Lactobacillus sakei MJM60958 as a Potential Probiotic Alleviated Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet by Modulating Lipid Metabolism,Inflammation, and Gut Microbiota

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease with a rapidly increasing number of cases worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus sakei MJM60958 (MJM60958) on NAFLD in vitro and in vivo. In in vitro tests, MJM60958 significantly inhibited lipid accumulation by 46.79% in HepG2 cells stimulated with oleic acid and cholesterol (OA-C). Moreover, MJM60958 showed safe and probiotic characteristics in vitro. In the animal study, MJM60958 administration in a high-fat diet-induced NAFLD mouse model significantly reduced body weight and liver weight, and controlled aspartate aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), triglyceride (TG), urea nitrogen (BUN), and uric acid (UA) levels in the blood, which are features of NAFLD. Further, treatment with MJM60958 also reduced steatosis scores in liver tissues, serum leptin and interleukin, and increased serum adiponectin content. Moreover, administration of MJM60958 resulted in a significantly decreased expression of some genes and proteins which are related to lipid accumulation, such as fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1), and also upregulated genes and protein expression of lipid oxidation such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a (CPT1A). Administration of MJM60958 increased the relative abundance of specific microbial taxa such as Verrucomicrobia, which are abundant in non-NAFLD mice, and reduced Firmicutes, which are a major group in NAFLD mice. MJM60958 affected the modulation of gut microbiota and altered the strain profile of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production in the cecum by reduced lactic acid and enhanced acetic acid production. Overall, MJM60958 showed potential as a probiotic that can prevent and treat NAFLD.     

Relationship between the coefficient of friction and the wear rate of metals

A very approximate mathematical analysis is given for the relationship between the coefficient of friction and the wear factor of metals for the case of sliding wear. The analysis is based on the delamination theory of wear, the empirically determined plastic strain field near the surface at the onset of delamination of a wear sheet and a constitutive relation which takes into account the effect of cyclic softening. An energy argument is used. The agreement between experimentally observed values and theoretically predicted values is good.     

A nanowire-based shift register for display scan drivers

The development of display scan drivers is an essential step in the effort to develop transparent and flexible display devices based on nanowire transistors. Here we report a transparent nanowire-based shift register that functions as the standard logic circuit of a display scan driver. To form the shift register circuits using only n-type nanowire transistors, a novel circuit structure was introduced to avoid the output voltage drop typical of purely n-type circuits. A circuit simulation based on the measured nanowire transistor characteristics was developed in the planning phase to verify the circuit operation of the shift register. The shift register successfully produced an output of 0-3 V without an output voltage drop while applying an input of 3 V peak to peak. In addition, the shift register was designed to have multiple channels with a randomly oriented nanowire placement method to enhance the operation yield.     

Ethylene Oligomerizations by Diazene Bridged Ni(II) Catalysts Derived from Pyrazole-Scaffold-Based Binucleating Ligands with Alkyl and Aryl Pendant Arms

Abstract  

The coordination and organometallic chemistry of a series of diazene (N₂)-bridged Ni(II) catalysts derived from pyrazole-scaffold-based ligands bearing alkyl and aryl pendent arms was investigated. Binucleating ligands were obtained as products of the condensation reaction between 3,5-dichloroformyl-1H-pyrazole and aliphatic/aromatic primary/secondary amines under anhydrous conditions. The Ni(II) catalysts were activated with ethyl aluminum sesquichloride (EASC) to oligomerize the ethylene mainly into C4, C6, C8, and C10 fractions with activities up to 1.2 and 0.5 × 10⁶ g (mol-Ni)⁻¹ bar⁻¹ h⁻¹ at 30 and 50 °C, respectively. All catalysts were found to be electrochemically active in the working potential range of −2 to +2 V. A change in the potential of Ni(II) was provoked by the N₄ donor bridging ligands, increasing the ethylene oligomerization activity.     

Acylation of a substituted benzofuran over an HY zeolite and its subsequent deacylation and reacylation

The acylation reaction of 2-butylbenzofuran withp-anisoyl chloride andp-anisic acid in the presence of faujasite type zeolites, in the liquid phase, is reported. A good initial selectivity to the 3-acylated derivative is obtained, but the selectivity decreases with time. This result is explained by the involvement of a deacylation-reacylation process.     

