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1.
Nano Lett ; 24(30): 9353-9359, 2024 Jul 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39037901

ABSTRACT

The unique optical properties of graphene, with broadband absorption and ultrafast response, make it a critical component of optoelectronic and spintronic devices. Using time-resolved momentum microscopy with high data rate and high dynamic range, we report momentum-space measurements of electrons promoted to the graphene conduction band with visible light and their subsequent relaxation. We observe a pronounced nonthermal distribution of nascent photoexcited electrons with lattice pseudospin polarization in remarkable agreement with results of simple tight-binding theory. By varying the excitation fluence, we vary the relative importance of electron-electron vs electron-phonon scattering in the relaxation of the initial distribution. Increasing the excitation fluence results in increased noncollinear electron-electron scattering and reduced pseudospin polarization, although up-scattered electrons retain a degree of polarization. These detailed momentum-resolved electron dynamics in graphene demonstrate the capabilities of high-performance time-resolved momentum microscopy in the study of 2D materials and can inform the design of graphene devices.

2.
J Clin Periodontol ; 51(8): 1054-1065, 2024 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38736143

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the association between periodontal macrophage polarization states and the alveolar bone levels, and to assess whether glycosylated nano-hydroxyapatites (GHANPs) could improve bone regeneration in periodontitis by inducing macrophage M2 polarization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The change of macrophage polarization state in inflammatory periodontal tissues (with bone loss) was examined using clinical gingival samples. The relationship between macrophage phenotype and bone level in periodontal bone loss and repair was evaluated using a mouse periodontitis model. The effect of GHANPs on macrophage polarization was assessed by the in vitro model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammation. The polarization-related markers were detected by immunofluorescence staining, real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis. The therapeutic effect of GHANPs on alveolar bone loss was explored in experimental periodontitis by histological staining and micro-CT analysis. RESULTS: A lower macrophage M2/M1 ratio was observed in periodontitis-affected human gingival tissues. The results of animal experiments demonstrated a positive correlation between a lower Arg-1/iNOS ratio and accelerated alveolar bone loss; also, the proportion of Arg-1-positive macrophages increased during bone repair and regeneration. The administration of GHANPs partially restored M2 macrophage polarization after LPS stimulation. GHANPs increased alveolar bone repair and regeneration in experimental periodontitis induced by ligation, potentially related to their macrophage M2 transition regulation. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that the induction of macrophage M2 polarization can be considered a viable approach for enhancing inflammatory bone repair. Additionally, GHANPs show potential in the clinical treatment of periodontitis.


Subject(s)
Alveolar Bone Loss , Bone Regeneration , Macrophages , Periodontitis , Animals , Bone Regeneration/drug effects , Periodontitis/therapy , Mice , Macrophages/drug effects , Humans , Disease Models, Animal , Male , Glycosylation , Nanoparticles , Female , Mice, Inbred C57BL
3.
Nano Lett ; 23(15): 7107-7113, 2023 Aug 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37506350

ABSTRACT

Systems with flat bands are ideal for studying strongly correlated electronic states and related phenomena. Among them, kagome-structured metals such as CoSn have been recognized as promising candidates due to the proximity between the flat bands and the Fermi level. A key next step will be to realize epitaxial kagome thin films with flat bands to enable tuning of the flat bands across the Fermi level via electrostatic gating or strain. Here, we report the band structures of epitaxial CoSn thin films grown directly on the insulating substrates. Flat bands are observed by using synchrotron-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). The band structure is consistent with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and the transport properties are quantitatively explained by the band structure and semiclassical transport theory. Our work paves the way to realize flat band-induced phenomena through fine-tuning of flat bands in kagome materials.

4.
Phys Rev Lett ; 130(4): 046202, 2023 Jan 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36763432

ABSTRACT

Using time- and angle-resolved photoemission, we present momentum- and energy-resolved measurements of exciton coupling in monolayer WS_{2}. We observe strong intravalley coupling between the B_{1s} exciton and A_{n>1} states. Our measurements indicate that the dominant valley depolarization mechanism conserves the exciton binding energy and momentum. While this conservation is consistent with Coulomb exchange-driven valley depolarization, we do not observe a momentum or energy dependence to the depolarization rate as would be expected for the exchange-based mechanism.

