Combining Krafft Point and Volume Phase Transition Temperature Toward Regulation of Solar Radiation and Privacy Protection

Abstract Everlasting pursuit of high energy efficiency as well as meeting fluctuant temperatures raise various lighting requirements, which is driving the originality of thermochromic smart windows (SWs). SWs with dual‐temperature response upon rational designs are identified as an effective approach to regulate solar radiation and protect privacy. Here, combining the Krafft point (Tk) of ionic surfactants and the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of gels toward SW materials is utilized to achieve a transition of opacity‐transparence‐opacity as temperature change, maintaining transparency at an intermediate temperature range with favorable optical modulation parameters. Cationic surfactant, hexadecylpyridinium bromide (HPB), and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) are combined using Tk and VPTT to serve as the dual thermo‐responsive switches for regulating solar radiation and protecting privacy. Tk of HPB can be adjusted by adding salts and VPTT is turned by introducing hydrophilic and hydrophobic comonomer. This work provides a realizable pathway by which in situ adjustable parameters may be performed and operated in external environment conditions, completely changing the smart window materials

Mapping of the complement C1q binding site on Trichinella spiralis paramyosin

Abstract Background Trichinella spiralis is a tissue-dwelling parasite has developed the ability to evade the host immune attack to establish parasitism in a host. One of the strategies evolved by the nematode is to produce proteins that immunomodulate the host immune system. TsPmy is a paramyosin secreted by T. spiralis on the surface of larvae and adult worms that can interact with complement components C1q and C8/C9 to compromise their activation and functions. To better understand the mechanism of TsPmy involved in the C1q inactivation and immune evasion, the C1q-binding site on TsPmy was investigated. Methods The TsPmy C1q-binding site was investigated by sequential narrow-down fragment expression in bacteria and peptide binding screening. C1q binding activity was identified by Far-Western blotting and ELISA assays. Results After several runs of sequential fragment expression, the C1q binding site was narrowed down to fragments of N-terminal TsPmy226-280aa and TsPmy231-315aa, suggesting the final C1q binding site is probably located to TsPmy231-280aa. A total of nine peptides covering different amino acid sequences within TsPmy231-280aa were synthesized. The binding assay to C1q determined that only P2 peptide covering TsPmy241-280aa binds to C1q, indicating that the C1q binding domain may need both the linearized sequence and conformational structure required for binding to C1q. The binding of peptide P2 to C1q significantly inhibited both C1q-initiated complement classical activation and C1q-induced macrophage chemotaxis. Conclusions This study identifies the C1q binding site within TsPmy which provides helpful information for developing a vaccine against trichinellosis by targeting the C1q-binding activity of TsPmy

Mapping high-resolution forest aboveground biomass of China using multisource remote sensing data

Forest aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation is crucial for carbon cycle studies and climate change mitigation actions. However, because of limitations in timely and reliable forestry surveys and high-resolution remote sensing data, producing a fine resolution and spatial continuous forest AGB map of China is challenging. Here, we combined 4789 ground-truth AGB measurements and multisource remote sensing data such as a recently released forest canopy-height product, optical spectral indexes, topographic data, climatological data, and soil properties to train a random forest regression model for forest AGB estimation of China at 30-m resolution. The accuracy of the estimated AGB can yield R2 = 0.67 and RMSE = 70.71 Mg/ha. The nationwide estimates show that the average forest AGB and total forest carbon storage were 97.57 ± 23.85 Mg/ha and 11.06 Pg C for the year 2019, respectively. The value of AGB uncertainty ranges from 0.68 Mg/ha to 37.80 Mg/ha, and the average AGB uncertainty was 4.32 ± 1.75 Mg/ha. The forest AGB estimates of China in this study correspond reasonably well with the AGB estimates derived from the forestry and grassland statistical yearbook at the provincial level (R2 = 0.61, RMSE = 30.15 Mg/ha). In addition, we found that previous AGB products generally underestimate the forest AGB compared with our estimated AGB at the pixel-level and ground-truth AGB measurements. The high-resolution forest AGB map provides an important alternative data source for forest carbon cycle studies and can be used as a baseline map for forest management and conservation practices

Isoforsythiaside Attenuates Alzheimer’s Disease via Regulating Mitochondrial Function Through the PI3K/AKT Pathway

