Genistein activates endothelial nitric oxide synthase in broiler pulmonary arterial endothelial cells by an Akt-dependent mechanism

Deregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) plays an important role in the development of multiple cardiovascular diseases. Our recent study demonstrated that genistein supplementation attenuates pulmonary arterial hypertension in broilers by restoration of endothelial function. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism by using broiler pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PAECs). Our results showed that genistein stimulated a rapid phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser(1179) which was associated with activation of eNOS/NO axis. Further study indicated that the activation of eNOS was not mediated through estrogen receptors or tyrosine kinase inhibition, but via a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt-dependent signaling pathway, as the eNOS activity and related NO release were largely abolished by pharmacological inhibitors of PI3K or Akt. Thus, our findings revealed a critical function of Akt in mediating genistein-stimulated eNOS activity in PAECs, partially accounting for the beneficial effects of genistein on the development of cardiovascular diseases observed in animal models.     

A Series of Carbazole Cationic Compounds with Large Two-Photon Absorption Cross Sections for Imaging Mitochondria in Living Cells with Two-Photon Fluorescence Microscopy

A series of carbazole cationic compounds based on donor- Π—acceptor (D-Π-A) structure were synthesized and characterized. They exhibit large two-photon absorption cross sections when excited by a 810 nm a laser beam, and their photophysical properties show that the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) character is predominant. Moreover these compounds can easily pass though the intact cell membrane of living cells, amongst, 3-(1-hydroxyethyl -4-vinylpyridium iodine)-N-butyl carbazole (9B-HVC) has been proven to be capable of accumulating within the mitochondria possessing large membrane potential and imaging this organelle in living cells by means of two-photon fluorescence microscopy. At the same time usable fluorescent photos can be obtained at lower incident excitation power (5 mW) and low-micromolar concentrations (2 μM), which does not result in significant reduction in cell viability over a period of at least 24 h.     

A corrosion resistant cerium oxide based coating on aluminum alloy 2024 prepared by brush plating

Cerium oxide based coatings were prepared on AA2024 Al alloy by brush plating. The characteristic of this technology is that hydrogen peroxide, which usually causes the plating solution to be unstable, is not necessary in the plating electrolyte. The coating showed laminated structures and good adhesive strength with the substrate. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the coatings were composed of Ce(III) and Ce(IV) oxides. The brush plated coatings on Al alloys improved corrosion resistance. The influence of plating parameters on structure and corrosion resistance of the cerium oxide based coating was studied.     

Existence of solutions for a damped nonlinear impulsive problem with Dirichlet boundary conditions

In this paper, we consider the existence of solutions for second‐order nonlinear damped impulsive differential equations with Dirichlet boundary condition. By critical point theory, we obtain some existence theorems of solutions for the nonlinear problem. We extend and improve some recent results. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Collins–Roscoe mechanism and <Emphasis Type=Italic>D</Emphasis>-spaces

We prove that if a space X is well ordered (αA), or linearly semi-stratifiable, or elastic then X is a D-space.     

Prey-predator systems with intertwined basins of attraction

In this article, we show the existence of intertwined basins of attraction for a class of prey-predator systems, which improves the extant results by deleting some crucial and hard testing conditions.     

Topological structure of non-contractible loop space and closed geodesics on real projective spaces with odd dimensions

In this paper, we use Chas–Sullivan theory on loop homology and Leray–Serre spectral sequence to investigate the topological structure of the non-contractible component of the free loop space on the real projective spaces with odd dimensions. Then we apply the result to get the resonance identity of non-contractible homologically visible prime closed geodesics on such spaces provided the total number of distinct prime closed geodesics is finite.     

QUASILINEAR-ADDITIVE PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS

In this article, the authors study some basic properties of the so-called quasilinear- additive functions, and some applications to the special functions of quasiconformal analysis are specified.     

拟圆周与交比

设(z_1,z_2,z_3,z_4)=((z_1-z_3)(z_2-z_4))/((z_1-z_4)(z_2-z_3))表示扩充复平面■~2上互不相同有序四点z_1,z_2,z_3,z_4的交比,利用交比刻画了圆周与拟圆周的几何性质,得到(1)■~2上的Jordan曲线Γ是圆周(或直线)当且仅当Γ上任意互不相同的有序四点z_1,z_2,z_3,z_4,满足|(z_1,z_4,z_2,z_3)| |(z_1,z_2,z_4,z_3)|=1; (2)■~2上的Jordan曲线Γ是拟圆周当且仅当存在常数c≥1,对Γ上任意互不相同的有序四点z_1,z_2,z_3,z_4,满足|(z_1,z_4,z_2,z_3)| |(z_1,z_2,z_4,z_3)|≤c．     

Determination of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates by ion-pair solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography

In this paper, the potential use of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as solid phase extraction (SPE) adsorbent was evaluated for preconcentration of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) using ion-pair (IP)-SPE with tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH). The LAS homologues present in the aqueous sample were ion-paired with TBAH and the solution was passed through the MWCNT cartridges. The analytes retained in the cartridge were eluted with methanol and the concentrated methanol extract was analysed by HPLC-UV. In order to obtain the satisfactory recovery of LAS homologues, various parameters including the type and amount of the ion-pair reagents, the desorption and enrichment conditions such as the effect of eluent and its volume, pH, the flow rate, the ultrasonic time of sample, and the volume of sample solution were systematically optimized. Under the optimal conditions, LAS homologues could be easily extracted by the proposed SPE cartridge. The favorable limits of detection (LOD) for LAS homologues were in the range from 0.02 to 0.03 μg L⁻¹, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 1.55-2.54% for 10 μg L⁻¹ LAS (n = 6). The proposed method has been successfully applied for the analysis of LAS homologues in aqueous environmental samples. A comparison study with ion-pair solid extraction on MWCNTs, C8 and C18 as adsorbents for LAS demonstrated that ion pair-based solid extraction on MWCNTs adsorbent was advantageous over C8 and C18, the widely used traditional adsorbents.