Prognostic value of albumin to fibrinogen ratio for mortality in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Albumin to fibrinogen ratio (AFR), a new inflammatory marker, has emerged as a useful indicator to predict adverse outcomes for several diseases. However, whether AFR could be a new useful indicator to predict mortality in HCM patients remains to be evaluated. The study explored the predictive value of AFR for HCM-related death in adult HCM patients. METHODS: A total of 404 HCM patients were eventually enrolled in the study according to the inclusion criteria. Patients were divided into two groups based on the median of baseline AFR. The association between AFR and HCM-related death was analyzed. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 4.75 years, HCM-related death was observed in 45 patients (11.1%). The incidence of HCM-related death was significantly higher in the low AFR group (log-rank p < 0.001). With the high AFR group as reference, the unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for HCM-related death was 2.97 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.53-5.75, p = 0.001) in the low AFR group, and after adjusting for potentially confounding variables, the adjusted HR for low AFR group was 3.15 (95% CI: 1.56-6.37, p = 0.001). No significant interactions between AFR and other variables were observed in subgroup analysis. Sensitivity analyses in patients with normal albumin and fibrinogen showed similar results. CONCLUSION: AFR is an independent prognostic factor for HCM-related death, adult HCM patients with a lower AFR have a higher risk of HCM-related death.

Experimental Study on the Shear Strength and Failure Mechanism of Cemented Soil-Concrete Interface.

Cement is always used in underground construction to reinforce and improve soft clay, resulting in the formation of a cemented soil-concrete interface. It is of great importance to study interface shear strength and failure mechanisms. So, in order to figure out the failure mechanism and characteristics of a cemented soil-concrete interface, a series of large-scale shear tests of a cemented soil-concrete interface, and corresponding unconfined compressive tests and direct shear tests of cemented soil, were carried out specifically under different impact factors. A kind of bounding strength was observed during large-scale interface shearing. Resultantly, three stages of the shear failure process of the cemented soil-concrete interface are proposed, and bonding strength, peak (shear) strength and residual strength are pointed out, respectively, in interface shear stress-strain development. Based on the analysis results of the impact factors, the shear strength of the cemented soil-concrete interface increases with age, the cement mixing ratio and normal stress, and decreases with the water-cement ratio. Additionally, the interface shear strength grows much more rapidly after 14 d to 28 d compared to the early stage (1~7 d). Additionally, the shear strength of the cemented soil-concrete interface is positively related to unconfined compressive strength and shear strength. However, the trends of the bonding strength and unconfined compressive strength or shear strength are much closer than those of the peak and residual strength. This is considered to be related to the cementation of cement hydration products and probably the particle arrangement of the interface. Particularly, the cemented soil-concrete interface shear strength is always smaller than the cemented soil's own shear strength at any age.

Differentially Expressed Genes and Signalling Pathways Regulated by High Selenium Involved in Antioxidant and Immune Functions of Goats Based on Transcriptome Sequencing.

The objective of this study is to observe the effect of high selenium on the antioxidant and immune functions of growing goats based on transcriptome sequencing. Eighteen goats were randomly divided into three groups: (1) the control (CON) group was fed a basal diet, and (2) the treatment 1 group (LS) and treatment 2 group (HS) were fed a basal diet with 2.4 and 4.8 mg/kg selenium-yeast (SY), respectively. The results indicate that HS treatment significantly (p < 0.05) increased the apparent digestibility of either extract and significantly increased (p < 0.05) total antioxidant capacity, whereas it significantly (p < 0.05) decreased plasma aspartate aminotransferase and malondialdehyde relative to the control group. The LS treatment had significantly (p < 0.05) increased glutathione S-transferase and catalase compared to CON. A total of 532 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the CON and HS were obtained using transcriptome sequencing. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis identified upregulated (p < 0.05) DEGs mainly related to vascular smooth muscle contraction, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, the VEGF signalling pathway, and proteoglycans in cancer; downregulated (p < 0.05) DEGs mainly related to the NOD-like receptor signalling pathway, influenza A, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, haematopoietic cell lineage, and African trypanosomiasis. Ontology analyses of the top genes show that the identified DEGs are mainly involved in the regulation of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor production for biological processes, the external side of the plasma membrane for cellular components, and carbohydrate derivative binding for molecular functions. Seven genes are considered potential candidate genes for regulating antioxidant activity, including selenoprotein W, 1, glutathione peroxidase 1, glutathione S-transferase A1, tumour necrosis factor, tumour necrosis factor superfamily member 10, tumour necrosis factor superfamily member 8, and tumour necrosis factor superfamily member 13b. The experimental observations indicate that dietary supplementation with 4.8 mg/kg SY can enhance antioxidant and immune functions by improving muscle immunity, reducing the concentrations of inflammatory molecules, and modulating antioxidant and inflammatory signalling pathways in growing goats.

