Effects of dietary flaxseed oil on cholesterol metabolism of hamsters

High-fat/cholesterol diets (HFCD) formulated by addition of butter (BU), coconut oil (CO), or flaxseed oil (FX) enhanced (P < 0.05) serum lipids of hamsters compared to the low-fat/cholesterol diet (Control). However, FX groups showed a hypocholesterolaemic effect compared to CO and BU groups. Lower (P < 0.05) hepatic triacylglycerol and cholesterol contents were measured in FX groups than those of CO and BU groups; whereas, higher (P < 0.05) faecal triacylglycerol and cholesterol contents were observed in FX groups. HMG-CoA reductase mRNA expression was upregulated (P < 0.05) by HFCD, whilst FX groups showed no (P > 0.05) influence on LDL-receptor mRNA expression compared to that of Control groups; however, higher (P < 0.05) than those of CO and BU groups. Meanwhile, there was a tendency towards higher CYP7A1 expression in the CO or FX group than the BU group. Thus, the hypocholesterolaemic effect of FX might result from increases of LDL-receptor mRNA expression, and cholesterol catabolism/output.     

Pressurization transient analyses of the Lungmen ABWR plant using RETRAN-02

The two limiting pressurization transient cases for the Lungmen ABWR plant: (1) Load Rejection with No Bypass and (2) Single Control Valve Closure in Fast Closure Mode, have been analyzed using the RETRAN-02 analysis model, which is independent of the model used by the NSSS vendor. The calculation results have been compared with those shown in the Lungmen FSAR. In general, the comparison shows that the transient response of key system parameters agrees well with the FSAR results, including those relating to core power, core inlet flow, system pressure, core inlet enthalpy, steam flow rate, feedwater flow rate, reactor water level, etc. Based on this, it is expected that the RETRAN-02 model developed in this study can be employed to support the operational transient analysis if the model is benchmarked further with the appropriate data, e.g., the Lungmen plant power test data, etc.     

Taurine alleviates dyslipidemia and liver damage induced by a high-fat/cholesterol-dietary habit

Eight male hamsters per group were assigned randomly to one of the following diets: chow diet (Control); high-fat/cholesterol diet (HFCD); HFCD supplemented with 1% Tau (HFCD/1% Tau); HFCD supplemented with 2% Tau (HFCD/2% Tau). Tau supplementation improved (P < 0.05) serum lipids and cholesterol profile in the high-fat/cholesterol-dietary hamsters. Although hepatic cholesterol/triacylglycerol in the high-fat/cholesterol-dietary hamsters were not (P > 0.05) changed by Tau supplementation, faecal cholesterol and bile acid outputs were increased (P < 0.05). Two percent Tau supplementation unregulated (P < 0.05) HMG-CoA reductase and cholesterol 7-α hydroxylase (CYP7A1) expressions in the high-fat/cholesterol-dietary hamsters. Besides, Tau supplementation also increased (P < 0.05) LDL receptor mRNA expressions in high-fat/cholesterol-dietary hamsters. Tau supplementation also reduced serum GPT and GOT values and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in the high-fat/cholesterol-dietary hamsters. Results clearly indicated that Tau could alleviate blood lipids and hepatic damage induced by a high-fat/cholesterol-dietary diet.     

Enhancing P2P overlay network architecture for live multimedia streaming

The number of live multimedia streaming applications is increasing, explaining the use of many overlay network topologies. Application-layer multicast (ALM) that it is a feasible alternative to multimedia stream has attracted considerable attention. However, a serious problem of ALM is that the multicast tree may be fragile, and peer failure causes tree partitions. This work presents a novel Hierarchical Ring Tree (HRT) architecture for Peer-to-Peer (P2P) live multimedia streaming. The proposed architecture combines ring-based and tree-based structures in a robust, scalable, reliable and resilient structure that can be used practically as an ALM topology. When peers enter or leave the system, the topology can be recovered rapidly such that live multimedia stream can be delivered smoothly with a low latency. The proposed HRT topology is maintained efficiently without splitting or merging trees. The performance of the proposed architecture and algorithms is evaluated experimentally. Experimental results indicate that the proposed topology can be used in a high-churn P2P network with a small delay. Simulation and experiment results reveal that the proposed architecture has a lower overhead than the ZIGZAG approach when handling peers’ joining or leaving, exhibits faster recovery, better quality-of-service during streaming, and a more robust topology, even with an extremely high number of peers joining/leaving.     

Effects of taurine on hepatic lipid metabolism and anti-inflammation in chronic alcohol-fed rats

The effects of taurine (Tau) in regulation of lipid metabolism and decreasing inflammation in chronic alcohol-fed rats was investigated. Rats were randomly divided into three groups: (1) isocaloric solution; (2) 3 g alcohol/kg BW/day; (3) 3 g alcohol/kg BW/day + 1 g Tau/kg BW/day for 6 weeks. Liver size and serum/liver lipids of alcohol-fed rats were decreased (p < 0.05) by Tau supplementation, but daily fecal lipid/bile acid outputs were increased (p < 0.05). Regarding de novo lipogenesis, Tau downregulated (p < 0.05) fatty-acid biosynthesis and upregulated (p < 0.05) cholesterol metabolism (CYP7A1) and energy expenditure (PPAR-α). Serum AST and ALT, and hepatic TNF-α levels and MMP-9 activity of alcohol-fed rats were decreased (p < 0.05) by Tau supplementation which may be related to the maintenance of higher (p < 0.05) antioxidant levels (lower thiobarbituric-acid-reactive-substances values and higher trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) in serum and livers. Our study indicates that Tau downregulates lipogenesis, oxidative stress, and inflammation in chronic alcohol-fed rats.     

Protective effects of taurine against hepatic abnormality in NZB/W F1 mice fed a hypercholesterolemic diet

A hypercholesterolemic diet has been associated with the hepatic abnormalities and the pathological processes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To investigate the effects of taurine on the hepatic abnormality in SLE, NZB/W F1 mice were used as an animal model by receiving control, cholesterol, or cholesterol + taurine diets, respectively. Reductions (P < 0.05) of liver-to-body weight ratio, lipid deposit, mean arterial pressure, serum total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), AST, ALT and hepatic CRP levels were detected in the cholesterol + taurine group as compared to those of the cholesterol group. In addition, stress-related molecules in livers, including HSP70, HSP90, MMP9 and iNOS, were also lower (P < 0.05) in the cholesterol + taurine group compared to the cholesterol group. These findings demonstrated the protective effects of taurine on the hepatic abnormality in NZB/W F1 mice fed a hypercholesterolemic diet and may suggest taurine as a dietary supplementation for SLE patients.