Unidirectional Lasing from Mirror-Coupled Dielectric Lattices.

This paper reports how a hybrid system composed of transparent dielectric lattices over a metal mirror can produce high-quality lattice resonances for unidirectional lasing. The enhanced electromagnetic fields are concentrated in the cladding of the periodic dielectric structures and away from the metal. Based on a mirror-image model, we reveal that such high-quality lattice resonances are governed by bound states in the continuum resulting from destructive interference. Using hexagonal arrays of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on a silica-coated silver mirror, we observed lattice resonances with quality factors of up to 2750 in the visible regime. With the lattice resonances as optical feedback and dye solution as the gain medium, we demonstrated unidirectional lasing under optical pumping, where the array size was down to 100 µm × 100 µm. Our scheme can be extended to other spectral regimes to simultaneously achieve strongly enhanced surface fields and high quality factors.

Targeting aberrant glycosylation to modulate microglial response and improve cognition in models of Alzheimer's disease.

Altered glycosylation profiles have been correlated with potential drug targets in various diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this area, the linkage between bisecting N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), a product of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III), and AD has been recognized, however, our understanding of the cause and the causative role of this aberrant glycosylation in AD are far from completion. Moreover, the effects and mechanisms of glycosylation-targeting interventions on memory and cognition, and novel targeting strategies are worth further study. Here, we showed the characteristic amyloid pathology-induced and age-related changes of GnT-III, and identified transcription factor 7-like 2 as the key transcription factor responsible for the abnormal expression of GnT-III in AD. Upregulation of GnT-III aggravated cognitive dysfunction and Alzheimer-like pathologies. In contrast, loss of GnT-III could improve cognition and alleviate pathologies. Furthermore, we found that an increase in bisecting GlcNAc modified ICAM-1 resulted in impairment of microglial responses, and genetic inactivation of GnT-III protected against AD mechanistically by blocking the aberrant glycosylation of ICAM-1 and subsequently modulating microglial responses, including microglial motility, phagocytosis ability, homeostatic/reactive state and neuroinflammation. Moreover, by target-based screening of GnT-III inhibitors from FDA-approved drug library, we identified two compounds, regorafenib and dihydroergocristine mesylate, showing pharmacological potential leading to modulation of aberrant glycosylation and microglial responses, and rescue of memory and cognition deficits.

Pressure-induced structural and magnetic ordering transitions in the J1-J2 square lattice antiferromagnets AMoOPO4Cl (A = K, Rb).

By means of ab initio density functional theory calculations taking into account electronic correlation and van der Waals force, we conducted comprehensive studies of the electronic and magnetic properties, as well as structural and magnetic ordering evolution under pressure of the square lattice antiferromagnets AMoOPO4Cl (A = K, Rb) containing Mo5+ ions with , theoretically predicted as the potential candidates for achieving quantum phases, existing in the boundary regimes for square lattice magnets. Our results indicate that the columnar antiferromagnetic ordering, experimentally determined, is the magnetic ground state of the ambient P4/nmm phase, stabilized by the predominant antiferromagnetic next nearest neighbor interaction J2 in the diagonal directions of the square lattice, regardless of the effective Hubbard amendment values. More importantly, the P4/n phase, involving the mutual twisting of the MoO5Cl and PO4 polyhedra, satisfactorily reproduces the experimentally observed structural transition and the subsequent magnetic ordering transition from columnar antiferromagnetic ordering to Néel antiferromagnetic one, identified to be the appropriate high pressure structure. Furthermore, the mechanism underlined responsible for the magnetic ordering transition at high pressure has been disclosed in terms of density of states and spin density isosurface analysis across the transition. The loss of mirror plane symmetry in the P4/n phase activates the P 3s orbitals to participate in the magnetic interaction, giving rise to a competitive ferromagnetic superexchange interaction, in addition to antiferromagnetic direct one, and consequently initiating the magnetic ordering transition. The insights revealed here not only deepen our understanding of the electronic properties and structural and magnetic ordering transitions under high pressure of square lattice antiferromagnets AMoOPO4Cl (A = K, Rb), but also push the boundaries of knowledge by recognizing the role of nonmagnetic ions P 3s in magnetic exchange coupling.

Unraveling the complex interconnections between food-energy-water nexus sustainability and the supply-demand of related ecosystem services.

