The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Yin Zhi Huang Soup in an Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis Rat Model

The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of the Chinese herbal medicine Yin Zhi Huang soup (YZS) in an experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) rat model. In total, 48 rats were randomly divided into the following four groups (n=12/group): saline group, pathological model group, Qianlietai group, and YZS group. We determined the average wet weight of the prostate tissue, the ratio of the wet weight of the prostate tissue to body weight, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in the blood serum, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the rats’ prostate tissues, and the pathological changes in the prostate tissue using light microscopy. YZS reduced the rats’ prostate wet weight, the ratio of the prostate wet weight to body weight, and TNF-α levels in the blood serum and inhibited the expression of iNOS in the rats’ prostate tissues (P<0.05). Following YZS treatment, the pathological changes in the rats’ prostates were improved compared with those in the model group (P<0.05). Furthermore, YZS treatment reduced inflammatory changes in the prostate tissue. It also significantly suppressed proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, and chemokines, such as iNOS, in the rat model of EAP

Evaluation of Coefficient Related to Runoff from Roadway Projects

20-60161New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is required to quantify and mitigate the stormwater impacts of certain roadway projects. Acceptable runoff calculation methods include the Natural Resources Conservation Service Method and the Rational Method. Existing coefficients are often insufficient for representing land treatments utilized in roadway design but have never been investigated before. The objective of this project was to develop new curve numbers (CNs) for four land treatments, which included: (1) bare soil, (2) gravel, (3) vegetation, and (4) porous hot mix asphalt (HMA). To achieve this objective, laboratory studies were conducted to measure rainfall, runoff, and infiltration for these four land treatments. Each land treatment was tested as a composite column, where the treatment was installed on top of subsoil. The subsoils utilized in this project had ten different hydraulic conductivities, covering all four Hydrologic Soil Groups, A, B, C and D, that may be encountered at NJDOT roadway projects. The rainfall and runoff data were collected and analyzed to quantify CNs for the four land treatments under laboratory conditions. Laboratory derived CNs were then applied to the field conditions and compared with the established CNs of corresponding land treatments. CNs for bare soil and vegetation agreed well with the existing values, CNs of gravel were significantly smaller than the existing values, and CNs of porous HMA were not established prior to this project and were not available for comparison. The CNs developed from this project can be used to quantify runoff from these four land treatments for any rainfall events

The CAFA challenge reports improved protein function prediction and new functional annotations for hundreds of genes through experimental screens

Background The Critical Assessment of Functional Annotation (CAFA) is an ongoing, global, community-driven effort to evaluate and improve the computational annotation of protein function. Results Here, we report on the results of the third CAFA challenge, CAFA3, that featured an expanded analysis over the previous CAFA rounds, both in terms of volume of data analyzed and the types of analysis performed. In a novel and major new development, computational predictions and assessment goals drove some of the experimental assays, resulting in new functional annotations for more than 1000 genes. Specifically, we performed experimental whole-genome mutation screening in Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aureginosa genomes, which provided us with genome-wide experimental data for genes associated with biofilm formation and motility. We further performed targeted assays on selected genes in Drosophila melanogaster, which we suspected of being involved in long-term memory. Conclusion We conclude that while predictions of the molecular function and biological process annotations have slightly improved over time, those of the cellular component have not. Term-centric prediction of experimental annotations remains equally challenging; although the performance of the top methods is significantly better than the expectations set by baseline methods in C. albicans and D. melanogaster, it leaves considerable room and need for improvement. Finally, we report that the CAFA community now involves a broad range of participants with expertise in bioinformatics, biological experimentation, biocuration, and bio-ontologies, working together to improve functional annotation, computational function prediction, and our ability to manage big data in the era of large experimental screens.Peer reviewe

The CAFA challenge reports improved protein function prediction and new functional annotations for hundreds of genes through experimental screens

BackgroundThe Critical Assessment of Functional Annotation (CAFA) is an ongoing, global, community-driven effort to evaluate and improve the computational annotation of protein function.ResultsHere, we report on the results of the third CAFA challenge, CAFA3, that featured an expanded analysis over the previous CAFA rounds, both in terms of volume of data analyzed and the types of analysis performed. In a novel and major new development, computational predictions and assessment goals drove some of the experimental assays, resulting in new functional annotations for more than 1000 genes. Specifically, we performed experimental whole-genome mutation screening in Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aureginosa genomes, which provided us with genome-wide experimental data for genes associated with biofilm formation and motility. We further performed targeted assays on selected genes in Drosophila melanogaster, which we suspected of being involved in long-term memory.ConclusionWe conclude that while predictions of the molecular function and biological process annotations have slightly improved over time, those of the cellular component have not. Term-centric prediction of experimental annotations remains equally challenging; although the performance of the top methods is significantly better than the expectations set by baseline methods in C. albicans and D. melanogaster, it leaves considerable room and need for improvement. Finally, we report that the CAFA community now involves a broad range of participants with expertise in bioinformatics, biological experimentation, biocuration, and bio-ontologies, working together to improve functional annotation, computational function prediction, and our ability to manage big data in the era of large experimental screens.</p

