色纺纱线中纤维混色比例的图像检测

In order to solve the problems of the empirical spadework and time consuming when confirming the proportions of the colored fibers in the colored spun yarns,with the help of the video microscopy and image processing technology,a novel method based on a clustering algorithm is proposed to classify the color fibers and inspect the proportions of different color fibers. Firstly,the colored spun yarns are untwisted into the fibers,the colored fibers are arranged on the slide under the mild tension, and the corresponding images are captured by the video microscopy. Secondly,the gray projection method is adopted to localize the colored fibers,and the average value of R,G,B of all pixels in the center line of each colored fiber is extracted as a feature vector to characterize the colored fiber respectively. Finally, the feature vectors in RGB model are converted to the L* a* b* color model,a clustering algorithm by searching density peaks is applied into classifying the colored fibers and the proportions of each color fibers are calculated. Experiments results demonstrate that the proposed method can inspect the colors and proportions of colored fibers in the colored spun yarns with a satisfactory accuracy

Molecular Identification of the Glutaredoxin 5 Gene That Plays Important Roles in Antioxidant Defense in <i>Arma chinensis</i> (Fallou)

Glutaredoxin (Grx) is a group of redox enzymes that control reactive oxygen species (ROS), traditionally defined as redox regulators. Recent research suggested that members of the Grx family may be involved in more biological processes than previously thought. Therefore, we cloned the AcGrx5 gene and identified its role in A. chinensis diapause. Sequence analysis revealed the ORF of AcGrx5 was 432 bp, encoding 143 amino acids, which was consistent with the homologous sequence of Halyomorpha halys. RT-qPCR results showed that AcGrx5 expression was the highest in the head, and compared with non-diapause conditions, diapause conditions significantly increased the expression of AcGrx5 in the developmental stages. Further, we found that 15 °C low-temperature stress significantly induced AcGrx5 expression, and the expression of antioxidant enzyme genes AcTrx2 and AcTrx-like were significantly increased after AcGrx5 knockdown. Following AcGrx5 silencing, there was a considerable rise in the levels of VC content, CAT activity, and hydrogen peroxide content, indicating that A. chinensis was exposed to high levels of reactive oxygen species. These results suggested that the AcGrx5 gene may play a key role in antioxidant defense

Research and Application of Kupffer Cell Thresholds for BSA Nanoparticles

Over the past decade, the dose of nanoparticles given to solid tumors has remained at a median of 0.7% of the injected dose. Most nanoparticles are trapped in a mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS), of which 85% are Kupffer cells. In our study, threshold doses of bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles were investigated for the uptake of Kupffer cells in vitro and in vivo. The antitumor effect and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel (ABP) were improved by using threshold doses of BSA nanoparticles. We found a threshold dose of 20,000 nanoparticles per macrophage uptake in vitro and a saturation dose of 0.3 trillion nanoparticles in tumor-bearing mice. In vivo efficacy and safety evaluations demonstrated that the threshold doses of blank BSA nanoparticles could significantly improve the efficacy and safety of ABP against tumors compared with ABP alone. In this study, the delivery efficiency of ABP was improved by using blank nanoparticles to saturate Kupffer cells, which provided a new approach to studying the Kupffer cell saturation threshold and thus a new scheme for improving the curative effect of ABP

Lycorine transfersomes modified with cell-penetrating peptides for topical treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract Background Topical anticancer drugs offer a potential therapeutic modality with high compliance for treating cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). However, the existing topical treatments for cSCC are associated with limited penetrating ability to achieve the desired outcome. Therefore, there remains an urgent requirement to develop drugs with efficient anticancer activity suitable for treating cSCC and to overcome the skin physiological barrier to improve the efficiency of drug delivery to the tumor. Results We introduced lycorine (LR) into the topical treatment for cSCC and developed a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-modified cationic transfersome gel loaded with lycorine-oleic acid ionic complex (LR-OA) (LR@DTFs-CPP Gel) and investigated its topical therapeutic effects on cSCC. The anti-cSCC effects of LR and skin penetration of LR-OA transfersomes were confirmed. Simultaneously, cationic lipids and modification of R5H3 peptide of the transfersomes further enhanced the permeability of the skin and tumor as well as the effective delivery of LR to tumor cells. Conclusions Topical treatment of cSCC-xenografted nude mice with LR@DTFs-CPP Gel showed effective anticancer properties with high safety. This novel formulation provides novel insights into the treatment and pathogenesis of cSCC

