Formulation of ferric/phosphorus composite coating on coal gangue as a novel fertilizer for enhancing slow-release of silicon and implication of As, Cr and Pb.

Owing to the abundant silicon content in coal gangue, its conversion into fertilizer can help address large-scale storage. Nonetheless, the rapid release of silicon in coal gangue poses challenges for plants to fully utilize it. A slow-release fertilizer prepared by ferric/phosphorus composite coating on coal gangue (C@SP) was developed in the study. The findings revealed that the C@SP can facilitate slow release of Si and enhance the stabilization of As, Pb, and Cr in soil. C@SP can react with As and Cr to form stable Fe-As-PO4 and Fe-Cr-PO4 compounds. The -OH in C@SP can combine with Pb, transforming it into insoluble Pb, which was then integrated into the crystal structure with ferric/phosphorus composite or Fe(III)-oxyhydroxysulfate to create a more stable form. The silicon release was promoted by the conversion of the passivation film to iron oxides. Thus, the fertilizer holds promise for application in environmental activities.

Effects of suspended particles and dispersants on marine oil snow formation of crude oil/diesel oil.

Marine oil snow (MOS) potentially forms after an oil spill. To fully understand the mechanism of its formation, we investigated the effects of suspended particles (SP) and dispersants on MOS formation of crude oil and diesel oil by laboratory experiments. In the crude oil experiment, the SP concentration of 0.2 g L-1 was more suitable for crude oil MOS formation. The addition of dispersants significantly stimulated N and TV during MS/MOS formation of SP at 0.4 g L-1 and 0.8 g L-1 concentration (p < 0.05). Without SP, the dispersants also stimulated crude oil MOS formation. Furthermore, the concentration of SP had a significantly positive effect on the reduction of the total amount of N-alkanes (p < 0.05). In the diesel oil experiment, after adding dispersants to diesel oil, the maximum N, Dm, and TV values at a SP concentration of 0.2 g L-1 were significantly higher than those at 0.4 g L-1 and 0.8 g L-1 (p < 0.05). Besides, we found that dispersants stimulated MOS formation in diesel oil at a SP concentration of 0.2 g L-1. However, the dispersants had an inhibitory effect on diesel oil MOS formation without SP. Notably, the MOS formed by diesel oil appeared white, unlike the black MOS associated with crude oil. These findings are important for the environmental impact of oil spills and elevated SP concentrations.

Comprehensive investigation of milk oligosaccharides in different mammalian species and the effect of breed and lactation period on sheep milk oligosaccharides.

Milk oligosaccharides (MOs) have unique health benefits for newborns, and MOs are important components in mammalian milk. The present study was conducted to provide a comprehensive analysis of MOs in important domestic animals, including goats, cows, camels and sheep. The comparison with human MOs was conducted simultaneously. Furthermore, analysis of the relative abundance of sheep MOs among different breeds (Hu sheep, East Friesen sheep, East Friesen-Hu crossbred sheep) and lactation periods (colostrum, mature milk) was performed. In general, 35, 24 19, 26, and 16 MOs were identified in human, goat, bovine, camel and sheep milk, respectively. The type of sheep MOs was not greatly influenced by the breeds and lactation period. Hu sheep colostrum had the highest abundance of MOs among six sheep milks, followed by East Friesen sheep colostrum, while East Friesen-Hu crossbred sheep mature milk had the lowest abundance of MOs. These findings provide evidence for the potential value of MOs from domestic animal milk for the commercial applications.

Eichhornia crassipes-rhizospheric biofilms contribute to nutrients removal and methane oxidization in wastewater stabilization ponds receiving simulative sewage treatment plants effluents.

