Pro-angiogenic Role of Danqi Pill Through Activating Fatty Acids Oxidation Pathway Against Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide. Energy metabolism disorders, including a reduction in fatty acids oxidation and upregulation of glycolysis pathway, are involved in the process of CAD. Therapeutic angiogenesis has become a promising treatment for CAD. Traditional Chinese medicines, such as Danqi Pill (DQP), have been proven to be effective in treating CAD in China for many years. However, the pro-angiogenic effects of DQP based on fatty acids oxidation are still unknown and the mechanism is worthy of investigation. In this study, left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery was ligated to induce the CAD models in vivo, and cardiac functions were examined using echocardiography. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were subjected to H2O2-induced oxidative stress in vitro. The effects of DQP on CAD rat models and in vitro HUVEC were detected. Our results showed that DQP had cardio-protective effects in rat model. The intensity of capillaries in the marginal area of infarction of the rat heart was increased remarkably in DQP group, and the expression of PPARα and VEGF-2 were increased. The key enzymes involved in the transportation and intake of fatty acids, including CPT1A and CD36, both increased. In H2O2-induced endothelial cells injury models, DQP also showed protective roles and promoted capillary-like tube formation. DQP up-regulated key enzymes in fatty acids oxidation in H2O2-treated HUVEC. In addition, inhibition of CPT1A compromised the pro-angiogenic effects of DQP. In conclusion, fatty acids oxidation axis PPARα-CD36-CPT1A was involved in the pro-angiogenic roles of DQP against CAD. Cardiac CPT1A may serve as a target in therapeutic angiogenesis in clinics

Population genetics, diversity and forensic characteristics of Tai–Kadai-speaking Bouyei revealed by insertion/deletions markers

Abstract(#br)China, inhabited by over 1.3 billion people and known for its genetic, cultural and linguistic diversity, is considered to be indispensable for understanding the association between language families and genetic diversity. In order to get a better understanding of the genetic diversity and forensic characteristics of Tai–Kadai-speaking populations in Southwest China, we genotyped 30 insertion/deletion (InDel) markers and amelogenin in 205 individuals from Tai–Kadai-speaking Bouyei people using the Qiagen Investigator DIPplex amplification kit. We carried out a comprehensive population genetic relationship investigation among 14,303 individuals from 84 worldwide populations based on allele frequency correlation and 4907 genotypes of 30 InDels from 36 populations distributed in..

Genomic Insights Into the Admixture History of Mongolic- and Tungusic-Speaking Populations From Southwestern East Asia

As a major part of the modern Trans-Eurasian or Altaic language family, most of the Mongolic and Tungusic languages were mainly spoken in northern China, Mongolia, and southern Siberia, but some were also found in southern China. Previous genetic surveys only focused on the dissection of genetic structure of northern Altaic-speaking populations; however, the ancestral origin and genomic diversification of Mongolic and Tungusic–speaking populations from southwestern East Asia remain poorly understood because of the paucity of high-density sampling and genome-wide data. Here, we generated genome-wide data at nearly 700,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 26 Mongolians and 55 Manchus collected from Guizhou province in southwestern China. We applied principal component analysis (PCA), ADMIXTURE, f statistics, qpWave/qpAdm analysis, qpGraph, TreeMix, Fst, and ALDER to infer the fine-scale population genetic structure and admixture history. We found significant genetic differentiation between northern and southern Mongolic and Tungusic speakers, as one specific genetic cline of Manchu and Mongolian was identified in Guizhou province. Further results from ADMIXTURE and f statistics showed that the studied Guizhou Mongolians and Manchus had a strong genetic affinity with southern East Asians, especially for inland southern East Asians. The qpAdm-based estimates of ancestry admixture proportion demonstrated that Guizhou Mongolians and Manchus people could be modeled as the admixtures of one northern ancestry related to northern Tungusic/Mongolic speakers or Yellow River farmers and one southern ancestry associated with Austronesian, Tai-Kadai, and Austroasiatic speakers. The qpGraph-based phylogeny and neighbor-joining tree further confirmed that Guizhou Manchus and Mongolians derived approximately half of the ancestry from their northern ancestors and the other half from southern Indigenous East Asians. The estimated admixture time ranged from 600 to 1,000 years ago, which further confirmed the admixture events were mediated via the Mongolians Empire expansion during the formation of the Yuan dynasty