5.
Biotechnol Bioeng ; 120(5): 1254-1268, 2023 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36633017

ABSTRACT

Effects of hemodynamic shear stress on endothelial cells have been extensively investigated using the "swirling well" method, in which cells are cultured in dishes or multiwell plates placed on an orbital shaker. A wave rotates around the well, producing complex patterns of shear. The method allows chronic exposure to flow with high throughput at low cost but has two disadvantages: a number of shear stress characteristics change in a broadly similar way from the center to the edge of the well, and cells at one location in the well may release mediators into the medium that affect the behavior of cells at other locations, exposed to different shears. These properties make it challenging to correlate cell properties with shear. The present study investigated simple alterations to ameliorate these issues. Flows were obtained by numerical simulation. Increasing the volume of fluid in the well-altered dimensional but not dimensionless shear metrics. Adding a central cylinder to the base of the well-forced fluid to flow in a square toroidal channel and reduced multidirectionality. Conversely, suspending a cylinder above the base of the well made the flow highly multidirectional. Increasing viscosity in the latter model increased the magnitude of dimensional but not dimensionless metrics. Finally, tilting the well changed the patterns of different wall shear stress metrics in different ways. Collectively, these methods allow similar flows over most of the cells cultured and/or allow the separation of different shear metrics. A combination of the methods overcomes the limitations of the baseline model.


Subject(s)
Cell Culture Techniques , Endothelial Cells , Hemodynamics , Computer Simulation , Stress, Mechanical
6.
Sensors (Basel) ; 23(7)2023 Mar 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37050645

ABSTRACT

Transportation mode recognition is of great importance in analyzing people's travel patterns and planning urban roads. To make more accurate judgments on the transportation mode of the user, we propose a deep learning fusion model based on multi-head attentional temporal convolution (TCMH). First, the time-domain features of a more extensive range of sensor data are mined through a temporal convolutional network. Second, multi-head attention mechanisms are introduced to learn the significance of different features and timesteps, which can improve the identification accuracy. Finally, the deep-learned features are fed into a fully connected layer to output the classification results of the transportation mode. The experimental results demonstrate that the TCMH model achieves an accuracy of 90.25% and 89.55% on the SHL and HTC datasets, respectively, which is 4.45% and 4.70% higher than the optimal value in the baseline algorithm. The model has a better recognition effect on transportation modes.

7.
Med Sci Monit ; 28: e934799, 2022 Apr 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35428744

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND Cervical cancer is one of the common gynecological tumors that seriously harm women's health, so it is particularly important to accurately explore the underlying mechanism of its occurrence and clinical prognosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS In the GEO database, GEO2R was used to analyze the differentially expressed genes from the 4 databases: GSE6791, GSE9750, GSE63514, and GSE67522. Then, the DAVID website was used to perform Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. These protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks of DEGS were visualized and analyzed using the STRING website and the hub genes were further screened using the Cytohubba plugin. Lastly, the functions of the hub genes were further analyzed by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) online tools, Human Protein Atlas (HPA) databases, and the QuartataWeb database. RESULTS In the 4 Profile datasets, 101 cancer tissues and 67 normal tissues were collected. Among the 78 differentially expressed genes in the 4 datasets, 51 genes were upregulated and 27 genes were downregulated. The PPIs of these differentially expressed genes were visualized using Cytoscape and the Interaction Gene Search Tool (STRING). Then, further analysis of hub genes using the GEPIA tool and Kaplan-Meier curves that showed upregulation of CDK1 and PRC1 is associated with better survival, while AURKA is associated with worse survival. Among these hub genes, only AURKA was closely related to the prognosis of cervical cancer, and 21 potential drugs were found. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that AURKA and its drug candidates can improve the individualized diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer in the future.


