Heat Shock Protein 70 Protects the Heart from Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury through Inhibition of p38 MAPK Signaling.

BackgroundHeat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) has been shown to exert cardioprotection. Intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) overload induced by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) activation contributes to cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, whether Hsp70 interacts with p38 MAPK signaling is unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the regulation of p38 MAPK by Hsp70 in I/R-induced cardiac injury.MethodsNeonatal rat cardiomyocytes were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation for 6 h followed by 2 h reoxygenation (OGD/R), and rats underwent left anterior artery ligation for 30 min followed by 30 min of reperfusion. The p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580), Hsp70 inhibitor (Quercetin), and Hsp70 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) were used prior to OGD/R or I/R. Cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI), [Ca2+]i levels, cell apoptosis, myocardial infarct size, mRNA level of IL-1β and IL-6, and protein expression of Hsp70, phosphorylated p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK), sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase2 (SERCA2), phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription3 (p-STAT3), and cleaved caspase3 were assessed.ResultsPretreatment with a p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, significantly attenuated OGD/R-induced cell injury or I/R-induced myocardial injury, as evidenced by improved cell viability and lower LDH release, resulted in lower serum cTnI and myocardial infarct size, alleviation of [Ca2+]i overload and cell apoptosis, inhibition of IL-1β and IL-6, and modulation of protein expressions of p-p38 MAPK, SERCA2, p-STAT3, and cleaved-caspase3. Knockdown of Hsp70 by shRNA exacerbated OGD/R-induced cell injury, which was effectively abolished by SB203580. Moreover, inhibition of Hsp70 by quercetin enhanced I/R-induced myocardial injury, while SB203580 pretreatment reversed the harmful effects caused by quercetin.ConclusionsInhibition of Hsp70 aggravates [Ca2+]i overload, inflammation, and apoptosis through regulating p38 MAPK signaling during cardiac I/R injury, which may help provide novel insight into cardioprotective strategies

Frequency stability in modern power network from complex network viewpoint

Acknowledgement The work is supported in part by Key Program of Nature Science Fund of Shaanxi Province (2016ZDJC-01), IRT of Shaanxi Province (2013KCT-04).Peer reviewedPostprin

Tetra­kis(μ-5-bromo­nicotinato)-κ3 O,O′:O′;κ3 O:O,O′;κ4 O:O′-bis­[diaqua­(5-bromo­nicotinato-κ2 O,O′)neodymium(III)] dihydrate

In the title compound, [Nd2(C6H3BrNO2)6(H2O)4]·2H2O, the NdIII ion is coordinated by nine O atoms from one chelating 5-bromo­nicotinate ligand, four bridging 5-bromo­nicotinate ligands and two water mol­ecules, exhibiting a distorted three-capped triangular-prismatic geometry. Two NdIII ions are bridged by four carboxyl­ate groups in bi- and tridentate modes, forming a centrosymmetric dinuclear unit, with an Nd⋯Nd distance of 4.0021 (5) Å, and intra­molecular π–π inter­actions between the pyridine rings [centroid–centroid distance = 3.960 (2) Å]. Inter­molecular π–π inter­actions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.820 (2) and 3.804 (2) Å] and O—H⋯N and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds connect the dinuclear mol­ecules into a three-dimensional supra­molecular network

Gene expression profile analysis of tobacco leaf trichomes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Leaf trichomes of <it>Nicotiana tabacum </it>are distinguished by their large size, high density, and superior secretion ability. They contribute to plant defense response against biotic and abiotic stress, and also influence leaf aroma and smoke flavor. However, there is limited genomic information about trichomes of this non-model plant species.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have characterized <it>Nicotiana tabacum </it>leaf trichome gene expression using two approaches. In the first, a trichome cDNA library was randomly sequenced, and 2831 unique genes were obtained. The most highly abundant transcript was ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBisCO). Among the related sequences, most encoded enzymes involved in primary metabolism. Secondary metabolism related genes, such as isoprenoid and flavonoid biosynthesis-related, were also identified. In the second approach, a cDNA microarray prepared from these 2831 clones was used to compare gene expression levels in trichome and leaf. There were 438 differentially expressed genes between trichome and leaves-minus-trichomes. Of these, 207 highly expressed genes in tobacco trichomes were enriched in second metabolic processes, defense responses, and the metabolism regulation categories. The expression of selected unigenes was confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis, some of which were specifically expressed in trichomes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The expression feature of leaf trichomes in <it>Nicotiana tabacum </it>indicates their metabolic activity and potential importance in stress resistance. Sequences predominantly expressed in trichomes will facilitate gene-mining and metabolism control of plant trichome.</p

