The seaweeds were collected from the coast of Jeju Island, South Korea. We investigated ethanol extracts from seaweed as potential antiobesity agents by testing their effect on adipogenic ...differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells. Among the red algae extracts tested, the Plocamium telfairiae extract (PTE) showed the highest inhibitory effect on lipogenesis in adipocytes and, thus, was selected as a potential antiobesity agent. PTE treatment significantly decreased the expression of the adipogenic-specific proteins peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1, and fatty acid-binding protein 4 compared with that in the untreated 3T3-L1 cells. PTE also inhibited high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in male C57BL/6 mice. Oral administration of PTE significantly reduced the body weight, fatty liver, amount of white adipose tissue, and levels of triglyceride and glucose in the tested animals. Taken together, these data demonstrate that PTE can be developed as a therapeutic agent for obesity.
•We study the anti-obesity effect of Plocamium telfairiae (PTE) in 3T3-L1 cells and in mice fed a high-fat diet.•PTE suppressed adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells.•PTE downregulated PPARγ, C/EBPα, SREBP-1c and FABP4 protein expression levels.•PTE decreased body weight gain and adipose cell size in HFD-induced obesity in mice.
Crosstalk between liver and skeletal muscle is vital for glucose homeostasis. Hepatokines, liver-derived proteins that play an important role in regulating muscle metabolism, are important to this ...communication. Here we identify apolipoprotein J (ApoJ) as a novel hepatokine targeting muscle glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity through a low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-2 (LRP2)-dependent mechanism, coupled with the insulin receptor (IR) signaling cascade. In muscle, LRP2 is necessary for insulin-dependent IR internalization, an initial trigger for insulin signaling, that is crucial in regulating downstream signaling and glucose uptake. Of physiologic significance, deletion of hepatic ApoJ or muscle LRP2 causes insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. In patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and insulin resistance, pioglitazone-induced improvement of insulin action is associated with an increase in muscle ApoJ and LRP2 expression. Thus, the ApoJ-LRP2 axis is a novel endocrine circuit that is central to the maintenance of normal glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity.
Aside from being known for its excellent mechanical properties and aesthetic effect, zirconia has recently attracted attention as a new dental implant material. Many studies have focused on ...hydroxyapatite (HA) coating for obtaining improved biocompatibility, however the coating stability was reduced by a byproduct produced during the high-temperature sintering process. In this study, to overcome this problem, we simply coated the zirconia surface with a sol–gel-derived hydroxyapatite (HA) layer and then sintered it at a varied temperature (<1000 °C). The surface showed a nanoporous structure, and there was no crystalline phase other than HA and zirconia when the sintering temperature was 800 °C. The adhesion strength of the HA layer (>40 MPa) was also appropriate as a dental implant application. In addition, in vitro cell experiments using a preosteoblast cell line revealed that the HA-coated zirconia surface acts as a preferable surface for cell attachment and proliferation than bare zirconia surface. In vivo animal experiments also demonstrated that the osteoconductivity of zirconia were dramatically enhanced by HA coating, which was comparable to that of Ti implant. These results suggest that the sol–gel-based HA-coated zirconia has a great potential for use as a dental implant material.
: Advanced liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can be a major predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and cardiac complications. However, the clinical ...significance of cardiac symptoms and abnormal electrocardiography (ECG) findings in patients with NAFLD associated with advanced liver fibrosis is unclear. Therefore, our study was aimed to evaluate the clinical implications based on the association between cardiac symptoms with ECG abnormalities for advanced liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.
: Of 31,795 participants who underwent health checkups, 6293 were diagnosed with NAFLD using ultrasound and inclusion criteria in a retrospective cross-sectional study. Advanced liver fibrosis was assessed based on a low NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) and fibrosis-4 index (Fib-4) cut-off values (COVs). Cardiac data were assessed using a cardiac symptom questionnaire and 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG).
