Propofol combined with hyperbaric oxygen improves the prognosis of spinal cord injury in rats via MAPK/ERK signaling pathway

Purpose: To determine the effect of propofol combined with hyperbaric oxygen on spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats.Methods: A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into sham group (S group), model group (M group), and propofol combined with hyperbaric oxygen group (P group). The Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring system was adopted to evaluate the recovery of motor function in rats. Subsequently, levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and IL-1β in the spinal cord tissues were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Nerve cell apoptosis in the spinal cord tissues were examined via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Finally, the protein expression levels of MAPK/ERK in the spinal cord tissues were assessed by Western blotting.Results: Compared with S group, BBB score in M group decreased at days 3 and 10 after treatment. While the BBB score of rats in P group was significantly increased (p < 0.05), compared with S group. The expressions of IL-18 and IL-1β were significantly lower in S and P groups than in M group (p < 0.05). S and P groups had lower apoptosis rate in the spinal cord tissues than in M group. Furthermore, Western blotting results showed that protein expressions of MAPK/ERK pathway were higher in S group and P group than in M group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Propofol, combined with hyperbaric oxygen improves the prognosis of SCI rats probably by regulating MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, thus paving way for the development of a potential treatment for the management of spinal cord injury in humans

Electrocatalysis of Oxygen Reduction on Te-Modified Platinum Stepped Crystal Surfaces

Te-modified platinum single-crystal surfaces in the [011̅] zone have been used as model electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The results clearly show that (1) except for Pt(111), all other electrodes display enhanced ORR activity when Te is deposited on the surface; (2) the intrinsic ORR activity for Pt(hkl) decreases in the order of Pt(322) > Pt(755) > Pt(977) > Pt(111) > Pt(311) > Pt(100), while the enhancement factor for ORR with Te modification decreases in the order of Pt(100) > Pt(311) > Pt(977) > Pt(755) > Pt(322); (3) metallic Te and its charge transfer to Pt as well as the consequent lower d-band center and OHad binding energy are probably the reasons for the enhanced electrocatalysis for ORR with Te modification; and (4) the inhibition of Te at Pt(111) as well as the smaller extent for the enhancement of Te at Pt(S)-[n(111) × (100)] with longer terraces in the kinetic region for ORR are a result of partial oxidation of Te. The weaker electronic interaction of Te with the Pt substrate is probably the origin of its facile oxidation at lower potential. Our results imply that modification of Pt with species that can transfer electrons to Pt may be an efficient strategy to enhance the ORR activity.This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 22172151, 21972131, and 21832004). E.H. gratefully acknowledged the International Professorship by USTC and financial support from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (project PID2022–137350NB-I00)

Effect of iterative reconstruction techniques on image quality in low radiation dose chest CT: a phantom study

PURPOSEWe aimed to evaluate the quality of chest computed tomography (CT) images obtained with low-dose CT using three iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms.METHODSTwo 64-detector spiral CT scanners (HDCT and iCT) were used to scan a chest phantom containing 6 ground-glass nodules (GGNs) at 11 radiation dose levels. CT images were reconstructed by filtered back projection or three IR algorithms. Reconstructed images were analyzed for CT values, average noise, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) values, subjective image noise, and diagnostic acceptability of the GGNs. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used for statistical analyses.RESULTSAverage noise decreased and CNR increased with increasing radiation dose when the same reconstruction algorithm was applied. Average image noise was significantly lower when reconstructed with MBIR than with iDOSE4 at the same low radiation doses. The two radiologists showed good interobserver consistency in image quality with kappa 0.83. A significant relationship was found between image noise and diagnostic acceptability of the GGNs.CONCLUSIONThree IR algorithms are able to reduce the image noise and improve the image quality of low-dose CT. In the same radiation dose, the low-dose CT image quality reconstructed with MBIR algorithms is better than that of other IR algorithms

4-Chloro-2-((1R)-1-{[(R)-(2-chloro­phen­yl)(cyclo­pent­yl)meth­yl]amino}eth­yl)phenol

