Search Results (29)

Two NdFeB magnets with distinct compositions were fabricated via an identical process. One magnet was doped with 2.5 wt.% of Ho, whereas the other remained undoped. Subsequently, grain boundary diffusion was performed on both magnets using metallic Tb, adopting the same set of technological parameters. A comprehensive analysis was conducted on the magnetic properties, phase compositions, microstructures, and elemental distributions of these two magnets. The findings indicate that the incorporation of Ho enhances the utilization efficiency of Tb. As a result, the magnets can achieve higher coercivity across different temperatures, with only a minor reduction in remanence. During the sintering process of the Ho-doped magnet, fine precipitated particles of Ho₂Fe₁₄B are generated inside the magnet. This phenomenon causes the refinement of the main grains of the magnet. The refined main grains facilitate the effective diffusion of Tb within the magnet, eliminating the formation of the anti-shell structure. Furthermore, when Ho substitutes for Nd, it leads to a more homogeneous distribution of the Nd-rich phase. Additionally, it increases the densification degree of the sintered NdFeB magnets. These effects contribute to a further enhancement of the magnets’ coercivity. Full article

Background: Compared to other immune checkpoint molecules, T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain-3 (TIM-3) is highly expressed on natural killer (NK) cells, but its functional role and prognostic significance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the role of TIM-3 expression on the cytotoxic and killing capacity of NK cells and its prognostic significance in AML. Methods: AML public single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) data were used to analyze the correlation of transcript levels between HAVCR2 (encoding TIM-3) and cytotoxic molecules in NK cells. NK cells from the bone marrows of seven newly diagnosed AML patients and five healthy donors (HDs) were stimulated in vitro and cell-killing activity was evaluated. A total of one hundred and five newly diagnosed adult AML patients and seven HDs were tested the expression of TIM-3 and cytotoxic molecules on the bone marrow NK cells by multi-parameter flow cytometry (MFC). Results: Both scRNAseq and MFC analysis demonstrated that TIM-3 expression on NK cells was positively related to the levels of perforin (PFP) and granzyme B (GZMB) (all p < 0.05) in AML. It was PFP and GZMB but not the TIM-3 level that was related to NK-cell-killing activity against K562 cells (p = 0.027, 0.042 and 0.55). A high frequency of TIM-3⁺ NK cells predicted poorer relapse-free survival (RFS) and event-free survival (EFS) (p = 0.013 and 0.0074), but was not an independent prognostic factor, whereas low GZMB levels in TIM-3⁺ NK cells independently predicted poorer RFS (p = 0.0032). Conclusions: TIM-3 expression on NK cells is positively related to PFP and GZMB levels but has no relation to cell-killing activity in AML, and low GZMB levels in TIM-3⁺ NK cells in the diagnostic bone marrows predicts poor outcomes. This study lays a theoretical foundation for the clinical application of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. Full article

Background: The effect of the expression of the newly identified immune checkpoint, T cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif domain (TIGIT) on NK cells in core binding factor-acute myeloid leukemia (CBF-AML) remains to be investigated. Methods: Fresh bone marrow samples from a total of 39 newly diagnosed CBF-AML patients and 25 healthy donors (HDs) were collected for testing the phenotype and function state of total NK, CD56^bright, and CD56^dim NK cell subsets after in vitro stimulation. Results: The frequencies of TIGIT⁺ cells in total NK, CD56^bright, and CD56^dim NK cell subsets had no significant difference between patients and HDs. TNF-α and INF-γ levels were uniformly lower in TIGIT⁺ cells than the corresponding TIGIT⁻ cells in all HDs, whereas those for TIGIT⁺ to TIGIT⁻ cells in patients were highly heterogenous; TIGIT expression was not related to PFP and GZMB expression in HDs, whereas it was related to higher intracellular PFP and GZMB levels in patients. Patients’ TIGIT⁺ NK cells displayed lower K562 cell-killing activity than their TIGIT⁻ NK cells. In addition, high frequencies of TIGIT⁺ cells in total NK and CD56^dim NK cells were associated with poor RFS. Conclusions: TIGIT expression affected the diagnostic bone marrow-sited NK cell function and had prognostic significance in CBF-AML patients. Full article

