Preimplantation embryos are sensitive to oxidative stress‐induced damage that can be caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) originating from normal embryonic metabolism and/or the external ...surroundings. Paraquat (PQ), a commonly used pesticide and potent ROS generator, can induce embryotoxicity. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of melatonin on PQ‐induced damage during embryonic development in bovine preimplantation embryos. PQ treatment significantly reduced the ability of bovine embryos to develop to the blastocyst stage, and the addition of melatonin markedly reversed the developmental failure caused by PQ (20.9% versus 14.3%). Apoptotic assay showed that melatonin pretreatment did not change the total cell number in blastocysts, but the incidence of apoptotic nuclei and the release of cytochrome c were significantly decreased. Using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, we found that melatonin pre‐incubation significantly altered the expression levels of genes associated with redox signaling, particularly by attenuating the transcript level of Txnip and reinforcing the expression of Trx. Furthermore, melatonin pretreatment significantly reduced the expression of the pro‐apoptotic caspase‐3 and Bax, while the expression of the anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 and XIAP was unaffected. Western blot analysis showed that melatonin protected bovine embryos from PQ‐induced damage in a p38‐dependent manner, but extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and c‐JUN N‐terminal kinase (JNK) did not appear to be involved. Together, these results identify an underlying mechanism by which melatonin enhances the developmental potential of bovine preimplantation embryos under oxidative stress conditions.
A released exopolysaccharide (rEPS)-producing strain (LM187) with good acid resistance, bile salt resistance, and cholesterol-lowering properties was isolated from Sichuan paocai and identified as
...subsp. mesenteroides. The purified rEPS, designated as rEPS414, had a uniform molecular weight of 7.757 × 10
Da. Analysis of the monosaccharide composition revealed that the molecule was mainly composed of glucose. The Fourier transform-infrared spectrum showed that rEPS414 contained both α-type and β-type glycosidic bonds.
H and
C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra analysis showed that the purified rEPS contained arabinose, galactose, and rhamnose, but less uronic acid. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the exopolysaccharide displayed a large number of scattered, fluffy, porous cellular network flake structures. In addition, rEPS414 exhibited strong in vitro antioxidant activity. These results showed that strain LM187 and its rEPS are promising probiotics with broad prospects in industry.
Abstract With the advancement of coal mining, the pre‐mining stress on the coal seam increases. After mining, the coal seam fractures and unloads, leaving granular coal in the goaf with a high risk ...of spontaneous combustion. To investigate the oxidation behavior and underlying mechanisms of granular coal in goafs at various depths, fresh coal was subjected to static stresses ranging from 4 to 16 MPa and then underwent unloading treatment to generate granular coal with varying initial stresses. Subsequently, simulations of granular coal in goafs at various depths were conducted. Structural characteristics (pores and functional groups) and oxidation heat production performance of the granular coal after unloading were analyzed using a low‐temperature nitrogen adsorption instrument, a Fourier infrared spectrometer, and a simultaneous thermal analysis system. The findings suggest that as the initial loading stress increases, the number of micropores and mesopores within the unloaded bulk coal decreases, while the number of macropores increases. Furthermore, important oxidation‐active structures, including ‐OH, ‐CH 3 , ‐CH 2 ‐, C=O, and ‐COOH, gradually increase, with a slight decrease observed after exceeding 8 MPa. The pressure‐unloading process leads to a gradual decrease in the characteristic temperature of the bulk coal, with the characteristic temperature increasing after exceeding 8 MPa, although it still remains lower than that of the raw coal. As the burial depth of the goaf increases, the oxidation behavior of the unloaded granular coal becomes more pronounced, leading to an increased tendency and risk of spontaneous combustion. If the initial loading stress on deep coal seams is excessive, the oxidation heat production capacity of the resulting unloaded granular coal may be slightly diminished, yet it still poses a significant disaster risk. The research results can provide valuable insights for mitigating and managing spontaneous combustion risks in coal seam mining operations conducted at different depths.
Summary
Context and objective
Cushing's disease (CD) provides a unique and naturalist model for studying the influence of hypercortisolism on the human brain and the reversibility of these effects ...after resolution of the condition. This cross‐sectional study used resting‐state fMRI (rs‐fMRI) to investigate the altered spontaneous brain activity in CD patients and the trends for potential reversibility after the resolution of the hypercortisolism. We also aim to determine the relationship of these changes with clinical characteristics and cortisol levels.
Subjects and methods
Active CD patients (n = 18), remitted CD patients (n = 14) and healthy control subjects (n = 22) were included in this study. Amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) values were calculated to represent spontaneous brain activity.
