Full-duplex underwater wireless blue light communication.

Owing to its relatively low absorption loss and high data transmission rate, wireless blue light communication is becoming an increasingly attractive technology for underwater applications. Here, we demonstrate an underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) system that communicates using blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a dominant wavelength of 455 nm. Under the on-off keying modulation scheme, the waterproof UOWC system achieves a bidirectional communication rate of 4 Mbps based on the transmission control protocol (TCP) and exhibits real-time full-duplex video communication with a transmission distance of 12 m in a swimming pool, offering great potential for practical use in real-world scenarios, such as carried around or attached to an autonomous vehicle.

Full-duplex wireless deep ultraviolet light communication.

With recent advancements in deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and solar-blind photodetectors, wireless DUV light communication is emerging as a novel technique, which can extend transmission ranges and avoid solar interference. Herein, a full-duplex, real-time wireless light communication system using 275 nm DUV LEDs is proposed. We adopted high-power DUV LEDs and designed a high-speed transmitter, a high-sensitivity receiver, and a main processing unit for the system. Furthermore, the DUV communication system, using a Reed-Solomon (RS) encoder and an on-off keying (OOK) modem with frequency control, achieves a 10 Mbit/s bidirectional data transmission rate within 5 m in free space, while a full-duplex video communication link is formed. The encapsulated DUV communication system described in this Letter provides a feasible scheme for confidential and anti-electromagnetic interference communication in Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Protective effect of puerarin against burn-induced heart injury in rats.

The present study evaluated the potential protective effects of puerarin and its associated mechanism on burn-induced myocardial damage. A total of 40 healthy adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: i) Sham; ii) burn; iii) burn + puerarin; and iv) puerarin. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and IL-6 were measured using ELISA. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined in myocardial homogenates using a commercial assay kit. TUNEL staining and western blot analysis of cleaved and pro-caspase-3 were also performed to assess apoptosis. Activation of p38-MAPK, ERK, JNK and AKT were measured using western blot analysis. Left ventricular systolic pressure, maximum rates of increase/decrease in left ventricular pressure, creatine kinase MB activity and cardiac troponin T levels were found to be altered in the burn group 12 h after burn, which were reversed by puerarin treatment. Injection of puerarin following burn injury also reduced heart water content. Serum levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly higher in the burn group compared with those in the sham group. Puerarin treatment reduced serum levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-6, in addition to reducing MPO activity and MDA levels in myocardial tissues. Puerarin inhibited the activation of caspase-3, p38, ERK and JNK following severe burn, but elevated Akt activation following severe burn. In conclusion, puerarin improved cardiac function in rats following severe burn injury, which may be due to reduced myocardial injury, inhibition of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and reduced oxidative inflammatory stress; the MAPK and AKT signaling pathways are proposed to the underlying mechanism of these findings.

Protective effect of celastrol for burn-induced acute lung injury in rats.

Celastrol (CEL) was shown to display anti-inflammatory properties, and played an important role in anti-apoptosis. There were inflammation mediated by cytokines and apoptosis distinctly in the progression of acute lung injury (ALI) burn-induced. This study was conducted to explore the role of CEL in ALI induced by burns. In order to induce burn injury, rats were exposed to a 92°C water bath for 18 seconds. After burn experiment, the Burn + Celastrol group received CEL, and vehicle (DMSO) was used to treat the rats from Burn + Vehicle group. And the Sham + Burn group received no treatment. Vascular protein leakage was detected by Evans blue (EB) concentration to evaluate the lung microvascular permeability. Then wet-to-dry lung weight ratio (W/D), and hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E) were measured respectively to investigate interstitial edema, neutrophil recruitment, and histopathological changes in lung tissues burn-induced ALI. To explore the mechanism of action of CEL, we assessed levels of inflammatory cytokines by ELISA assay, TUNEL staining and western blotting. Then we detected apoptosis-related factors, including the amount of apoptotic cells, caspase-3 activity, and Bax or Bcl-xl, respectively. The pulmonary microvascular hyperpermeability, histopathological characteristics, and a high W/D were attenuated by CEL for burn-injury rats. The concentration of cytokines burn-induced ALI from tissues and serum were decreased by CEL. Furthermore, after CEL treatment, TUNEL-positive cells, the protein level of Bax and caspase-3 activity reduced, and the level of Bcl-xl in protein increased. In conclusion, in lung injury burn-induced, CEL has a positive effect on anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis. Thus, CEL could be as a latent for the cure of ALI burn-induced.

DNA barcoding the Dioscorea in China, a vital group in the evolution of monocotyledon: use of matK gene for species discrimination.

BACKGROUND: Dioscorea is an important plant genus in terms of food supply and pharmaceutical applications. However, its classification and identification are controversial. DNA barcoding is a recent aid to taxonomic identification and uses a short standardized DNA region to discriminate plant species. In this study, the applicability of three candidate DNA barcodes (rbcL, matK, and psbA-trnH) to identify species within Dioscorea was tested. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: One-hundred and forty-eight individual plant samples of Dioscorea, encompassing 38 species, seven varieties and one subspecies, representing majority species distributed in China of this genus, were collected from its main distributing areas. Samples were assessed by PCR amplification, sequence quality, extent of specific genetic divergence, DNA barcoding gap, and the ability to discriminate between species. matK successfully identified 23.26% of all species, compared with 9.30% for rbcL and 11.63% for psbA-trnH. Therefore, matK is recommended as the best DNA barcoding candidate. We found that the combination of two or three loci achieved a higher success rate of species discrimination than one locus alone. However, experimental cost would be much higher if two or three loci, rather than a single locus, were assessed. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that matK is a strong, although not perfect, candidate as a DNA barcode for Dioscorea identification. This assessment takes into account both its ability for species discrimination and the cost of experiments.