Although M2 CM-treated fibroblasts had increased migration and M2 CM-treated fibroblasts and AECs had increased expression of profibrotic proteins over M1 CM-treated cells, all differences can be attributed to M2 polarization reagents IL-4 and IL-13 also present in the CM. Collectively, these data suggest that the profibrotic effects associated with M2 macrophage CM in vitro are attributable to effects of polarization cytokines rather than additional factors secreted in response to those polarizing cytokines.Banana cultivation has increased significantly over the last century to meet the growing demand for this popular fruit. Originating in Southeast Asia, bananas are now produced in over 135 different countries in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/MG132.html  The vast majority of this expansion of production is based on a single banana variety "Cavendish" which makes up almost all the export trade grown in large scale monocultures as well as a large part of the local trade and represents over 40% of all bananas grown globally. Over the last century several major diseases of the banana have emerged, and widely expanded their geographic ranges. Cultivars within the "Cavendish" variety are highly susceptible to these diseases including Yellow Sigatoka, Black leaf streak, Eumusae leaf spot, Freckle, Fusarium wilt Tropical race 4, Banana bunchy top and the bacterial wilts Moko, Xanthomonas wilt and Banana blood disease. This review graphically illustrates the emergence and rapid intercontinental spread of these diseases and discusses several major disease epidemics in bananas. Evidently, the large-scale monoculture based on the single variety "Cavendish" has resulted in an extreme level of genetic vulnerability. The resistance to diversification in the Cavendish production chain and the lack of investment in genetics and plant breeding in the recent past means that currently limited genetic solutions are available to replace the Cavendish banana with a set of market acceptable resistant varieties utilising a range of different genetic backgrounds.The banana (Musa spp.) industry experiences dramatic annual losses from Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB) disease, which is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (FOC). Pisang Awak banana Fenza No. 1 (Musa spp. cv. Fenza No. 1), a major banana cultivar with high resistance to FOC race 4, is considered to be ideal for growth in problematic areas. However, Fenza No. 1 is still affected by FOC race 1 in the field. TR21 is an endophytic Bacillus subtilis strain isolated from orchids (Dendrobium sp.). Axillary spraying of banana plants with TR21 controls FWB, decreasing the growth period and increasing yields in the field. In this study, we established that TR21 increases root growth in different monocotyledonous plant species. By axillary inoculation, TR21 induced a similar transcriptomic change as that induced by FOC race 1 but also upregulated the biosynthetic pathways for the phytohormones brassinosteroid and jasmonate in Fenza No. 1 root tissues, indicating that TR21 increases FWB resistance, shortens growth period, and increases yield of banana by inducing specific transcriptional reprogramming and modulating phytohormone levels. These findings will contribute to the identification of candidate genes related to plant resistance against fungi in a non-model system and facilitate further study and exploitation of endophytic biocontrol agents.Previous studies have demonstrated that sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) increases during orthostatic stress in humans. We recently showed that dietary salt intake affects sympathetic neural control in healthy premenopausal women. This study aimed to determine whether salt loading versus salt reduction would impact sympathetic BRS during orthostasis in premenopausal women with a history of normal pregnancy. Nine healthy women [42 ± 3 (SD) yr] were given a standardized isocaloric high-salt (250 mEq sodium/day) or low-salt (50 mEq sodium/day) diet for 1 wk each (∼2 mo apart with the order randomized), whereas water intake was ad libitum. Laboratory testing was performed following each high- and low-salt period in the midluteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Hemodynamics and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) were measured at baseline (supine; 2 min) and during a graded head-up tilt (30° for 5 min and 60° for 20 min). Sympathetic BRS was assessed during baseline and head-up tilt. Hemodynamics were not different between salt conditions during baseline or tilt. Both supine and upright MSNA indices were lower in high salt than low salt (all P less then 0.05), however, there was no interaction effect (P = 0.507-0.996). On moving from supine to upright, sympathetic BRS remained unchanged in high salt but increased in low salt (P = 0.028 for interaction). Thus, salt loading diminishes the responsiveness of sympathetic BRS during orthostasis compared with salt reduction in healthy premenopausal women with prior normal pregnancy. Whether this is one underlying mechanism for salt-induced development of hypertension during ambulation remains to be determined.Aim This study aimed to compare the immediate and long-term effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) contract-relax-antagonist-contract (CRAC) exercises versus static stretching on proprioception and flexibility in males with hamstring shortness. Patients & methods Knee extension angle test was used to measure flexibility and isokinetic dynamometer to evaluate proprioception. Assessments were evaluated at baseline, after first exercise and eighth week. The hamstring stretching was applied 3 days a week for 8 weeks. Results Flexibility and position sense were similar in the immediate and long term (p > 0.05). However, the motion sense increased significantly in long term within the PNF CRAC group (p = 0.02). Conclusion Both stretching exercises are effective for improving flexibility. Moreover, PNF CRAC improved motion sense more than static stretching in the long term. Clinical trial registration number NCT04026646.Background To analyse the long-term outcomes of percutaneous angioplasty and stenting of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in the treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI), and to assess predictive factors for a better clinical outcome. Patients and methods Retrospective analysis of 76 consecutive patients, treated percutaneously for CMI between January 1999 and January 2018 and followed up until the end of 2018. Patients' pre-, peri- and post-interventional clinical and radiological data were gathered from the institutional electronic medical records. The Kaplan Meier method with log rank test or the Cox model were used to analyse overall survival; the cumulative incidence function with Pepe and Mori test or the Fine and Grey model were used to analyse relapse-free survival, considering death as a competing event. Results Seventy-six consecutive patients with a mean age of 72 years were included in the study. Catheter-angiography revealed an ostial or non-ostial >90% stenosis in n=23 (29.7%) and n=53 (69.