Objective:To observe the effects of Danggui Shaoyao powder(DSP)on hepatic lipid metabolism and further explore its mechanism of action by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor(PPARγ)-liver X receptor(LXRα)-aden...Objective:To observe the effects of Danggui Shaoyao powder(DSP)on hepatic lipid metabolism and further explore its mechanism of action by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor(PPARγ)-liver X receptor(LXRα)-adenosine triphosphate(ATP)-binding cassette transporter A1(ABCA1)pathway regulation.Methods: Eight C57BL/6J male mice were selected as the control group,and 24 ApoE^(−/−)male mice were randomly divided into the atherosclerosis model(AS)group,atorvastatin calcium(AC)group,and DSP group(n=8 each group).To establish an AS model,ApoE^(−/−)mice were fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks.Pathologic changes in the aortic vasculature and liver were identified using Oil Red O staining.Triglyceride(TG),cholesterol(TC),and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)levels were determined in the livers using a single-reagent GPO-PAP method.Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot were used to observe and evaluate the mRNA and protein expression of the PPARγ-LXRα-ABCA1 intermediates in the liver.Results: After 16 weeks of a high-fat diet,ApoE^(−/−)mice showed more Oil Red O staining in the aorta and liver compared to the CONT group.Compared to the AS group,the DSP and AC treatment reduced aortic plaque and hepatic lipid deposition to varying degrees.Furthermore,DSP significantly reduced the hepatic lipid area in ApoE^(−/−)mice(P<.001)and decreased the levels of TG,TC,and LDL-C in liver(P<.001,P=.027,P<.001,respectively).DSP also significantly increased the levels of PPARγ,LXRα,ABCA1,and ABCG1 mRNA expression,as well as the PPARγ,LXRα,ABCA1,and ABCG1 protein expression in liver.Conclusion: DSP improved hepatic lipid metabolism via PPARγ-LXRα-ABCA1 pathway modulation for AS treatment.展开更多
TaSe_(3)has garnered significant research interests due to its unique quasi-one-dimensional crystal structure,which gives rise to distinctive properties.Using crystal structure search and first-principles calculations...TaSe_(3)has garnered significant research interests due to its unique quasi-one-dimensional crystal structure,which gives rise to distinctive properties.Using crystal structure search and first-principles calculations,we systematically investigated the pressure-induced structural and electronic phase transitions of quasi-one-dimensional TaSe_(3)up to 100 GPa.In addition to the ambient pressure phase(P2_(1)/m-I),we identified three high-pressure phases:P2_(1)/m-II,Pnma,and Pmma.For the P2_(1)/m-I phase,the inclusion of spin-orbit coupling(SOC)results in significant SOC splitting and changes in the band inversion characteristics.Furthermore,band structure calculations for the three high-pressure phases indicate metallic natures,and the electron localization function suggests ionic bonding between Ta and Se atoms.Our electron-phonon coupling calculations reveal a superconducting critical temperature of approximately 6.4 K for the Pmma phase at 100 GPa.This study provides valuable insights into the high-pressure electronic behavior of quasi-one-dimensional TaSe_(3).展开更多
The role of Toll-like receptors （TLRs） in pathogen recognition has been expeditiously advanced in recent years. However, investigations into the function of TLRs in non-infectious tissue injury have just begun. Prev...The role of Toll-like receptors （TLRs） in pathogen recognition has been expeditiously advanced in recent years. However, investigations into the function of TLRs in non-infectious tissue injury have just begun. Previously, we and others have demonstrated that fragmented hyaluronan （HA） accumulates during tissue injury. CD44 is required to clear HA during tissue injury, and impaired clearance of HA results in unremitting inflammation. Additionally, fragmented HA stimulates the expression of inflammatory genes by inflammatory cells at the injury site. Recently, we identified that HA fragments require both TLR2 and TLR4 to stimulate mouse macrophages to produce inflammatory chemokines and cytokines. In a non-infectious lung injury model, mice deficient in both TLR2 and TLR4 show an impaired transepithelial migration of inflammatory cells, increased tissue injury, elevated lung epithelial cell apoptosis, and decreased survival. Lung epithelial cell overexpression of high molecular mass HA protected mice against acute lung injury and apoptosis, in part through TLR-dependent basal activation of NF-κB. The exaggerated injury in TLR2 and TLR4 deficient mice appears to be due to impaired HA-TLR interactions on epithelial cells. These studies identify that host matrix component HA and TLR interactions provide signals that initiate inflammatory responses, maintain epithelial cell integrity, and promote recovery from acute lung injury.展开更多
Diabetes is mainly a series of symptoms of glucose metabolism disorder caused by relative or absolute insufficiencies of insulin.Most patients are accompanied by protein,fat,water and electrolyte disorders,including d...Diabetes is mainly a series of symptoms of glucose metabolism disorder caused by relative or absolute insufficiencies of insulin.Most patients are accompanied by protein,fat,water and electrolyte disorders,including diabetes type 1 and diabetes type 2,of which diabetes type 2 accounts for more than 90%.The incidence rate of diabetes is high,the course of disease is long,and it is difficult to cure.Most patients need long-term medication.This study analyzed the clinical manifestations and predisposing factors of diabetes,and explored the progress of drug treatment of diabetes,which is summarized as follows.展开更多
Nowadays,hierarchically macro-/meso-/microporous 3D carbon materials have been paid more attention due to their imaginative application potential in specific electrochemistry.Here,we report a dualtemplate strategy usi...Nowadays,hierarchically macro-/meso-/microporous 3D carbon materials have been paid more attention due to their imaginative application potential in specific electrochemistry.Here,we report a dualtemplate strategy using eutectic NaCl/ZnCl2 melt as airtight and swelling agent to obtain 3D mesoporous skeleton structured carbon from renewable lignin.The prepared lignin-derived biocarbon material(LN-3-1)has a high specific surface area(1289 m^2 g^-1),a large pore volume(2.80 cm^3 g^-1),and a well-connected and stable structure.LN-3-1 exhibits extremely high activity and stability in acidic medium for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),superior to Pt/C catalyst and most non noble-metal catalysts reported in recent literatures.The prepared carbon material was used as a cathode catalyst to assemble a H2-O2 single fuel cell,and its excellent catalytic performance has been confirmed with the maximum power density of 779 mW cm^-2,which is one of the highest power densities among non-metallic catalysts so far.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations indicate that the synergy of chlorine and nitrogen reconciles the intermediate adsorption energies,leading to an appropriate theoretical ORR onset potential.We develop a cost-effective and highly efficient method to prepare biocarbon catalyst for ORR in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells.展开更多
Thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) hold great promise in applications of soft robots and actuators because of the induced size and shape change with temperature. Experiments have successfully demons...Thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) hold great promise in applications of soft robots and actuators because of the induced size and shape change with temperature. Experiments have successfully demonstrated that the LCE based bimorphs can be effective soft robots once integrated with soft sensors and thermal actuators. Here, we present an analytical transient thermo-mechanical model for a bimorph structure based soft robot, which consists of a strip of LCE and a thermal inert polymer actuated by an ultra-thin stretchable open-mesh shaped heater to mimic the unique locomotion behaviors of an inchworm. The coupled mechanical and thermal analysis based on the thermo-mechanical theory is carried out to underpin the transient bending behavior, and a systematic understanding is therefore achieved. The key analytical results reveal that the thickness and the modulus ratio of the LCE and the inert polymer layer dominate the transient bending deformation. The analytical results will not only render fundamental understanding of the actuation of bimorph structures, but also facilitate the rational design of soft robotics.展开更多
Objective:To establish an animal model consistent with the occurrence and development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)with which to assess the effects of a classical traditional Chinese medicine formula kno...Objective:To establish an animal model consistent with the occurrence and development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)with which to assess the effects of a classical traditional Chinese medicine formula known as Dachaihu Decoction(DD)on NAFLD.Methods:Sixty rats were randomized into four groups:control,model,pioglitazone hydrochloride(PH)and DD in equal.NAFLD was produced via administration of a high-fat high-sugar diet for 16 weeks in all but the control group.From the 13th week,a solution of PH or DD prepared with water was delivered via intragastric administration to the PH and DD groups;the remaining two groups received an equivalent volume of distilled water.Twelve hours from the last administration,we selected eight rats from each group in random.After anesthetization,the abdominal aorta blood and liver tissues were collected.The morphological changes were observed and the levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),fasting plasma glucose(FBG),transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),toll-like receptor-4(TLR4),and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)were tested.Results:Compared with the control group,the levels of serum ALT,AST,TC,TG,LDL-C and FBG,and TGF-β1,TNF-α,TLR4,NF-κB in the model group all showed significant increases(P<.01).Compared with the model group,these same indicators in the PH and DD groups all showed remarkable decreases(P<.05).Conclusion:The efficacy of DD in NAFLD rats was shown to be effectively equivalent to that of PH,with demonstrated effects of DD that included reductions in hepatic steatosis and serum and hepatic lipid levels,and lowered blood glucose levels.We deduce that DD has an inhibitory effect on NAFLD induced by a high-fat high-sugar diet in rats.展开更多
Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of oral administration of the traditional Chinese herb rhubarb to treat acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD).Method:This was a multi...Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of oral administration of the traditional Chinese herb rhubarb to treat acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD).Method:This was a multicenter randomized double-blinded placebo controlled study that took place in 7 provinces of China that enrolled 244 patients(aged 18e80 years)who had acute exacerbation of COPD with the traditional Chinese syndrome pattern of phlegm-heat obstructing lung.Participants were divided into experimental and control groups.The experimental group received 4.5 g of rhubarb granules twice daily and the control group received placebo granules.Both groups also received conventional Western therapy consisting of oxygen therapy,an antibiotic,expectorant,and a bronchodilator.Treatment lasted 10 days.Symptom scores for cough,sputum volume and color,wheezing and chest tightness before treatment and on days 3,5,7,and 10 during the treatment were recorded.Lung function,arterial blood gas and levels of serum inflammatory factors,interleukin-4(IL-4),interleukin-8(IL-8),and interleukin-10(IL-10)and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-a),before and after treatment were measured.Results:The sample size of the full analysis set(FAS)was 244 participants,and the sample size of per protocol set(PPS)was 235.Following 10 days’treatment,symptom scores of the experimental group were markedly lower than those of the placebo group(FAS:mean difference1.67,95%CI:e2.66 to0.69,P Z 0.001;PPS:mean difference1.55,95%CI:2.56 to0.54,P Z 0.003).Lung function in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the placebo group(FEV1,FAS:mean difference 0.12,95%CI:0.06 to 0.18;P<0.001;PPS:mean difference 0.12,95%CI 0.05 to 0.18;P<0.001.FVC:FAS:mean difference 0.16,95%CI:0.06 to 0.26;P Z 0.002;PPS:mean difference 0.16,95%CI 0.05 to 0.26;P Z 0.003.FEV1%,FAS:mean difference 5.95,95%CI:3.36 to 8.53;P<0.001;PPS:mean difference 5.92,95%CI 3.28 to 8.56;P<0.001.).PaO2,PaCO2,as well as serum inflammatory factors were also improved when compared to the placebo group.There were no significant differences in the incidence rate of adverse reaction between the two groups.Conclusions:Compared with placebo,rhubarb granules significantly reduced symptom scores,improved blood oxygen level,controlled systemic inflammatory response,without significant adverse effects.Thus,rhubarb may be a beneficial adjuvant method for treating the phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome pattern of AECOPD.展开更多