Hydraulic Transient Modeling of Tarp Systems

Under the agreement of November 1, 1986, between the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago and the University of Minnesota, the St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory of the University conducted mathematical modeling of the recently completed portions of the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), both the Mainstream System and the Calumet System of Greater Chicago, for the purpose of establishing optimum operating procedures and additional structures to control hydraulic transient problems. The scope of the work was later extended to include the Des Plaines System and the 13A tunnel when operated independently of the Mainstream System.Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicag

Structural Controlling of Highly-Oriented Polycrystal 3C-SiC Bulks via Halide CVD

Highly-oriented polycrystal 3C-SiC bulks were ultra-fast fabricated via halide chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using tetrachlorosilane (SiCl4) and methane (CH4) as precursors. The effects of deposition temperature (Tdep) and total pressure (Ptot) on the orientation and surficial morphology were investigated. The results showed that the growth orientation of 3C-SiC columnar grains was strongly influenced by Tdep. With increasing Tdep, the columnar grains transformed from &lt;111&gt;- to &lt;110&gt;-oriented. The arrangement of &lt;111&gt;-oriented columnar grains was controlled by Ptot. Lotus-, turtle-, thorn-, and strawberry-like surface morphologies were naturally contributed by different arrangements of &lt;111&gt;-oriented grains, and the deposition mechanism was discussed. The wetting behaviors of CVD-SiC samples by molten aluminum were also examined at 1173 K in a high vacuum atmosphere

Overcoming the Dilemma between Low Electrical Resistance and High Corrosion Resistance Using a Ta/(Ta,Ti)N/TiN/Ti Multilayer for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are confronted by the dilemma of low contact resistance and high corrosion resistance; this study aimed to simultaneously satisfy these dimensions in a harsh environment. Using thick multilayer coatings can improve the corrosion resistance, but the contact resistance would be largely compromised. To address this challenge, we propose compatible tantalum/titanium-based coatings on 316L stainless steel (SS316L) as bipolar plates for PEMFCs. With the transition layer, the optimal TaN/(Ta,Ti)N/TiN/Ti coating exhibits an ultralow corrosion current density of 0.369 &mu;A&middot;cm&minus;2 (at +0.6 V vs. SCE) and a contact resistance of 6 m&Omega; cm2 at 138 N/cm2 after 5 h of potentiostatic polarization, both of which meet the standard of the U.S. Department of Energy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and an equivalent electrical circuit model further elucidated that TaN/(Ta,Ti)N/TiN/Ti coating significantly impedes the oxidation reaction and dissolution of metals and provides good protection for the SS316L

A drug screening to identify novel combinatorial strategies for boosting cancer immunotherapy efficacy

Abstract Background Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) have made remarkable breakthroughs in cancer treatment, but the efficacy is still limited for solid tumors due to tumor antigen heterogeneity and the tumor immune microenvironment. The restrained treatment efficacy prompted us to seek new potential therapeutic methods. Methods In this study, we conducted a small molecule compound library screen in a human BC cell line to identify whether certain drugs contribute to CAR T cell killing. Signaling pathways of tumor cells and T cells affected by the screened drugs were predicted via RNA sequencing. Among them, the antitumor activities of JK184 in combination with CAR T cells or ICBs were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results We selected three small molecule drugs from a compound library, among which JK184 directly induces tumor cell apoptosis by inhibiting the Hedgehog signaling pathway, modulates B7-H3 CAR T cells to an effector memory phenotype, and promotes B7-H3 CAR T cells cytokine secretion in vitro. In addition, our data suggested that JK184 exerts antitumor activities and strongly synergizes with B7-H3 CAR T cells or ICBs in vivo. Mechanistically, JK184 enhances B7-H3 CAR T cells infiltrating in xenograft mouse models. Moreover, JK184 combined with ICB markedly reshaped the tumor immune microenvironment by increasing effector T cells infiltration and inflammation cytokine secretion, inhibiting the recruitment of MDSCs and the transition of M2-type macrophages in an immunocompetent mouse model. Conclusion These data show that JK184 may be a potential adjutant in combination with CAR T cells or ICB therapy