Socio-spatial differentiation and residential segregation in the Chinese city based on the 2000 community-level census data: A case study of the inner city of Nanjing

Socio-spatial differentiation and residential segregation have been studied extensively in numerous cities and have contributed significantly to the understanding of urban spatial and social structures. Analyses of diverse data sets at varied spatial scales have supported the development of theoretical frameworks. However, the majority of Chinese case studies published in recent decades were dominantly based on either non-spatial data or population census data at sub-district (or jiedao in Chinese) level. These analyses have been limited through using low-resolution aggregate data resulting in incomplete or biased findings. This paper aims to examine the fine-scale socio-spatial structure of the inner city of Nanjing using the fifth population census data of 2000 at the lowest spatial scale – community (or juweihui in Chinese) level. Our findings reveal that the policies of the socialist era and the initial outcomes of the introduction of a free market, particularly with regard to the creation of new elite spaces within the inner city, have shaped a complex pattern of socio-spatial differentiation and residential segregation

Numerical Simulation of Grounding Characteristics and Temperature Field of Mine Tires under Multiple Working Conditions

Mine tires are an essential and expensive component of heavy mining machinery. This study explored the grounding characteristics and temperature field distribution of mining tires during driving as well as the relationships between the maximum temperature and tire inflation pressure, load, and speed. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite element models of mine tires were established. Steady-state rolling simulation analysis was conducted based on inflation and static load simulations. Temperature field simulation analysis was conducted with the tire section as a research object. The accuracy of the finite element model was verified. Analysis results demonstrated that the grounding contact area decreased with an increase in charging pressure and increased with an increase in load. With an increase in inflation pressure, the maximum normal grounding stress increased in the middle part of the tread and decreased near the shoulder. The maximum normal grounding stress continuously deviated in the shoulder direction with an increase in load. Temperature field analysis indicated that the tire had the maximum temperature at the binder position, where the first belt layer was connected to the second belt layer, which corresponds to the maximum stress position in the steady-state rolling simulations. Tire temperature increased with driving speed. The maximum temperature increased with an increase in tire deflection, whereas the deflection decreased with an increase in inflation pressure and increased with an increase in load. Speed had the greatest influence on the maximum temperature, followed by load, with inflation pressure having the smallest influence. The results of this research can be used to improve the service life of mine tires to improve productivity and reduce costs

Quality assessment and nutrient uptake and utilization in Luohan pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus) seedlings raised by chitosan spraying in varied LED spectra.

Target seedling cultivation pursues high quality and nutrient utilization instead of increasing growth and size. Exposure to light-emitting diode (LED) spectra is a well-known approach that can accelerate growing speed in tree seedlings, but it is still unknown whether seedling quality and nutrient utilization would be further improved with exogeneous polymer additives. Luohan pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus) seedlings were exposed to red (red-green-blue lights, 71.7%-13.7%-14.6%), green (26.2%-56.4%-17.4%), and blue (17.8%-33.7%-48.5%) LED-light spectra with half receiving leaf spray by chitosan oligosaccharides (Cos) at a rate of 2 ppm (w/w) and the other half receiving only water. The red-light spectrum promoted height, biomass, nutrient utilization, and quality assessment (DQI) in water-sprayed seedlings. The Cos spray enhanced fine-root growth, protein, and chlorophyll-b contents with elevated nutrient utilization and quality in seedlings in the green-light spectrum. DQI was found to have a positive relationship with phosphorus utilization. In conclusion, although the red-light LED spectrum can promote seedling growth, green light combined with Cos spray is recommended with the aim of maintaining seedling quality and increasing P utilization in Luohan pine seedlings

Awareness of intratumoral bacteria and their potential application in cancer treatment

