Accumulating evidence suggests that circular RNAs have the abilities to regulate gene expression during the progression of sepsis‐associated acute kidney injury. Circular RNA VMA21 (circVMA21), a ...recent identified circular RNA, could reduce apoptosis to alleviate intervertebral disc degeneration in rats and protect WI‐38 cells from lipopolysaccharide‐induced injury. However, the role of circVMA21 in sepsis‐associated acute kidney injury (sepsis‐associated AKI) is unknown. In this study, we first demonstrated that circVMA21 alleviated sepsis‐associated AKI by reducing apoptosis and inflammation in rats and HK‐2 cells. Additionally, to explore the molecule mechanism underlying the amelioration, after the bioinformatics analysis, we confirmed that miR‐9‐3p directly bound to circVMA21 by luciferase and RNA immunoprecipitation assay, and the effector protein of miR‐9‐3p was SMG1. Furthermore, the oxidative stress caused by sepsis‐associated AKI was down‐regulated by circVMA21. In conclusion, circVMA21 plays an important role in the regulating sepsis‐associated AKI via adjusting miR‐9‐39/SMG1/inflammation axis and oxidative stress.
Full text
Available for:
FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Though image-level weakly supervised semantic seg-mentation (WSSS) has achieved great progress with Class Activation Maps (CAMs) as the cornerstone, the large su-pervision gap between classification ...and segmentation still hampers the model to generate more complete and precise pseudo masks for segmentation. In this study, we propose weakly-supervised pixel-to-prototype contrast that can provide pixel-level supervisory signals to narrow the gap. Guided by two intuitive priors, our method is executed across different views and within per single view of an image, aiming to impose cross-view feature semantic consistency regularization and facilitate intra(inter)-class compactness(dispersion) of the feature space. Our method can be seamlessly incorporated into existing WSSS models with-out any changes to the base networks and does not incur any extra inference burden. Extensive experiments manifest that our method consistently improves two strong baselines by large margins, demonstrating the effectiveness. Specifically, built on top of SEAM, we improve the initial seed mIoU on PASCAL VOC 2012 from 55.4% to 61.5%. Moreover, armed with our method, we increase the segmentation mIoU of EPS from 70.8% to 73.6%, achieving new state-of-the-art.
Manganese (Mn) is an essential metal in humans and animals. However, excess Mn entered environment due to the wide application of Mn in industry and agriculture, and became an environmental ...pollutant. Exposure to high doses of Mn is toxic to humans and animals (including chickens). Liver is a target organ of Mn poisoning. Nevertheless, there were few studies on whether Mn poisoning damages chicken livers and poisoning mechanism of Mn in chicken livers. Herein, the aim of this study was to explore if oxidative stress, heat shock proteins (HSPs), and inflammatory response were involved in the mechanism of Mn poisoning-caused damage in chicken livers. A chicken Mn poisoning model was established. One hundred and eighty chickens were randomly divided into one control group (containing 127.88 mg Mn kg−1) and three Mn-treated groups (containing 600, 900, and 1800 mg Mn kg−1, respectively). Histomorphological structure was observed via microstructure and ultrastructure. Spectrophotometry was used to detect total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity, as well as nitric oxide (NO) content. And qRT-PCR was performed to measure mRNA expression of inflammatory genes (nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and iNOS) and heat shock protein (HSP) genes (HSP27, HSP40, HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90). Multivariate correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis were used to demonstrate the reliability of mechanism of Mn poisoning in our experiment. The results indicated that excess Mn led to inflammatory injury at three contents and three time points. Meanwhile, we found that NO content, iNOS activity, and NF-κB, TNF-α, COX-2, PGE2, and iNOS mRNA expression increased after Mn treatment, meaning that exposure to Mn induced inflammatory response via NF-κB pathway in chicken livers. Moreover, excess Mn decreased T-AOC activity, indicating that Mn exposure caused oxidative stress. Furthermore, mRNA expression of above five HSP genes was up-regulated during Mn exposure. Oxidative stress triggered the increase of HSPs and the increase of HSPs mediated inflammatory response induced by Mn. In addition, there were time- and dose-dependent effects on Mn-caused chicken liver inflammatory injury. Taken together, HSPs participated in oxidative stress-mediated inflammatory damage caused by excess Mn in chicken livers via NF-κB pathway. For the first time, we found that oxidative stress can trigger HSP70 and HSPs can trigger poisoning-caused inflammatory damage, which needs to be further explored. This study provided a new insight into environmental pollutants and a reference for further study on molecular mechanisms of poisoning.
Display omitted
•Excess Mn caused inflammatory injury via NF-κB signal pathway in chicken livers.•Oxidative stress occurred and HSPs increased after Mn treatment in chicken livers.•Mn-induced oxidative stress up-regulated HSP70.•HSPs mediated Mn-induced inflammatory injury.•There were time- and dose-dependent manners in Mn-exposed chicken livers.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Summary
Background
Activated microglia‐mediated inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In addition, chronic activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes triggered by ...amyloid β peptide (Aβ) in microglia contributes to persistent neuroinflammation. Here, the primary goal was to assess whether Dihydromyricetin (DHM), a plant flavonoid compound, is effective therapies for AD; it is crucial to know whether DHM will affect microglial activation and neuroinflammation in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.
