42 research outputs found
Sesquiterpene dimer (DSF-52) from Artemisia argyi inhibits microglia-mediated neuroinflammation via suppression of NF-kappa B, JNK/p38 MAPKs and Jak2/Stat3 signaling pathways
No full textMicroglia-involved neuroinflammation is thought to promote brain damage in various neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, novel therapeutics suppressing microglia over-activation could prove useful for neuroprotection in inflammation-mediated neurodegenerative diseases. DSF-52 is a novel sesquiterpene dimer compound isolated from medical plant Artemisia argyi by our group. In this study, we investigated whether DSF-52 inhibited the neuroinflammatory responses in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated microglia. Our findings showed that DSF-52 inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), as well as mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha) in LPS-activated BV-2 microglia. Moreover, DSF-52 markedly up-regulated mRNA levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 Mechanism study indicated that DSF-52 suppressed Akt/I kappa B/NF-kappa B inflammation pathway against LPS treatment. Also, DSF-52 down-regulated the phosphorylation levels of JNK and p38 MAPKs, but not ERK. Furthermore, DSF-52 blocked Jak2/Stat3 dependent inflammation pathway through inhibiting Jak2 and Stat3 phosphorylation, as well as Stat3 nuclear translocation. We concluded that the inhibitory ability of DSF-52 on microglia-mediated neuroinflammation may offer a novel neuroprotective modality and could be potentially useful in inflammation-mediated neurodegenerative diseases. (C) 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000334012400016&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701Plant SciencesChemistry, MedicinalIntegrative & Complementary MedicinePharmacology & PharmacySCI(E)[email protected]
Sesquiterpene dimmer (DSF-27) inhibits the release of neuroinflammatory mediators from microglia by targeting spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) and Janus kinase 2 (Jak2): Two major non-receptor tyrosine signaling proteins involved in inflammatory even
No full textNon-receptor protein tyrosine kinases (NRPTKs)-dependent inflammatory signal transduction cascades play key roles in immunoregulation. However, drug intervention through NRPTKs-involved immunoregulation mechanism in microglia (the major immtine cells of the central nervous system) has not been widely investigated. A main aim of the present study is to elucidate the contribution of two major NRPTKs (Syk and Jak2) in neuroinflammation suppression by a bioactive sesquiterpene dimmer (DSF-27). We found that LPS-stimulated BV-2 cells activated Syk and further initiated Akt/NF-kappa B inflammatory pathway. This Syk-dependent Akt/NF-kappa B inflammatory pathway can be effectively ameliorated by DSF-27. Moreover, Jak2 was activated by LPS, which was followed by transcriptional factor Stat3 activation. The Jak2/Stat3 signal was suppressed by DSF-27 through inhibition of Jak2 and Stat3 phosphorylation, promotion of Jak/Stat3 inhibitory factors PIAS3 expression, and down-regulation of ERK and p38 MAPK phosphorylation. Furthermore, DSF-27 protected cortical and mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons against neuroinflammatory injury. Taken together, our findings indicate NRPTK signaling pathways including Syk/NF-kappa B and Jak2/Stat3 cascades are potential anti-neuroinflammatory targets in microglia, and may also set the basis for the use of sesquiterpene dimmer as a therapeutic approach for neuroinflammation via interruption of these pathways. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Pharmacology & PharmacyToxicologySCI(E)[email protected]
Effects of the fineness of densified silica fume on the hydration of Portland cement
No full textAs one of the mineral admixtures, silica fume (SF) with high pozzolanic reactivity is generally used to improve the properties of concrete. Most commercial silica fume used in concrete project is dry densified silica fume (DSF). It consists of a good deal of agglomerates of sizes ranging from 10 μm to several millimeters. The size of the undispersed silica fume is usually larger than that of the cement particle. At present, the effect of DSF on the hydration of cement is lack of studied. In this study, the commercial dry DSF is sifted into three sections (>150 μm, 80 ~ 150 μm, 35 ~ 80 μm) by different sieves. The amount of densified silica fume in mixture is 5% by weight of total binder. The used water/binder ratio (w/b) is 0.5. The effect of the fineness of DSF on the setting time of cement paste is firstly discussed. The hydration process of cement incorporated with different fineness of SF is investigated by a semi-adiabatic calorimetric for 3 days at 20 °C and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The obtained results indicate that the setting time of cement paste increases with the decrease of the fineness of DSF. At the w/b ratio of 0.5, the addition of SF has little effect on the hydration period of cement paste. But the hydration rate of cement is decreased with the increase of the size of DSF particles