Wastewater stabilization ponds (WSPs) have been used in treating sewage treatment plants (STPs) effluents. However, little is known about the role of rhizospheric biofilms on methane release in WSPs with floating plants. In the present study, the nutrient removal, CH4 fluxes, CH4 oxidization potential and rhizospheric bacterial community were investigated in WSPs with Eichhornia crassipes under simulate STPs effluents for 31 days. At the end of the experiment, E. crassipes biomass was 5.60-8.81 times of initial weight and increased with increasing nutrients concentration. E. crassipes effectively reduced methane release and nutrients. Compared to control, E. crassipes reduced 52.30%-83.21% of CH4 fluxes at water-atmosphere interface and had better inhibition effect on CH4 fluxes in treatments with high nutrients. However, methane oxidization rates of E. crassipes roots were higher in low nutrients (0.83 ± 0.046 mg CH4 (kg fresh plant)-1 day-1) than high nutrients (0.12 ± 0.04 mg CH4 (kg fresh plant)-1 day-1). Structural equation modeling revealed that biomass of E. crassipes has negative effect on CH4 fluxes (-0.453, p = 0.000). Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria were the predominant phyla in the rhizospheric biofilm of E. crassipes and contributed to nutrients removal. Aerobic methanotrophs and pomA abundances were higher in rhizospheric biofilm exposed to high nutrients than low nutrients and aerobic methanotrophs had close interactions with other microorganisms and participated in the carbon and nitrogen cycle, demonstrating that many bacteria harboring pmoA gene did not fully involve in methane oxidization. These data highlight plants E. crassipes have an important role in both reducing methane release and nutrients removal.

Role and molecular mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing cardiotoxicity associated with chemoradiotherapy.

Cardiotoxicity is a serious complication of cancer therapy. It is the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors and is associated with a variety of factors, including oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and abnormal myocardial energy metabolism. A number of studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can mitigate chemoradiotherapy-associated cardiotoxicity via these pathways. Therefore, this study reviews the effects and molecular mechanisms of TCM on chemoradiotherapy-related cardiotoxicity. In this study, we searched PubMed for basic studies on the anti-cardiotoxicity of TCM in the past 5 years and summarized their results. Angelica Sinensis, Astragalus membranaceus Bunge, Danshinone IIA sulfonate sodium (STS), Astragaloside (AS), Resveratrol, Ginsenoside, Quercetin, Danggui Buxue Decoction (DBD), Shengxian decoction (SXT), Compound Danshen Dripping Pill (CDDP), Qishen Huanwu Capsule (QSHWC), Angelica Sinensis and Astragalus membranaceus Bunge Ultrafiltration Extract (AS-AM),Shenmai injection (SMI), Xinmailong (XML), and nearly 60 other herbs, herbal monomers, herbal soups and herbal compound preparations were found to be effective as complementary or alternative treatments. These preparations reduced chemoradiotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity through various pathways such as anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation, alleviating endoplasmic reticulum stress, regulation of apoptosis and autophagy, and improvement of myocardial energy metabolism. However, few clinical trials have been conducted on these therapies, and these trials can provide stronger evidence-based support for TCM.

Variations in Oligosaccharides and N/O-Glycans in Human Milk through the Eight-Month Lactation Period.

Oligosaccharides and N/O-glycans are abundant in human milk and have numerous biological functions (for instance sialylated glycans provide sialic acid for the growth of infant brains), but their variation trends during lactation need further exploration. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of oligosaccharides and N/O-glycans in human milk at different lactation stages (from 7 days to 8 months) were performed using UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Thirty-four oligosaccharides, twenty-three N-glycans, and six O-glycans were identified. Oligosaccharides showed the highest abundance in human colostrum and decreased with the progression of lactation, and the abundance of N/O-glycans fluctuated as lactation progressed, while a high abundance of sialylated oligosaccharides and sialylated N/O-glycans was observed in human colostrum. These findings provide evidence for breastfeeding support and contribute to the development of infant formula supplemented with human milk glycans.

Potential food-drug interaction risk of thymoquinone with warfarin.