Methods
After DHM was intraperitoneally injected in APP/PS1 double‐transgenic mice, we assessed the effect of DHM on microglial activation, the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome components, and the production of inflammatory cytokine IL‐1β by immunofluorescence and Western blot. To determine whether DHM play roles in the Aβ production and deposition, amyloid β protein precursor (APP) and β‐site APP cleaving enzyme1 (BACE1), as well as neprilysin (NEP), were detected by Western blot. Finally, behavior was tested by Morris Water Maze to illustrate whether DHM treatment has a significantly positive effect on ameliorating the memory and cognition deficits in AD.
Results
Dihydromyricetin treatment significantly ameliorated memory and cognition deficits and decreased the number of activated microglia in the hippocampus and cortex of APP/PS1 mice. In addition, APP/PS1 mice show reduced activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes and reduced expression of NLRP3 inflammasome components. Furthermore, DHM could promote clearance of Aβ, a trigger for NLRP3 inflammasome activation, by increasing levels of NEP and shift microglial conversion to the M2‐specific agrinase‐1‐positive cell phenotype, which enhances microglial clearance of Aβ and its aggregates but not production of Aβ.
Conclusion
Taken together, our findings suggest that DHM prevents progression of AD‐like pathology through inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome‐based microglia‐mediated neuroinflammation and may be a promising therapeutic drug for treating AD.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The degradation of natural organic matters (NOMs) by the combination of UV and chlorine (UV/chlorine) was investigated in this study. UV/chlorine oxidation can effectively degrade NOMs, with the ...degradation of chromophores (∼80%) and fluorophores (76.4–80.8%) being more efficient than that of DOC (15.1–18.6%). This effect was attributed to the chromophores and fluorophores (double bonds, aromatic groups and phenolic groups) being preferentially degraded by UV/chlorine oxidation, particularly reactive groups with high electron donating capacity. Radical species •OH and •Cl were generated during UV/chlorine oxidation, with the contribution of •OH 1.4 times as high as that of •Cl. The degradation kinetics of different molecular weight (MW) fractions suggests that UV/chlorine oxidation degrades high MW fractions into low MW fractions, with the degradation rates of high MW fractions (>3000 Da) 4.5 times of those of medium MW fractions (1000–3000 Da). In comparison with chlorination alone, UV/chlorine oxidation did not increase the formation (30 min) and formation potential (24 h) of trihalomethanes, but instead promoted the formation and formation potential of haloacetic acids and chloral hydrate. Adsorbable organic halogen (AOX) formed from UV/chlorine oxidation of NOM were 0.8 times higher than those formed from chlorination. Cytotoxicity studies indicated that the cytotoxicity of NOM increased after both chlorination and UV/chlorine oxidation, which may be due to the formation of AOX.
•The degradation kinetics of NOM by UV/chlorine was studied.••OH and •Cl contributed for NOM oxidation by UV/chlorine•HPSEC-DOC results revealed the higher reaction rate for high MW than medium MW.•UV/chlorine showed potential risk with forming DPBs and cytotoxicity.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPUK, ZRSKP
The olivine phosphate family has been widely utilized as cathode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. However, limited energy density and poor rate performance caused by low ...electronic and ionic conductivities are the main obstacles that need to be overcome for their widespread application. In this work, atomic simulations have been performed to study the effects of lattice strains on the Li+ ion migration energy barrier in olivine phosphates LiMPO4 (M = Mn, Fe, Co) and (LiFePO4)n(LiMnPO4)m superlattices (SLs). The (LiFePO4)n(LiMnPO4)m superlattices include three ratios of LFP/LMP, namely SL3 + 1, SL1 + 1 and SL1 + 3, each of which is along three typical (100), (010) and (001) orientations. We mainly discuss two migration paths of Li+ ions: the low-energy path A channel parallel to the b-axis and the medium-energy path B channel parallel to the c-axis. It is found that the biaxial tensile strain perpendicular to the migration path is most beneficial to reduce the migration energy barrier of Li+ ions, and the strain on the b-axis has a dominant effect on the energy barrier of Li+ ion migration. For path A, SL3 + 1 alternating periodically along the (010) orientation can obtain the lowest Li ion migration energy barrier. For path B, SL1 + 3 is the most favorable for Li+ ion migration, and there is no significant difference among the three orientations. Our work provides reference values for cathode materials and battery design.
The current study aimed to evaluate the protective activity of peptides isolated from Jinhua ham (JHP) against alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and the mechanisms by which JHP prevents against ALD. The ...tangential flow filtration (TFF) combined with size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) were used to isolate the JHP. Then the hepatoprotective activity of peptides was evaluated through experiments in mice. The primary structure of the peptide with the strongest liver protective activity was Lys-Arg-Gln-Lys-Tyr-Asp (KRQKYD) and the peptide was derived from the myosin of Jinhua ham, which were both identified by LC-MS/MS. Furthermore, the mechanism of KRQKYD prevention against ALD was attributed to the fact that KRQKYD increases the abundance of
Akkermansia muciniphila
in the gut and decreases the abundance of Proteobacteria (especially
Escherichia_Shigella
). The LPS-mediated liver inflammatory cascade was reduced by protecting the intestinal barrier, increasing the tight connection of intestinal epithelial cells and reducing the level of LPS in the portal venous circulation. KRQKYD could inhibit the production of ROS by upregulating the expression of the
NRF2
/
HO-1
antioxidant defense system and by reducing oxidative stress injury in liver cells. This study can provide a theoretical foundation for the application of JHP in the protection of liver from ALD.
