VX-765 attenuates silica-induced lung inflammatory injury and fibrosis by modulating alveolar macrophages pyroptosis in mice.

Silicosis is a diffuse fibrotic lung disease in which excessive inflammatory responses are triggered by silica exposure. Pyroptosis, a pro-inflammatory mode of programmed cell death, is mediated by gasdermin and may play a pivotal role in the development of silicosis. The caspase-1 inhibitor, VX-765, was used in vivo and in vitro to investigate the effects of silica-induced early inflammatory injury and later lung fibrosis. Our findings show that VX-765 reduces inflammatory lung injury by inhibiting silica-induced pyroptosis of alveolar macrophages in a silicosis mouse model. VX-765 limits the infiltration of inflammatory M1 alveolar macrophages, decreasing expression of inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, CCL2, and CCL3, and down-regulating endogenous DAMPs and inflammatory immune-related cell pattern recognition receptors TLR4 and NLRP3. Furthermore, VX-765 alleviates fibrosis by down-regulating α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen, and fibronectin. In this study, we illustrate that Alveolar macrophages pyroptosis occur in the early stages of silicosis, and VX-765 can alleviate the development of silicosis by inhibiting the pyroptosis signaling pathway. These results may provide new insight into the prevention and treatment of early-stage silicosis.

Clinical application of transoral and submental thyroidectomy (TOaST): a series of 54 human cases.

OBJECTIVE: A new endoscopic thyroidectomy approach-transoral and submental endoscopic thyroidectomy (TOaST)-was applied in clinical practice and considered an improved approach for endoscopic thyroid surgery via the oral approach. This paper discusses the feasibility and effectiveness of this surgical method. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 54 patients who had undergone TOaST in the thyroid disease center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between December 2020 and December 2021. The surgical data and techniques, complications, and cosmetic outcomes of these patients were studied. RESULTS: Among the total 54 patients, 23 underwent unilateral subtotal thyroidectomy, 3 patients underwent bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy, 27 with unilateral thyroid cancer underwent affected thyroid + isthmus + central lymph node resection, and only 1 patient underwent total thyroidectomy. The mean operative time was 88.06 ± 12.03 min (range: 65-135 min), the mean intraoperative blood loss was 8.61 ± 4.60 ml (range: 5-20 ml), the mean postoperative drainage volume was 49.96 ± 9.88 ml (range: 30-60 ml), the mean drainage time was 36.61 ± 2.65 h (range: 32-50 h), and the mean length of hospital stay was 46.63 ± 3.28 h (range 45-70 h). One patient experienced transient recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and another patient experienced transient parathyroid dysfunction; there was no superior laryngeal nerve injury and other complications, such as postoperative subcutaneous hematoma, hypercapnia, mental nerve injury, tracheoesophageal injury, infection, or lymphatic leakage. CONCLUSION: TOaST cannot only achieve a good therapeutic effect but also avoid mental nerve injury, reduce the discomfort of the patient's jaw, obtain a good cosmetic effect, and facilitate the operation of the operator. It is an endoscopic thyroidectomy technique with a certain clinical value.

High frequency of HIV mutations associated with HLA-C suggests enhanced HLA-C-restricted CTL selective pressure associated with an AIDS-protective polymorphism.

Delayed HIV-1 disease progression is associated with a single nucleotide polymorphism upstream of the HLA-C gene that correlates with differential expression of the HLA-C Ag. This polymorphism was recently shown to be a marker for a protective variant in the 3'UTR of HLA-C that disrupts a microRNA binding site, resulting in enhanced HLA-C expression at the cell surface. Whether individuals with "high" HLA-C expression show a stronger HLA-C-restricted immune response exerting better viral control than that of their counterparts has not been established. We hypothesized that the magnitude of the HLA-C-restricted immune pressure on HIV would be greater in subjects with highly expressed HLA-C alleles. Using a cohort derived from a unique narrow source epidemic in China, we identified mutations in HIV proviral DNA exclusively associated with HLA-C, which were used as markers for the intensity of the immune pressure exerted on the virus. We found an increased frequency of mutations in individuals with highly expressed HLA-C alleles, which also correlated with IFN-γ production by HLA-C-restricted CD8(+) T cells. These findings show that immune pressure on HIV is stronger in subjects with the protective genotype and highlight the potential role of HLA-C-restricted responses in HIV control. This is, to our knowledge, the first in vivo evidence supporting the protective role of HLA-C-restricted responses in nonwhites during HIV infection.