Thymoquinone, predominant bioactive compound in Nigella sativa L. (N.sativa) oil, may inhibit the activity of cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9). However, it is not clear whether thymoquinone can affect the pharmacokinetic behavior of warfarin. Thus, we further to investigate the effect of thymoquinone on warfarin 7-hydroxylation activity and to quantitatively evaluate their food-drug interactions (FDIs) potential. Our data demonstrated that thymoquinone could inhibit warfarin 7-hydroxylase activity with IC50 value of 11.35 ± 0.25 µM. The kinetic analysis indicated that thymoquinone exhibited competitive inhibition on warfarin 7-hydroxylation with Ki value of 3.50 ± 0.44 µM. FDIs risk prediction suggested that coadministration of thymoquinone (>18 mg/day) or dietary supplements containing thymoquinone (N.sativa > 1 g/day or N. sativa oil >1 g/day) might influence pharmacokinetic behavior of warfarin. In conclusion, coadministration of thymoquinone or dietary supplements containing thymoquinone in warfarin-treated patients would likely trigger off unexpected potential drug interactions.

The Compatibility of Alisma and Atractylodes Affects the Biological Behaviours of VSMCs by Inhibiting the miR-128-5p/p21 Gene.

Objective: The compatibility of Alisma and Atractylodes (AA) has been estimated to exhibit antiatherosclerotic effects, but the mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the role of AA in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) behaviours and to explore the effects of microRNAs (miRNAs). Methods: A scratch wound-healing assay was used to detect the migration of VSMCs, and immunocytochemistry and western blotting for SM22ɑ were used to evaluate phenotypic transformation. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry were applied to detect the proliferation of VSMCs. miRNA microarray profiling was performed using Lianchuan biological small RNA sequencing analysis. VSMCs were transfected with the miR-128-5p mimic and inhibitor, and the migration, phenotypic modulation, and proliferation of VSMCs were investigated. The 3'UTR-binding sequence site of miR-128-5p on the p21 gene was predicted and assessed by luciferase assays. Result: AA and the extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) blocker U0126 markedly inhibited migration, elevated smooth muscle 22α (SM22α) expression, repressed VSMC proliferation, elevated miR-466f-3p and miR-425-3p expression, and suppressed miR-27a-5p and miR-128-5p expression in ox-LDL-induced VSMCs. miR-128-5p targets the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), silent information regulator 2 (SIRT2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), and p21 genes, which are linked to the behaviours of VSMCs. The miR-128-5p mimic promoted the migration and proliferation of VSMCs and suppressed p21, p27, and SM22ɑ expression. The inhibitor increased p21, p27, and SM22ɑ expression and repressed the migration, phenotypic transformation, and proliferation of VSMCs. miR-128-5p directly targeted the 3'UTR-binding sequences of the p21 gene, negatively regulated p21 expression, and supported the proliferation of VSMCs. Conclusion: Our research showed that the migration, phenotypic transformation, and proliferation of ox-LDL-induced VSMCs were repressed by AA through inhibiting miR-128-5p by targeting the p21 gene, which may provide an effective option for the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Determination and tissue distribution comparisons of gentiopicroside after oral administration of raw and wine-Processed Gentiana Radix.

Gentiana Radix is one of the most often used drugs in traditional Chinese medicine. Stir frying with yellow wine is the most common processing method. To clarify the principle of processing, an experiment was carried out to compare the tissue distribution of the typical constituent after oral administration of raw G. Radix and wine-processed one. To compare the tissues distribution of gentiopicroside oral administration of raw and wine-processed G. Radix, High-performance liquid chromatogram with ultraviolet detection was developed and validated for the determination of gentiopicroside in heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, small intestine and large intestine tissues. The gentiopicroside in raw and wine-processed G. Radix was distributed in all tissues involved in this study. Compared with the rats administration of raw G. Radix, the proportions of gentiopicroside in heart, liver and lung tissues increased in rats with administration of wine-processed one. The proportion of gentiopicroside in upper-JIAO and liver tissue can be increased by wine-processing.