Lonicerae japonicae Flos (LJF) is a natural plant containing abundant antioxidant ingredients. In order to extract more antioxidants from LJF, in this study, a novel strategy was proposed for optimizing the extraction factor level by response surface methodology with a tailored deep eutectic solvent (DES) as the extraction solvent and antioxidant ability as the evaluation index. After optimizing the composition of DES and the extraction condition, the extracts obtained by our proposed method yielded better antioxidant ability (229.1–249.1 μmol TE/g DW) and higher antioxidant contents (34.2–36.5 mg GAE/g DW for total phenolics and 119.6–123.0 mg RE/g DW for total flavonoids) from LJF in 5 min without organic solvent consumption that were significantly superior to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia extraction method. The K-T solvation parameter and a scanning electron microscope were adopted to explore the extraction mechanism, and the results showed that the polarity and damage effect on plant cells of DES were crucial for the extraction of antioxidants. In addition, after combining the HPLC fingerprint and partial least squares model, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and 3,5-O-Dicaffeoylquinic acid were screened as the antioxidant Q-markers of LJF. This work demonstrates that an optimization strategy based on antioxidant ability and tailored DES has the potential to extract more antioxidants from natural plants. Full article

In recent years, the adverse effects of nanoplastics (NPs) and pyriproxyfen on aquatic environments have attracted widespread attention. However, research on their combined exposure to aquatic organisms could be more extensive. This work evaluated the acute and chronic toxic effects of polystyrene NPs (PS-NPs) and pyriproxyfen on Daphnia magna (D. magna) under their combined exposure conditions. The addition of PS-NPs within 24 h reduced the acute toxicity of pyriproxyfen to D. magna, resulting in an increase in the 24-h EC₅₀ values of pyriproxyfen on D. magna from 0.24 mg/L to 0.35, 0.51, and 1.26 mg/L, respectively when 1, 5, and 10 mg/L of PS-NPs were added. Compared with PS-NPs, pyriproxyfen significantly disturbed the growth and reproduction of D. magna in the chronic toxicity test at 21 days. The adverse effects caused by pyriproxyfen were alleviated when PS-NPs and pyriproxyfen were co-exposed. In addition, it was observed that the addition of pyriproxyfen resulted in less PS-NPs uptake by D. magna using a time-gated imaging technique. These findings provide new insight into the combined toxic effects of NPs and pyriproxyfen on the reproduction and growth of D. magna, and it is important to understand the effects of complex pollutants on aquatic systems. Moreover, it has provided an important scientific basis for environmental protection and sustainable development. Full article

The effects of nano-plastics (NPs) on aquatic organisms have drawn significant attention. Understanding the uptake and excretion of NPs by aquatic organisms can provide clearer insights into their behavior within organisms. And the effect of different food on the processes is unclear. Daphnia magna (D. magna) is considered as a model organism for assessing the ecological risks of NPs. This work observed the uptake and excretion of NPs by D. magna under different food supply conditions. The effects of three different types of foods (Chlorella sp., Euglena gracilis, and yeast powder) on the uptake and excretion of two concentrations of NPs (1 mg/L and 3 mg/L) by the D. magna were compared. A Time-Gated Imaging technique was used to quantify the NPs uptake mass by D. magna. The study results showed the inhibitory effect presented by food on the uptake of NPs by D. magna. The inhibitory ability of different foods varies, with similar levels observed in Chlorella sp. and E. gracilis, while the inhibitory effect of yeast powder was slightly weaker. The facilitating effect was presented by food on the excretion of NPs. The time constant of excretion of NPs by feeding yeast powder was about 4–5 min longer than that of two types of algae. These effects can be attributed to food occupying the intestine tract of D. magna and supplying energy. This work emphasizes the important role of food in evaluating the ecological effects of NPs and provides support for future research on the long-term risks of pollutants to aquatic organisms and environmental sustainability. Full article

The traditional fermentation process of soy sauce employs a hyperhaline model and has a long fermentation period. A hyperhaline model can improve fermentation speed, but easily leads to the contamination of miscellaneous bacteria and fermentation failure. In this study, after the conventional koji and moromi fermentation, the fermentation broth was pasteurized and diluted, and then inoculated with three selected microorganisms including Corynebacterium glutamicum, Corynebacterium ammoniagenes, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum for secondary fermentation. During this ten-day fermentation, the pH, free amino acids, organic acids, nucleotide acids, fatty acids, and volatile compounds were analyzed. The fermentation group inoculated with C. glutamicum accumulated the high content of amino acid nitrogen of 0.92 g/100 mL and glutamic acid of 509.4 mg/100 mL. The C. ammoniagenes group and L. plantarum group were rich in nucleotide and organic acid, respectively. The fermentation group inoculated with three microorganisms exhibited the best sensory attributes, showing the potential to develop a suitable fermentation method. The brewing speed of the proposed process in this study was faster than that of the traditional method, and the umami substances could be significantly accumulated in this low-salt fermented model (7% w/v NaCl). This study provides a reference for the low-salt and rapid fermentation of seasoning. Full article

