Site Selection of Fig Orchard

It is necessary to pay attention to site selection in the construction of fig orchard. It is better to choose the fig orchard sites which have warm weather, long frost free period, fertile soil loose, traffic developed, and no pollution of the surrounding land. Only with the suitable site conditions can be achieved the high yield and high efficiency

A Novel Mobile Personalized Recommended Method Based on Money Flow Model for Stock Exchange

Personalized recommended method is widely used to recommend commodities for target customers in e-commerce sector. The core idea of merchandise personalized recommendation can be applied to financial field, which can also achieve stock personalized recommendation. This paper proposes a new recommended method using collaborative filtering based on user fuzzy clustering and predicts the trend of those stocks based on money flow. We use M/G/1 queue system with multiple vacations and server close-down time to measure practical money flow. Based on the indicated results of money flow, we can select the more valued stock to recommend to investors. The experimental results show that the proposed method provides investors with reliable practical investment guidance and receiving more returns

Observation of room-temperature ferroelectricity in elemental Te nanowires

Ferroelectrics are essential in low-dimensional memory devices for multi-bit storage and high-density integration. A polar structure is a necessary premise for ferroelectricity, mainly existing in compounds. However, it is usually rare in elemental materials, causing a lack of spontaneous electric polarization. Here, we report an unexpected room-temperature ferroelectricity in few-chain Te nanowires. Out-of-plane ferroelectric loops and domain reversal are observed by piezoresponse force microscopy. Through density functional theory, we attribute the ferroelectricity to the ion-displacement created by the interlayer interaction between lone pair electrons. Ferroelectric polarization can induce a strong field effect on the transport along the Te chain, supporting a self-gated field-effect transistor. It enables a nonvolatile memory with high in-plane mobility, zero supply voltage, multilevel resistive states, and a high on/off ratio. Our work provides new opportunities for elemental ferroelectrics with polar structures and paves a way towards applications such as low-power dissipation electronics and computing-in-memory devices

LTF induces senescence and degeneration in the meniscus via the NF-κB signaling pathway: A study based on integrated bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation

Background: The functional integrity of the meniscus continually decreases with age, leading to meniscal degeneration and gradually developing into osteoarthritis (OA). In this study, we identified diagnostic markers and potential mechanisms of action in aging-related meniscal degeneration through bioinformatics and experimental verification.Methods: Based on the GSE98918 dataset, common differentially expressed genes (co-DEGs) were screened using differential expression analysis and the WGCNA algorithm, and enrichment analyses based on Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were further performed. Next, the co-DEGs were imported into the STRING database and Cytoscape to construct a protein‒protein interaction (PPI) network and further validated by three algorithms in cytoHubba, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and the external GSE45233 dataset. Moreover, the diagnostic marker lactotransferrin (LTF) was verified in rat models of senescence and replicative cellular senescence via RT‒qPCR, WB, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence, and then the potential molecular mechanism was explored by loss of function and overexpression of LTF.Results: According to the analysis of the GSE98918 dataset, we identified 52 co-DEGs (42 upregulated genes and 10 downregulated genes) in the OA meniscus. LTF, screened out by Cytoscape, ROC curve analysis in the GSE98918 dataset and another external GSE45233 dataset, might have good predictive power in meniscal degeneration. Our experimental results showed that LTF expression was statistically increased in the meniscal tissue of aged rats (24 months) and senescent passage 5th (P5) meniscal cells. In P5 meniscal cells, LTF knockdown inhibited the NF-κB signaling pathway and alleviated senescence. LTF overexpression in passage 0 (P0) meniscal cells increased the expression of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and induced senescence by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway. However, the senescence phenomenon caused by LTF overexpression could be reversed by the NF-κB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC).Conclusion: For the first time, we found that increased expression of LTF was observed in the aging meniscus and could induce meniscal senescence and degeneration by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway. These results revealed that LTF could be a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for age-related meniscal degeneration

Macrophage polarization states in atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory condition primarily affecting large and medium arteries, is the main cause of cardiovascular diseases. Macrophages are key mediators of inflammatory responses. They are involved in all stages of atherosclerosis development and progression, from plaque formation to transition into vulnerable plaques, and are considered important therapeutic targets. Increasing evidence suggests that the modulation of macrophage polarization can effectively control the progression of atherosclerosis. Herein, we explore the role of macrophage polarization in the progression of atherosclerosis and summarize emerging therapies for the regulation of macrophage polarization. Thus, the aim is to inspire new avenues of research in disease mechanisms and clinical prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis

Dietary licorice flavonoids powder improves serum antioxidant capacity and immune organ inflammatory responses in weaned piglets