Electroacupuncture Alleviates LPS-Induced ARDS Through α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor-Mediated Inhibition of Ferroptosis.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an uncontrollable, progressive pulmonary inflammatory disease, and as a common clinical critical disease, there is no effective treatment available. Electroacupuncture (EA) therapy is a type of traditional Chinese medicine physiotherapy that can alleviate the inflammatory response. However, the potential mechanism of EA in the treatment of ARDS is not yet clear. Ferroptosis is a new type of programmed cell death characterized by intracellular iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation. Recently, emerging evidence has shown that ferroptosis is closely related to the occurrence and development of ARDS caused by various pathological factors. Here, we further investigated whether EA-mediated inhibition of ferroptosis in lung tissue could attenuate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ARDS and explored its underlying mechanisms. In this study, mice were administered LPS intraperitoneally to establish a model of LPS-induced ARDS. We found that EA stimulation could not only reduce the exudation of inflammatory cells and proteins in the alveolar lumen but also significantly alleviate the pathological changes of lung tissue, inhibit the production of proinflammatory cytokines and improve the survival rate of mice. Concurrently, we also found that ferroptosis events occurred in the lung tissue of LPS-induced ARDS mice, manifested by elevated iron levels, ROS production and lipid peroxidation. Intriguingly, our results showed that EA stimulation at the Zusanli (ST36) acupoint activated α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAchR) in lung tissue mainly through the sciatic nerve and cervical vagus nerve, thus exerting anti-ferroptosis and pulmonary protective effects. Additionally, these effects were eliminated by methyllycaconitine (MLA), a selective antagonist of α7nAchR. In vitro experiments, activation of α7nAchR protected alveolar epithelial cells from LPS-induced ferroptosis. Furthermore, our experiments showed that the pulmonary protective effects of EA stimulation were effectively reversed by erastin, a ferroptosis activator. Collectively, we demonstrated that EA stimulation could alleviate LPS-induced ARDS by activating α7nAchR to inhibit LPS-induced ferroptosis in alveolar epithelial cells. Targeting and regulating ferroptosis in alveolar epithelial cells may be a potential intervention approach for the treatment of LPS-induced ALI/ARDS in the future.

Potential herb-drug interaction risk of thymoquinone and phenytoin.

Thymoquinone is a main bioactive compound of Nigella sativa L. (N.sativa), which has been used for clinical studies in the treatment of seizures due to its beneficial neuroprotective activity and antiepileptic effects. It has been evidenced that thymoquinone may inhibit the activity of cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9). However, little is known about the effect of thymoquinone or N.sativa on the pharmacokinetic behavior of phenytoin, a second-line drug widely used in the management of status epilepticus. In this study, we systematically investigated the risk of the potential pharmacokinetic drug interaction between thymoquinone and phenytoin. The inhibitory effect of thymoquinone on phenytoin hydroxylation activity by CYP2C9 was determined using UPLC-MS/MS by measuring the formation rates for p-hydroxyphenytoin (p-HPPH). The potential for drug-interaction between thymoquinone and phenytoin was quantitatively predicted by using in vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE). Our data demonstrated that thymoquinone displayed effective inhibition against phenytoin hydroxylation activity. Enzyme kinetic studies showed that thymoquinone exerted a competitive inhibition against phenytoin hydroxylation with a Ki value of 4.45 ± 0.51 µM. The quantitative prediction from IVIVE suggested that the co-administration of thymoquinone (>18 mg/day) or thymoquinone-containing herbs (N.sativa > 1 g/day or N.sativa oil >1 g/day) might result in a clinically significant herb-drug interactions. Additional caution should be taken when thymoquinone or thymoquinone-containing herbs are co-administered with phenytoin, which may induce unexpected potential herb-drug interactions via the inhibition of CYP2C9.

Folic acid alleviates age-related cognitive decline and inhibits apoptosis of neurocytes in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8: deoxythymidine triphosphate biosynthesis as a potential mechanism.

