Rate Expression Research Articles

High-Order Theory Approach for Debonded Sandwich Panels—Part II: Energy Release Rate and Mode Mixity

Abstract A novel re-formulation of the extended high-order sandwich panel theory (EHSAPT) for the case of a face/core debond was done in Part I of this two-part series of papers. This high-order theory is capable of including not only the transverse shear but also the transverse compressibility and axial rigidity of the core. In this Part II paper, a closed-form expression for the energy release rate is derived in terms of the equivalent resultant forces and displacements at the two edge sections. Together with the crack surface displacement method, the mode mixity is determined from the displacement field. Benefiting from the accurate displacement field given by the proposed theory, this paper presents a self-contained approach for the mode mixity that is free of parameters that need to be determined via additional numerical simulations (i.e., no extrapolation needed). Results are compared with the ones given by the classical theory in the literature and the ones given by the finite element method with a very fine mesh. The accuracy is proven for a wide range of core materials from the stiffer cores to the very compliant ones, and for a wide range of debond lengths.

Variational approach to atom-membrane dynamics

Using the Dirac–Frenkel variational principle, a time-dependent description of the dynamics of a two-level system coupled to a bosonic bath is formulated. The method is applied to the case of a gas of cold atoms adsorbing to an elastic membrane at a finite temperature via phonon creation. The time-dependence of the system state is analytically calculated using Laplace transform methods, and a closed-form expression for the transition rate is obtained. Atoms in the gas transition to the adsorbed state through a resonance that has contributions from a distribution of vibrational modes of the membrane. The resonance can decay with the creation of a phonon to complete the adsorption process. The adsorption rate at low membrane temperatures agrees with the golden rule estimate to the lowest order in the coupling constant for values greater than a critical coupling strength. Below this critical coupling strength, the adsorption rate is exponentially suppressed by a phonon reduction factor whose exponent diverges with increasing adsorbent size. The rate changes discontinuously with coupling strength for low temperature membranes, and the magnitude of the discontinuity decreases with increasing temperature. These variational results suggest the quantum adsorption model may contain a first-order quantum phase transition.

Worldwide used bio-insecticides Cry1Ac toxin has no detrimental effects on Episyrphus balteatus but alter the symbiotic microbial communities.

Hoverflies, capable of abilities providing dual ecosystem services including pest control and pollination, are exposed to insecticidal proteins from transgenic plants via pollen and prey aphids. However, the effects of such exposures on hoverflies have never been adequately assessed. Here, we investigated impacts of the most widely used biotoxin Cry1Ac on a representative hoverfly species Episyrphus balteatus through food chain transmission and active toxin exposure. The results showed Cry1Ac can be transmitted into E. balteatus through feeding on Aphis gossypii reared by Bt insect-resistant cotton variety expressing the Cry1Ac toxin, but the biological parameters of E. balteatus including survival rate, growth, development, reproductive capacity, and detoxification-related gene expression, were not significantly affected. Furthermore, the exposure to high-dose Cry1Ac toxin (500μg/mL) resulted in slight increase of 16.67% in the activity of detoxification and antioxidant enzyme catalase in E. balteatus and inhibited the egg hatching, partially inducing stress responses. Notably, the exposure to Cry1Ac toxin disrupted the microbiota homeostasis in E. balteatus, and the relative abundances of three dominant symbiotic bacterial genera (Cosenzaea, Wolbachia, and Commensalibacter) in E. balteatus exhibited a 10%~40% fluctuation under Cry1Ac toxin stress. Taken together, these results suggest Cry1Ac toxin is not lethal to E. balteatus, but it poses a potential threat to its endosymbiotic bacteria.

Analysis of a Coupled Calcium Oxide-Potassium Carbonate Salt Hydrate based Thermochemical Energy Storage System

A coupled thermochemical energy storage (TCES) system consisting of calcium oxide (for high temperature storage) and potassium carbonate salt hydrate (for medium temperature storage) is analyzed for long-term high temperature heat storage. The coupled TCES system is expected to have smaller volume requirement as evaporator and condenser of the conventional TCES system are replaced by a second reactor. The rate expressions for hydration-dehydration reactions of both storage materials are modified to calculate the reaction completion times, which provide the rate limiting process. A thermodynamic analysis is carried out for the operating cycle of the coupled TCES system to study the impact of operating parameters on the system performance. It is observed that the charging temperature of the individual storage material has significant impact on the performance of the coupled TCES system. The analysis reveals that the coupled TCES system with optimized parameters operating in a cold ambient at 10 °C, achieves a cycle efficiency of 58.6 %, exergy efficiency of 49.1 %, specific heating power of 127.8 W kg-1 and volumetric energy storage density of 269.0 kWh m-3.