Key points for protecting the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve in open thyroidectomy: A possible exploration technique.

OBJECTIVE: Injury of the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) is easily overlooked in thyroidectomy, and voice changes caused by the injury have a negative effect on an increasing number of patients. This study aimed to reduce the injury rate of EBSLN by expanding the sternothyroid-laryngeal triangle and standardizing the exploration procedure. METHODS: A total of 520 patients who had undergone thyroidectomy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between September 2021 and April 2022 were analyzed. During the operation, the exposure rate of the EBSLN before and after sternothyroid-laryngeal triangle expansion was compared, and all EBSLNs were anatomically classified. RESULTS: The exposure rate of EBSLN after sternothyroid-laryngeal triangle expansion reached 82.7%, which is much higher than that before sternothyroid-laryngeal triangle expansion (33.7%), and voice change caused by injury of the EBSLN was reported in one case (the injury rate was 0.2%). The classification and proportion of the EBSLN were as follows: Type 1 (55.3%), the nerve ran within 1 cm above the STP, but no coincidence or crossover with blood vessels was observed in this region; Type 2 (14.7%), the nerve travelled within 1 cm above the STP and overlapped or intersected with blood vessels in this region; Type 3 (12.7%), the EBSLN ran below the level of the STP; and Type 4 (17.3%), no EBSLN was observed within 1 cm above the STP. CONCLUSION: In thyroidectomy, injury to the EBSLN can be effectively reduced by expanding the sternothyroid-laryngeal triangle and exploring the upper pole area of the thyroid as far as possible, which has great clinical significance in reducing postoperative voice box injury.

Exploring the pharmacological mechanisms of Biyan Qingdu Granula in the treatment after nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiotherapy based on UPLC/Q-TOF MS, network pharmacology and molecular docking.

BACKGROUND: Biyan Qingdu Granula (BYQD) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula commonly used for post-radiotherapy treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Despite its extensive use, the underlying pharmacological mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. METHODS: UPLC/Q-TOF MS was used to comprehensively analyze the chemical composition of BYQD. Additionally, an everted gut sac model, coupled with UPLC/Q-TOF MS, was used to screen and identify the active ingredients. Subsequently, we conducted a network pharmacological analysis to delve into the potential mechanisms of these active ingredients. Molecular docking experiments were also performed to assess the interactions between active ingredients and potential core targets. RESULTS: The findings revealed the identification of 62 identical ingredients upon comparing the sample solution and intestinal absorbed solution of BYQD. We constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, which led to the identification of five core targets, namely, TP53, STAT3, MAPK1, SRC and AKT1. Through the construction of a drug-active ingredient-intersection target network, we identified Quercetin, Luteolin, Eupatilin, Magnoflorine, Acacetin and other compound as potential active ingredients. Gene Ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis suggested that pathways in cancer, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, lipid and atherosclerosis, proteoglycans in cancer, and the MAPK signaling pathway might play the key roles in the treatment of NPC after radiotherapy using BYQD. Molecular docking results corroborated strong binding activity between the putative core targets and the corresponding key active ingredients. CONCLUSION: This study provides a preliminary revelation of the active ingredients and potential pharmacological mechanisms of BYQD in the post-radiotherapy treatment of NPC. These findings establish a vital theoretical basis and serve as a scientific reference for the future investigating the pharmacological mechanisms and clinical application of BYQD.

Cross-modality transfer learning with knowledge infusion for diabetic retinopathy grading.

