In comparison with the fast development of binary mixture separations, ternary mixture separations are significantly more difficult and have rarely been realized by a single material. Herein, a new ...strategy of tuning the gate‐opening pressure of flexible MOFs is developed to tackle such a challenge. As demonstrated by a flexible framework NTU‐65, the gate‐opening pressure of ethylene (C2H4), acetylene (C2H2), and carbon dioxide (CO2) can be regulated by temperature. Therefore, efficient sieving separation of this ternary mixture was realized. Under optimized temperature, NTU‐65 adsorbed a large amount of C2H2 and CO2 through gate‐opening and only negligible amount of C2H4. Breakthrough experiments demonstrated that this material can simultaneously capture C2H2 and CO2, yielding polymer‐grade (>99.99 %) C2H4 from single breakthrough separation.
One‐step sieving separation of a ternary gas mixture (C2H2/CO2/C2H4) has been realized by a flexible MOF NTU‐65. Successful separation relies on tuning the gate‐opening pressure of this flexible framework to optimize the separation performance. Under an optimized temperature, NTU‐65 adsorbed large amount of C2H2 and CO2 but a negligible amount of C2H4, readily producing high‐purity C2H4 through a separation column.
•Gallic acid (GA) showed protective effects against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats.•The gastroprotective effect of GA could be partly related to the stimulations of gastric nitric oxide and ...prostaglandin.•Nrf2/HO-1 signaling activation is involved in the protection of GA against ethanol-induced gastric mucosa injury.•Pretreatment with GA could inhibit the apoptosis of gastric mucosal cells.
Gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, GA) is a phenolic compound found in many medicinal plants traditionally used in China or patent medicine such as Feiyangchangweiyan capsule (FY capsule) for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases for decades. However, the evidence for the gastroprotective effect of GA is deficient and the pharmacological mechanisms remain limited. The present investigation was initiated to demonstrate the gastroprotective effect and to understand potential underlying mechanism of GA on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Gastric ulcers were induced by absolute ethanol (5 mL/kg, i.g.) in male Sprague-Dawley rats, GA (10, 30, and 50 mg/kg), FY capsule (0.4 g/kg) and 30 mg/kg Lansoprazole was administered orally. Physiological saline and lansoprazole were used as negative and positive control, respectively. Induction of rats with ethanol resulted in a significant rise in ulcer index, serum levels of inflammatory cytokines markers (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α), TBARS, protein expression of Bax and Caspase-3 and a significant reduction in the activities or levels of endogenous antioxidants (SOD, CAT and GSH), gastric mucosal protective factors (PGE2 and NO) and protein expression of Bcl-2. Pretreatment with GA showed a remarkable decrease in ulcer index, inflammatory cytokines markers, TBARS, protein expression of Bax and Caspase-3 and a significant increase in the activities of endogenous antioxidants, levels of PGE2 and NO, and protein expression of Bcl-2, Nrf2 and HO-1 when compared with ethanol treated groups. This study demonstrated the gastroprotective effect of Gallic acid and FY capsule on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. The underlying mechanism of GA and FY capsule against gastric ulcer in rats caused by ethanol might be involved in Nrf2/HO-1 anti-oxidative pathway and ultimately played an anti-apoptotic role through regulating Bax, Bcl-2 and Caspase-3.
We reported a new method to construct porous thiourea-based metal-organic frameworks
AGTU-3a
with open Ag
+
sites through the removal of anions in pores under mild conditions. By taking advantage of ...the deprotonation of thiourea-based ligands, the cationic frameworks can be transformed into neutral frameworks and anions in pores can be easily removed through treating with triethylamine under mild conditions. With the planar coordination geometry of open Ag
+
sites and π-complexation of Ag
+
-olefin interactions,
AGTU-3a
shows good performance in the separation of propene/propane mixtures. As far as we know, our work would provide a new route to construct open Ag
+
sites in MOFs and this is the first Ag
+
-based MOF with open Ag
+
sites as nodes applied in the separation of olefin/paraffin mixtures.
A thiourea-based metal-organic framework with open Ag
+
sites for the separation of a C
3
H
6
/C
3
H
8
mixture.
•A new strategy to maximize the acetylene packing density has been developed.•The CAU-10-NH2 exhibits very high C2H2/CO2 selectivity with low Qst.•Recognition mechanism has been revealed by neutron ...powder diffraction.
