Exercise training-induced PPARβ increases PGC-1α protein stability and improves insulin-induced glucose uptake in rodent muscles

This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of training intervention and resting on protein expression and stability of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β/δ (PPARβ), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-α (PGC1α), glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4), and mitochondrial proteins, and determine whether glucose homeostasis can be regulated through stable expression of these proteins after training. Rats swam daily for 3, 6, 9, 14, or 28 days, and then allowed to rest for 5 days post-training. Protein and mRNA levels were measured in the skeletal muscles of these rats. PPARβ was overexpressed and knocked down in myotubes in the skeletal muscle to investigate the effects of swimming training on various signaling cascades of PGC-1α transcription, insulin signaling, and glucose uptake. Exercise training (Ext) upregulated PPARβ, PGC-1α, GLUT4, and mitochondrial enzymes, including NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (NUO), cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX1), citrate synthase (CS), and cytochrome c (Cyto C) in a time-dependent manner and promoted the protein stability of PPARβ, PGC-1α, GLUT4, NUO, CS, and Cyto C, such that they were significantly upregulated 5 days after training cessation. PPARβ overexpression increased the PGC-1α protein levels post-translation and improved insulin-induced signaling responsiveness and glucose uptake. The present results indicate that Ext promotes the protein stability of key mitochondria enzymes GLUT4, PGC-1α, and PPARβ even after Ext cessation

Substrate-Mediated Spreading and Phase Segregation at LSM-Zirconia Interfaces

Atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis was used to characterize changes in teh structure and composition of La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 (LSM) nanoparticles supported on single crystal YSZ (100) (yttria-stabilized zirconia) and SrTiO3(100) surfaces as a function of temperature and exposure to oxidizing and reducing environments. On YSZ(100), LSM particles were found to decompose into Mn- and La-rich phases and spread over the surface upon calcination in air at temperatures above 1123 K. The Mn-rich phase was observed to have a higher mobility and spread more rapidly. In contrast to YSZ(100), on SrTiO3(100) the LSM particles underwent agglomeration via an Ostwald ripening mechanism upon calcination at temperatures above 1123 K, resulting in an increase in the particle size. Phase separation was not observed on this substrate

Integrated In-vehicle Monitoring System Using 3D Human Pose Estimation and Seat Belt Segmentation

Recently, along with interest in autonomous vehicles, the importance of monitoring systems for both drivers and passengers inside vehicles has been increasing. This paper proposes a novel in-vehicle monitoring system the combines 3D pose estimation, seat-belt segmentation, and seat-belt status classification networks. Our system outputs various information necessary for monitoring by accurately considering the data characteristics of the in-vehicle environment. Specifically, the proposed 3D pose estimation directly estimates the absolute coordinates of keypoints for a driver and passengers, and the proposed seat-belt segmentation is implemented by applying a structure based on the feature pyramid. In addition, we propose a classification task to distinguish between normal and abnormal states of wearing a seat belt using results that combine 3D pose estimation with seat-belt segmentation. These tasks can be learned simultaneously and operate in real-time. Our method was evaluated on a private dataset we newly created and annotated. The experimental results show that our method has significantly high performance that can be applied directly to real in-vehicle monitoring systems.Comment: AAAI 2022 workshop AI for Transportation accepte

Normal stress difference-driven particle focusing in nanoparticle colloidal dispersion

Colloidal dispersion has elastic properties due to Brownian relaxation process. However, experimental evidence for the elastic properties, characterized with normal stress differences, is elusive in shearing colloidal dispersion, particularly at low Peclet numbers (Pe < 1). Here, we report that single micrometer-sized polystyrene (PS) beads, suspended in silica nanoparticle dispersion (8 nm radius; 22%, v/v), laterally migrate and form a tightly focused stream by the normal stress differences, generated in pressure-driven microtube flow at low Pe. The nanoparticle dispersion was expected to behave as a Newtonian fluid because of its ultrashort relaxation time (2 mu s), but large shear strain experienced by the PS beads causes the notable non-Newtonian behavior. We demonstrate that the unique rheological properties of the nanoparticle dispersion generate the secondary flow in perpendicular to mainstream in a noncircular conduit, and the elastic properties of blood plasma-constituting protein solutions are elucidated by the colloidal dynamics of protein molecules

Impact of commercial cigarette smoke condensate on brain tissue co-cultured with astrocytes and blood-brain barrier endothelial cells

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of two commercial cigarette smoke condensates (CCSC) on oxidative stress and cell cytotoxicity in human brain (T98G) or astrocytes (U-373 MG) in the presence of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC). Cell viability of mono-culture of T98G or U-373 MG was markedly decreased in a concentration-dependent manner, and T98G was more susceptible than U-373 MG to CCSC exposure. Cytotoxicity was less prominent when T98G was co-cultured with HBMEC than when T98G was co-cultured with U-373 MG. Significant reduction in trans-epithelial electric resistance (TEER), a biomarker of cellular integrity was noted in HBMEC co-cultured with T98G (HBMEC-T98G co-culture) and U-373 MG co-cultured with T98G (U-373 MG-T98G co-culture) after 24 or 48 hr CCSC exposure, respectively. TEER value of U-373 MG co-cultured with T98G (79-84%) was higher than HBMEC co-cultured with T98G (62-63%) within 120-hr incubation with CCSC. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by CCSC in mono-culture of T98G and U-373 MG reached highest levels at 4 and 16 mg/ml, respectively. ROS production by T98G fell when co-cultured with HBMEC or U-373MG. These findings suggest that adverse consequences of CCSC treatment on brain cells may be protected by blood-brain barrier or astrocytes, but with chronic exposure toxicity may be worsened due to destruction of cellular integrity.

