Neoagarooligosaccharide Protects against Hepatic Fibrosis via Inhibition of TGF-β/Smad Signaling Pathway

Hepatic fibrosis occurs when liver tissue becomes scarred from repetitive liver injury and inflammatory responses; it can progress to cirrhosis and eventually to hepatocellular carcinoma. Previously, we reported that neoagarooligosaccharides (NAOs), produced by the hydrolysis of agar by β-agarases, have hepatoprotective effects against acetaminophen overdose-induced acute liver injury. However, the effect of NAOs on chronic liver injury, including hepatic fibrosis, has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we examined whether NAOs protect against fibrogenesis in vitro and in vivo. NAOs ameliorated PAI-1, α-SMA, CTGF and fibronectin protein expression and decreased mRNA levels of fibrogenic genes in TGF-β-treated LX-2 cells. Furthermore, downstream of TGF-β, the Smad signaling pathway was inhibited by NAOs in LX-2 cells. Treatment with NAOs diminished the severity of hepatic injury, as evidenced by reduction in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, in carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced liver fibrosis mouse models. Moreover, NAOs markedly blocked histopathological changes and collagen accumulation, as shown by H&E and Sirius red staining, respectively. Finally, NAOs antagonized the CCl₄-induced upregulation of the protein and mRNA levels of fibrogenic genes in the liver. In conclusion, our findings suggest that NAOs may be a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of chronic liver injury via inhibition of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.     

Changes in the content and antioxidative activity of β-carotene and its metabolite vitamin A during gastrointestinal digestion and absorption and optimisation of HPLC-based detection

The β-Carotene (BC), an important precursor of vitamin A (VA), possesses antioxidant activity but is fat-soluble and has low bioavailability. In previous in-vitro assays evaluating antioxidant and 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) free radical scavenging, both BC and VA showed a strong ability to scavenge radicals and protected cells from oxidative stress. Here, we used artificially simulated gastrointestinal digestion and Caco-2 cell absorption models to evaluate the bioavailability of the BC during gastrointestinal digestion and absorption using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. We observed high absorptive and transfer rates of BC and detected retinol metabolites (Vitamin A). Therefore, BC can be detected in the acidic gastrointestinal environment using HPLC. Optimised method provided better separation of BC and VA in the column, improving the accuracy of the test results.     

Synthesis and performance evaluation of a new drag reducer based on acrylamide/12-allyloxydodecyl acid sodium

Hydraulic fracturing with slickwater is a field-proven stimulation technology used in tight reservoirs. Because of the high pumping rate associated with slickwater fracturing, drag reduction (DR) is critical in minimizing pressure drop and the success of oilfield operations. In this paper, a new type of drag reducer (SPR) was synthesized with acrylamide and 12-allyloxydodecyl acid sodium, and its drag reduction performance was evaluated. The results showed that the new drag reducer features low molecular weight, fast-dissolving rate and low interfacial tension. The algorithm of estimating the drag reduction rate of non-Newtonian fluid SPR was proposed and validated. Empirical or semianalytical models for estimating the friction ratio (σ) or friction factor (λ or f) were used to simulate the turbulence behavior of the SPR drag reducer under different Reynolds numbers (Re). The modified Virk's correlation could accurately model the turbulent behavior of the SPR drag reducer. A unified calculation formula was established in this study for different pipe diameters.     

Solution-Synthesized Multifunctional Janus Nanotree Microswimmer

Synthetic active matters are perfect model systems for non-equilibrium thermodynamics and of great potential for novel biomedical and environmental applications. However, most applications are limited by the complicated and low-yield preparation, while a scalable synthesis for highly functional microswimmers is highly desired. In this paper, an all-solution synthesis method is developed where the gold-loaded titania-silica nanotree can be produced as a multi-functional self-propulsion microswimmer. By applying light, heat, and electric field, the Janus nanotree demonstrated multi-mode self-propulsion, including photochemical self-electrophoresis by UV and visible light radiation, thermophoresis by near-infrared light radiation, and induced-charge electrophoresis under AC electric field. Due to the scalable synthesis, the Janus nanotree is further demonstrated as a high-efficiency, low-cost, active adsorbent for water decontamination, where the toxic mercury ions can be reclaimed with enhanced efficiency.     