Matching the supply and demand of related ecosystem services can be an effective way to realize long-term sustainable management of the food-energy-water nexus (FEW Nexus) in drylands. However, few studies have focused on the matching of supply and demand for ecosystem services associated with advancing the sustainability of FEW-Nexus, there is limited research in this domain, which lacks systematic and quantitative analysis of the relationship between them and FEW Nexus sustainability. Here, this research takes the West Liaohe River Basin in the arid region of China as a case study. Based on a localized FEW Nexus sustainability evaluation index system, the FEW Nexus sustainability and the supply-demand matching characteristics of the corresponding ecosystem services in the West Liaohe River Basin from 2005 to 2015 were assessed. The relationship between them was analyzed quantitatively through the methods of coupling coordination degree and geographical detector. The results showed a synergistic improvement in both FEW Nexus sustainability and the supply-demand situation of combined ecosystem services. The supply of food production and water yield were able to meet their demands adequately from 2005 to 2015, with a strengthening surplus, leading to an overall surplus and gradual improvement in the integrated ecosystem services. This surplus synergistically promoted the process of FEW Nexus sustainability. The results of the geographical detector indicate that the supply-demand ratio of carbon sequestration was the main factor influencing FEW Nexus sustainability. Areas with higher FEW Nexus sustainability tended to have larger deficits in carbon sequestration, which was more evident in areas with high levels of urbanization. Therefore, the key to enhancing FEW Nexus sustainability in the basin is to balance the supply of and demand for carbon sequestration services. Overall, the present study not only provides a basis for strengthening the management of the supply-demand of ecosystem services associated with FEW to achieve regional sustainable development, but also offers insights into how the growing demand for the FEW Nexus is exerting pressure on the balance between supply and demand of related ecosystem services.

Fabrication and stability of W/O/W emulsions stabilized by gum arabic and polyglycerol polyricinoleate.

BACKGROUND: In order to study the effect of adsorption of surfactant at the two interfacial layers on emulsion stability, the kinetically stable water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsion carriers were prepared using polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) and gum arabic (GA) as emulsifiers. The relationship between the adsorption of the surfactant and the stability mechanism of the emulsions was elucidated. RESULTS: When the contents of PGPR and GA were low, the interfaces between oil and the inner and outer water phases, respectively, could not be completely covered. However, when the concentration of PGPR was higher than 60 g kg-1 , the excess PGPR was adsorbed on the interface between the oil phase and the outer water phase. When the concentration of GA reached 80 g kg-1 , more GA was adsorbed to the oil-in-water interface. Moreover, the presence of PGPR on the interface could reduce the adsorption capacity of GA. Two types of kinetically stable emulsions were obtained by optimizing the interface composition (60 g kg-1 GA/80 g kg-1 PGPR and 60 g kg-1 PGPR/80 g kg-1 GA). The kinetically stable W/O/W emulsions prepared in this study were successfully used to encapsulate a hydrophilic vitamin (vitamin B12) with an encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 80% and release efficiency (RE) of 95%. The interfacial adsorption GA can accelerate the hydrolysis of fat. CONCLUSION: Overall, this study provides a new strategy for the preparation of W/O/W emulsions, which might be beneficial for application in food, cosmetic, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Donor:Acceptor Janus Nanoparticle-Based Films as Photoactive Layers: Control of Assembly and Impact on Performance of Devices.

Water-processable organic semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) are considered promising materials for the next-generation of optoelectronic applications due to their controlled size, internal structure, and environmentally friendly processing. Reasonably, the controllable assembly of donor:acceptor (D:A) NPs on large areas, quality, and packing density of deposited films, as well as layer morphology, will influence the effectiveness of charge transfer at an interface and the final performance of designed optoelectronic devices.This work represents an easy and effective approach for designing self-assembled monolayers of D:A NPs. In this self-assembly procedure, the NP arrays are prepared on a large scale (2 × 2 cm2 ) at the air/water interface with controlled packing density and morphology. Due to the unique structure of individual D:A Janus particles and their assembled arrays, the Janus nanoparticle (JNP)-based device exhibits an 80% improvement of electron mobility and more balanced charge extraction compared to the conventional core-shell NP-based device. An outstanding performance of polymer solar cells with over 5% efficiency is achieved after post-annealing treatment of assembled arrays, representing one of the best results for NP-based organic photovoltaics. Ultimately, this work provides a new protocol for processing water-processable organic semiconductor colloids and future optoelectronic fabrication.

Insight into the Role of Psychological Factors in Oral Mucosa Diseases.