Background: Ultra-wide-field (UWF) fundus photography represents an emerging retinal imaging technique offering a broader field of view, thus enhancing its utility in screening and diagnosing various eye diseases, notably diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, the application of computer-aided diagnosis for DR using UWF images confronts two major challenges. The first challenge arises from the limited availability of labeled UWF data, making it daunting to train diagnostic models due to the high cost associated with manual annotation of medical images. Secondly, existing models' performance requires enhancement due to the absence of prior knowledge to guide the learning process. Purpose: By leveraging extensively annotated datasets within the field, which encompass large-scale, high-quality color fundus image datasets annotated at either image-level or pixel-level, our objective is to transfer knowledge from these datasets to our target domain through unsupervised domain adaptation. Methods: Our approach presents a robust model for assessing the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) by leveraging unsupervised lesion-aware domain adaptation in ultra-wide-field (UWF) images. Furthermore, to harness the wealth of detailed annotations in publicly available color fundus image datasets, we integrate an adversarial lesion map generator. This generator supplements the grading model by incorporating auxiliary lesion information, drawing inspiration from the clinical methodology of evaluating DR severity by identifying and quantifying associated lesions. Results: We conducted both quantitative and qualitative evaluations of our proposed method. In particular, among the six representative DR grading methods, our approach achieved an accuracy (ACC) of 68.18% and a precision (pre) of 67.43%. Additionally, we conducted extensive experiments in ablation studies to validate the effectiveness of each component of our proposed method. Conclusion: In conclusion, our method not only improves the accuracy of DR grading, but also enhances the interpretability of the results, providing clinicians with a reliable DR grading scheme.

Multilayered defense in HLA-B51-associated HIV viral control.

Polymorphism in the HLA region of a chromosome is the major source of host genetic variability in HIV-1 outcome, but there is limited understanding of the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effect of protective class I alleles such as HLA-B57, -B27, and -B51. Taking advantage of a unique cohort infected with clade B' HIV-1 through contaminated blood, in which many variables such as the length of infection, the infecting viral strain, and host genetic background are controlled, we performed a comprehensive study to understand HLA-B51-associated HIV-1 control. We focused on the T cell responses against three dominant HLA-B51-restricted epitopes: Gag327-345(NI9) NANPDCKTI, Pol743-751(LI9) LPPVVAKEI, and Pol283-289(TI8) TAFTIPSI. Mutations in all three dominant epitopes were significantly associated with HLA-B51 in the cohort. A clear hierarchy in selection of epitope mutations was observed through epitope sequencing. L743I in position 1 of epitope LI9 was seen in most B51(+) individuals, followed by V289X in position 8 of the TI8, and then, A328S, in position 2 of the NI9 epitope, was also seen in some B51(+) individuals. Good control of viral load and higher CD4(+) counts were significantly associated with at least one detectable T cell response to unmutated epitopes, whereas lower CD4(+) counts and higher viral loads were observed in patients who had developed escape mutations in all three epitopes or who lacked T cell responses specific to these epitope(s). We propose that patients with HLA-B51 benefit from having multiple layers of effective defense against the development of immune escape mutations.

Protective effect of Xinmai'an tablets via mediation of the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

BACKGROUND: Xinmai'an tablets are a compound Chinese medicine comprising six traditional Chinese medicines that have been clinically applied to treat cardiovascular diseases such as premature ventricular contractions for many years. However, pharmacological effects and underlying mechanisms of Xinmai'an tablet in protecting against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) were barely ever studied. PURPOSE: To investigate the cardioprotective properties of Xinmai'an tablet against MIRI and the underlying molecular mechanism in rats. METHODS: We initially established the UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS analysis method to ensure the controllable quality of Xinmai'an tablet. We further identified the cardioprotective effects of Xinmai'an tablet against MIRI using TTC staining, hematoxylin and eosin, echocardiography, the transmission electron microscope analysis, biochemical analysis, and ELISA. We then investigated whether the safeguarding effect of Xinmai'an tablet on MIRI model rats was related to AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway via western blotting. RESULTS: Xinmai'an tablet decreased myocardial infarct size; ameliorated cardiac function; alleviated myocardial and mitochondrial damage; and suppressed oxidative stress injury, vascular endothelial damage, and apoptosis response in MIRI model rats. Mechanistically, our results showed that Xinmai'an tablet can dramatically activate the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1αpathway and subsequently diminish mitochondrial oxidative stress damage. This was evidenced by increased ATP, Na+-K+-ATPase, and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase levels, upregulation of GLUT4, p-AMPK, SIRT1, and PGC-1α protein levels; and reduced GLUT1 protein level. CONCLUSION: To the knowledge of the author of this article, this study is the first report of Xinmai'an tablet attenuating MIRI, potentially associated with the activation of the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway and subsequent reduction of mitochondrial oxidative stress damage. These findings reveal a novel pharmacological effect and mechanism of action of Xinmai'an tablet and highlight a promising therapeutic drug for ischemic cardiovascular diseases.

