Exploring the structural color of micro-nano composite gratings with FDTD simulation and experimental validation.

The significance of micro-nano composite gratings (MNCGs) resides in their applications, including optical devices, sensors, and diffractive elements, which drive research interest in their diffraction characteristics. This study investigates both the diffraction characteristics of MNCGs and the factors that influence them by employing both Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) methods and experimental validation. The initial focus lies in deciphering the differences in diffraction characteristics between micro-gratings (MGs) and MNCGs by analyzing the coupling effects, diffraction order, color distribution, and intensity variation. Additionally, this research emphatically investigates five aspects to discover the influencing factors of MNCG's diffraction characteristics, such as the height, groove angle of MGs and the period, blaze angle, and height of nano-gratings (NGs). Results show that the structural coloration and saturation of MNCG surpass that of MG. NG plays the actual spectral role, and a reduction in the period of NG leads to enhanced splitting light capability of the white light. The optical detection tests validated the simulation results. The present study reveals the diffractive properties of MNCGs, providing technical insights for the design and processing of optically variable devices.

Identifying Acss1, Mtfp1 and Oxct1 as key regulators and promising biomarkers of sarcopenia in various models.

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in muscular homeostasis, but the molecular mechanism underlying mitochondrial dynamics and sarcopenia awaits to be uncovered. We all know that malnutrition, cachexia, and type 2 diabetes are significant contributors to the development of sarcopenia.Therefore, we analyzed a bioinformatic analysis on cathectic differentially expressed genes (cDEGs), fasted differentially genes (fDEGs) and mitochondria-related genes. The overlapping genes identified were then validated by RT-qPCR and Western blotting experiments in various sarcopenia mice models and used to predict aging-related muscle loss in humans. First, the correlation analysis and PPI network indicated 6 overlapping candidates (Bdh1, Gdap1, Acss1, Mtfp1, Idh2, Oxct1) may constitute a regulatory effect in mitochondrial dynamics and muscle wasting. Next, we successfully established fasted, Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) induced sarcopenia mice models and verified that Acss1, Mtfp1 and Oxct1 shared common and significant variation tendency in these sarcopenia mice models. Further-more, Pearson correlation analysis showed that Acss1 was negatively related to the weight of gastrocnemius while Mtfp1 and Oxct1 displayed a significantly positive correlation with gastrocnemius weight in sarcopenic mice model induced by LLC, fasting and DM. What's more, ROC analysis based on human aging-related datasets indicated Acss1, Mtfp1, Oxct1 had outstanding diagnostic capabilities for sarcopenia. In general, we identified three hub genes (Acss1, Mtfp1 and Oxct1) that are strongly associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in sarcopenia and may provide novel and reliable indicators for screening, diagnosis, and prognosis, as well as potential therapeutic targets for patients with sarcopenia.

Construction and Application of Fluorescent Probes with Imine Protective Groups for Hypochlorite Detection.

Several fluorescent probes have been designed to detect ClO- in biological systems based on the isomerization mechanism of C = N bonds. Particularly, fluorescein has emerged as an important fluorophore for detecting ClO- because of its unique properties. Previously, we introduced the fluorescein analog F-1 with an active aldehyde group. In this study, two ClO- fluorescent sensors (F-2 and F-3) with imine groups were designed and synthesized using diaminomaleonitrile and 2-hydrazylbenzothiazole as amines. The electron cloud distribution of F-2 and F-3 in ground and excited states was explored via Gaussian calculations, reasonably explaining their photophysical properties. The fluorescence detection of ClO- in solution using the two probes (F-2 and F-3) was realized based on the mechanism of imine deprotection with ClO-. NaClO concentration titration demonstrated that the colorimetric detection of ClO- with the naked eye could be achieved using both F-2 and F-3. However, after adding ClO-, the fluorescence intensity of probe F-2 increased, whereas that of probe F-3 first decreased and then increased. Probes F-2 and F-3 exhibited good selectivity, anti-interference capability, and sensitivity, with the detection limits of 169.95 and 37.30 µM, respectively. Owing to their low cell toxicity, probes F-2 and F-3 can be applied to detect ClO- in vivo. The design approach adopted in this study will further advance the future development of ClO- chemical probes through the removal of C = N bond isomerization.