Performance Analysis of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS)-Assisted Satellite Communications: Passive Beamforming and Outage Probability

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), which consist of numerous passive reflecting elements, have emerged as a prominent technology to enhance energy and spectral efficiency for future wireless networks. RISs have the capability to intelligently reconfigure the incident wave, reflecting it towards the intended target without requiring energy for signal processing. Consequently, they have become a promising solution to support the demand for high-throughput satellite communication (SatCom) and enhanced coverage for areas inaccessible to terrestrial networks. This paper presents an asymptotic analysis of an RIS-assisted SatCom system. In this system, an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with an RIS operates as a mobile reflector between a satellite and users. In particular, a passive beamformer is designed with the aim of asymptotically attaining optimal performance, considering the limitations imposed by practical SatCom systems. Moreover, the closed-form expressions for the ergodic achievable rate and outage probability are derived considering the proposed passive beamforming technique. Furthermore, we extend the system model to a multicast system and asymptotically analyze the optimality of the proposed scheme, leveraging the derived asymptotic results in the unicast system. The results of the simulations confirm that our analyses can precisely and analytically assess the performance of the RIS-assisted SatCom system, confirming the asymptotic optimality of the proposed scheme.

Optimal Feedback Rate for Multi-Antenna Maximum Ratio Transmission in Single-User MIMO Systems with One-Bit Analog-to-Digital Converters in Dense Cellular Networks

Stochastic geometry has emerged as a powerful tool for modeling cellular networks, especially in dense deployment scenarios where inter-cell interference is significant. Previous studies have extensively analyzed multi-antenna systems with partial channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) using stochastic geometry models. However, most of these works assume the use of infinite-resolution analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) at the receivers. Recent advances in low-resolution ADCs, such as one-bit ADCs, offer an energy-efficient alternative for millimeter-wave systems, but the interplay between limited feedback and one-bit ADCs remains underexplored in such networks. This paper addresses this gap by analyzing the optimal feedback rate that maximizes net spectral efficiency in dense cellular networks, modeled using stochastic geometry, with both limited feedback and one-bit ADC receivers. We introduce an approximation of the achievable spectral efficiency to derive a differentiable expression of the optimal feedback rate. The results show that while the scaling behavior of the optimal feedback rate with respect to the channel coherence time remains unaffected by the ADC’s resolution, the absolute values are significantly lower for one-bit ADCs compared to infinite-resolution ADCs. Simulation results confirm the accuracy of our theoretical approximations and demonstrate the impact of ADC resolution on feedback rate optimization.

EXPRESS: Effectiveness of stem cells therapy for male infertility restoration: a systematic review.

Cell therapy has emerged as a prominent leader in regenerative medicine, offering potential solutions for various disorders, including infertility. The half of all infertility cases are related to male factors. The objective of this study is to systematically summarize the existing knowledge regarding studies on stem cell-based therapy for the regeneration of impaired spermatogenesis. Initial searching was performed through main databases (e.g., PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase) until December 2023. Articles conducted on stem cell transplantation into the testis of infertile models were considered. The titles and abstracts of articles were carefully evaluated and screened by independent authors. Non-related articles were deleted. The desired outcomes about infertility treatment after stem cell transplantation were attentively evaluated in the final selected articles. In the primary search, 3237 published studies were identified. Finally, 39 studies were included based on the eligibility criteria. In all studies except for two articles, all the outcomes considered, including germ cells/spermatogonia stem cell differentiation, spermatogenesis restoration, defective testicular tissue regeneration, improved sperm quality parameters and hormonal levels, as well as increased expression of fertility-related markers and fertility rate, were observed after stem cell transplantation. Transplantation of stem cells, especially MSCs could be a safe and effective method for the treatment of male infertility patients, such as azoospermic cases. Further research to investigate the efficiency of different stem cells sources, providing nutrient conditions for the isolation and differentiation of stem cells, and exploring the paracrine effects of MSCs in male infertility therapy, could be useful.

