Effect of vasodilator PGE1 on sciatic nerve function, VEGF level, vascular permeability and peripheral nerve in type 2 diabetic rats

Purpose: To investigate the effect of vasodilator prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on sciatic nerve function, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vascular permeability and peripheral nerve in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats. Methods: Twenty-one rats in the study group were intraperitoneally injected with PGE1, while rats in T2DM untreated group (n = 21) were injected with an equivalent amount of normal saline. Seven rats were randomly selected from the study and the control groups every seven days for 21 days for determination of changes in sciatic nerve function, VEGF level, vascular permeability and peripheral nerves. Results: Sciatic nerve motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) was significantly higher in the study group than in T2DM untreated control group at the three time-points post-treatment (p < 0.01). The level of VEGF in the study group decreased, relative to the T2DM untreated control group on the 7th 14th and 21st days post- treatment (p < 0.05) while the water content of sciatic nerve tissue in study group was markedly decreased, relative to control value on day 21 (p < 0.05). Rats in the study group showed decreased TTT, relative to those in T2DM untreated group on days 7, 14 and 21 post-treatment (p < 0.01). Conclusion: PGE1 improves the sciatic nerve function of T2DM rats, reduces the level of serum VEGF and vascular permeability, and protects peripheral nerves. These findings provide a basis for the development of new T2DM drug

Influence of Ang-(1-7) intervention on ACE2-Ang (1-7)-Mas pathway activity, hepatic glucose metabolism and insulin resistance in type-2 diabetic rats

Purpose: To study the effects of angiotensin-(1-7) (angiot (1-7) intervention on angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-angiot-(1-7)-Mas pathway, hepatic glucose metabolism, and insulin resistance in rats with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Thirty-six Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control, diabetic control and study groups (12 rats per group). Rats in the normal group were fed normal feed, while rats in the observation and diabetic control groups were type-2 diabetes model, and were given subcutaneous injection of angiot-(1-7) for 8 weeks. Serum insulin resistance index (IRI) and fasting insulin (FINS) were assayed. Other parameters measured were the levels of ACE2 and Mas receptor mRNA in liver tissues. Results: The levels of FINS in the study and control groups decreased, relative to normal control, while the levels of IRI was elevated (p < 0.05). There were significant increases in study group levels of Mas and ACE2, while angiot-(1-7) was lower, relative to control group (p < 0.05). The expressions of ACE2 and Mas receptors in study and diabetic control rats groups were downregulated, when compared to normal control. The expressions of ACE2 and Mas receptors also decreased in the study group exposed to angiot-(1-7) (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Angiot-(1-7) significantly increases the levels of FINS and IR, improves hepatic glucose metabolism and enhances ACE2-angiot-(1-7)-Mas pathway. Thus, angiot-(1-7) may be a new drug candidate for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

EduChain: A Blockchain-based Education Data Management System

The predominant centralized paradigm in educational data management currently suffers from several critical issues such as vulnerability to malicious tampering, a high prevalence of diploma counterfeiting, and the onerous cost of certificate authentication. Decentralized blockchain technology, with its cutting-edge capabilities, presents a viable solution to these pervasive problems. In this paper, we illuminate the inherent limitations of existing centralized systems and introduce EduChain, a novel heterogeneous blockchain-based system for managing educational data. EduChain uniquely harnesses the strengths of both private and consortium blockchains, offering an unprecedented level of security and efficiency. In addition, we propose a robust mechanism for performing database consistency checks and error tracing. This is achieved through the implementation of a secondary consensus, employing the pt-table-checksum tool. This approach effectively addresses the prevalent issue of database mismatches. Our system demonstrates superior performance in key areas such as information verification, error traceback, and data security, thereby significantly improving the integrity and trustworthiness of educational data management. Through EduChain, we offer a powerful solution for future advancements in secure and efficient educational data management

Preparation and Properties of Oligo-chitosan Cross-linked Gelatin Biodegradable Films

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the effect of oligo-chitosan modification on the properties of gelatin-based films. Methods: The gelatin-based films were prepared by using gelatin extracted from scrap pig skin as a cheap raw material and chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol as cross-linking agents. The structural and mechanical properties were characterized by Fourier infrared spectroscopy, X-ray power diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, spectroscopy, and tensile test. Meanwhile, the ability of gelatin-based films in antioxidant, antibacterial, water stability and biodegradation were evaluated. Results: The multi-cross-linked gelatin-based films showed excellent mechanical properties, with a highest fracture stress of 37.09 MPa, a maximum tearing energy of 56.71 kJ/m2, and a good physical form maintained after 48 h of immersion in water. In addition, the films possessed excellent light transmission (up to 92.32%), good oxidation resistance (radical scavenging capacity up to 75.12%), excellent antimicrobial and biodegradability (complete degradation time <45 h). Conclusions: The addition of oligo-chitosan has changed the properties of gelatin-based films in mechanics and biodegradation, and endowed the films with good antibacterial and antioxidant capacity, indicating that it had great potential application value in food packaging

