular systolic pressure, and ±dp/dt, but a higher left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, while the serum expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and cTn-T was up-regulated evidently with the increased apoptotic index of myocardial tissues. However, miR-141 and Bcl-2/Bax were down-regulated with elevated DAPK1 and cleaved caspase-3. The above changes were ameliorated in mice from the LPS + pre-miR-141 group relative to the LPS group, while those in the LPS + anti-miR-141 group were further deteriorated. In vitro experiment showed that miR-141 overexpression could reduce the apoptosis of LPS-induced NRVCMs and the levels of inflammatory cytokines with the increased cell viability. CONCLUSION: MiR-141 could decrease inflammatory response and reduce myocardial cell apoptosis by targeting DAPK1, thereby playing the promising protective role in SIC.

Fructus Ligustri Lucidi preserves bone quality through induction of canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway in ovariectomized rats.

Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL) has been preclinically and clinically used to treat musculoskeletal diseases. However, whether and how FLL affect the canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in the management of osteoporosis remains largely unknown. To this end, ovariectomized (OVX) rats and primary osteoblasts were administrated with FLL aqueous extract and medicated serum, respectively. Supplement of FLL to OVX rats maintains bone quality by attenuating the reduction in bone mineral density, strength and microstructure. The maintenance may be associated with upregulating the expression of insulin-like growth factor-1, osteoprotegerin, phospho (p)-low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6, p-glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3ß), ß-catenin, Runx2 and c-Myc, and downregulating the expressions of sclerostin (SOST), dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1), GSK3ß and p-ß-catenin in rat femurs and tibias. In addition, the medicated serum promotes osteoblastic bone formation through activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling via inhibition of DKK1 and SOST overexpression. Salidroside may be one of the active ingredients in FLL that are beneficial for bone homeostasis. In summary, our results suggest that FLL may preserve bone quality through induction of canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling via inhibition of DKK1 and SOST overexpression. And FLL may offer a new source of the DKK1 or SOST inhibitors in protection against osteoporosis.

Temperature-sensitive bone mesenchymal stem cells combined with mild hypothermia reduces neurological deficit in rats of severe traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: To explore the combined influences of temperature-sensitive bone mesenchymal stem cells (tsBMSCs) and mild hypothermia (MH) on neurological function and glucose metabolism in rats with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: SD rats were randomly divided into sham, TBI, TBI + MH, TBI + BMSCs and TBI + MH +tsBMSCs groups. Then, the brain water content, serum-specific proteins (S100ß, NSE, LDH, and CK), and blood glucose at different time points were measured. Furthermore, GLUT-3 expression was detected by Western blotting, and apoptotic rate was determined by TUNEL staining. RESULTS: After TBI rat establishment, the brain injury resulted in significant increases in mNSS scores and brain water content, and upregulations in serum levels of S100ß, NSE, LDH and CK, and blood glucose, with the elevated cell apoptotic rate in the injured cortex. However, these changes were reversed by MH alone, BMSCs alone, or combination treatment of MH and tsBMSCs in varying degrees, and the combination treatment was superior to the treatment with BMSCs or MH alone. CONCLUSION: Combination therapy of tsBMSCs and MH can reduce the neuronal apoptosis in severe TBI rats, with the suppression of serum biomarkers and hyperglycemia, contributing to the recovery of neurological functions. ABBREVIATIONS: tsBMSCs: temperature-sensitive bone mesenchymal stem cells; MH: mild hypothermia; TBI: traumatic brain injury; mNSS: modified Neurological Severity Score.

Integrating Bonded and Nonbonded Potentials in the Knowledge-Based Scoring Function for Protein Structure Prediction.

An accurate energy scoring function is crucial for protein structure prediction. Given the increasing number of experimentally determined structures, knowledge-based approaches have been widely used to develop scoring functions for protein structure prediction in the past three decades. However, current scoring functions often only consider nonbonded interactions and neglect bonded potentials like covalent bonds and angles for the sake of speed and simplicity. Although such scoring functions may be successful on fully relaxed conformations, they would have difficulties in ranking those decoys with distorted bonds or angles, especially when being used for conformational sampling in structure prediction. Therefore, such a scoring function may perform well on one or several decoy sets, but it often has limited accuracy on large diverse sets. Addressing the limitation, we have developed a composite knowledge-based scoring function, named as ITCPS, by integrating bonded and nonbonded potentials as well as orientation-dependent and hydrophobic interactions. Our scoring function ITCPS was extensively evaluated on 18 decoy sets of 927 proteins including three sets of 3DRobot, AMBER benchmarking set, HR, CASP5-8, CASP9-13, eight sets of Decoy 'R' Us, MOULDER, ROSETTA, and I-TASSER set and compared with 51 other scoring functions. It was shown that overall ITCPS performed the best among the 52 scoring functions and achieved a good performance on all the test sets. Of 927 proteins, ITCPS recognized the native structures for 842 proteins, giving a success rate of 90.8% and an average Z-score of 3.36. Moreover, ITCPS also exhibited a strong ability to distinguish the best near-native structure among decoys and achieved a significantly better performance than other tested scoring functions. The present model is expected to be beneficial for the development of scoring functions for other interactions.

The Influence of BuqiHuoxueTongluo Formula on Histopathology and Pulmonary Function Test in Bleomycin-Induced Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats.

BuqiHuoxueTongluo Formula (BHTF) is an effective herbal prescription based on traditional Chinese medicine for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The aim of this study was to elucidate the influence of BHTF on induced IPF model through the aspect of histopathology and pulmonary function test. Wistar rats with bleomycin-induced IPF were given BHTF via intragastric gavage. After 14 days and 28 days of treatment, respectively, on these two time points, we first performed pulmonary function test, performed ventilation measure, and traced the Pressure-Volume Loop under anesthesia. Then, rats were sacrificed for hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome staining, immunohistochemistry staining of TGF-ß1 and α-SMA, and observation through transmission electron microscope. BHTF reduced infiltration of inflammation cells, collagen deposition, and fibrosis proliferation in pulmonary mesenchyme, inhibited the expression of TGF-ß1 and α-SMA, and avoided the abnormality of ultrastructure and quantities of lamellar bodies. It also ameliorated the parameters of FVC, MVV, PEF, FEF25, and Cdyn, maintained the shape of the Pressure-Volume Loop, and improved hysteresis. BHFT relieved the histopathologic changes, improved ventilation function, compliance, and work of breathing, meliorated the capacity and elasticity of the lungs, and stabilized the alveolar surface tension. Further speaking, it had a potential impact on the secretion of pulmonary surfactant.