A theoretical reaction rate model of a chemical exothermic decomposition surface from an external gas

In this study, kinetic theory was used to derive an equation of state for an exothermic decomposition surface caused by an external gas. The new model is physical, and its quantities have been physically interpreted. A new concept of interaction probability was used to describe the co-volume. This concept describes the interaction between the decomposition surface and the external gas to derive an expression for the linear reaction rate based on kinetic theory. The interaction probability is associated with the particle density of the gases provided by the Lennard-Jones potential and temperature. The Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution was used to establish the initial decomposition conditions based on the concepts of autoignition and activation energy.The aim of this study was to investigate when burning is a decomposition reaction in which the decomposing molecule contains oxygen and can be used as input to designing fuel cells, rocket motors, and propellants. Therefore, HMX and PETN were used as empirical data, and the new linear reaction rate model provided a good approximation and predicted the burn rate data. The model was compared with Vieille’s law vb=aPn for the normal pressure range. However, the model goes beyond the law and provides good predictions of burn rates with high pressures found in diamond anvil experiments.

Polymicrobial interactions influence Mycobacterium abscessus co-existence and biofilm forming capabilities.

The lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are vulnerable to persistent polymicrobial colonization by bacterial pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and the non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) Mycobacterium abscessus. The polymicrobial milieu within the CF lung impacts individual species fitness, influences biofilm-forming capabilities, pathogenicity, production of virulence factors and even antimicrobial responses, all potentially compromising therapeutic success. Interaction studies among these CF pathogens are very limited, especially studies on the influences of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus on M. abscessus co-existence and virulence. Based on the little known thus far about coinfection of these pathogens, we hypothesize that the co-existence of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus alters M. abscessus virulence and phenotypic characteristics. We evaluated the direct (co-culture) and indirect (using supernatant) effects of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus on M. abscessus growth rate, biofilm formation, macrophage internalization and glycopeptidolipids (GPL) expression. Our observations indicate that P. aeruginosa and S. aureus exert a competitive behavior toward M. abscessus during direct contact or indirect interaction in-vitro, probably as is the case of polymicrobial infections in the lungs of patients with CF. This is the first report that demonstrates S. aureus inhibitory effects on M. abscessus growth and biofilm forming capabilities. Collectively, co-culture studies enhance our understanding of polymicrobial interactions during coinfection and can guide to establish better management of coinfections and treatment strategies for M. abscessus.

Dynamic Analysis and Equivalent Modeling for a Four-Axle Vehicle

This paper focuses on a comprehensive study of a four-axle vehicle, including dynamics analysis, equivalent modeling methods, and their comparison. Firstly, a linear two-degree lateral dynamic model is established, which has four drive axles and two steer axles. Secondly, the mathematical transfer function expressions for the yaw rate and the centroid sideslip angle were derived on the basis of the model. The steady-state parameters, such as yaw rate gain Gγss, centroid sideslip angle gain Gβss, stability factor Kn, equivalent axial distance ln, and equivalent centroid sideslip angle coefficient Kn’ were obtained by using the transfer functions. Then, the steady-state and transient characteristics are roundly discussed, including steady-state parameters, system root trajectory, frequency domain, and time domain. Some recommendations for the four-axle vehicle’s parameter design are also given. Finally, for a more simple and efficient analysis of response characteristics of four-axle vehicles and even n (n > 4) axle vehicles, the equivalent model is developed for the four-axle vehicle, and comprehensive analyses are presented with four equalization methods, which are based on the inner heart of the approximation triangle, the outer heart of the approximation triangle, the center of gravity of the approximation triangle and the compensation point. Following a thorough analysis of the four, it is determined that the inner approximation triangle solution approach is most suited for four-axle vehicles.

Hydrodynamic Equations for Space-Inhomogeneous Aggregating Fluids with First-Principle Kinetic Coefficients.

We derive from the first principles new hydrodynamic equations-Smoluchowski-Euler equations for aggregation kinetics in space-inhomogeneous fluids with fluxes. Starting from Boltzmann equations, we obtain microscopic expressions for aggregation rates for clusters of different sizes and observe that they significantly differ from currently used phenomenological rates. Moreover, we show that for a complete description of aggregating systems, novel kinetic coefficients are needed. They share properties of transport and reaction-rate coefficients; for them we report microscopic expressions. For two representative examples-aggregation of particles at sedimentation and aggregation after an explosion-we numerically solve Smoluchowski-Euler equations and perform atomistic simulations by direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC). We find that while the new theory agrees well with DSMC results, a noticeable difference is observed for the phenomenological theory. This manifests the unreliability of the currently used phenomenological theory and the need to apply new, first-principle equations.

Sulfated Galactan Derivative from Gracilaria fisheri Improves Histopathology and Alters Wound Healing-Related Proteins in the Skin of Excision Rats.