Objective:Ephedrine hydrochloride(EH)is a major component from Ephedra sinica STAPF,which is used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine.This study was designed to investigate the effect of EH on water metabolism an...Objective:Ephedrine hydrochloride(EH)is a major component from Ephedra sinica STAPF,which is used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine.This study was designed to investigate the effect of EH on water metabolism and further explore the relevant signaling pathway of body fluid regulation in“lung governing regulation of water passage”using a rabbit model of mechanical ventilation.The molecular mechanism of the EH effect in the kidney was also investigated.Methods:Rabbits were randomly divided into a control group,model group,EH group,and dexmedetomidine hydrochloride(DH)group.Urine volume was measured by the intubation method and pathologic changes in lung and renal tissue were measured by hematoxylin and eosin staining.Nitric oxide(NO)production in lung,serum,and kidney were analyzed using chemical methods.An ELISA was used to analyze angiotensin II(Ang II),antidiuretic hormone(ADH),prostaglandin E2(PGE2),atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP),and endothelin-1(ET-1)levels in the lung,serum,and kidney.Aquaporin-1(AQP1)and aquaporin-2(AQP2)mRNA and protein expression in the kidney was determined using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.Results:EH significantly inhibited the decrease in the total urine volume in the third and fourth stages,and displayed significant regulatory effects on NO,Ang II,ADH,PGE2,ANP,and ET-1 in serum,lung,and renal tissues compared with the model group.In the kidney,AQP1 and AQP2 mRNA and protein expression in the EH group were remarkably downregulated compared with the model group.Conclusion:EH exerted a regulatory effect on water metabolism by diffusing the lung and increased urine volume in the rabbit model,which was consistent with the decrease in kidney AQP1 and AQP2 expression levels that led to an increase in urine volume.EH could assist with DH to exert a protective effect on the clinical application of mechanical ventilation.展开更多
Transient deformation,such as post-seismic slip,slow slip and pre-seismic slip events,is a limited lowfrequency deformation that can last for hours to months,in contrast to a sudden slip on a fault caused by earthquak...Transient deformation,such as post-seismic slip,slow slip and pre-seismic slip events,is a limited lowfrequency deformation that can last for hours to months,in contrast to a sudden slip on a fault caused by earthquakes.Continuous Global Positioning System(CGPS),one of the most common geodetic techniques for continuously monitoring crustal deformation,is capable of capturing transient deformation signals.A critical point in characterizing transient deformation signals is the development of extracting and deciphering transient deformation signals from a huge and messy data set of position time series.Principal Component Analysis(PCA),one of the data-driven methods,has been employed to derive transient deformation signals from position time series combing with Kalman filtering.Independent Component Analysis(ICA)performs well in recovering and separating the sources of observed data,however,it is rarely used in extracting transient deformation signals.We aim to decompose the transient deformation signals from the daily GPS observation deployed in Akutan Island from 2007 to 2015 with the ICA method and obtain the spatiotemporal responses to the source signals of transient deformation.Our results indicate that ICA method can also characterize effectively transient deformation signals spatially and temporally.Additionally,the independent relationship between sources obtained by ICA allows for flexibility in linearly combining different sources.展开更多
It has remained a hard nut for years to segment sonar images of jacket installation environment,most of which are noisy images with inevitable blur after noise reduction.For the purpose of solutions to this problem,a ...It has remained a hard nut for years to segment sonar images of jacket installation environment,most of which are noisy images with inevitable blur after noise reduction.For the purpose of solutions to this problem,a fast segmen-tation algorithm is proposed on the basis of the gray value characteristics of sonar images.This algorithm is endowed with the advantage in no need of segmentation thresholds.To realize this goal,we follow the undermentioned steps:first,calcu-late the gray matrix of the fuzzy image background.After adjusting the gray value,the image is divided into three regions:background region,buffer region and target regions.Afterfiltering,we reset the pixels with gray value lower than 255 to binarize images and eliminate most artifacts.Finally,the remaining noise is removed by morphological processing.The simulation results of several sonar images show that the algorithm can segment the fuzzy sonar images quickly and effectively.Thus,the stable and feasible method is testified.展开更多
Silver(Ag)paste is widely used in semiconductor metallization,especially in silicon solar cells.Ag powder is the material with the highest proportion in Ag paste.The morphology and structure of Ag powder are crucial w...Silver(Ag)paste is widely used in semiconductor metallization,especially in silicon solar cells.Ag powder is the material with the highest proportion in Ag paste.The morphology and structure of Ag powder are crucial which determine its characteristics,especially for the sintering activity.In this work,a simple method was developed to synthesize a type of microcrystalline spherical Ag particles(SP-A)with internal pores and the structural changes and sintering behavior were thoroughly studied by combining ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering(USAXS),small-angle X-ray scattering(SAXS),in-situ heating X-ray diffraction(XRD),focused ion beam(FIB),and thermal analysis measurement.Due to the unique internal pores,the grain size of SP-A is smaller,and the coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE)is higher than that of traditional solid Ag particles.As a result,the sintering activity of SP-A is excellent,which can form a denser sintered body and form silver nanoparticles at the Ag–Si interface to improve silver silicon contact.Polycrystalline silicon solar cell built with SP-A obtained a low series resistance(Rs)and a high photoelectric conversion efficiency(PCE)of 19.26%.These fill a gap in Ag particle structure research,which is significant for the development of high-performance electronic Ag particles and efficient semiconductor devices.展开更多
Zeolites have received great attention due to their wide applications in various fields such as catalysis,adsorp-tion/separation,ion exchange,etc.Determining the atomic crystal structure of zeolites is crucial to unde...Zeolites have received great attention due to their wide applications in various fields such as catalysis,adsorp-tion/separation,ion exchange,etc.Determining the atomic crystal structure of zeolites is crucial to understanding their functions and exploring their applications.Due to the difficulty of synthesizing large single crystals,the structures of many zeolites cannot be solved using conventional single-crystal X-ray diffraction(SCXRD)methods.Three-dimensional electron diffraction(3D ED)has witnessed rapid development during the past decade and has shown its powerful ability in the structure determination of zeolites.In this review,we will briefly introduce the history of 3D ED and summarize recent advances in the application of 3D ED for the analysis of zeolite structures,along with several typical examples in this research field.展开更多