Graphene oxide enabled self-assembly of silver trimolybdate nanowires into robust membranes for nanosolid capture and molecular separation.

A graphene oxide (GO) assisted self-assembly strategy for growing a silver trimolybdate nanowire membrane with capabilities of nanosolid capture and small molecule separation is reported. Thanks to the GO bridges and the accurate self-assembly process, the resulting membrane exhibits outstanding mechanical properties (can withstand 4300 times its weight) and impressively high porosity (97%). On the basis of the robustness and high porosity of the membrane, column-shaped filter apparatus has been fabricated, in which the membrane served as a self-standing permeation barrier to assess its permeability and practical application as a nanosolid filter and molecule filter. The permeability test of the membrane with pure water uncovers that the membrane exhibits fast permeability while driven by hydrostatic pressure only because of its significantly high porosity. The separation test of the membrane with P25 TiO2 solution, 13 nm Au solution, and yellow-emitting CdTe QDs reveals that all the tiny nanosolids are completely removed from the solution, which suggests that the membrane is an efficient nanosolid filter. Its efficiency is increased by the induction of surface collision from numerous nanowire barriers and the deposition of nanosolids on the nanowire surface. The separation test of the membrane with a mixed-dye solution reveals that sulfur containing methylene blue (MB) molecules are highly efficiently extracted under various chemical conditions, evidencing that the membrane is an ideal molecule filter too. Its high selectivity and high efficiency originated from the Ag-S bonding between the interlayered silver ions of the silver trimolybdate nanowire and the sulfur atom of MB molecules. Based on the above results, the silver trimolybdate nanowire membrane has been applied to purify drugs, which successfully removed sulbactam sodium impurity F from sulbactam sodium, demonstrating a purity increment from 98.92% to 99.93%. The present work should provide a significant step forward to bringing macroscopic 1D nanomaterial architectures much closer to real-world applications involving isolation and enrichment of catalyst reclamation, high-value chemical recovery, drug purification, and environmental remediation.

Nonlinear model fitting analysis of feather growth and development curves in the embryonic stages of Jilin white geese (Anser cygnoides).

Poultry is subject to varying degrees of feather loss and feather pecking during production, which seriously affects the live appearance and carcass appearance of their commercial traits and greatly reduces the production profitability of the farming enterprise. It also has an impact on down production and quality in the case of geese. In this study, mathematical models (Logistic, Gompertz, and Von Bertalanffy) were used to assess feather growth and development during the embryonic period in Jilin white geese (Anser cygnoides) predicting the weight and length of feathers from the back, chest, and belly tracts at different embryonic ages, to determine which growth model more accurately described feather growth patterns. The result first showed that the primary feather follicles of the Jilin white goose developed at E14 and secondary feather follicles at E18; primary feather follicle density increased and then decreased, whereas secondary feather follicle density increased continuously and the primary and secondary feather follicles developed independently. Secondly, the embryonic feather growth followed a slow-fast-slow pattern, with feathers growing slowly from E12 to E18, quickly from E18 to E24, and then decreasing after E24 until just before emergence (E30). In addition, before E14, feathers were concentrated in the back tracts, and no feathers were found on the head, neck, chest, abdomen, or wings. By E22, the whole body of the embryo was covered with feathers, and the back feathers were the earliest and fastest to develop. Compared to the Gompertz and von Bertalanffy models, the logistic model fit (R2 = 0.997) was the highest, while the sum of residual squares (RSS = 25661.67), Akaike's information criterion (AIC = 77.600), Bayesian information criterion (BIC = 78.191), and mean square error (MSE = 2851.296) were the lowest. Therefore, the logistic model was more suitable for describing the changes in whole-body feather growth during the embryonic period in Jilin white geese. In conclusion, using the growth curve model to explain the relationship between feather growth and embryonic age in geese will potentially speed up the process of genetic improvement in Jilin white geese (A. cygnoides) and thus provide scientific support for molecular genetic breeding.

