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Under large unit discharges, cavitation damage may occur and energy dissipation may remarkably decline in stepped chutes due to absence of air entrainment. Herein, a pre-aeration device, entraining air by contracting the flow locally by walls without special air vent, is proposed for increasing the maximum available unit discharges. The test results demonstrate that the aerator proposed in this paper generates a ski-jump and a local hydraulic jump to entrain air into flow. It provides fully aerated flows for the stepped chutes, and significantly increases the energy dissipation with large unit discharges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To respond to new energy efficiency standards and environmentally friendly policies in hot climate regions, it is necessary to develop high-efficiency air conditioners. The environmentally friendly and favorable thermophysical properties of R290 and the high efficiency of rotary compressors have led to the proposal of R290 rotary compressors for use in split-room air conditioners in hot climate regions. The performance of R290 rotary compressor at high temperatures requires in-depth research. In this study, an R290 rotary compressor was experimentally and numerically studied at different ambient temperatures (ta = 35 °C, 46 °C, and 55 °C), using different oils (mineral oil and synthetic oil). The results show that the volumetric efficiency (ηv) and adiabatic efficiency (ηad) of the R290 rotary compressor decrease by only 5% and 6%, respectively, from ta= 35 °C to 55 °C; even at 55 °C, ηv and ηad are 89% and 67%, respectively, while the decrements of the R32 rotary compressor both reached more than 10%. In addition, the R290 rotary compressor performance differs with different oils because of miscibility, solubility, and viscosity influences on leakage and friction losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lengshuikeng Ag‐Pb‐Zn ore field is located in the North Wuyi Mesozoic volcanic belt south of the Qinzhou–Hangzhou suture zone between the Yangtze and Cathaysia paleo‐plates. Previous zircon U–Pb geochronological studies on ignimbrites and tuffs from this area have yielded conflicting ages of 157–161 Ma (Early Upper Jurassic) and 137–144 Ma (Early Lower Cretaceous). Volcanic rocks in the ore field have even been proposed to include both ages. Our SHRIMP zircon U–Pb dating of the ignimbrite and tuff samples from the ore field, along with field observations and results from geochronological work on other volcanic and sub‐volcanic rocks in the region, shows that two populations of magmatic zircons, one autocrystic and the other xenocrystic, are present in the pyroclastic rocks. The autocrystic zircons have ages suggesting formation/eruption at approximately 140 Ma, whereas the xenocrystic zircons give ages of 155–159 Ma, indicating intrusion of granitic porphyries in the Early Upper Jurassic. Therefore, the pyroclastic rocks in the Lengshuikeng Ag–Pb–Zn ore field formed in the Early Lower Cretaceous. The youngest zircon U–Pb ages from pyroclastic rocks may not represent the formation/eruption ages of the host rock, depending most likely on the existence and/or abundance of juvenile or vitric pyroclasts in the rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study global attractors of two-dimensional Newton–Boussinesq equation. We obtain the existence of H 0 1 ( Ω ) × H 0 1 ( Ω ) -global attractors and H 2 ( Ω ) × H 2 ( Ω ) -global attractors in two-dimensional bounded domains. Meanwhile, we get the existence of H 0 1 ( Ω ) × H 0 1 ( Ω ) -global attractors in two-dimensional channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Ni/NC@Ti 3 C 2 T x composite-absorbing material was prepared through a solvothermal process and annealing treatment. Polydopamine (PDA) is utilized not only as a low-density connecting medium to promote the dispersion growth of nickel nanoparticles on Ti 3 C 2 T x , but also as a nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) source in the carbonization process to generate multilevel electromagnetic interfaces and enhance polarization loss. The impedance matching of the material can be optimized by adjusting the ratio of the precursor Ni (magnetic) to the PDA@Ti 3 C 2 T x (electrical) materials and the paraffin filling degree. The effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of the optimized Ni/NC@Ti 3 C 2 T x -2 reached 4.65 GHz with a thickness of 1.5 mm. The minimum reflection loss (RL min) reached −47.34 dB under 40 wt% filling amounts in paraffin. The dramatic improvement in the microwave absorption (MA) performance of the composites is attributed to the conductive loss caused by the special structure, the enhanced interfacial polarization between the electromagnetic materials, and the excellent impedance matching. This work provides an optimized magnetic modification approach toward MXene and facilitates the further development of MXene-based MA materials. This work uses polydopamine as an intermediate bridge to realize the efficient loading of magnetic nickel on Ti 3 C 2 T x , which provides a new idea for the recombination of materials with different loss types. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We analyzed the effect of dexmedetomidine (DEX) as a local anesthetic adjuvant on postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients undergoing elective hip surgery. Methods: In this study, 120 patients undergoing hip surgery were enrolled and randomly assigned to two groups: fascia iliaca compartment block with DEX + ropivacaine (the Y group, n = 60) and fascia iliaca compartment block with ropivacaine (the R group, n = 60). The primary outcomes: presence of delirium during the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) period and on the first day (D1), the second day (D2), and the third day (D3) after surgery. The secondary outcomes: preoperative and postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), occurrence of insomnia on the preoperative day, day of operation, D1 and D2; HR values of patients in both groups before iliac fascia block (T1), 30 min after iliac fascia block (T2), at surgical incision (T3), 20 min after incision (T4), when they were transferred out of the operating room (T5) and after leaving the recovery room (T6) at each time point; VAS for T1, PACU, D1, D2; the number of patients requiring remedial analgesics within 24 h after blockade and related complications between the two groups. Results: A total of 97 patients were included in the final analysis, with 11 and 12 patients withdrawing from the R and Y groups, respectively. The overall incidence of POD and its incidence in the PACU and ward were all lesser in the Y group than in the R group (p <0.05). Additionally, fewer cases required remedial analgesia during the PACU period, and more vasoactive drugs were used for maintaining circulatory system stability in the Y group as compared to the R group (p <0.05). At the same time, the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative bradycardia in the Y group was higher than that in the R group, accompanied by lower postoperative CRP and ESR (all p <0.05). Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided high fascia iliaca compartment block with a combination of ropivacaine and DEX can reduce the incidence of POD, the use of intraoperative opioids and postoperative remedial analgesics, and postoperative inflammation in elderly patients who have undergone hip surgery, indicating that this method could be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of POD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of Glycoprotein IIb (GPIIb) human platelet antigen-3 (HPA-3) a/b polymorphism with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis (HD) and native Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) thrombosis. Methods: The polymorphism in the GPIIb subunit of the receptor HPA-3 (a and b alleles) was identified by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) in 145 HD patients and 120 healthy controls from a Chinese Han population. The HD patients were classified into two groups: G1 and G2. G1 included 65 HD patients presented at least one AVF thrombosis episode and G2 included 80 HD patients without any episode of AVF thrombosis. Results: There were no significant differences in either HPA-3 a/b genotypes (aa, ab, and bb) frequency distribution ( p = 0.396) or allele (a and b) frequency distribution ( p = 0.146) between HD patients and control groups. However, there were significant differences in both HPA-3 a/b genotypes (aa, ab, and bb) distribution ( χ2 = 6.127, p = 0.047) and allele (a and b) frequency distribution ( χ2 = 5.954, p = 0.015) between G1 and G2. The relative risk of native AVF dysfunction in ab + bb patients compared with that of aa patients was 2.31 (95% confidence interval: 1.18-4.52). Conclusions: These findings suggest an association between AVF thrombosis and the HPA-3b allele, and it is likely that HPA-3 a/b polymorphisms could be useful markers for potential risk of native AVF thrombosis in HD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general Brusselator system is considered under homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions. The existence results of the Hopf bifurcation to the ordinary differential equation (ODE) and partial differential equation (PDE) models are obtained. By the center manifold theory and the normal form method, the bifurcation direction and stability of periodic solutions are established. Moreover, some numerical simulations are shown to support the analytical results. At the same time, the positive steady-state solutions and spatially inhomogeneous periodic solutions are graphically shown to supplement the analytical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: NaY(MoO4)2:Eu3+ and NaY0.9Bi0.1(MoO4)2:Eu3+ submicrometer phosphors have been synthesized by a composite technology involving hydrothermal process assisted solid state reaction at room temperature. It is revealed that crystalline water is necessary for the solid phase reaction at room temperature. The XRD patterns indicate that both NaY(MoO4)2:Eu3+ and NaY0.9Bi0.1(MoO4)2:Eu3+ submicrometer phosphors crystallize well with the scheelite structure. Both SEM and TEM images illustrate that the average grain size of NaY(MoO4)2:Eu3+ and NaY0.9Bi0.1(MoO4)2:Eu3+ is about 200nm without conglomeration. The luminescent lifetimes and quantum efficiencies for NaY(MoO4)2:Eu3+ and NaY0.9Bi0.1(MoO4)2:Eu3+ are determined, indicating that the introduction of Bi3+ is favorable for the luminescence of Eu3+. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We discuss the existence of positive solutions for the Hammerstein integral equation . By calculation of the fixed point index in a cone, we obtain that there exists a critical value such that the above equation has at least two, one positive solutions for , , respectively, and has no positive solution for . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel improved Fenton system named MHACF-UiO-66(Zr) was constructed under normal temperature and pressure based on the reduction of FeIII accelerated by hydrogen. The regeneration of FeII was enhanced by Pd/UiO-66(Zr). The hydroxyl radical could be continuously generated using only trace level FeII. 10 mg L−1 4-chlorophenol could be thoroughly degraded in the initial conditions of 75 mL min−1 H2, pH 3, 20 mM H2O2, 2 g L−1 Pd/UiO-66(Zr) and 20 μM FeII. Moreover, the removal efficiency of 15 mg L−1 sulfamethazine could be maintained at least more than 94% under the same conditions. The activity of the solid catalyst could be maintained after 6 consecutive reaction cycles. This provides new insight for improving the inherent shortcomings of the Fenton reaction, which generates large amounts of iron sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our investigation utilized a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach to explore the ambiguous bidirectional relationship between Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and depression, furthering insights from existing observational studies. In this study, we conducted a bidirectional Mendelian randomization using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) datasets. We initially analyzed depression data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and the UK Biobank (n = 500,199), alongside COPD data from the FinnGen Consortium (n = 329,552). The second phase involved comparing depression data from FinnGen (n = 372,472) with COPD data from the UK Biobank (n = 361,194). Our Mendelian analysis employs various methods to guarantee a comprehensive and rigorous investigation. In the initial analytic phase utilizing the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, COPD does not significantly contribute to the incidence of depression (IVW odds ratio (OR) = 0.989, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.895 to 1.092, P = 0.824). Conversely, the data suggested a statistically significant association where depression may precipitate the development of COPD, with a notable increase in risk (IVW OR = 1.421, 95 % CI = 1.149 to 1.756, P = 0.001). Subsequent validation through a second-step analysis reinforced the hypothesis that depression elevates the likelihood of COPD onset (IVW OR = 1.002, 95 % CI = 1.0003 to 1.0046, P = 0.028). Our study, utilizing Mendelian randomization analysis, determined that COPD does not escalate the risk of depression. Conversely, our analysis suggests that depression may elevate the risk of developing COPD. This insight underscores the importance of enhancing prevention, screening, and treatment strategies for COPD in individuals with depression. • Investigation reveals COPD does not contribute to an increased risk of depression. • Evidence indicates potential for depression to augment COPD risk. • Mendelian randomization was utilized to facilitate a thorough analysis of data sets. • There is a necessity for a holistic approach in the treatment of pulmonary and psychological health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tectonic inversion of the Songliao Basin during the Cenozoic may have played an important role in controlling the development of sandstone-type uranium deposits. The widely distributed mafic intrusions in the host sandstones of the Qianjiadian U ore deposits provided new insights to constrain the regional tectonic evolution and the genesis of the U mineralization. In this study, zircon U-Pb dating, whole-rock geochemistry, Sr-Nd-Pb isotope analysis, and mineral chemical compositions were presented for the mafic rocks from the Qianjiadian area. The mafic rocks display low SiO2 (44.91–52.05 wt.%), high TFe2O3 contents (9.97–16.46 wt.%), variable MgO (4.59–15.87 wt.%), and moderate K2O + Na2O (3.19–6.52 wt.