Subject(s)
Computational Biology , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms , Aurora Kinase A/genetics , Aurora Kinase A/metabolism , Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , Computational Biology/methods , Databases, Genetic , Female , Gene Expression Profiling/methods , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Gene Regulatory Networks , Humans , Protein Interaction Maps/genetics , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/genetics
8.
Nano Lett ; 21(16): 6975-6982, 2021 Aug 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34380320

ABSTRACT

Spin-orbit torque phenomena enable efficient manipulation of the magnetization in ferromagnet/heavy metal bilayer systems for prospective magnetic memory and logic applications. Kagome magnets are of particular interest for spin-orbit torque due to the interplay of magnetic order and the nontrivial band topology (e.g., flat bands and Dirac and Weyl points). Here we demonstrate spin-orbit torque and quantify its efficiency in a bilayer system of topological kagome ferromagnet Fe3Sn2 and platinum. We use two different techniques, one based on the quasistatic magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) and another based on time-resolved MOKE, to quantify spin-orbit torque. Both techniques give a consistent value of the effective spin Hall angle of the Fe3Sn2/Pt system. Our work may lead to further advances in spintronics based on topological kagome magnets.

9.
Nano Lett ; 21(12): 5083-5090, 2021 Jun 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34097421

ABSTRACT

The intrinsic magnetic topological insulators MnBi2Te4 and MnBi2Se4 support novel topological states related to symmetry breaking by magnetic order. Unlike MnBi2Te4, the study of MnBi2Se4 has been inhibited by the lack of bulk crystals, as the van der Waals (vdW) crystal is not the thermodynamic equilibrium phase. Here, we report the layer-by-layer synthesis of vdW MnBi2Se4 crystals using nonequilibrium molecular beam epitaxy. Atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy identify a well-ordered vdW crystal with septuple-layer base units. The magnetic properties agree with the predicted layered antiferromagnetic ordering but disagree with its predicted out-of-plane orientation. Instead, our samples exhibit an easy-plane anisotropy, which is explained by including dipole-dipole interactions. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy reveals the gapless Dirac-like surface state, which demonstrates that MnBi2Se4 is a topological insulator above the magnetic-ordering temperature. These studies show that MnBi2Se4 is a promising candidate for exploring rich topological phases of layered antiferromagnetic topological insulators.

10.
Int J Mol Sci ; 23(15)2022 Aug 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35955957

ABSTRACT

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) affects tens of thousands of people worldwide. Despite advances in cancer treatment, the 5-year survival rate of patients with late-stage OSCC is low at 50-60%. Therefore, the development of anti-OSCC therapy is necessary. We evaluated the effects of marine-derived triterpene stellettin B in human OC2 and SCC4 cells. Stellettin B dose-dependently decreased the viability of both cell lines, with a significant reduction in OC2 cells at ≥0.1 µM at 24 and 48 h, and in SCC4 cells at ≥1 µM at 24 and 48 h. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells were significantly observed at 20 µM of stellettin B at 48 h, with the overexpression of cleaved caspase3 and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Moreover, mitochondrial respiratory functions were ablated by stellettin B. Autophagy-related LC3-II/LC3-I ratio and Beclin-1 proteins were increased, whereas p62 was decreased. At 20 µM at 48 h, the expression levels of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress biomarkers calnexin and BiP/GRP78 were significantly increased and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways were activated. Further investigation using the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) demonstrated that it alleviated stellettin B-induced cell death and autophagy. Overall, our findings show that stellettin B induces the ER stress, mitochondrial stress, apoptosis, and autophagy, causing cell death of OSCC cells.


Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell , Mouth Neoplasms , Triterpenes , Apoptosis , Autophagy , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/drug therapy , Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress , Humans , Mouth Neoplasms/drug therapy , Signal Transduction , Triterpenes/pharmacology
11.
Int J Mol Sci ; 22(13)2021 Jun 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34209254

