Attenuation Effects Research Articles

Dielectric properties of functionalized natural fiber reinforced electromagnetic composite with reduced graphene oxide nanofiller for microwave absorption

AbstractThe integration of 5G technology with advanced electronic devices has intensified electromagnetic pollution concerns, necessitating materials capable of mitigating electromagnetic interference (EMI). This has spurred the development of sustainable alternatives, surpassing conventional synthetic and ferrite materials. Natural fibers, when combined with nanomaterials, exhibit unique properties suitable for EMI shielding. Sugarcane bagasse fiber (SBF), in conjunction with nanofillers such as reduced graphene oxide (rGO), provides a sustainable, lightweight, and eco‐friendly solution for absorbing electromagnetic waves. This study explores the effects of SBF particle size and rGO integration on dielectric and microwave absorption properties. Experimental findings highlight that the EPSB150@1%rGO composite (150 μm SBF with 1 wt% rGO) achieved a maximum dielectric constant (ε′) of 6.62 at 8 GHz, outperforming EPSB@1%rGO (ε′ = 5.45), indicating enhanced charge storage. The dielectric loss (ε″) peaked at 0.41 for EPSB@1%rGO, reflecting superior energy dissipation from interfacial polarization. Reflection loss (RL) calculations revealed improved microwave absorption of −20.07 dB at 12.4 GHz for EPSB150@1%rGO, compared to −15 dB for EPSB@1%rGO, signifying effective EM wave attenuation. These results demonstrate that reduced SBF particle size combined with rGO incorporation significantly enhances dielectric and microwave absorption properties, establishing these composites as promising candidates for EMI shielding and stealth technologies.Highlights 5G technology raises EMI pollution, needing sustainable shielding materials. Sugarcane fiber combined with rGO forms eco‐friendly EMI shielding composite. EPSB150@1%rGO max ε′ = 6.62 at 8 GHz, surpassing conventional composites. Reflection loss of −20.07 dB at 12.4 GHz, high EM wave attenuation. EPSB150@1% rGO boost dielectric and microwave absorption.

Unsupervised deep learning for off-the-grid seismic reconstruction and denoising

Seismic data should ideally be acquired on a regular Cartesian grid for easier subsequent processing, such as denoising, inversion, and imaging. However, due to acquisition limitations and obstacles lying in the direction of seismic survey lines, seismic data is often sampled non-uniformly, thus making off-the-grid (OTG) data regularization necessary. We propose a deep learning (DL) based method, guided by the projection onto convex sets (POCS) scheme for simultaneous OTG denoising and reconstruction, namely DLOTG. The network utilizes fully connected (FC) layers to map features into a latent space, while transformers with attention mechanisms and skip connections are used to enhance feature extraction, enabling a better restoration of the useful signals and removal of noise. Following an iterative POCS, the framework will refine the output, gradually regularizing data and improving its quality. More importantly, the proposed DLOTG method can be implemented in an unsupervised manner, making it suitable for unlabeled data and enhancing generalization. It is more robust than conventional OTG reconstruction methods, and it preserves weak signals better. Synthetic and field tests demonstrate its effectiveness in data reconstruction and noise attenuation, particularly with high missing rates (i.e., 50%) and noise levels.

The effects of source credibility and content objectivity on pro‐environmental post engagement on social media: A case study of Chinese TikTok (Douyin)

AbstractSocial media has become a primary channel for disseminating environmental information aimed at raising pro‐environmental awareness. Post engagement plays a crucial role in effective information dissemination; therefore, environmentalists, government organizations and environmental protection agencies are increasingly focusing on enhancing pro‐environmental post engagement on social media. This study applies the heuristic‐systematic model to examine the effects of source credibility—a heuristic cue—and content objectivity—a systematic cue—on pro‐environmental post engagement. Using 700 short videos from the Chinese TikTok (Douyin) platform, we empirically tested the proposed model. The results show that source credibility positively influences pro‐environmental post engagement, whereas content objectivity negatively impacts pro‐environmental post engagement, with a more significant effect than source credibility. Furthermore, this study reveals that content objectivity weakens the relationship between source credibility and pro‐environmental post engagement. These findings provide empirical support for the attenuation effect in the heuristic‐systematic model, demonstrating that when heuristic and systematic cues exert opposing influences on post engagement, systematic processing inhibits heuristic processing.