Feathers are an important external feature of poultry, and feather follicles are important appendages to the skin. Especially for geese, feather follicle development largely determines feather length and quality, which in turn affects feather-related economic traits. The growth curve is to use mathematical equations to fit the growth and development curve and analyze the growth and development laws of livestock and poultry. Therefore, whether the establishment of a growth curve model can be used to describe the growth process between the embryonic feather weight, length, and embryo age of the Jilin white goose will be worth further study.

Hospital emergency management research in China: trends and challenges.

Emergency management is a relatively new research field in China. The severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in 2003 caused research and papers on emergency management to increase by leaps and bounds. This review summarises the progress of hospital emergency management research in China, highlights trends and challenges, and discusses likely solutions for research improvement. Articles were identified from a systematic search of Wanfang Med Online and PubMed, from reviews of bibliographic reference lists and by consultation with experts in the field. The search identified 2548 articles potentially involving hospital emergency management. By reviewing the titles and abstracts, we narrowed the list to 253. Reading the texts resulted in the inclusion of 85 articles in the review. Two additional articles were included from the references cited in articles that were reviewed. Research progress was summarised in terms of basic concepts and principles, system development, emergency response plan, preparedness and response, training and exercise, and management evaluation. Based on this study we suggest that hospital emergency management research in China should make efforts to (1) establish a universally accepted theory framework and terminology, (2) create a structure for further studies, (3) integrate research of different disciplines, and (4) avoid or minimise confusion. More attention should be paid on the evolvement mechanism of main public health incidents and disasters, and the key functional systems related to hospital's emergency response resiliencies. Focus should also be placed on practical guidelines and tools.

C-X-C-Chemokine-Receptor-Type-4 Inhibitor AMD3100 Attenuates Pulmonary Inflammation and Fibrosis in Silicotic Mice.

Background: Silicosis is a severe pulmonary disease caused by inhaling dust containing crystalline silica. The progression of silicosis to pulmonary fibrosis is usually unavoidable. Recent studies have revealed positivity for the overexpression of C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) in pulmonary fibrosis and shown that the CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3100 attenuated pulmonary fibrosis after bleomycin challenge and paraquat exposure. However, it is unclear whether AMD3100 reduces crystalline silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: C57BL/6 male mice were instilled intranasally with a single dose of crystalline silica (12 mg/60 µL) to establish an acute silicosis mouse model. Twelve hours later, the mice were injected intraperitoneally with 5 mg/kg AMD3100 or control solution. Then, the mice were weighed daily and sacrificed on day 7, 14, or 28 to collect lung tissue and peripheral blood. Western blotting was also applied to determine the level of CXCR4, while different histological techniques were used to assess pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. In addition, the level of B cells in peripheral blood was measured by flow cytometry. Results: CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12 were upregulated in the lung tissues of crystalline silica-exposed mice. Blocking CXCR4 with AMD3100 suppressed the upregulation of CXCR4/CXCL12, reduced the severity of lung injury, and prevented weight loss. It also inhibited neutrophil infiltration at inflammatory sites and neutrophil extracellular trap formation, as well as reduced B-lymphocyte aggregates in the lung. Additionally, it decreased the recruitment of circulating fibrocytes (CD45+collagen I+CXCR4+) to the lung and the deposition of collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin in lung tissue. AMD3100 also increased the level of B cells in peripheral blood, preventing circulating B cells from migrating to the injured lungs. Conclusion: Blocking CXCR4 with AMD3100 delays pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in a silicosis mouse model, suggesting the potential of AMD3100 as a drug for treating silicosis.

Necroptosis in pulmonary macrophages promotes silica-induced inflammation and interstitial fibrosis in mice.