Effect of the Phosphorus Gettering on Si Heterojunction Solar Cells

To improve the efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells, should be collected the excess carrier as much as possible. Therefore, minimizing the recombination both at the bulk and surface regions is important. Impurities make recombination sites and they are the major reason for recombination. Phosphorus (P) gettering was introduced to reduce metal impurities in the bulk region of Si wafers and then to improve the efficiency of Si heterojunction solar cells fabricated on the wafers. Resistivity of wafers was measured by a four-point probe method. Fill factor of solar cells was measured by a solar simulator. Saturation current and ideality factor were calculated from a dark current density-voltage graph. External quantum efficiency was analyzed to assess the effect of P gettering on the performance of solar cells. Minority bulk lifetime measured by microwave photoconductance decay increases from 368.3 to 660.8 mu s. Open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density increase from 577 to 598 mV and 27.8 to 29.8mA/cm(2), respectively. The efficiency of solar cells increases from 11.9 to 13.4%. P gettering will be feasible to improve the efficiency of Si heterojunction solar cells fabricated on P-doped Si wafers.open1

The Rhizome Mixture of Anemarrhena asphodeloides

We investigated the effect of DWac on the gut microbiota composition in mice with 2,3,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid- (TNBS-) induced colitis. Treatment with DWac restored TNBS-disturbed gut microbiota composition and attenuated TNBS-induced colitis. Moreover, we examined the effect of DWac in mice with mesalazine-resistant colitis (MRC). Intrarectal injection of TNBS in MRC mice caused severe colitis, as well as colon shortening, edema, and increased myeloperoxidase activity. Treatment with mesalazine (30 mg/kg) did not attenuate TNBS-induced colitis in MRC mice, whereas treatment with DWac (30 mg/kg) significantly attenuated TNBS-induced colitis. Moreover, treatment with the mixture of mesalazine (15 mg/kg) and DWac (15 mg/kg) additively attenuated colitis in MRC mice. Treatment with DWac and its mixture with mesalazine inhibited TNBS-induced activation of NF-κB and expression of M1 macrophage markers but increased TNBS-suppressed expression of M2 macrophage markers. Furthermore, these inhibited TNBS-induced T-bet, RORγt, TNF-α, and IL-17 expression but increased TNBS-suppressed Foxp3 and IL-10 expression. However, Th2 cell differentiation and GATA3 and IL-5 expression were not affected. These findings suggest that DWac can ameliorate MRC by increasing the polarization of M2 macrophage and correcting the disturbance of gut microbiota and Th1/Th17/Treg, as well as additively attenuating MRC along with mesalazine

Antiretroviral Genotypic Resistance Mutations in HIV-1 Infected Korean Patients with Virologic Failure

Resistance assays are useful in guiding decisions for patients experiencing virologic failure (VF) during highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We investigated antiretroviral resistance mutations in 41 Korean human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infected patients with VF and observed immunologic/virologic response 6 months after HAART regimen change. Mean HAART duration prior to resistance assay was 45.3±27.5 months and commonly prescribed HAART regimens were zidovudine/lamivudine/nelfinavir (22.0%) and zidovudine/lamivudine/efavirenz (19.5%). Forty patients (97.6%) revealed intermediate to high-level resistance to equal or more than 2 antiretroviral drugs among prescribed HAART regimen. M184V/I mutation was observed in 36 patients (87.7%) followed by T215Y/F (41.5%) and M46I/L (34%). Six months after resistance assay and HAART regimen change, median CD4+ T cell count increased from 168 cells/µL (interquartile range [IQR], 62-253) to 276 cells/µL (IQR, 153-381) and log viral load decreased from 4.65 copies/mL (IQR, 4.18-5.00) to 1.91 copies/mL (IQR, 1.10-3.60) (P<0.001 for both values). The number of patients who accomplished viral load <400 copies/mL was 26 (63.4%) at 6 months follow-up. In conclusion, many Korean HIV-1 infected patients with VF are harboring strains with multiple resistance mutations and immunologic/virologic parameters are improved significantly after genotypic resistance assay and HAART regimen change

Monoclinic and Correlated Metal Phase in VO_2 as Evidence of the Mott Transition: Coherent Phonon Analysis

In femtosecond pump-probe measurements, the appearance of coherent phonon oscillations at 4.5 THz and 6.0 THz indicating the rutile metal phase of VO_2 does not occur simultaneously with the first-order metal-insulator transition (MIT) near 68^oC. The monoclinic and correlated metal(MCM) phase between the MIT and the structural phase transition (SPT) is generated by a photo-assisted hole excitation which is evidence of the Mott transition. The SPT between the MCM phase and the rutile metal phase occurs due to subsequent Joule heating. The MCM phase can be regarded as an intermediate non-equilibrium state.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure