An analytical solution for scattering of plane P waves by circular-arc layered alluvial valleys was derived by Fourier-Bessel series expansion technique, and the solution was utilized to analyze the effects of alluvia...An analytical solution for scattering of plane P waves by circular-arc layered alluvial valleys was derived by Fourier-Bessel series expansion technique, and the solution was utilized to analyze the effects of alluvial sequence and their relative stiffness on the scattering of incident waves.展开更多
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a variety of histological conditions (ranging from liver steatosis and steatohepatitis, to fibrosis and hepatocarcinoma) that are characterized by an increased fat co...Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a variety of histological conditions (ranging from liver steatosis and steatohepatitis, to fibrosis and hepatocarcinoma) that are characterized by an increased fat content within the liver. The accumulation/deposition of fat within the liver is essential for diagnosis of NAFLD and might be associated with alterations in the hepatic and systemic inflammatory state. Although it is still unclear if each histological entity represents a different disease or rather steps of the same disease, inflammatory processes in NAFLD might influence its pathophysiology and prognosis. In particular, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (the most inflamed condition in NAFLDs, which more frequently evolves towards chronic and serious liver diseases) is characterized by a marked activation of inflammatory cells and the upregulation of several soluble inflammatory mediators. Among several mediators, cytokines and chemokines might play a pivotal active role in NAFLD and are considered as potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we will update evidence from both basic research and clinical studies on the potential role of cytokines and chemokines in the pathophysiology of NAFLD.展开更多
Objective:To evaluate the in vitro activities of the ethyl acetate(EA) fraction of Houttuynia cordata(H.cordata) Thunb.(Saururaceae) and three of its constituent flavonoids(quercetin.quercitrin and rutin) against muri...Objective:To evaluate the in vitro activities of the ethyl acetate(EA) fraction of Houttuynia cordata(H.cordata) Thunb.(Saururaceae) and three of its constituent flavonoids(quercetin.quercitrin and rutin) against murine coronavirus and dengue virus(DENV).Methods:The antiviral activities of various concentrations of the EA fraction of H.cordata and flavonoids were assessed using virus neutralization tests against mouse hepatitis virus(MHV) and DENV type 2(DENV-2).Cinanserin hydrochloride was also tested against MHV.The EA fraction of H.cordata was tested for acute oral toxicity in C57BL/6 mice.Results:The EA fraction of H.cordata inhibited viral infectivity up to 6 d.Cinanserin hydrochloride was able to inhibit MHV for only 2 d.The 50%inhibitory concentrations(IC_(50)) of the EA fraction of H.cordata added before the viral adsorption stage were 0.98 μg/mL for MHV and 7.50 μg/mL for DENV-2with absence of cytotoxicity.The mice fed with the EA fraction up to 2 000 mg/kg did not induce any signs of acute toxicity,with normal histological features of major organs.Certain flavonoids exhibited comparatively weaker antiviral activity,notably quercetin which could inhibit both MHV and DENV-2.This was followed by quercitrin which could inhibit DENV-2but not MHV,whereas rutin did not exert any inhibitory effect on either virus.When quercetin was combined with quercitrin,enhancement of anti-DENV-2 activity and reduced cytotoxicity were observed.However,the synergistic efficacy of the flavonoid combination was still less than that of the EA fraction.Conclusions:The compounds in H.cordata contribute to the superior antiviral efficacy of the EA fraction which lacked cytotoxicity in vitro and acute toxicity in vim.H.cordata has much potential for the development of antiviral agents against coronavirus and dengue infections.展开更多
There has been a growing interest over the past few years in the impact of male nutrition on fertility. Infertility has been linked to male overweight or obesity, and conventional semen parameter values seem to be alt...There has been a growing interest over the past few years in the impact of male nutrition on fertility. Infertility has been linked to male overweight or obesity, and conventional semen parameter values seem to be altered in case of high body mass index （BMI）. A few studies assessing the impact of BMI on sperm DNA integrity have been published, but they did not lead to a strong consensus. Our objective was to explore further the relationship between sperm DNA integrity and BMI, through a 3-year multicentre study. Three hundred and thirty male partners in subfertile couples were included. Using the terminal uridine nick-end labelling （TUNEL） assay, we observed an increased rate of sDerm DNA damage in obese men （odds ratio （95% confidence interval）： 2.5 （1.2-5.1））.展开更多
