Comparison of the chronic unpredictable mild stress and the maternal separation in mice postpartum depression modeling.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious mental health concern of new mothers worldwide. In view of the particularity of puerpera, the research on pathogenesis and drug development of PPD are highly dependent on animal models. Although both maternal separation (MS) and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) modeling approaches have been used in PPD studies, the characteristics of the two rodent models have not been compared to explain which is more advantageous in PPD research. In this study, we applied 21-day MS and CUMS paradigms to induce mouse model of PPD and compared their differences in behavior, physiology and gut microbiota. As a result, the two models exhibited significant increases of immobility time in forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST), whereas sucrose preference index and pup weight were significantly decreased. Both displayed depression-like behaviors, and CUMS was more obvious, which demonstrated by the lower levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and higher hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis related mRNA expression (corticotropin releasing hormone, corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1) in CMUS group than that in MS group. The gut microbiota in MS and CUMS groups were significantly different in terms of the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria. In conclusion, MS model and CUMS model have different performance in behavior and physiology. The CUMS model showed more obvious parameter changes, which may be more suitable for PPD induced by various social environmental factors.

Flexural Behavior on Damaged Steel Beams Strengthened with CFRP Sheets Subjected to Overloading.

This paper presents results of testing and numerical analyses of damaged steel beams strengthened with carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheet and subjected to overloading. The test results showed that as cyclic times increase, the yield load and stiffness increase, but the ultimate bearing capacity decreases to a certain extent. Applying prestress could improve the ductility of the girder. The damage level greatly influenced the girders with overloading, and the increase in damage degree reduced the stiffness, yield load and ultimate load. The numerical calculation showed that the yield load would decrease by 0.4-0.8 kN when the cyclic times increase by 100 times. The yield load would increase by 1-2 kN and the ultimate bearing capacity would decrease by 0.6-1.2 kN when the overloading amplitude increased by 0.02 Pu. The increase in damage degree would obviously reduce the yield load and ultimate bearing capacity of the steel beam after overloading. The yield load and ultimate bearing capacity could be increased by approximately 3 kN when the CFRP sheet thickness increases by 0.05 mm.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Quercus phillyraeoides (Fagaceae).

Quercus phillyraeoides A. Gray is an evergreen oak species native to East Asia, and it plays a vital role in mountain ecosystems. In this study, we assembled the complete chloroplast genome of Q. phillyraeoides based on sequencing data. The genome was circular and 161,384 bp in length, consisting of a large single-copy region (90,617 bp), small single-copy region (19,035 bp), and two short inverted repeat regions (25,866 bp). We found that the cp genome encodes for 131 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 8 rRNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. The results of the phylogenetic analysis of the complete cp genome sequence illustrated that Q. phillyraeoides is a member of the section Quercus and it is most closely related to Q. tarokoensis.

Dehydrated Basella alba Fruit Juice as a Novel Natural Colorant: Pigment Stability, In Vivo Food Safety Evaluation and Anti-Inflammatory Mechanism Characterization.

Flesh of Basella alba L. mature fruits bearing deep-violet juice provides a novel and potential source of natural colorant. To minimize the pigment purification process and warrant safety acceptability, B. alba colorant powder (BACP) was prepared using mature fruits through a practical batch preparation and subjected to fundamental pigment characterization, food safety assessment and bio-function evaluation. Yield of the dehydrated B. alba colorant powder (BACP) was 37 g/kg fresh fruits. Reconstituted aqueous solution of the BACP exhibited an identical visible spectrum (400-700 nm) as that of fresh juice. Color of the solution (absorbance at 540 nm) was stable in a broad pH ranged from 3 to 8 and enhanced by co-presence of calcium and magnesium ions, while was rapidly bleached by ferrous and ferric ions. For in vivo food safety evaluation, ICR mice were daily gavage administered with BACP up to 1000 mg/kg body weight for 28 days. Organ weight determination, serum biochemical analysis and histopathological examination of hearts, livers, lungs and kidneys revealed no obvious health hazard. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of BACP was characterized in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. BACP exerted potent anti-inflammatory activity by down-regulation of inflammatory mediators including nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-12 and the blockage of IκB kinase (IKK)/IκB/nuclear factor-κ B (NFκB) activation cascade. These results supported that BACP may serve as a beneficial alternative of natural food colorant.

The Ethanol Extract of Osmanthus fragrans Flowers Reduces Oxidative Stress and Allergic Airway Inflammation in an Animal Model.

The Osmanthus fragrans flower, a popular herb in Eastern countries, contains several antioxidant compounds. Ben Cao Gang Mu, traditional Chinese medical literature, describes the usefulness of these flowers for phlegm and stasis reduction, arrest of dysentery with blood in the bowel, and stomachache and diarrhea treatment. However, modern evidence regarding the therapeutic efficacy of these flowers is limited. This study was aimed at assessing the antioxidative effects of the ethanol extract of O. fragrans flowers (OFE) in vivo and evaluating its antioxidant maintenance and therapeutic effect on an allergic airway inflammation in mice. After OFE's oral administration to mice, the values obtained in the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay as well as the glutathione concentration in the lungs and spleens of mice increased while thiobarbituric acid reactive substances decreased significantly, indicating OFE's significant in vivo antioxidant activity. OFE was also therapeutically efficacious in a mouse model of ovalbumin-induced allergic airway inflammation. Orally administered OFE suppressed ovalbumin-specific IgE production and inflammatory cell infiltration in the lung. Moreover, the antioxidative state of the mice improved. Thus, our findings confirm the ability of the O. fragrans flowers to reduce phlegm and suggest that OFE may be useful as an antiallergic agent.