The high operating voltage is a primary issue preventing the commercial application of the ferroelectric organic field-effect transistor (Fe-OFET) nonvolatile memory (NVM). In this work, we propose a ...novel route to resolve this issue by employing two ultrathin AlO
interfacial layers sandwiching an ultrathin ferroelectric polymer film with a low coercive field, in the fabricated flexible Fe-OFET NVM. The operation voltage of Fe-OFET NVMs decreases with the downscaling thickness of the ferroelectric film. By inserting two ultrathin AlO
interfacial layers at both sides of the ultrathin ferroelectric film, not only the gate leakage is prominently depressed but also the mobility is greatly improved. Excellent memory performances, with large mobility of 1.7 ~ 3.3 cm
V
s
, high reliable memory switching endurance over 2700 cycles, high stable data storage retention capability over 8 × 10
s with memory on-off ratio larger than 10
, are achieved at the low operating voltage of 4 V, which is the lowest value reported to data for all Fe-OFET NVMs. Simultaneously, outstanding mechanical fatigue property with the memory performances maintaining well over 7500 bending cycles at a bending radius of 5.5 mm is also achieved in our flexible FE-OFET NVM.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Selexipag, a long-acting and selective prostacyclin (PGI2) IP receptor agonist, has in aged rats with stroke revealed effects of inhibiting inflammation, ameliorating damage to the blood-brain ...barrier, and alleviating oxidative stress. However, in the case of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) characterized by diffuse alveolar damage and lung capillary endothelial injury, its effects yet remain unknown. In this study, we investigated effects of the prophylaxis by Selexipag on a mouse model of ARDS established by the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge and potential mechanism. Compared to the LPS-challenged mice, the LPS-challenged mice with the prophylaxis by 0.5 or 1 mg/kg of Selexipag exhibited significantly alleviated lung histological manifestations, reduced protein leakage, decreased levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), diminished expressions of E-selectin and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) mRNA, noticeably increased expressions of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) protein, escalated lung cAMP levels, and raised levels of lung relative phosphorylated-protein kinase A catalytic subunit (p-PKA C) at Thr197 and exchange protein activated by cAMP 1 (Epac1) protein. These results suggest that, through suppressing inflammation and reducing vascular endothelial damage, Selexipag can effectively ameliorate the LPS-induced ARDS on mice. The lung cAMP and its downstream signaling modules, PKA and Epac1, possibly constitute the main regulative molecular mechanism. Selexipag appears to hold promise to become a new potential therapeutic option for ARDS.
Lead (Pb) is widely distributed in the environment that can impose potential risks to vegetables and humans. In this work, we conducted a pot experiment in Southern China to examine the physiological ...response and risk of edible amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.) under the simultaneous stresses of lead from soil and atmosphere. The results indicate that the lead content of amaranth substantially exceeded China’s national standard when Pb concentration from soils and atmosphere was high, and comparing to teenagers and adults, children exposed a higher health risk after consuming the contaminated amaranth. Under the co-stress, the lead in roots of amaranth mainly came from the soil, but the Pb from atmospheric deposition can significantly affect the lead concentration in leaves. While lead from atmospheric deposition is found to promote the growth of amaranth, the stress of lead from the soils shows an inhibitory effect, as indicated by the increase in H2O2 content, the damage in cell membranes, and the limitation in chlorophyll synthesis. The antioxidant system in stems and leaves of amaranth can effectively alleviate the Pb toxicity. However, the stress of high lead concentration from soils can substantially suppress the antioxidant enzyme activity of roots. While it is found that heavy metals in soils can significantly affect the vegetables grown in a multi-source pollution environment, we also call for the attention on the potential health risk imposed by the lead from atmospheric deposition. This study provides an important reference for the prevention and control of crop contamination in multi-source pollution environments.
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•Atmospheric deposition was an important source of Pb in plant stems and leaves.•Children had higher health risks after eating Pb contaminated plants.•High concentration soil Pb stress reduced the antioxidant capacity of plants.•Plant tolerance was related to the chemical form and subcellular distribution of Pb.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
As a complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), one of the leading causes for death and disability for DM patients is diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a ...critical role in wound healing of DFUs. miR-203 is specifically enriched in keratinocytes and has been shown to target interleukin 8 (IL-8), which acts as an activator for the EMT process. In this study, we explored the interaction between miR-203 and IL-8 in DFU rat models and human keratinocyte cells, underlying the mechanism of miR-203's function in DFUs progression.
