High Dietary Folic Acid Supplementation Reduced the Composition of Fatty Acids and Amino Acids in Fortified Eggs.

AIMS: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary folic acid (FA) on the production performance of laying hens, egg quality, and the nutritional differences between eggs fortified with FA and ordinary eggs. METHODS: A total of 288 26-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens (initial body weights 1.65 ± 0.10 kg) with a similar weight and genetic background were used. A completely randomized design divided the birds into a control group and three treatment groups. Each group consisted of six replicates, with twelve chickens per replicate. Initially, all birds were fed a basal diet for 1 week. Subsequently, they were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 5, 10, or 15 mg/kg FA in a premix for a duration of 6 weeks. RESULTS: Supplementation of FA could significantly (p < 0.05) enhance the FA content in egg yolks, particularly when 10 mg/kg was used, as it had the most effective enrichment effect. Compared to the control group, the Glu content in the 10 and 15 mg/kg FA groups showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease. Additionally, the contents of Asp, Ile, Tyr, Phe, Cys, and Met in the 15 mg/kg FA group were significantly (p < 0.05) lower compared to the other groups. Adding FA did not have significant effects on the levels of vitamin A and vitamin E in egg yolk, but the vitamin D content in the 5 and 10 mg/kg FA groups showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase. Furthermore, the addition of FA did not have a significant effect on the levels of Cu, Fe, Mn, Se, and Zn in egg yolk. The dietary FA did not have a significant effect on the total saturated fatty acids (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content in egg yolk. However, the total monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content in the 5 and 10 mg/kg groups significantly (p < 0.05) increased. These changes in nutritional content might be attributed to the increased very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) protein content. The significant decrease in solute carrier family 1 Member 1 (SLC1A1), solute carrier family 1 Member 2 (SLC1A2), and solute carrier family 1 Member 3 (SLC1A3) gene expression compared to the control group appeared to be the reason for the decrease in amino acid content in egg yolk within the dietary FA group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the appropriate addition of FA can enhance the levels of MUFA and vitamin D in egg yolks, thereby improving their nutritional value. Excessive intake of FA can decrease the effectiveness of enriching FA in egg yolk and impact the enrichment of certain amino acids. The yolk of eggs produced by adding 10 mg/kg of FA to the feed contains the optimal amount of nutrients. This study informs consumers purchasing FA-fortified eggs.

Engineering Sulfur-Containing Polymeric Fire-Retardant Coatings for Fire-Safe Rigid Polyurethane Foam.

With the advantages of lightweight and low thermal conductivity properties, polymeric foams are widely employed as thermal insulation materials for energy-saving buildings but suffer from inherent flammability. Flame-retardant coatings hold great promise for improving the fire safety of these foams without deteriorating the mechanical-physical properties of the foam. In this work, four kinds of sulfur-based flame-retardant copolymers are synthesized via a facile radical copolymerization. The sulfur-containing monomers serve as flame-retardant agents including vinyl sulfonic acid sodium (SPS), ethylene sulfonic acid sodium (VS), and sodium p-styrene sulfonate (VSS). Additionally, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate are employed to enable a strong interface adhesion with polymeric foams through interfacial H-bonding. By using as-synthesized waterborne flame-retardant polymeric coating with a thickness of 600 µm, the coated polyurethane foam (PUF) can achieve a desired V-0 rating during the vertical burning test with a high limiting oxygen index (LOI) of >31.5 vol%. By comparing these sulfur-containing polymeric fire-retardant coatings, poly(VS-co-HEA) coated PUF demonstrates the best interface adhesion capability and flame-retardant performance, with the lowest peak heat release rate of 166 kW m-2 and the highest LOI of 36.4 vol%. This work provides new avenues for the design and performance optimization of advanced fire-retardant polymeric coatings.

Ni-Catalyzed Csp2 and Csp3 Coupling for Divergent Bisboronic Ester Synthesis.

Bisboronic esters are critical compounds in various research fields, including drug discovery, chemical biology, and material sciences. Currently, the bisboronic esters with reactive functional groups are difficult to synthesize; this is partially due to the lack of a robust method to produce these products with diverse structures and various functional groups at specific locations. To overcome this issue, this study introduced a Ni-catalysis approach to produce bisboronic esters efficiently via cross-coupling and homocoupling using readily available halogenated boronic esters as the starting material under mild reaction conditions. This newly developed strategy enables Csp2-Csp2, Csp3-Csp3, and Csp2-Csp3 couplings, demonstrating a broad substrate scope and excellent compatibility with various functional groups.