%), and can be subdivided into AB group (including basanites and alkali olivine basaltic rocks) and TB group (mainly tholeiitic basaltic rocks). They are characterized by homogenous isotopic compositions (εNd (t) = 3.47–5.89 and 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7032–0.7042) and relatively high radiogenic 206Pb/204Pb (18.13–18.34) and Nb/U ratios (23.0–45.6), similar to the nearby Shuangliao basalts, suggesting a common asthenospheric origin enriched with slab-derived components prior to melting. Zircon U-Pb and previous Ar-Ar dating show that the AB group formed earlier (51–47 Ma) than the TB group (42–40 Ma). Compared to the TB group, the AB group has higher TiO2, Na2O, K2O, P2O5, Ce, and HREE contents and Ta/Yb and Sr/Yb ratios, which may have resulted from variable depth of partial melting in association with lithospheric thinning. Combined with previous research, the Songliao Basin experienced: (1) Eocene (~50–40 Ma) lithospheric thinning and crustal extension during which mafic rocks intruded into the host sandstones of the Qianjiadian deposit, (2) a tectonic inversion from extension to tectonic uplift attributed to the subduction of the Pacific Plate occurring at ~40 Ma, and (3) Oligo–Miocene (~40–10 Ma) tectonic uplift, which is temporally associated with U mineralization. Finally, the close spatial relation between mafic intrusions and the U mineralization, dike-related secondary reduction, and secondary oxidation of the mafic rocks in the Qianjiadian area suggest that Eocene mafic rocks and their alteration halo in the Songliao Basin may have played a role as a reducing barrier for the U mineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A modified hydrothermal process is engaged in the synthesis of LaVO4: Eu3+ nanophosphor. All kinds of inorganic salts (solid state hydrated rare earth nitrates and NH4VO3) and precipitation reagents (ammonia and urea) are mixed to form the solid state precursors instead of general aqueous solution systems, and a little amount water exists in the hydrothermal reaction systems. Both X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission scanning electronic microscope (TEM) shows that the uniform microstructure with the particle size of around 60 nm and the product from ammonia possesses the higher phase purity than that from urea. LaVO4: Eu3+ shows a strong red emission at 617 nm originating from the 5D0 → 7F2 hypersensitive transition of Eu3+ ion. Especially the LaVO4: Eu3+ nanophosphor from ammonia presents the more excellent photoluminescent property (lifetime and quantum efficiency) than that from urea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The pre-operative non-invasive differential diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) mainly depends on imaging. However, the accuracy of conventional imaging and radiomics methods in differentiating between the two carcinomas is unsatisfactory. In this study, we aimed to establish a novel deep learning model based on computed tomography (CT) images to provide an effective and non-invasive pre-operative differential diagnosis method for HCC and ICC. Materials and methods: We retrospectively investigated the CT images of 395 HCC patients and 99 ICC patients who were diagnosed based on pathological analysis. To differentiate between HCC and ICC we developed a deep learning model called CSAM-Net based on channel and spatial attention mechanisms. We compared the proposed CSAM-Net with conventional radiomic models such as conventional logistic regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, support vector machine, and random forest models. Results: With respect to differentiating between HCC and ICC, the CSAM-Net model showed area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values of 0.987 (accuracy = 0.939), 0.969 (accuracy = 0.914), and 0.959 (accuracy = 0.912) for the training, validation, and test sets, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the conventional radiomics models (0.736–0.913 [accuracy = 0.735–0.912], 0.602–0.828 [accuracy = 0.647–0.818], and 0.638–0.845 [accuracy = 0.618–0.849], respectively. The decision curve analysis showed a high net benefit of the CSAM-Net model, which suggests potential efficacy in differentiating between HCC and ICC in the diagnosis of liver cancers. Conclusions: The proposed CSAM-Net model based on channel and spatial attention mechanisms provides an effective and non-invasive tool for the differential diagnosis of HCC and ICC on CT images, and has potential applications in diagnosis of liver cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accumulating studies have suggested the airway microbiota in lung cancer patients is significantly different from that of healthy controls. However, little is known about the relationship between airway microbiota and important clinical parameters of lung cancer. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between sputum microbiota and lung cancer stage, lymph node metastasis, intrathoracic metastasis, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation. Methods: The microbiota of sputum samples from 85 newly‐diagnosed NSCLC patients were sequenced via 16S rRNA sequencing of the V3–V4 region. Sequencing reads were filtered using QIIME2 and clustered against UPARSE. Results: Alpha‐ and β‐diversity was significantly different between patients in stages I to II (early stage, ES) and patients in stages III to IV (advanced stage, AS). Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) identified that genera Granulicatella and Actinobacillus were significantly enriched in ES, and the genus Actinomyces was significantly enriched in AS. PICRUSt2 identified that the NAD salvage pathway was significantly enriched in AS, which was positively associated with Granulicatella. Patients with intrathoracic metastasis were associated with increased genus Peptostreptococcus and incomplete reductive TCA cycle, which was associated with increased Peptostreptococcus. Genera Parvimonas, Pseudomona and L‐valine biosynthesis were positively associated with lymph node metastasis. L‐valine biosynthesis was related with increased Pseudomona. Finally, the genus Parvimonas was significantly enriched in adenocarcinoma patients with EGFR mutation. Conclusion: The taxonomy structure differed between different lung cancer stages. The tumor stage, intrathoracic metastasis, lymph node metastasis, and EGFR mutation were associated with alteration of specific airway genera and metabolic function of sputum microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the Study. This paper summarizes the traditional uses, botany, chemical composition, pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and toxicology of Arisaematis rhizoma (hereafter referred to as AR). In addition, the future development and research prospect of AR were discussed in detail. Although many traditional uses of AR have been confirmed, it is essential to study the relationship between its structure and function, clarify the mechanism of pharmacological action, and explore new clinical applications. Materials and Methods. This review is a collection of all possible studies on AR, published in scientific journals, papers, and books. Using the papers related to Arisaematis, such as ScienceDirect, Wiley Online Library, Springer Link, Web of Science, CNKI, and WanFang Database. In this paper, the traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of AR were reviewed. Finally, the existing problems and research directions of the research on AR are discussed. Results. Ninety-eight chemical constituents were isolated from AR. AR has a wide range of pharmacological effects, such as the effects on the central nervous system and cardiovascular system. It also has anti-tumor, sedative, analgesic, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, antiarrhythmic, anticoagulant, and other effects. It is also considered an effective drug for in vitro and in vivo validation. Conclusions. AR is an excellent traditional medicinal plant in China. Pharmacological studies support the traditional use of AR and may verify the folk use of AR in the treatment of different diseases. The anti-tumor effect of AR has been widely concerned by scholars at home and abroad. It has become a hot spot in recent years and has made great contributions to the survival and development of human beings. Although it has a high value of comprehensive utilization, its development and utilization are far from enough. Therefore, the comprehensive development of AR is worthy of further analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As Doppler ultrasound has been proven