DFU rat models were used to test gene expression in DFU progression. Diabetic keratinocyte cell lines were used to validate in vitro. Wound healing and Transwell assays were applied to evaluate cell migration and invasion abilities. The EMT process was estimated by testing expression of E-cadherin, Vimentin and Slug. The interaction between miR-203 and IL-8 was determined by Luciferase assay.
Our results demonstrated that the wound-healing process had been slowed in DFUs, and the advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGEs) in wound tissue were of a higher expression than those in normal rat. miR-203 was increased in skin tissues from DFU rat models, while IL-8 was decreased. Through knock-down of miR-203 in AGE-treated keratinocyte cells, it had been shown that the downregulation of miR-203 could promote cell proliferation and migration, and facilitate the EMT process. Meanwhile, Luciferase assay proved that miR-203 could directly target and inhibit IL-8. The repression of IL-8 could rescue the outcomes brought about by miR-203 inhibition.
The upregulation of miR-203 in DFU tissues impaired wound healing by the repress EMT process. Specific knock-down of miR-203 could promote wound healing through the reactivation of its target gene IL-8 and the downstream IL-8/AKT pathway.
The physicochemical properties of biochars derived from rice straw, eucalyptus leaves, and vetiver grass pyrolyzed at 400 °C were investigated. It was found that rice straw biochar (RSB) may possess ...more acidic functional groups than eucalyptus leaves biochar (ELB) and vetiver grass biochar (VGB) while the specific surface area of VGB was the largest. Cd2+ adsorption characteristics by the three biochars were established under the effects of time, initial pH and concentration of solution. Maximum adsorption capacities of RSB, ELB, and VGB calculated by Langmuir model were 57.87 mg/g, 50.21 mg/g, and 44.09 mg/g, respectively, reflecting adsorption mechanisms may be dominated by chemical reaction than physical interaction. SEM-EDS, XRD, FTIR and XPS were employed before and after adsorption to qualitatively explore possible adsorption mechanisms of the three biochar. It was found that precipitation, ion exchange, complexation and cation π interaction occurred in all the biochars. The relative contribution of the four main mechanisms to total adsorption capacity was quantitatively determined, suggesting precipitation, ion exchange, and cation π interaction were dominated for the three biochar, while complexation accounted for an insignificantpart. This study clearly demonstrated mineral constituents of biochar had significant effects on Cd2+ adsorption by plant-based biochars, shedding some light on their future application.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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•Stevia residue extract (SRE) is prepared during steviol glycosides production.•Chlorogenic acids and caffeic acid were identified as the major components of SRE.•SRE ameliorated ...oxidative stress in d-galactose (d-gal) induced aging mice.•SRE promoted the activation of Akt/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in d-gal treated mice liver.•Dietary intake of SRE may be beneficial in preventing or delaying the onset of aging.
The present study investigated the effect of Stevia residue extract (SRE) against oxidative stress in d-galactose (d-gal) induced aging mice. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that SRE is a good source of chlorogenic acids. Biochemical results showed that SRE significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and decreased acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in serum, liver or brain of d-gal induced aging mice. At 200 mg/kg, SRE up-regulated the mRNA expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream target genes including GPx1, CAT, SOD1, quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in d-gal treated mice liver. SRE also up-regulated the protein expression of Nrf2, HO-1 and the ratio of phosphorylated Akt to Akt (pAkt/Akt) in d-gal treated mice liver. These findings suggest that SRE is able to protect against oxidative stress in d-gal induced aging model via activation of Akt/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. In conclusion, SRE may provide a promising dietary approach for the prevention or alleviation of oxidative stress and age-related conditions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the effects of stevia extract on production performance, serum immune indexes, intestinal structure, and cecum microbial structure. We randomly divided 800 ...46-week-old Roman hens into 5 groups, with eight replicates in each group and 20 chickens in each replicate. The control group was fed a basal diet, whereas the four experimental groups were fed 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg stevia extracts. The study period was 24 weeks. The addition of different concentrations of the stevia extract to the diet resulted in significant secondary changes in the egg production rate at 1–12 weeks (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the addition of 50 and 100 mg/kg stevia extract to the diet significantly increased serum IgM and IgG levels in laying hens (P < 0.05) but linearly decreased serum IL-1β levels (P < 0.05). Serum T-SOD activity linearly increased (P = 0.057); however, serum biochemical indexes showed no significant differences. Stevia extract tended to increase the ratio of the duodenal villi height to the depth of the crypt (P = 0.067), with no obvious lesions in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. In addition, stevia extract increased the relative abundance of species at the phylum level, with the abundance of Bacteroides and Firmicutes exhibiting significant secondary changes (P < 0.05). The ACE and Chao1 indexes suggested that stevia extract addition significantly increased the alpha diversity of cecum microorganisms in laying hens. Furthermore, NMDS analysis based on operational taxonomic units revealed that stevia extract addition increased the beta diversity of cecum microorganisms in laying hens. Adding a certain amount of stevia extract to feed can improve the production performance, immune ability, and intestinal health of laying hens to some extent, and we recommend an effective level of 200mg/kg of stevia extract for laying hen diets.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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•STRE markedly improve oxidative, inflammatory related biomarkers and renal structure.•STRE attenuated renal fibrosis in adenine-induced CKD mice.•STRE modulate gut microbiota ...composition at some extent in adenine induced CKD mice.