: Among 6293 NAFLD patients with NAFLD, 304 (4.8%) experienced cardiac symptoms. NFS and Fib-4 indicated higher rates of advanced fibrosis in the cardiac-symptomatic group than in the non-symptomatic group (NFS: 7.3 vs. 4.1%; Fib-4: 7.8 vs. 3.7%; both
< 0.001). Cardiac symptoms were independently associated with advanced liver fibrosis using a step-wise-adjusted model and NFS and Fib-4 (final adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.40; 95% CI, 1.06-1.85;
= 0.018 for NFS; aOR, 1.67; 95%, 1.30-2.15;
< 0.001 for Fib-4). Cardiac symptoms with abnormal ECG findings independently predicted advanced liver fibrosis (aOR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.72-3.39;
< 0.001 for NFS; aOR, 3.02; 95% CI, 2.19-4.15;
< 0.001 for Fib-4).
: Patients who have had cardiac symptoms and some ECG abnormalities may have a higher association with advanced liver fibrosis.
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have potential implications on several diseases including skin inflammation and aging. AGEs formation can be triggered by several factors such as UVB, glyoxal ...and methylglyoxal etc. However, little attention has been paid to glyoxal-derived AGEs (GO-AGEs) and UVB-induced skin inflammaging, with none have investigated together. This study aimed to investigate the possible role of GO-AGEs and UVB in skin inflammaging focusing on revealing its molecular mechanisms. The effects of GO-AGEs in the presence or absence of UVB were studied by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting, qPCR, flow cytometry and in silico approaches. In HaCaT cells, GO-AGEs in the presence of UVB irradiation (125 mJ/cm
) dramatically enhanced the release of different pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) with further activation of RAGE signaling pathways (NF-κB, COX 2, and IL- 1β) and increased oxidative stress also noticed in NHEK cells. In NHDF cells, extracellular matrix disruption noted via increasing matrix metalloproteinase release and decreasing collagen type 1 and SIRT1 expression. Besides that, the docking scores obtained from the molecular docking study support the above-mentioned results. This study strongly suggests the pivotal role of GO-AGEs in skin inflammaging and illuminates novel molecular pathways for searching most effective and updated anti-aging therapy.
Barium sulfate and iohexol are commonly used as contrast agents for videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS). This study compared their usefulness as contrast agents in visualizing components of ...swallowing predictable of subsequent pneumonia and unintentional weight loss after VFSS. This was a randomized, controlled, crossover trial. The two contrast agents were alternately used in the same participants, and the order in which the contrast agent was tested first was randomly assigned. After VFSS, we followed the participants for 3 months and the association between VFSS findings of each contrast agent and the subsequent pneumonia and unintentional weight loss were analyzed. A total of 30 participants were included in the analysis. We recorded 11 cases of subsequent pneumonia and 13 of unintentional weight loss. Regarding the risk of subsequent pneumonia after VFSS, only the oral transit time and number of swallows tested with barium sulfate indicated significant differences between participants with and without subsequent pneumonia. For unintentional weight loss, oral transit time and pharyngeal wall coating after swallowing tested with barium sulfate, as well as oral transit time, nasal penetration, residue in the valleculae, PAS scores, and number of swallows when testing with iohexol demonstrated significant differences between those with and without unintentional weight loss.
Citrus fruits are largely consumed due to their unique and pleasant aromas. Citrus hybrids have been developed to enhance their flavors and bioactivities. Citrus aroma depends on the composition of ...the volatile compounds in citrus essential oils (CEOs), which are mostly located in the peels. During the extraction of CEOs, a specific series of chemical reactions occurred depending on the extraction methods (CP, cold pressing; HD, hydrodistillation), leading to variations in the composition of volatile compounds. In this study, the orange and the tangor which is a hybrid between C. reticulata × C. sinensis were investigated to compare the changes in volatile compounds based on the extraction methods. Results showed that the CP‐specific volatile compounds were sesquiterpenes, oxygenated monoterpenes, and fatty acid derivatives, while the HD‐specific volatile compounds were terpinyl cation derivatives, limonene, and 4‐vinylguaiacol. On the other hand, the contents of some volatile compounds ((E)‐ocimene, α‐terpinene, and α‐terpinolene) were affected by the Citrus species rather than by the extraction methods. In particular, during HD, terpinene‐4‐ol and 4‐vinylguiacol, known as off‐flavor compounds in citrus juice, were formed more abundantly in the orange than in the tangor. In conclusion, these results provide comprehensive data on essential oils, especially those derived from oranges and tangors, for selecting the appropriate extraction method for obtaining a higher yield and quality of citrus flavor.