Results
Our study resulted in three major findings: (i) active CD patients showed significantly altered spontaneous brain activity in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus (PCu), occipital lobe (OC)/cerebellum, thalamus, right postcentral gyrus (PoCG) and left prefrontal cortex (PFC); (ii) trends for partial restoration of altered spontaneous brain activity after the resolution hypercortisolism were found in several brain regions; and (iii) active CD patients showed a significant correlation between cortisol levels and ALFF/ReHo values in the PCC/PCu, a small cluster in the OC and the right IPL.
Conclusions
This study provides a new approach to investigating brain function abnormalities in patients with CD and enhances our understanding of the effect of hypercortisolism on the human brain. Furthermore, our explorative potential reversibility study of patients with CD may facilitate the development of future longitudinal studies.
We present a high-resolution oxygen isotope record from authigenic carbonate (δ18Ocarb) from Lake Xiarinur (Inner Mongolia) since the last deglaciation. The lake is located at the modern northern ...limit of the monsoon, and is therefore sensitive to the extension of the East Asian summer monsoon. Based on calibration against the instrumental record, the δ18Ocar variation has been interpreted as changes in atmospheric circulation pattern on decadal time scales. On longer time scales, the δ18Ocarb in lake sediments could be mainly regulated by the relative contribution of nearby (remote) water-vapor sources associated with subtropical (tropical) monsoon through changes in the distance from sources to the site of precipitation. Increased remote water vapors from tropical monsoon would lead to lighter isotope value in our study site. Through time the δ18Ocarb record in Lake Xiarinur indicate a notable weak tropical monsoon during the Younger Dryas, a gradual increasing monsoon from the early Holocene and weakening monsoon after the middle Holocene. Oxygen isotope records from lakes and stalagmite in the Asian monsoon region across different localities show a general similar temporal pattern since the last deglaciation, and highlight a fundamental role of the tropical monsoon.
•Calibration of authigenic carbonate δ18O against instrumental records•On longer time scales, the δ18Ocarb could be regulated mainly by water-vapor sources.•Tropical monsoon plays a fundamental role for observed isotope variation
NAC transcription factors are involved in many biological processes via regulation of downstream target gene expression and play essential roles in regulation of plant growth and improving plant ...tolerance to abiotic stress. NAC transcription factors have been studied in various species, but little information is available regarding these factors in sorghum. Genome-wide investigation of potentially abiotic stress related sorghum NAC-type genes was performed. A total of 145 non-redundant
NAC
genes (
SbNAC1
–
SbNAC145
) were identified in the sorghum genome. These genes were distributed unevenly across the 10 chromosomes, and were divided into 16 groups based on sequence similarity. Gene structure analysis indicated that most
SbNAC
genes contained three exons and two introns, and had ten putative conserved motifs. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the
SbNAC
genes with similar motif distributions were clustered into the same branch. Seven
SbNAC
genes, which were grouped into the stress-related subgroup, were isolated and have been confirmed to have transcriptional activity in yeast.
SbNAC
genes showed differential expression patterns over time in response to dehydration, salinity, cold, and phytohormone abscisic acid stress treatments, thus suggesting essential roles in plant responses to abiotic stress. In the germination stage,
SbNAC56
overexpression transgenic lines exhibited significantly enhanced hypersensitivities to ABA, NaCl and
d
-Mannitol. This may infer that
SbNAC56
may play essential roles in plants response to abiotic stresses in ABA dependent signaling pathway. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the
SbNAC
genes and provide a foundation for future functional research regarding their biological roles in sorghum stress tolerance, even in the regulation of plant growth.
Reflux esophagitis (RE) is a common digestive disorder, and its frequent recurrences cause significant physical pain and are financially burdensome to patients. However, studies on the natural ...history of treated RE are few. Although proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) as the first-line treatment provide notable symptomatic relief, disordered gut microbiota has been observed among PPI users. Probiotics are commonly administered to patients to regulate the disordered intestinal flora.
To evaluate the therapeutic effects in RE patients treated with a combination of esomeprazole and probiotics
(
) and
(
).
One hundred and thirty-four RE patients were randomized into two groups of 67 subjects each. The probiotics group was administered with esomeprazole 20 mg
. and live combined
and
enteric-coated capsules 500 mg
. for eight weeks; the placebo group was administered with esomeprazole 20 mg
. and placebo for eight weeks. Subsequently, 12-wk follow-up was carried out on patients who achieved both endoscopic and clinical cure. Endoscopy, reflux diagnostic questionnaire (RDQ), gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS), and lactulose hydrogen breath test were performed to evaluate the therapeutic effects. A difference of
< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Sixty-six patients in the probiotics group and 64 patients in the placebo group completed the 8-wk treatment. The healing rate and RDQ score had no significant difference between the two groups (
> 0.05). However, the GSRS diarrhea syndrome score was decreased significantly in the probiotics group (
= 0.002), and the small intestinal bacterial overgrowth negative rate in the probiotics group was significantly higher than that in the placebo group (
= 0.002). Of 114 endoscopically and clinically cured patients, 96 completed the follow-up. The log-rank test showed that the time to relapse was shorter in the placebo group than in the probiotics group (
= 0.041). Furthermore, the therapy had a significant influence on relapse time, and the risk of relapse in the probiotics group was lower than that in the placebo group at any time point during the 12-wk follow-up (hazard ratio = 0.52,
= 0.033).