Effects of Self-Affirmation Feedback on Exercise Intention of Women in Their Twenties Depending on Construal Level
No full textThis study examines how type of instructor feedback influences cognitive processes conducive to participants’ health behavior, using a new theoretical approach based on self-affirmation and construal level theory. In Study 1, feasibility self-affirmed feedback (FSF) and desirability self-affirmed feedback (DSF) were qualitatively explored with Vinyasa Yoga instructors, and four FSF and DSF feedback scenarios were developed. In Study 2, 55 (FSF group: 28 and DSF group: 27) women in their twenties participating in a Vinyasa Yoga program were randomly assigned to two experimental self-affirmation feedback groups (FSF and DSF) and exposed to FSF and DSF, respectively, for four weeks based on the scenarios developed in Study 1. The analysis of changes in exercise intention triggered by the participants’ exposure to self-affirmation feedback showed that participants exposed to DSF experienced a more positive influence than those exposed to FSF in their continuation intentions of success. © The Author(s) 2020
The Effect of Positions of Vertical Glass Fins inside a Double Skin Façade Air Cavity as Acoustical Barriers and Ventilation Potentials
No full textAbstractA number of studies state that natural ventilation strategies can contribute to improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort; however, noise annoyance by urban traffic noise transmission is a significant challenge that leads to the degradation of the acoustical quality in urban environments. As a solution to meet both needs for natural ventilation benefits and noise transmission loss via ventilation openings, a Double Skin Façade (DSF) as a case study was analyzed. Another study demonstrated that vent openings of DSFs allowed a decrease in acoustical performance of DSF air cavities because airborne noise transmitted via vent openings travels both horizontally and vertically. Therefore, research scope aims to simulate thermal performance of air cavity by the stack effect and noise transmission loss by verticals glass fins using FloVENT 9.3 and SoundFlow respectively. The test cases of CFD simulation study are designed based on different spatial volumes of DSF air cavity partitioned by vertical glass fins, affecting changes of air temperature and airflow inside air cavities. The CFD simulation data resulted in that DSF air cavity ratios of length to depth divided by vertical glass fins influence the efficiency of heat dissipation inside DSF air cavities. It was observed that air temperature in CASE 4, which has the ratio of 8 meters in length to 1 meter in depth of a DSF air cavity, has the higher potential of an overheating problem than that of CASE 1 (1 meter in length to 1 meter in depth) and CASE 2 (2 meters in length to 1meter in depth). CASE 1 and CASE 2 produced relatively lower the mean air temperature inside DSF air cavities through the efficient heat dissipation. In addition, it was found that the thicker the vertical glass fins are, the higher the Sound Transmission Loss (STL) values are shown
All-optical TDM data demultiplexing at 80 Gbit/s with significant timing jitter tolerance using a fiber Bragg grating based rectangular pulse switching technology
No full textWe demonstrate the use of fiber Bragg grating based pulse-shaping technology to provide timing jitter tolerant data demultiplexing in an 80 Gb/s all-optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) system. Error-free demultiplexing operation is achieved with ~6 ps timing jitter tolerance using superstructured fiber Bragg grating based 1.7 ps soliton to 10 ps rectangular pulse conversion at the switching pulse input to a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) demultiplexer comprising highly nonlinear dispersion shifted fiber (HNLF). A 2-dB power-penalty improvement is obtained compared to demultiplexing without the pulse-shaping grating. <br/
Cheatgrass invasion alters the abundance and composition of dark septate fungal communities in sagebrush steppe