Applying MAP-MRI to Identify the WHO Grade and Main Genetic Features of Adult-type Diffuse Gliomas: A Comparison of Three Diffusion-weighted MRI Models.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Currently, there is no noninvasive method to effectively judge the genotype of diffuse gliomas. We explored the association between mean apparent propagator-MRI (MAP-MRI) and WHO grade 2/3, IDH 1/2 mutations, and chromosome 1p/19q combined deletion genotypes in adult-type diffuse gliomas and compared it with the diagnostic efficiency of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively recruited 67 participantshistopathologically diagnosed with adult-type diffuse gliomas. Routine MRI, DKI, and DSI were performed before surgery. The extreme and average partial diffusion indexes of solid tumors were measured. A comprehensive assessment of statistically significant diffusion parameters was performed after Bonferroni correction, including ROC curves, correct classification percentage (CCP), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), net reclassification improvement (NRI), and k-fold cross validation. RESULTS: For differentiating WHO grade 2/3, q-space inverse variance (QIV), mean kurtosis (MK), non-Gaussianity (NG), and return to the origin probability (RTOP) were different (p' < .05), with the mean QIV exhibiting the best diagnostic efficacy and stability (AUC = 0.973, CCP = 0.906). We observed significant differences in mean diffusivity (MD), mean square displacement, QIV, MK, and RTOP between the IDH wild-type and IDH mutant groups (p' < .001) (AUC, 0.806-0.978) and MAP-MRI showed a higher IDI than DTI and DKI (0.094-0.435, NRI > 0, respectively). For the chromosome 1p/19q combined deletion, the minimum QIV was different between the overall (p' < .05) and no significant differences  in MD and MK was observed. CONCLUSION: MAP-MRI effectively predicts the WHO grade 2/3, IDH 1/2 mutations, and chromosome 1p/19q combined deletion in adult-type diffuse gliomas, and it may perform better than DTI and DKT.

Brain Diffusion Weighted Imaging Study of Mongolian Idiopathic Epilepsy.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of diffusion-weighted imaging in the assessment of idiopathic epilepsy in Mongolian. Methods: One hundred Mongolian idiopathic epilepsy patients were enrolled as the observation group and 100 healthy Mongolian volunteers as the control group. All the subjects underwent routine MRI, diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), and intra-voxel incoherent motion (IVIM) examination on a 3.0 T scanner. Mean kurtosis (MK), mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA), true water molecular diffusion coefficient (D), mean diffusion coefficient (MD), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D∗), and perfusion fraction (f) of each region of interest in the brain were measured. Count data were expressed as rates, and the chi-square test was performed for comparison between groups. Measurement data were first assessed by a normality test, and the t test for independent samples was performed for comparison between groups if they met the normal distribution; for non-normal distribution, the Mann-Whitney U test was performed for comparison between groups. A ROC curve analysis was performed to test the effectiveness of each parameter. Results: MK values of the hippocampus, thalamus, and white matter of the temporal lobe in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group, while D and F values were significantly lower (all P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that MK, D, and F values of the hippocampus, thalamus, and white matter of the temporal lobe had moderate to good diagnostic efficacy for idiopathic epilepsy (AUC = 0.617-0.749, all P < 0.001). Conclusion: DKI and IVIM can more accurately represent the abnormal changes of brain tissue in patients with epilepsy, and it may have important implications for the clinical diagnosis of Mongolian epileptic patients.

Evaluation of the Chemical Composition, Bioactive Substance, Gas Production, and Rumen Fermentation Parameters of Four Types of Distiller's Grains.