Weaning often induces oxidative stress and inflammatory response in piglets. This study investigated the effects of dietary licorice flavonoids powder (LFP) supplementation on antioxidant capacity and immunity in weaned piglets. Notably, 96 Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc (DLY) weaned piglets were randomly allocated to four treatments with 6 replicates (4 animals per replicate) and fed with diet supplementation with 0, 50, 150, and 250 mg/kg LFP, respectively. The trial lasted for 5 weeks. The results showed that dietary LFP supplementation effectively increased the liver index (P < 0.05). In addition, dietary LFP supplementation reduced serum aspartate aminotransferase activity (P < 0.01). Piglets fed with 50 mg/kg LFP decreased total cholesterol and HDL-C content in serum (P < 0.05) and increased serum alkaline phosphatase activity (P < 0.01). Similarly, supplementation with 150 mg/kg LFP elevated the activity of total antioxidant capability (T-AOC) in serum (P < 0.01) and dietary with 150 and 250 mg/kg LFP increased T-AOC activity in spleen (P < 0.01). Moreover, dietary with 150 mg/kg LFP addition enhanced (P < 0.05) the serum IgG content of piglets. Additionally, compared with the control group, dietary 250 mg/kg LFP supplementation upregulated (P < 0.05) the mRNA abundance of Interleukin (IL)-1β and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in the spleen. Meanwhile, dietary 150 and 250 mg/kg LFP supplementation downregulated (P < 0.05) mRNA abundance of IL-10, and MCP-1 and 250 mg/kg LFP upregulated (P < 0.05) the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in the thymus. In conclusion, LFP supplementation improved the immune function of piglets by regulating the activity of serum biochemical enzymes, improving the antioxidant capacity, and alleviating inflammation of immune organs. This study indicated that LFP is potential alternative protection against early weaned stress in piglets

Musca domestica Cecropin (Mdc) Alleviates Salmonella typhimurium-Induced Colonic Mucosal Barrier Impairment: Associating With Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Response, Tight Junction as Well as Intestinal Flora

Salmonella typhimurium, a Gram-negative food-borne pathogen, induces impairment in intestinal mucosal barrier function frequently. The injury is related to many factors such as inflammation, oxidative stress, tight junctions and flora changes in the host intestine. Musca domestica cecropin (Mdc), a novel antimicrobial peptide containing 40 amino acids, has potential antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunological functions. It remains unclear exactly whether and how Mdc reduces colonic mucosal barrier damage caused by S. typhimurium. Twenty four 6-week-old male mice were divided into four groups: normal group, control group (S. typhimurium-challenged), Mdc group, and ceftriaxone sodium group (Cs group). HE staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed to observe the morphology of the colon tissues. Bacterial load of S. typhimurium in colon, liver and spleen were determined by bacterial plate counting. Inflammatory factors were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Oxidative stress levels in the colon tissues were also analyzed. Immunofluorescence analysis, RT-PCR, and Western blot were carried out to examine the levels of tight junction and inflammatory proteins. The intestinal microbiota composition was assessed via 16s rDNA sequencing. We successfully built and evaluated an S. typhimurium-infection model in mice. Morphology and microcosmic change of the colon tissues confirmed the protective qualities of Mdc. Mdc could inhibit colonic inflammation and oxidative stress. Tight junctions were improved significantly after Mdc administration. Interestingly, Mdc ameliorated intestinal flora imbalance, which may be related to the improvement of tight junction. Our results shed a new light on protective effects and mechanism of the antimicrobial peptide Mdc on colonic mucosal barrier damage caused by S. typhimurium infection. Mdc is expected to be an important candidate for S. typhimurium infection treatment

B Cells Regulate Neutrophilia during Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection and BCG Vaccination by Modulating the Interleukin-17 Response

We have previously demonstrated that B cells can shape the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, including the level of neutrophil infiltration and granulomatous inflammation at the site of infection. The present study examined the mechanisms by which B cells regulate the host neutrophilic response upon exposure to mycobacteria and how neutrophilia may influence vaccine efficacy. To address these questions, a murine aerosol infection tuberculosis (TB) model and an intradermal (ID) ear BCG immunization mouse model, involving both the μMT strain and B cell-depleted C57BL/6 mice, were used. IL (interleukin)-17 neutralization and neutrophil depletion experiments using these systems provide evidence that B cells can regulate neutrophilia by modulating the IL-17 response during M. tuberculosis infection and BCG immunization. Exuberant neutrophilia at the site of immunization in B cell-deficient mice adversely affects dendritic cell (DC) migration to the draining lymph nodes and attenuates the development of the vaccine-induced Th1 response. The results suggest that B cells are required for the development of optimal protective anti-TB immunity upon BCG vaccination by regulating the IL-17/neutrophilic response. Administration of sera derived from M. tuberculosis-infected C57BL/6 wild-type mice reverses the lung neutrophilia phenotype in tuberculous μMT mice. Together, these observations provide insight into the mechanisms by which B cells and humoral immunity modulate vaccine-induced Th1 response and regulate neutrophila during M. tuberculosis infection and BCG immunization. © 2013 Kozakiewicz et al