Effect of Plasma Viremia on Apoptosis and Immunophenotype of Dendritic Cells Subsets in Acute SIVmac239 Infection of Chinese Rhesus Macaques

Non-human primates such as Chinese rhesus macaques (Ch Rhs) provide good animal models for research on human infectious diseases. Similar to humans, there are two principal subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) in the peripheral blood of Ch Rhs: myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs). In this study, two-color fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analyses were used to identify the main DC subsets, namely CD1c+ mDCs and pDCs from Ch Rhs. Then, the apoptosis and immunophenotype changes of DCs subsets were first described during the acute phase of SIVmac239 infection. Both the DCs subsets showed decreased CD4 expression and enhanced CCR5 expression; in particular, those of pDCs significantly changed at most time points. Interestingly, the plasma viral loads were negatively correlated with CD4 expression, but were positively correlated with CCR5 expression of pDCs. During this period, both CD1c+ mDCs and pDCs were activated by enhancing expressions of co-stimulatory molecules, accompanied with increase in CCR7. Either CD80 or CD86 expressed on CD1c+ mDCs and pDCs was positively correlated with the plasma viral loads. Our analysis demonstrates that the pDCs were more prone to apoptosis after infection during the acute phase of SIVmac239 infection, which may be due to their high expressions of CD4 and CCR5. Both DCs subsets activated through elevating the expression of co-stimulatory molecules, which was beneficial in controlling the replication of SIV. However, a mere broad immune activation initiated by activated DCs may lead to tragic AIDS progression

Effect of temperature on microstructure and deformation mechanism of Fe-30Mn-3Si-4Al TWIP steel at strain rate of 700 s-1

As twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel is one potential material for shaped charge liner due to the combination of high strength and high plasticity, deformation mechanism at high strain rate and high temperature is required to study. Compression experiments of Fe-30Mn-3Si-4Al TWIP steel were conducted using a Gleeble-1500 thermal simulation machine and a split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) between 298 and 1073 K at strain rates of 10-3 and 700 s-1, respectively. Microstructures were observed using optical microscopy (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results show that flow stress and densities of deformation twins and dislocations decrease with increasing deformation temperature at strain rates of 10-3 and 700 s-1. The stack fault energy (SFE) values (Γ) of Fe-30Mn-3Si-4Al TWIP steel at different temperatures were calculated using thermodynamic data. Based on corresponding microstructures, it can be inferred that at 700 s-1, twinning is the main deformation mechanism at 298-573 K for 30 mJ/m2≤Γ≤63 mJ/m, while dislocation gliding is the main deformation mechanism above 1073 K for Γ≥ 145 mJ/m2. In addition, with increasing strain rate from 10-3 to 700 s-1, the SFE range of twinning is enlarged and the SEF value of twinning becomes higher

Geometric bionics: Lotus effect helps polystyrene nanotube films get good blood compatibility

Various biomaterials have been widely used for manufacturing biomedical applications including artificial organs, medical devices and disposable clinical apparatus, such as vascular prostheses, blood pumps, artificial kidney, artificial hearts, dialyzers and plasma separators, which could be used in contact with blood^1^. However, the research tasks of improving hemocompatibility of biomaterials have been carrying out with the development of biomedical requirements^2^. Since the interactions that lead to surface-induced thrombosis occurring at the blood-biomaterial interface become a reason of familiar current complications with grafts therapy, improvement of the blood compatibility of artificial polymer surfaces is, therefore a major issue in biomaterials science^3^. After decades of focused research, various approaches of modifying biomaterial surfaces through chemical or biochemical methods to improve their hemocompatibility were obtained^1^. In this article, we report that polystyrene nanotube films with morphology similar to the papilla on lotus leaf can be used as blood-contacted biomaterials by virtue of Lotus effect^4^. Clearly, this idea, resulting from geometric bionics that mimicking the structure design of lotus leaf, is very novel technique for preparation of hemocompatible biomaterials

Topological triply-degenerate point with double Fermi arcs

Unconventional chiral particles have recently been predicted to appear in certain three dimensional (3D) crystal structures containing three- or more-fold linear band degeneracy points (BDPs). These BDPs carry topological charges, but are distinct from the standard twofold Weyl points or fourfold Dirac points, and cannot be described in terms of an emergent relativistic field theory. Here, we report on the experimental observation of a topological threefold BDP in a 3D phononic crystal. Using direct acoustic field mapping, we demonstrate the existence of the threefold BDP in the bulk bandstructure, as well as doubled Fermi arcs of surface states consistent with a topological charge of 2. Another novel BDP, similar to a Dirac point but carrying nonzero topological charge, is connected to the threefold BDP via the doubled Fermi arcs. These findings pave the way to using these unconventional particles for exploring new emergent physical phenomena

Aqua­(2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline-κ2 N,N′)diformato-κ2 O,O′;κO-nickel(II) monohydrate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Ni(HCO2)2(C14H12N2)(H2O)]·H2O, contains a mononuclear complex mol­ecule hydrogen bonded to a lattice water mol­ecule. The NiII atom exhibits a distorted octa­hedral coordination geometry formed by the N atoms from a 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline ligand, two O atoms of a chelating formate anion, one aqua O atom and one O atom of a coordinating formate anion. The mol­ecules are assembled into chains extending along [100] through by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The supra­molecular chains are further linked into layers parallel to (011) by weak π–π packing inter­actions [centroid–centroid separation = 3.768 (2) Å]. The resulting layers are stacked to meet the requirement of close-packing patterns

Molecular docking studies on rocaglamide, a traditional Chinese medicine for periodontitis

Purpose: To undertake an in silico assessment of rocaglamide as a potential drug therapy forperiodontitis (dental arthritis).Method: Lamarckian algorithm-based automated docking approach using AutoDock4.2 tool wasapplied for calculating the best possible binding mode of rocaglamide to IL-23p19 and IL-17, the targets of anti-inflammatory drugs in periodontal disease.Results: The top two interactions of rocaglamide with IL-17 (ΔG = -5.45 and -4.83 kcal/mol) were more spontaneous, and the physical interactions (two hydrogen bonds and one π-πbond) generated in the two IL-17- rocaglamide complexes were higher in number than in IL-23p14-rocaglamide complexes.Conclusion: In silico analysis of rocaglamide, a known antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agent, is a promising natural candidate for periodontitis therapy, and should be further subjected to in vitro and in vivo anti-periodontitis investigations.Keywords: Periodontitis, Inflammation, Rocaglamide, Molecular docking, Lamarckian algorithm, IL- 23p19, IL-1

Effects of temperature and wavelength choice on in-situ dissolution test of Cimetidine tablets

AbstractThe effects of temperature and wavelength choice on in-situ dissolution test instrument of Cimetidine were studied. Absorbance (A)<1.0 is required when using a fiber-optic dissolution test system. The detection wavelength of λmax (218nm) was replaced by 244nm to carry out this test. The absorbance of Cimetidine solution at different temperature showed an obvious change. Calibration of Cimetidine solution should be tested at the same temperature (37°C) with the test solution. A suitable wavelength with smaller tangent slope could be chosen for in-situ dissolution test of Cimetidine tablets