Silicosis is a disease characterized by extensive lung nodules and fibrosis caused by the prolonged inhalation of silica in occupational settings. However, the molecular mechanism of silicosis development is complex and not fully understood. Furthermore, the role of necroptosis, a death receptor-mediated and caspase-independent mode of inflammatory cell death, is not well understood in silicosis. Here, we demonstrate that the necroptotic signaling pathway of macrophages is significantly activated in the lungs of silicosis mouse models. Meanwhile, increased M1 macrophage infiltration and up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) were observed in our silicosis model. Notably, the expression of the pro-fibrotic factor, TGF-ß1, and fibrosis biomarkers α-SMA and collagen I were also unregulated; however, these phenomena were recovered by Nec-1, an inhibitor specific for RIP1 kinase-dependent necroptosis. We conclude that macrophage-mediated necroptosis promotes the progression of silicosis by enhancing lung inflammatory responses and fibrogenesis in a mouse model of silicosis. These findings provide new insights for drug discovery and clinical treatment of silicosis.

Preventive and therapeutic effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus SHA113 and its culture supernatant on alcoholic gastric ulcers.

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic gastric ulcers are currently a common upper gastrointestinal disease with a high recurrence rate, causing gastric perforation or even gastric cancer in severe cases. Lactobacillus rhamnosus was previously found to prevent alcoholic gastric ulcers, but its therapeutic effects were not illustrated. AIMS: This study aims to illustrate the preventive and therapeutic effects of L. rhamnosus SHA113 cells and their culture supernatant on alcoholic gastric ulcers and explore the related mechanisms. METHODS: An alcoholic gastric ulcer model was established by feeding mice with 75% ethanol once at a dosage of 10 ml per kg body weight. The L. rhamnosus SHA113 cells (SHA) and their culture supernatant (SHA-FS) were separately used to feed mice for 2 weeks before ethanol injury in preventive experiments and for 2 days after ethanol injury in therapeutic experiments. The mechanisms were analyzed in view of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and intestinal barrier functions. RESULTS: The preventive effects of SHA-FS were much better than those of SHA via similar mechanisms, such as promoting the secretion of mucus, improving the antioxidant capacity of the gastric mucosa, and inhibiting inflammation. In terms of the therapeutic effects, SHA-FS and SHA could accelerate the healing of damaged ulcers by improving the secretion of tight junction proteins and mucus proteins, increasing angiogenesis, and inhibiting the apoptosis of gastric epithelial cells. CONCLUSION: L. rhamnosus SHA113 and its culture supernatant had preventive and therapeutic effects on alcoholic gastric ulcers via anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways and the promotion of healing of damaged ulcers by enhancing intestinal barrier functions, respectively.

A suitable silicosis mouse model was constructed by repeated inhalation of silica dust via nose.

Silicosis as the serious occupational disease is highly necessary to construct a suitable mouse model for disclosing mechanism of occurrence and development in this disease. Here, the volume-effect relationship and volume-based survival curves in mice who inhaled silica suspension intranasally were analyzed. Notable, the optimal volume 80 µl repeated-inhalation by nose to silica suspension in the inbred mouse C57BL/6 J with the highest susceptibility to silicosis led to a great entrance into the lung and a high survival rate after instillation. After repeated-exposure to 20 mg/mL, 80 µl silica for 16 days and then fed without silica exposure until 31 days, weight of mice showed a trend of first decrease and then recover. Moreover, the degree of pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in mice were analyzed by pathological and immunohistochemistry staining. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß), smooth muscle alpha-actin (α-SMA) and collagen type-I (collagen I, Col-I) were significantly increased in the silica-exposed mouse lung at post-exposure day 16 compared with the controls. Sirius red stain and Micro-CT analysis showed that lung fibrosis formed at post-exposure day 31. This study highlights the critical importance of perfusion volume and repeated nasal drops in inducing inflammatory response and pulmonary fibrosis in silicosis.

Maternal Nicotine Exposure Alters Hippocampal Microglia Polarization and Promotes Anti-inflammatory Signaling in Juvenile Offspring in Mice.