ABSTRACT

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a malignant primary brain tumor. The 5-year relative survival rate of patients with GBM remains <30% on average despite aggressive treatments, and secondary therapy fails in 90% of patients. In chemotherapeutic failure, detoxification proteins are crucial to the activity of chemotherapy drugs. Usually, glutathione S-transferase (GST) superfamily members act as detoxification enzymes by activating xenobiotic metabolites through conjugation with glutathione in healthy cells. However, some overexpressed GSTs not only increase GST activity but also trigger chemotherapy resistance and tumorigenesis-related signaling transductions. Whether GSTM3 is involved in GBM chemoresistance remains unclear. In the current study, we found that T98G, a GBM cell line with pre-existing temozolomide (TMZ) resistance, has high glycolysis and GSTM3 expression. GSTM3 knockdown in T98G decreased glycolysis ability through lactate dehydrogenase A activity reduction. Moreover, it increased TMZ toxicity and decreased invasion ability. Furthermore, we provide next-generation sequencing-based identification of significantly changed messenger RNAs of T98G cells with GSTM3 knockdown for further research. GSTM3 was downregulated in intrinsic TMZ-resistant T98G with a change in the expression levels of some essential glycolysis-related genes. Thus, GSTM3 was associated with glycolysis in chemotherapeutic resistance in T98G cells. Our findings provide new insight into the GSTM3 mechanism in recurring GBM.


Subject(s)
Drug Resistance, Neoplasm , Glioblastoma/enzymology , Glutathione Transferase/metabolism , Glycolysis , Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism , Temozolomide , Cell Line, Tumor , Glioblastoma/genetics , Glioblastoma/pathology , Glutathione Transferase/genetics , Humans , Neoplasm Proteins/genetics
12.
Mar Drugs ; 17(6)2019 May 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31146323

ABSTRACT

Pharmaceutical agents for halting the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) are lacking. The current available medications only relieve clinical symptoms and may cause severe side effects. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel drug candidates for PD. In this study, we demonstrated the neuroprotective activity of stellettin B (SB), a compound isolated from marine sponges. We showed that SB could significantly protect SH-SY5Y cells against 6-OHDA-induced cellular damage by inhibiting cell apoptosis and oxidative stress through PI3K/Akt, MAPK, caspase cascade modulation and Nrf2/HO-1 cascade modulation, respectively. In addition, an in vivo study showed that SB reversed 6-OHDA-induced a locomotor deficit in a zebrafish model of PD. The potential for developing SB as a candidate drug for PD treatment is discussed.


Subject(s)
Apoptosis/drug effects , Heme Oxygenase-1/metabolism , NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Porifera/chemistry , Triterpenes/pharmacology , Animals , Aquatic Organisms/chemistry , Cell Line , Cell Survival/drug effects , Disease Models, Animal , Humans , Locomotion/drug effects , Neuroprotective Agents/pharmacology , Oxidopamine/toxicity , Parkinson Disease/drug therapy , Triterpenes/chemistry , Triterpenes/isolation & purification , Zebrafish
13.
Mar Drugs ; 17(3)2019 Feb 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30818790

ABSTRACT

Gingival recession (GR) potentially leads to the exposure of tooth root to the oral cavity microenvironment and increases susceptibility to dental caries, dentin hypersensitivity, and other dental diseases. Even though many etiological factors were reported, the specific mechanism of GR is yet to be elucidated. Given the species richness concerning marine biodiversity, it could be a treasure trove for drug discovery. In this study, we demonstrate the effects of a marine compound, (+)-rhodoptilometrin from crinoid, on gingival cell migration, wound healing, and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Experimental results showed that (+)-rhodoptilometrin can significantly increase wound healing, migration, and proliferation of human gingival fibroblast cells, and it does not have effects on oral mucosa fibroblast cells. In addition, (+)-rhodoptilometrin increases the gene and protein expression levels of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), fibronectin, and type I collagen, changes the intracellular distribution of FAK and F-actin, and increases OXPHOS and the expression levels of complexes I~V in the mitochondria. Based on our results, we believe that (+)-rhodoptilometrin might increase FAK expression and promote mitochondrial function to affect cell migration and promote gingival regeneration. Therefore, (+)-rhodoptilometrin may be a promising therapeutic agent for GR.


