Emodin enhances osteogenesis and inhibits adipogenesis

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that the formation of osteoblasts in bone marrow is closely associated with adipogenesis, and the balance between osteogenesis and adipogenesis differentiation of MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells) is disrupted in osteoporosis. In order to improve the treatment of osteoporosis, available agents with roles of regulating the balance is highly desirable. Emodin is a natural anthraquinone derivative extracted from Chinese herbs, which have been used to treat bone diseases for thousands of years. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of emodin in modulating osteogenesis and adipogenesis remain poorly understood. METHODS: The molecular mechanisms of emodin on the processes of osteogenesis and adipogenesis in ovariectomized mouse and BMSCs (bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells) have been studied. We have analyzed the effects of emodin in vivo and in vitro. Female ICR mice were assigned to three groups: sham group, ovariectomy group, emodin group. Efficacy was evaluated by H&E, immunohistochemical assay and Micro-CT. In vitro, we analyze the effect of emodin—at concentrations between 0.1 μM and 10 μM-on the processes of inducing osteogenesis and inhibiting adipogenesis in BMSCs by ALP, Oil red O staining, real time RT-PCR and western blot. RESULTS: As our experiment shows that emodin could increase the number of osteoblast, BMD (bone mineral density), BV/TV (trabecular bone volume fraction), Tb.N (trabecular number) and Conn.D (connectivity density) of OVX (ovariectomized) mice and decrease the bone marrow fat tissue and adipocytes. The genes and proteins expression of osteogenesis markers, such as Runx2, osterix, collagen type I, osteocalcin, or ALP were up-regulated. While, the genes and proteins involved in adipogenesis, PPARγ, C/EBPα and ap2 were down-regulated. CONCLUSION: It proves that emodin inhibits adipocyte differentiation and enhances osteoblast differentiation from BMSCs

Almost sure stabilization of hybrid systems by feedback control based on discrete-time observations of mode and state

Although the mean square stabilisation of hybrid systems by feedback controls based on discretetime observations of state and mode has been studied by several authors since 2013 (see, e.g., [17,19,27,31]), the corresponding almost sure stabilisation problem has little been investigated. Recent Mao [18] is the first to study the almost sure stabilisation of a given unstable system x(t) = f(x(t)) by a linear discretetime stochastic feedback control Ax([t/τ]τ)dB(t) (namely the stochastically controlled system has the form dx(t) = f(x(t))dt + Ax([t/τ]τ)dB(t)), where B(t) is a scalar Brownian, τ > 0 and [t/τ] is the integer part of t/τ. In this paper, we will consider a much more general problem. That is, we will to study the almost sure stabilisation of a given unstable hybrid system x(t) = f(x(t), r(t)) by nonlinear discrete-time stochastic feedback control u(x([t/τ]τ), r([t/τ]τ))dB(t) (so the stochastically controlled system is a hybrid stochastic system of the form dx(t) = f(x(t), r(t))dt + u(x([t/τ]τ), r([t/τ]τ))dB(t)), where B(t) is a multi-dimensional Brownian motion and r(t) is a Markov chain

Study on AADDS Plunger Pump Driving Bearing Properties

The Auto Anti-Deviation Drilling System (AADDS) is a high-performance, highly automated vertical drilling hydraulic guide control system. This article takes its power extraction device - driving bearing for the study object, analyzed the single-plunger pump's principle, established the mathematical model of hydraulic guide system, applied Matlab/Simulink to simulate the pump outlet flow under different contour curve of the driving bearing. The results show the oval-shaped bearing is of high efficiency under lower drilling speed, and its performance is better than that of original eccentric-shaped and clover-shaped

Growth of carbon nanowalls at atmospheric pressure for one-step gas sensor fabrication

Carbon nanowalls (CNWs), two-dimensional "graphitic" platelets that are typically oriented vertically on a substrate, can exhibit similar properties as graphene. Growth of CNWs reported to date was exclusively carried out at a low pressure. Here, we report on the synthesis of CNWs at atmosphere pressure using "direct current plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition" by taking advantage of the high electric field generated in a pin-plate dc glow discharge. CNWs were grown on silicon, stainless steel, and copper substrates without deliberate introduction of catalysts. The as-grown CNW material was mainly mono- and few-layer graphene having patches of O-containing functional groups. However, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies confirmed that most of the oxygen groups could be removed by thermal annealing. A gas-sensing device based on such CNWs was fabricated on metal electrodes through direct growth. The sensor responded to relatively low concentrations of NO2 (g) and NH3 (g), thus suggesting high-quality CNWs that are useful for room temperature gas sensors

Endovascular treatment strategy and clinical outcome of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula

IntroductionTo evaluate treatment strategies and clinical outcomes following endovascular embolization of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 19 patients with tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery at Jiangsu Provincial People’s Hospital between October 2015 and May 2022, all treated with endovascular therapy. To collect and analyze patients’ clinical presentation, imaging data, postoperative complications, and prognosis and to analyze the safety and clinical outcomes of endovascular treatment of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas.ResultsImaging cure was achieved in 18 patients, with the arterial route chosen for embolization in 17 patients and the venous route in one patient; one patient received partial embolization. Staged embolization was performed in four patients. At postoperative follow-up of 9–83 months (37.8 ± 21.2), all 19 patients had recovered well (mRS score ≤ 2). Three patients experienced perioperative complications: intraoperative Onyx reflux into the middle cerebral artery in one patient; postoperative permanent limited left visual field loss and deafness in the left ear in one patient; and transient diplopia, vertigo, and decreased pain and temperature sensation of the left limb in one patient, with no abnormalities on post-procedure magnetic resonance examinations. A total of 17 patients completed a postoperative digital subtraction angiography review during follow-up, and one patient had a recurrence of an arteriovenous fistula.ConclusionEndovascular treatment of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas is safe and effective. Reduction of the Borden or Cognard classification via eliminating cortical venous reflux through multi-staged embolization or combined open surgery is a reasonable goal of treatment where complete obliteration of the fistula is not achievable

Endovascular treatment of multiple intracranial aneurysms in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage: one or multiple sessions?

ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of single- and multiple-stage endovascular treatment in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients with multiple intracranial aneurysms.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical and imaging data of 61 patients who harbored multiple aneurysms and presented to our institution with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Patients were grouped according to endovascular treatment strategy: one-stage or multiple-stage.ResultThe 61 study patients harbored 136 aneurysms. One aneurysm in each patient had ruptured. In the one-stage treatment group, all 66 aneurysms in 31 patients were treated in one session. The mean follow-up was 25.8 months (range, 12–47). At the last follow-up, the modified Rankin scale was ≤2 in 27 patients. In total, 10 complications occurred (cerebral vasospasm, six patients; cerebral hemorrhage, two patients; and thromboembolism, two patients). In the multiple-stage treatment group, only the ruptured aneurysm (30 in total) was treated at the time of presentation, and the remaining aneurysms (40 in total) were treated later. The mean follow-up was 26.3 months (range, 7–49). At the last follow-up, the modified Rankin scale score was ≤2 in 28 patients. In total, five complications occurred (cerebral vasospasm, four patients; and subarachnoid hemorrhage, one patient). During the follow-up period, there was one recurrence of aneurysm with subarachnoid hemorrhage in the single-stage treatment group and four recurrences in the multiple-stage treatment group.ConclusionBoth single- and multiple-stage endovascular treatment is safe and effective in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients who harbor multiple aneurysms. However, multiple-stage treatment is associated with a lower rate of hemorrhagic and ischemic complications

Carbon Nanotubes Enabling Highly Efficient Cell Apoptosis by Low-Intensity Nanosecond Electric Pulses via Perturbing Calcium Handling.

Effective induction of targeted cancer cells apoptosis with minimum side effects has always been the primary objective for anti-tumor therapy. In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are employed for their unique ability to target tumors and amplify the localized electric field due to the high aspect ratio. Highly efficient and cancer cell specific apoptosis is finally achieved by combining carbon nanotubes with low intensity nanosecond electric pulses (nsEPs). The underlying mechanism may be as follows: the electric field produced by nsEPs is amplified by CNTs, causing an enhanced plasma membrane permeabilization and Ca2+ influx, simultaneously triggering Ca2+ release from intracellular storages to cytoplasm in a direct/indirect manner. All the changes above lead to excessive mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. Substructural damage and obvious mitochondria membrane potential depolarization are caused subsequently with the combined action of numerously reactive oxygen species production, ultimately initiating the apoptotic process through the translocation of cytochrome c to the cytoplasm and activating apoptotic markers including caspase-9 and -3. Thus, the combination of nanosecond electric field with carbon nanotubes can actually promote HCT116 cell death via mitochondrial signaling pathway-mediated cell apoptosis. These results may provide a new and highly efficient strategy for cancer therapy

Sudakov effects in BBNS approach

The end-point singularity is an unsolved problem in BBNS approach. Incorporating the partonic transverse momentum and the Sudakov form factor, this problem can be solved model-independently. We discuss the Sudakov effects in BBNS approach. The BBNS approach is compared with the modified PQCD approach. The main idea of Sudakov form factor is briefly discussed. Our conclusion is that the twist-3 contribution for the hard spectator scattering is numerically not important in $B\to \pi\pi$ decays, compared with the twist-2 contribution.Comment: 16 pages, Latex, two figures, some typos correcte

Experimental study on friction pressure drop and circumferential heat transfer characteristics in helical tubes

Helical tubes are widely used in nuclear plants, heat recovery process, and refrigeration technology. The fluid is influenced by centrifugal force flow through the helical tube, accompanied by secondary flow which is conducive to the enhancement of heat transfer. However, the uneven circumferential heat transfer caused by the secondary flow was seldom reported, while the pressure drops and heat transfer characteristics of helical tubes under single-phase and two-phase flow conditions need to be supplemented. This paper investigated the friction pressure drop and circumferential heat transfer characteristics based on the experiments on helical tubes with the coil diameter to the tube diameter varying from 28.5 to 128.5 and lift angle varying from 3° to 10°. The results showed that the coil diameter was the key parameter affecting the pressure drop and non-uniform circumferential heat transfer, compared with the lift angle. At the same cross section, the heat transfer coefficient at the outside tube wall was the highest, which was more obvious under small coil diameter conditions. Correlations of flow resistance and heat transfer were proposed for the single-phase and saturated boiling two-phase flow, respectively, and the predicted values were improved compared with the prediction results of correlations in the existing literature