Disturbed deoxythymidine triphosphate biosynthesis due to the inhibition of thymidylate synthase (TS) can lead to uracil accumulation in DNA, eventually, lead to neurocytes apoptosis and cognitive decline. Folic acid supplementation delayed cognitive decline and neurodegeneration in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8). Whether folic acid, one of nutrition factor, the effect on the expression of TS is unknown. The study aimed to determine if folic acid supplementation could alleviate age-related cognitive decline and apoptosis of neurocytes by increasing TS expression in SAMP8 mice. According to folic acid concentration in diet, four-month-old male SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into three different diet groups by baseline body weight in equal numbers. Moreover, to evaluate the role of TS, a TS inhibitor was injected intraperitoneal. Cognitive test, apoptosis rates of neurocytes, expression of TS, relative uracil level in telomere, and telomere length in brain tissue were detected. The results showed that folic acid supplementation decreased deoxyuridine monophosphate accumulation, uracil misincorporation in telomere, alleviated telomere length shorting, increased expression of TS, then decreased apoptosis rates of neurocytes, and alleviated cognitive performance in SAMP8 mice. Moreover, at the same concentration of folic acid, TS inhibitor raltitrexed increased deoxyuridine monophosphate accumulation, uracil misincorporation in telomere, and exacerbated telomere length shorting, decreased expression of TS, then increased apoptosis rates of neurocytes, and decreased cognitive performance in SAMP8 mice. In conclusion, folic acid supplementation alleviated age-related cognitive decline and inhibited apoptosis of neurocytes by increasing TS expression in SAMP8 mice.

Progressive Study on the Non-thermal Effects of Magnetic Field Therapy in Oncology.

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. Although the existing therapies have made great progress and significantly improved the prognosis of patients, it is undeniable that these treatment measures still cause some serious side effects. In this context, a new treatment method is needed to address these shortcomings. In recent years, the magnetic fields have been proposed as a novel treatment method with the advantages of less side effects, high efficiency, wide applications, and low costs without forming scars. Previous studies reported that static magnetic fields (SMFs) and low-frequency magnetic fields (LF-MFs, frequency below 300 Hz) exert anti-tumor function, independent of thermal effects. Magnetic fields (MFs) could inhibit cell growth and proliferation; induce cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, autophagy, and differentiation; regulate the immune system; and suppress angiogenesis and metastasis via various signaling pathways. In addition, they are effective in combination therapies: MFs not only promote the absorption of chemotherapy drugs by producing small holes on the surface of cell membrane but also enhance the inhibitory effects by regulating apoptosis and cell cycle related proteins. At present, MFs can be used as drug delivery systems to target magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to tumors. This review aims to summarize and analyze the current knowledge of the pre-clinical studies of anti-tumor effects and their underlying mechanisms and discuss the prospects of the application of MF therapy in cancer prevention and treatment.

Urinary coenzyme Q10 as a diagnostic biomarker and predictor of remission in a patient with ADCK4-associated Glomerulopathy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: AarF domain-containing kinase 4 (ADCK4)-associated glomerulopathy is a mitochondrial nephropathy caused by mutations in the ADCK4 gene, which disrupt coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 25-year-old female patient with ADCK4-associated glomerulopathy presenting with proteinuria (and with no additional systemic symptoms). A known missense substitution c.737G > A (p.S246N) and a novel frameshift c.577-600del (p.193-200del) mutation were found. We followed the patient for 24 months during supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (20 mg/kg/d - 30 mg/kg/d) and describe the clinical course. In addition, we measured serum and urine coenzyme Q10 levels before and after coenzyme Q10 supplementation and compared them with those of healthy control subjects. The patient's urinary coenzyme Q10 to creatinine ratio was higher than that of healthy controls before coenzyme Q10 supplementation, but decreased consistently with proteinuria after coenzyme Q10 supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: Although the use of urinary coenzyme Q10 as a diagnostic biomarker and predictor of clinical remission in patients with ADCK4-associated glomerulopathy should be confirmed by larger studies, we recommend measuring urinary coenzyme Q10 in patients with isolated proteinuria of unknown cause, since it may provide a diagnostic clue to mitochondrial nephropathy.