to be an effective tool to predict and compress the optimal pulsing windows, we evaluated the effective dose and diagnostic accuracy of coronary CT angiography (CTA) incorporating Doppler-guided prospective electrocardiograph (ECG) gating, which presets pulsing windows according to Doppler analysis, in patients with a heart rate >65 bpm. Materials and Methods: 119 patients with a heart rate >65 bpm who were scheduled for invasive coronary angiography were prospectively studied, and patients were randomly divided into traditional prospective (n = 61) and Doppler-guided prospective (n = 58) ECG gating groups. The exposure window of traditional prospective ECG gating was set at 30%–80% of the cardiac cycle. For the Doppler group, the length of diastasis was analyzed by Doppler. For lengths greater than 90 ms, the pulsing window was preset during diastole (during 60%–80%); otherwise, the optimal pulsing intervals were moved from diastole to systole (during 30%–50%). Results: The mean heart rates of the traditional ECG and the Doppler-guided group during CT scanning were 75.0±7.7 bpm (range, 66–96 bpm) and 76.5±5.4 bpm (range: 66–105 bpm), respectively. The results indicated that whereas the image quality showed no significant difference between the traditional and Doppler groups (P = 0.42), the radiation dose of the Doppler group was significantly lower than that of the traditional group (5.2±3.4mSv vs. 9.3±4.5mSv, P<0.001). The sensitivities of CTA applying traditional and Doppler-guided prospective ECG gating to diagnose stenosis on a segment level were 95.5% and 94.3%, respectively; specificities 98.0% and 97.1%, respectively; positive predictive values 90.7% and 88.2%, respectively; negative predictive values 99.0% and 98.7%, respectively. There was no statistical difference in concordance between the traditional and Doppler groups (P = 0.22). Conclusion: Doppler-guided prospective ECG gating represents an improved method in patients with a high heart rate to reduce effective radiation doses, while maintaining high diagnostic accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays an important role in the inflammatory process and immune response. The aim of the study was to investigate ICAM-1 expression in the kidneys of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and the relationship between the level of ICAM-1 and renal damage. Methods: Male Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat and SHR models were employed. Blood pressure (BP) was recorded using tail cuff method. Twenty-four hour proteinuria and β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) were measured using biuret method and radioimmunity kits, respectively. Biochemical parameters were measured after the animals were killed. ICAM-1 expression in renal tissue was assessed using western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: It was observed that BP, proteinuria, and urine β2-MG were more increased in SHR groups than that in the same age WKY groups. In SHR groups, BP, proteinuria, and urine β2-MG at the 56th week were significantly higher than that at the 28th week. ICAM-1 protein and mRNA expression in SHR renal tissues was significantly increased in SHR groups compared with the same age in WKY rats. ICAM-l expression was positively correlated with proteinuria and urine β2-MG. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the renal expression of ICAM-1 was increased in SHR with renal damage, and inflammation may be involved in the hypertensive renal damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater quality assessment is an essential study which plays important roles in the rational development and utilization of groundwater. Groundwater quality greatly influences the health of local people. However, most traditional water quality comprehensive assessment methods which have complicated formulas are difficult to apply in water quality assessment. In this paper, a novel method for groundwater quality assessment called set pair analysis was introduced and entropy weight was assigned to each index to improve the assessment model. The calculation steps are depicted in the paper and take groundwater quality assessment in Dongsheng City as a case study. The assessment results indicated that groundwater qualities in the study area were relatively good, Set Pair Analysis method, which was an optimal method for groundwater quality assessment and worth promoting, was easy to use and calculation processes which use almost all the relative information were simple, results were reasonable, reliable and intuitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to assess the groundwater quality in Pengyang County based on an improved water quality index. An information entropy method was introduced to assign weight to each parameter. For calculating WQI and assess the groundwater quality, total 74 groundwater samples were collected and all these samples subjected to comprehensive physicochemical analysis. Each of the groundwater samples was analyzed for 26 parameters and for computing WQI 14 parameters were chosen including chloride, sulphate, pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved solid (TDS), total hardness (TH), nitrate, ammonia nitrogen, fluoride, total iron (Tfe), arsenic, iodine, aluminum, nitrite, metasilicic acid and free carbon dioxide. At last a zoning map of different water quality was drawn. Information entropy weight makes WQI perfect and makes the assessment results more reasonable. The WQI for 74 samples ranges from 12.40 to 205.24 and over 90% of the samples are below 100. The excellent quality water area covers nearly 90% of the whole region. The high value of WQI has been found to be closely related with the high values of TDS, fluoride, sulphate, nitrite and TH. In the medium quality water area and poor quality water area, groundwater needs some degree of pretreated before consumption. From the groundwater conservation view of point, the groundwater still need protection and long term monitoring in case of future rapid industrial development. At the same time, preventive actions on the agricultural non point pollution sources in the plain area are also need to be in consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyimide/montmorillonite nanocomposites with photolithographic properties (PSPI/MMT) were prepared by in situ polymerization using an intrinsic photosensitive polyimide (PSPI) based on 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-dimethyldiphenylmethane (MMDA) and benzophenone-3,3′,4,4′-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA). XRD, TEM were used to obtain the information on morphological structure of PSPI/MMT nanocomposites. The exfoliated structure was obtained in the MMT content range studied. Satisfactory photolithographic patterns were obtained when the MMT content was below 2 wt.