Nonlinear encoding of optical information can be achieved using various forms of data representation.Here,we analyze the performances of different nonlinear information encoding strategies that can be employed in diff...Nonlinear encoding of optical information can be achieved using various forms of data representation.Here,we analyze the performances of different nonlinear information encoding strategies that can be employed in diffractive optical processors based on linear materials and shed light on their utility and performance gaps compared to the state-of-the-art digital deep neural networks.For a comprehensive evaluation,we used different datasets to compare the statistical inference performance of simpler-to-implement nonlinear encoding strategies that involve,e.g.,phase encoding,against data repetition-based nonlinear encoding strategies.We show that data repetition within a diffractive volume(e.g.,through an optical cavity or cascaded introduction of the input data)causes the loss of the universal linear transformation capability of a diffractive optical processor.Therefore,data repetition-based diffractive blocks cannot provide optical analogs to fully connected or convolutional layers commonly employed in digital neural networks.However,they can still be effectively trained for specific inference tasks and achieve enhanced accuracy,benefiting from the nonlinear encoding of the input information.Our results also reveal that phase encoding of input information without data repetition provides a simpler nonlinear encoding strategy with comparable statistical inference accuracy to data repetition-based diffractive processors.Our analyses and conclusions would be of broad interest to explore the push-pull relationship between linear material-based diffractive optical systems and nonlinear encoding strategies in visual information processors.展开更多
A large eddy simulation （LES） of the flows around an underwater vehicle model at intermediate Reynolds numbers is performed. The underwater vehicle model is taken as the DARPA SUBOFF with full appendages, where the ...A large eddy simulation （LES） of the flows around an underwater vehicle model at intermediate Reynolds numbers is performed. The underwater vehicle model is taken as the DARPA SUBOFF with full appendages, where the Reynolds number based on the hull length is 1.0x 105, An immersed boundary method based on the moving-least-squares reconstruction is used to handle the complex geometric boundaries. The adaptive mesh refinement is utilized to resolve the flows near the hull, The parallel scalabilities of the flow solver are tested on meshes with the number of cells varying from 50 million to 3.2 billion, The parallel solver reaches nearly linear scalability for the flows around the underwater vehicle model, The present simulation captures the essential features of the vortex structures near the hull and in the wake, Both of the time-averaged pressure coefficients and srreamwise velocity profiles obtained from the LES are consistent with the characteristics of the flows pass an appended axisymmetric body. The code efficiency and its correct predictions on flow features allow us to perform the full-scale simulations on tens of thousands of cores with billions of grid points for higher-Reynolds-number flows around the underwater vehicles.展开更多
Although scientists have conducted long-term and extensive studies on oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)catalyzed by metal-free carbon materials,they mainly have focused on the preparation and properties of various doped ...Although scientists have conducted long-term and extensive studies on oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)catalyzed by metal-free carbon materials,they mainly have focused on the preparation and properties of various doped carbon materials.There is still a lack of systematic scientific guidance on the relationship between the surface structure regulation and activity of carbon-based catalysts.In this review,some of electrochemical and computational fundamental concepts about ORR are concisely summarized.The effects of edge defect and nonmetallic doping of carbon materials on ORR behavior and mechanism have been reviewed,and activity origin identification and intermediate conversion mechanism have been discussed.The outlooks for future researches on metal-free ORR electrocatalysis are suggested.展开更多
Because of their elastic links and joints,high-speed parallel robots for pick-and-place operations inevitably suffer from residual vibrations that significantly degrade their positioning accuracy.An effective approach...Because of their elastic links and joints,high-speed parallel robots for pick-and-place operations inevitably suffer from residual vibrations that significantly degrade their positioning accuracy.An effective approach based on the input shaping technique is presented in this paper for suppressing the residual vibration in these parallel robots.After addressing the design principle of an input shaper for a parallel robot with flexible actuated joints,a robust optimal input shaper is developed by considering the configuration-dependent flexible modes and minimizing the maximum percentage of residual vibration at the end-effector.The input shaper allows a good overall performance to be achieved throughout the entire workspace.Experimental results on a 4-DOF SCARA-type parallel robot show that the residual vibration of the end-effector is dramatically reduced and the dynamic positioning accuracy of the robot significantly improved.展开更多
As miniature fibre-optic platforms,micro/nanofibres(MNFs)taper-drawn from silica fibres have been widely studied for applications from optical sensing,nonlinear optics to optomechanics and atom optics.While continuous...As miniature fibre-optic platforms,micro/nanofibres(MNFs)taper-drawn from silica fibres have been widely studied for applications from optical sensing,nonlinear optics to optomechanics and atom optics.While continuous-wave(CW)optical waveguiding is frequently adopted,so far almost all MNFs are operated in low-power region(e.g.,<0.1 W).Here,we demonstrate high-power low-loss CW optical waveguiding in MNFs around 1550-nm wavelength.We show that a pristine MNF,even with a diameter down to 410 nm,can waveguide an optical power higher than 10 W,which is about 30 times higher than demonstrated previously.Also,we predict an optical damage threshold of 70 W.In highpower CW waveguiding MNFs,we demonstrate high-speed optomechanical driving of microparticles in air,and second harmonic generation efficiency higher than those pumped by short pulses.Our results may pave a way towards high-power MNF optics,for both scientific research and technological applications.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82074325).