SENP2 negatively regulates RIG-I/MDA5 mediated innate immunity in black carp.

Mammalian SUMO specific peptidase 2 (SENP2) plays vital roles in a variety of biological procedures including the immune response. However, the effects of teleost SENP2 are still mostly unexplored. In this study, the SENP2 of black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) was cloned and characterized. The open reading frame of black carp SENP2 (bcSENP2) consists of 1800 nucleotides, which encode 600 amino acids. The reporter assay results showed that over-expression of bcSENP2 alone had a weak effect on interferon (IFN) promoter transcription activity, whereas it significantly reduced bcMDA5/bcRIG-I mediated IFN promoter transcription activity. The interaction between bcSENP2 and bcMDA5 or bcRIG-I was detected by immunoprecipitation experiments. The plaque assay and qPCR results indicated that bcMDA5 or bcRIG-I mediated antiviral capacity was attenuated by bcSENP2, while knockdown of bcSENP2 led to enhanced antiviral resistance to SVCV in host cells. In addition, the expression level of bcMDA5/bcRIG-I protein was attenuated by co-expressed bcSENP2 and MG132 treatment rescued this attenuating effect. All of these data support the conclusion that bcSENP2 inhibits bcMDA5/bcRIG-I mediated antiviral signaling by enhancing ubiquitin-proteasome mediated degradation of bcMDA5/bcRIG-I in black carp.

Chromium Remediation from Tannery Wastewater in Arequipa, Peru: Local Experiences and Prospects for Sustainable Solutions

The release of tannery wastewater contributes to chromium (Cr) pollution globally. Herein, we conduct a novel consolidation of research from the Arequipa region of southern Peru that integrates university theses written in Spanish alongside peer-reviewed journal articles. The objective is to provide a place-based complement to existing research in English scientific journals focused on effective tools for Cr treatment from tannery wastewater. Our consolidation categorized a total of 75 publications (70 theses and five peer-reviewed) into five distinct strategies for Cr treatment: adsorption (twenty-three studies), phytoremediation (eighteen studies), bioremediation (thirteen studies), electrocoagulation (five studies), and other techniques (fifteen studies). This synthesis highlighted potentially promising approaches that could be sustainably tailored to regional resources and waste products. This includes sorptive materials derived from food waste such as native achiote peels (B. orellana) and avocado seeds (P. americana) either used directly or as a feedstock for biochar. Other technologies include phytoremediation using microalgae and resident vascular plants and microbial bioremediation that capitalizes on indigenous bacteria and fungi. Promise was also discerned in studies that incorporated a combination of abiotic and biotic mechanisms tailored toward the region, such as infiltration using selective and bioactive materials, wetlands, solar distillation, iron-based coagulation and flocculation, and bioreactors. These findings provide a sustainable complement to prior global investigations for effective attenuation strategies by adding novel materials and techniques that could be further explored to assess the viability of implementation at pilot and larger scales. These promising technologies and the ability to tailor sustainable treatments toward local resources highlight the opportunity to prioritize the treatment of tannery wastewater to ensure a cleaner environment by informing policy makers, academics, and industry on technologies that could be adopted for implementation in the region.

Numerical investigation of infrared imaging of multi-UAV formation under cloud and rain weather conditions

Infrared imaging is essential for detecting multiple unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) targets detection to capture flight altitude and behavior. This study focused on a typical stealth UAV formation with a flying-wing configuration. Considering the attenuation effects of clouds and rain on the infrared spectrum, a ground-based infrared imaging algorithm was developed. Infrared radiation imaging was conducted using the apparent ray tracing method and mesh clipping technology. The infrared radiation intensity distribution of the UAV formation target within the 8.0–12.0 μm band was calculated, and infrared thermal images incorporating the occlusion effect were obtained. The results showed that the radiance of the multi-UAV formation was approximately 8.0 × 10−5 W/Sr, which was 103–104 orders of magnitude lower than that under standard atmospheric conditions under cloudy weather conditions. The infrared radiance was approximately 1.7 × 10−5 W/Sr, which was 104–105 lower than that under standard atmospheric conditions under rainy weather conditions.

