Procyanidins are potent inhibitors of LOX-1: a new player in the French Paradox

Lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) is an endothelial receptor for oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and plays multiple roles in the development of cardiovascular diseases. We screened more than 400 foodstuff extracts for identifying materials that inhibit oxLDL binding to LOX-1. Results showed that 52 extracts inhibited LOX-1 by more than 70% in cell-free assays. Subsequent cell-based assays revealed that a variety of foodstuffs known to be rich in procyanidins such as grape seed extracts and apple polyphenols, potently inhibited oxLDL uptake in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing LOX-1. Indeed, purified procyanidins significantly inhibited oxLDL binding to LOX-1 while other ingredients of apple polyphenols did not. Moreover, chronic administration of oligomeric procyanidins suppressed lipid accumulation in vascular wall in hypertensive rats fed with high fat diet. These results suggest that procyanidins are LOX-1 inhibitors and LOX-1 inhibition might be a possible underlying mechanism of the well-known vascular protective effects of red wine, the French Paradox.     

氧自由基与心血管疾病

随着氧自由基（ＯＦＲ）在疾病中的研究日趋深入,大量的资料证实氧自由基与充血性心力衰竭,动脉粥样硬化、心肌缺血、心律失常及淋巴细胞与心力衰竭的关系诸方面的发生,发匀有密切关系。     

Analysis of DNA methylation markers for tissue identification in individuals with different clinical phenotypes

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation patterns can be used to identify the type of tissue or body fluid found at a crime scene. However, tissue-related methylation levels have not been analyzed in individuals with different illnesses and medical conditions in forensic-specific studies. The primary goal of this study was to investigate if certain clinical phenotypes can alter the methylation levels of CpG sites in genes involved in tissue typing. Four studies with focus on DNA methylation analysis on individuals with different clinical conditions were selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Then, a list of 137 CpG sites was compiled for further investigation. Statistical tests were performed to compare the beta-values results obtained for the control groups and the individuals affected by medical conditions. For each study, CpG sites that presented significant statistical differences between patients and control group were identified and it was possible to notice that DNA methylation levels can be affected in sites with potential forensic use. Although the observed DNA methylation variation (less than 10% difference) in this study would likely not cause any issues in body fluid identification, the results are important to show that this type of analysis should be taken into consideration when investigating and further validating body fluid markers. The CpG sites identified in this study should be further investigated by future studies on body fluids identification, and due to the significant difference in methylation levels in samples from affected individuals, caution must be taken before including these sites in tissue identification investigations.     

高光谱的刺五加黑斑病的早期检测研究

对感染黑斑病的刺五加叶片进行光谱特性研究,能为药用植物病害的早期筛选与精准治疗提供重要研究资料.实验目的,运用高光谱成像技术实现植物病害的自动监督分类与识别.实验过程,首先使用高光谱成像系统在可见光波段(380～960 nm)内采集刺五加黑斑病的叶片样本,光谱数据经过去除亮暗噪声和平滑预处理后,再经过主成分分析实现数据...     

脉冲喷洒杀虫剂的植物病害模型的周期解

本文研究脉冲喷洒杀虫剂的植物病害模型.考虑在传染率随时间周期变化和森林树木总数保持不变的条件下,讨论具有垂直传播的一类具有单个种群的脉冲喷洒农药的SIRS模型,根据单值算子和Bohl-Brouaser不动点理论证明了无病周期解存在性,并且利用单值矩阵,Floquet理论得到其基本再生数并且给出了其无病周期解局部渐近稳定的条件.     

农作物冠层光谱信息检测技术及方法综述

相比传统的化学方法及主观视觉测定植物生理信息指标,通过光谱辐射仪对农作物冠层信息的评估更简单、快速和精确。本文结合近年来农作物群体信息的获取方法,综述了不同类型光谱仪尤其以国际上应用最广泛的Cropscan多光谱辐射仪在农作物群体叶面积指数、生物量、氮素及叶绿素的预测,病虫害的监测及产量预测中的应用。总结了不同类型的的植被指数(VIs)、冠层光谱的获取及光谱分析方法,比较了不同农作物建立相关模型的回归系数。总体上建立的数学模型的相关系数较高,能实现对农作物各种生理信息等的检测。此外,将多光谱辐射仪与多种传感器相结合所得到的综合信息对于全面评价农作物生长情况具有重要指导价值。     

Stiffening and Contraction Induced by Dexamethasone in Alveolar Epithelial Cells

Background  The structural integrity of the alveolar monolayer, which is compromised during lung inflammation, is determined by the balance between cell–cell and cell-matrix tethering forces and the centripetal forces owing to cell viscoelasticity and contraction. Dexamethasone is an anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid with protective effects in lung injury. Aim  To determine the effects of Dexamethasone on the stiffness and contractility of alveolar epithelial cells. Methods  Cell stiffness (G′) and average traction exerted by the cell (T) were measured by magnetic twisting cytometry and by traction microscopy, respectively. A549 cells were treated 24 h with Dexamethasone (1 μM) or vehicle (control). G′ and T were measured before and 5 min after challenge with the inflammatory mediator Thrombin (0.5 U/ml). Changes induced by Dexamethasone in actin cytoskeleton polymerization were assessed by the fluorescent ratio between F-actin and G-actin obtained by staining cells with phalloidin and DNase I. Results  Dexamethasone significantly increased G′ and T by 56% (n = 11; p < 0.01) and by 80% (n = 17; p < 0.05), respectively. Dexamethasone also increased F/G-actin ratio from 2.68 ± 0.07 to 2.96 ± 0.09 (n = 10; p < 0.05). The relative increase in stiffness and contraction induced by Thrombin in control cells was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by Dexamethasone treatment: from 190 to 98% in G′ and from 318 to 105% in T. Conclusion  The cytoskeleton remodelling and the increase in cell stiffness and contraction induced by Dexamethasone could account for its protective effect in the alveolar epithelium when subjected to inflammatory challenge.     

形体老化与疾病的非线性主成分分析

本文把 5个形体老化指标及 13种慢性病指标分别做成两个综合指标 ,再去研究人体老化、疾病与性别及年龄的关系。文中使用非线性主成分法及指出一般线性主成分法的局限性