PlantCHRs: A comprehensive database of plant chromatin remodeling factors.

The Snf2 protein family is a group of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors (CHRs) that play an essential role in gene expression regulation. In plants, Snf2 is involved in growth, development, as well as stress resistance. However, only a very limited number of experimentally validated Snf2 have been identified and reported, while the majority remaining undiscovered in most species . In this study, we predicted 3135 Snf2 proteins and 8398 chromatin remodeling complex (CRC) subunits in diverse plant species, and constructed the Plant Chromatin Remodeling Factors Database (PlantCHRs, http://www.functionalgenomics.cn/PlantCHRs/), which provide a comprehensive resource for researchers to access information about plant CHRs. We also developed an online tool capable of predicting CHRs and CRC subunits. Moreover, we investigated the distribution of Snf2 proteins in different species and observed a significant increase in the number of Snf2 proteins and the diversity of the Snf2 subfamily during the evolution, highlighting their evolutionary importance. By analyzing the expression patterns of the Snf2 genes in different tissues of maize and Arabidopsis, we found that the Snf2 proteins may show some conservation across different species in regulating plant growth and development. Over the all, we established a comprehensive database for plant CHRs, which will facilitate the researches on plant chromatin remodeling.

Measurement and Characterization of Rotational Errors of Aerostatic Bearings in Subnanometer Accuracy.

Measuring the running accuracy of aerostatic bearings is challenging because of the high-precision requirements in rotational motion. This paper presents an ultra-high precision measurement method for aerostatic bearings using atomic force microscopy (AFM) as the displacement sensor. The Donaldson reversal method was used to separate the artifact form errors from the measurement results. A measurement system was developed with the integration of an AFM module. The effects of sensor nonlinearity, environmental noise, and structural vibration on the measurement results were effectively suppressed in the system. The experimental results show that the measurement achieves up to subnanometer accuracy.

Dietary intervention reprograms bone marrow cellular signaling in obese mice.

Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of obesity-induced impaired bone mass accrual and the impact of dietary intervention on bone density in the mouse model of obesity. Methods: Mice were fed with chow diet (CD) for 10 months, high-fat-diet (HFD) for 10 months, or HFD for 6 months then transferred to chow diet for 4 months (HFDt). Results: Weight loss and decreased intrahepatic lipid accumulation were observed in mice following dietary intervention. Additionally, HFD feeding induced bone mass accrual, while diet intervention restrained trabecular bone density. These changes were further reflected by increased osteogenesis and decreased adipogenesis in HFDt mice compared to HFD mice. Furthermore, HFD feeding decreased the activity of the Wingless-related integration site (Wnt)-ß-Catenin signaling pathway, while the Wnt signaling was augmented by diet intervention in the HFDt group. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a HFD inhibits bone formation and that dietary intervention reverses this inhibition. Furthermore, the dietary intervention was able to compensate for the suppressed increase in bone mass to a level comparable to that in the CD group. Our study suggests that targeting the Wnt signaling pathway may be a potential approach to treat obesity-induced impaired bone mass accrual.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of butein in different nociceptive and inflammatory mice models.

BACKGROUND: Around 30% world population affected by acute and chronic pain due to inflammation and accidental injuries. Pain is a uncomfortable sensation and it reduce the patients' life quality. OBJECTIVE: The present exploration focuses to explore the beneficial effects of butein on the different chemical and thermal-provoked nociceptive and inflammatory mice models. METHODOLOGY: The nociception was induced to the Swiss mice using different chemical (formalin, acetic acid, glutamate, and capsaicin) and thermal (hot plate and tail immersion) methods. the mice were supplemented with 10, 15, and 20 mg/kg of butein and respective standard drugs like morphine, diclofenac sodium, and dexamethasone. The anti-inflammatory effects of butein was studied using carrageenan-provoked inflammation in mice. RESULTS: The present findings clearly demonstrated that the butein was substantially lessened the different thermal and chemical provoked nociception in mice. The carrageenan-triggered paw edema and inflammatory cell infiltrations were appreciably suppressed by the butein treatment. The TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 levels in the carrageenan-induced mice were effectively depleted by the butein. CONCLUSION: Altogether, the present findings evidenced the potent antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of the butein in different nociceptive mice models.