Distiller's grain is rich in natural active ingredients and can be used as an excellent antioxidant feed for goats. The current study aimed to assess the feeding value of four different types of distiller's grains with an in vitro gas production trial. The chemical composition, total phenols, total anthocyanins, dry matter degradability, methane, hydrogen, and rumen fermentation parameters were evaluated. The results indicated that red distiller's grain and glutinous rice distiller's grain had higher (p < 0.05) levels of crude protein than the other two types. There were significantly (p < 0.05) higher concentrations of dry matter, ether extract, hemicellulose, and total carbohydrate in corn distiller's grain than in the other three types of distiller's grain. In addition, red distiller's grain showed a higher (p < 0.05) gas production rate constant (c) and ruminal outflow rate, as well as higher (p < 0.05) concentrations of total phenol, total anthocyanins and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, than the other three types of distiller's grains. In contrast, red distiller's grain displayed the lowest (p < 0.05) immediately soluble fraction (a) and half the time of maximum gas production relative to the other samples. In particular, the levels of methane (%) in white distiller's grain and glutinous rice distiller's grain were greater (p < 0.05) than that in red distiller's grain. Moreover, the ammonia nitrogen content in red distiller's grain was greater (p < 0.05) than that in white distiller's grain and corn distiller's grain. In contrast, red distiller's grain exhibited a lower (p < 0.05) level of ruminal fluid acetic acid relative to that found in white distiller's grain and corn distiller's grain. Taken together, the results showed that red distiller's grain and glutinous rice distiller's grain could be used as protein feed, red distiller's grain had higher levels of total phenols and total anthocyanins and a high DPPH scavenging activity; corn distiller's grain might be considered as an alternative energy source feed, and white distiller's grain exhibited higher total gas production.

Co-assembled perylene/graphene oxide photosensitive heterobilayer for efficient neuromorphics.

Neuromorphic electronics, which use artificial photosensitive synapses, can emulate biological nervous systems with in-memory sensing and computing abilities. Benefiting from multiple intra/interactions and strong light-matter coupling, two-dimensional heterostructures are promising synaptic materials for photonic synapses. Two primary strategies, including chemical vapor deposition and physical stacking, have been developed for layered heterostructures, but large-scale growth control over wet-chemical synthesis with comprehensive efficiency remains elusive. Here we demonstrate an interfacial coassembly heterobilayer films from perylene and graphene oxide (GO) precursors, which are spontaneously formed at the interface, with uniform bilayer structure of single-crystal perylene and well-stacked GO over centimeters in size. The planar heterostructure device exhibits an ultrahigh specific detectivity of 3.1 × 1013 Jones and ultralow energy consumption of 10-9 W as well as broadband photoperception from 365 to 1550 nm. Moreover, the device shows outstanding photonic synaptic behaviors with a paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) index of 214% in neuroplasticity, the heterosynapse array has the capability of information reinforcement learning and recognition.

Association of predicted fat mass, predicted lean mass and predicted percent fat with diabetes mellitus in Chinese population: a 15-year prospective cohort.

OBJECTIVES: With body mass index (BMI) failing to distinguish the mass of fat from lean, several novel predicted equations for predicted fat mass (FM), predicted lean mass (LM) and predicted per cent fat (PF) were recently developed and validated. Our aim was to explore whether the three novel parameters could better predict diabetes mellitus (DM) than the commonly used obesity indicators, including BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-hip ratio. DESIGN: A 15-year prospective cohort was used. SETTING: It was a prospective cohort, consisting of a general Chinese population from 1992 to 2007. PARTICIPANTS: This cohort enrolled 711 people. People suffering from DM at baseline (n=24) were excluded, and 687 non-diabetics with complete data were included to the analysis. PRIMARY OUTCOME: New-onset DM. RESULTS: After the follow-up, 74 (48 men and 26 women) incidences of DM were documented. For men, the adjusted HRs were 1, 5.19 (p=0.003) and 7.67 (p<0.001) across predicted PF tertiles; 1, 2.86 (p=0.029) and 5.60 (p<0.001) across predicted FM tertiles; 1, 1.21 (p=0.646) and 2.27 (p=0.025) across predicted LM tertiles. Predicted FM performed better than other commonly used obesity indicators in discrimination with the highest Harrell's C-statistic among all the body composition parameters. Whereas, for women, none of the three novel parameters was the independent predictor. CONCLUSION: Predicted PF, predicted LM and predicted FM could independently predict the risk of DM for men, with predicted FM performing better in discrimination than other commonly used obesity indicators. For women, larger samples were further needed.