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is one of the diabetes mellitus-induced cardiovascular complications that can result in heart failure in severe cases, which is characterized by cardiomyocyte apoptosis, local inflammation, oxidative stress, and myocardial fibrosis. CD38, a main hydrolase of NAD⁺ in mammals, plays an important role in various cardiovascular diseases, according to our previous studies. However, the role of CD38 in diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy is still unknown. Here, we report that global deletion of the CD38 gene significantly prevented diabetic cardiomyopathy induced by high-fat diet plus streptozotocin (STZ) injection in CD38 knockout (CD38-KO) mice. We observed that CD38 expression was up-regulated, whereas the expression of Sirt3 was down-regulated in the hearts of diabetic mice. CD38 deficiency significantly promoted glucose metabolism and improved cardiac functions, exemplified by increased left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening. In addition, we observed that CD38 deficiency markedly decreased diabetes or high glucose and palmitic acid (HG + PA)-induced pyroptosis and apoptosis in CD38 knockout hearts or cardiomyocytes, respectively. Furthermore, we found that the expression levels of Sirt3, mainly located in mitochondria, and its target gene FOXO3a were increased in CD38-deficient hearts and cardiomyocytes with CD38 knockdown under diabetic induction conditions. In conclusion, we demonstrated that CD38 deficiency protected mice from diabetes-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy by reducing pyroptosis and apoptosis via activating NAD⁺/Sirt3/FOXO3a signaling pathways. Full article

β-Ga₂O₃, with excellent bandgap, breakdown field, and thermal stability properties, is considered to be one of the most promising candidates for power devices including field-effect transistors (FETs) and for other applications such as Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) and solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors. Ohmic contact is one of the key steps in the β-Ga₂O₃ device fabrication process for power applications. Ohmic contact techniques have been developed in recent years, and they are summarized in this review. First, the basic theory of metal–semiconductor contact is introduced. After that, the representative literature related to Ohmic contact with β-Ga₂O₃ is summarized and analyzed, including the electrical properties, interface microstructure, Ohmic contact formation mechanism, and contact reliability. In addition, the promising alternative schemes, including novel annealing techniques and Au-free contact materials, which are compatible with the CMOS process, are discussed. This review will help our theoretical understanding of Ohmic contact in β-Ga₂O₃ devices as well as the development trends of Ohmic contact schemes. Full article

This study investigated the beneficial effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on muscle loss in rats with chronic ethanol feeding. Six-week-old male Wistar rats were fed either a control liquid diet without EGF (C group, n = 12) or EGF (EGF-C group, n = 18) for two weeks. From the 3rd to 8th week, the C group was divided into two groups. One was continually fed with a control liquid diet (C group), and the other one was fed with an ethanol-containing liquid diet (E group); moreover, the EGF-C group was divided into three groups, such as the AEGF-C (continually fed with the same diet), PEGF-E (fed with the ethanol-containing liquid diet without EGF), and AEGF-E (fed with the ethanol-containing liquid diet with EGF). As a result, the E group had significantly higher plasma ALT and AST, endotoxin, ammonia, and interleukin 1b (IL-1b) levels, along with liver injuries, such as hepatic fatty changes and inflammatory cell infiltration. However, plasma endotoxin and IL-1b levels were significantly decreased in the PEGF-E and AEGF-E groups. In addition, the protein level of muscular myostatin and the mRNA levels of forkhead box transcription factors (FOXO), muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MURF-1) and atorgin-1 was increased considerably in the E group but inhibited in the PEGF-E and AEGF-E groups. According to the principal coordinate analysis findings, the gut microbiota composition differed between the control and ethanol liquid diet groups. In conclusion, although there was no noticeable improvement in muscle loss, EGF supplementation inhibited muscular protein degradation in rats fed with an ethanol-containing liquid diet for six weeks. The mechanisms might be related to endotoxin translocation inhibition, microbiota composition alteration as well as the amelioration of liver injury. However, the reproducibility of the results must be confirmed in future studies. Full article

This work reports the biological toxicity of nano plastic particles (NPs) to silkworms fed on the bait dopped with polystyrene encapsulated luminescent nanoparticles. The processes of NPs intake and excretion were monitored by means of time-gated optical imaging (TGI) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), which allowed the quantification of the spatiotemporal deposition of NPs in an individual silkworm. The rates of NPs excretion and sequestration were found to be 99.92% and 0.08%, respectively, and the NPs retentate stayed mainly in the fat body (67.7%), digestive tract (18.0%), and head (7.54%). Adverse effects of NPs exposure were accordingly confirmed such as growth retardation and smaller physique. The results of the present work confirmed the possibility of nano-plastics accumulating and transmitting along the food chain in terrestrial ecosystems. The present work demonstrates the potential of employing silkworm as a model of full metamorphosed insects for exploring the biological impact of NPs on congeneric terrestrial animals, as well as the efficacy of the TGI-MS modality for in situ visualizing and quantifying the propagation of NPs via the primary food chain. Full article

