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• A new optical image encryption and authentication scheme is proposed with the computational ghost imaging. • The problem of inherent linear defect and key management in computational ghost imaging encryption system is solved. • The dual-channel encryption method provides multi-layer protection for the plaintext images. Considering the necessity of identity authentication in most scenarios, a dual-channel (digital channel and optical channel) image encryption and authentication algorithm with computational ghost imaging (CGI) is proposed. The entire encryption process is governed by the pseudo-random sequences obtained by the 4D chaotic system and the Logistic map. During the digital channel encryption, the confusion and diffusion of the plaintext image are achieved by random scrambling and DNA computing, respectively. To alleviate the burden of key transmission and storage in the CGI encryption system, the speckle measurement matrices are constructed with the pseudo-random numbers obtained by the Logistic map. Additionally, a nonlinear encryption operation is carried out to compensate the linear vulnerability of CGI encryption. In the optical encryption channel, the authentication image is first encrypted with the CGI method, followed by the secondary encryption of the intensity values recorded by a bucket detector to produce an intermediate ciphertext. The final encryption image is generated by merging the intermediate ciphertexts from both encryption channels. It is demonstrated that the proposed optical image encryption and authentication scheme with CGI provides satisfactory encryption and decryption effects and can effectively counteract the common attacks. Moreover, the scheme holds promising application prospects due to its authentication capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the development of tight gas fields enters the stable production stage, condensate oil forms a complex oil--water emulsifying system under the action of bubble drainage agent, corrosion inhibitor, hydrate inhibitor, and other additives to increase and stabilize production, as well as the formation of particulate matter. A new demulsification and flocculation agent suitable for condensate emulsifying system is developed to make the system unstable and the oil beads coalesce. In this paper, a polyether--quaternary ammonium salt reverse demulsifier (PPA) was synthesized by grafting a cationic group onto a five-membered block polyether X-75. A new type of demulsification--flocculation agent (CQ) was obtained through the complex modification of PPA and inorganic coagulant polyaluminum ferric chloride. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and gel chromatograph were used to characterize the group and molecular structure. The reaction parameters were optimized by single-factor experiment and the response surface method, and the demulsification--flocculation mechanism was determined by zeta potential, interfacial tension, and fractal dimension. Results showed the PPA demulsifier has active groups (block polyether) and cationic groups (polyquaternary ammonium salt) at the oil--water interface at the same time and can play a synergistic role between them. Single-factor experiment and response surface optimization showed CQ concentration and temperature were key factors affecting the demulsification-- flocculation effect. When CQ concentration was 547 mg/L, settling temperature was 27.9°C and PPA accounted for 71%. After settling for 30 min, the oil content and the concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) in the water decreased to 21.26 and 7.0 mg/L, respectively, which met the water quality requirements of reinjection (oil content ≤ 30 mg/L, TSS concentration ≤ 15 mg/L). By neutralizing and displacing active substances at the oil--water interface and sweeping by net trapping, CQ can coagulate oil beads and suspended particles to form large flocs and realize the efficient separation of oil beads, suspended particles, and water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aim to develop a CT-based deep learning (DL) system for fully automatic segmentation of regional muscle volume and measurement of the spatial intermuscular fat distribution of the gluteus maximus muscle. A total of 472 subjects were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of three groups: a training set, test set 1, and test set 2. For each subject in the training set and test set 1, we selected six slices of the CT images as the region of interest for manual segmentation by a radiologist. For each subject in test set 2, we selected all slices of the gluteus maximus muscle on the CT images for manual segmentation. The DL system was constructed using Attention U-Net and the Otsu binary thresholding method to segment the muscle and measure the fat fraction of the gluteus maximus muscle. The segmentation results of the DL system were evaluated using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Hausdorff distance (HD), and the average surface distance (ASD) as metrics. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess agreement in the measurements of fat fraction between the radiologist and the DL system. The DL system showed good segmentation performance on the two test sets, with DSCs of 0.930 and 0.873, respectively. The fat fraction of the gluteus maximus muscle measured by the DL system was in agreement with the radiologist (ICC = 0.748). The proposed DL system showed accurate, fully automated segmentation performance and good agreement with the radiologist at fat fraction evaluation, and can be further used for muscle evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CE alleviates LPS-induced acute depressive-like behavior in mice by inhibiting neuroinflammation and protecting synaptic plasticity. [Display omitted] • CE alleviates LPS-induced depression-like behaviors in mice. • CE reduces LPS-induced oxidative stress and activation of M1 phenotype microglia by restraining HIF-1α/PKM2 axis. • CE repairs LPS-induced neuronal loss and synaptic disruption. Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and synaptic damage contribute to the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder. Coeloglossum viride var. bracteatum extract (CE) has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Therefore, we hypothesized that CE could inhibit the pathogenesis of depression. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the antidepressant effects of CE in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse model. We showed that CE ameliorated LPS-induced depressive-like phenotypes such as increased preference for sucrose, decreased immobility, and improved willingness to move in mice. Consistently, CE reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the brain. Mechanistically, CE transformed the phenotypic polarization of microglia by inhibiting the enhancement of aerobic glycolysis and improving oxidative phosphorylation, mediated by the HIF-1α/PKM2 signaling axis. CE reversed the reduction in synaptic proteins, dendritic spines, and neuronal loss. Thus, CE may alleviate LPS-induced depression through anti-inflammation, alteration of microglial energy metabolism and protection of synaptic plasticity, thus highlighting its potential as antidepressant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Astragalin (AST) ameliorated the inflammatory and pathological changes as well as functional abnormalities of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute liver injury. • AST inhibited the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-driven receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1)-mediated necroptosis signaling pathway. • AST suppressed the activation of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α/pyruvate kinase M2 (HIF-1α/PKM2) signaling pathway. • AST hindered the enhanced glycolysis of M1 macrophages. Acute liver injury (ALI) is a prevalent clinical condition featured by liver inflammation and functional abnormalities resulting from various causes. Prolonged damage to liver cells can progress to chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Astragalin (AST), a natural flavonoid present in traditional medicinal and edible plants, exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, making it a potential therapeutic candidate for ALI. Using network pharmacology analysis, we explored the targets and pathways implicated in the regulation of AST against ALI. Our study using an ALI mouse model showed that AST effectively mitigates oxidative stress and inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), offering protection against LPS-induced ALI. The mechanism may involve inhibiting the tumor necrosis factor-α-driven necroptosis pathway and downregulating the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α/pyruvate kinase M2 signaling pathway, thereby suppressing enhanced glycolysis-mediated inflammatory response. Through the synergistic modulation of multiple targets and pathways, AST emerges as a promising therapeutic option for ALI, offering potential for clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms in wastewater treatment play a critical role in the degradation and removal of organic wastes and foreign contaminants, but they are vulnerable to the effects of operational working conditions. We investigated the changes in microbial community structure and abundance while the A2/O process was operated at four different hydraulic retention durations using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that microbial abundance and diversity increased with hydraulic retention time (HRT), and the genus level was more significantly affected by HRT than the phylum level. The dominant phylum and genus were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes with norank_f__AKYH767, Saprospiraceae, etc. The bacteria under the level of dominant phylum and dominant genus affected by HRT each had certain antagonistic effects, and the anaerobic pool microorganisms had the highest abundance and diversity. In nitrogen metabolism, HRT significantly affects the abundance of enzymes and functional genes. Enzymes involved in denitrification (44%) and denitrification functional genes (30.68%) have the highest abundance; HRT affects nitrogen removal efficiency by influencing the abundance of denitrification functional genes. The abundance of denitrification functional genes is the highest at 17 h; the increase of HRT is beneficial to denitrification, but