文摘Objective:To observe the effects of Danggui Shaoyao powder(DSP)on hepatic lipid metabolism and further explore its mechanism of action by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor(PPARγ)-liver X receptor(LXRα)-adenosine triphosphate(ATP)-binding cassette transporter A1(ABCA1)pathway regulation.Methods: Eight C57BL/6J male mice were selected as the control group,and 24 ApoE^(−/−)male mice were randomly divided into the atherosclerosis model(AS)group,atorvastatin calcium(AC)group,and DSP group(n=8 each group).To establish an AS model,ApoE^(−/−)mice were fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks.Pathologic changes in the aortic vasculature and liver were identified using Oil Red O staining.Triglyceride(TG),cholesterol(TC),and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)levels were determined in the livers using a single-reagent GPO-PAP method.Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot were used to observe and evaluate the mRNA and protein expression of the PPARγ-LXRα-ABCA1 intermediates in the liver.Results: After 16 weeks of a high-fat diet,ApoE^(−/−)mice showed more Oil Red O staining in the aorta and liver compared to the CONT group.Compared to the AS group,the DSP and AC treatment reduced aortic plaque and hepatic lipid deposition to varying degrees.Furthermore,DSP significantly reduced the hepatic lipid area in ApoE^(−/−)mice(P<.001)and decreased the levels of TG,TC,and LDL-C in liver(P<.001,P=.027,P<.001,respectively).DSP also significantly increased the levels of PPARγ,LXRα,ABCA1,and ABCG1 mRNA expression,as well as the PPARγ,LXRα,ABCA1,and ABCG1 protein expression in liver.Conclusion: DSP improved hepatic lipid metabolism via PPARγ-LXRα-ABCA1 pathway modulation for AS treatment.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12304022 and 52361035)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.The calculations were carried out using supercomputers at the School of Physics at Ningxia University.
文摘TaSe_(3)has garnered significant research interests due to its unique quasi-one-dimensional crystal structure,which gives rise to distinctive properties.Using crystal structure search and first-principles calculations,we systematically investigated the pressure-induced structural and electronic phase transitions of quasi-one-dimensional TaSe_(3)up to 100 GPa.In addition to the ambient pressure phase(P2_(1)/m-I),we identified three high-pressure phases:P2_(1)/m-II,Pnma,and Pmma.For the P2_(1)/m-I phase,the inclusion of spin-orbit coupling(SOC)results in significant SOC splitting and changes in the band inversion characteristics.Furthermore,band structure calculations for the three high-pressure phases indicate metallic natures,and the electron localization function suggests ionic bonding between Ta and Se atoms.Our electron-phonon coupling calculations reveal a superconducting critical temperature of approximately 6.4 K for the Pmma phase at 100 GPa.This study provides valuable insights into the high-pressure electronic behavior of quasi-one-dimensional TaSe_(3).
文摘The role of Toll-like receptors （TLRs） in pathogen recognition has been expeditiously advanced in recent years. However, investigations into the function of TLRs in non-infectious tissue injury have just begun. Previously, we and others have demonstrated that fragmented hyaluronan （HA） accumulates during tissue injury. CD44 is required to clear HA during tissue injury, and impaired clearance of HA results in unremitting inflammation. Additionally, fragmented HA stimulates the expression of inflammatory genes by inflammatory cells at the injury site. Recently, we identified that HA fragments require both TLR2 and TLR4 to stimulate mouse macrophages to produce inflammatory chemokines and cytokines. In a non-infectious lung injury model, mice deficient in both TLR2 and TLR4 show an impaired transepithelial migration of inflammatory cells, increased tissue injury, elevated lung epithelial cell apoptosis, and decreased survival. Lung epithelial cell overexpression of high molecular mass HA protected mice against acute lung injury and apoptosis, in part through TLR-dependent basal activation of NF-κB. The exaggerated injury in TLR2 and TLR4 deficient mice appears to be due to impaired HA-TLR interactions on epithelial cells. These studies identify that host matrix component HA and TLR interactions provide signals that initiate inflammatory responses, maintain epithelial cell integrity, and promote recovery from acute lung injury.
文摘Diabetes is mainly a series of symptoms of glucose metabolism disorder caused by relative or absolute insufficiencies of insulin.Most patients are accompanied by protein,fat,water and electrolyte disorders,including diabetes type 1 and diabetes type 2,of which diabetes type 2 accounts for more than 90%.The incidence rate of diabetes is high,the course of disease is long,and it is difficult to cure.Most patients need long-term medication.This study analyzed the clinical manifestations and predisposing factors of diabetes,and explored the progress of drug treatment of diabetes,which is summarized as follows.
基金the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.21373091)the Science and Technology Project of Guangzhou City(No.201704030040).