Ethnicity is defined as"belonging to a social groupthat has a common national or cultural tradition".Membership of certain ethnic groups has long been associated with increased risk of gestational diabetes m...Ethnicity is defined as"belonging to a social groupthat has a common national or cultural tradition".Membership of certain ethnic groups has long been associated with increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM).Studies that examined ethnic differences amongst women with GDM were often conducted in western countries where women from various ethnic backgrounds were represented.The prevalence of GDM appears to be particularly high among women from South Asia and South East Asia,compared to Caucasian,African-American and Hispanic communities.For some,but not all ethnic groups,the body mass index is a risk factor for the development of GDM.Even within a particular ethnic group,those who were born in their native countries have a different risk profile for GDM compared to those born in western countries.In terms of treatment,medical nutrition therapy(MNT)plays a key role in the management of GDM and the prescription of MNT should be culturally sensitive.Limited studies have shown that women who live in an English-speaking country but predominantly speak a language other than English,have lower rates of dietary understanding compared with their English speaking counterparts,and this may affect compliance to therapy.Insulin therapy also plays an important role and there appears to be variation as to the progression of women who progress to requiring insulin among different ethnicities.As for peri-natal outcomes,women from Pacific Islander countries have higher rates of macrosomia,while women from Chinese backgrounds had lower adverse pregnancy outcomes.From a maternal outcome point of view,pregnant women from Asia with GDM have a higher incidence of abnormal glucose tolerance test results post-partum and hence a higher risk of future development of type2 diabetes mellitus.On the other hand,women from Hispanic or African-American backgrounds with GDM are more likely to develop hypertension post-partum.This review highlights the fact that management needs to be individualised and the clinician should be mindful of展开更多
基金State Natural Science Foundation of China (No.59878032).
文摘An analytical solution for scattering of plane P waves by circular-arc layered alluvial valleys was derived by Fourier-Bessel series expansion technique, and the solution was utilized to analyze the effects of alluvial sequence and their relative stiffness on the scattering of incident waves.
基金Supported by The Swiss National Science Foundation, No. 32003B-134963/1"Sir Jules Thorn Trust Reg" Foundation+4 种基金Gustave and Simone Prévot Foundation to Montecucco FEU FP7 AtheroRemo, No. 201668Swiss National Science Foundation, No. 310030B-133127Novartis FoundationSwiss Heart Foundation to Mach F
文摘Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a variety of histological conditions (ranging from liver steatosis and steatohepatitis, to fibrosis and hepatocarcinoma) that are characterized by an increased fat content within the liver. The accumulation/deposition of fat within the liver is essential for diagnosis of NAFLD and might be associated with alterations in the hepatic and systemic inflammatory state. Although it is still unclear if each histological entity represents a different disease or rather steps of the same disease, inflammatory processes in NAFLD might influence its pathophysiology and prognosis. In particular, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (the most inflamed condition in NAFLDs, which more frequently evolves towards chronic and serious liver diseases) is characterized by a marked activation of inflammatory cells and the upregulation of several soluble inflammatory mediators. Among several mediators, cytokines and chemokines might play a pivotal active role in NAFLD and are considered as potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we will update evidence from both basic research and clinical studies on the potential role of cytokines and chemokines in the pathophysiology of NAFLD.