Hyperbolic Paraboloid Free-Surface Breakwaters: Hydrodynamic Study and Structural Evaluation

This study investigates the potential of hyperbolic paraboloid (hypar) shapes for enhancing wave attenuation and structural efficiency in Free-Surface Breakwaters (FSBW). A decoupled approach combining Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and Finite Element Method (FEM) is employed to analyze hypar-faced FSBW performance across varying hypar warping values and wave characteristics. SPH simulations, validated through experiments, determine wave attenuation performance and extract pressure values for subsequent FEM analysis. Results indicate that hypar-faced FSBW produces increased wave attenuation compared to traditional flat-faced designs, particularly for shorter wave periods and smaller drafts. Furthermore, hypar surfaces exhibit up to three times lower principal stresses under wave loading compared to the flat counterpart, potentially allowing for thinner surfaces. The study also shows that peak-load static stress values provide a reasonable approximation for preliminary design, with less than 6% average difference compared to dynamic analysis results. In summary, this research presents hypar-faced FSBW as a promising alternative in coastal defense strategies, offering effective wave attenuation and structural efficiency in the context of rising sea levels and increasing storm intensities.

Furin-Mediated Modification Is Required for Epithelial Sodium Channel-Activating Activity of Soluble (Pro)Renin Receptor in Cultured Collecting Duct Cells.

(Pro)renin receptor (PRR) contains overlapping cleavage site for site-1 protease (S1P) and furin for generation of soluble PRR (sPRR). Although S1P-mediated cleavage mediates the release of sPRR, the functional implication of furin-mediated cleavage is unclear. Here we tested whether furin-mediated cleavage was required for the activity of sPRR in activating ENaC in cultured M-1 cells. M-1 cells were transfected with pcDNA3.4 containing full-length PRR with (Furin-site Mut) or without (WT) mutagenesis of the furin cleavage site. As compared with empty vector control (EM), Furin-site Mut showed the attenuation effect on WT-induced α-ENaC expression and amiloride-sensitive short circuit current. In a separate experiment, M-1 cells were transfected with pcDNA3.4 containing cDNA for sPRR with S1P cleavage (AA 1-282) (sPRR-S1P) or with furin cleavage (AA 1-279) (sPRR-furin), indicating overexpression of the two types of sPRR induced a significant and comparable increase in the release of sPRR, but only sPRR-furin showed an increase of ENaC activity. Single channel analysis of ENaC activity in Xenopus A6-2F3 cells confirms sPRR-furin activation of ENaC open probability. Lastly, HEK-293 cells were pretreated with furin inhibitor α1-antitrypsin Portland (α1-PDX) followed by transfection with EM, WT PRR. sPRR in the conditioned medium was enriched by using protein centrifugal filter devices and applied to M-1 cells followed by measurement of ENaC activity, demonstrating that pretreatment with α1-PDX attenuated ENaC-acting activity induced by overexpression of WT PRR. In summary, we conclude that furin-mediated modification is required for the activity of sPRR to increase ENaC-mediated Na+ transport in the CD cells.

Unintended consequences: China's pairing assistance policy and carbon emissions in administrative border areas -evidence from China.

The investigation of the unintended impact of pairing assistance policies on carbon emissions in administrative boundary regions is critical for achieving the "dual carbon" goals. This paper utilizes a sample of cities from the Pearl River Delta and the eastern and western regions of Guangdong, China, spanning from 2006 to 2020. A quasi-natural experiment based on the co-construction of industrial parks is employed to examine its impact on carbon emissions in boundary regions. The study finds that while pairing assistance policies are intended to suppress carbon emissions in assisted boundary regions, they inadvertently exacerbate carbon emissions in those regions. This effect is realized by breaking market segmentation and forcing high-carbon enterprises to exit. The increase in carbon emissions in assisted boundary regions is driven by the industrial transfer mechanism, with regions having lower labor costs more likely to attract polluting enterprises. Further analysis reveals a "distance attenuation effect" of the policy on carbon emissions in the assisted regions. Directive assistance relationships from upper-level governments, moderate environmental regulation, and high levels of economic development can amplify the carbon reduction effect of the policy in boundary regions. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the causes of persistently high carbon emissions in boundary regions and provides theoretical insights for developing countries to better coordinate interregional assistance policies and strengthen environmental governance.

Concoctive principles of detoxification and retention of the main toxic hepatotoxicity of Tripterygium wilfordii and its anti-inflammatory efficacy by concocting with the medicinal excipient Spatholobi Caulis juice.