Comprehensive Lipidomics Analysis Reveals the Effects of Different Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid-Rich Diets on Egg Yolk Lipids.

Dietary supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) for laying hens enriches eggs with these essential fatty acids. However, the enrichment patterns and changes to intact lipids in egg yolk have not been sufficiently revealed. Herein, egg yolk lipids from hens fed with diets supplemented with flaxseed, Schizochytrium sp. residue, or their mixture were comprehensively analyzed using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). A total of 335 individual lipid species covering 23 (sub)classes were identified and quantified. Distinct n-3 PUFA-lipid profiles were revealed among different groups. Dietary α-linolenic acid (ALA) was mainly deposited in the TAG fraction, whereas synthesized or preformed docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) predominantly existed in the glycerophospholipid form. Furthermore, different lipid species were identified and related lipid pathways after dietary supplementation were analyzed. Collectively, these findings provide us with new knowledge for production, nutritional evaluation, authentication, and application of n-3 PUFA-enriched eggs.

Investigation on the urinary excretion kinetics of three atractylenolides from crude and processed Atractylodis rhizoma extracts in rats by UPLC-MS/MS.

Atractylodis rhizoma is a frequently-used traditional Chinese medicine in clinical practice, which have the effect of eliminating dampness and tonifying spleen. And after being processed with wheat bran, the dryness of A. rhizoma is reduced, and the function of tonifying spleen is enhanced. Atractylenolides are the major bioactive components of A. rhizoma, including atractylenolide I (AI), atractylenolide Ⅱ (AⅡ) and atractylenolide Ⅲ (AⅢ). The present study aimed to develope a new UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of three atractylenolides in rat urine, and applied to the excretory kinetics in Sprague-Dawley rats after oral administration of crude and processed A. rhizoma extracts. Analytes and internal standard were detected without interference in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with positive electrospray ionization. The excretory kinetics parameters were calculated by a urine drug analysis model of drug and statistics (DAS) 3.2.8 software. The t1/2 and Ke of three atractylenolides had no significant difference between crude and processed A. rhizoma, but the recovery accumulative excretion of them in processed A. rhizoma were apparently higher than the crude ones (p<0.05, p<0.01). The results showed that only a small amount of atractylenolides excreted in urine and processing A. rhizoma with wheat bran by stir frying could promote the urinary excretion of them.

Electroacupuncture Pretreatment Alleviates LPS-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome via Regulating the PPAR Gamma/NF-Kappa B Signaling Pathway.

Electroacupuncture (EA) is reported to possess anti-inflammatory properties and has beneficial effects on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, the underlying mechanisms of the effects of EA on ARDS remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of EA on LPS-induced ARDS. In this study, Sprague-Dawley male rats were treated with EA at Hegu (LI4) for 45 minutes before LPS instillation (0.4 mg/kg, 100 ul). H&E staining, wet-to-dry weight (W/D) ratio, PaO2, and protein content in BALF were employed to determine the function of lung tissues. Inflammatory cytokines in serum and BALF were detected by enzyme-linked immunoassay assay (ELISA). The levels of oxidative stress markers were detected to determine the oxidative stress status. Cell apoptosis was observed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining and western blot. Here, we found that EA pretreatment effectively alleviated lung pathological damage. Moreover, EA suppressed the oxidative stress damage by upregulating glutathione and superoxide dismutase and downregulating malondialdehyde. EA pretreatment also regulated apoptosis-related proteins, such as Bax and Bcl-2. We found that peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors γ (PPARγ) play a critical role during ARDS, EA up-regulated the expression of PPARγ, which inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and decreased the inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α). When rats were treated with GW9662, a selective PPARγ antagonist, these effects of EA were reversed. Our study demonstrated that EA pretreatment had a beneficial effect on LPS-induced ARDS in rats by anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antiapoptotic properties which was regulated via PPARγ/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Application of Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging with Machine Learning Methods to Identify Geographical Origins of Dry Narrow-Leaved Oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia) Fruits.