has little effect on nitrification. The results provide a reference for understanding microbial and nitrogen metabolism influenced by HRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • A series of new Ba 4−x Sm 2 Fe 2−x Nb 8+x O 30 TTB was prepared with an adjustable structure that changes from filled to unfilled. • All BSFN ceramics show a more intense dispersion phenomenon as the concentration of Ba2+ decreases. • P-E loops become more slanted and slimmer with the reduced Ba2+ concentration. Abstract Tungsten bronze (TB) structural ceramics with the nominal formula Ba 4-x Sm 2 Fe 2−x Nb 8+x O 30 (BSFN) (x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1) were prepared using a standard solid-state sintering method. The effects of Ba2+ concentration on the crystallographic phase, microstructure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties were systematically studied. All compounds presented tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) structures, where the A1 and A2 sites were exclusively occupied by Sm3+ and Ba2+ ions, respectively, while the Fe3+ and Nb5+ ions were randomly distributed between the B1 and B2 sites. All BSFN ceramics exhibited normal ferroelectric behavior, but the dielectric properties showed an increasing dispersion as the concentration of Ba2+ decreased. The conductive behavior was due to the bulk and grain boundaries, and the direct current conductivity was increased from 0.67 to 0.77 eV with a reduction in the concentration of Ba2+. The polarization-electric field (P-E) and current-electric field (I-E) loops of all the BSFN ceramics showed ferroelectric behavior, and the P-E loops became more slanted and slimmer with reduced Ba2+ concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Clopidogrel is the recommended treatment by current clinical practice guidelines to prevent adverse cardiovascular events in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), but this treatment regimen still fails and 5–40% patients display inadequate antiplatelet responses. Fufang Danshen Dripping Pill (FDDP), a Chinese patient drug, was used as the combination with clopidogrel to improve the therapeutic effect. However, the mechanism of the interaction between clopidogrel and FDDP has not been elucidated. Materials and methods We have used non-targeted metabolism method based on GC-MS and LC-MS for the investigation of drug interactions between clopidogrel and FDDP. 63 patients were divided into four groups with different dosage regimen and the serum samples were collected for the analysis. Results We have found 5 and 55 differential metabolites between health volunteer group and CHD patients group, respectively. The contents of these differential metabolites had diverse changes in clopidogrel group, FDDP group, and drug combination group, indicating that the clopidogrel and FDDP combination can adjust the glycometabolism, lipid metabolism, and phospholipid metabolism, sequentially made the content of downstream related metabolites towards to the health volunteer group. Conclusion This work has explained the mechanism of the interaction between clopidogrel and FDDP from the point of view of metabolic product change, and revealed the potential metabolic pathways it affects, which provided the new ideas for clinical medication. Graphical abstract fx1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The high temperature dielectrics properties of unfilled tungsten bronze ceramics, Ba 4 SmFe 0.5 Nb 9.5 O 30 , were studied. The temperature dielectric properties and the variable temperature XRD data, in addition to the XPS data indicated that BSFN ceramics have no phase changes from 25 °C to 450 °C; the high temperature relaxation behaviour around 350 °C is closely related to the oxygen defects. Frequency dependence of temperature electrical conductivity relaxation of Ba 4 SmFe 0.5 Nb 9.5 O 30 ceramics was well fitted by the Arrhenius relationship with E a ~ 0.65 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfilled tungsten bronze ceramics with the nominal formula Ba 4 PrFe 0.5 Nb 9.5 O 30 were synthesized via the standard solid-state sintering route, and the effects of oxygen vacancies on the dielectric and electrical properties were investigated in addition to the structure. Room-temperature X-ray diffraction showed that the N 2 -annealed sample had the largest cell volume. Low-temperature spectrum showed that N 2 annealing rendered the dielectric constant and dielectric loss more frequency dispersive, whereas O 2 annealing inhibited the frequency dispersion. The dc conductivity of all the samples originated from the electrons produced in the second ionization of oxygen vacancies and was most likely controlled by a mixed conduction mechanism of the electron and oxygen-vacancy ions. The N 2 -annealed sample has the highest dc conductivity owing to its high concentration of oxygen vacancies. The broadening of the Raman lines and the decrease of Raman intensity for the N 2 -annealed sample originated from a significant structural disorder. X-ray photoelectron spectra demonstrated that the increased oxygen vacancies caused by the change of valences of Fe and Pr ions contributed to the structural disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]