Search Results (16)

National parks are key tools for safeguarding ecosystem health, yet their conservation performance remains unclear. Comprehensive evaluations are crucial for guiding targeted and effective conservation strategies. This study employed the Vigor–Service–Resilience (VSR) framework together with causal inference models to assess the role of Huangshan National Park (HNP) in promoting ecosystem health and to examine the heterogeneity of its ecological outcomes from 2010 to 2020. The results indicate that (1) ecosystem health improved significantly across the region, with 69.5% of pixels showing positive change, particularly in ecosystem services and vigor; (2) compared with matched unprotected sites, HNP enhanced EH by 5.7% in 2010, 3.4% in 2015, and 6.5% in 2020, and also generating positive spillover effects within 30 km of its boundaries; (3) conservation impacts differed notably across socio-ecological conditions, with greater benefits observed in areas of lower elevation, gentle slopes, and reduced precipitation. These findings provide robust causal evidence of the protective value of HNP and underscore the importance of targeted and cost-efficient management strategies to optimize conservation outcomes and support sustainable regional development. Full article

Flavonoids, like Hesperetin, have been shown to be an ACE2 receptor agonists with antioxidant and pro-apoptotic activity and can induce apoptosis in cancer cells. ACE2 receptors are abundant in lung cancer cells. Here, we explored the application of Hesperetin bound to PegPLGA-coated nanoparticles (Hesperetin nanoparticles, HNPs) and anti-CD40 antibody as an aerosol treatment for lung tumor-bearing mice. The Hesperetin nanoparticles (HNPs) were engineered using a nano-formulation microfluidic technique and polymeric nanoparticles. The in vitro studies were performed in human A549 (ATCC) and murine LL/2-Luc2 (ATCC) lung cancer cell lines. A syngeneic orthotopic murine model of lung cancer was generated in wild (+/+) C57/BL6 background mice with luciferase-positive cell line LL/2-Luc2 cells. Lung tumor-bearing mice were treated via aerosol inhalation with HNP, anti-CD40 antibody, or both. Survival was used to analyze the efficacy of the aerosol treatment. The cohorts were also analyzed for body condition score, weight, and liver and kidney function. Analysis of an orthotopic murine lung cancer model demonstrated a differential uptake of the HNPs and anti-CD40 by the cancer cells. A higher survival rate was observed when the combination of aerosol treatment with HNPs was added with the treatment with anti-CD40 (p < 0.001), as compared to anti-CD40 alone (p < 0.01). Moreover, two tumor-bearing mice survived long-term with the combination treatment, and their tumors were diminished. Subsequently, these two mice were shown to be refractory to the development of subcutaneous tumors, indicating systemic resilience to developing new tumors. Using an inhalation-based administration, we successfully established a treatment model of increased therapeutic efficacy with HNPs and anti-CD40 in an orthotopic murine lung cancer model. Our findings open the possibility of improved lung cancer treatment using nanoparticles like flavonoids and immunoadjuvants. Full article

CO₂-Huff-n-Puff (CO₂-HnP) is an effective method for improving oil recovery in conventional reservoirs and has been widely applied to tight oil reservoirs. Recently, there has been a series of studies published on the oil increase mechanism and huff-n-puff parameter optimization of CO₂-HnP. However, the understanding of the influence of fracture characterization, threshold pressure gradient (TPG), and geomechanical effects on CO₂-HnP in fractured tight oil reservoirs is still limited. In this paper, a numerical model based on the embedded discrete fracture model (EDFM) was constructed to investigate the impact of TPG and geomechanical effects on cumulative oil production (COP). The effects of various huff-n-puff parameters, including bottomhole pressure, oil recovery rate, total CO₂ injection amount, number of huff-n-puff cycles, timing of production transfer injection, production time, injection time, CO₂ injection rate, and soaking time on the COP and oil replacement ratio were also explored in the paper. The results include the following: (1) The TPG and geomechanical effects led to significantly reduced COP. (2) A positive correlation with COP was found for parameters such as timing of production transfer injection and production time, while negative correlations were found for cycles, soaking time, and injection rate. For oil replacement ratio, soaking time and injection rate were positively correlated, while CO₂ injection amount and number of cycles showed negative correlation. (3) With a constant injection volume, it is crucial to avoid an excessive number of cycles that reduce COP. On the basis of this parameter optimization, the oil replacement ratio can be enhanced by advancing the production transfer injection, shortening the injection time, and extending the soaking time. The findings can help optimize CO₂-HnP strategies to improve oil recovery and economic benefits from the reservoir. This paper provides an effective numerical simulation method for CO₂-HnP in fractured tight oil reservoirs, which has certain reference value. Full article

The Sichuan Basin’s Liangshan Formation shale is rich in oil and gas resources, yet the recovery rate of shale oil reservoirs typically falls below 10%. Currently, gas injection huff-n-puff (H-n-P) is considered one of the most promising methods for improving shale oil recovery. This study numerically investigates the application of the CO₂ huff-n-puff process in enhancing oil recovery in shale volatile oil reservoirs. Using an actual geological model and fluid properties of shale oil reservoirs in the Sichuan Basin, the CO₂ huff-n-puff process was simulated. The model takes into account the molecular diffusion of CO₂, adsorption, stress sensitivity effects, and nanopore confinement. After history matching, through sensitivity analysis, the optimal injection rate of 400 tons/day, soaking time of 30 days, and three cycles of huff-n-puff were determined to be the most effective. The simulation results show that, compared with other gases, CO₂ has significant potential in improving the recovery rate and overall efficiency of shale oil reservoirs. This study is of great significance and can provide valuable references for the actual work of CO₂ huff-n-puff processes in shale volatile oil reservoirs of the Sichuan Basin. Full article

Background: Neutrophils are thought to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases, such as hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, etc. Activated human neutrophils release human neutrophil peptides (HNP1-3) or alpha-defensins that are antimicrobial peptides in azurophil granules. Furthermore, HNP1-3 build a scaffold of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and promote the process of programmed cell death called NETosis. Our study aimed to investigate the role of alpha-defensins in the pathogenesis of alcohol-related liver cirrhosis (ALC). Methods: The concentrations of alpha-defensins in the plasma of 62 patients with ALC and 24 healthy subjects were measured by ELISA. The patients with ALC were prospectively recruited based on the severity of liver dysfunction according to the Child-Pugh and Model of End-Stage Liver Disease-Natrium (MELD-Na) scores, modified Maddrey’s Discriminant Function (mDF), and the presence of ALC complications. Results: The concentrations of alpha-defensins in plasma were significantly higher in the ALC patients than in the controls. The plasma levels of HNP1-3 correlated with the MELD and mDF scores. ALC subgroups with MELD > 20 and mDF > 32 displayed significantly higher HNP1-3 concentrations. The plasma levels of HNP1-3 revealed a good predictive AUC for hepatic encephalopathy and ascites development (0.81 and 0.74, respectively) and for patient survival (0.87) in those over 40 years of age. Conclusion: These findings suggest that alpha-defensins play an important role in the assessment of ALC. Full article

Although tight oil reservoirs have abundant resources, their recovery efficiency is generally low. In recent years, CO₂ injection huff-n-puff has become an effective method for improving oil recovery on the basis of depleted production of volume-fracturing horizontal wells in tight oil reservoirs. In order to study the effects of CO₂ huff-n-puff (CO₂-HnP) on production, a compositional numerical simulation study of CO₂ huff-n-puff (CO₂-HnP) was conducted in tight oil reservoirs with complex fractures. Embedded discrete fracture model technology was used in the simulations to characterize complex fractures. The process of CO₂ huff-n-puff (CO₂-HnP) was simulated, which consists of CO₂ injection, CO₂ soaking, and CO₂ production. Taking into account the threshold pressure gradient and stress sensitivity in the model, we conducted a series of numerical simulations with different production condition parameters, such as bottom-hole pressure, CO₂ injection rate, injection time, soaking time, and the number of cycles of CO₂ huff-n-puff (CO₂-HnP). Then, the effects of these sensitivity parameters on the cumulative oil production (COP) were studied. The results indicate that the threshold pressure gradient and rock stress sensitivity factors greatly affect the pressure field of tight reservoirs and the cumulative oil production (COP) of multistage-fracturing horizontal wells. The production parameters all have an impact on the COP. The injection rate and circulation number both have optimal values, and the injection time and soak time tend to have less significant effects on the growth of cumulative oil production over time. According to the numerical simulation, the optimal solution is 5 × 10⁴ m³/day injection rate per cycle, 25 days of injection time, 35 days of soaking time, three cycles, and production for 5 years, which can obtain the optimal cumulative oil production. Full article

Nanocarriers provide a number of undeniable advantages that could improve the bioavailability of active agents for human, animal, and plant cells. In this study, we compared hybrid nanoparticles (HNPs) consisting of a calcium phosphate core coated with chitosan with unmixed calcium phosphate (CaP) and chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) as carriers of a model substrate, enalaprilat. This tripeptide analog is an inhibitor of angiotensin-converting enzyme and was chosen by its ability to lower intraocular pressure (IOP). In particular, we evaluated the physicochemical characteristics of the particles using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and analyzed their ability to incorporate and release enalaprilat. HNPs exhibited the highest drug loading capacity and both HNPs and CSNPs demonstrated slow drug release. The comparison of the physiological effects of enalaprilat-loaded CaP particles, HNPs, and CSNPs in terms of their impact on IOP in rabbits revealed a clear advantage of hybrid nanoparticles over both inorganic and chitosan nanoparticles. These results could have important mechanistic implications for developing nano-based delivery systems for other medical, veterinary, and agricultural applications. Full article

The effect of ratio and consecutive number of hydrophobic residues in the repeating unit of protein chains was investigated by MD simulation. The modified off-lattice HNP model was applied in this study. The protein chains constituted by different HNP ratios or different numbers of consecutively hydrophobic residues with the same chain length were simulated under a broad temperature range. We concluded that the proteins with higher ratio or larger number of sequentially hydrophobic residues present more orientated and compact structure under a certain low temperature. It is attributed to the lower non-bonded potential energy between H-H residual pairs, especially more hydrophobic residues in a procession among the protein chain. Considering the microscopic structure of the protein, more residue contacts are achieved with the proteins with higher ratios and sequential H residues under the low temperature. Meanwhile, with the ratio and consecutive number of H residues increasing, the distribution of stem length showed a transition from exponential decline to unimodal and even multiple peaks, indicating the specific ordered structure formed. These results provide an insight into 3D structural properties of proteins from their residue sequences, which has a primary structure at molecular level and, ultimately, a practical possibility of applying in biotechnological applications. Full article

Lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) is difficult to diagnose using lumbar radiography. HNP is typically diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study developed and validated an artificial intelligence model that predicts lumbar HNP using lumbar radiography. A total of 180,271 lumbar radiographs were obtained from 34,661 patients in the form of lumbar X-ray and MRI images, which were matched together and labeled accordingly. The data were divided into a training set (31,149 patients and 162,257 images) and a test set (3512 patients and 18,014 images). Training data were used for learning using the EfficientNet-B5 model and four-fold cross-validation. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) for the prediction of lumbar HNP was 0.73. The AUC of the ROC for predicting lumbar HNP in L (lumbar) 1-2, L2-3, L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S (sacrum)1 levels were 0.68, 0.68, 0.63, 0.67, and 0.72, respectively. Finally, an HNP prediction model was developed, although it requires further improvements. Full article

An infectious process into the uterine cavity represents a major endangered condition that compromises the immune privilege of the maternal–fetal unit and increases the risk for preterm birth (PTB) and premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Fetal membranes are active secretors of antimicrobial peptides (AMP), which limit bacterial growth, such as Escherichia coli. Nevertheless, the antibacterial responses displayed by chorioamniotic membranes against a choriodecidual E. coli infection have been briefly studied. The objective of this research was to characterize the profile of synthesis, activity, and spatial distribution of a broad panel of AMPs produced by fetal membranes in response to E. coli choriodecidual infection. Term human chorioamniotic membranes were mounted in a two independent compartment model in which the choriodecidual region was infected with live E. coli (1 × 10⁵ CFU/mL). Amnion and choriodecidual AMP tissue levels and TNF-α and IL-1β secretion were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The passage of bacterium through fetal membranes and their effect on structural continuity was followed for 24 h. Our results showed that E. coli infection caused a progressive mechanical disruption of the chorioamniotic membranes and an activated inflammatory environment. After the challenge, the amnion quickly (2–4 h) induced production of human beta defensins (HBD)-1, HBD-2, and LL-37. Afterwards (8–24 h), the amnion significantly produced HBD-1, HBD-2, HNP-1-3, S100A7, sPLA2, and elafin, whereas the choriodecidua induced LL-37 synthesis. Therefore, we noticed a temporal- and tissue-specific pattern regulation of the synthesis of AMPs by infected fetal membranes. However, fetal membranes were not able to contain the collagen degradation or the bacterial growth and migration despite the battery of produced AMPs, which deeply increases the risk for PTB and PROM. The mixture of recombinant HBDs at low concentrations resulted in increased bactericidal activity compared to each HBD alone in vitro, encouraging further research to study AMP combinations that may offer synergy to control drug-resistant infections in the perinatal period. Full article