An outbreak of aseptic meningitis caused by coxsackievirus A9 in Gansu, the People's Republic of China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An outbreak of aseptic meningitis occurred in Tianshui city of Gansu Province, the People's Republic of China, from March to June 2005. A total of 85 patients were clinical confirmed as aseptic meningitis in this outbreak.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>CVA9 was mainly responsible for this outbreak supported by the clinical manifestations of the patients, epidemiological data of the outbreak, the results of RT-PCR and complete VP1 sequence determination, conventional neutralization assays, IgM serological assays, viral isolation and phylogenetics analysis. Through phylogenetic analysis and homogeneity analysis for partial VP1 gene, the nucleotide and amino acid homologies between Gansu isolates and former Chinese CVA9 strains were 88.2%-96.1% and 97.2%-99.2%, respectively. Multiple transmission chains of CVA9 occurred in different provinces or years in China. Moreover, in order to clarify the genotype of CVA9, Gansu CVA9 strains isolated in this outbreak were compared with other CVA9 isolates based on VP1/2A junction regions (genotyping region) and they might belong to a new genotype of CVA9, which could be assigned for genotype XIII,</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>CVA9 was confirmed as the pathogen responsible for this outbreak. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the CVA9 strains isolated in this outbreak might belong to a new genotype.</p

Microbial-feeding interactions reveal the effects of feeding blood on the gut microbiota of the aquaculture leech (Hirudo nipponica)

Leeches (Hirudo nipponica), as a kind of aquatic animal, mainly feed on fresh blood. After feeding, they needed to digest for a long time because the intestinal digestive enzyme content is low, so their digestive needed the help of gut microbiota. Here, we examined intestinal microbiota in captive Hirudo nipponica of different periods after feeding blood with high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that gut microbial diversity was lower before feeding than after. At the level of the core phylum of the gut microbiota of Hirudo nipponica, the focus was on Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. After feeding blood, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria decreased, while the opposite was true for Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. The core bacteria at the genus level are Aeromonas and Mucinivorans. The results show that the structure of the gut microbiota and function are closely associated with the blood feeding. The study aimed to lay a theoretical foundation for the blood-digestive mechanism of Hirudo nipponica

Molecular epidemiology of measles viruses in China, 1995–2003

This report describes the genetic characterization of 297 wild-type measles viruses that were isolated in 24 provinces of China between 1995 and 2003. Phylogenetic analysis of the N gene sequences showed that all of the isolates belonged to genotype H1 except 3 isolates, which were genotype A. The nucleotide sequence and predicted amino acid homologies of the 294-genotype H1 strains were 94.7%–100% and 93.3%–100%, respectively. The genotype H1 isolates were divided into 2 clusters, which differed by approximately 2.9% at the nucleotide level. Viruses from both clusters were distributed throughout China with no apparent geographic restriction and multiple co-circulating lineages were present in many provinces. Even though other measles genotypes have been detected in countries that border China, this report shows that genotype H1 is widely distributed throughout the country and that China has a single, endemic genotype. This important baseline data will help to monitor the progress of measles control in China

Age at first birth in women is genetically associated with increased risk of schizophrenia

Prof. Paunio on PGC:n jäsenPrevious studies have shown an increased risk for mental health problems in children born to both younger and older parents compared to children of average-aged parents. We previously used a novel design to reveal a latent mechanism of genetic association between schizophrenia and age at first birth in women (AFB). Here, we use independent data from the UK Biobank (N = 38,892) to replicate the finding of an association between predicted genetic risk of schizophrenia and AFB in women, and to estimate the genetic correlation between schizophrenia and AFB in women stratified into younger and older groups. We find evidence for an association between predicted genetic risk of schizophrenia and AFB in women (P-value = 1.12E-05), and we show genetic heterogeneity between younger and older AFB groups (P-value = 3.45E-03). The genetic correlation between schizophrenia and AFB in the younger AFB group is -0.16 (SE = 0.04) while that between schizophrenia and AFB in the older AFB group is 0.14 (SE = 0.08). Our results suggest that early, and perhaps also late, age at first birth in women is associated with increased genetic risk for schizophrenia in the UK Biobank sample. These findings contribute new insights into factors contributing to the complex bio-social risk architecture underpinning the association between parental age and offspring mental health.Peer reviewe