A ultrasound-based histogram analysis model for prediction of tumor stroma ratio in pleomorphic adenoma of the salivary gland.

OBJECTIVES: Preoperative identification of different stromal subtypes of pleomorphic adenoma (PA) of the salivary gland is crucial for making treatment decisions. We aimed to developed and validated a model based on histogram analysis (HA) of ultrasound (US) images for predicting tumor stroma ratio (TSR) in SPA. METHODS: A total of 219 PA patients were divided into low-TSR (stroma-low) and high-TSR (stroma-high) groups, and enrolled in a training cohort (n = 151) and a validation cohort (n = 68). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression algorithm was used to screen the most optimal clinical, US, and HA features. The selected features were entered into multivariable logistic regression analyses for further selection of independent predictors. Different models, including the nomogram model, the clinic-US (Clin + US) model, and the HA model, were built based on independent predictors using logistic regression. The performance levels of the models were evaluated and validated on the training and validation cohorts. RESULTS: Lesion size, shape, cystic areas, vascularity, HA_mean, and HA_skewness were identified as independent predictors for constructing the nomogram model. The nomogram model incorporating the clinical, US, and HA features achieved AUCs of 0.839 and 0.852 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively, demonstrating good predictive performance and calibration. Decision curve analysis and clinical impact curves further confirmed its clinical usefulness. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram model we developed offers a practical tool for preoperative TSR prediction in PA, potentially enhancing clinical decision-making.

Intrathecal administration of a novel siRNA modality extends survival and improves motor function in the SOD1G93A ALS mouse model.

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) were the first modality to pioneer targeted gene knockdown in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) caused by mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). RNA interference (RNAi) is another mechanism of gene silencing in which short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) effectively degrade complementary transcripts. However, delivery to extrahepatic tissues like the CNS has been a bottleneck in the clinical development of RNAi. Herein, we identify potent siRNA duplexes for the knockdown of human SOD1 in which medicinal chemistry and conjugation to an accessory oligonucleotide (ACO) enable activity in CNS tissues. Local delivery via intracerebroventricular or intrathecal injection into SOD1G93A mice delayed disease progression and extended animal survival with superior efficacy compared with an ASO resembling tofersen in sequence and chemistry. Treatment also prevented disease-related declines in motor function, including improvements in animal mobility, muscle strength, and coordination. The ACO itself does not target any specific complementary nucleic acid sequence; rather, it imparts benefits conducive to bioavailability and delivery through its chemistry. The complete conjugate (i.e., siRNA-ACO) represents a novel modality for delivery of duplex RNA (e.g., siRNA) to the CNS that is currently being tested in the clinic for treatment of ALS.

Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Ameliorate Aging-Induced BTB Impairment in Porcine Testes by Activating Autophagy and Inhibiting ROS/NLRP3 Inflammasomes via the AMPK/mTOR Signaling Pathway.

As a pivotal player in spermatogenesis, the blood-testis barrier (BTB) made from junction apparatus coexisting in Sertoli cells (SCs) is impaired with an increase in age and ultimately induces spermatogenic dysfunction or even infertility. It has been corroborated that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation can efficiently repair and regenerate the testicular function. As vital mediators of cell-to-cell communication, MSC-derived exosomes (Exos) can directly serve as therapeutic agents for tissue repair and regeneration. However, the therapeutic value of BMSC-Exos in aging-induced BTB damage remains to be confirmed. In this study, we explored that the old porcine testes had defective autophagy, which aggravated BTB disruption in SCs. BMSC-Exos could decrease ROS production and NLRP3 inflammasome activation but enhanced autophagy and tight junction (TJ) function in D-gal-triggered aging porcine SCs and mouse model testes, according to in vitro and in vivo experiments. Furthermore, rapamycin, NAC, MCC950, and IL-1Ra restored the TJ function in D-gal-stimulated aging porcine SCs, while BMSC-Exos' stimulatory effect on TJ function was inhibited by chloroquine. Moreover, the treatment with BMSC-Exos enhanced autophagy in D-gal-induced aging porcine SCs by means of the AMPK/mTOR signal transduction pathway. These findings uncovered through the present study that BMSC-Exos can enhance the BTB function in aging testes by improving autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway, thereby suppressing ROS production and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Large-Scale, Mechanically Robust, Solvent-Resistant, and Antioxidant MXene-Based Composites for Reliable Long-Term Infrared Stealth.

MXene-based thermal camouflage materials have gained increasing attention due to their low emissivity, however, the poor anti-oxidation restricts their potential applications under complex environments. Various modification methods and strategies, e.g., the addition of antioxidant molecules and fillers have been developed to overcome this, but the realization of long-term, reliable thermal camouflage using MXene network (coating) with excellent comprehensive performance remains a great challenge. Here, a MXene-based hybrid network comodified with hyaluronic acid (HA) and hyperbranched polysiloxane (HSi) molecules is designed and fabricated. Notably, the presence of appreciated HA molecules restricts the oxidation of MXene sheets without altering infrared stealth performance, superior to other water-soluble polymers; while the HSi molecules can act as efficient cross-linking agents to generate strong interactions between MXene sheets and HA molecules. The optimized MXene/HA/HSi composites exhibit excellent mechanical flexibility (folded into crane structure), good water/solvent resistance, and long-term stable thermal camouflage capability (with low infrared emissivity of ≈0.29). The long-term thermal camouflage reliability (≈8 months) under various outdoor weathers and the scalable coating capability of the MXene-coated textile enable them to disguise the IR signal of various targets in complex environments, indicating the great promise of achieved material for thermal camouflage, IR stealth, and counter surveillance.

A nomogram based on ultrasound scoring system for differentiating between immunoglobulin G4-related sialadenitis and primary Sjögren syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Accurate distinguishing between immunoglobulin G4-related sialadenitis (IgG4-RS) and primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) is crucial due to their different treatment approaches. This study aimed to construct and validate a nomogram based on the ultrasound (US) scoring system for the differentiation of IgG4-RS and pSS. METHODS: A total of 193 patients with a clinical diagnosis of IgG4-RS or pSS treated at our institution were enrolled in the training cohort (n = 135; IgG4-RS = 28, pSS = 107) and the validation cohort (n = 58; IgG4-RS = 15, pSS = 43). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression algorithm was utilized to screen the most optimal clinical features and US scoring parameters. A model for the differential diagnosis of IgG4-RS or pSS was built using logistic regression and visualized as a nomogram. The performance levels of the nomogram model were evaluated and validated in both the training and validation cohorts. RESULTS: The nomogram incorporating clinical features and US scoring parameters showed better predictive value in differentiating IgG4-RS from pSS, with the area under the curves of 0.947 and 0.958 for the training cohort and the validation cohort, respectively. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically useful. CONCLUSIONS: A nomogram based on the US scoring system showed favourable predictive efficacy in differentiating IgG4-RS from pSS. It has the potential to aid in clinical decision-making.

The Gene Expression Profiles Associated with Maternal Nicotine Exposure in the Liver of Offspring Mice.

This study aims to investigate the effect of maternal nicotine exposure on the gene expression profiles in the liver of offspring mice. Pregnant mice were subcutaneously injected with either saline vehicle or nicotine twice a day on gestational days 11-21. Total RNA from the liver samples which collected from the offspring mice of postnatal day 7 and 21 was subjected to RNA sequencing. Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway enrichment analysis were conducted to identify the functions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Four genes were selected for further validation by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A total of 448 DEGs and 186 DEGs were identified on postnatal day 7 and 21, respectively. GO analysis revealed that the DEGs on postnatal day 7 mainly participated in the biological functions of cell growth and proliferation, and the DEGs on postnatal day 21 mainly participated in ion transport/activity. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs on postnatal day 7 were mainly enriched in the cell cycle, cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and the p53 signaling pathway, while the DEGs on postnatal day 21 were mainly enriched in neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, the calcium signaling pathway, retinol metabolism, and axon guidance. The qRT-PCR results were consistent with the RNA sequencing data. The DEGs may affect the growth of liver in early postnatal period while may affect ion transport/activity in late postnatal period.

Urolithin A Prevents Sleep-deprivation-induced Neuroinflammation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Young and Aged Mice.

Sleep deprivation (SD) has reached epidemic proportions worldwide and negatively affects people of all ages. Cognitive impairment induced by SD involves neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Urolithin A (UA) is a natural compound that can reduce neuroinflammation and improve mitochondrial health, but its therapeutic effects in a SD model have not yet been studied. Young (3-months old) and aged (12-months old) mice were sleep deprived for 24 h, and UA (2.5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally for 7 consecutive days before the SD period. Immunofluorescent staining, western blotting, and RT-PCR were employed to evaluate levels of proteins involved in neuroinflammation and mitochondrial function. Transmission electron microscope and Golgi-Cox staining were used to evaluate mitochondrial and neuronal morphology, respectively. Finally, contextual fear conditioning and the Morris water maze test were conducted to assess hippocampal learning and memory. In the hippocampus of young (3 months-old) and aged (12 months-old) mice subjected to 24 h SD, pretreatment with UA prevented the activation of microglia and astrocytes, NF-κB-NLRP3 signaling and IL-1ß, IL6, TNF-α cytokine production, thus ameliorating neuroinflammation. Furthermore, UA also attenuated SD-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, normalized autophagy and mitophagy and protected hippocampal neuronal morphology. Finally, UA prevented SD-induced hippocampal memory impairment. Cumulatively, the results show that UA imparts cognitive protection by reducing neuroinflammation and enhancing mitochondrial function in SD mice. This suggests that UA shows promise as a therapeutic for the treatment of SD-induced neurological disorders.

Estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

The interplay between ovarian hormones, stress, and inflammatory markers in developing premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) remains inadequately understood. This study investigated the associations of dynamic changes in the levels of estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with PMDD during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. A total of 58 women with PMDD and 50 healthy women were recruited in this study. These women's estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, BDNF, and VEGF levels were evaluated during the preovulation (PO), mid-luteal (ML), and late-luteal (LL) phases. Furthermore, the severity of P MDD symptoms, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, inattention, craving for sweet foods, and fatigue was assessed. The findings revealed that women with PMDD with higher levels of progesterone during the ML or LL phase or a greater increase (ML-PO) or higher sum (ML + LL) of luteal progesterone level exhibited a greater increase in PMDD symptoms during the luteal phase than did the healthy controls. Furthermore, women with PMDD exhibited higher cortisol levels during the LL phase than did the controls. The BDNF level was negatively correlated with PMDD severity. Furthermore, BDNF and VEGF levels were negatively correlated with inattention and craving for sweet foods among women with PMDD. These results suggest an association between progesterone and the exacerbation of PMDD symptoms during the LL phase. Women with PMDD have relatively high cortisol levels during the LL phase. Future investigations with experimental designs or larger sample sizes are warranted to verify the roles of progesterone and cortisol in the development of PMDD.

Ultrasound characteristics of breast fibromatosis mimicking carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To explore the value of ultrasound (US) characteristics in diagnosing breast fibromatosis (BF) and evaluate their differences from breast carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 121 patients with BF (n = 24, 29 lesions) or invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) (n = 97, 102 lesions) of the breast were included. Their clinical and US findings were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of BF was younger than that of IDC (28.75 ± 5.55 vs. 50.19 ± 9.87, p < 0.001). The mean size of the BF was smaller than that of IDC (2.09 ± 0.91 vs. 2.71 ± 1.20, p = 0.011). Compared to IDC, BF had more frequency of posterior echo attenuation (p < 0.001), less frequency of peripheral hyperechoic halo (p = 0.002), calcification (p = 0.001), US reported axillary lymph node positive (p = 0.025), and grade 2-3 vascularity (p < 0.001). The Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System categorized BF at a lower level than IDC (p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, the peripheral hyperechoic halo, posterior echo feature, and vascularity could independently identify the differences between these two entities. CONCLUSION: Some differences were observed between BF and IDC in terms of patient age, lesion size, and US characteristics.

Genetic and clinical landscape of ER + /PR- breast cancer in China.