Subject(s)
Anthraquinones/pharmacology , Echinodermata/chemistry , Fibroblasts/drug effects , Regeneration/drug effects , Wound Healing/drug effects , Animals , Cell Line , Cell Movement/drug effects , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Fibroblasts/cytology , Fibroblasts/physiology , Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/metabolism , Gingiva/cytology , Gingiva/drug effects , Gingiva/physiology , Gingival Recession/drug therapy , Humans , Mitochondria/drug effects , Mitochondria/metabolism , Mouth Mucosa/cytology , Mouth Mucosa/drug effects , Mouth Mucosa/physiology , Oxidative Phosphorylation/drug effects
14.
Apoptosis ; 23(5-6): 314-328, 2018 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29721785

ABSTRACT

Prodigiosin, a secondary metabolite isolated from marine Vibrio sp., has antimicrobial and anticancer properties. This study investigated the cell death mechanism of prodigiosin in glioblastoma. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive primary cancer of the central nervous system. Despite treatment, or standard therapy, the median survival of glioblastoma patients is about 14.6 month. The results of the present study clearly showed that prodigiosin significantly reduced the cell viability and neurosphere formation ability of U87MG and GBM8401 human glioblastoma cell lines. Moreover, prodigiosin with fluorescence signals was detected in the endoplasmic reticulum and found to induce excessive levels of autophagy. These findings were confirmed by observation of LC3 puncta formation and acridine orange staining. Furthermore, prodigiosin caused cell death by activating the JNK pathway and decreasing the AKT/mTOR pathway in glioblastoma cells. Moreover, we found that the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine reversed prodigiosin induced autophagic cell death. These findings of this study suggest that prodigiosin induces autophagic cell death and apoptosis in glioblastoma cells.


Subject(s)
Autophagy/drug effects , Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/drug effects , Glioblastoma/drug therapy , Prodigiosin/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents , Calnexin/metabolism , Caspase 3/metabolism , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , Humans , MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects , Prodigiosin/isolation & purification , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Tumor Cells, Cultured
15.
Mar Drugs ; 16(1)2018 Jan 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29301308

ABSTRACT

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common malignant bone cancer. The relatively high density of a person's bone structure means low permeability for drugs, and so finding drugs that can be more effective is important and should not be delayed. MSPs are marine antimicrobial peptides (AMP) and natural compounds extracted from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). MSP-4 is a part of the AMPs series, with the advantage of having a molecular weight of about 2.7-kDa and anticancer effects, although the responsible anticancer mechanism is not very clear. The goal of this study is to determine the workings of the mechanism associated with apoptosis resulting from MSP-4 in osteosarcoma MG63 cells. The study showed that MSP-4 significantly induced apoptosis in MG63 cells, with Western blot indicating that MSP-4 induced this apoptosis through an intrinsic pathway and an extrinsic pathway. Thus, a pretreatment system with a particular inhibitor of Z-IETD-FMK (caspase-8 inhibitor) and Z-LEHD-FMK (caspase-9 inhibitor) significantly attenuated the cleavage of caspase-3 and prevented apoptosis. These observations indicate that low concentrations of MSP-4 can help induce the apoptosis of MG63 through a Fas/FasL- and mitochondria-mediated pathway and suggest a potentially innovative alternative to the treatment of human osteosarcoma.


Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Bone Neoplasms/drug therapy , Cichlids/metabolism , Osteosarcoma/drug therapy , Animals , Anti-Infective Agents/chemistry , Anti-Infective Agents/isolation & purification , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/isolation & purification , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Apoptosis/drug effects , Blotting, Western , Bone Neoplasms/pathology , Caspase 3/drug effects , Caspase 3/metabolism , Caspase 8/drug effects , Caspase 8/metabolism , Caspase 9/drug effects , Caspase 9/metabolism , Cell Line, Tumor , Fas Ligand Protein/metabolism , Humans , Mitochondria/drug effects , Osteosarcoma/pathology , Peptides/chemistry , Peptides/isolation & purification , Peptides/pharmacology , fas Receptor/metabolism
16.
Mar Drugs ; 14(9)2016 Sep 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27598175