We report the preparation of mesoporous silica nanoparticles covered by layer by layer (LbL) oppositely charged weak polyelectrolytes, comprising poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and a sodium alginate, highly grafted by N-isopropylacrylamide/N-tert-butylacrylamide random copolymers, NaALG-g-P(NIPAM₉₀-co-NtBAM₁₀) (NaALG-g). Thanks to the pH dependence of the degree of ionization of the polyelectrolytes and the LCST-type thermosensitivity of the grafting chains of the NaALG-g, the as-prepared hybrid nanoparticles (hNP) exhibit pH/thermo-responsive drug delivery capabilities. The release kinetics of rhodamine B (RB, model drug) can be controlled by the number of PAH/NaALG-g bilayers and more importantly by the environmental conditions, namely, pH and temperature. As observed, the increase of pH and/or temperature accelerates the RB release under sink conditions. The same NaALG-g was used as gelator to fabricate a hNP@NaALG-g hydrogel composite. This formulation forms a viscous solution at room temperature, and it is transformed to a self-assembling hydrogel (sol-gel transition) upon heating at physiological temperature provided that its T_gel was regulated at 30.7 °C, by the NtBAM hydrophobic monomer incorporation in the side chains. It exhibits excellent injectability thanks to its combined thermo- and shear-responsiveness. The hNP@NaALG-g hydrogel composite, encapsulating hNP covered with one bilayer, exhibited pH-responsive sustainable drug delivery. The presented highly tunable drug delivery system (DDS) (hNP and/or composite hydrogel) might be useful for biomedical potential applications. Full article

The aim of this study was to prepare novel supramolecular hybrid nanoparticles (HNPs) that can selectively separate and recover scandium metal ions, Sc(III), from an aqueous phase based on molecular recognition technology (MRT). Moreover, this approach is fully compatible with green chemistry principles. In this work, natural amorphous silica (SiO₂) nanoparticles were prepared by a precipitation method from Iraqi rice husk (RH) followed by surface modification with 3-amino-propyl triethoxysilane (APTES) as coupling agent and Kryptofix 2.2.2 (K2.2.2) as polycyclic ligand. To evaluate the potential of the hybrid nanoparticles, the prepared HNPs were used for the solid–liquid extraction of scandium, Sc(III), ions from model solutions due to the fact that K2.2.2 are polycyclic molecules. These polycyclic molecules are able to encapsulate cations according to the corresponding cavity size with the ionic radius of metal by providing a higher protection due their cage-like structures. Moreover, the authors set the objectives to design a high-technology process using these HNPs and to develop a Sc recovery method from the aqueous model solution prior to employing it in industrial applications, e.g., for Sc recovery from red mud leachate. The concentrations of Sc model solutions were investigated using the UV-Vis spectrophotometer technique. Different characterization techniques were used including scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The extraction efficiency of Sc varied from 81.3% to 96.7%. Moreover, the complexed Sc ions were efficiently recovered by HCl with 0.1 mol/L concentration. The stripping ratios of Sc obtained ranged from 93.1% to 97.8%. Full article