Narrow-leaved oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia) fruit is a kind of natural product used as food and traditional medicine. Narrow-leaved oleaster fruits from different geographical origins vary in chemical and physical properties and differ in their nutritional and commercial values. In this study, near-infrared hyperspectral imaging covering the spectral range of 874-1734 nm was used to identify the geographical origins of dry narrow-leaved oleaster fruits with machine learning methods. Average spectra of each single narrow-leaved oleaster fruit were extracted. Second derivative spectra were used to identify effective wavelengths. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machine (SVM) were used to build discriminant models for geographical origin identification using full spectra and effective wavelengths. In addition, deep convolutional neural network (CNN) models were built using full spectra and effective wavelengths. Good classification performances were obtained by these three models using full spectra and effective wavelengths, with classification accuracy of the calibration, validation, and prediction set all over 90%. Models using effective wavelengths obtained close results to models using full spectra. The performances of the PLS-DA, SVM, and CNN models were close. The overall results illustrated that near-infrared hyperspectral imaging coupled with machine learning could be used to trace geographical origins of dry narrow-leaved oleaster fruits.

Folic acid delays age-related cognitive decline in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8: alleviating telomere attrition as a potential mechanism.

The occurrence of telomere attrition in brain may cause senescence and death of neurons, leading to cognitive decline. Folic acid (FA) has been reported to improve cognitive performance in mild cognitive impairment; however, its association with telomere remains unclear. The study aimed to investigate if alleviation of telomere attrition by FA supplementation could act as a potential mechanism to delay age-related cognitive decline in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8). Aged SAMP8 mice were assigned to four treatment groups: FAdeficient diet (FA-D) group, FA-normal diet (FA-N) group, low FA-supplemented diet (FA-L) group and high FAsupplemented diet (FA-H) group. There was also an age-matched senescence-accelerated mouse resistant 1 (SAMR1) control group (Con-R), and a young SAMP8 control group (Con-Y). The results demonstrated that FA supplementation delayed age-related cognitive decline and neurodegeneration in SAMP8 mice. Importantly, this effect could be attributed to the alleviated telomere attrition, which might be interpreted by the decreased levels of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, improved telomere integrity stimulated mitochondrial function via telomere-p53-mithondria pathway, consequently delayed neuronal degeneration. In conclusion, we demonstrate that FA supplementation delays age-related neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in SAMP8 mice, in which alleviated telomere attrition could serve as one influential factor in the process.

Comparison of the Modulatory Effect on Intestinal Microbiota between Raw and Bran-Fried Atractylodis Rhizoma in the Rat Model of Spleen-Deficiency Syndrome.

Atractylodis Rhizoma (AR), a kind of well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has a long history of being used to treat spleen-deficiency syndrome (SDS). Stir frying with bran is a common method of processing AR, as recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and is thought to enhance the therapeutic effect in TCM. Our previous studies have confirmed that bran-fried AR is superior to raw AR in terms of the improvement of gastrointestinal tract function. However, the biological mechanism of action is not yet clear. Here, we report the difference between raw and bran-fried AR in terms of the modulatory effect of intestinal microbiota. We found that the composition of intestinal microbiota of SDS rats changed significantly compared with healthy rats and tended to recover to normal levels after treatment with raw and bran-fried AR. Nine bacteria closely related to SDS were identified at the genus level. Among them, the modulatory effect between the raw and bran-fried AR was different. The improved modulation on Bacteroides, Escherichia-Shigella, Phascolarctobacterium, Incertae-Sedis (Defluviitaleaceae Family) and Incertae-Sedis (Erysipelotrichaceae Family) could be the mechanism by which bran-fried AR enhanced the therapeutic effect. Correlation analysis revealed that the modulation on intestinal microbiota was closely related to the secretion and expression of cytokines and gastrointestinal hormones. These findings can help us to understand the role and significance of bran-fried AR against SDS.