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Our previous in vitro results demonstrated that 11-dehydrosinulariolide significantly reduced 6-hydroxydopamine-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in a human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, and suppressed the expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophage cells. The neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of 11-dehydrosinulariolide may be suitable for treating spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: In the present study, Wistar rats were pretreated with 11-dehydrosinulariolide or saline through intrathecal injection after a thoracic spinal cord contusion injury induced using a New York University (NYU) impactor. The apoptotic cells were assessed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The expression and localization of proinflammatory, apoptosis-associated and cell survival-related pathway proteins were examined through immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: 11-Dehydrosinulariolide attenuated SCI-induced cell apoptosis by upregulating the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and cell survival-related pathway proteins p-Akt and p-ERK, 8 h after SCI. Furthermore, the transcription factor p-CREB, which regulates Bcl-2 expression, was upregulated after 11-dehydrosinulariolide treatment. On day 7 after SCI, 11-dehydrosinulariolide exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect, attenuating SCI-induced upregulation of the inflammatory proteins iNOS and tumor necrosis factor-α. 11-Dehydrosinulariolide also induced an increase in the expression of arginase-1 and CD206, markers of M2 microglia, in the injured spinal cord on day 7 after SCI. Thus, the anti-inflammatory effect of 11-dehydrosinulariolide may be related to the promotion of an alternative pathway of microglia activation. CONCLUSION: The results show that 11-dehydrosinulariolide exerts antiapoptotic effects at 8 h after SCI and anti-inflammatory effects at 7 days after SCI. We consider that this compound may be a promising therapeutic agent for SCI.


Subject(s)
Anthozoa/chemistry , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use , Apoptosis/drug effects , Diterpenes/therapeutic use , Spinal Cord Injuries/drug therapy , Animals , Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/biosynthesis , Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/drug effects , Cell Survival/drug effects , Cell Survival/genetics , Contusions/drug therapy , Diterpenes/chemistry , In Situ Nick-End Labeling , Locomotion , Microglia/drug effects , Microglia/metabolism , Neuroprotective Agents/therapeutic use , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Recovery of Function , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Spinal Cord Injuries/psychology
17.
Chin J Physiol ; 57(5): 286-94, 2014 Oct 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25241989

ABSTRACT

Body iron levels have recently been shown to be a strong predictor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of NAFLD in a general adult population, and to investigate the relationship between body iron levels, NAFLD and the metabolic syndrome (MetS). 2186 adults participated in the third National Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT, 2005-2008). The participants underwent anthropometry measurements and phlebotomy after an overnight fast, and those with excessive alcohol intake, iron overload of serum ferritin > 600 ng/ml, hepatitis viral infection and hepatocellular carcinoma were excluded. Suspected NAFLD was diagnosed by three alanine transaminase (ALT) cut-points: cut-point 1: serum ALT > 40 U/l; cut-point 2: ALT ≥ 25 U/l for male and ALT ≥ 17 U/l for female; and cut-point 3: ALT ≥ 35 U/l for male and ALT ≥ 26 U/l for female. The prevalence proportion of suspected NAFLD among Taiwanese adults was 6.6% (cut-point 1), 36% (cut-point 2); and 14.3% (cut-point 3). Body iron levels were significantly higher in individuals with suspected NAFLD compared with those without. Distribution of hemoglobin levels, but not serum ferritin levels, by decade of age showed strong correlation with the prevalence of suspected NAFLD in individuals with MetS. Multivariate adjusted odds ratio (OR) showed that the best predictors for suspected NAFLD with the MetS were hemoglobin [OR 1.43 (1.21-1.68); P < 0.0001] and hyperlipidemia [OR 1.52 (1.19-1.94); P = 0.0007]. In individuals without MetS, the adjusted OR of suspected NAFLD was markedly higher for hemoglobin [OR 1.25 (1.12-1.41); P < 0.0001]. In conclusion, adults with high hemoglobin levels (14.4 µg/dl for male and 13.2 µg/dl for female) are at the greatest risk for developing abnormal liver function. Hemoglobin test should be considered as a part of clinical evaluation for patients with NAFLD.