Effect of the pressure drop rate on cell nucleation in continuous processing of microcellular polymers

Microllular plastics are cellular polymers characterized by cell densities greater than 10⁹ cells/cm³ and cells smaller than 10 μm. One of the critical steps in the continuous production of microcellular plastics is the promotion of high cell nucleation rates in a flowing polymer matrix. These high nucleation rates can be achieved by first forming a polymer/gas solution followed by rapidly decreasing the solubility of gas in the polymer. Since, in the processing range of interest, the gas solubility in the polymer decreases as the pressure decreases, a rapid pressure drop element, consisting of a nozzle, has been employed as a continuous microcellular nucleation device. In this paper, the effects of the pressure drop rate on the nucleation of cells and the cell density are discussed. The experimental results indicate that both the magnitude and the cell density are discussed. The experimental results indicate that both the magnitude and the rate of pressure drop play a strong role in microcellular processing. The pressure phenomenon affects the thermodynamic instability induced in the polymer/gas solution and the competition between cell nucleation and growth.     

A study of tailored blank welding between mild steel sheet and zn-coated steel sheet by CO2 laser beam

Research was conducted on tailored blank welding between mild steel sheet and Zn-coated steel sheet using CO₂ laser beam. The materials used in this study were low carbon steel sheets with a thickness of 1.2 mm and Zn-coated steel sheet with the same thickness and 6.3 μm Zn coating. Experiments were conducted by applying the Taguchi method to obtain optimum conditions for the application of this tailored blank laser welding method in practical manufacturing processes. Optical microscopy, XRD, SEM and TEM analysis were performed to observe the microstructures and to determine the structures of welded zone. In addition, mechanical properties were measured by the microhardness test, tensile test and Erichsen test to evaluate the formability of the welded specimen. There was no trapped Zn in the fusion zone, and the phases of this region consisted of polygonal ferrite, quasi-polygonal ferrite, banitic ferrite and martensite. The elongation value of welded specimen was more than 80% of the value in substrate metal, and the LDH value was more than 90% of the value in substrate metal.     

Up-“Routing” Communities: Subaltern Voices Challenge Sustainable Urban Renewal in Fortaleza,Brazil

Passed in 2001, Brazil’s Estatuto da Cidade (City Statute) requires municipalities to recognize the social value of space in addition to its economic value and has been hailed as a major protection for residents of informal settlements. As Brazil was thrust onto a global stage as host to the World Cup of Soccer and 2016 Summer Olympics, how are local government city officials balancing economic and social use amidst major urban renewal processes? Drawing upon voices of informal settlement residents in Fortaleza, Brazil, we examine the impact of transportation infrastructure upgrades on informal settlements. We find that despite the right to the city espoused in the Estatuto da Cidade, residents in informal settlements continue to be socially and physically marginalized. We examine why social use protections are not halting the displacement of informal settlements and discuss emerging landscapes of local activism resulting from this contradiction.     

Adhesion and Friction Evaluation of Textured Slider Surfaces in Ultra-Low Flying Head-Disk Interfaces

To achieve extremely high-density magnetic recording of 1Tbit per square inch using conventional technologies, the distance between the recording slider and the rotating disk needs to be less than 5nm. For successful operation, disk and slider surfaces must also be extremely smooth with root-mean-square roughness values of few angstroms. However, ultra-low flying super smooth head-disk interfaces may be exposed to a significant amount of intermittent contact, adhesion, stiction and friction that can cause the interface to collapse. In order to circumvent such problems, many novel techniques have been proposed, such as laser zone texturing, contact pads and surface microtexturing. A reliable method to reduce adhesion and friction in ultra-low flying head-disk interfaces is to control the area of contact and roughen the interface, which allows the slider to fly at sub-5nm with minimal contact. A technique known as preferential texturing provides a unique roughening of the air-bearing surface, where parts of the surface are removed, i.e., subtractive texturing process. In this paper, the effect of preferential texturing (roughening) of slider air-bearing surfaces on the adhesion and friction forces are investigated using quasi-dynamic models. The simulation results show that surface texturing reduces adhesion and friction by reducing the effective area of contact between the slider and media surfaces and by preferentially roughening the interface. The simulation results of friction compare favorably with experimental data.