Tripterygium wilfordii (TW), which has severe hepatotoxicity, is commonly used as anti-rheumatism. Using the juice of auxiliary herbs in concocting poisonous herbs is a conventional method for toxicity reduction or efficacy enhancement. Traditional Chinese Pharmacy textbooks record that Spatholobi Caulis (SC) can alleviate the side effects caused by TW and also possesses excellent hepatoprotective effect. However, it is still unclear how the concoctive principles of hepatotoxicity reduction and anti-inflammatory efficacy retention of TW after being concocted with the medicinal excipient SC juice. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the hepatotoxicity and anti-inflammatory efficacy of concoction with SC juice on TW and preliminarily explored its detoxification mechanism. The attenuation effect of TW concocted with SC juice was determined by triptolide (TP) content, hepatic histological and serum biochemical indexes. The detoxification mechanism was predicted by network pharmacology and molecular docking, and confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory efficacy was evaluated by paw edema test, and the major active ingredients in the SC juice introduced to TW concoction were detected. Concoction with SC juice significantly reduced TP content and serum biochemical indicator levels, alleviated liver pathological damage, introduced the main active ingredients, and inhibited the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory efficacy was retained. In summary, this study elucidated that concoction with SC juice alleviated the hepatotoxicity of TW by inhibiting HIF-1α/VEGFA signaling, decreasing TP content, and introducing the main active components. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory efficacy was retained.

Seismic Energy Radiated by Earthquakes in the North-Central Region of the Gulf of California, Mexico

ABSTRACT We investigate the radiated seismic energy of P and S waves in the north-central region (27.5–31.5° N) of the Gulf of California (GoC), Mexico, from 83 earthquakes recorded at stations of the Broadband Seismological Network (RESBAN) of the GoC, Mexico, and the Mexican National Seismological Service for the period 2015–2021. The earthquakes occurred within the limits of transform and normal faults at depths between 10 and 20 km and had moderate magnitudes (3.4<Mw<5.7). We calculated Fourier acceleration spectra from P and S waves, corrected the spectral records for source–receiver path effects, and separated site and source functions using a spectral inversion technique. We corrected the source functions for attenuation effects near the source, and then we calculated the radiated energy by integrating the square of the source velocity spectrum (P and S wave) for each earthquake. We found that on average, 91% of the radiated energy corresponds to S waves. The average total energy (7.1172×109 N·m) of the analyzed events is less than two orders of magnitude of that from earthquakes in Mexican subduction zones. Unlike other results, the apparent stress shows an ostensible inverse correlation with the seismic moment. The apparent stress from the northern to the central regions of the GoC varies between 0.0005 and 0.4 MPa. We observed that earthquakes with lower and higher apparent stress tend to concentrate in regions with normal and strike-slip faulting stress regimes, respectively. To explain the spatial variation of apparent stress, we estimated the coefficient of friction and compare our results with focal mechanisms, stress regime, and other geophysical and seismological studies. The variations of apparent stress could be influenced by lateral heterogeneities of the physical properties of the crustal rocks, the friction on faults, the heat flow, and the presence of fluids.

Energy Aggregation for Illuminating Upconversion Multicolor Emission Based on Ho3+ Ions.

Lanthanide-doped upconversion luminescent nanoparticles (UCNPs) have garnered extensive attention due to their notable anti-Stokes shifts and superior photostability. Notably, Ho3+-based UCNPs present a complex energy level configuration, which poses challenges in augmenting their luminescence efficiency. Herein, a rational design strategy was used to enhance the upconversion luminescence intensity of Ho3+ ions by improving the photon absorption ability and energy utilization efficiency. Efficient absorption and transfer of excitation light energy were achieved through carefully selected host materials, precisely controlled sensitizers, and the design of external energy antennas using organic dyes, enhancing upconversion luminescence. Due to the attenuation effect of hydroxyl vibration on upconversion luminescence, the nanomaterials exhibit multicolor luminescent characteristics in different solution environments. Significantly, the composites exhibit intense upconversion of red light in aqueous solution, showing great application potential in biomedicine and colorimetry.