Structural and Functional Characterization of One Unclassified Glutathione S-Transferase in Xenobiotic Adaptation of Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Arthropod Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) constitute a large family of multifunctional enzymes that are mainly associated with xenobiotic or stress adaptation. GST-mediated xenobiotic adaptation takes place through direct metabolism or sequestration of xenobiotics, and/or indirectly by providing protection against oxidative stress induced by xenobiotic exposure. To date, the roles of GSTs in xenobiotic adaptation in the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), a notorious agricultural pest of plants within Solanaceae, have not been well studied. Here, we functionally expressed and characterized an unclassified-class GST, LdGSTu1. The three-dimensional structure of the LdGSTu1 was solved with a resolution up to 1.8 Å by X-ray crystallography. The signature motif VSDGPPSL was identified in the “G-site”, and it contains the catalytically active residue Ser14. Recombinant LdGSTu1 was used to determine enzyme activity and kinetic parameters using 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), GSH, p-nitrophenyl acetate (PNA) as substrates. The enzyme kinetic parameters and enzyme-substrate interaction studies demonstrated that LdGSTu1 could catalyze the conjugation of GSH to both CDNB and PNA, with a higher turnover number for CDNB than PNA. The LdGSTu1 enzyme inhibition assays demonstrated that the enzymatic conjugation of GSH to CDNB was inhibited by multiple pesticides, suggesting a potential function of LdGSTu1 in xenobiotic adaptation

Depressive Symptoms in Multiple Sclerosis from an In Vivo Study with TBSS

Clinically significant depression can impact up to 50% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) over a course of their life time, which is associated with an increased morbidity and mortality. In our study, fifteen relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients and 15 age- and gender-matched normal controls were included. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was acquired by employing a single-shot echo planar imaging sequence on a 3.0 T MR scanner and fractional anisotropy (FA) was performed with tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) approach. Finally, widespread WM and GM abnormalities were observed in RRMS patients. Moreover, the relationships between the depressive symptoms which can be measured by Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD) as well as clinical disabilities measured by the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and FA changes were listed. There was a positive relation between EDSS and the FA changes in the right inferior parietal lobule, while negative relation was located in the left anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus. Also a positive relation between HAMD and FA changes was found in the right posterior middle cingulate gyrus, the right hippocampus, the left hypothalamus, the right precentral gyrus, and the posterior cingulate which demonstrated a link between the depressive symptoms and clinically relevant brain areas in RRMS patients

Advance and Challenges in the Treatment of Skin Diseases with the Transdermal Drug Delivery System

Skin diseases are among the most prevalent non-fatal conditions worldwide. The transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) has emerged as a promising approach for treating skin diseases, owing to its numerous advantages such as high bioavailability, low systemic toxicity, and improved patient compliance. However, the effectiveness of the TDDS is hindered by several factors, including the barrier properties of the stratum corneum, the nature of the drug and carrier, and delivery conditions. In this paper, we provide an overview of the development of the TDDS from first-generation to fourth-generation systems, highlighting the characteristics of each carrier in terms of mechanism composition, penetration method, mechanism of action, and recent preclinical studies. We further investigated the significant challenges encountered in the development of the TDDS and the crucial significance of clinical trials

Control of Conformations of Piperazidine-Bridged Bis(phenolato) Groups: Syntheses and Structures of Bimetallic and Monometallic Lanthanide Amides and Their Application in the Polymerization of Lactides