This study investigated the changes of the volatile compounds in orange and tangor peels and the essential oils prepared using different extraction methods: hydrodistillation and cold pressing. We provide comprehensive data on essential oils, especially those derived from oranges and tangors, to aid in selection of the appropriate extraction method for obtaining a higher yield and quality of citrus flavor.
Poly(l‐lactic) acid (PLLA) is widely used in guided bone regeneration membranes due to its mechanical properties and biodegradability. However, the lack of biocompatibility is a serious disadvantage. ...Herein, the biocompatibility of PLLA is improved by patterning hydroxyapatite (HA) loaded with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (rhBMP‐2) under it. The HA is obtained by preparing a magnesium pattern via photolithography and hydrothermal converting. After loading rhBMP‐2, the pattern is transferred to PLLA. The pattern is tightly embedded in the PLLA and retained its original position after mechanical stimuli. Fluorescence images allow to assess the protein adsorption and gradual release in a controlled manner. The amount of released rhBMP‐2 is overwhelmingly large when loaded under HA because of its large surface area. Osteogenic differentiation supports the synergistic effect of HA and rhBMP‐2 to improve the biocompatibility. Moreover, in vivo experiments demonstrate that the synergistic effect positively affects the healing rate of bone.
This work displays the invention of bioactive hydroxyapatite‐patterned polymeric guided bone regeneration membrane which is loaded with osteogenic protein. The hydroxyapatite pattern is mechanically stable and effective for protein delivery. In vitro cell cellular and in vivo animal studies confirm that the protein releasing membrane can be utilized for promoting bone regeneration in guided bone regeneration application.
Detecting defects in the inspection stage of semiconductor manufacturing process is a crucial task to improve yield and productivity as well as wafer quality. Recent Advances in semiconductor process ...technology have greatly increased the transistor density. As a result, an increasingly high number of defects inevitably emerge and we need a more accurate and efficient detection method to manage them. In this paper, we propose a deep-learning-based defect detection model to expedite the process. It adopts an adversarial network architecture of conditional GAN. The discriminator of an adversarial network architecture helps the detection model learn to detect and classify defects accurately. The high performance is achieved by using Focal Loss, PixelGAN and multi-scale level features, which is shown to be better than the baseline model, CenterNet, when tested for a real industrial dataset.
Highlights
Moth-eye structured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films with different sizes were fabricated to improve the efficiency of perovskite solar cells.
The PDMS with 300-nm moth-eye films ...significantly reduced light reflection at the front of the glass and therefore enhanced the solar cell efficiency of ~ 21%.
The PDMS with 1000-nm moth-eye films exhibited beautiful coloration.
Large-area polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films with variably sized moth-eye structures were fabricated to improve the efficiency of perovskite solar cells. An approach that incorporated photolithography, bilayer PDMS deposition and replication was used in the fabrication process. By simply attaching the moth-eye PDMS films to the transparent substrates of perovskite solar cells, the optical properties of the devices could be tuned by changing the size of the moth-eye structures. The device with 300-nm moth-eye PDMS films greatly enhanced power conversion efficiency of ~ 21% due to the antireflective effect of the moth-eye structure. Furthermore, beautiful coloration was observed on the 1000-nm moth-eye PDMS films through optical interference caused by the diffraction grating effect. Our results imply that moth-eye PDMS films can greatly enhance the efficiency of perovskite solar cells and building-integrated photovoltaics.
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