Abstract Hitherto, the recognition of the microbiota role in tumorigenesis and clinical studies mostly focused on the intestinal flora. In contrast to the gut microbiome, microorganisms resident in tumor tissue are in close contact with cancer cells and therefore have the potential to have similar or even different functional patterns to the gut flora. Some investigations have shown intratumoral bacteria, which might come from commensal microbiota in mucosal areas including the gastrointestinal tract and oral cavity, or from nearby normal tissues. The existence, origin, and interactions of intratumoral bacteria with the tumor microenvironment all contribute to intratumoral microorganism heterogeneity. Intratumoral bacteria have a significant role in tumor formation. They can contribute to cancer at the genetic level by secreting poisons that directly damage DNA and also intimately related to immune system response at the systemic level. Intratumoral bacteria have an impact on chemotherapy and immunotherapy in cancer. Importantly, various properties of bacteria such as targeting and ease of modification make them powerful candidates for precision therapy, and combining microbial therapies with other therapies is expected to improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment. In this review, we mainly described the heterogeneity and potential sources of intratumoral bacteria, overviewed the important mechanisms by which they were involved in tumor progression, and summarized their potential value in oncology therapy. At last, we highlight the problems of research in this field, and look forward to a new wave of studies using the various applications of intratumoral microorganisms in cancer therapy

Tunable Electrical Conductivity of Carbon-Black-Filled Ternary Polymer Blends by Constructing a Hierarchical Structure

A type of hierarchical structured composite composed of a minor thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) phase spreading at the interface of two major phases polyoxymethylene/polyamide copolymer (POM/COPA) and carbon black (CB) particles selectively localized at the TPU/COPA interface of the tri-continuous blends was fabricated by melt compounding. The hierarchical structure was designed according to predictions and verified by a combination of electron microscopy and solvent extraction technique. The hierarchical structured composites show the dramatically decreased percolation threshold, a reduction of 60% compared to those without TPU where CB is selectively distributed in the COPA phase. The effects of CB contents and TPU on the phase morphology of POM/COPA were investigated, showing the occurrence of the POM/COPA phase inversion from a sea-island to a co-continuous structure beyond the percolation threshold of CB in the presence of TPU. The mechanism for the formation of conductive network is construction of CB network at the TPU/COPA interface of tri-continuous POM/COPA/TPU blends and double percolation effect

Function of the auxin-responsive gene TaSAUR75 under salt and drought stress

Small auxin-upregulated RNAs (SAURs) are genes regulated by auxin and environmental factors. In this study, we identified a SAUR gene in wheat, TaSAUR75. Under salt stress, TaSAUR75 is downregulated in wheat roots. Subcellular localization revealed that TaSAUR75 was localized in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Overexpression of TaSAUR75 increased drought and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. Transgenic lines showed higher root length and survival rate and higher expression of some stress-responsive genes than control plants under salt and drought stress. Less H2O2 accumulated in transgenic lines than in control plants under drought stress. Our findings reveal a positive regulatory role of the auxin-responsive gene TaSAUR75 in plant responses to drought and salt stress and provide a candidate gene for improvement of abiotic stress tolerance in crop breeding

Fast Degradation of Rhodamine B by In Situ H₂O₂ Fenton System with Co and N Co-Doped Carbon Nanotubes

In this study, an E-fenton oxidation system based on Co-N co-doped carbon nanotubes (Co-N-CNTs) was designed. The Co-N-CNTs system showed fast degradation efficiency and reusability for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB). The XRD and SEM results showed that the Co-N co-doped carbon nanotubes with diameters ranging from 40 to 400 nm were successfully prepared. The E-Fenton degradation performance of Co-N-CNTs was investigated via CV, LSV and AC impedance spectroscopy. The yield of H2O2 could reach 80 mg/L/h within 60 min, and the optimal voltage and preparation temperature for H2O2 yield in this system was −0.7 V (vs. SCE) and 800 °C. For the target pollutant of RhB, the fast removal of RhB was obtained via the Co-N-CNTS/E-Fenton system (about 91% RhB degradation occurred during 60 min), and the •OH played a major role in the RhB degradation. When the Fe2+ concentrations increased from 0.3 to 0.4 mM, the RhB degradation efficiency decreased from 91% to about 87%. The valence state of Co in the Co-N-C catalyst drove a Co2+/Co3+ cycle, which ensured the catalyst had good E-Fenton degradation efficiency. This work provides new insight into the mechanism of an E-Fenton system with carbon-based catalysts for the efficient degradation of RhB