%. Universal tester, TGA, DSC were applied to characterize the mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposites. The introduction of MMT led to increase in tensile strength to the PSPI matrix while the elongation at break was not obviously effected. The introduction of MMT also resulted in improved thermal stability, marked decrease in coefficient of thermal expansion, decrease in solvent uptake, slight increase in glass transition temperature and increase in modulus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study presents a facile one-pot synthesis of polypyrrole-coated magnetic montmorillonite (MMT/Fe 3 O 4 /PPy) by incorporating Fe 3 O 4 onto the surface of layered MMT and further enhancing its microwave absorption properties by integrating the conductive polymer PPy. The MMT/Fe 3 O 4 /PPy composite had a highly porous nanostructured morphology, leading to improved anisotropy, magnetic loss, and dielectric loss. Remarkably, at a thickness of 3.5 mm, RL min reached −41.35 dB at 11.52 GHz accompanied by an EAB of 8.92 GHz (6.47–15.39 GHz). Under simulated sunlight irradiation, the MMT/Fe 3 O 4 /PPy composite exhibited rapid temperature increases with a temperature rise of 26 °C in 60 s [Display omitted] • A nanostructured composite MMT/Fe 3 O 4 /PPy with excellent wave absorption performance and photothermal conversion performance was successfully synthesized. • The RLmin of MMT/Fe 3 O 4 /PPy composite reached −41.35 dB, accompanied by an EAB of 8.92 GHz. • The MMT/Fe 3 O 4 /PPy composite exhibited rapid temperature increases, with a temperature rise of 26 ℃ in 60 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: With the emergence of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in many countries, medical resources currently focus on the treatment of confirmed patients and screening of suspected cases. Asymptomatic patients may be contagious, which makes epidemic control difficult. We describe an asymptomatic patient with a positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test in urine. Case report: An asymptomatic girl was identified during the epidemiological investigation of a confirmed COVID-19 patient. When admitted to the hospital on 24 February 2020, she had no clinical manifestations. A throat swab was negative for RT-PCR, but urine was positive. She was given antiviral and symptomatic supportive treatment. On 26 February, a throat swab RT-PCR was positive. RT-PCR in throat swabs and urine were negative on 3 and 5 March, and on 9 and 12 March, throat swabs were still negative. At follow-up on 26 March, she felt well, throat swab RT-PCR was negative, and isolation was lifted. Conclusion: The urine of asymptomatic patients may be contagious. RT-PCR in urine might be a useful supplement in screening when the RT-PCR is negative in throat swabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein is regarded as the linchpin of cellular defenses to stress. Deletion of ATM results in strong oxidative stress and degenerative diseases in the nervous system. However, the role of ATM in neuronal ischemic preconditioning and lethal ischemic injury is still largely unknown. In this study, mice cortical neurons preconditioned with sublethal exposure to oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) exhibited ATM/glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase pathway activation. Additionally, pharmacological inhibition of ATM prior to the preconditioning reversed neuroprotection provided by preconditioning in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, we found that ATM/P53 pro-apoptosis pathway was driven by lethal OGD injury, and pharmacological inhibition of ATM during fatal oxygen–glucose deprivation/reperfusion injury promoted neuronal survival. More importantly, inhibition of ATM activity after cerebral ischemia protected against cerebral ischemic-reperfusion damage in mice. In conclusion, our data show the dual role of ATM in neuronal ischemic preconditioning and lethal ischemic injury, involving in the protection of ischemic preconditioning, but promoting neuronal death in lethal ischemic injury. Thus, the present study provides new opportunity for the treatment of ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The brain is a common site for metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between the mutational of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients with brain metastases.Methods: Searches were performed in PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane Library to identify studies evaluating the association of EGFR mutation with OS in NSCLC patients through September 2017.Results: 4373 NSCLC patients with brain metastases in 18 studies were involved. Mutated EGFR associated with significantly improved OS compared with wild type. Subgroup analyses suggested that this relationship persisted in studies conducted in Eastern, with retrospective design, with sample size ≥500, mean age of patients ≥65.0 years, percentage male < 50.0%, percentage of patients receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitor ≥30.0%. Finally, although significant publication bias was observed using the Egger test, the results were not changed after adjustment using the trim and fill method.Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that EGFR mutation is an important predictive factor linked to improved OS for NSCLC patients with brain metastases. It can serve as a useful index in the prognostic assessment of NSCLC patients with brain metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Fluid flow and heat transfer performances in jackets under the four types of DWP arrangement are compared. • The comprehensive evaluation factor of CFU-V DWP is between 1.005 and 1.082. • The best range of attack angle of the DWP is between 25° and 30°. • The comprehensive evaluation factor decrease with the reducing of curvature of the jacket. Abstract In this paper, multiple delta winglet pairs (DWP) vortex generators were periodically mounted on the heated wall of the half coiled jacket to reinforce heat transfer capability. The jacket is approximated as a helical duct with semicircular cross section. The height of DWP is half the jacket pipe and the circumferential spacing angle between the adjacent DWPs is fixed as θ 1 = 90°. Numerical investigations were performed to compare fluid flow and heat transfer performance in jackets (Re = 4000–18,000) under four types of DWP arrangement. Results according to the present study show that the common-flow-up (CFU) configuration of DWP has more advantages in heat transfer enhancement than the common-flow-down (CFD) one. The DWP with CFU-V arrangement provides best overall heat transfer performance when the attack angle β of DWP is between 25° and 30°. This is due to stronger vortices produced by it, slower dissipation of the coupled vortices and subsequently emerged additional vortices. Its comprehensive evaluation factors JF range is from 1.005 to 1.082. The comprehensive heat transfer enhancement effect of CFU-V DWP decreases with the reducing of the jacket curvature ε. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Pannexin-1 is a type of hexameric plasma membrane channel-forming proteins, and plays a significant role in brain injury. We investigated the potential prognostic value of pannexin-1 in traumatic brain injury. Methods A single peripheral blood sample in 112 patients with severe traumatic brain injury and 112 controls was prospectively collected for subsequent measurement of serum pannexin-1. Clinical follow-up was performed at 6 months. An unfavorable outcome was defined as Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1–3. Results The patients showed markedly higher serum pannexin-1 concentrations than the controls. Among the patients, pannexin-1 concentrations were significantly and negatively correlated with Glasgow coma scale scores. On receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the predictive value in terms of area under the curve was substantially high for serum pannexin-1 as a predictor for both 6-month mortality and unfavorable outcome. Regression analyses confirmed that there was an increased risk of either 6-month mortality, overall survival or unfavorable outcome associated with serum pannexin-1 concentrations after adjusting for possible confounders. Conclusions Serum pannexin-1 may represent a potential prognostic biomarker for head trauma. Highlights • Serum pannexin-1 levels are increased in head trauma patients. • Serum pannexin-1 could serve as a prognostic biomarker for head trauma. • Serum pannexin-1 may show a high prognostic predictive ability for head trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) is the focus and difficulty of orthopedic diseases. Recently, tissue engineering bone