The Application of Stereo Anti-eccentrically Teaching Methods in Traditional Chinese Qigong Course

目的 探讨立体带功防偏模式在中医气功教学中的应用。方法 从气功偏差的严重后果及目前的教学现状、立体带功防偏气功教学法的目标和意义、立体带功防偏气功教学法的具体步骤等方面进行了详细的介绍。结果 2012-2013年医学气功学课程11个班级723个学生中，出现不适感的人数仅占1.8%，在一周内不适感消失的占61.5%，两周内不适感消失者达100%，没有一例严重偏差的出现，达到了安全教学的目的。结论 立体带功防偏气功教学法可以及时发现学生出现偏差的苗头并及时纠正，提高了教学的安全性，因此值得推广。Objective: To explore the use of stereo anti-eccentrically Chinese qigong teaching mode. Method: To introduce the concrete steps of Qigong teaching methods from Qigong serious consequences，deeviation and the present teaching situation, the goal and significance of stereo anti-eccentrically qigong teaching methods etc. Result: In 2013, 6 classes and 498 students, only 23（4.61%）students appeared discomfort. Within a week the improvement of discomfort students is 16（69.56%）,disappearance of discomfort students is 5（21.73%）, two weeks later,disappeared discomfort students achieve 100%, have no  emergence of severe deviation, reached the safety of teaching purpose. Conclusion: Stereo anti-eccentrically Qigong teaching method can find the first hint of deviation and correct them in time, can improve the security of teaching. so it is worth spreading

Refined Equivalent Pinhole Model for Large-scale 3D Reconstruction from Spaceborne CCD Imagery

In this study, we present a large-scale earth surface reconstruction pipeline for linear-array charge-coupled device (CCD) satellite imagery. While mainstream satellite image-based reconstruction approaches perform exceptionally well, the rational functional model (RFM) is subject to several limitations. For example, the RFM has no rigorous physical interpretation and differs significantly from the pinhole imaging model; hence, it cannot be directly applied to learning-based 3D reconstruction networks and to more novel reconstruction pipelines in computer vision. Hence, in this study, we introduce a method in which the RFM is equivalent to the pinhole camera model (PCM), meaning that the internal and external parameters of the pinhole camera are used instead of the rational polynomial coefficient parameters. We then derive an error formula for this equivalent pinhole model for the first time, demonstrating the influence of the image size on the accuracy of the reconstruction. In addition, we propose a polynomial image refinement model that minimizes equivalent errors via the least squares method. The experiments were conducted using four image datasets: WHU-TLC, DFC2019, ISPRS-ZY3, and GF7. The results demonstrated that the reconstruction accuracy was proportional to the image size. Our polynomial image refinement model significantly enhanced the accuracy and completeness of the reconstruction, and achieved more significant improvements for larger-scale images.Comment: 24 page

Tissue Stresses in Stented Coronary Arteries with Different Geometries: Effect of the Relation Between Stent Length and Lesion Length

In-stent restenosis after stent deployment remains an obstruction in the long-term benefits of stenting. This study sought to investigate the influence of the relation between stent length and lesion length on the mechanics of the arterial wall with different geometries, including straight and tapered vessels. Results showed that when the length of the stent was longer than the lesion length, the maximum stress in plaque and vessel increased as the length of stent increased. When the length of the stent was shorter than the lesion length, the vessel stress induced by stent inflation was lower; both ends of the stenosis plaque could not be fully expanded. When the length of the stent was equal to the lesion length, the plaque and vessel stress induced by stent inflation was minimal, and stent foreshortening was minimal. Compared with the straight vessel, the stent implantation in the tapered vessel with the same stent length resulted in greater stress in vessel and plaque, an increased stent recoil, and a decreased stent foreshortening. When the length of the stent is equal to lesion length, it may be the reasonable choice for straight vessels and tapered vessels. Conclusions drawn from this article can help surgeons to choose appropriate stent lengths

Public Transportation Service Evaluations Utilizing Seoul Transportation Card Data

AbstractThis study evaluated transit service performance in Seoul using data collected from the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system in Seoul. The distance-based fare system in Seoul allows a maximum of four transfers with no additional charges to encourage transit ridership. In order to analyze the transit transfers, this study developed quantitative indicators for public transportation evaluations differentiated from those of previous studies by the fact that it utilizes data mining techniques which incorporate massive amounts of data (over 10 million transits per day) derived from the smart card system. This study not only carried out an evaluation to improve public transportation quality but provided comparative analysis of the mobility handicapped and an evaluation of public transportation users’ regional equity. This evaluative analysis of Level of Services (LOS) for various items is expected to be adopted for analyzing LOS status and generating improvement priorities and to be utilized as an objective database for public transportation policy decisions