The present study was performed to explore the renoprotective potential of a stevia residue extract (STRE) on a mouse model of adenine-induced chronic kidney disease (CKD). The mice were divided into five groups (n = 10): control, model, Po, STRE-1, and STRE-2. Adenine (0.20% in the normal diet for 3 weeks) was used to induce CKD. Allopurinol and STRE markedly restored the balance of functional, oxidative, and inflammatory biomarkers and improved the renal histopathology and ultrastructure compared to the Mod group. Moreover, STRE also attenuated the renal fibrosis by suppressing the TGF-β1/Smad and Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathways and improved the gut microbiota composition. The results of present study confirmed that STRE has a potential to attenuate renal injury caused by adenine and may be used to develop of nutraceutical products, warranting further studies to elucidate beneficial effects of STRE.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Soil pollution is generally attributed as the main source of Pb in crops. However, there are relatively few studies on the effects of atmospheric deposition and soil stress on crops. In this study, ...we investigated the influence of Pb due to atmospheric deposition and soil stress on the growth, accumulation, chemical morphology, and physiological and biochemical responses of Amaranthus tricolor L. seedlings using Pb solution spraying and Pb contaminated soil pot experiments. The results indicated that both atmospheric and soil Pb stress can significantly increase the Pb content in the Amaranthus tricolor L. seedlings. Among them, the effect of soil concentration accounted for 62.64%, and the effect of atmospheric deposition accounted for 32.89%. Insoluble phosphate, pectin, and protein-bound state are the primary chemical forms of Pb. The atmospheric Pb stress alone promoted the growth of the Amaranthus tricolor L. seedlings and synthesis of soluble proteins; however, soil Pb stress exhibited an inhibitory eff
Bushen Yizhi prescription (BSYZ) is a traditional Chinese compound prescription, which is commonly used in China for treating ShenXu and hypophrenia based on traditional Chinese medicine and ...Alzheimer's Disease according to modern Chinese medicine. Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson fruits (CM) is treated as the main herb of BSYZ, and its main active ingredient Osthole (OST) is considered as one of the major active ingredients of BSYZ. Even though OST plays an important role in the BSYZ its bioavailability is poor. In order to investigate whether the bioavailability of OST was influenced by BSYZ and CM extract, the comparative evaluations on pharmacokinetics of OST after oral administration of pure OST at different doses, CM and BSYZ extract were studied.
30 rats were randomly assigned to five groups and orally administered with pure OST at different doses (15, 75 and 150mg/kg), CM (15mg/kg OST) and BSYZ (15mg/kg OST) extract. At different predetermined time points after administration, the concentrations of OST in rat plasma were determined by using the HPLC–UV method, and main pharmacokinetic parameters were investigated.
The results showed that the pharmacokinetic parameters of OST were significantly different (p<0.05) among the groups. The AUC0→t, AUC0→∞ and Cmax of OST were significantly increased after oral administration of BSYZ extract, followed by CM extract, in comparison to pure osthole at different doses.
This present study indicated that the bioavailability of pure OST after oral administration was extremely low and it was dramatically enhanced because of the synergistic effect of the traditional Chinese Bushen Yizhi prescription.
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