In the present work, we describe a facile and general method of fabricating fluorescent inorganic nanoparticles with diverse shapes for cell imaging application. The hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles (HNPs) with three different shapes (i.e., spindle shape, ellipsoidal shape and quasi-spherical shape) were first prepared as model systems in consideration of good biocompatibility and the controllable morphology of α-Fe₂O₃. Three fluorescent HNPs with different shapes were readily achieved via one-pot sol-gel reaction of AIE luminogen-functionalized siloxane (AIEgen-Si(OCH₃)₃) and TEOS in the presence of PVP-stabilized HNPs. Due to the fluorescence originating from the thin AIEgens-contained SiO₂ shell around the HNPs, their photoluminescent intensities can be tuned by changing the concentrations of TEOS and AIEgen-Si(OCH₃)₃ in feed prior to the sol-gel reaction. When the as-prepared fluorescent products were dispersed in water, they gave intense green light emission upon excitation at 360 nm with relatively high fluorescence quantum yield. Further, fluorescent HNPs exhibited low cytotoxicity and excellent photostability and, thus, were used as optical probes to preliminarily explore the effect of nanoparticle shapes on their cellular uptake behaviors. This work should open a facile way to prepare various fluorescent inorganic nanoparticles with specific morphology for various biological applications. Full article

Maternal infection with Zika virus (ZIKV) during pregnancy can result in neonatal abnormalities, including neurological dysfunction and microcephaly. Experimental models of congenital Zika syndrome identified neural progenitor cells as a target of viral infection. Neural progenitor cells are responsible for populating the developing central nervous system with neurons and glia. Neural progenitor dysfunction can lead to severe birth defects, namely, lissencephaly, microcephaly, and cognitive deficits. For this study, the consequences of ZIKV infection in human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor (hNP) cells and neurons were evaluated. ZIKV isolates from Asian and African lineages displayed lineage-specific replication kinetics, cytopathic effects, and impacts on hNP function and neuronal differentiation. The currently circulating ZIKV isolates exhibit a unique profile of virulence, cytopathic effect, and impaired cellular functions that likely contribute to the pathological mechanism of congenital Zika syndrome. The authors found that infection with Asian-lineage ZIKV isolates impaired the proliferation and migration of hNP cells, and neuron maturation. In contrast, the African-lineage infections resulted in abrupt and extensive cell death. This work furthers the understanding of ZIKV-induced brain pathology. Full article

As the key components of innate immunity, human host defense antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs) play a critical role in warding off invading microbial pathogens. In addition, AMPs can possess other biological functions such as apoptosis, wound healing, and immune modulation. This article provides an overview on the identification, activity, 3D structure, and mechanism of action of human AMPs selected from the antimicrobial peptide database. Over 100 such peptides have been identified from a variety of tissues and epithelial surfaces, including skin, eyes, ears, mouths, gut, immune, nervous and urinary systems. These peptides vary from 10 to 150 amino acids with a net charge between −3 and +20 and a hydrophobic content below 60%. The sequence diversity enables human AMPs to adopt various 3D structures and to attack pathogens by different mechanisms. While α-defensin HD-6 can self-assemble on the bacterial surface into nanonets to entangle bacteria, both HNP-1 and β-defensin hBD-3 are able to block cell wall biosynthesis by binding to lipid II. Lysozyme is well-characterized to cleave bacterial cell wall polysaccharides but can also kill bacteria by a non-catalytic mechanism. The two hydrophobic domains in the long amphipathic α-helix of human cathelicidin LL-37 lays the basis for binding and disrupting the curved anionic bacterial membrane surfaces by forming pores or via the carpet model. Furthermore, dermcidin may serve as ion channel by forming a long helix-bundle structure. In addition, the C-type lectin RegIIIα can initially recognize bacterial peptidoglycans followed by pore formation in the membrane. Finally, histatin 5 and GAPDH(2-32) can enter microbial cells to exert their effects. It appears that granulysin enters cells and kills intracellular pathogens with the aid of pore-forming perforin. This arsenal of human defense proteins not only keeps us healthy but also inspires the development of a new generation of personalized medicine to combat drug-resistant superbugs, fungi, viruses, parasites, or cancer. Alternatively, multiple factors (e.g., albumin, arginine, butyrate, calcium, cyclic AMP, isoleucine, short-chain fatty acids, UV B light, vitamin D, and zinc) are able to induce the expression of antimicrobial peptides, opening new avenues to the development of anti-infectious drugs. Full article