STUDY QUESTION
Do platelets play any role in the development of endometriosis?
SUMMARY ANSWER
Activated platelets aggregate in endometriotic lesions and play important roles in the development of ...endometriosis.
WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Platelets play important roles in cancer development and metastasis but there is no published study on their role in the development of endometriosis, even though endometriotic lesions undergo repeated cycles of tissue injury and repair, which characteristically involve platelets.
STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
Cross-sectional clinical studies of women with and without endometriosis, in vitro experimentation, and animal studies using platelet and/or macrophage depletion.
PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
Immunohistochemistry analysis of ectopic/eutopic endometrial tissues from 58 women with and 47 without endometriosis. Proliferation assay, cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry, gene expression and protein analysis for COX-2, VEGF, MMP-9, and Bcl-2 using primary cell culture, and evaluation of the rate of platelet activation induced by peritoneal fluid from women with and without endometriosis. Two mouse experiments, one that evaluated the effect of platelet depletion on lesion development and its associated phenotypic changes, and the other, the effect of platelet and/or macrophage depletion.
MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
We found that platelets aggregated in endometriotic lesions, concomitant with elevated VEGF expression and microvessel density. Co-culture of endometriotic stromal cells with platelets enhanced cellular proliferation, and increased the expression of COX-2, MMP-9, VEGF, and Bcl-2. IL-1β-induced COX-2 up-regulation and increased production of the coagulant TXA2 in endometriotic stromal cells. Tissue factor (TF) expression was elevated in endometriosis and TF concentrations were significantly elevated both in the supernatant of cultured primary endometriotic stromal cells and in peritoneal fluid from women with endometriosis. Platelet depletion resulted in significantly reduced lesion size and improved hyperalgesia in mice with induced endometriosis.
LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
This study is limited by its cross-sectional design and by its focus on ovarian endometriomas.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
The demonstration that platelets are involved in the development of endometriosis provides a rationale for the use of anti-coagulants to treat endometriosis, and opens prospects for developing novel biomarkers for diagnostic or prognostic purposes.
STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS
Financial support for this study was provided by grants from the National Science Foundation of China, a grant from the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, support from the Key Specialty Project of the Ministry of Health, People's Republic of China. None of the authors has any conflict of interest to disclose.
To address the limitations of traditional aquaculture cages, such as poor performance in offshore environments, challenges in energy supply, and the inability to integrate modern farming facilities, ...a new semi-submersible aquaculture platform has been developed and put into operation. The hydrodynamic performance of the platform is analyzed using a fully coupled numerical model. The numerical model incorporates the main structure of the platform, the net system, and the mooring system, and is based on the linear potential flow theory and the Morison equation. The natural period of the platform is found to be far away from the common wave period. The mooring system for the platform in a specific sea area is proven to be safe. The net system significantly affects the hydrodynamic performance and alleviates the dynamic response of the platform. This study provides valuable insights for researchers and engineers in the design and optimization of this type of semi-submersible aquaculture platform in the future.
Aim
The effect of eustasy driven by climatic oscillations on species diversification across the East China Sea (ECS) remains unclear. In this study, Machilus thunbergii (红楠, red nanmu in Chinese) was ...used as a model species to determine whether the ECS acted as either a “species pump” or “species vacuum” during the Pleistocene.
Locations
Eastern China, and southern and central Japan.
Taxon
Lauraceae.
Methods
Ecological niche modelling was employed to predict the potential distribution of M. thunbergii during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the last interglacial period. Nuclear microsatellite and chloroplast markers were used to reveal the phylogeographic pattern and infer the population history of 33 M. thunbergii populations.
Results
The ecological niche models suggested that the ECS provided potentially suitable habitats for M. thunbergii during the LGM. A sharp change in cpDNA haplotypes was found along the eastern China coasts, while microsatellites revealed a clinal pattern for genetic composition from eastern China to central Japan. The divergent lineages formed an admixture on the Zhoushan Archipelago of China and Kyushu Island of Japan. The estimated divergent and admixture times were c. 68 kyr and c. 15 kyr, corresponding to the periods where there were rising sea levels after the MIS4 glaciation and falling sea levels during the LGM, respectively.