Effects of Purple Corn Anthocyanin on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, Muscle Antioxidant Status, and Fatty Acid Profiles in Goats.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of purple corn anthocyanin on performance, meat quality, muscle antioxidant activity, antioxidant gene expression, and fatty acid profiles in goats. The feeding trial period lasted 74 d. The adaptation period was 14 d, and the formal experimental period was 60 d. Eighteen Qianbei-pockmarked goats (Guizhou native goat breed; body weight, 21.38 ± 1.61 kg; mean ± standard deviation) were randomly allotted into three equal groups, including a control with no purple corn pigment (PCP) and groups receiving either 0.5 g/d PCP or 1.0 g/d PCP. The inclusion of PCP did not affect (p > 0.05) the dry matter intake, average daily gain, or feed conversion ratio compared to the control group. The addition of PCP reduced (p < 0.05) shear force in the longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle (LTL) during the growth phase of the goats. Goats receiving PCP showed higher (p < 0.05) levels of reduced glutathione, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity and peroxidase in LTL compared to the control. Moreover, compared to the control, the PCP group displayed lower (p < 0.05) concentrations of 12:0, C16:0, and total saturated fatty acids, but increased (p < 0.05) concentrations of various unsaturated fatty acids, including C18:1n9, C20:3n6, C20:4n6, C18:2n6 cis, C20:3n6, C22:5n3, C22:6n3, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The abundance of nuclear factor, erythroid 2 like 2, superoxide dismutase 1, glutathione peroxidase 1, and catalase was upregulated (p < 0.05) in the LTL of goats receiving 0.5 g/d PCP in comparison to the other groups. Collectively, result of the current study indicated that PCP anthocyanin could be used as a source of natural functional additive because anthocyanin-rich PCP has the potential to improve meat quality and enhance muscle antioxidant status as well as improve the proportions of PUFAs in goat muscle.

Effect of Purple Corn Anthocyanin on Antioxidant Activity, Volatile Compound and Sensory Property in Milk During Storage and Light Prevention.

The aim of this study was to observe the effect of purple corn anthocyanin on the light-induced antioxidant activity, free radicals, volatile compounds, color parameters, and sensory properties of milk during storage. There were four groups: (1) negative control, no addition of anthocyanins + exposure to fluorescent light (NC); (2) positive control 1, no addition of anthocyanins + protected from fluorescent light (PC1); (3) positive control 2, the addition of 0.3% (w/v) anthocyanins + exposure to fluorescent light (PC2); and (4) the addition of 0.3% anthocyanins + protected from fluorescent light (AC). The results indicated that the concentration of antioxidant activity parameters in the NC group decreased during the entire storage period, whereas antioxidant activity parameters were unchanged except for the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the AC group. Moreover, the NC group showed lower levels of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity and higher levels of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide than the other groups after 1 d of storage period. The extent of malondialdehyde accumulation and lipid peroxidation in the control groups were greater than that of the AC group. Twenty-two volatile compounds were determined in milk, which consisted of eight alcohols, three ketones, five aldehydes, two esters, and four hydrocarbons by headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometer analysis. Specifically, individual aldehydes, esters and hydrocarbons in the AC group remained at relatively stable values during storage relative to the other three groups. Stronger positive correlations were detected between several antioxidant activities (superoxide dismutase, GSH-Px) and DPPH scavenging activity as well as total ketones in milk. Adding of anthocyanin did not impact on the color values of L*, a* and b* in light-protected milk during the entire storage period. Some sensory evaluation parameters (flat, garlic/onion/weedy, oxidized-light, oxidized-metal, rancid) in AC group were significantly higher than that of the control group at the end of the period. In conclusion, the current study revealed that the addition of purple corn anthocyanin pigment to light-protected milk had the potential to prevent lipid oxidation, enhance antioxidant activity, maintain volatile compounds and increase the sensory scores.

Pure rotational Raman lidar for full-day troposphere temperature measurement at Zhongshan Station (69.37°S, 76.37°E), Antarctica.