A series of bimetallic and monometallic lanthanide amides stabilized by a piperazidine-bridged bis­(phenolato) ligand were successfully prepared, and the factors controlling the formation of these lanthanide amides were elucidated. Reactions of Ln­[N­(TMS)₂]₃(μ-Cl)­Li­(THF)₃ (TMS = SiMe₃; THF = tetrahydrofuran) with a piperazidine-bridged bis­(phenol), H₂[ONNO]­[4-bis­(2-hydroxy-3,5-di-<i>tert</i>-butylbenzyl)­piperazidine], in a 2:1 molar ratio in THF at 60 °C gave the anionic bimetallic bis­(phenolato) lanthanide amido complexes [ONNO]­{Ln­[N­(TMS)₂]₂­(μ-Cl)­Li­(THF)}₂ [Ln = Y (<b>1</b>), Er (<b>2</b>), Eu (<b>3</b>), Sm (<b>4</b>)], whereas the same reactions conducted at room temperature gave the monometallic bis­(phenolato) lanthanide amides [ONNO]­LnN­(TMS)₂(THF) [Ln = Y (<b>5</b>), Sm (<b>6</b>)]. Complex <b>1</b> can be transformed to a neutral bimetallic bis­(phenolato) yttrium amido complex, [ONNO]­{Y­[N­(TMS)₂]₂}₂ (<b>7</b>), by heating a toluene solution to 80 °C. Complex <b>7</b> can also be conveniently prepared by the reaction of the yttrium amide Y­[N­(TMS)₂]₃ with H₂[ONNO] in a 2:1 molar ratio at 60 °C. For neodymium and praseodymium, only the monometallic lanthanide amido complexes [ONNO]­LnN­(TMS)₂(THF) [Ln = Nd (<b>8</b>), Pr (<b>9</b>)] were isolated, even when the reactions were conducted at 60 °C. Furthermore, reaction of H₂[ONNO] with the less bulky lanthanide amides Ln­[N­(SiMe₂H)₂]₃(THF)₂ in a 2:1 molar ratio at 60 °C gave the monometallic lanthanide amido complexes [ONNO]­Ln­[N­(SiMe₂H)₂]­(THF) [Ln = Yb (<b>10</b>), Y­(<b>11</b>), Nd (<b>12</b>)] as neat products; no bimetallic species were formed. All of these complexes were characterized by IR, elemental analyses, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complexes <b>1</b>, <b>5</b>, <b>6</b>, <b>7</b>, and <b>11</b> were further confirmed by NMR spectroscopy. These complexes are highly efficient initiators for the ring-opening polymerization of l-lactide. In addition, complexes <b>1</b>, <b>3</b>, <b>5</b>, <b>7</b>, and <b>11</b> can initiate <i>rac</i>-lactide polymerization with high activity to give heterotactic-rich polylactides

Developmental cost of leg-regenerated Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).

As larval cannibalism is common under intensive rearing conditions, leg regeneration can help ladybugs adapt to the competitive environment, but whether the leg regeneration leads to side effects on development remains unclear. To analyze the potentially developmental cost of leg regeneration, the developmental period and weight of leg-regenerated Coccinella septempunctata were studied in the laboratory. The results showed that, when the time intervals between the emergency of 4th-instar larva and leg amputation increased, the developmental period of leg-regenerated 4th-instar larvae was gradually prolonged. Significantly developmental delay were also examined at prepupal and pupal stages, and various timings of leg amputation affected the periods of leg-regenerated prepupae/pupae similarly. After the leg was amputated at different larval instars, the developmental delay only occurred at the larval instar when the leg was amputated, whereas other larval instars failed to be extended, and the developmental periods of leg-regenerated prepupae/pupae were affected similarly by the instars of leg amputation. Developmental delays possibly resulted in more consumption by leg-regenerated larvae, and then weight gains at prepupal/pupal stages, but different larval instars of leg amputation affected the weight gain similarly. Both the developmental delay (at 4th-instar larval, prepupal and pupal stages) and weight gain (at pupal and adult stages) in complete/bilateral amputation were longer or greater than those in half/unilateral amputation. However, the thoracic locations of leg amputation impacted the developmental delay and weight gain similarly. Our study indicates that although leg regeneration triggers the developmental cost decreasing the competitive superiority or agility, C. septempunctata larvae still choose to completely regenerate the leg to adapt to complex environments. Thus, in order to remain competitive at adult stages, leg-impaired larvae may make an investment tradeoff between leg regeneration and developmental cost

<i>Cathepsin L</i> Contributes to Reproductive Diapause by Regulating Lipid Storage and Survival of <i>Coccinella septempunctata</i> (Linnaeus)

Cathepsin L protease, which belongs to the papain-like cysteine proteases family, is an important player in many physiological and pathological processes. However, little was known about the role of cathepsin L in ladybird beetles (Coccinella septempuctata Linnaeus) during diapause. Here, we analyzed the characteristics of cathepsin L (CsCatL) in the females of C. septempunctata and its role during the diapause of the ladybeetle. CsCatL was cloned and identified from beetle specimens by rapid amplification of cDNA-ends (RACE). The cDNA sequence of CsCatL was 971 bp in length, including an 843 bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 280 amino acids. It was identified as the cathepsin L group by phylogenetic analysis. Knockdown of CsCatL by RNA interference led to decreased expression levels of fatty acid synthase 2 (fas 2) genes and suppressed lipid accumulation. Furthermore, silencing the CsCatL gene distinctly reduced diapause-related features and the survival of female C. spetempunctata under diapause-inducing conditions. The results suggested that the CsCatL gene was involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and played a crucial role in the survival of adult C. septempunctata during the diapause preparation stage