318 research outputs found
Panax Quinquefolius Saponin of Stem and Leaf Attenuates Intermittent High Glucose-Induced Oxidative Stress Injury in Cultured Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells via PI3K/Akt/GSK-3 β
Panax quinquefolius saponin of stem and leaf (PQS), the effective parts of American ginseng, is widely used in China as a folk medicine for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases treatment. In our previous studies, we have demonstrated that PQS could improve the endothelial function of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats with high glucose fluctuation. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of PQS against intermittent high glucose-induced oxidative damage on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase kinase (PI3K)/Akt/GSK-3β pathway involved.
Our results suggested that exposure of HUVECs to a high glucose concentration for 8 days showed a great decrease in cell viability accompanied by marked MDA content increase and SOD activity decrease. Moreover, high glucose significantly reduced the phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β. More importantly, these effects were even more evident in intermittent high glucose condition. PQS treatment significantly attenuated intermittent high glucose-induced oxidative damage on HUVECs and meanwhile increased cell viability and phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β of HUVECs. Interestingly, all these reverse effects of PQS on intermittent high glucose-cultured HUVECs were inhibited by PI3K inhibitor LY294002. These findings suggest that PQS attenuates intermittent-high-glucose-induced oxidative stress injury in HUVECs by PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway
Two-dimensional non-Hermitian skin effect in an ultracold Fermi gas
The concept of non-Hermiticity has expanded the understanding of band
topology leading to the emergence of counter-intuitive phenomena. One example
is the non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE), which involves the concentration of
eigenstates at the boundary. However, despite the potential insights that can
be gained from high-dimensional non-Hermitian quantum systems in areas like
curved space, high-order topological phases, and black holes, the realization
of this effect in high dimensions remains unexplored. Here, we create a
two-dimensional (2D) non-Hermitian topological band for ultracold fermions in
spin-orbit-coupled optical lattices with tunable dissipation, and
experimentally examine the spectral topology in the complex eigenenergy plane.
We experimentally demonstrate pronounced nonzero spectral winding numbers when
the dissipation is added to the system, which establishes the existence of 2D
skin effect. We also demonstrate that a pair of exceptional points (EPs) are
created in the momentum space, connected by an open-ended bulk Fermi arc, in
contrast to closed loops found in Hermitian systems. The associated EPs emerge
and shift with increasing dissipation, leading to the formation of the Fermi
arc. Our work sets the stage for further investigation into simulating
non-Hermitian physics in high dimensions and paves the way for understanding
the interplay of quantum statistics with NHSE.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures with supplementary informatio
Data Distribution Dynamics in Real-World WiFi-Based Patient Activity Monitoring for Home Healthcare
This paper examines the application of WiFi signals for real-world monitoring
of daily activities in home healthcare scenarios. While the state-of-the-art of
WiFi-based activity recognition is promising in lab environments, challenges
arise in real-world settings due to environmental, subject, and system
configuration variables, affecting accuracy and adaptability. The research
involved deploying systems in various settings and analyzing data shifts. It
aims to guide realistic development of robust, context-aware WiFi sensing
systems for elderly care. The findings suggest a shift in WiFi-based activity
sensing, bridging the gap between academic research and practical applications,
enhancing life quality through technology
High-throughput sequencing and characterization of potentially pathogenic fungi from the vaginal mycobiome of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in estrus and non-estrus
IntroductionThe giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) reproduction is of worldwide attention, and the vaginal microbiome is one of the most important factors affecting the reproductive rate of giant pandas. The aim of this study is to investigate the diversity of vaginal mycobiota structure, and potential pathogenic fungi in female giant pandas during estrus and non-estrus.MethodsThis study combined with high-throughput sequencing and laboratory testing to compare the diversity of the vaginal mycobiota in giant pandas during estrus and non-estrus, and to investigate the presence of potentially pathogenic fungi. Potentially pathogenic fungi were studied in mice to explore their pathogenicity.Results and discussionThe results revealed that during estrus, the vaginal secretions of giant pandas play a crucial role in fungal colonization. Moreover, the diversity of the vaginal mycobiota is reduced and specificity is enhanced. The abundance of Trichosporon and Cutaneotrichosporon in the vaginal mycobiota of giant pandas during estrus was significantly higher than that during non-estrus periods. Apiotrichum and Cutaneotrichosporon were considered the most important genera, and they primarily originate from the environment owing to marking behavior exhibited during the estrous period of giant pandas. Trichosporon is considered a resident mycobiota of the vagina and is an important pathogen that causes infection when immune system is suppressed. Potentially pathogenic fungi were further isolated and identified from the vaginal secretions of giant pandas during estrus, and seven strains of Apiotrichum (A. brassicae), one strain of Cutaneotrichosporon (C. moniliiforme), and nine strains of Trichosporon (two strains of T. asteroides, one strain of T. inkin, one strain of T. insectorum, and five strains of T. japonicum) were identified. Pathogenicity results showed that T. asteroides was the most pathogenic strain, as it is associated with extensive connective tissue replacement and inflammatory cell infiltration in both liver and kidney tissues. The results of this study improve our understanding of the diversity of the vaginal fungi present in giant pandas and will significantly contribute to improving the reproductive health of giant pandas in the future
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