With the development of psychology and medicine, more and more diseases have found their psychological origins and associations, especially ulceration and other mucosal injuries, within the digestive system. However, the association of psychological factors with lesions of the oral mucosa, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), burning mouth syndrome (BMS), and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), have not been fully characterized. In this review, after introducing the association between psychological and nervous factors and diseases, we provide detailed descriptions of the psychology and nerve fibers involved in the pathology of OSCC, BMS, and RAS, pointing out the underlying mechanisms and suggesting the clinical indications.

Poly(3-hexylthiophene)s Functionalized with N-Heterocyclic Carbenes as Robust and Conductive Ligands for the Stabilization of Gold Nanoparticles.

Recently, N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are explored as anchor groups to bind organic ligands to colloidal gold (i.e. gold nanoparticles, Au NPs), yet these efforts are confined to non-conjugated ligands so far-that is, focused solely on exploiting the stability aspect. Using NHCs to link Au NPs and electronically active organic components, for example, conjugated polymers (CPs), will allow capitalizing on both the stability as well as the inherent conductivity of the NHC anchors. Here, we report three types of Br-NHC-Au-X (X=Cl, Br) complexes, which, when used as starting points for Kumada polymerizations, yield regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophenes)-NHC-Au (P3HTs-NHC-Au) with narrow molecular weight distributions. The corresponding NPs are obtained via direct reduction and show excellent thermal as well as redox stability. The NHC anchors enable electron delocalization over the gold/CP interface, resulting in an improved electrochromic response behavior in comparison with P3HT-NHC-Au.

Novel comprehensive analysis of skilled reaching and grasping behavior in adult rats.

BACKGROUND: Reaching and grasping (R&G) in rats is commonly used as an outcome measure to investigate the effectiveness of rehabilitation or treatment strategies to recover forelimb function post spinal cord injury. Kinematic analysis has been limited to the wrist and digit movements. Kinematic profiles of the more proximal body segments that play an equally crucial role in successfully executing the task remain unexplored. Additionally, understanding of different forelimb muscle activity, their interactions, and their correlation with the kinematics of R&G movement is scarce. NEW METHOD: In this work, novel methodologies to comprehensively assess and quantify the 3D kinematics of the proximal and distal forelimb joints along with associated muscle activity during R&G movements in adult rats are developed and discussed. RESULTS: Our data show that different phases of R&G identified using the novel kinematic and EMG-based approach correlate with the well-established descriptors of R&G stages derived from the Whishaw scoring system. Additionally, the developed methodology allows describing the temporal activity of individual muscles and associated mechanical and physiological properties during different phases of the motor task. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S): R&G phases and their sub-components are identified and quantified using the developed kinematic and EMG-based approach. Importantly, the identified R&G phases closely match the well-established qualitative descriptors of the R&G task proposed by Whishaw and colleagues. CONCLUSIONS: The present work provides an in-depth objective analysis of kinematics and EMG activity of R&G behavior, paving the way to a standardized approach to assessing this critical rodent motor function in future studies.

Role of Dy 4felectrons on magnetic coupling and reorientation in DyFeO3.

Spin reorientation transition is an ubiquitous phenomenon observed in magnetic rare earth orthferrites RFeO3, which has garnered significant attention in recent years due to its potential applications in spintronics or magnetoelectric devices. Although a plenty of experimental works suggest that the magnetic interaction between R3+and Fe3+spins is at the heart of the spin reorientation, but a direct and conclusive theoretical support has been lacking thus far, primarily due to the challenging nature of handling R 4felectrons. In this paper, we explored DyFeO3as an example by means of comprehensive first principles calculations, and compared two different approaches, where the Dy 4felectrons were treated separately as core or valence states, aiming to elucidate the role of Dy 4felectrons, particularly in the context of the spin reorientation transition. The comparison provides a solid piece of evidence for the experimental argument that the Dy3+-Fe3+magnetic interactions play a vital role in triggering spin reorientation of Fe3+moments at low temperatures. The findings revealed here not only extend our understanding on the underlying mechanism for spin reorientation transition in RFeO3, but also highlight the importance of explicit description of R 4felectrons in rationally reproducing their structural, electronic and magnetic properties.

The composition of phenolic compounds in Chinese olive (Canarium album L.) cultivars and their contribution to the anti-inflammatory properties of the cultivars.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the phenolic compounds (PCs) present in three Chinese olive (Canarium album L.) cultivars and the contribution of these PCs to the anti-inflammatory activities of the cultivars. Methods: Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap/mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Exactive/MS) was used to identify and quantify the PCs present in three Chinese olive cultivars, "Na zhong," "Tan xiang," and "Xiang zhong". 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline 6-sulfonate) (ABTS); and oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) assays were used to assess the antioxidant activities of the PCs. Furthermore, we analyzed the anti-inflammatory action of these PCs using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. Results: A total of 44 PCs were identified in the three cultivars. Of these, 17 PCs were previously unidentified in Chinese olive. Among the cultivars, the free phenolics (FPs) of "Tan xiang" showed the strongest antioxidant activity. All cultivars have shown significant inhibition of TNF-α and IL-6 production. Clustering correlation analysis showed galloyl-bis-HHDP-glucose and paeonol have significant anti-inflammatory ability in FPs. Quininic, galloylquinic acid, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid and gallic acid hexoside have shown significant inhibition of IL-6 production in BPs. Furthermore, gallic acid, catechin, syringic acid, and nobiletin exhibit negative correlation in FPs and positive correlation in BPs of cytokine production, while corilagin and methyl ellagic acid pentoside exhibited opposite correlation. Conclusion: In summary, this study contributed to the literature on PCs in Chinese olives and the potential health benefits of FPs and BPs.

Hierarchical magneto-colorimetric labels for immediate lateral flow immunoassay of chlorothalonil residues.

Quantitative detection of pesticide residues in food and environmental samples using an improved lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) is of considerable importance for real-time analysis. This paper proposes a highly sensitive LFIA platform based on a hierarchical magneto-colorimetric compact. This compact serves as both the target magnetic enrichment substrate and a photosensitive label. Initially, a large porous dendritic silica template is prepared and doped with superparamagnetic ferric oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) and colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at high densities within its vertical channels. The sequential assembly of central-radial channels allow for the three-dimensional integration of these two components, enabling independent control of their discrete functions without mutual interference. Following alkyl organosilicon encapsulation and silica sealing, the composite spheres are then applied in LFIA to detect chlorothalonil residues. Fe3O4 NPs enhance the binding efficiency to target analytes, while AuNPs amplify the signal, leveraging their high loading densities and robust optical properties. The developed LFIA platform exhibited a detection limit of 0.34 ng/mL for chlorothalonil and a linear range of 0.0085-824 ng/mL. The recoveries varied between 85.1 % and 103.1 %, and the relative standard deviations were 1.25%-8.84 %. This LFIA approach demonstrates high sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility and flexible detection modes, making it highly suitable for the on-site monitoring of pesticide residues.

Guava polysaccharides attenuate high fat and STZ-induced hyperglycemia by regulating gut microbiota and arachidonic acid metabolism.

This study investigated the hypoglycemic mechanism of guava polysaccharides (GP) through the gut microbiota (GM) and related metabolites. Our findings demonstrated that GP significantly mitigated high-fat diet- and streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, elevated alanine aminotransferase, high hepatic inflammation levels, and prevented pancreatic atrophy and hepatomegaly. Interestingly, the benefits of GP were attributed to alterations in the GM. GP decreased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, significantly inhibiting deleterious bacteria, including Uncultured_f_Desulfovibrionaceae, Bilophila, and Desulfovibrio, while promoting the proliferation of probiotic Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides. In addition, GP promoted the generation of short-chain fatty acids. Notably, the arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism pathway was enriched in liver metabolites. GP significantly elevated hepatic AA and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, while reducing prostaglandin E2 and 5- and 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid. This modulation is accompanied by the downregulation of hepatic cyclooxygenase-1, 12-lipoxygenase, P38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase mRNA expression, and the upregulation of cytochrome P4502J5 and insulin receptor substrate 1/2 mRNA expression. However, GP antibiotic treatment did not induce significant alterations in FBG and AA levels or gene expression. Overall, our findings suggest that the hypoglycemic effect of GP may be intricately linked to alterations in AA metabolism, which depends on the GM.

Effect of microbial communities on flavor profile of Hakka rice wine throughout production.

Hakka rice wine is produced from grains by co-fermentation with abundant microbes in an open fermentation environment. Indigenous microbiota and enzymes convert the nutrients in grains into flavor compounds through enzymatic biochemical reactions and microbial metabolism. High-throughput sequencing technology revealed that non-Saccharomyces yeasts dominated the traditional fermentation process, with genera such as Kodamaea ohmeri, Candida orthopsilosis, and Trichosporon asteroides forming a dynamic community that highly correlated with the evolution of 80 volatile compounds in Hakka rice wine. Among the 104 volatile compounds detected by GC-MS, 22 aroma-active compounds with relative odor activity values (ROAV) > 1 were quantified, 11 of which made significant contributions (P < 0.05) to the overall aroma and were responsible for the sweet, grainy, and herbal aromas of Hakka rice wine.