BACKGROUND: Estrogen receptor-positive and progesterone receptor-negative (ER + /PR-) breast cancer comprise a special type. More than 10% breast cancer patients belonged to ER + /PR-. METHODS: In order to better understand this patient population, we utilized a unique dataset from China, examining the clinicopathological features and genomic profiles of ER + /PR- breast cancers. Our study involved three cohorts: Cohort 1 included 2120 unselected ER-positive female patients with re-evaluated clinicopathological and survival data; Cohort 2 comprised 442 ER-positive females who underwent genetic testing; and Cohort 3 consisted of 77 ER-positive/HER2-negative females tested with MammaPrint and BluePrint. RESULTS: Patients were stratified into four categories based on the PR/ER ratio. Clinically, ER + /PR- tumors (PR/ER ratio = 0) showed the lowest proportion of T1 tumors (10.88%) and highest proportion of HER2-positive tumors (28.36%) than did other ER + /PR + tumors groups. The ER + /PR- group contained a higher number of underweight patients (20.20%). Independently of HER2 status, ER + /PR- patients demonstrated the poorest prognosis. Genomically, the most prevalent mutations were PIK3CA (50%) in ER + /PR + tumors and TP53 (65%) in ER + /PR- tumors. ER + /PR- tumors presented more frequent mutations in TP53, ERBB2, CDK12, SPEN, and NEB, with mutation rates of 65%, 42%, 27%, 13%, and 10%, respectively. Additionally, the Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) was higher in the ER + /PR- group compared to the ER + /PR + group. The MammaPrint score for the ER + /PR-/HER2- group was significantly lower than that of other groups. In the BluePrint analysis, only four patients were classified as Basal-Type, all of whom were ER + /PR-/HER2-. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we identified the clinical and genetic characteristics of ER + /PR- breast cancer patients in China. Distinct PR statuses indicated different biological processes of ER + breast cancer and survival outcomes. Future treatment strategies may need to be tailored for ER + /PR- patients.

The accuracy of multiple regression models for predicting the individual risk of recurrent lateral patellar dislocation.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent lateral patellar dislocation (RLPD) poses a significant threat to patients' quality of life due to knee pain, patellofemoral cartilage damage, and potential traumatic arthritis. Predictive scoring systems have been developed to assess the risk of RLPD; however, their relative accuracy remains uncertain. PURPOSE: To investigate the accuracy of the multiple regression models to predict the individual risk of recurrent LPD. METHODS: The Patellar Instability probability calculator (PIP), Recurrent Instability of the Patella Score (RIP), and Patellar Instability Severity Score (PIS) scoring rules were measured in 171 patients with a history of patellar dislocation and 171 healthy individuals. Three prediction models were calculated based on the data to predict the risk of recurrent lateral patellar dislocation. The inter-observer and intra-observer reliability of each measurement parameter was evaluated. The predictive capacity of the three-prediction model was investigated using the receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: In the case group of 171 patients, PIS accurately predicted recurrent lateral Patella dislocation in 143 patients. RIP was 96, and PIP was 83. The positive predictive values were 92.9%, 64%, and 68% respectively. In the control group of 171 patients, the PIS was validated in 160 patients who would not experience dislocations. RIP was 117, and PIP was 50. The negative predictive values were 85.1%, 60.9%, and 36.2%, respectively. The area under the curve score for the PIS was 0.866, and the RIP was 0.673. the PIP was 0.678. CONCLUSION: RIP and PIP did not work to predict LPD. PIS can accurately predict recurrent lateral patellar dislocation. It can aid doctors in making treatment decisions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective comparative study.

Identification of molecular subtypes and a risk model based on inflammation-related genes in patients with low grade glioma.

Lower grade gliomas (LGGs) exhibit invasiveness and heterogeneity as distinguishing features. The outcome of patients with LGG differs greatly. Recently, more and more studies have suggested that infiltrating inflammation cells and inflammation-related genes (IRGs) play an essential role in tumorigenesis, prognosis, and treatment responses. Nevertheless, the role of IRGs in LGG remains unclear. In The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, we conducted a thorough examination of the predictive significance of IRGs and identified 245 IRGs that correlated with the clinical prognosis of individuals diagnosed with LGG. Based on unsupervised cluster analysis, we identified two inflammation-associated molecular clusters, which presented different tumor immune microenvironments, tumorigenesis scores, and tumor stemness indices. Furthermore, a prognostic risk model including ten prognostic IRGs (ADRB2, CD274, CXCL12, IL12B, NFE2L2, PRF1, SFTPC, TBX21, TNFRSF11B, and TTR) was constructed. The survival analysis indicated that the IRGs risk model independently predicted the prognosis of patients with LGG, which was validated in an independent LGG cohort. Moreover, the risk model significantly correlated with the infiltrative level of immune cells, tumor mutation burden, expression of HLA and immune checkpoint genes, tumorigenesis scores, and tumor stemness indices in LGG. Additionally, we found that our risk model could predict the chemotherapy response of some drugs in patients with LGG. This study may enhance the advancement of personalized therapy and improve outcomes of LGG.

Pyroptosis is involved in maternal nicotine exposure-induced metabolic associated fatty liver disease progression in offspring mice.

We have investigated whether inflammasomes and pyroptosis are activated in maternal nicotine exposure (MNE) offspring mice and whether they are involved in MNE-promoted metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in adult offspring. We injected pregnant mice subcutaneously with saline vehicle or nicotine twice a day on gestational days 11-21. Offspring mice from both groups were fed with a normal diet (ND) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 months at postnatal day 21 to develop the MAFLD model. Serum biochemical indices were analyzed, and liver histology was performed. The expression levels of inflammasome and pyroptosis proteins were detected by western blot. We found MNE significantly aggravated the injury of MAFLD in adult offspring mice. MNE activated inflammasomes and pyroptosis in both infant and adult offspring mice. HFD treatment activated inflammasomes but not pyroptosis at 3 months, while it showed no effect at 6 months. However, pyroptosis was more severe in MNE-HFD mice than in MNE-ND mice at 6 months. Taken together, our data suggest MNE promotes MAFLD progression in adult offspring mice. MNE also induces NLRP3 and NLRP6 inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in both infant and adult offspring mice, which may be involved in MNE-promoted progression of MAFLD.

Hydrosilylation Adducts to Produce Wide-Temperature Flexible Polysiloxane Aerogel under Ambient Temperature and Pressure Drying.

Despite incorporation of organic groups into silica-based aerogels to enhance their mechanical flexibility, the wide temperature reliability of the modified silicone aerogel is inevitably degraded. Therefore, facile synthesis of soft silicone aerogels with wide-temperature stability remains challenging. Herein, novel silicone aerogels containing a high content of Si are reported by using polydimethylvinylsiloxane (PDMVS), a hydrosilylation adduct with water-repellent groups, as a "flexible chain segment" embedded within the aerogel network. The poly(2-dimethoxymethylsilyl)ethylmethylvinylsiloxane (PDEMSEMVS) aerogel is fabricated through a cost-effective ambient temperature/pressure drying process. The optimized aerogel exhibits exceptional performance, such as ultra-low density (50 mg cm-3 ), wide-temperature mechanical flexibility, and super-hydrophobicity, in comparison to the previous polysiloxane aerogels. A significant reduction in the density of these aerogels is achieved while maintaining a high crosslinking density by synthesizing gel networks with well-defined macromolecules through hydrolytic polycondensation crosslinking of PDEMSEMVS. Notably, the pore/nanoparticle size of aerogels can be fine-tuned by optimizing the gel solvent type. The as-prepared silicone aerogels demonstrate selective absorption, efficient oil-water separation, and excellent thermal insulation properties, showing promising applications in oil/water separation and thermal protection.

The Neuroprotective Effect of Isotetrandrine on Parkinson's Disease via Anti-Inflammation and Antiapoptosis In Vitro and In Vivo.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most influential diseases in the world, and the current medication only can relieve the clinical symptoms but not slow the progression of PD. Therefore, we intend to examine the neuroprotective activity of plant-derived compound isotetrandrine (ITD) in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, cells were cotreated with ITD and LPS to detect the inflammatory-related protein and mRNA. In vivo, zebrafish were pretreated with ITD and inhibitors prior to 6-OHDA treatment. Then, the behavior was monitored at 5 dpf. Our result showed ITD inhibited LPS-induced upregulation of iNOS, COX-2 protein expression, and iL-6, inos, cox-2, and cd11b mRNA expression in BV2 cells. The data in zebrafish also demonstrated a significant improvement of ITD on the 6-OHDA-induced locomotor deficiency. ITD also improved 6-OHDA-induced apoptosis in zebrafish PD. We also pharmacologically validated the mechanism with three inhibitors, including LY294002, PI3K inhibitor; LY32141996, ERK inhibitor, SnPP, and HO-1 inhibitors. All of these inhibitors could abolish the neuroprotective effect of ITD partially in locomotor activity. Besides, the molecular level also showed the same trend. Treatment of these inhibitors could significantly abolish ITD-induced antineuroinflammatory and antioxidative stress effects in zebrafish PD. Our study showed ITD possessed a neuroprotective activity in zebrafish PD. The mRNA level also supported our arguments. The neuroprotection of ITD might be through antineuroinflammation and antiapoptosis pathways via PI3K, ERK, and HO-1.