Psychological therapies are important for comprehensive chronic orofacial pain (COFP) treatment. This study is to validate the effects of psychological factors on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among COFP patients in China. Pain catastrophizing, which is a subjective cognitive emotion used to manage the psychological aspects of pain among COFP patients, was examined in relation to COFP severity and OHRQoL. All 479 participants were recruited in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (0.868–0.960), composite reliability scores (0.924–0.969), and average variance extracted from each construct (0.555–0.753) all indicated a good model fit. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that age and education status have a positive correlation with COFP severity, pain catastrophizing, and anxiety. COFP severity was related to anxiety, depression, and COFP-OHRQoL. Pain catastrophizing was related to employment status. Anxiety and depression symptoms indirectly mediated the correlation between COFP severity and COFP-OHRQoL. As a second-stage moderator, pain catastrophizing moderated the mediating effects of anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms. Our findings suggest that anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing should be evaluated jointly to improve COFP-OHRQoL among COFP patients. This evidence will help therapists to comprehensively treat patients for the best treatment effect. Full article

Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), an invasive beetle that has caused billions of dollars of economic losses, is a serious pest of Pinus massoniana in many Asian countries. An efficient RNAi system is helpful for functional genomics research on M. alternatus. In this study, a tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) related to the ommochrome synthesis in insects was identified. Using RNAi technology, the M. alternatus TDO gene was silenced by injecting dsRNA into pupae, and individuals were analyzed by phenotype and expression of the TDO gene by RT-qPCR. The results show that TDO is expressed in different developmental stages of M. alternatus, having its peak expression during the prepupal stage. White-eye phenotypes were observed in the pupal and adult stages after dsRNA injection, and a significant 81% decrease in TDO mRNA levels 48 h after injection was determined by RT-qPCR. This gene can be used as a genetic marker and is an important discovery for future genetic engineering tools to control M. alternatus populations. Full article

The skin is the largest organ of the body and plays multiple essential roles, ranging from regulating temperature, preventing infections, to ultimately affecting human health. A hair follicle is a complex cutaneous appendage. Skin diseases and hair loss have a significant effect on the quality of life and psychosocial adjustment of individuals. However, the available traditional drugs for treating skin and hair diseases may have some insufficiencies; therefore, a growing number of researchers are interested in natural materials that could achieve satisfactory results and minimize adverse effects. Natural polyphenols, named for the multiple phenolic hydroxyl groups in their structures, are promising candidates and continue to be of scientific interest due to their multifunctional biological properties and safety. Polyphenols have a wide range of pharmacological effects. In addition to the most common effect, antioxidation, polyphenols have anti-inflammatory, bacteriostatic, antitumor, and other biological effects associated with reduced risk of a number of chronic diseases. Various polyphenols have also shown efficacy against different types of skin and hair diseases, both in vitro and in vivo, via different mechanisms. Thus, this paper reviews the research progress in natural polyphenols for the protection of skin and hair health, especially focusing on their potential therapeutic mechanisms against skin and hair disorders. A deep understanding of natural polyphenols provides a new perspective for the safe treatment of skin diseases and hair loss. Full article

An AGV system can be used to transport different-size materials in an assembly line. The hybrid task allocation problem is involved in the assembly line, where both single-AGV tasks and multi-AGV tasks exist. However, there is little research on this problem. The goal of solving this problem is to obtain a task allocation scheme with minimum idle time and maximum system throughput. Since all necessary materials must be delivered to the assembly station before the operation can start, the delivery tasks are not independent of each other in a task group serving the operation. To solve the problem above, a hybrid task allocation method based on a task binding strategy and an improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO) is proposed. Firstly, a mathematical model considering the punctuality of material delivery and the cooperative relationship between tasks is established. Secondly, a task binding strategy and four heuristic rules are devised to improve the quality of randomly- and heuristic-generated individuals in the initial population for model optimization. Thirdly, an IPSO is developed to help the optimization algorithm jump out of local optimums. Finally, a simulation is performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods. The simulation results show that a better scheme can be obtained by our hybrid task allocation method, compared to conventional Genetic Algorithms and PSO algorithms. Full article