Main conclusions
Machilus thunbergii probably underwent alternating population isolation during interglacial periods and connection during glacial maxima across the ECS, but such periodicity of isolation and connection seems not to have promoted diversification as suggested by the species pump hypothesis. Incipient divergence has been periodically wiped out due to frequent coalescence, rendering the ECS more like a “species vacuum”, particularly for species with relatively long generation lengths.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
To the Editor: Local panatrophy, first described by Gower in 1903 and also called panatrophy of Gowers, is an exceptionally rare disorder characterized by asymptomatic atrophy of the overlying skin ...as well as partial or total loss of subcutaneous tissue, and may involve the underlying muscles and bones,Herein, we reported a case with such a condition associated with severe pain.
Thermal battery plays a key role in increasing the utilization of renewable energy. The absorption thermal battery stands out due to its better comprehensive performance and higher application ...flexibility. However, the energy storage efficiency and density still need improvement, and the performance attenuation in the discharging process also needs mitigation. Thus, a novel double-effect compression-assisted absorption thermal battery is proposed in this study. The dynamic characteristics and storage performance of the novel cycle are compared with various absorption thermal battery cycles using a validated dynamic model. Results indicate that the novel cycle recovers the condensation heat like the basic double-effect cycle, which leads to an increase in energy storage efficiency. Besides, strengthened and modulated by the auxiliary compression, the energy storage density is enhanced, the charging temperature is lowered, and the discharging rate is stabilized. Under a charging temperature of 130 °C, the energy storage efficiency and density of the novel cycle are enhanced from 1.00 to 1.24 and 94.6 kWh/m3 to 240.0 kWh/m3, compared with the double-effect cycle without compression. This paper aims to provide theoretical references and suggestions for the advancement of absorption thermal batteries.
•A novel double-effect compression-assisted absorption thermal battery is proposed.•Energy storage efficiency and density are significantly enhanced by 24% and 145%.•The discharging rate is stabilized with the assistance of compression.•Comparative studies among 8 absorption-based thermal battery cycles are conducted.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Computational meta-optics brings a twist on the accelerating hardware with the benefits of ultrafast speed, ultra-low power consumption, and parallel information processing in versatile applications. ...Recent advent of metasurfaces have enabled the full manipulation of electromagnetic waves within subwavelength scales, promising the multifunctional, high-throughput, compact and flat optical processors. In this trend, metasurfaces with nonlocality or multi-layer structures are proposed to perform analog optical computations based on Green's function or Fourier transform, intrinsically constrained by limited operations or large footprints/volume. Here, we showcase a Fourier-based metaprocessor to impart customized highly flexible transfer functions for analog computing upon our single-layer Huygens' metasurface. Basic mathematical operations, including differentiation and cross-correlation, are performed by directly modulating complex wavefronts in spatial Fourier domain, facilitating edge detection and pattern recognition of various image processing. Our work substantiates an ultracompact and powerful kernel processor, which could find important applications for optical analog computing and image processing.
Liver fibrosis is a very common condition seen in millions of patients with various liver diseases, and yet no effective treatments are available owing to poorly characterized molecular pathogenesis. ...Here, we show that leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) is a functional ligand of Tie1, a poorly characterized endothelial cell (EC)-specific orphan receptor. Upon binding to Tie1, LECT2 interrupts Tie1/Tie2 heterodimerization, facilitates Tie2/Tie2 homodimerization, activates PPAR signaling, and inhibits the migration and tube formations of EC. In vivo studies showed that LECT2 overexpression inhibits portal angiogenesis, promotes sinusoid capillarization, and worsens fibrosis, whereas these changes were reversed in Lect2-KO mice. Adeno-associated viral vector serotype 9 (AAV9)-LECT2 small hairpin RNA (shRNA) treatment significantly attenuates fibrosis. Upregulation of LECT2 is associated with advanced human liver fibrosis staging. We concluded that targeting LECT2/Tie1 signaling may represent a potential therapeutic target for liver fibrosis, and serum LECT2 level may be a potential biomarker for the screening and diagnosis of liver fibrosis.