文摘Nowadays,hierarchically macro-/meso-/microporous 3D carbon materials have been paid more attention due to their imaginative application potential in specific electrochemistry.Here,we report a dualtemplate strategy using eutectic NaCl/ZnCl2 melt as airtight and swelling agent to obtain 3D mesoporous skeleton structured carbon from renewable lignin.The prepared lignin-derived biocarbon material(LN-3-1)has a high specific surface area(1289 m^2 g^-1),a large pore volume(2.80 cm^3 g^-1),and a well-connected and stable structure.LN-3-1 exhibits extremely high activity and stability in acidic medium for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),superior to Pt/C catalyst and most non noble-metal catalysts reported in recent literatures.The prepared carbon material was used as a cathode catalyst to assemble a H2-O2 single fuel cell,and its excellent catalytic performance has been confirmed with the maximum power density of 779 mW cm^-2,which is one of the highest power densities among non-metallic catalysts so far.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations indicate that the synergy of chlorine and nitrogen reconciles the intermediate adsorption energies,leading to an appropriate theoretical ORR onset potential.We develop a cost-effective and highly efficient method to prepare biocarbon catalyst for ORR in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells.
基金Project supported by the National Basic Research Program(No.2015CB351901)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11372272,11622221,11621062,11502009,and 11772030)+2 种基金the Doctoral New Investigator Grant from American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund of the National Science Foundation(Nos.1509763 and 1554499)the Opening Fund of State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures,Xi’an Jiaotong University(No.SV2018-KF-13)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.2017XZZX002-11)
文摘Thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) hold great promise in applications of soft robots and actuators because of the induced size and shape change with temperature. Experiments have successfully demonstrated that the LCE based bimorphs can be effective soft robots once integrated with soft sensors and thermal actuators. Here, we present an analytical transient thermo-mechanical model for a bimorph structure based soft robot, which consists of a strip of LCE and a thermal inert polymer actuated by an ultra-thin stretchable open-mesh shaped heater to mimic the unique locomotion behaviors of an inchworm. The coupled mechanical and thermal analysis based on the thermo-mechanical theory is carried out to underpin the transient bending behavior, and a systematic understanding is therefore achieved. The key analytical results reveal that the thickness and the modulus ratio of the LCE and the inert polymer layer dominate the transient bending deformation. The analytical results will not only render fundamental understanding of the actuation of bimorph structures, but also facilitate the rational design of soft robotics.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81673868).
文摘Objective:To establish an animal model consistent with the occurrence and development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)with which to assess the effects of a classical traditional Chinese medicine formula known as Dachaihu Decoction(DD)on NAFLD.Methods:Sixty rats were randomized into four groups:control,model,pioglitazone hydrochloride(PH)and DD in equal.NAFLD was produced via administration of a high-fat high-sugar diet for 16 weeks in all but the control group.From the 13th week,a solution of PH or DD prepared with water was delivered via intragastric administration to the PH and DD groups;the remaining two groups received an equivalent volume of distilled water.Twelve hours from the last administration,we selected eight rats from each group in random.After anesthetization,the abdominal aorta blood and liver tissues were collected.The morphological changes were observed and the levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),fasting plasma glucose(FBG),transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),toll-like receptor-4(TLR4),and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)were tested.Results:Compared with the control group,the levels of serum ALT,AST,TC,TG,LDL-C and FBG,and TGF-β1,TNF-α,TLR4,NF-κB in the model group all showed significant increases(P<.01).Compared with the model group,these same indicators in the PH and DD groups all showed remarkable decreases(P<.05).Conclusion:The efficacy of DD in NAFLD rats was shown to be effectively equivalent to that of PH,with demonstrated effects of DD that included reductions in hepatic steatosis and serum and hepatic lipid levels,and lowered blood glucose levels.We deduce that DD has an inhibitory effect on NAFLD induced by a high-fat high-sugar diet in rats.
基金This study was funded by the China National Key Basic Research Project through The Ministry of Science and Technology(No.2009CB522704).
文摘Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of oral administration of the traditional Chinese herb rhubarb to treat acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD).Method:This was a multicenter randomized double-blinded placebo controlled study that took place in 7 provinces of China that enrolled 244 patients(aged 18e80 years)who had acute exacerbation of COPD with the traditional Chinese syndrome pattern of phlegm-heat obstructing lung.Participants were divided into experimental and control groups.The experimental group received 4.5 g of rhubarb granules twice daily and the control group received placebo granules.Both groups also received conventional Western therapy consisting of oxygen therapy,an antibiotic,expectorant,and a bronchodilator.Treatment lasted 10 days.Symptom scores for cough,sputum volume and color,wheezing and chest tightness before treatment and on days 3,5,7,and 10 during the treatment were recorded.Lung function,arterial blood gas and levels of serum inflammatory factors,interleukin-4(IL-4),interleukin-8(IL-8),and interleukin-10(IL-10)and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-a),before and after treatment were measured.Results:The sample size of the full analysis set(FAS)was 244 participants,and the sample size of per protocol set(PPS)was 235.Following 10 days’treatment,symptom scores of the experimental group were markedly lower than those of the placebo group(FAS:mean difference1.67,95%CI:e2.66 to0.69,P Z 0.001;PPS:mean difference1.55,95%CI:2.56 to0.54,P Z 0.003).Lung function in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the placebo group(FEV1,FAS:mean difference 0.12,95%CI:0.06 to 0.18;P<0.001;PPS:mean difference 0.12,95%CI 0.05 to 0.18;P<0.001.FVC:FAS:mean difference 0.16,95%CI:0.06 to 0.26;P Z 0.002;PPS:mean difference 0.16,95%CI 0.05 to 0.26;P Z 0.003.FEV1%,FAS:mean difference 5.95,95%CI:3.36 to 8.53;P<0.001;PPS:mean difference 5.92,95%CI 3.28 to 8.56;P<0.001.).PaO2,PaCO2,as well as serum inflammatory factors were also improved when compared to the placebo group.There were no significant differences in the incidence rate of adverse reaction between the two groups.Conclusions:Compared with placebo,rhubarb granules significantly reduced symptom scores,improved blood oxygen level,controlled systemic inflammatory response,without significant adverse effects.Thus,rhubarb may be a beneficial adjuvant method for treating the phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome pattern of AECOPD.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81373503).