The biological activities of sulfated polysaccharides (SP) are well-documented, especially regarding wound healing. Sulfated galactan (SG), a type of SP extracted from the red seaweed Gracilaria fisheri, has been identified as having multiple therapeutic properties related to its wound healing capacity. Recent research indicates that degraded SG (DSG) from G. fisheri, when combined with octanoyl ester (DSGO), can improve wound healing in fibroblasts. However, the effectiveness of natural products in clinical settings often differs from in vitro results. This study aimed to develop and evaluate ointments containing DSG and DSGO for skin repair in an animal model. Twenty-four Wistar rats were divided into four groups: (1) normal control, (2) ointment control, (3) DSG ointment, and (4) DSGO ointment. After inducing full-thickness excision wounds, these ointments were applied to the wounds. Wound contraction rate, histopathology, and protein related wound healing expression were then elucidated. Our findings showed that both DSG and DSGO ointments significantly enhanced wound closure compared to the control groups. Histopathological and biochemical analyses indicated increased extracellular matrix production and fibroblasts, marked by improved fibroblast activity, neovascularization, and collagen deposition. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry and immunoblot analysis revealed that the ointments altered the expression of Ki67, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), E-cadherin, vimentin, collagen, and components of the Smad signaling pathway, all of which are crucial for wound healing. The results also suggested that the DSGO ointment was marginally more effective in promoting wound healing in this model. These results indicate that ointment supplemented with DSG and DSGO have the potential to enhance skin repair by improving histopathology and altering wound healing-related proteins.

Generation Mean Analysis in Physio-morphic Traits of Aerobic Rice in Assam, India

An experiment was carried out to study the genetic architecture of few physio-morphic quantitative traits of rice under aerobic condition. Generation mean analysis was carried out in three selected crosses viz.Banglami/Luit, Koimurali/Luit and Guni/Gopinath, involving six generations (P­1, P2, F1, F2, BC1 and BC2) at the experimental farm of SCS college of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University, Dhubri, Assam, India during 2017 and 2018. The individual scaling tests were used to test the adequacy of additive dominance model. The gene effects were estimated using three parameter models (joint scaling test) suggested by Cavalli (1952) and six parameter model suggested by Haymen (1958). The analysis of variance among different generations of different crosses revealed significant variation for most of the characters indicating considerable variability in the material studied. All the characters except height growth rate in cross II, recorded significance for at least one of the four individual scaling tests in all the 3 crosses. Estimation of different gene effects and their interactions were done in OPSTAT software. Significant positive additive effects were recorded for plant height and height growth rate for in all the three crosses. Preponderance of dominance effect in the expression of height growth rate, spikelet fertility, grain yield, harvest index, root weight and root shoot ratio was evident from the significant positive dominance (h) effect in all the three crosses. With respect to interaction effects, all the characters except height growth rate in cross II, exhibited significant interaction effect for one or more epistatic interactions i.e.[i], [j] or [l] in all the three crosses studied. It is evident that for all the yield and other adaptive traits, additive, dominance and interaction effects were present indicating the complex inheritance of the traits under aerobic condition. Hence, focus should be on improving individual characters separately based on the nature of gene action.

Similarity transform-based numerical analysis of natural convection over an inclined flat plate using nanofluid*

ABSTRACT Nanofluids serve as a working medium in many state-of-the-art heating and cooling systems, where natural convection is a primary medium of thermal energy transfer. Based on the review of recently published literature, the present study is devoted to heat transfer analysis, based on similarity transformations and numerical solutions. The study aims to provide reliable, predictive analytical expressions for heat transfer coefficients and heat transfer rates in a schematic of the natural convection phenomenon. The objective is to analyse laminar free convection across a stagnant Al2O3-water nanofluid layer, spread over an inclined plane surface and exposed to the ambient. A novel similarity transformation method is applied to laminar boundary layer flow, capable of handling coupled influences of flow parameters, thermal boundary conditions and temperature-dependent thermophysical properties. This analysis also considers the effects of concentration and shape factor of nanoparticles on heat transfer. The physical properties are transformed into equivalent (temperature-dependent) physical property factors, along with similarity transformations of velocity and temperature fields. The fifth-order Runge-Kutta method is used to solve the coupled governing equations. The solutions are compared with predictive formulae for wall temperature gradients, heat transfer rates, and the convection heat transfer coefficient. Calculations based on predictive formulae agree well with published data.