for this disease has shown a good therapeutic effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) as cytokines transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in constructing tissue-engineered bone for avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Methods: The FGF-2 gene overexpressed lentivirus-transfected rBMSCs with xenogeneic antigen-extracted cancellous bone (XACB) to construct tissue engineered bone, and the model of early avascular necrosis of the femoral head was established by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) combined with hormone. The models were randomly divided into five groups: A (control), B (XACB), C (XACB+rBMSCs), D (XACB+rBMSCs+Lv-GFP), and E (XACB+rBMSCs+Lv-FGF-2/GFP) groups. The therapeutic effect of the tissue engineered bone for the avascular necrosis of the femoral head was evaluated by gross anatomy, X-ray examination, immunohistochemistry and H&E staining. Results: The FGF-2 gene was transfected into rBMSCs (Multiplicity of infection [MOI] = 100) by lentivirus, and its efficiency was above 95%. The rBMSCs were successfully transfected overexpressing FGF-2 by qPCR and western blot. After tissue engineering bone implantation, X-ray examination and gross specimen observation revealed that the repair area in the E group was > 80% at six weeks, the defect was completely repaired at 12 weeks, and osteogenesis was stronger, when compared with the other groups. For the X-ray score, vascular area density and new bone formation area were higher, when compared with the other groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: FGF-2 gene overexpression lentivirus transfection BMSCs combined with XACB to construct tissue engineered bone can effectively promote vascular regeneration, and improve the repair effect of avascular necrosis of the femoral head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dried roots of Euphorbia kansui T.N. Liou ex T.P. Wang have been traditionally used for edema in China. However, the severe toxicity caused by Euphorbia kansui has seriously restricted its clinical application. Therefore, in order to study the material basis of the toxicity attenuation effect of processing with vinegar, a rapid, sensitive, validated and reliable UPLC–MS/MS method was developed to determine twelve compounds in ethyl acetate extracts of Euphorbia kansui before and after fry-baked with vinegar simultaneously. Meanwhile, the study of their toxic effect on zebrafish was conducted. Chromatographic separation was accomplished on Waters BEH C 18 UPLC column. 0.3% formic acid in water and acetonitrile were used as mobile phase with a flow rate of 0.40 mL/min and a temperature at 30 °C. The analysis was performed in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using positive electrospray ionization (ESI). Furthermore, the toxic research results indicated that the toxicity of Euphorbia kansui was decreased after vinegar-processed, which might because of the increase in the content of 5- O -benzoyl-20-deoxyingenol and the decrease in the contents of the remaining terpenoids in ethyl acetate extracts of Euphorbia kansui fry-baked with vinegar. This study demonstrated that the method used is a powerful approach to determine the content of twelve compounds that responsible for the toxic effect of Euphorbia kansui at the same instant. And provided the experimental evidence for the rationale behind the reduction of toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) plays a central role in chronic kidney diseases. TGF-β1 induction causes podocyte injury, which results in proteinuria and renal failure. However, the effect of the prostaglandin E2 /E-prostanoid receptor (EP2) on TGF-β1-induced podocyte injury remains unknown. Previous studies have shown that phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase (PI3K)/Akt is widespread in cells, and is vital for the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and metabolism. In this study, we cultured immortalized mouse podocytes in vitro in different groups: control group; TGF-β1 (5ng/ml) group; EP2 agonist Butaprost treatment (10−7, 10−6, or 10-5mol/L) +TGF-β1 group; EP2 antagonist AH6809 treatment (10−7, 10−6, or 10-5mol / L) + TGF-β1 group. We found that compared with the control group, proliferation of podocytes in the TGF-β1 group significantly decreased and apoptosis increased. Expression of cAMP decreased, whereas PGE2 increased. Meanwhile, expressions of nephrin, podocin and CD2AP mRNA and protein were dramatically downregulated, activated caspase-3 was increased, and activated PI3K/Akt activity were depressed. Butaprost intervention promoted podocyte proliferation with reduced apoptosis. Conversely, AH6809 intervention led to opposite results (P<0.05). Our findings suggested that EP2 agonist protects podocytes by increasing expression of cAMP, which creates feedback of inhibiting PGE2 expression. This causes the interaction of nephrin, podocin and CD2AP resulting the inhibition of apoptosis induced by activation of the PI3K / Akt signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laminar chaotic flow and mixing performance of a high-viscosity fluid in Lightnin static mixers (LSM) was numerically investigated via a Lagrangian particle method based on the Particle tracking technique in the range of Re=0.1−100. The numerical results of Z factor have a good agreement with the reported data from the literature. With the increase of Re in LSM, the Darcy friction coefficient values decrease and the product of fD · Re linearly increases. With the same aspect ratio ( Ar), the product of fD · Re in LSM is higher by 36−57 % than that of KSM. The distribution evolution of circular group of massless particles is successfully investigated by particle distribution uniformity (PDU) in the first few mixing elements. A new ideal distribution model is proposed for structure radius (SR) which is successfully used to investigate uniform distribution of mixing process in the last few elements. The effects of Re and Ar of mixing elements on dispersive mixing performance are characterized by extensional efficiency and stretching rate. The logarithms of geometrical average stretching rate of massless particles increase linearly with the number of mixing elements. The stretching rate in LSM with Ar=1, 1.5, 2 is average higher by 45.91 %, 36.05 % and 24.32 % than that of KSM with Ar=1.5. As far as the creeping flow in LSM is concerned, the logarithm values of stretching rate are independent of Re and Ar. The mixing performance factor η is proposed to evaluate the enhancement mechanism of mixing performance based on the energy consumption. The η increases with the increasing Re and decreasing Ar. The profiles of η indicate that the mixing enhancement ability of LSM is better than that of KSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to investigate the turbulent mixing performance in a vertical CJT in the range of Re=3,668−18,342. Energy source of hot water was centrally placed just below the top of the tank and temperature instead of concentration measurements were used to quantify mixing performance. The 95 % criterion for temperature equilibrium was employed to evaluate the local mixing degree, and the global mixing performance was evaluated based on the ratio of well-mixed volume to total fluid volume. It was obviously observed from the axial distributions of t95 % that the macro-mixing times decreased slightly for z/H < 0.6 and a deep downward trends appeared with the increase of z/H with given r/R. The macro-mixing time in the jet mixing boundary layer were uniform which were a little longer than those in the bulk zones below z/H=0.5 and decreased sharply by 37.5−87.5 % than that in the bulk zone above z/H=0.5. The values of 95 % mixing time increased with the increase of r/R. The global t95 % decreased with the increasing Reynolds number, and a power correlation between the global t95 % values and Re was proposed. With the increasing logarithm of mixing time, the logarithm of segregation intensity rapidly decreased linearly in the slopes from -0.996 to -0.955. The segmentation intensity first decreased then increased with the increasing values of θ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Block copolymers poly( endo- N-3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)biphenyl-norbornene-pyrrolidine)-block-poly( exo- N-(cinnamoyloxyethyl)-7-oxanorborn-5-ene-2,3-dicarboximide) ( endo- PTNP- b- exo- PCONBI) and poly( exo- N-3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)biphenyl-norbornene-pyrrolidine)-block-poly( exo- N-(cinnamoyloxyethyl)-7-oxanorborn-5-ene-2,3-dicarboximide) ( exo-PTNP- b- exo-PCONBI) were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization. The endo- or exo- PTNP served as the high dielectric functional chain, and exo- PCONBI acted as the crosslinking segment. The endo- PTNP- b- exo- PCONBI, in which endo- PTNP has a high content of trans double bond and adopts isotactic configuration, shows a dielectric constant ( ε) of 15.5, whereas exo- PTNP- b-exo- PCONBI, in which exo- PTNP has 67% trans double bonds and atactic microstructure, displays relatively low ε of 7.1. The cinnamate groups in exo- PCONBI were crosslinked to form three-dimensional network by cycloaddition reaction under UV irradiation. Exposed to UV-light for 10 min, the cinnamate group in polymer films has a crosslinking conversion of 36%, as determined by UV-Vis absorption measurements. By photocrosslinking, the polymer film has an increased ε of 16.6, a dielectric loss of 0.03, an elevated glass-transition temperature of 137 °C, and an enhanced decomposition temperature of 405 °C, compared to those of polymer films without irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roles of the prostaglandin E2 E-prostanoid 4 receptor (EP4) on extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation induced by TGF-β1 in mouse glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) remain unknown. Previously, we have identified that TGF-β1 stimulates the expression of FN and Col I in mouse GMCs. Here we asked whether stimulation of EP4 receptors would exacerbate renal fibrosis associated with enhanced glomerular ECM accumulation. We generated EP4Flox/Flox and EP4+/− mice, cultured primary WT, EP4Flox/Flox and EP4+/− GMCs, AD-EP4 transfected WT GMCs (EP4 overexpression) and AD-Cre transfected EP4Flox/Flox GMCs (EP4 deleted). We found that TGF-β1-induced cAMP and PGE2 synthesis decreased in EP4 deleted GMCs and increased in EP4 overexpressed GMCs. Elevated EP4 expression in GMCs augmented the coupling of TGF-β1 to FN, Col I expression and COX2/PGE2 signaling, while TGF-β1 induced FN, Col I expression and COX2/PGE2 signaling were down-regulated in EP4 deficiency GMCs. 8 weeks after 5/6 nephrectomy (Nx), WT and EP4+/− mice exhibited markedly increased accumulation of ECM compared with sham-operated controls. Albuminuria, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine (BUN and Cr) concentrations were significantly increased in WT mice as compared to those of EP4+/− mice. Urine osmotic pressure was dramatically decreased after 5/6 Nx surgery in WT mice as compared to EP4+/− mice. The pathological changes in kidney of EP4+/− mice was markedly alleviated compared with WT mice. Immunohistochemical analysis showed significant reductions of Col I and FN in the kidney of EP4+/− mice compared with WT mice. Collectively, this investigation established EP4 as a potent mediator of the pro-TGF-β1 activities elicited by COX2/PGE2 in mice GMCs. Our findings suggested that prostaglandin E2, acting via EP4 receptors contributed to accumulation of ECM in GMCs and promoted renal fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A revised numerical model of circulating jet tank (CJT) was constructed by adding four momentum sources. The radial distribution tendency of total pressure predicted by large eddy simulation had a good agreement with experimental results. The axial velocities at the center of downcomers have parabolic attenuation tendency with the increasing axial positions. The inductive and restrictive effects of outlets on the jet flow performances were evaluated by the parameters, such as jet velocity decay, spreading rate and energy dissipation. The optimum factor of outlet structures was proposed based on the ratio of spreading rate to energy dissipation. Numerical results show that the downcomers equipped with four symmetrical rectangular outlets contribute more to reduce the decay of jet centerline velocity and make good use of the entrainment between the jet and bulk liquid to generate the largest spreading rate. Furthermore, a nearly plug flow pattern and the maximum value of optimum factor are attained compared with other types of outlets. The optimum factors of rectangular outlets firstly increase then decrease with the increasing ratios of width to diameter of the downcomers. Rectangular outlets induce the jet to expand and get the largest dimensionless jet length and spreading rate when the ratios of width to diameter w/ D1 approach 0.08. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] ILs-monolithic columns with different anions were prepared by two approaches. [•] The performances of the resulting columns could be designed by tuning anions. [•] ViOcIm+NTf2 − based column exhibited the highest column efficiencies for proteins. [•] ILs gave the columns potential to separate small molecules and macro biomolecules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Established a tumor-associated macrophage model using in vitro cell coculture. [•] Tumor associated macrophage induce human peritoneal mesothelial cell apoptosis. [•] Tumor associated macrophage induce human peritoneal mesothelial cell fibrosis. [•] Provide insight into the mechanisms of gastric cancer peritoneal dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant ascites (MA) effusion is mainly caused by hepatocellular, ovarian, and breast cancer etc. It has been reported that Euphorbia kansui (EK), the root of Euphorbia kansui S.L.Liou ex S.B.Ho, possessing a therapeutic effect on MA. However, the clinical applications of EK are seriously restricted for its severe toxicity. Although studies demonstrated that vinegar-processing can reduce the toxicity and retain the water expelling effect of EK, its specific mechanism remains unknown. This study aims to explore the underlying mechanisms of toxicity reduction without compromising the pharmacological effects of EK stir-fried with vinegar (VEK). 3- O -(2′ E ,4′ Z -decadienoyl)-20- O -acetylingenol (3- O -EZ), a major diterpenoid of EK, could convert into ingenol after processing EK with vinegar. The H22 mouse hepatoma ascites model was replicated, and were given 3- O -EZ and ingenol seven days (110.14, 50.07 and 27.54 mg/kg). The histopathological observation, serum liver enzymes, serum Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS) levels, ascites volumes, pro-inflammatory cytokines levels and H22 cells apoptosis in ascites were examined. Then the intestine (Aquaporin 8, AQP8) and kidney (Aquaporin 2, AQP2; Vasopressin type 2 receptor, V2R) protein expression were detected, as well as the metabolomics of serum were analyzed. Finally, the content of 3- O -EZ and ingenol in EK and VEK were investigated. 3- O -EZ and ingenol can relieve hepatic and gastrointestinal injuries, reduce ascites volumes, enhance the H22 cells apoptosis, ameliorate abnormal pro-inflammatory cytokines and RAAS levels, and down-regulate the expression of AQP8, AQP2, V2R. The involved metabolic pathways mainly included glycerophospholipid metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism. And the decreasing rate of 3- O -EZ in VEK was 19.14%, the increasing rate of ingenol in VEK was 92.31%. 