Improving mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibiting apoptosis has always been regarded as a treatment strategy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Isoforsythiaside (IFY), a phenylethanoid glycoside isolated from the dried fruit of Forsythia suspensa, displays antioxidant activity. This study examined the neuroprotective effects of IFY and its underlying mechanisms. In the L-glutamate (L-Glu)-induced apoptosis of HT22 cells, IFY increased cell viability, inhibited mitochondrial apoptosis, and reduced the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), caspase-3, -8 and -9 after 3 h of pretreatment and 12–24 h of co-incubation. In the APPswe/PSEN1dE9 transgenic (APP/PS1) model, IFY reduced the anxiety of mice, improved their memory and cognitive ability, reduced the deposition of beta amyloid (Aβ) plaques in the brain, restrained the phosphorylation of the tau protein to form neurofibrillary tangles, inhibited the level of 4-hydroxynonenal in the brain, and improved phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway-related mitochondrial apoptosis. In Aβ1-42-induced U251 cells, IFY relieved the mitochondrial swelling, crest ruptures and increased their electron density after 3 h of pretreatment and 18–24 h of co-incubation. The improved cell viability and mitochondrial function after IFY incubation was blocked by the synthetic PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Taken together, these results suggest that IFY exerts a protective effect against AD by enhancing the expression levels of anti-apoptosis proteins and reducing the expression levels of pro-apoptosis proteins of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family members though activating the PI3K/AKT pathway

Comparisons of minimally invasive esophagectomy and open esophagectomy in lymph node metastasis/dissection for thoracic esophageal cancer

Abstract. Background:. The study aimed to clarify the characteristics of lymph node metastasis (LNM) and to compare the oncologic outcomes of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) with open esophagectomy (OE) in terms of lymph node dissection (LND) in thoracic esophageal cancer patients. Methods:. The data from esophageal cancer patients who underwent MIE or OE from January 2016 to January 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. The characteristics of LNM in thoracic esophageal cancer were discussed, and the differences in numbers of LND, LND rate, and LNM rate/degree of upper mediastinum between MIE and OE were compared. Results:. For overall characteristics of LNM in 249 included patients, the highest rate of LNM was found in upper mediastinum, while LNM rate in middle and lower mediastinum, and abdomen increased with the tumor site moving down. The patients were divided into MIE (n = 204) and OE groups (n = 45). In terms of number of LND, there were significant differences in upper mediastinum between MIE and OE groups (8 [5, 11] vs. 5 [3, 8], P < 0.001). The comparative analysis of regional lymph node showed there was no significant difference except the subgroup of upper mediastinal 2L and 4L group (3 [1, 5] vs. 0 [0, 2], P < 0.001 and 0 [0, 2] vs. 0, P = 0.012, respectively). Meanwhile, there was no significant difference in terms of LND rate except 2L (89.7% [183/204] vs. 71.1% [32/45], P = 0.001) and 4L (41.2% [84/204] vs. 22.2% [10/45], P = 0.018) groups. For LNM rate of T3 stage, there was no significant difference between MIE and OE groups, and the comparative analysis of regional lymph node showed that there was no significant difference except 2L group (11.1% [5/45] vs. 38.1% [8/21], P = 0.025). The LNM degree of OE group was significantly higher than that of MIE group (27.2% [47/173] vs. 7.6% [32/419], P < 0.001), and the comparative analysis of regional LNM degree showed that there was no significant difference except 2L (34.7% [17/49] vs. 7.7% [13/169], P < 0.001) and 4L (23.8% [5/21] vs. 3.9% [2/51], P = 0.031) subgroups. Conclusion:. MIE may have an advantage in LND of upper mediastinum 2L and 4L groups, while it was similar to OE in other stations of LND

Mapping high-resolution forest aboveground biomass of China using multisource remote sensing data

Forest aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation is crucial for carbon cycle studies and climate change mitigation actions. However, because of limitations in timely and reliable forestry surveys and high-resolution remote sensing data, producing a fine resolution and spatial continuous forest AGB map of China is challenging. Here, we combined 4789 ground-truth AGB measurements and multisource remote sensing data such as a recently released forest canopy-height product, optical spectral indexes, topographic data, climatological data, and soil properties to train a random forest regression model for forest AGB estimation of China at 30-m resolution. The accuracy of the estimated AGB can yield R2 = 0.67 and RMSE = 70.71 Mg/ha. The nationwide estimates show that the average forest AGB and total forest carbon storage were 97.57 ± 23.85 Mg/ha and 11.06 Pg C for the year 2019, respectively. The value of AGB uncertainty ranges from 0.68 Mg/ha to 37.80 Mg/ha, and the average AGB uncertainty was 4.32 ± 1.75 Mg/ha. The forest AGB estimates of China in this study correspond reasonably well with the AGB estimates derived from the forestry and grassland statistical yearbook at the provincial level (R2 = 0.61, RMSE = 30.15 Mg/ha). In addition, we found that previous AGB products generally underestimate the forest AGB compared with our estimated AGB at the pixel-level and ground-truth AGB measurements. The high-resolution forest AGB map provides an important alternative data source for forest carbon cycle studies and can be used as a baseline map for forest management and conservation practices.</p