Simulation of Nonlinear and Nonisothermal Reactive Liquid Chromatography considering Finite Mass-Transfer Rates and Various Adsorption Scenarios.

A multicomponent nonisothermal lumped kinetic model (LKM) of fixed-bed liquid chromatographic reactor is introduced and numerically approximated. The model incorporates nonlinear Bi-Langmuir and Toth adsorption isotherms, reaction kinetics, axial and temporal variations of concentrations, and enthalpies of reaction and adsorption. The resulting model equations constitute a nonlinear coupled system of convection-diffusion-reaction partial differential equations (CDR-PDEs) for mass and energy balances in both the mobile and stationary phases, augmented by differential mass balances in the stationary phase and algebraic expressions for reaction rates and adsorption isotherms. Due to the nonlinearity of adsorption isotherms and reaction kinetics, which is impeding the derivation of closed-form solutions, a local-projection discontinuous Galerkin finite element (DG-FE) method is applied for space discretization. The emerging semidiscrete system of ordinary differential equations in time is solved numerically by employing a total variation bounded (TVB) Runge-Kutta method. To analyze the process performance, parametric studies are conducted using numerical simulations. A series of rigorous consistency tests are elucidating the interplay between thermal and concentration gradients, showcasing the impact of temperature on reactor performance, and highlighting the aspects of reactant conversion into products. Subsequently, a thorough comparison is performed among the considered adsorption isotherms to scrutinize the numerical findings and to augment the originality of research. The results obtained verify the validity of model equations and precision of the numerical technique used. Moreover, the outcomes of this study can be utilized to understand mass and energy distributions in nonequilibrium and nonisothermal liquid chromatographic reactors and to provide profound insights into the complexities of this separation-conversion process.

Abstract 4133460: VCAM1 contributes to pathogenesis during influenza-induced exacerbation of atherosclerosis.

Background and hypothesis: Influenza is a significant public health and economic threat around the world. Although pneumonia is the most common complication associated with influenza, there are several clinical reports demonstrating increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Influenza infection induces interferons, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and recruits’ macrophages and neutrophils to control the virus. However, an excessive influx of innate immune cells and dysregulated production of inflammatory mediators results in pathological responses during influenza infection. Studies have shown that influenza infection correlates with increased incidence of myocardial infarction. Atherosclerosis is the most known cause of ischemic heart diseases and stroke. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM1) has been shown to promote adhesion of monocytes and promotes atherosclerosis. In this study, we hypothesize that VCAM1 plays a role in exacerbation of atherosclerosis during influenza infection. Methods: High-Fat diet (HFD)-fed Apoe -/- mice were infected with influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) and weight loss, survival rate, and gene expression of vascular endothelial adhesion molecules, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were measured. HFD-fed Apoe -/- mice were infected with influenza, and treated with anti-VCAM1 antibody, and weight loss and cellular responses were measured. Results and conclusions: Increased weight loss and decreased survival of mice were observed in response to influenza infection in HFD-induced atherosclerosis in Apoe -/- mice. Further, the expression of VCAM1, and the levels of IL-6, CCL2, CCL3, CCL5 were significantly increased in aorta in Apoe -/- mice when compared to PBS-treated controls. Increased survival, decreased weight loss, decreased lesion area, decreased frequency of CD11b + F4/80 + Ly6C + , CD4 + RORgt + cells and increased frequency of CD4 + FoxP3 + Treg cells were observed in aorta in response to antibody mediated VCAM1 neutralization. These results suggest that VCAM1 plays a pathological role in influenza-induced exacerbation of atherosclerosis.

Berberine Mediates Exosomes Regulating the Lipid Metabolism Pathways to Promote Apoptosis of RA-FLS Cells.

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint damage and commonly linked to symptoms such as inflammation, swelling, and pain. Traditional Chinese Medicine offers complementary and integrative approaches in the management of rheumatoid arthritis, potentially providing additional options that may help address treatment challenges and enhance overall patient care. This paper explores the mechanism of action of berberine from the perspective of cellular exosomes by mediating exosomal contents and thus treating RA. Methods: With the help of flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscope, it was determined that berberine promotes apoptosis in RA-FLS cells, and then lipid metabolomics technology was applied to screen and characterize the exosomes of RA-FLS cells to identify lipid core biomarkers closely related to RA, which were then projected into various databases for comprehensive analysis. Results: The data analysis showed that berberine could call back 11 lipid core biomarkers closely associated with RA, and interactive visualization of the database revealed that these markers were mainly focused on lipid metabolism aspects such as fatty acid elongation, degradation, and biosynthesis, as well as the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids or PPARA activation of gene expression, PPARα's role in lipid metabolism regulation, glycerophospholipid metabolism, mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation disorders, and organelle biogenesis and maintenance. Conclusions: Berberine exerts its therapeutic effect on RA by mediating exosomal contents and thus regulating multiple lipid-related biological pathways, affecting the PPARγ-NF-κB complex binding rate, CREB and EGR-1 expression, cellular phagocytosis, and other aspects needed to inhibit proliferation and inflammatory responses in RA-FLS. This study offers a research foundation for exploring the mechanism of action of berberine in the treatment of RA.