Esomeprazole combined with probiotics (
and
) have a beneficial effect on RE treatment and patient management.
Metal-metal bonding interactions have been used to generate a number of unique supramolecular assemblies with fascinating functions. We presented here a new class of gold(I)-containing ...metallosupramolecular cages and cage-built two-dimensional (2-D) arrays of {Au8L2}n (n = 1 or ∞, L = tetrakis-dithiocarbamato-calix4arene, TDCC), 1-3, which are constructed from the self-assembly of deep-cavitand calix4arene-based supramolecular cages consisting of octanuclear Au(I) motifs. Synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction structural analyses of 1-3 revealed their quadruple-stranded helicate dimeric cage structure and the presence of 2-D arrays of cages linked together by inter- and intramolecular Au(I)···Au(I) interactions. Electronic absorption and emission studies of complexes 1-3 indicated the occurrence of a programmable self-assembly process in a concentration-dependent stepwise manner with the links built via aurophilic interactions. These novel gold(I) supramolecular cages exhibited green phosphorescence and have been shown to serve as highly selective proof-of-concept luminescent sensors toward Ag(I) cation among various competitive transition-metal ions.
•Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a β-galactoside-binding lectin, reprograms proinflammatory cytokine production in human MoDCs.•Gal-3 siRNA upregulates IL-12 p35, IL-10, while downregulates IL-23 p19, IL-6, ...IL-1β in TLR/NLR-stimulated MoDCs.•Gal-3 siRNA-treated human MoDCs inhibit Th2 and Th17 development.•Intracellular Gal-3 acts as a cytokine hub of human DCs, independent of carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD).
Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a β-galactoside-binding lectin, serves as a pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) of dendritic cells (DCs) in regulating proinflammatory cytokine production. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) siRNA downregulates expression of IL-6, IL-1β and IL-23 p19, while upregulates IL-10 and IL-12 p35 in TLR/NLR stimulated human MoDCs. Furthermore, Gal-3 siRNA-treated MoDCs enhanced IFN-γ production in SEB-stimulated CD45RO CD4 T-cells, but attenuated IL-17A and IL-5 production by CD4 T-cells. Addition of neutralizing antibodies against Gal-3, or recombinant Gal-3 did not differentially modulate IL-23 p19 versus IL-12 p35. The data indicate that intracellular Gal-3 acts as cytokine hub of human DCs in responding to innate immunity signals. Gal-3 downregulation reprograms proinflammatory cytokine production by MoDCs that inhibit Th2/Th17 development.
(a) Radius modeling of the rabbit model at different stages. (b) The schematic of the fabrication procedure for BBG/PCL rabbit radius scaffolds and their usage in the repair of critical-sized radius ...bone defects in rabbits. (c) Schematic diagram of bone regeneration mechanism on the BBG/PCL scaffold.
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•Borate bioactive glass/polycaprolactone (BBG/PCL) scaffolds are developed by SLS.•The BBG/PCL scaffold with ∼70% porosity possesses adequate mechanical properties.•The BBG/PCL scaffolds show satisfying degradation and protein adsorption behaviors.•The BBG/PCL scaffolds exhibit excellent in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility.•Customized BBG/PCL scaffold constructs promote osteogenesis and osseointegration.
The repair of critical-sized bone defects (CSBD) remains a significant challenge in clinical practice. Personalized 3D porous scaffolding is generally considered an ideal approach for directed regeneration of CSBD, which usually has irregular and complex 3D geometry. In this study, we designed a customized porous scaffold rabbit radius based on a body-centered cubic unit. Borate bioactive glass/polycaprolactone (BBG/PCL) composite scaffolds with different BBG contents (0%, 5%, 10%, 20%, and 40%) were fabricated using selective laser sintering. The pore geometry, porosity, mechanical strength, hydrophilicity, protein absorption, degradation behavior, in vitro cytocompatibility, and osteogenesis differentiation of the composite scaffolds were systematically characterized. The in vivo biological properties of the BBG/PCL composite scaffold for CSBD repair were assessed using a rabbit foreleg radius defect model. The results indicate that the BBG/PCL composite scaffold with 20% BBG content effectively promoted the proliferation of osteoblasts and repaired the rabbit radius defects. The mechanical strength of the scaffold was sufficient to maintain the integrity of the scaffold structure during a relatively long CSBD repair. Our results indicate that the BBG/PCL composite scaffold can be anticipated to be a promising biomaterial for CSBD repair.
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