For practical separation applications, porous sorbents with high separation performance, low heat of adsorption, high stability and low production cost are highly desired. A plausible strategy is herein developed through immobilization of amine sites in a prototype MOF for maximized packing density and selectivity. The CAU-10-NH2 material exhibits high packing density of 0.46 cm3/g, C2H2 adsorption capacity (4.1 mmol/cm3, at 0.5 bar), and high C2H2/CO2 selectivity of 10.8, which outperformed the unfunctionalized benchmark material CAU-10-H. Neutron powder diffraction study reveals the formation of densely packed C2H2 as tetrameric clusters in the pore. The separation performance of CAU-10-NH2 well remains in column separation conditions, with a remarkable dynamic selectivity of 10.9. The good water-stability and one-step synthesis from commercially available precursors make this material a promising candidate for practical C2H2/CO2 separation.
Paeonol and danshensu is the representative active ingredient of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs Cortex Moutan and Radix Salviae Milthiorrhizae, respectively. Paeonol and danshensu combination ...(PDSS) has putative cardioprotective effects in treating ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, the evidence for the protective effect is scarce and the pharmacological mechanisms of the combination remain unclear. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of PDSS on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction in rats and to elucidate the potential mechanism. Assays of creatine kinase-MB, cardiac troponin I and T and histopathological analysis revealed PDSS significantly prevented myocardial injury induced by ISO. The ISO-induced profound elevation of oxidative stress was also suppressed by PDSS. TUNEL and caspase-3 activity assay showed that PDSS significantly inhibited apoptosis in myocardia. In exploring the underlying mechanisms of PDSS, we found PDSS enhanced the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 in myocardial injured rats. Furthermore, PDSS increased phosphorylated PI3K and Akt, which may in turn activate antioxidative and antiapoptotic signaling events in rat. These present findings demonstrated that PDSS exerts significant cardioprotective effects against ISO-induced myocardial infarction in rats. The protective effect is, at least partly, via activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling and involvement of the PI3K/Akt cell survival signaling pathway.
The objective of the present study was to explore the function and mechanism of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) in pulmonary fibrosis (PF) progression. ...HPAEpic cells and A549 cells were exposed to hypoxic conditions to establish an in vitro model. Cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay, and inflammatory cytokine levels were detected by ELISA. Gene and protein expression levels were identified by qRT–PCR and Western blot assays, respectively. The interaction among NEAT1, miR‐29a, and NFATc3 was identified by dual‐luciferase reporter and RNA pull‐down assays. In hypoxia‐treated cells, hypoxia markers (HIF‐1α and HIF‐2α), cytokines (TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6) and fibrotic markers (α‐SMA, collagen I and collagen III) were significantly enhanced. Consistently, the expression levels of NEAT1 and NFATc3 were increased, but miR‐29a was decreased in hypoxia‐stimulated cells. Knockdown of NEAT1 significantly decreased cell apoptosis and the releases of TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 as well as reduced the levels of α‐SMA, collagen I, and collagen III. Moreover, NEAT1 positively regulated NFATc3 expression by directly targeting miR‐29a. Functional experiments showed that the anti‐apoptotic, anti‐inflammatory, and anti‐fibrotic effects mediated by NETA1 silencing were impeded by miR‐29a inhibition or NFATc3 overexpression in hypoxia‐stimulated HPAEpic and A549 cells. Collectively, these data demonstrated that NEAT1 knockdown inhibited hypoxia‐induced cell apoptosis, inflammation, and fibrosis by targeting the miR‐29a/NFATc3 axis in PF, suggesting that NEAT1 might be a potential therapeutic target for relieving PF progression.
Eliminating malaria and preventing re-establishment of malaria transmission in border areas requires universal coverage of malaria surveillance and a rapid response to any threats (i.e. malaria cues) ...of re-establishing transmission.
Strategy 1: Intensive interventions within 2.5 km-wide perimeter along the border to prevent border-spill malaria. The area within 2.5 km along the international border is the travel radius of anopheline mosquitoes. Comprehensive interventions should include: (1) proactive and passive case detection, (2) intensive vector surveillance, (3) evidence-based vector control, and (4) evidence-based preventative treatment with anti-malarial drugs. Strategy 2: Community-based malaria detection and screening of migrants and travellers in frontier townships. Un-permitted travellers cross borders frequently and present in frontier townships. Maintenance of intensified malaria surveillance should include: (1) passive malaria detection in the township hospitals, (2) seek assistance from villager leaders and health workers to monitor cross border travellers, and refer febrile patients to the township hospitals and (3) the county's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention maintain regular proactive case detection. Strategy 3: Universal coverage of malaria surveillance to detect malaria cues. Passive detection should be consolidated into the normal health service. Health services personnel should remain vigilant to ensure universal coverage of malaria detection and react promptly to any malaria cues. Strategy + 1: Strong collaborative support with neighbouring countries. Based on the agreement between the two countries, integrated control strategies should be carried out to reduce malaria burden for both countries. There should be a clear focus on the border areas between neighbouring countries.
