We have investigated wavelength-dependent light scattering in biomimetic structures with short-range order. Coherent backscattering experiments are performed to measure the transport mean free path ...over a wide wavelength range. Overall scattering strength is reduced significantly due to short-range order and near-field effects. Our analysis explains why single scattering of light is dominant over multiple scattering in similar biological structures and is responsible for color generation.
Abstract
Emerging reports raise concerns on the potential association between the COVID-19 vaccines and cardiac manifestations. We sought to evaluate cardiac complications associated with COVID-19 ...vaccination in a pooled analysis from our institution’s cohort study and systematic review. Consecutive patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Singapore between 1 January 2021 and 31 March 2021, with the onset of cardiac manifestations within 14 days following COVID-19 vaccination, were studied. Furthermore, a systematic review was performed, with PubMed, Embase, Research Square, MedRxiv and LitCovid databases accessed from inception up to 29 June 2021. Relevant manuscripts reporting individual patient data on cardiac complications following COVID-19 vaccination were included. Thirty patients were included in the study cohort, with 29 diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 1 with myocarditis. Five patients developed heart failure, two had cardiogenic shock, three intubated, and one had cardiovascular-related mortality. In the systematic review, 16 studies were included with 41 myocarditis and 6 AMI cases. In the pooled analysis of the study cohort and the systematic review, 35 patients had AMI and 42 had myocarditis. Majority were men, and myocarditis patients were younger than AMI patients. Myocarditis patients tended to present 72 h postvaccination, while AMI patients were older and typically presented 24 h postvaccination. Majority with AMI or myocarditis developed symptoms after the first and second vaccination dose, respectively. This pooled analysis of patients presenting with cardiac manifestations following COVID-19 vaccination highlights the differences between myocarditis and AMI presentations in temporal association with the vaccination.
Large amounts of by-products are generated during fish processing. The study aimed to assess whether tilapia scales are a potential source for obtaining glycosaminoglycans, as well as to determine ...their anticoagulant and cytotoxic/antiproliferative activities, against different tumor lines. The glycosaminoglycans were extracted, purified, and fractionated. The fractions that indicated the presence of uronic acid and sulfated GAGs were characterized by electrophoresis, NMR, and degree of sulfation (DS). The extraction process using the papain enzyme had a yield of 0.86%. Fraction V (FV) revealed the presence of chondroitin sulfate chains CS-A and CS-C, with DS of 0.146. FV demonstrated anticoagulant potential, as it was able to increase aPTT time. FV showed a cytotoxic effect for HTC metabolizing cells at 24, 48, and 72 h. However, it did not show activity for neuroblastoma cells in any of the evaluated times. The results indicate that the tilapia scales are a possible source for obtaining chondroitin sulfate, with potential use as anticoagulant and cytotoxic/antitumor.
Abstract
A plasma fluid model is being developed for the simulation of a direct current plasma discharge simulation including the sheath regions. The code uses a second order centered finite ...difference scheme and time integration is done by strong stability preserving third order Runge-Kutta method. The separation of scalar and vectorial quantities in two different grids gives stable results. After validation by comparison with theoretical ion sheath profiles, a one dimensional direct current argon discharge was simulated and compared to 1D3v particle-in-cell simulation results. It is shown that the inclusion of a non constant ion temperature profile is mandatory in fluid models in order to recover correct increase of ion velocity in sheaths and thus to simulate direct current (DC) discharges where collisions are not negligible in the sheaths.
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► This study examined cytotoxic mechanisms of zearalenone metabolites, α-ZOL and β-ZOL. ► β-ZOL induced cell death mainly by apoptosis rather than necrosis. ► β-ZOL caused ...mitochondrial-mediated and caspase-independent cell death. ► β-ZOL led to the activation of p53 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase-mediated signaling. ► Oxidative stress and AIF relocation was also involved in β-ZOL-mediated cytotoxicity.