AI-enhanced PET/CT image synthesis using CycleGAN for improved ovarian cancer imaging

PurposeOvarian cancer is the fifth fatal cancer among women. Positron emission tomography (PET), which offers detailed metabolic data, can be effectively used for early cancer screening. However, proper attenuation correction is essential for interpreting the data obtained by this imaging modality. Computed tomography (CT) imaging is commonly performed alongside PET imaging for attenuation correction. This approach may introduce some issues in spatial alignment and registration of the images obtained by the two modalities. This study aims to perform PET image attenuation correction by using generative adversarial networks (GANs), without additional CT imaging.Material and methodsThe PET/CT data from 55 ovarian cancer patients were used in this study. Three GAN architectures: Conditional GAN, Wasserstein GAN, and CycleGAN, were evaluated for attenuation correction. The statistical performance of each model was assessed by calculating the mean squared error (MSE) and mean absolute error (MAE). The radiological performance assessments of the models were performed by comparing the standardised uptake value and the Hounsfield unit values of the whole body and selected organs, in the synthetic and real PET and CT images.ResultsBased on the results, CycleGAN demonstrated effective attenuation correction and pseudo-CT generation, with high accuracy. The MAE and MSE for all images were 2.15 ± 0.34 and 3.14 ± 0.56, respectively. For CT reconstruction, such values were found to be 4.17 ± 0.96 and 5.66 ± 1.01, respectively.ConclusionsThe results showed the potential of deep learning in reducing radiation exposure and improving the quality of PET imaging. Further refinement and clinical validation are needed for full clinical applicability.

Modeling Path Effects Due to 3D Velocity Structure for Nonergodic Ground-Motion Models: A Case Study Using Turkish Ground-Motion Data

ABSTRACT The objective of this study is to assess the performance of different path-effect models for developing nonergodic ground motion models (GMMs) using a Turkish ground-motion database. The cell-specific attenuation approach is widely used to capture path effects in the formulation of nonergodic GMMs. However, this approach can mainly capture anelastic attenuation effects associated with the spatial variation of the quality factor, and it is limited in capturing 3D velocity structure effects, which may be, in particular, relevant for long-period ground motions or short-distance and short-period ground motions. Recent efforts have introduced new models to incorporate 3D velocity structure effects; however, the assessment of these models in the context of instrumentally recorded ground motions is limited. This study assesses the performance of three path-effects models for Türkiye. Specifically, we consider the cell-specific attenuation approach and two additional models based on Gaussian processes but with a different parametrization on how they represent the spatial correlation of path effects. The results indicate that the models based on Gaussian processes outperform the cell-specific approach for long-period spectral accelerations and short-period ground motions at short distances, offering significant aleatory standard deviation reductions. The differences between the Gaussian process-based models are also discussed, highlighting how their parameterization is reflected in prediction patterns. This study contributes to the transition from ergodic to nonergodic approaches in performance-based earthquake engineering.

Theoretical calculations of vibration reduction band gaps characteristics of novel phononic-like crystal Euler beam structure

The elastic wave band gap (BG) property of locally resonant phononic crystal (LRPC) enables it to control and attenuate the propagation of elastic waves in its internal structure in the BG frequency range. In particular, it has unique advantages in obtaining low-frequency BG and can be used for the control and attenuation of low-frequency vibration. Therefore, the LRPC is of great significance in the field of low-frequency vibration reduction and has broad application value and prospect. However, the LRPC has the defects of narrow BG width and only one BG, which makes it limited in engineering application. In response to the problems of narrow BG width and only one BG in traditional LRPC Euler beams, this paper establishes a novel phononic-like crystal (PLC) Euler beam model that can open up multi-frequency and low-frequency vibration reduction BGs. The PLC Euler beam model considers the non rigidity of the contact interface between the wrapping layer and the scatterer and matrix, the foundation constraint effect, and the damping characteristics of the wrapping layer material. The vibration reduction BG characteristics of the PLC Euler beam are studied through theoretical calculations and analysis. Firstly, the improved transfer matrix method (ITMM) is derived for calculating the band structure of the PLC Euler beam, and the results are compared and verified with those obtained from the finite element method (FEM). Secondly, the spectral element method (SEM) is derived for calculating the frequency response function (FRF) of the PLC Euler beam, and to evaluate its attenuation effect on vibration elastic waves. The theoretical calculation results show that the PLC Euler beam opens up 6 low-frequency vibration reduction BGs, exhibiting good attenuation effects on vibrational elastic waves within the BG frequency range, with the maximum attenuation value at the BG starting frequency. The novel PLC Euler beam has a broad prospect in controlling and attenuating low-frequency and multi-frequency vibrations, and its design idea has a unique novelty, which provides theoretical support and design idea for broadening the BG width and number of LRPC Euler beam structures, and provides theoretical methods and ideas for designing and studying LRPC with low-frequency and multi-frequency BGs.