Get PDFInvasive, non-native plant species can alter soil microbial communities in ways that contribute to their persistence. While most studies emphasize mycorrhizal fungi, invasive plants also may influence communities of dark septate fungi (DSF), common root endophytes that can function like mycorrhizas. We tested the hypothesis that a widespread invasive plant in the western United States, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), influenced the abundance and community composition of DSF by examining the roots and rhizosphere soils of cheatgrass and two native plant species in cheatgrass invaded and non-invaded areas of sagebrush steppe. We focused on cheatgrass because it is negatively affected by mycorrhizal fungi and colonized by DSF. We found that DSF root colonization and operational taxonomic (OTU) richness were significantly higher in sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and rice grass (Achnatherum hymenoides) from invaded areas than non-invaded areas. Cheatgrass roots had similar levels of DSF colonization and OTU richness as native plants. The community composition of DSF varied with invasion in the roots and soils of native species and among the roots of the three plant species in invaded areas. The substantial changes in DSF we observed following cheatgrass invasion argue for comparative studies of DSF function in native and non-native plant species.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author
Prevalence of Disorders of the Sound of speech in the Brazilian Portuguese Speakers and English-Speaking Countries: A Narrative Review
No full textOBJECTIVE: The disorder of speech sounds (DSF) is the most prevalent type of communication disorders, which corresponds to 32% of all disorders (Slater, 1992). The objective was to conduct a comprehensive narrative review of studies on the prevalence of DSF in English-speaking countries (USA, UK, Australia, Canada), as well as Brazilian Portuguese speakers. METHODS: The method for systematic and transparent selection of appropriate studies included the search terms («Prevalence», «criteria», «speech and language delay», «disorder», «speech delay», «primary speech and language delay prevalence», «speech impairment prevalence», «speech disorder prevalence») and databases (CINHAL, PubMed, ASHA, Psyinfo, Google Search, Scielo). The number of articles found in the narrative review period (February-March 2012) was 52, 37 were selected, and those who were included in the review were 35 articles. Each article was summarized according to the author(s), year of publication, reported the prevalence, sample size, age of study participants, and the measures used to determine DSF. RESULTS: The results indicate that DSF remains a highly prevalent condition that the variation is even greater for children speakers of Brazilian Portuguese. CONCLUSION: The results of this narrative review are discussed in relation to differences in the definition of DSF, severity and type of change communication studied the nature of the study samples and differences in study methods. Still, will be discussed on the need for future research to examine the prevalence between countries and languages
A test bed for thermal fluid dynamic analysis of double skin facade systems
Get PDFThe experimental analysis of the thermal fluid dynamic behavior of double skin facade (DSF) requires full scale prototypes or actual facade systems. Because of the crucial interaction with the solar irradiation, tests are usually carried out on facades that are outdoor exposed. However, such an approach has limitation when it comes to a systematic and parametric analysis of the performance of these technologies, as the (outdoor) boundary conditions can hardly be controlled. To overcome this limitation, a new test bed has been conceived and constructed to allow carrying out systematic and parametric analysis on DSF systems. The test bed is a full scale DSF, with the possibility to vary the cavity depths from a minimum value of 200 mm to a maximum value of 600 mm. The total height of the DSF sample is ca 3.6 m, with a transparent window area of approx. 1.4 m (W) x 2.8 m (H). The test bed is installed in a steel frame and is tested through a Climate Simulator facility (a hot-box like facility, with the possibility to irradiate the outside surface of the test sample through a solar simulator). In the paper, the concept of the test bed, the construction features, and its sensor/control set-up are presented, together with an overview of its potentials (and limitations) to carry out experimental analysis on the thermal fluid dynamic behavior of DSF systems.publishedVersionContent from this work may be used under the terms of theCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. Published under licence by IOP Publishing Lt