The title compound, C20H23Cl2NO, was prepared by condensation of (R)-1-(2-chloro­phen­yl)-1-cyclo­pentyl­methanamine with 1-(5-chloro-2-hydroxy­phen­yl)ethanone, resulting in the formation of a new chiral center. The structural analysis confirms the absolute configuration of the title compound and the formation of the (R,R) diastereoisomer. There is an intra­molecular O—H⋯N hydrogen bond which stabilizes the conformation of the mol­ecule. The mol­ecules are linked to each other through weak C—H⋯π inter­actions

Research Progress in the Effect of Thermal Treatments on the Structural and Physicochemical Properties of Starch

Starch is a very important plant polysaccharide, which is also an important industrial raw material for food production and processing.Since natural starch has poor heat, shear and acid resistance, and is easy to retrograde.It is necessary to carry out physical modification, chemical modification and enzyme modification.Among starch modification, especially chemical modification, chemical reagents are easy to remain in modified starch, so rapid and safe physical modification has attracted more and more attention.In physical modification, thermal processing modification is widely used.This paper summarizes the effects of six thermally treated technologies on the structure and properties of starch, aiming to provide a theoretical reference for the research on physicochemical properties of physically modified starch, in order to provide a certain theoretical basis for the production and development of starch with specific needs

4-Methyl-2-[(E)-phen­yl(1,2,3,4-tetra­hydro-1-naphthyl­imino)meth­yl]phenol

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C24H23NO, the phenyl ring makes dihedral angles of 81.53 (11) and 75.35 (12)°, respectively, with the methyl-substituted and the fused benzene rings. The dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 71.10 (10)°. There is an intra­molecular O—H⋯N hydrogen bond

5,6,7,5′-Tetra­meth­oxy-3′,4′-methyl­ene­dioxy­flavone monohydrate

The title compound [systematic name: 5,6,7-trimeth­oxy-2-(7-meth­oxy-1,3-dihydro-2-benzofuran-5-yl)-4H-chromen-4-one monohydrate], C20H18O8·H2O, was isolated from the popular Chinese medicinal plant Entada phaseoloides. In the crystal, inversion-related mol­ecules are joined by pairs of weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The dimers are further inter­connected by a bridging water mol­ecule via weak C—H⋯Owater and pairs of (O—H)water⋯O hydrogen bonds into a linear tape running parallel to the b axis

Effects of Xiaoyaosan on Stress-Induced Anxiety-Like Behavior in Rats: Involvement of CRF1 Receptor

Background. Compared with antidepressant activity of Xiaoyaosan, the role of Xiaoyaosan in anxiety has been poorly studied. Objective. To observe the effects of Xiaoyaosan on anxiety-like behavior induced by chronic immobilization stress (CIS) and further explore whether these effects were related to CRF1R signaling. Methods. Adult male SD rats were randomly assigned to five groups (n=12): the nonstressed control group, vehicle-treated (saline, p.o.) group, Xiaoyaosan-treated (3.854 g/kg, p.o.) group, vehicle-treated (surgery) group, and antalarmin-treated (surgery) group. Artificial cerebrospinal fluid (0.5 μL/side) or CRF1R antagonist antalarmin (125 ng/0.5 μL, 0.5 μL/side) was bilaterally administered into the basolateral amygdala in the surgery groups. Except for the nonstressed control group, the other four groups were exposed to CIS (14 days, 3 h/day) 30 minutes after treatment. On days 15 and 16, all animals were subjected to the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and novelty suppressed feeding (NSF) test. We then examined the expression of CRF1R, pCREB, and BDNF in the amygdala. Results. Chronic pretreatment with Xiaoyaosan or antalarmin significantly reversed elevated anxiety-like behavior and the upregulated level of CRF1R and BDNF in the amygdala of stressed rats. pCREB did not differ significantly among the groups. Conclusions. These results suggest that Xiaoyaosan exerts anxiolytic-like effects in behavioral tests and the effects may be related to CRF1R signaling in the amygdala