Wavelike thermal transport in solids, referred to as second sound, is an exotic phenomenon previously limited to a handful of materials at low temperatures. The rare occurrence of this effect ...restricted its scientific and practical importance. We directly observed second sound in graphite at temperatures above 100 kelvins by using time-resolved optical measurements of thermal transport on the micrometer-length scale. Our experimental results are in qualitative agreement with ab initio calculations that predict wavelike phonon hydrodynamics. We believe that these results potentially indicate an important role of second sound in microscale transient heat transport in two-dimensional and layered materials in a wide temperature range.
Summary
Background
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder that manifests as epidermal keratinocyte hyperplasia.
Objectives
We examined the effect of oxymatrine treatment on cell proliferation and ...apoptosis in skin lesions of psoriasis.
Patients and methods
Patients with severe plaque psoriasis were treated with oxymatrine or with acitretin. The skin lesions were stained with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Ki‐67 and Bcl‐2, as well as examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick‐end labelling (TUNEL). We performed correlations of the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and the proliferation and apoptosis index.
Results
Oxymatrine significantly reduced the psoriasis lesions as demonstrated by the reduced PASI score after treatment 6·91; 95% confidence interval (CI) 5·00–8·81, P < 0·001. In the oxymatrine group, the mitotic index was 26·15 (95% CI 24·80–27·49) before oxymatrine treatment, decreasing to 14·52 (95% CI 13·82–15·25; P < 0·001) after treatment, but remained higher than the normal group (6·24; 95% CI 5·87–6·61, P < 0·001). Oxymatrine also inhibited the proliferation of epidermal cells in the skin lesion as indicated by the reduced proliferation index after treatment (P < 0·01). In addition, oxymatrine treatment reduced cellular apoptosis as shown by increased Bcl‐2 expression and a decrease in TUNEL‐positive cells. The PASI score was positively correlated with mitotic index, proliferation index and apoptotic index (TUNEL), but negatively correlated with Bcl‐2 expression.
Conclusions
Oxymatrine treatment reduced proliferation but inhibited apoptosis of cells in the skin lesion. The balance between cell proliferation and turnover may contribute to the significant alleviation of psoriasis by oxymatrine.
What's already known about this topic?
Psoriasis manifests as epidermal keratinocyte hyperplasia with proliferation, keratinocyte maturation and turnover rates.
Current drugs for psoriasis may inhibit cell proliferation but could not adjust the balance of cell division, differentiation and apoptosis.
What does this study add?
We studied the efficacy of oxymatrine in the treatment of psoriasis and analysed the correlation of skin lesions, proliferation and apoptosis index before and after oxymatrine treatment.
What is the translational message?
Our study has demonstrated that oxymatrine is effective in the treatment of severe plaque psoriasis.
It has comparable efficacy with acitretin.
Because acitretin treatment was sometimes associated with metabolic abnormalities, our study suggests oxymatrine therapy as an alternative treatment for psoriasis in the context of acitretin allergy or adverse reactions.
Respond to this article
Linked Comment: Groma. Br J Dermatol 2019; 181:891–892.
Abstract
Soft-elasticity in monodomain liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) is promising for impact-absorbing applications where strain energy is ideally absorbed at constant stress. Conventionally, ...compressive and impact studies on LCEs have not been performed given the notorious difficulty synthesizing sufficiently large monodomain devices. Here, we use direct-ink writing 3D printing to fabricate bulk (>cm
3
) monodomain LCE devices and study their compressive soft-elasticity over 8 decades of strain rate. At quasi-static rates, the monodomain soft-elastic LCE dissipated 45% of strain energy while comparator materials dissipated less than 20%. At strain rates up to 3000 s
−1
, our soft-elastic monodomain LCE consistently performed closest to an ideal-impact absorber. Drop testing reveals soft-elasticity as a likely mechanism for effectively reducing the severity of impacts – with soft elastic LCEs offering a Gadd Severity Index 40% lower than a comparable isotropic elastomer. Lastly, we demonstrate tailoring deformation and buckling behavior in monodomain LCEs via the printed director orientation.
Cancer cells are known to execute reprogramed metabolism of glucose, amino acids and lipids. Here, we report a significant role of cholesterol metabolism in cancer metastasis. By using label-free ...Raman spectromicroscopy, we found an aberrant accumulation of cholesteryl ester in human pancreatic cancer specimens and cell lines, mediated by acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT-1) enzyme. Expression of ACAT-1 showed a correlation with poor patient survival. Abrogation of cholesterol esterification, either by an ACAT-1 inhibitor or by shRNA knockdown, significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in an orthotopic mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Mechanically, ACAT-1 inhibition increased intracellular free cholesterol level, which was associated with elevated endoplasmic reticulum stress and caused apoptosis. Collectively, our results demonstrate a new strategy for treating metastatic pancreatic cancer by inhibiting cholesterol esterification.
A general feature of unconventional superconductors is the existence of a superconducting dome in the phase diagram. Here we report a series of discrete superconducting phases in the simplest ...iron-based superconductor, FeSe thin flakes, by continuously tuning the carrier concentration through the intercalation of Li and Na ions with a solid ionic gating technique. Such discrete superconducting phases are robust against the substitution of 20% S for Se, but they are vulnerable to the substitution of 2% Cu for Fe, highlighting the importance of the iron site being intact. The superconducting phase diagram for FeSe derivatives is given, which is distinct from that of other unconventional superconductors.
In this study, I investigate how information made available by the introduction of television affected the importance of the national economy in the context of US presidential elections from 1944 to ...1964. Using the fact that television stations were introduced in counties across the United States at different points in time, I assess the effect of television on economic voting using a difference-in-differences design. I first show that television stations spent more time covering national politicians than did local newspapers in the 1960 presidential election. More national news increased the salience of the national economy in presidential elections. There was no evidence that television affected prospective pocketbook voting.
Given the rising expectations for the substitution of fossil energy with renewable energy as one of the solutions to cope with climate change, the carbon emission reduction potential of possible ...solutions should be evaluated in a holistic and systematic way. In this paper, a systematic account of carbon emission reduction potential was conducted for a typical household biogas system with a digester volume of 8 m3, using a hybrid life-cycle assessment method. Using a 20 year operation scenario, the total life cycle CO2 emission of this family-size biogas utilization system is 2.60 tons, i.e., 0.02 kg CO2/MJ, of which 98.46% is attributed to indirect emissions from building materials and labor inputs. Considering the carbon emission savings due to energy and fertilizer substitution, the annual CO2 emission reduction potential is 1.25 tons for the biogas system that is under consideration. Consequently, such rural household biogas systems should be operated for at least 1.78 years to achieve a positive reduction benefit, i.e., cumulative CO2 emission savings could offset the life-cycle-related CO2 emissions. The results also indicate that long-term, stable running and maintenance are key points to maximize the benefits of household biogas as an effective approach for carbon emission abatement in the rural areas of China.
In this paper, I estimate the causal effect of public funding of elections on candidates' reemergence and success using a regression discontinuity design in the context of South Korean municipal ...legislative elections. I find that public financing has no overall effect on candidate reemergence and success in a subsequent election. I do find, however, that campaign expense reimbursement has a positive effect on those who are formerly underrepresented in politics, especially women, in whose case it increases the probability of running again by 24.6 percentage points and that of winning the next election by 10.1 percentage points. I also find some suggestive evidence that campaign expense reimbursement can help female candidates become career politicians.
•Public financing has no overall effect on candidate reemergence and success.•However, public financing is effective for a subset of candidates, especially women.•Public financing can help female candidates become career politicians.
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