The 3 + 1 strategy is an experience summary of border malaria control and elimination, and then contributed to malaria elimination in Yunnan's border areas, China. Nevertheless, Yunnan still has remaining challenges of re-establishment of malaria transmission in the border areas, and the 3 + 1 strategy should still be carried out.
Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory proteins (CSPs), which are thought to play key roles in the olfactory recognition of insects, can be induced by the odorants they recognize, but ...little is known about the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Here, we found that NlOBP8 and NlCSP10 play coordinative roles in the chemoreception of brown planthoppers (BPHs) to the volatile component linalool. Also, the relative mRNA levels of NlObp8 and NlCp10 decreased upon exposure to linalool. Further, homeotic protein distal-less (Dll), which was also highly expressed in the antennae, was found to positively regulate the transcription of NlObp8 and NlCsp10 directly. Knocking down NlDll expression downregulated the expression of many additional olfactory functional genes and impaired the repellent behavior of BPHs to linalool. Our findings elucidate the direct regulatory role of Dll in BPHs’ olfactory plasticity to linalool through modulating the olfactory functional gene expression and could provide guidance to sustainably control BPHs in the field.
Cross-border malaria in Laiza City of Myanmar seriously affected Yingjiang County of China and compromised reaching the goal of malaria elimination by 2020. Since 2017, a pilot project on 3 + 1 ...strategy of joint cross-border malaria prevention and control was carried out for building a malaria buffer in these border areas. Here, 3 were the three preventive lines in China where different focalized approaches of malaria elimination were applied and + 1 was a defined border area in Myanmar where the integrated measures of malaria control were adopted.
A 5-year retrospective analysis (2015 to 2019) was conducted that included case detection, parasite prevalence and vector surveillance. Descriptive statistics was used and the incidence or rates were compared. The annual parasite incidence and the parasite prevalence rate in + 1 area of Myanmar, the annual importation rate in Yingjiang County of China and the density of An. minimus were statistically significant indictors to assess the effectiveness of the 3 + 1 strategy.
In + 1 area of Myanmar from 2015 to 2019, the averaged annual parasite incidence was (59.11 ± 40.73)/1000 and Plasmodium vivax accounted for 96.27% of the total confirmed cases. After the pilot project, the annual parasite incidence dropped 89% from 104.77/1000 in 2016 to 12.18/1000 in 2019, the microscopic parasite prevalence rate dropped 100% from 0.34% in 2017 to zero in 2019 and the averaged density of An. Minimus per trap-night dropped 93% from 1.92 in June to 0.13 in September. The submicroscopic parasite prevalence rate increased from 1.15% in 2017 to 1.66% in 2019 without significant difference between the two surveys (P = 0.084). In Yingjiang County of China, neither indigenous nor introduced case was reported and 100% cases were imported from Myanmar since 2017. The averaged annual importation rate from 2015 to 2019 was (0.47 ± 0.15)/1000. After the pilot project, the annual importation rate dropped from 0.59/1000 in 2016 to 0.28/1000 in 2019 with an overall reduction of 53% in the whole county. The reduction was 67% (57.63/1000 to 18.01/1000) in the first preventive line, 52% (0.20/1000 to 0.10/1000) in the second preventive line and 36% (0.32/1000 to 0.22/1000) in the third preventive line. The averaged density of An. Minimus per trap-night in the first preventive line dropped 94% from 2.55 in June to 0.14 in September, without significant difference from that of + 1 area of Myanmar (Z value = - 1.18, P value = 0.24).
The pilot project on 3 + 1 strategy has been significantly effective in the study areas and a buffer zone of border malaria was successfully established between Laiza City of Myanmar and Yingjiang County of China.
Thyroid cancer is not among the top cancers in terms of diagnosis or mortality but it still ranks fifth among the cancers diagnosed in women. Infact, women are more likely to be diagnosed with ...thyroid cancer than the males. The burden of thyroid cancer has dramatically increased in last two decades in China and, in the United States, it is the most diagnosed cancer in young adults under the age of twenty-nine. All these factors make it worthwhile to fully understand the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer. Towards this end, microRNAs (miRNAs) have constantly emerged as the non-coding RNAs of interest in various thyroid cancer subtypes on which there have been numerous investigations over the last decade and half. This comprehensive review takes a look at the current knowledge on the topic with cataloging of miRNAs known so far, particularly related to their utility as epigenetic signatures of thyroid cancer progression and metastasis. Such information could be of immense use for the eventual development of miRNAs as therapeutic targets or even therapeutic agents for thyroid cancer therapy.
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