Lys-Arg-Gln-Lys-Tyr-Asp bioactive peptide in JHP prevent ALD by regulating gut microbiota, upregulating the expression of the
NRF2
/
HO-1
antioxidant defense system and reducing oxidative stress injury in liver cells.
Marine octocorals belonging to the genus Cladiella, usually encountered on reefs in the Indo‐Pacific region, have been proven to be rich sources of diverse secondary metabolites with intriguing ...structural features and promising bioactivities. In this review, 155 compounds from six unambiguously identified C. krempfi, C. australis, C. pachyclados, C. hirsuta, C. tuberculosa, C. conifera, together with several unidentified Cladiella spp. are summarized covering the literatures from 2006 to August 2022. It is noteworthy that diterpenoids dominated the secondary metabolite profile of this genus counting for 78 %. Structurally, the majority of these diterpenes belonged to eunicellan family characterized by different patterns of ether linkage. The impacts of these chemical compositions on an array of potential pharmacological activities were also reviewed, giving an overview of the potential application of Cladiella secondary metabolites.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
This study provided an overview of established and emerging nanomaterial (NM)-enabled processes and devices for water disinfection for both centralized and decentralized systems. In addition to a ...discussion of major disinfection mechanisms, data on disinfection performance (shortest contact time for complete disinfection) and energy efficiency (electrical energy per order; EEO) were collected enabling assessments firstly for disinfection processes and then for disinfection devices. The NM-enabled electro-based disinfection process gained the highest disinfection efficiency with the lowest energy consumption compared with physical-based, peroxy-based, and photo-based disinfection processes owing to the unique disinfection mechanism and the direct mean of translating energy input to microbes. Among the established disinfection devices (e.g., the stirred, the plug-flow, and the flow-through reactor), the flow-through reactor with mesh/membrane or 3-dimensional porous electrodes showed the highest disinfection performance and energy efficiency attributed to its highest mass transfer efficiency. Additionally, we also summarized recent knowledge about current and potential NMs separation and recovery methods as well as electrode strengthening and optimization strategies. Magnetic separation and robust immobilization (anchoring and coating) are feasible strategies to prompt the practical application of NM-enabled disinfection devices. Magnetic separation effectively solved the problem for the separation of evenly distributed particle-sized NMs from microbial solution and robust immobilization increased the stability of NM-modified electrodes and prevented these electrodes from degradation by hydraulic detachment and/or electrochemical dissolution. Furthermore, the study of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was capable of simulating NM-enabled devices, which showed great potential for system optimization and reactor expansion. In this overview, we stressed the need to concern not only the treatment performance and energy efficiency of NM-enabled disinfection processes and devices but also the overall feasibility of system construction and operation for practical application.
Display omitted
•Brief overview of NM-enabled processes and devices for water disinfection.•Evaluation of NM-enabled processes/devices based on performance and energy efficiency.•Applying contact time and electrical energy per order (EEO) for assessment of processes and devices.•Discussion of influencing factors on contact time and EEO for NM-enabled disinfection.•Summary of NMs recovery and electrode strengthening methods for practical application.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion battery (ZIB) is considered to be a potential energy storage system for large-scale applications due to its environmental friendliness, high safety, and low cost. ...However, it remains challenging to develop suitable cathode materials with high specific capacity and long-term cyclic stability. Herein, we have fabricated freestanding Sr
0.19
V
2
O
5
·1.3H
2
O/carbon nanotubes (SrVO/CNTs) composite films with different mass ratios by incorporating SrVO into CNTs network. The synthesized SrVO possesses a large interlayer spacing of 1.31 nm, which facilitates Zn
2+
diffusion. Furthermore, the SrVO/CNTs composite film with conductive network structure promotes electron transfer and ensures good contact between SrVO and CNTs during the long-term cycling process. As a result, the battery based on the SrVO/CNTs composite cathode with a mass ratio of 7:3 delivers a specific capacity of 326 mAh·g
−1
at 0.1 A·g
−1
and 145 mAh·g
−1
at 5 A·g
−1
, demonstrating a high capacity and excellent rate capability. Remarkably, the assembled ZIB shows good capacity retention of 91% even after ultra-long cycling for 7500 cycles at a high current rate of 5 A·g
−1
. More importantly, the battery also delivers a high energy density and power density, as 290 Wh·kg
−1
at 125 W·kg
−1
(0.1 A·g
−1
), or 115 Wh·kg
−1
at 6078 W·kg
−1
(5 A·g
−1
). The results demonstrate that the SrVO/CNTs composite is a promising cathode toward large-scale energy storage applications.
Graphic abstract
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
PDF