文摘Objective:Ephedrine hydrochloride(EH)is a major component from Ephedra sinica STAPF,which is used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine.This study was designed to investigate the effect of EH on water metabolism and further explore the relevant signaling pathway of body fluid regulation in“lung governing regulation of water passage”using a rabbit model of mechanical ventilation.The molecular mechanism of the EH effect in the kidney was also investigated.Methods:Rabbits were randomly divided into a control group,model group,EH group,and dexmedetomidine hydrochloride(DH)group.Urine volume was measured by the intubation method and pathologic changes in lung and renal tissue were measured by hematoxylin and eosin staining.Nitric oxide(NO)production in lung,serum,and kidney were analyzed using chemical methods.An ELISA was used to analyze angiotensin II(Ang II),antidiuretic hormone(ADH),prostaglandin E2(PGE2),atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP),and endothelin-1(ET-1)levels in the lung,serum,and kidney.Aquaporin-1(AQP1)and aquaporin-2(AQP2)mRNA and protein expression in the kidney was determined using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.Results:EH significantly inhibited the decrease in the total urine volume in the third and fourth stages,and displayed significant regulatory effects on NO,Ang II,ADH,PGE2,ANP,and ET-1 in serum,lung,and renal tissues compared with the model group.In the kidney,AQP1 and AQP2 mRNA and protein expression in the EH group were remarkably downregulated compared with the model group.Conclusion:EH exerted a regulatory effect on water metabolism by diffusing the lung and increased urine volume in the rabbit model,which was consistent with the decrease in kidney AQP1 and AQP2 expression levels that led to an increase in urine volume.EH could assist with DH to exert a protective effect on the clinical application of mechanical ventilation.
基金国家重点研发项目(2022YFA1503200,2021YFC2101901)国家自然科学基金(22122103,21971108,21971111,22271144)+1 种基金中央高校基本科研业务费(020514380304,020514380252 and 020514380272)江苏省研究生科研与实践创新计划项目(KYCX22_0100).
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China projects(U2139205,42072243)Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi(Program No.2023-JC-QN-0309)。
文摘Transient deformation,such as post-seismic slip,slow slip and pre-seismic slip events,is a limited lowfrequency deformation that can last for hours to months,in contrast to a sudden slip on a fault caused by earthquakes.Continuous Global Positioning System(CGPS),one of the most common geodetic techniques for continuously monitoring crustal deformation,is capable of capturing transient deformation signals.A critical point in characterizing transient deformation signals is the development of extracting and deciphering transient deformation signals from a huge and messy data set of position time series.Principal Component Analysis(PCA),one of the data-driven methods,has been employed to derive transient deformation signals from position time series combing with Kalman filtering.Independent Component Analysis(ICA)performs well in recovering and separating the sources of observed data,however,it is rarely used in extracting transient deformation signals.We aim to decompose the transient deformation signals from the daily GPS observation deployed in Akutan Island from 2007 to 2015 with the ICA method and obtain the spatiotemporal responses to the source signals of transient deformation.Our results indicate that ICA method can also characterize effectively transient deformation signals spatially and temporally.Additionally,the independent relationship between sources obtained by ICA allows for flexibility in linearly combining different sources.
基金supported by Open Fund Project of China Key Laboratory of Submarine Geoscience(KLSG1802)Science&Technology Project of China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association(DY135-N1-1-05)Science&Technology Project of Zhoushan city of Zhejiang Province(2019C42271,2019C33205).
文摘It has remained a hard nut for years to segment sonar images of jacket installation environment,most of which are noisy images with inevitable blur after noise reduction.For the purpose of solutions to this problem,a fast segmen-tation algorithm is proposed on the basis of the gray value characteristics of sonar images.This algorithm is endowed with the advantage in no need of segmentation thresholds.To realize this goal,we follow the undermentioned steps:first,calcu-late the gray matrix of the fuzzy image background.After adjusting the gray value,the image is divided into three regions:background region,buffer region and target regions.Afterfiltering,we reset the pixels with gray value lower than 255 to binarize images and eliminate most artifacts.Finally,the remaining noise is removed by morphological processing.The simulation results of several sonar images show that the algorithm can segment the fuzzy sonar images quickly and effectively.Thus,the stable and feasible method is testified.
基金support of the Soft Science Research Project of Guangdong Province(No.2017B030301013)the Guangdong Innovative Team Program(No.2013N080)the Guangdong Province Major Talent Introducing Program(No.2021QN020687).
文摘Silver(Ag)paste is widely used in semiconductor metallization,especially in silicon solar cells.Ag powder is the material with the highest proportion in Ag paste.The morphology and structure of Ag powder are crucial which determine its characteristics,especially for the sintering activity.In this work,a simple method was developed to synthesize a type of microcrystalline spherical Ag particles(SP-A)with internal pores and the structural changes and sintering behavior were thoroughly studied by combining ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering(USAXS),small-angle X-ray scattering(SAXS),in-situ heating X-ray diffraction(XRD),focused ion beam(FIB),and thermal analysis measurement.Due to the unique internal pores,the grain size of SP-A is smaller,and the coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE)is higher than that of traditional solid Ag particles.As a result,the sintering activity of SP-A is excellent,which can form a denser sintered body and form silver nanoparticles at the Ag–Si interface to improve silver silicon contact.Polycrystalline silicon solar cell built with SP-A obtained a low series resistance(Rs)and a high photoelectric conversion efficiency(PCE)of 19.26%.These fill a gap in Ag particle structure research,which is significant for the development of high-performance electronic Ag particles and efficient semiconductor devices.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2022YFA1506000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.22222108).