3- O -EZ and ingenol possess significant effect in treating MA effusion, while ingenol has lower toxicity compared with 3- O -EZ. And provide evidence for the mechanism of attenuation in toxicity without compromising the pharmacological effects of VEK. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The features of air-ground data link are low power efficiency and spectral efficiency. A solution to solving the problem is a combine of high-efficiency coding and modulation. Due to the improvement of coded constant envelope system, this paper proposed the NLDPC-CPM system, which was suitable for the channel of the air-ground data link. This coded CPM system expunged the interlaced part, the conversion between bits and symbols, and reduced the system complexity. The results of simulation show that the NLDPC-CPM system has higher power efficiency and spectral efficiency, and effectively reduces difficulty of algorithm implementation and resource occupation. It gains lower bit error rate, and enhances the reliability of the information transmission in the air-ground fading channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) the root of Euphorbia kansui S.L.Liou ex S.B.Ho (EK), is used for treating edema and ascites but is also of toxicological concerns. And the clinical applications of EK have been seriously restricted for its severe toxicity. To reduce its toxicity, a commonly used clinical practice is processing it with vinegar. This review aimed to summarize and discuss updated information on biological activities and phytochemistry of EK before and after vinegar-processing, and provide feasible insights for further research on the chemical composition, toxicity and pharmacological effects of EK before and after vinegar-processing. The relevant information on chemical compositions and biological activities of EK before and after vinegar-processing was collected from scientific databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, CNKI, SpringerLink, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library and SciFinder). Additionally, published and unpublished Ph.D. and MSc. dissertations were also obtained from online databases. Diuretic and purgative effect of EK are well documented pharmacologically as are acute, irritant and organic toxic effects. Some of about terpenoids reported have antiproliferative effects on cancer cells and potential antiviral effect. After processing with vinegar, the contents of terpenoids mostly were reduced (ingenane and jatrophane type) with some new compounds being generated (unclear). Also, the toxicity of EK was decreased (using mice, rats and zebrafish embryos model), while the diuretic and purgative effects were retained (using cancerous ascites model rats and mice). While some evidence exists for the reduction of toxicity without compromising the pharmacological effects of EK after vinegar processing, the specific mechanism of action remains unknown. Consequently, further research is necessary to investigate the mechanisms and the relationship between vinegar processing and changes in the chemical composition as well as pharmacological effects/toxicity. This is essential before a safe clinical use can be endorsed. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CQ pretreatment protects brain against ischemic stroke damage especially in diabetic mice. • CQ pretreatment inhibits inflammation in the brain of mice after stoke via reducing HMGB1 release. • CQ pretreatment attenuates DNA damage-signaling responses after stroke. Chloroquine, a prototype anti-malaria drug, has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, chloroquine pretreatment could improve DNA damage repair. It is therefore reasonable to hypothesize that chloroquine pretreatment could attenuate ischemia/reperfusion injury in the brain. Considering the fact that chloroquine could also improve glucose metabolism, we speculated that the potential effects of chloroquine on ischemia/reperfusion injury might be particularly pronounced in diabetic mice. In this study, chloroquine pretreatment protected neurons from Oxygen Glucose Deprivation (OGD) induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis. In vivo , Ob/ob mice and wildtype (WT) mice were pretreated with chloroquine for 3 weeks. Then, ischemic stroke was induced by 60 min Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO). We found that chloroquine pretreatment normalized blood glucose in diabetic ob/ob mice, and reduced cerebral damage after ischemic stroke especially for diabetic mice. In addition, chloroquine pretreatment reduced High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) content in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum and lowered myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and inflammatory cytokines gene expression both in the ob/ob diabetic mice and WT mice. Moreover, harmful DNA damage-signaling responses, including PARP activation and p53 activation, were also attenuated by chloroquine pretreatment in these two kinds of mice. In conclusion, chloroquine pretreatment could reduce cerebral damage after ischemic stroke especially in diabetic mice through multiple mechanisms, which include reducing neural cell DNA injury, restoring euglycemia and anti-inflammatory effects. The findings may provide potential for the development of chloroquine in the prevention and treatment of stroke in diabetic high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dried roots of Euphorbia kansui S.L.Liou ex S.B.Ho have long been used to treat edema in China. However, the severe toxicity caused by Euphorbia kansui (EK) has seriously restricted its clinical application. Although EK was processed with vinegar to reduce its toxicity, the detailed mechanisms of attenuation in toxicity of EK stir-fried with vinegar (VEK) have not been well delineated. Diterpenoids are the main toxic ingredients of EK, and changes in these after processing may be the underlying mechanism of toxicity attenuation of VEK. 3-O-(2′E,4′Z-decadienoyl)-20-O-acetylingenol (3-O-EZ) is one of the diterpenoids derived from EK, and the content of 3-O-EZ was significantly reduced after processing. This study aims to explore the underlying mechanisms of toxicity reduction of VEK based on the change of 3-O-EZ after processing with vinegar. Based on the chemical structure of 3-O-EZ and the method of processing with vinegar, simulation experiments were carried out to confirm the presence of the product both in EK and VEK and to enrich the product. Then, the difference of peak area of 3-O-EZ and its hydrolysate in EK and VEK were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Furthermore, the toxicity effect of 3-O-EZ and its hydrolysate, as well as the underlying mechanism, on zebrafish embryos were investigated. The findings showed that the diterpenoids (3-O-EZ) in EK can convert into less toxic ingenol in VEK after processing with vinegar; meanwhile, the content of ingenol in VEK was higher than that of EK. More interestingly, the ingenol exhibited less toxicity (acute toxicity, developmental toxicity and organic toxicity) than that of 3-O-EZ, and 3-O-EZ could increase malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reduce glutathione (GSH) content; cause embryo oxidative damage by inhibition of the succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity; and induce inflammation and apoptosis by elevation of IL-2 and IL-8 contents and activation of the caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity. Thus, this study contributes to our understanding of the mechanism of attenuation in toxicity of VEK, and provides the possibility of safe and rational use of EK in clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]