Zearalenone (ZEN) and its metabolites are commonly found in many food commodities and are known to cause reproductive disorders and genotoxic effects. The major ZEN metabolites are α-zearalenol (α-ZOL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZOL). Although many studies have demonstrated the cytotoxic effects of these metabolites, the mechanisms by which α-ZOL or β-ZOL mediates their cytotoxic effects appear to differ according to cell type and the exposed toxins. We evaluated the toxicity of α-ZOL and β-ZOL on RAW264.7 macrophages and investigated the underlying mechanisms. β-ZOL not only more strongly reduced the viability of cells than did α-ZOL, but it also induced cell death mainly by apoptosis rather than necrosis. The ZEN metabolites induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial changes in Bcl-2 and Bax proteins, and cytoplasmic release of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). Use of an inhibitor specific to c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 kinase or p53, but not pan-caspase or caspase-8, decreased the toxin-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and also attenuated the α-ZOL- or β-ZOL-induced decrease of cell viability. Antioxidative enzyme or compounds such as catalase, acteoside, and (E)-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl)-3-(4-hydroxystyryl)urea suppressed the ZEN metabolite-mediated reduction of cell viability. Further, knockdown of AIF via siRNA transfection diminished the ZEN metabolite-induced cell death. Collectively, these results suggest that the activation of p53, JNK or p38 kinase by ZEN metabolites is the main upstream signal required for the mitochondrial alteration of Bcl-2/Bax signaling pathways and intracellular ROS generation, while MMP loss and nuclear translocation of AIF are the critical downstream events for ZEN metabolite-mediated apoptosis in macrophages.
Hot, ionized gas leaves an imprint on the cosmic microwave background via the thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (tSZ) effect. The cross-correlation of gravitational lensing (which traces the projected mass) ...with the tSZ effect (which traces the projected gas pressure) is a powerful probe of the thermal state of ionized baryons throughout the Universe and is sensitive to effects such as baryonic feedback. In a companion paper (Gatti et al. Phys. Rev. D 105, 123525 (2022)), we present tomographic measurements and validation tests of the cross-correlation between Galaxy shear measurements from the first three years of observations of the Dark Energy Survey and tSZ measurements from a combination of Atacama Cosmology Telescope and Planck observations. In this work, we use the same measurements to constrain models for the pressure profiles of halos across a wide range of halo mass and redshift. We find evidence for reduced pressure in low-mass halos, consistent with predictions for the effects of feedback from active Galactic nuclei. We infer the hydrostatic mass bias (B ≡ M500c/MSZ from our measurements, finding B = 1.8 ± 0.1 when adopting the Planck-preferred cosmological parameters. We additionally find that our measurements are consistent with a nonzero redshift evolution of B, with the correct sign and sufficient magnitude to explain the mass bias necessary to reconcile cluster count measurements with the Planck-preferred cosmology. Our analysis introduces a model for the impact of intrinsic alignments (IAs) of galaxy shapes on the shear-tSZ correlation. We show that IA can have a significant impact on these correlations at current noise levels.
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major form of tea catechin, has anti-allergic properties. To elucidate the anti-allergic mechanisms of EGCG, we investigated its regulation of matrix ...metalloproteinase (MMP-9) expression in toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-inhalation lung tissues as well as TNF-α and Th2 cytokine (IL-5) production in BAL fluid. Compared with untreated asthmatic mice those administrated with EGCG had significantly reduced asthmatic reaction. Also, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by TDI inhalation was diminished by administration of EGCG in BAL fluid. These results suggest that EGCG regulates inflammatory cell migration possibly by suppressing MMP-9 production and ROS generation, and indicate that EGCG may be useful as an adjuvant therapy for bronchial asthma.
CD30 supports lung inflammation Nam, Sang-Yun; Kim, Young-Hyun; Do, Jeong-Su ...
International immunology,
02/2008, Letnik:
20, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The physiological functions of CD30 have not been fully elucidated. Here we show that in CD30-deficient mice (CD30−/−), lung inflammation is significantly diminished in the ovalbumin (OVA) model of ...airway hyperreactivity. In CD30−/− mice, the recruitment of eosinophils into the airways after OVA–aerosol challenge of OVA-primed mice was significantly diminished when compared with wild-type (w.t.) mice. IL-13 levels were also significantly reduced in CD30−/− mice while levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-5 and IgE in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, lung tissue and serum were comparable to w.t. mice. Peribronchial lymph node cells from CD30−/− mice, re-stimulated in vitro with OVA, secreted significantly lower levels of IL-13 than those from w.t. mice, but showed normal proliferative response and other cytokine production. Exogenous IL-13 reconstituted airway recruitment of leukocytes in OVA-challenged CD3O−/− mice. Adoptive transfer to naive w.t. mice of in vitro OVA-re-stimulated spleen cells from CD30−/− mice failed to induce eosinophilic pulmonary inflammation in contrast to transfer of primed cells from w.t. mice. These results indicate that CD30 is a regulator of Th2 responses in the effector–memory phase and a regulator of IL-13 production in memory cells in the lung.
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