文摘Zeolites have received great attention due to their wide applications in various fields such as catalysis,adsorp-tion/separation,ion exchange,etc.Determining the atomic crystal structure of zeolites is crucial to understanding their functions and exploring their applications.Due to the difficulty of synthesizing large single crystals,the structures of many zeolites cannot be solved using conventional single-crystal X-ray diffraction(SCXRD)methods.Three-dimensional electron diffraction(3D ED)has witnessed rapid development during the past decade and has shown its powerful ability in the structure determination of zeolites.In this review,we will briefly introduce the history of 3D ED and summarize recent advances in the application of 3D ED for the analysis of zeolite structures,along with several typical examples in this research field.
基金supported by the U.S.Department of Energy(DOE),Office of Basic Energy Sciences,Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering under Award#DE-SC0023088.
文摘Nonlinear encoding of optical information can be achieved using various forms of data representation.Here,we analyze the performances of different nonlinear information encoding strategies that can be employed in diffractive optical processors based on linear materials and shed light on their utility and performance gaps compared to the state-of-the-art digital deep neural networks.For a comprehensive evaluation,we used different datasets to compare the statistical inference performance of simpler-to-implement nonlinear encoding strategies that involve,e.g.,phase encoding,against data repetition-based nonlinear encoding strategies.We show that data repetition within a diffractive volume(e.g.,through an optical cavity or cascaded introduction of the input data)causes the loss of the universal linear transformation capability of a diffractive optical processor.Therefore,data repetition-based diffractive blocks cannot provide optical analogs to fully connected or convolutional layers commonly employed in digital neural networks.However,they can still be effectively trained for specific inference tasks and achieve enhanced accuracy,benefiting from the nonlinear encoding of the input information.Our results also reveal that phase encoding of input information without data repetition provides a simpler nonlinear encoding strategy with comparable statistical inference accuracy to data repetition-based diffractive processors.Our analyses and conclusions would be of broad interest to explore the push-pull relationship between linear material-based diffractive optical systems and nonlinear encoding strategies in visual information processors.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11302238, 11232011. and 11572331)support from the Strategic Priority Research Program (XDB22040104)+1 种基金the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (QYZDJ-SSW-SYS002)the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program 2013CB834100: Nonlinear science)
文摘A large eddy simulation （LES） of the flows around an underwater vehicle model at intermediate Reynolds numbers is performed. The underwater vehicle model is taken as the DARPA SUBOFF with full appendages, where the Reynolds number based on the hull length is 1.0x 105, An immersed boundary method based on the moving-least-squares reconstruction is used to handle the complex geometric boundaries. The adaptive mesh refinement is utilized to resolve the flows near the hull, The parallel scalabilities of the flow solver are tested on meshes with the number of cells varying from 50 million to 3.2 billion, The parallel solver reaches nearly linear scalability for the flows around the underwater vehicle model, The present simulation captures the essential features of the vortex structures near the hull and in the wake, Both of the time-averaged pressure coefficients and srreamwise velocity profiles obtained from the LES are consistent with the characteristics of the flows pass an appended axisymmetric body. The code efficiency and its correct predictions on flow features allow us to perform the full-scale simulations on tens of thousands of cores with billions of grid points for higher-Reynolds-number flows around the underwater vehicles.
基金support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(nos.21872041,21373091)the Science and Technology Project of Guangzhou city(no.201704030040)。
文摘Although scientists have conducted long-term and extensive studies on oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)catalyzed by metal-free carbon materials,they mainly have focused on the preparation and properties of various doped carbon materials.There is still a lack of systematic scientific guidance on the relationship between the surface structure regulation and activity of carbon-based catalysts.In this review,some of electrochemical and computational fundamental concepts about ORR are concisely summarized.The effects of edge defect and nonmetallic doping of carbon materials on ORR behavior and mechanism have been reviewed,and activity origin identification and intermediate conversion mechanism have been discussed.The outlooks for future researches on metal-free ORR electrocatalysis are suggested.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51721003)State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System(HIT)(Grant No.SKLRS–2018–KF-09)。
文摘Because of their elastic links and joints,high-speed parallel robots for pick-and-place operations inevitably suffer from residual vibrations that significantly degrade their positioning accuracy.An effective approach based on the input shaping technique is presented in this paper for suppressing the residual vibration in these parallel robots.After addressing the design principle of an input shaper for a parallel robot with flexible actuated joints,a robust optimal input shaper is developed by considering the configuration-dependent flexible modes and minimizing the maximum percentage of residual vibration at the end-effector.The input shaper allows a good overall performance to be achieved throughout the entire workspace.Experimental results on a 4-DOF SCARA-type parallel robot show that the residual vibration of the end-effector is dramatically reduced and the dynamic positioning accuracy of the robot significantly improved.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Project of China(2018YFB2200404)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62175213,62175122,and 92150302)+1 种基金the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(LR21F050002)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.
文摘As miniature fibre-optic platforms,micro/nanofibres(MNFs)taper-drawn from silica fibres have been widely studied for applications from optical sensing,nonlinear optics to optomechanics and atom optics.While continuous-wave(CW)optical waveguiding is frequently adopted,so far almost all MNFs are operated in low-power region(e.g.,<0.1 W).Here,we demonstrate high-power low-loss CW optical waveguiding in MNFs around 1550-nm wavelength.We show that a pristine MNF,even with a diameter down to 410 nm,can waveguide an optical power higher than 10 W,which is about 30 times higher than demonstrated previously.Also,we predict an optical damage threshold of 70 W.In highpower CW waveguiding MNFs,we demonstrate high-speed optomechanical driving of microparticles in air,and second harmonic generation efficiency higher than those pumped by short pulses.Our results may pave a way towards high-power MNF optics,for both scientific research and technological applications.