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•LECT2 is a functional ligand of EC-specific orphan receptor Tie1•LECT2-Tie1 inhibits portal angiogenesis and promotes sinusoid capillarization•LECT2-Tie1 promotes liver fibrogenesis•Divergent roles of portal angiogenesis and sinusoid capillarization in liver fibrosis
Produced by hepatocytes in response to liver damage, LECT2 signals through orphan receptor Tie1 on endothelial cells to activate Tie2 signaling in endothelial cells and promote fibrosis.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Brightly red fluorescent carbon dots are synthesized hydrothermally and dissolved in diluted hydrochloric acid solution. Such carbon dots exhibit excitation-independent emission at about 620 nm with ...quantum yield over 10%, which is visible in daylight. After the carbon dots solution is sprayed to the fingerprints on various solid substrates and dried in air, clear fingerprints can be seen under an ultraviolet lamp and stay stable for 1 day. Detailed characterizations suggest that during the drying process, the coffee-ring effect and the electrostatic interactions between the carbon dots and the fingerprint residues prevent the typical aggregation-induced fluorescence quenching of carbon dots.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
The emergence of flexible organic crystals changed the perception of molecular crystals that were regarded as brittle entities over a long period of time, and sparked a great interest in exploring ...mechanically compliant organic crystalline materials toward next‐generation smart materials during the past decade. Schiff base compounds are considered to be one of the most promising candidates for flexible organic crystals owing to their easy synthesis, high yield, stimuli responsiveness and good mechanical properties. This paper gives an overview of the recent development of Schiff base flexible organic crystals (including elastic organic crystals, plastic organic crystals, and flexible organic crystals integrating elasticity and plasticity) from serendipitous discovery to design strategies and versatile applications such as stimuli responses, optical waveguides, optoelectronic devices, biomimetic soft robots, and organic photonic integrated circuits. Notably, atomic force microscopy‐micromanipulation technique has been utilized to bring the multifunctional applications of flexible organic crystals from the macroscopic level to the microscopic world. Since understanding mechanical flexibility at the molecular level through crystal engineering can assist us to trace down the structural origin of mechanical properties, we focus on the packing structures of various Schiff base flexible organic crystals driven by non‐covalent intermolecular interactions and their close correlation with mechanical behaviors. We hope that the information given here will help in the design of novel flexible organic crystals combined with other unique properties, and promote further research into the area of mechanically compliant organic crystalline materials toward multifunctional applications.
This review provides an overview on the development of Schiff base flexible organic crystals (including elastic organic crystals, plastic organic crystals, and flexible organic crystals integrating elasticity and plasticity) from serendipitous discovery to design strategies and versatile applications such as stimuli responses, optical waveguides, optoelectronic devices, biomimetic soft robots, and organic photonic integrated circuits.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
•The inter-core coupling strength of weakly-coupled multicore fiber can be strengthened by tapering method.•The transmission spectra of the proposed sensor vary with environmental temperature due to ...thermo-optic effects and thermal expansion effects of multicore fiber.•The annealing techniques should be adopted to eliminate the effect of residual stress in the sensor and improve the high-temperature sustainability of the sensor.
A novel high temperature sensor based on weakly-coupled multicore fiber (MCF) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The sensor consists of a taper of weakly-coupled MCF sandwiched between two standard single-mode fibers (SMF). The temperature sensing mechanism is investigated theoretically and experimentally. In order to eliminate the effect of residual stress in the sensor and improve the high-temperature sustainability of the sensor, the annealing techniques for the proposed sensor is also investigated. The sensor annealed via the proposed techniques was demonstrated experimentally to be able to measuring temperatures up to 1000 °C with sensitivity of ∼36.8 pm/°C.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
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