Alchornea cordifolia leaf-extract ameliorates bisphenol A-induced obesity in male Wistar rats

BackgroundBisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical impregnated into plastic bottles which has been linked to obesity and its associated health problems, was used to induce obesity in this study. The cost and reported limitations and side effects of orthodox medications employed for weight management, have necessitated a shift in attention to medicinal plants, given their comparative advantage and the common belief amongst locals that plants are free from negative side effects. One plant that has found application for weight loss amongst the local population in Nigeria is Alchornea cordifolia which commonly grows in Africa and has been confirmed to possess numerous medicinal properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, hepaprotective, antiviral, and anti-diabetic effects.ObjectiveTo evaluate the obesity attenuation effect of Alchornea cordifolia ethanol extract (ACEE) and other associated macrovascular health risks in BPA-induced obesity rat model.MethodsThirty (30) young male Wistar rats (80–100 g) divided into five groups of six rats each, were administered BPA (50 mg/kg), once a day, p.o. for four weeks in order to induce obesity. Afterwards, obesity was confirmed using anthropometric indicators, and the animals were treated for another four weeks as follows: Group 1 (Normal control) received drug/extract reconstitution solvent, olive oil, Group 2 (obese control) received 50 mg/kg of BPA, Group 3 received a conventional anti-obesity drug, Orlistat (30 mg/kg), Group 4 received ACEE (500 mg/kg), and Group 5 received ACEE (1000 mg/kg). At the end of study, anthropometric indicators and relevant serum biochemical indicators were determined using standard procedures.ResultsThe results obtained showed that oral BPA administration caused obesity i.e. increased body weight, Lee’s Index and waist circumference, compared to the normal control (p < 0.05). Moreover, BPA treatment was found to alter measured serum biochemical indicators, (FBG, lipid profile, liver and kidney function indicators) and the lipid regulating enzymes (pancreatic lipase and HMG-CoA reductase activities), relative to the normal control (p < 0.05). However, upon 4-week ACEE oral treatment at 500 and 1000 mg/kg b.w., there was observed significant attenuation of the anthropometric indices, serum biochemical indices and lipid metabolizing enzymes studied (p < 0.05).ConclusionTogether, the results obtained from this study have scientifically validated the traditional use of Alchornea cordifolia leaves in body weight control, hence suggest that the leaves may possess natural products useful in the management of obesity and its related complications.

Discovering the compatibility of Coptidis Rhizoma and Gardeniae Fructus in attenuating hepatotoxicity through the association rules analysis of related formula.

Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis (Gardeniae Fructus, GF) is a widely used herbal medicine in many prescriptions. However, inappropriate application of GF may induce hepatotoxicity, which greatly challenges its clinical application. In the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the principle of "Compatibility for Toxicity Attenuation" is a pivotal concept. So far, the basis and mechanisms of compatibility with GF remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the toxicity attenuating effects and potential mechanisms of compatibility of Coptis chinensis Franch (Coptidis Rhizoma, CR) and GF in hepatotoxicity. Association rules analysis was performed in 817 GF-related formulas, and 49 associated items were selected, among which CR and GF were ranked in the top two. Network pharmacology was used to elucidate the potential mechanisms of combination of CR and GF in mitigating hepatotoxicity. Nine potential hepatotoxic components of GF and 14 active components of CR were focused on, and 9 common targets for CR and GF were identified. Further GO and KEGG analyses showed that the toxicity attenuating effect of CR on GF-induced hepatotoxicity may be closely correlated with inflammatory response, response to hypoxia, cancer signaling pathways, PI3K-Akt and HIF-1 signaling pathway. The in vitro results indicated that the combined use of CR and GF increased the viability of HepG2 cells. Furthermore, the in vivo data demonstrated that CR inhibited GF-induced increase in serum ALT and AST levels and pathological changes in the livers of KM mice. Besides, CR reduced the accumulation of ROS and MDA, inhibited the release of TNF-α and IL-6, while elevated GSH level in the mouse liver tissues. Finally, the molecular docking results indicated that the active components of CR had strong binding affinity with the monooxygenase cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4). CR combination restored the expression of CYP3A4 in the liver tissues of mice challenged with GF. Co-administration with CR effectively reduced GF-induced hepatotoxicity through alleviating oxidative damage, inflammatory response and enhancing CYP3A4 expression.