Diaphragmatic ultrasonography for predicting ventilator weaning: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Weaning failure is common in mechanically ventilated patients. Whether ultrasound can predict weaning outcome remains controversial. This meta-analysis was performed to assess the accuracy of diaphragmatic ultrasonography for predicting reintubation within 48 hours of extubation. METHODS: Literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library to identify all the relevant papers, published in English up to July 16, 2017. Eligible studies were included if data were in adequate details to rebuild 2 × 2 contingency tables. Methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) in Review Manager 5.3. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve were pooled using the fixed or random effects model, meanwhile, the heterogeneity was evaluated using Cochran Q test and I statistics in Meta-DiSc 1.4. Publication bias was assessed using Deeks funnel plot in Stata 12.0. RESULTS: Thirteen studies with 742 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivities for diaphragm excursion (DE) and diaphragm thickness fraction (DTF) were 0.786 and 0.893, and the pooled specificities were 0.711 and 0.796, respectively. The area under curve (AUC) for DE and DTF were 0.8590 and 0.8381. The DORs for DE and DTF were 10.623 and 32.521. No publication bias was observed among these studies. CONCLUSIONS: Diaphragmatic ultrasonography is a promising tool for predicting reintubation within 48 hours of extubation. However, due to heterogeneities among the included studies, large-scale studies are warranted to confirm our findings.

Study on the interaction between the 1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide-spermine conjugate (NDIS) and DNA using a spectroscopic approach and molecular docking.

The interaction of herring sperm DNA with the 1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide-spermine conjugate (NDIS) was studied by UV/vis absorption, fluorescence and CD spectroscopic methods. Compared with the 1,8-naphthalimide-spermidine conjugate (NIS), the values of KSV (quenching constant) and Kb (binding constant) of NDIS were larger, and the hypochromic effect in the UV/vis spectra and the quenching effect in the fluorescence of NDIS were more significant. The interaction mode between NDIS and DNA was mainly groove binding. The fluorescence experiments at varying temperatures showed that the binding process of NDIS and DNA was static, as both hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic forces played a major role in the binding of NDIS and DNA. The CD spectrum indicated that NDIS caused a conformational change, like the B to A-DNA transition, and the tests using KI and NaCl and 1H NMR spectroscopy indicated that NDIS was not a classical DNA inserter. All the results demonstrated that both the polyamine side chain and the aromatic rings affect the process of NDIS binding to DNA, which is thus obviously different from that of NIS. The conclusion was confirmed by the in silico molecular docking experiments.

Elevated THBS2, COL1A2, and SPP1 Expression Levels as Predictors of Gastric Cancer Prognosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric cancer (GC) is an important health problem. Classification based on molecular subtypes may help to determine the prognosis of patients with GC. Tumor invasion and metastasis are important factors affecting the prognosis of cancer. We aimed to identify genes related to tumor invasion and metastasis, which may serve as indicators of good GC prognosis. METHODS: Tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected from 105 patients with primary GC who were treated by undergoing radical surgery. Samples were used for tissue microarray analysis. Identified genes with altered expression were further analyzed using the Gene Ontology (Go) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. The expression levels of THBS2, COL1A2 and SPP1 were analyzed by RT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry. The overall survival curves of patients with high and low expression of each gene of interest were plotted and compared. RESULTS: Forty-three genes were identified. THBS2, COL1A2 and SPP1 were selected for further analysis. Altered expression levels of THBS2, COL1A2 and SPP1 in tumor tissues were confirmed. Patients with low THBS2 expression had a better prognosis; the expression of COL1A2 and SPP1 might not affect the prognosis of patients with GC. CONCLUSION: THBS2, but not COL1A2 and SPP1, may serve as an indicator of GC prognosis.

Evaluating the efficacy and safety of intravesical chemotherapies for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: a network meta-analysis.

