Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model in Rodents: Methods and Potential Pitfalls

A variety of animal models have been developed for modeling ischemic stroke. The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model has been utilized extensively, especially in rodents. While the MCAO model provides stroke researchers with an excellent platform to investigate the disease, controversial or even paradoxical results are occasionally seen in the literature utilizing this model. Various factors exert important effects on the outcome in this stroke model, including the age and sex of the animal examined. This paper discusses emerging information on the effects of age and sex on ischemic outcomes after MCAO, with an emphasis on mouse models of stroke

The Factors Influencing the Idea Recognition of Open Innovation Platforms: Take LEGO Ideas as an Example

With the influx of users posting their ideas to Open Innovation Platforms (OIPs), there has been widespread interest in how companies screen high-quality ideas. Most of the existing literature on idea quality focuses on the adoption of ideas by companies, while ignoring the recognition among users. Based on the ideas posted by users of LEGO Ideas, this study first analyzes the influence of users’ social learning and social network on their innovation ability, and then further investigates the influence of idea authors’ innovation ability and idea content’s characteristics on idea recognition based on signal theory. The findings suggest that more challenging social learning as well as weighted indegree and betweenness centrality of social network positively affect users’ innovation ability and weighted outdegree of social network negatively affects users’ innovation ability. Meanwhile, idea authors’ innovation ability and the number of pictures, text length, richness, popularity, and emotional polarity of idea content positively affect idea recognition. Distinct from the existing literature, this paper focuses on idea recognition among users, delves into the influence of social learning and social network on users’ innovation ability, and integrates the study of factors influencing users’ innovation ability into the study of factors influencing idea recognition

Preparation and Synergy of Supported Ru0 and Pd0 for Rapid Chlorate Reduction at pH 7

Chlorate (ClO3–) is a common water pollutant due to its gigantic scale of production, wide applications in agriculture and industry, and formation as a toxic byproduct in various water treatment processes. This work reports on the facile preparation, mechanistic elucidation, and kinetic evaluation of a bimetallic catalyst for highly active ClO3– reduction into Cl–. Under 1 atm H2 and 20 °C, PdII and RuIII were sequentially adsorbed and reduced on a powdered activated carbon support, affording Ru0–Pd0/C from scratch within only 20 min. The Pd0 particles significantly accelerated the reductive immobilization of RuIII as \u3e55% dispersed Ru0 outside Pd0. At pH 7, Ru–Pd/C shows a substantially higher activity of ClO3– reduction (initial turnover frequency \u3e13.9 min–1 on Ru0; rate constant at 4050 L h–1 gmetal–1) than reported catalysts (e.g., Rh/C, Ir/C, Mo–Pd/C) and the monometallic Ru/C. In particular, Ru–Pd/C accomplished the reduction of concentrated 100 mM ClO3– (turnover number \u3e 11,970), whereas Ru/C was quickly deactivated. In the bimetallic synergy, Ru0 rapidly reduces ClO3– while Pd0 scavenges the Ru-passivating ClO2– and restores Ru0. This work demonstrates a simple and effective design for heterogeneous catalysts tailored for emerging water treatment needs

Insight into the Desolvation of Quaternary Ammonium Cation with Acetonitrile as a Solvent in Hydroxyl-Flat Pores: A First-Principles Calculation

Supercapacitors have a wide range of applications in high-technology fields. The desolvation of organic electrolyte cations affects the capacity size and conductivity of supercapacitors. However, few relevant studies have been published in this field. In this experiment, the adsorption behavior of porous carbon was simulated with first-principles calculations using a graphene bilayer with a layer spacing of 4-10 Å as a hydroxyl-flat pore model. The reaction energies of quaternary ammonium cations, acetonitrile, and quaternary ammonium cationic complexes were calculated in a graphene bilayer with different interlayer spacings, and the desolvation behavior of TEA+ and SBP+ ions was described. The critical size for the complete desolvation of [TEA(AN)]+ was 4.7 Å, and the partial desolvation size ranged from 4.7 to 4.8 Å. The critical size for the complete desolvation of [SBP(AN)]+ was 5.2 Å, and the partial desolvation size ranged from 5.2 to 5.5 Å. As the ionic radius of the quaternary ammonium cation decreased, the desolvation size showed a positive trend. A density of states (DOS) analysis of the desolvated quaternary ammonium cations embedded in the hydroxyl-flat pore structure showed that the conductivity of the hydroxyl-flat pore was enhanced after gaining electrons. The results of this paper provide some help in selecting organic electrolytes to improve the capacity and conductivity of supercapacitors

Regulation of Microglial Activation in Stroke in Aged Mice: A Translational Study

Numerous neurochemical changes occur with aging and stroke mainly affects the elderly. Our previous study has found interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) and 4 (IRF4) regulate neuroinflammation in young stroke mice. However, whether the IRF5-IRF4 regulatory axis has the same effect in aged brains is not known. In this study, aged (18-20-month-old), microglial IRF5 or IRF4 conditional knockout (CKO) mice were subjected to a 60-min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Stroke outcomes were quantified at 3d after MCAO. Flow cytometry and ELISA were performed to evaluate microglial activation and immune responses. We found aged microglia express higher levels of IRF5 and lower levels of IRF4 than young microglia after stroke. IRF5 CKO aged mice had improved stroke outcomes; whereas worse outcomes were seen in IRF4 CKO vs. their flox controls. IRF5 CKO aged microglia had significantly lower levels of IL-1β and CD68 than controls; whereas significantly higher levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were seen in IRF4 CKO vs. control microglia. Plasma levels of TNF-α and MIP-1α were decreased in IRF5 CKO vs. flox aged mice, and IL-1β/IL-6 levels were increased in IRF4 CKO vs. controls. The anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4/IL-10) levels were higher in IRF5 CKO, and lower in IRF4 CKO aged mice vs. their flox controls. IRF5 and IRF4 signaling drives microglial pro- and anti-inflammatory response respectively; microglial IRF5 is detrimental and IRF4 beneficial for aged mice in stroke. IRF5-IRF4 axis is a promising target for developing new, effective therapeutic strategies for the cerebral ischemia

Application of Natural Polysaccharides and Their Novel Dosage Forms in Gynecological Cancers: Therapeutic Implications From the Diversity Potential of Natural Compounds

Cancer is one of the most lethal diseases. Globally, the number of cancers is nearly 10 million per year. Gynecological cancers (for instance, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial), relying on hidden diseases, misdiagnoses, and high recurrence rates, have seriously affected women\u27s health. Traditional chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy effectively improve the prognosis of gynecological cancer patients. However, with the emergence of adverse reactions and drug resistance, leading to the occurrence of complications and poor compliance of patients, we have to focus on the new treatment direction of gynecological cancers. Because of the potential effects of natural drugs in regulating immune function, protecting against oxidative damage, and improving the energy metabolism of the body, natural compounds represented by polysaccharides have also attracted extensive attention in recent years. More and more studies have shown that polysaccharides are effective in the treatment of various tumors and in reducing the burden of metastasis. In this review, we focus on the positive role of natural polysaccharides in the treatment of gynecologic cancer, the molecular mechanisms, and the available evidence, and discuss the potential use of new dosage forms derived from polysaccharides in gynecologic cancer. This study covers the most comprehensive discussion on applying natural polysaccharides and their novel preparations in gynecological cancers. By providing complete and valuable sources of information, we hope to promote more effective treatment solutions for clinical diagnosis and treatment of gynecological cancers