Sea Anemone Kunitz Peptide HCIQ2c1 Reduces Histamine-, Lipopolysaccharide-, and Carrageenan-Induced Inflammation via the Suppression of Pro-Inflammatory Mediators

Inflammation is a physiological response of the immune system to infectious agents or tissue injury, which involves a cascade of vascular and cellular events and the activation of biochemical pathways depending on the type of harmful agent and the stimulus generated. The Kunitz peptide HCIQ2c1 of sea anemone Heteractis magnifica is a strong protease inhibitor and exhibits neuroprotective and analgesic activities. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of HCIQ2c1 in histamine- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages as well as in LPS-induced systemic inflammation and carrageenan-induced paw edema models in CD-1 mice. We found that 10 μM HCIQ2c1 dramatically decreases histamine-induced intracellular Ca2+ release and LPS-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Moreover, HCIQ2c1 significantly inhibited the production of LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), inducible NO-synthase (iNOS), and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) but slightly influenced the IL-1β and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression level in macrophages. Furthermore, intravenous administration by HCIQ2c1 at 0.1 mg/kg dose reduced LPS-induced TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2, and iNOS gene expression in CD-1 mice. The subplantar administration of HCIQ2c1 at 0.1 mg/kg dose to mice significantly reduced carrageenan-induced paw edema by a factor of two, which is comparable to the effect of diclofenac at 1 mg/kg dose. Thus, peptide HCIQ2c1 has a strong anti-inflammatory potential by the attenuation of systemic and local inflammatory effects through the inhibition of intracellular Ca2+ release, the production of ROS and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and enzymes involved in arachidonic acid metabolism.

Suppression effect on implosion of ceramic pressure hull through porous protection based on flow control

Ceramic pressure hull arrays have significant advantages for deep-sea underwater vehicles owing to their light weight and high strength. Furthermore, they are used to provide buoyancy to deep-sea underwater vehicles. However, the brittle characteristics of ceramic materials present a risk of implosion of the pressure hull in deep-sea environments. Once this occurs, a chain reaction of implosions will form in the pressure hull array, damaging the entire underwater vehicle. Therefore, effective implosion suppression strategies are required, and their suppression mechanisms must be analyzed. In this study, a numerical simulation method for porous protection based on a compressible multiphase flow is proposed from the perspective of controlling the flow with a porous protective cover, and verified through an underwater implosion protection experiment. The mechanism of implosion suppression was analyzed. It can be concluded that at the blocking and disturbing effect of the protective cover, the porous protective cover had a significant attenuating effect on the implosion shockwave. The influence of different hole parameters on the implosion suppression effect was discussed. It was found that when the porosity of the porous protective cover was fixed, more holes on the protective cover enhanced the attenuation effect on the implosion shockwave; however, after the number of holes increased to a certain extent, the implosion suppression effect remained unchanged.

Study on size effect affected multi-stage micro deep drawing forming directly using pure titanium foils

In response to the problems of wrinkling and fracture in the single-stage micro deep drawing of TA1 pure titanium (Ti) foils, a blanking and multi-stage micro deep drawing (MMDD) forming system has been developed to facilitate the production of micro parts directly from sheet metal. In this study, the influence of size effect on the deformation behavior of TA1 pure Ti foils (50 μm) and the surface quality of the formed cups during MMDD was investigated. It is found that MMDD includes blank bending and the ironing effect during the continuous drawing stages. The deformation forces generated in the second and third stages exceed those resulting in the first stage, and the size effect appeared during the first stage. However, the uncertainty of the ironing effect leads to the attenuation of the size effect in the continuous stages. Moreover, {101̅0} and {112̅0} textures, are identified in the planar direction of the as-received material and contribute to wrinkling and earing, damaging the quality of parts. Subsequently, annealing at 600 °C for 60minutes results in a weakening of the {101̅0} and {112̅0} textures, with the emergence of the {0001} texture. This transformation improves the anisotropy of pure Ti and the quality of parts. But, annealing at 650 °C and 700 °C, the non-uniform plastic deformation of coarse grains adversely impacts the quality of parts, leading to wrinkling or even fracture. Consequently, the optimal annealing temperature for TA1 pure Ti foil blanks in MMDD is 600 °C.