Closed-form BER analysis of FBMC-OQAM system over long-distance horizontal underwater acoustic transmission in shallow water

The filter bank multi-carrier with offset quadrature amplitude modulation (FBMC-OQAM) waveform demonstrates strong anti-interference capabilities due to its sub-carrier-level filtering. As a result, it is increasingly being adopted for underwater acoustic communication (UWAC) in challenging transmission environments. This paper presents a closed-form analytical expression for the bit error rate (BER) performance of FBMC-OQAM in shallow water, long-distance horizontal communication scenarios. The expression considers the residual Doppler frequency offset, multipath propagation, and ambient noise characteristic of underwater acoustic channels, accounting for the limitations of traditional non-uniform Doppler coarse compensation methods. Theoretical numerical results and Monte Carlo simulation results show that under any number of symbols, the derived closed-form expression consistently exhibits high computational accuracy, when facing the impact of Doppler spread or compression at any scale.

Losartan is more effective than angiotensin (1–7) in preventing thyroxine-induced renal injury in the rat

AimStudies have shown that renal hypertrophy seen in experimental hyperthyroidism induced by thyroxine (T4) is due to angiotensin (Ang) II. However, other renal effects of Ang II in experimental hyperthyroidism have not been investigated. In addition, Ang 1–7 is believed to be protective against renal injury, but its possible role in thyroxine-induced renal injury is not known. The aim of this study is to elaborate the role of Ang II in thyroxine-induced renal injury and the possible protective role of Ang 1–7. We hypothesize that Ang 1–7 will be as protective against thyroxine-induced renal injury as the use of an ACE inhibitor or an Ang II receptor blocker.MethodsAdult Sprague Dawley rats were used in this study and were divided into 5 groups: (1) Control (treated with vehicle), (2) Treated with thyroxine (T4, 100 µg/kg), (3) Treated with T4 and Ang 1–7 (500 µg/kg), (4) Treated with T4 and captopril (20 mg/kg), and (5) Treated with T4 and losartan (10 mg/kg). Parameters tested after fourteen days of treatment were creatinine clearance, protein excretion rate, glomerular volume, renal ACE1 and ACE2 protein expression. Data were compared using One-way-ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD post hoc test.ResultsThyroxine caused glomerular hypertrophy and proteinuria but had no effect on glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Glomerular hypertrophy was prevented by losartan and captopril, but not by Ang 1–7. Captopril and losartan had no effect on GFR; however, Ang 1–7 caused an increase in GFR in T4-treated rats. The increase in protein excretion rate was prevented by losartan but not by captopril or Ang 1–7. Renal expression of ACE1 protein was not altered in any of the treatment groups except in captopril treated rats were ACE1 expression was increased. Renal ACE2 protein expression was only increased in T4-losartan-treated rats and not affected by any of the other treatments.ConclusionWe conclude that losartan was more protective than captopril against thyroxine-induced renal changes while Ang 1–7 offered no protection.

A novel carrier index M‐ary differential chaos shift keying modulation scheme

AbstractTo obtain better spectral efficiency and higher bit rate, a novel carrier index M‐ary differential chaos shift keying modulation scheme is proposed. In this system, part of subcarriers is assigned to the chaotic reference so that it can carry extra data bits through carrier index modulation, while one of the remaining subcarriers is activated to transmit the data‐bearing signal. In addition, M‐ary DCSK modulation is also applied to data‐bearing signals based on the constellation theory and Walsh codes. Theoretical bit error rate expressions are derived over the multipath Rayleigh fading and additive white Gaussian noise channels. Simulations and comparisons are performed with various combinations of chaotic sequence lengths, subcarrier numbers and constellation sizes. Results show that the proposed scheme can outperform other counterparts in both spectral efficiency and bit error rate performances.