Subject(s)
Hemoglobins/metabolism , Iron Overload/blood , Iron Overload/epidemiology , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/blood , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/epidemiology , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Alanine Transaminase/blood , Female , Ferritins/blood , Humans , Hyperlipidemias/blood , Hyperlipidemias/epidemiology , Iron Overload/diagnosis , Male , Metabolic Syndrome/blood , Metabolic Syndrome/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/diagnosis , Odds Ratio , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Sensitivity and Specificity , Sex Distribution , Taiwan/epidemiology
18.
ChemSusChem ; : e202400705, 2024 May 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38818626

ABSTRACT

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) holds promise for large-scale energy storage applications, despite its lower energy and power densities compared to advanced secondary batteries available today. Carbon materials are considered suitable catalyst electrodes for improving many aspects of the VRFB. However, pristine graphite structures in carbon materials are catalytically inert and require modification to activate their catalytic activity. Among the various strategies developed so far, O-functionalization and chemical doping of carbon materials are considered some of the most promising pathways to regulate their electronic structures. Building on the catalytic mechanisms involved in the VRFB, this concise review discusses recent advancements in the O-functionalization and chemical doping of carbon materials. Furthermore, it explores how these materials can be tailored and highlights future directions for developing more promising VRFBs to guide future research.

19.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 18390, 2024 08 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39117680

ABSTRACT

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Although paeonol has been used for treating UC due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of paeonol's action on UC by conducting in-vitro and in-vivo studies using NCM460 cells and RAW264.7 cells, and the DSS-induced mice colitis model. The in vitro studies demonstrate that paeonol exerts inhibitory effects on the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway through upregulating PPARγ expression, thereby attenuating pro-inflammatory cytokine production, reducing reactive oxygen species levels, and promoting M2 macrophage polarization. These effects are significantly abrogated upon addition of the PPARγ inhibitor GW9662. Moreover, UC mice treated with paeonol showed increased PPARγ expression, which reduced inflammation and apoptosis to maintain intestinal epithelial barrier integrity. In conclusion, our findings suggest that paeonol inhibits the NF-κB signaling pathway by activating PPARγ, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress and improving Dss-induced colitis. This study provides a new insight into the mechanism of treating UC by paeonol.


Subject(s)
Acetophenones , Colitis, Ulcerative , NF-kappa B , PPAR gamma , Signal Transduction , Acetophenones/pharmacology , Acetophenones/therapeutic use , PPAR gamma/metabolism , Animals , Colitis, Ulcerative/drug therapy , Colitis, Ulcerative/metabolism , Colitis, Ulcerative/chemically induced , Colitis, Ulcerative/pathology , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Mice , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Humans , RAW 264.7 Cells , Disease Models, Animal , Male , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Dextran Sulfate/toxicity , Mice, Inbred C57BL
20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37754624

ABSTRACT

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in reduced opportunities for children to engage in fundamental motor skills [FMS]. This prolonged inactivity and restriction of play can have serious consequences for children's physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to explore teaching strategies during the pandemic, whether there were differences in children's motor development, and the differences in the implementation of physical movement courses before and during the pandemic from the perspective of preschool teachers. This study was a retrospective study using an internet survey, and participants comprised 2337 preschool teachers. The statistical methodology of this study included descriptive statistics, the dependent t-test, and the independent t-test. The results showed that regardless of the time, frequency, activity intensity, and frequency of outdoor courses, the results from before the pandemic was better than those taken during the pandemic. Only the "frequency of implementing physical movement courses indoors every week" had not been affected by the pandemic. This study also obtained the performance of "children's fitness", "overall performance of physical movement ability", "stability movement skills", "locomotor movement skills", and "manipulative movement skills". All were better before the pandemic than during the pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mixed-age classes performed better than same-age classes in terms of frequency, time, intensity, outdoor course implementation, and physical fitness. Public schools performed better than private schools in terms of frequency, time, intensity, outdoor course implementation, and fundamental motor skills performance. Private schools implemented physical movement courses indoors every week, which was more than public schools. Excepting the frequency of implementing physical movement courses indoors every week, fewer than schools with five classes performed better than those who had more than schools with six classes. Finally, rural schools were better than urban schools in the implementation of outdoor courses and fundamental motor skills performance. Therefore, we suggest that in response to the pandemic, teachers should further improve their professionalism and use diversified teaching methods, and guide students to be willing to learn and improve their skill performance.

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