A pure rotational Raman lidar (PRRL) for full-day troposphere temperature measurement was deployed in February 2020 at Zhongshan Station (69.37°S, 76.37°E), Antarctica, by the 36th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition. The PRRL emits a 532.23-nm laser light and employs a 203.2-mm telescope to collect atmospheric backscatter. Cubic nonpolarizing beam splitters are introduced to yield a compact optics arrangement. A quasi-single-line-extraction technique is proposed for extracting the molecular Stokes line signals. A lidar container with a window system is customized to house the whole PRRL system for long-term stable operation. An approach using a laser plummet is developed for fast and convenient adjustment of the telescope zenithward. A home-made calibration module is utilized for straightforward visual optics adjustment with ∼35.3-µrad angular positioning accuracy. Both typical daytime and nighttime temperature measurement examples are presented to verify the lidar performance. From a 30-h continuous temperature measurement result, it is found the tropopause is located at ∼10.8 km above ground level with a mean temperature of ∼203 K; significant temperature variability occurs only at the inversion areas, while off which the 1-h temperature profiles are relatively similar in form with an average lapse rate of -8.3 K/km.

A primary benign cardiac tumor misdiagnosed as cardiac metastasis in the right atrium.

We present a patient with breast cancer with multiple metastases who had an unusual cardiac mass in the right atrium. The cardiac mass was initially diagnosed as malignant metastasis by transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) but subsequently diagnosed as benign by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). TTE is the preferred imaging method for examination of cardiac masses. However, this case demonstrates that contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, MRI, and PET/CT are useful to differentiate between diagnoses of benign and malignant tumor. The combination of multiple diagnostic imaging modalities is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of cardiac tumors.

Etching Anode Foil with Branch Tunnels for Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors.

Al foil for high-voltage aluminum electrolytic capacitor was first D.C. etched in HCl-H2SO4 mixed acidic solution to form main tunnels and then D.C. etched in natural NaCl solution containing 0.1% H2C2O4 and different trace amounts of Zn(NO3)2. Between the two etching processes, Zn nuclei were deposited on the interior surface of the main tunnels by the natural occluded corrosion cell effect to form micro Zn-Al galvanic local cells. The effects of Zn nuclei on the cross-section etching and electrochemical behavior of Al foil were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, polarization curve measurement, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The sub-branch tunnels can form along the main tunnels owing to the formation of Zn-Al micro-batteries, in which Zn is the cathode and Al is the anode. Increasing Zn(NO3)2 concentration increases the number of Zn nuclei that can serve as sites for branch tunnel initiation along the main tunnels, thereby enhancing the specific capacitance of etched Al foil.

A mobile differential absorption lidar for simultaneous observations of tropospheric and stratospheric ozone over Tibet.

We developed a mobile ozone differential absorption lidar system to simultaneously measure the vertical profiles of tropospheric and stratospheric ozone from an altitude of ~5 to 50 km. The system emits four laser beams at wavelength of 289 nm, 299 nm, 308 nm and 355 nm and receives their corresponding Mie/Rayleigh backscattering return signals, and two N2 Raman return signals at 332 nm and 387 nm shifted from 308 nm and 355 nm, respectively. An assembled telescope array with four 1.25-m telescopes (effective diameter > 2 m) collects the Rayleigh and Raman backscattering signals at 308/332 and 355/387 nm. This system is currently deployed at the Yangbajing Observatory in Tibet (~4300 m elevation) and has begun observations in regular campaign mode since October 2017. The lidar results agree very well with those observed by the Aura/MLS satellite. This novel ozone lidar system operates at the highest elevation of any such system in the world. The higher elevation and larger receiver aperture of this system yield a higher signal-to-noise ratio and lower statistical uncertainty.

Cerebral microbleeds in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease taking aspirin or clopidogrel.

Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) may be markers of intracerebral bleeding risk in patients receiving antithrombotic drugs. This study aimed to analyze CMBs and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in patients taking aspirin or clopidogrel.This retrospective study included patients with ischemic cardiovascular disease administered 75 mg/day aspirin (n = 150) or clopidogrel (n = 150, matched for age and gender) for >1 year (Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, China, from July, 2010 to July, 2015). Patients underwent T2-weighted imaging, T1-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and enhanced T2*-weighted angiography (ESWAN) imaging (3.0-Tesla scanner). Baseline vascular risk factors for CMBs and macroscopic bleeding (MB) were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses.The aspirin and clopidogrel groups did not differ significantly in baseline characteristics or prevalences of CMBs or MB. The odds of MB were higher in patients with CMBs than in patients without CMBs in both the aspirin (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 4.09, 1.93-8.68; P < .001) and clopidogrel (6.42, 2.83-14.57; P < .001) groups. The odds of WMHs were also higher in patients with CMBs in both the aspirin (3.28, 1.60-6.71; P = .001) and clopidogrel (4.09, 1.91-8.75; P < .001) groups. Patients receiving treatment for >5 years showed elevated risk of CMBs in the aspirin (0.17; 0.09-0.36; P < .001) and clopidogrel (0.15, 0.07-0.33; P < .001) groups as well as higher odds of MB in the aspirin (0.34, 0.16-0.71; P = .004) and clopidogrel (0.37, 0.17-0.80; P = .010) groups.The WMHs and MB were associated with CMBs in patients taking aspirin or clopidogrel for >1 year, and long-term use increased the risks of CMB and bleeding.