Morphological Transformation and Surface Engineering of Glycovesicles Driven by Bioinspired Hydrogen Bonds of Nucleobases.

Glycopolymer-based supramolecular glycoassemblies with signal-driven cascade morphological deformation and accessible surface engineering toward bioinspired functional glycomaterials have attracted much attention due to their diverse applications in fundamental and practical scenarios. Herein, we achieved the cascade morphological transformation and surface engineering of a nucleobase-containing polymeric glycovesicle through exploiting the bioinspired complementary multiple hydrogen bonds of complementary nucleobases. First, the synthesized thymine-containing glycopolymers (PGal30-b-PTAm249) are capable of self-assembling into well-defined glycovesicles. Several kinds of amphiphilic adenine-containing block copolymers with neutral, positive, and negative charges were synthesized to engineer the glycovesicles through the multiple hydrogen bonds between adenine and thymine. A cascade of morphological transformations from vesicles to ruptured vesicles with tails, to worm-like micelles, and finally to spherical micelles were observed via continuously adding the adenine-containing polymer into the thymine-containing glycovesicles. Furthermore, the surface charge properties of these glyconano-objects can be facilely regulated through incorporating various adenine-containing polymers. This work demonstrates the potential application of a unique bioinspired approach to precisely engineer the morphology and surface properties of glycovesicles for boosting their biological applications.

Integrated Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Reveal the Mechanism of Alliin in Improving Hyperlipidemia.

This research aims to assess the anti-hyperlipidemia effects of alliin in vivo and its potential mechanisms through transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis. A hyperlipidemia mode was established in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet, and the related physiological parameters of the animals were recorded. Serum TC and MDA in livers significantly decreased by 12.34% and 29.59%, respectively, and SOD and CAT in livers significantly increased by 40.64% and 39.05%, respectively, after high doses of alliin interventions. In total, 148 significantly different genes, particularly Cel, Sqle, Myc, and Ugt1a2, were revealed for their potential roles in HFD-induced alliin, mainly through steroid biosynthesis, triglyceride metabolism, drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, according to transcriptomics analysis. Metabolomics results revealed 18 significantly different metabolites between the alliin group and HFD group, which were classified as carboxylic acids, such as N-undecanoylglycine, adipic acid, D-pantothenic acid, cyprodenate, and pivagabine. We found pantothenic acid played a vital role and was effective through pantothenic acid and CoA biosynthesis metabolism. The "steroid biosynthesis pathway" was identified as the most significant metabolic pathway by integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis. This work offered a theoretical framework for the mechanism of alliin lipid lowering in the future. The development and utilization of alliin will be a viable strategy to improve the health status of people with hyperlipidemia, suggesting prospective market opportunities.

Current Insights into the Use of Probiotics and Fatty Acids in Alleviating Depression.

(1) Background: Depression is the most prevalent psychiatric symptom present among individuals of all ages and backgrounds, impacting an estimated 300 million people globally. Therefore, it demands a significant amount of attention when it comes to managing depression. A growing amount of data reveal that probiotics and fatty acids could be beneficial to depression. However, the opposing position maintains that they have no influence on depression. A network meta-analyses of existing datasets aid in the estimation of comparative efficacy as well as in achieving an understanding of the relative merits of different therapies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current evidence for probiotic or fatty acid depression therapy and to establish a practical alternative for depression patients using a meta-analysis and metagenomic data from a Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) depressed rat model. (2) Methods: Probiotic data were obtained from seven randomized controlled trial studies (n = 394), and fatty acid data were obtained from 24 randomized controlled trial studies (n = 1876). Meanwhile, a metagenomics analysis of data on animal gut flora was also applied to validate the preceding evidence. (3) Results: The fatty acid studies were separated into three sections based on the duration of probiotic delivery: ≤8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, and >12 weeks. The results were as follows: for ≤8 weeks, MD = -1.65 (95% CI: -2.96--0.15), p = 0.01; for 9-12 weeks, MD = -2.22 (95% CI: -3.03--1.22), p < 0.001; for >12 weeks, MD = -1.23 (95% CI: -2.85-0.39), p = 0.14. Regarding the probiotics, the meta-analysis revealed MD = -2.19 (95% CI: -3.38--2.43), p < 0.001. The research presented herein illustrates that probiotics and fatty acids may successfully lower depression scores. Additionally, the probiotics were drastically reduced in the WKY rats. (4) Conclusions: According to the data, a depression intervention utilizing probiotics outperformed the control, implying that the use of probiotics and fatty acids may be a successful strategy for depression treatment.