Various intravesical therapies have been introduced into clinical practices for controlling non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). However, evidence with respect to the efficacy and safety of those intravesical therapies is very limited. Hence, we present a network meta-analysis in order to address this limitation in the current literature. The primary outcomes were the risk of tumor recurrence (TR), tumor progression (TP) and disease-specific mortality (DM). Secondary outcomes included the risk of fever, cystitis and haematuria. Conventional pair-wise and network meta-analysis were both performed for each endpoint. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was incorporated in our analysis for ranking the corresponding intravesical instillation interventions. In total, 23 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were finally included in our study after irrelevant papers were screened out. Results of network meta-analysis suggested that Epirubicin (EPI) was less preferable than Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG), BCG+EPI, BCG+ Isoniazid (INH), BCG+ Mytomicin C (MMC), Gemcitabine (GEM) and MMC with respect to TR. As suggested by the corresponding ranking probabilities and SUCRA, incorporating EPI or MMC into BCG may enhance the efficacy of BCG monotherapy.

Effect of probiotics on metabolic profiles in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a prevalent metabolic disease which is imposing heavy burden on global health and economy. Recent studies indicate gut microbiota play important role on the pathogenesis and metabolic disturbance of T2DM. As an effective mean of regulating gut microbiota, probiotics are live micro-organisms that are believed to provide a specific health benefit on the host. Whether probiotic supplementation could improve metabolic profiles by modifying gut microbiota in T2DM or not is still in controversy.The aim of the study is to assess the effect of probiotic supplementation on metabolic profiles in T2DM.We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library up to 12 April 2016. Two review authors independently assessed study eligibility, extracted data, and evaluated risk of bias of included studies. Data were pooled by using the random-effect model and expressed as standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed and quantified (I).A total of 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Lipid profiles (n = 508) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) (n = 520) were reported in 9 trials; the homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) (n = 368) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (n = 380) were reported in 6 trials. Probiotics could alleviate FBG (SMD -0.61 mmol/L, 95% CI [-0.92, -0.30], P = 0.0001). Probiotics could increase high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (SMD 0.42 mmol/L, 95% CI [0.08, 0.76], P = 0.01). There were no significant differences in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HbA1c and HOMA-IR between the treatment group and the control group.Probiotics may improve glycemic control and lipid metabolism in T2DM. Application of probiotic agents might become a new method for glucose management in T2DM.

[The relationship between FTIR spectra of PVA film and its heat preservation capability].

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyethylene (PE) and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) film was prepared. The optic capability, infrared transmittance and heat preservation capability of the films were studied respectively. The result indicated that the haze degree of the PVA film decreased about 15% and 12% than PE film and EVA film; PVA film transmittance of IR was more or less than other films in the 7-14 microm wavelength range so that the temperature of greenhouse could be increased effectively in daylight. It was just 16.2% about 20% less than EVA film, and 50% less than PE film. The PVA film could be used as agricultural film in greenhouse to promote heat preservation performance greatly.

[Preparation of EVOH film and infrared spectroscopic study of its heat preservation property].

EVOH, PE and EVA films were prepared by extrusive blowing techniques, the optic capability, transmittance, haze, infrared anti-transmittance and heat preservation of the films were studied by IR spectroscopy and optic block. The result indicated that the haze degree of the EVOH film decreased about 10% and 5% compared to PE film and EVA film respectively, EVOH film's transmission of IR is much less than other films in the 2.5-25 microm wavelength range, it is just 9.03% in 7-14 microm wavelength range, and about 27% less than EVA film, while much less than PE film. It was found that EVOH film has much better capability of infrared anti-transmittance and point-blank light transmission than other two kinds of films. It was good for calefaction and heat preservation of greenhouse.

[Infrared spectroscopic studies of the effect of hydrotalcite on the capability of agricultural film].

Different kinds of hydrotalcite and their effects on the optic capability, transmittance, infrared anti-transmittance and heat preservation of agriculture film were studied by IR spectroscopy. It was found that the haze degree of the film decreased about 1.5% because the diameter of the hydrotalcite made in Dalian was bigger than those made in Japan. Compared to the french chalk, the hydrotalcite had much better capability of infrared anti-transmittance. But from the spectra of hydrotalcite, whichever made in Dalian or in Japan, there was no infrared absorption in the region of 1100-1200 cm(-1). Compared with the wavelength of 9-11 microm, the absorbance band at 1360 cm(-1) had a little shift. Hence, the capability of heat preservation of hydrotalcite-added agriculture film would be studied in the future work.