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3146 research outputs found
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Synthesis and characterization of hierarchical TiO2 microspheres composed of nanorods: effect of reaction conditions on nanorod density
No full textUrchin-like hierarchical TiO2 microspheres consisting of numerous nanorods were successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal process. The effects of reaction conditions (such as additives and reactant concentrations) on TiO2 morphology, particularly on rod density, were systematically investigated. The relationship between rod density and rod diameter was discussed. Based on the above results including a morphological evolution study, a possible mechanism was also proposed to elucidate the growth process of hierarchical TiO2 microspheres using nanorods as building units
Uptake and protective effects of ergothioneine in human endothelial cells
No full textErgothioneine is a thiourea derivative of histidine found in food, especially mushrooms. Experiments in cell-free systems and chemical assays identified this compound as a powerful antioxidant. Experiments were designed to test the ability of endothelial cells to take up ergothioneine and hence benefit from protection against oxidative stress. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting demonstrated transcription and translation of an ergothioneine transporter in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). Uptake of [(3)H]ergothioneine occurred by the organic cation transporter novel type-1 (OCTN-1), was sodium-dependent, and was reduced when expression of OCTN-1 was silenced by small interfering RNA (siRNA). The effect of ergothioneine on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HBMECs was measured using dichlorodihydrofluorescein and lucigenin, and the effect on cell viability was studied using the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay. ROS production and cell death induced by pyrogallol, xanthine oxidase plus xanthine, and high glucose were suppressed by ergothioneine. The antioxidant and cytoprotective effects of ergothioneine were abolished when OCTN-1 was silenced using siRNA. The expression of NADPH oxidase 1 was decreased, and those of glutathione reductase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase enhanced by the compound. In isolated rat basilar arteries, ergothioneine attenuated the reduction in acetylcholine-induced relaxation caused by pyrogallol, xanthine oxidase plus xanthine, or incubation in high glucose. Chronic treatment with the compound improved the response to acetylcholine in arteries of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. In summary, ergothioneine is taken up by endothelial cells via OCTN-1, where the compound then protects against oxidative stress, curtailing endothelial dysfunction
Allicin protects rat cardiomyoblasts (H9c2 cells) from hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative injury through inhibiting the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species
No full textOxidative stress is considered an important factor that promotes cell death in response to a variety of pathophysiological conditions. This study investigated the antioxidant properties of allicin, the principle ingredient of garlic, on preventing oxidative stress-induced injury. The antioxidant capacities of allicin were measured by using 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cell damage on H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. Allicin (0.3–10 μM) pre-incubation could concentration-dependently attenuate the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase induced by H2O2 on H9c2 cells. It could also protect H9c2 cells against H2O2-induced cell damage. However, the DPPH free radical scavenging activity of allicin was shown to be low. Therefore, it is believed that the protective effect of allicin on H9c2 cells could inhibit intracellular ROS production instead of scavenging extracellular H2O2 or free radicals. For the observed protective effect on H9c2 cells, allicin might also be effective in reducing free radical-induced myocardial cell death in ischemic condition
Attitudes of students, teachers and employers towards the translation examination in higher diploma programmes of Hong Kong
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Refugees\u27 transnational mobility: a study of asylum seeking in Hong Kong and urban Thailand
No full textBased on qualitative interviews conducted between 2011 and 2013 with urban refugees in the first asylum ports of Hong Kong and Thailand, this study examines three inter-related dimensions in refugee migration: aspirations, practices and embodiment. It demonstrates what actually happens in the asylum seeking process, from home to host destinations, and the cultural process of “becoming a refugee”. Travelling abroad is not merely a matter of crossing “the border” at an immigration checkpoint. Rather, the participants in this research have to “fashion” themselves as potential “legitimate” travellers or smuggled persons in the making of exits and entrances. This article shows how they make use of their local and transnational social connections for making both “legal” and “illegal” exits and entrances, and how the embodied experience of cross-border movement influence their perception of being refugee