Preparation and Biochemical Characteristics of a New IgG-Type Monoclonal Antibody against K Subgroup Avian Leukosis Virus.

This study focused on preparing a new IgG-type monoclonal antibody (MAb) against subgroup K avian leukosis virus (ALV-K) and identifying its biochemical characteristics. A specific gene fragment of ALV-K was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and expressed in E. coli. The purified expressed products were inoculated into BALB/c mice to prepare antibody-secreting spleen lymphocytes, and hybridoma cells were obtained after cell fusion of spleen lymphocytes and myeloma cells. A new hybridoma cell line named 30B9, which stably secreted IgG2b-antibody against ALV-K, was screened and contained 98 chromosomes. The MAb secreted by the 30B9 cells could recognize the ALV-K strain but not the ALV-A/B/J strains in an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Seventeen overlapping truncated ALV-K gp85 protein fragments were expressed, and eight peptides were artificially synthesized to analyze the MAb's antigen epitope by Western blot or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the results showed that the linear epitope was located on the 217-RRNYT-221 of ALV-K gp85 protein. A bioinformatics analysis showed that the epitope has a high antigenicity index, hydrophilicity, and surface accessibility and forms a unique linear spatial structure. Its five amino acids are highly conserved in all published ALV-K strains but are very low in ALV-A/B/J/C/D/E strains. This study provides a new biomaterial for developing specific detection methods against ALV-K.

Rhubarb extract rebuilding the mucus homeostasis and regulating mucin-associated flora to relieve constipation.

In clinical trials, rhubarb extract (Rb) was demonstrated to efficiently alleviate constipation. We would like to find out the underlying mechanism of rhubarb relieving constipation. However, there are few studies on the effects of rhubarb on colonic mucus secretion and constipation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rhubarb on colonic mucus secretion and its underlying mechanism. The mice were randomly divided into four groups. Group I was the control group and Group II was the rhubarb control group, with Rb (24 g/kg body weight [b.w.]) administered through intragastric administration for three days. Group III mice were given diphenoxylate (20 mg/kg b.w.) for five days via gavage to induce constipation. Group IV received diphenoxylate lasting five days before undergoing Rb administration for three days. The condition of the colon was evaluated using an endoscope. Particularly, the diameter of blood vessels in the colonic mucosa expanded considerably in constipation mice along with diminishing mucus output, which was in line with the observation via scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). We also performed metagenomic analysis to reveal the microbiome related to mucin gene expression level referring to mucin secretion. In conclusion, Rb relieves constipation by rebuilding mucus homeostasis and regulating the microbiome.

Adult hypertensive rats are more prone to gut microflora perturbation and fibrosis in response to moderate restraint stress.

Hypertension (HTN) is a common endpoint for numerous cardiovascular diseases, the prevalence of which has been quickly increasing due to a wide range of reasons. Previous research has found that following stress, ELISA and 16S rDNA sequencing indicated substantial changes in plasma cytokines or hormones, as well as alterations in gut microbiota in juvenile hypertensive rats. However, it remains still unclear how such interaction modifications affect microbial populations and organismal function. Stress-related hormones show a significant drop. Similar to earlier research, the stress group had dramatically increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17. Importantly, a unified collection of tools that allows for deep and comprehensive colonic structural investigation has been developed. Stress may limit the transition of macrophages (Mφs) to M1Mφs while increasing the transfer to M2Mφs. Evidence highlighted that tight junction proteins were decreased along with enhancement in intestinal permeability. Morphological analysis revealed that the SHR-S group exhibited considerably higher levels of morphological alterations and fibrosis in colon, heart, and thoracic aorta tissues.Significant improvements in bacteria linked with short-chain fatty acid synthesis, such as Prevotella and Ruminococcus, were discovered by metagenomic analysis. Adult hypertensive rats are more susceptible to gut microbiota disruption and fibrosis as a result of mild restraint stress. This might contribute to some innovative ideas for HTN both treatment and prevention.