Effect of wind condition on unintended hydrogen release in a hydrogen refueling station

Ambient condition, especially the wind condition, is an important factor to determine the behavior of hydrogen diffusion during hydrogen release. However, only few studies aim at the quantitative study of the hydrogen diffusion in a wind-exist condition. And very little researches aiming at the variable wind condition have been done. In this paper, the hydrogen diffusion in different wind condition which including the constant wind velocity and the variable wind velocity is investigated numerically. When considering the variable wind velocity, the UDF (user defined function) is compiled. Characteristics of the FGC (flammable gas cloud) and the HMF (hydrogen mass fraction) are analyzed in different wind condition and comparisons are made with the no-wind condition. Results indicate that the constant wind velocity and the variable wind velocity have totally different effect for the determination of hydrogen diffusion. Comparisons between the constant wind velocity and the variable wind velocity indicate that the variable wind velocity may cause a more dangerous situation since there has a larger FGC volume. More importantly, the wind condition has a non-negligible effect when considering the HMF along the radial direction. As the wind velocity increases, the distribution of the HMF along the radial direction is not Gaussian anymore when the distance between the release hole and the observation line exceeds to a critical value. This work can be a supplement of the research on the hydrogen release and diffusion and a valuable reference for the researchers.     

印刷电路板缺陷检测的实际应用

电路板在我们的日常生活中非常常见,这就使得印刷电路板的缺陷检测显得尤为重要。AOI作为新兴的检测PCB板缺陷的系统,在生产实际中正在被大家熟知并且应用。相较于传统的检测方式,AOI系统比较灵活,无论是在检测时间还是系统运算上,或者是对相关技术人员的要求相较于传统方式都比较有优势,本文就AOI系统在实际中的应用展开讨论,分析并且介绍了在实际应用中的具体细则。     

Study on Runoff Control Effect of Different Drainage Schemes in Sponge Airport

Water Resources Management - The low impact development (LID) concept aims to control storm runoff and pollution through decentralized, small-scale source control to bring the development area as...     

三氯乙酸终止液对木瓜蛋白酶酶活测定的影响研究

本实验研究了不同的三氯乙酸终止液,对木瓜蛋白酶酶活的影响。通过使用两种检测方法,不同配方的三氯乙酸终止液进行实验。结果表明,使用两种不同配方的三氯乙酸终止液所得的结果相差2倍多。用不同稀释浓度的三氯乙酸终止液,在高浓度时,不同浓度的三氯乙酸终止液得到的结果差别很大,随着三氯乙酸浓度的降低,所测得的酶活不断升高;但是在低浓度时,不同浓度的三氯乙酸终止液得到的结果差别不大。     

Eight-node conforming straight-side quadrilateral element with high-order completeness (QH8-C1)

A new eight-node conforming quadrilateral element with high-order completeness, denoted as QH8-C1, is proposed in this article. First, expressions for the interpolation displacement function satisfying the requirements for high-order completeness in the global coordinate system are constructed. Second, the displacement function expression in global coordinates is transformed into isoparametric coordinates, and the relationships between the two series of coefficients for the two kinds of displacement function expressions are found. Third, the displacement function expression is modified to satisfy the requirements of nodal freedom and interelement boundary continuity. The key to the new element construction is the derivation of the linear relationship expressions among 12 coefficients of element displacement interpolation polynomials in the global and isoparametric coordinate systems. As a result, the relationship between quadratic completeness and interelement continuity is explicitly given, and a proof of the completeness and the continuity was conducted to theoretically guarantee the validity of the derivation results. Furthermore, in order to verify the correctness of the theoretical work, nine numerical examples were performed. The computation results from these examples demonstrate that QH8-C1 exhibited excellent performance, including high simulation accuracy, fast convergence, insensitivity to mesh distortion, and monotonic convergence.