Accumulating evidence reveal that maternal smoking or perinatal nicotine replacement therapy impairs hippocampal neurogenesis, neural development, and cognitive behaviors in the offspring. Microglia is a source of non-neural regulation of neuronal development and postnatal neurogenesis. In this study, we explored the impact of nicotine on the microglia during the development of hippocampus. Developmental nicotine exposure in a mouse model was conducted by supplementing nicotine in the drinking water to mother mice during gestation and lactation period. We found that juvenile offspring with maternal nicotine exposure presented physical and neurobehavioral development delay and an increase in anxiety-like behavior in the open field test on postnatal day (PND) 20. To further detect possible developmental neurotoxic effects of nicotine in offspring and underlying mechanism, whole genome microarray analysis of the expression profile of the hippocampus was performed on postnatal day 20. Significant alterations in the expression of genes related to inflammatory, neurotransmitter, and synapsis were observed in the hippocampus after maternal nicotine exposure, as compared to the vehicle control. Concurrently, an increase in microglial markers and the presence of M2 polarity state in the hippocampus of the nicotine offspring were observed by histological analysis and confocal z-stacking scanning. The M2 microglial polarization state was further confirmed with in vitro primary microglia culture by cytokine array, and double-positive expression of BDNF/Iba1 in microglia by immunohistochemical staining in the juvenile offspring hippocampus was visualized. We also found that nicotine offspring showed an increase of neurite length in the molecular layer and CA1 by Tuj1 staining, as well as an increase in the expression of synapse associated protein, PSD95, but the expression of NeuroD1 in CA1 and CA3 reduced. In summary, maternal nicotine exposure dysregulates immune-related genes expression by skewing the polarity of M2 microglia in the hippocampus, which may cause abnormal cognitive and behavioral performance in the offspring.

Determination of the zeta potential of planar solids in nonpolar liquids.

ZetaSpin determines zeta potential by measuring the streaming potential generated by rotating a disk-shaped sample about its axis while submerged in the liquid. The apparatus and procedure developed for ZetaSpin in aqueous solutions was adapted for use in highly nonpolar fluids like surfactant-doped alkanes. Perhaps most unexpected is the need for up to 10 min (instead of a fraction of one second for aqueous solutions) for the electrometer to display changes in streaming potential in response to changes in rotation speed. Four tests (suggested by theory) confirm that the potential finally reported by the electrometer was indeed the streaming potential. Compared to electrophoresis, ZetaSpin does not require a value for the Debye length, avoids the complication caused by the electric-field-dependence of electrophoretic mobility and can be used with planar samples as well as colloidal particles.

Using electronic drug monitor feedback to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive patients in China.

Effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) requires excellent adherence. Little is known about how to improve ART adherence in many HIV/AIDS-affected countries, including China. We therefore assessed an adherence intervention among HIV-positive patients in southwestern China. Eighty subjects were enrolled and monitored for 6 months. Sixty-eight remaining subjects were randomized to intervention/control arms. In months 7-12, intervention subjects were counseled using EDM feedback; controls continued with standard of care. Among randomized subjects, mean adherence and CD4 count were 86.8 vs. 83.8% and 297 vs. 357 cells/microl in intervention vs. control subjects, respectively. At month 12, among 64 subjects who completed the trial, mean adherence had risen significantly among intervention subjects to 96.5% but remained unchanged in controls. Mean CD4 count rose by 90 cells/microl and declined by 9 cells/microl among intervention and control subjects, respectively. EDM feedback as a counseling tool appears promising for management of HIV and other chronic diseases.

Capability of Bacillus Subtilis to remove Pb2+ via producing lipopeptides.

Lead contamination is widely found in soil and waters, which makes great threat to animal and human health. Environmentally friendly, efficient, and economical methods for the removal of Pb2+ pose significant challenges for environmental protection. Bacillus subtilis lipopeptide was firstly used to remove Pb2+ from water. In mechanisms, the lipopeptides formed complexes and chelated with Pb2+ via OH, CO, OCO, and NH. In kinetics, the Pb2+ removal process closely followed a pseudo-first-order model, and the equilibrium Pb2+ adsorption capacity ranged from 112.6 to 113.7 mg/g within a temperature range of 293.13-313.13 K. The Pb2+ removal process could be well described by a Langmuir isotherm. The maximum Pb2+ removal capability of lipopeptides was 164.4 mg/g in manually metal contaminated water and 130.4 mg/g in actual wastewater. Furthermore, the lipopeptides can not only decrease the amount of lead in oats grown, but also promote oat growth under Pb2+ stress. The results showed that lipopeptides can be used as a highly efficient adsorbent to remove Pb2+ from water, which means the great potential of lipopeptides in practical environments.