基金supported by a research grant from the National University of Singapore
文摘Objective:To evaluate the in vitro activities of the ethyl acetate(EA) fraction of Houttuynia cordata(H.cordata) Thunb.(Saururaceae) and three of its constituent flavonoids(quercetin.quercitrin and rutin) against murine coronavirus and dengue virus(DENV).Methods:The antiviral activities of various concentrations of the EA fraction of H.cordata and flavonoids were assessed using virus neutralization tests against mouse hepatitis virus(MHV) and DENV type 2(DENV-2).Cinanserin hydrochloride was also tested against MHV.The EA fraction of H.cordata was tested for acute oral toxicity in C57BL/6 mice.Results:The EA fraction of H.cordata inhibited viral infectivity up to 6 d.Cinanserin hydrochloride was able to inhibit MHV for only 2 d.The 50%inhibitory concentrations(IC_(50)) of the EA fraction of H.cordata added before the viral adsorption stage were 0.98 μg/mL for MHV and 7.50 μg/mL for DENV-2with absence of cytotoxicity.The mice fed with the EA fraction up to 2 000 mg/kg did not induce any signs of acute toxicity,with normal histological features of major organs.Certain flavonoids exhibited comparatively weaker antiviral activity,notably quercetin which could inhibit both MHV and DENV-2.This was followed by quercitrin which could inhibit DENV-2but not MHV,whereas rutin did not exert any inhibitory effect on either virus.When quercetin was combined with quercitrin,enhancement of anti-DENV-2 activity and reduced cytotoxicity were observed.However,the synergistic efficacy of the flavonoid combination was still less than that of the EA fraction.Conclusions:The compounds in H.cordata contribute to the superior antiviral efficacy of the EA fraction which lacked cytotoxicity in vitro and acute toxicity in vim.H.cordata has much potential for the development of antiviral agents against coronavirus and dengue infections.
文摘There has been a growing interest over the past few years in the impact of male nutrition on fertility. Infertility has been linked to male overweight or obesity, and conventional semen parameter values seem to be altered in case of high body mass index （BMI）. A few studies assessing the impact of BMI on sperm DNA integrity have been published, but they did not lead to a strong consensus. Our objective was to explore further the relationship between sperm DNA integrity and BMI, through a 3-year multicentre study. Three hundred and thirty male partners in subfertile couples were included. Using the terminal uridine nick-end labelling （TUNEL） assay, we observed an increased rate of sDerm DNA damage in obese men （odds ratio （95% confidence interval）： 2.5 （1.2-5.1））.
文摘Ethnicity is defined as"belonging to a social groupthat has a common national or cultural tradition".Membership of certain ethnic groups has long been associated with increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM).Studies that examined ethnic differences amongst women with GDM were often conducted in western countries where women from various ethnic backgrounds were represented.The prevalence of GDM appears to be particularly high among women from South Asia and South East Asia,compared to Caucasian,African-American and Hispanic communities.For some,but not all ethnic groups,the body mass index is a risk factor for the development of GDM.Even within a particular ethnic group,those who were born in their native countries have a different risk profile for GDM compared to those born in western countries.In terms of treatment,medical nutrition therapy(MNT)plays a key role in the management of GDM and the prescription of MNT should be culturally sensitive.Limited studies have shown that women who live in an English-speaking country but predominantly speak a language other than English,have lower rates of dietary understanding compared with their English speaking counterparts,and this may affect compliance to therapy.Insulin therapy also plays an important role and there appears to be variation as to the progression of women who progress to requiring insulin among different ethnicities.As for peri-natal outcomes,women from Pacific Islander countries have higher rates of macrosomia,while women from Chinese backgrounds had lower adverse pregnancy outcomes.From a maternal outcome point of view,pregnant women from Asia with GDM have a higher incidence of abnormal glucose tolerance test results post-partum and hence a higher risk of future development of type2 diabetes mellitus.On the other hand,women from Hispanic or African-American backgrounds with GDM are more likely to develop hypertension post-partum.This review highlights the fact that management needs to be individualised and the clinician should be mindful of
