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05) compared to non-grafted controls (124.7 ± 140). (4) Conclusions The use of ASCs prior to ovarian tissue transplantation yielded a larger primordial follicle pool and more physiological follicle distribution after long-term grafting. These findings suggested that ASC use might extend the ovarian tissue lifespan.China has a fast-growing economy and is one of the top three sulfur dioxide (SO2) emitters in the world. This paper is committed to finding efficient ways for China to reduce SO2 emissions with little impact on its socio-economic development. Data of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2017 were collected to assess the decoupling relationship between economic growth and SO2 emissions. The Tapio method was used. Then, the temporal trend of decoupling was analyzed and the Moran Index was introduced to test spatial autocorrelation of the provinces. To concentrate resources and improve the reduction efficiency, a generalized logarithmic mean Divisia index improved by the Cobb-Douglas function was applied to decompose drivers of SO2 emissions and to identify the main drivers. Results showed that the overall relationship between SO2 emissions and economic growth had strong decoupling (SD) since 2012; provinces, except for Liaoning and Guizhou, have reached SD since 2015. The decoupling indexes of neighboring provinces had spatial dependence at more than 95% certainty. The main positive driver was the proportion of the secondary sector of the economy and the main negative drivers were related to energy consumption and investment in waste gas treatment. Then, corresponding suggestions for government and enterprises were made.African swine fever (ASF) is a highly lethal contagious disease of swine caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). At present, it is listed as a notifiable disease reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and a class one animal disease ruled by Chinese government. ASF has brought significant economic losses to the pig industry since its outbreak in China in August 2018. In this review, we recapitulated the epidemic situation of ASF in China as of July 2020 and analyzed the influencing factors during its transmission. Since the situation facing the prevention, control, and eradication of ASF in China is not optimistic, safe and effective vaccines are urgently needed. In light of the continuous development of ASF vaccines in the world, the current scenarios and evolving trends of ASF vaccines are emphatically analyzed in the latter part of the review. The latest research outcomes showed that attempts on ASF gene-deleted vaccines and virus-vectored vaccines have proven to provide complete homologous protection with promising efficacy. Moreover, gaps and future research directions of ASF vaccine are also discussed.The main risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is increased intraocular pressure (IOP). It is of interest that about half of the patients have an IOP within the normal range (normal-tension glaucoma, NTG). Additionally, there is a group of patients with a high IOP but no glaucomatous neurodegeneration (ocular hypertension, OHT). Therefore, risk factors other than IOP are involved in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Since the retina has a very high oxygen-demand, decreased autoregulation and a fluctuating oxygen supply to the retina have been linked to glaucomatous neurodegeneration. To assess the significance of these mechanisms, we have utilized a human experimental model, in which we stress participants with a fluctuating oxygen supply. Levels of oxidative stress molecules, antioxidants, and lipid mediators were measured in the plasma. Patients with NTG, OHT, and control subjects were found to have similar levels of oxidative stress markers. In contrast, patients with OHT had a higher level of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and pro-homeostatic lipid mediators. Thus, we suggest that OHT patients manage fluctuating oxygen levels more efficiently and, thus, are less susceptible to glaucomatous neurodegenerations, due to enhanced systemic antioxidant protection.The amyloid plaques are a key hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Amyloidogenesis is a complex long-lasting multiphase process starting with the formation of nuclei of amyloid peptides a process assigned as a primary nucleation. Curcumin (CU) is a well-known inhibitor of the aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides. Even more, CU is able to disintegrate preformed Aβ firbils and amyloid plaques. Here, we simulate by molecular dynamics the primary nucleation process of 12 Aβ peptides and investigate the effects of CU on the process. We found that CU molecules intercalate among the Aβ chains and bind tightly to them by hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic, π-π, and cation-π interactions. In the presence of CU, the Aβ peptides form a primary nucleus of a bigger size. The peptide chains in the nucleus become less flexible and more disordered, and the number of non-native contacts and hydrogen bonds between them decreases. For comparison, the effects of the weaker Aβ inhibitor ferulic acid (FA) on the primary nucleation are also examined. Our study is in good agreement with the observation that taken regularly, CU is able to prevent or at least delay the onset of neurodegenerative disorders.

The role of herbal products in the prevention of cardiovascular disease requires supporting evidence. read more This open pilot study assessed the effect of 2-month supplementation of a combination of olive leaf and fruit extracts (Tensiofytol

, Tilman SA, Baillonville, Belgium) in the clinical management of hypertension and metabolic syndrome (MetS).

A total of 663 (pre)-hypertensive patients were enrolled by general practitioners and supplemented for two months with Tensiofytol

, two capsules per day (100 mg/d of oleuropein and 20 mg/d of hydroxytyrosol). Systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP/DBP) were measured before and after treatment. Markers of MetS, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), fasting blood glucose (FG) and waist circumference (WC), were also examined.

Significant reductions (

< 0.0001) in SBP/DBP (13 ± 10/7.1 ± 6.6 mmHg) were observed and similarly in pre-diabetic and diabetic patients. Improvements in SBP/DPB were independent of age and gender but greater for elevated baseline SBP/DBP.