Effects of anthocyanin-rich purple corn (Zea mays L.) stover silage on nutrient utilization, rumen fermentation, plasma antioxidant capacity, and mammary gland gene expression in dairy goats1.

Eight healthy multiparous Saanen dairy goats (41.50 ± 1.84 kg) were assigned to a double 4 × 4 Latin square design. The four treatment diets were: (i) negative control, rice straw (NC); (ii) first positive control, sticky corn stover silage (PC1); (iii) second positive control, PC1 with 1 g/d commercial purple corn pigment (PC2); and (iv) anthocyanin-rich purple corn stover silage (PSS; AR). DMI did not differ (P > 0.05) among the treatments. Goats receiving the NC tended (P < 0.05) to reduce nutrient apparent digestibility, nitrogen (N) absorption, N retention, and volatile fatty acid production relative to the other groups. The levels of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in plasma were greater (P < 0.05) in goats fed PC2 and AR compared with NC and PC1. The inclusion of PC2 and AR increased (P < 0.05) the abundance of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NFE2L2), but decreased (P < 0.05) the level of tumor necrosis factor in the mammary gland. Moreover, goats receiving AR tended to increase (P < 0.05) the levels of SOD2, GPX1, and GPX2 mRNA expression in the mammary gland. There were significant (P < 0.05) positive correlations between DPPH scavenging activity, total antioxidant capacity, SOD, catalase enzymes in plasma, and the abundance of NFE2L2 in the mammary gland. In addition, stronger (P < 0.05) positive correlations were noted between the expression of several inflammation related and antioxidant genes. Collectively, the results from the current study indicated that the consumption of anthocyanin-rich PSS by dairy goats had the potential to enhance antioxidant potential by improving antioxidant capacity in plasma and by modulating the abundance of several inflammation related and antioxidant genes in the mammary gland.

Reduction of COX-2 through modulating miR-124/SPHK1 axis contributes to the antimetastatic effect of alpinumisoflavone in melanoma.

Alpinumisoflavone (AIF) is a naturally occurring flavonoid that is a major bioactive component of the medicinal plant Derris eriocarpa. In this study we evaluated the antimetastatic effect of AIF and investigated the underlying mechanism of action using in vitro and in vivo models of melanoma. We found that AIF impaired the metastatic potential of A375 and SK-MEL-1 human melanoma cells by promoting cell differentiation as assessed by melanin content, protoporphyrin IX accumulation, and tissue transglutaminase activity. In addition, AIF inhibited cell adhesion, migration, and invasion in melanoma cells. We found that AIF treatment decreased cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, and COX-2 overexpression attenuated the inhibitory effects of AIF on the metastatic behaviors of melanoma cells. AIF dose-dependently increased microRNA-124 (miR-124) levels and decreased levels of sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1), a target of miR-124. In a mouse model of melanoma, AIF suppressed lung metastasis. Taken together, our findings suggest that AIF inhibits metastasis in melanoma by modulating COX-2 expression, at least in part, through targeting the miR-124/SphK1 axis. Our study provides evidence that AIF may be useful as an antimetastatic agent in the treatment of melanoma.

Fabrication of honeycomb-patterned porous films from PS-b-PNIPAM amphiphilic diblock copolymers synthesized via RITP.

Poly(styrene)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PS-b-PNIPAM) amphiphilic diblock copolymers were synthesized via reverse iodine transfer polymerization (RITP) firstly. And then the honeycomb structured porous films were fabricated by drop the amphiphilic diblock copolymer solutions on glass substrates. The porous films were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The results showed that the regular honeycomb patterned porous film was achieved successfully by employing the block copolymer with a significantly larger polystyrene block proportion into the solution and the pore diameter of the film decreases obviously with the polymer concentration increased. The effects of airflow speed and Ag particles on porous films are also discussed in this study.