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Currently, the market demand for traditional Chinese herbal medicines and prepared slices is experiencing rapid growth, rendering quality control and safety assurance even more pressing issues. Conventional testing methods for traditional Chinese herbal medicines and prepared slices, which are heavily reliant on subjective experience, limited in detection precision, and unable to comprehensively quantify complex constituents, are increasingly inadequate in satisfying the requirements for accurate classification, differentiation, and precise measurement of components in these materials. The rapid development and widespread application of artificial intelligence (AI), however, offer novel solutions for the testing of the traditional Chinese herbal medicines and prepared slices. This study summarizes the existing methods and current status of testing for the traditional Chinese herbal medicines and prepared slices, sorts out the typical applications of AI in medicinal material classification, authenticity identification, traceability of origin, harmful ingredient measurement, effective ingredient measurement, and medicinal effect measurement, and analyzes the current problems regarding data collection and standardization; sharing of testing data; demands for rapid, non-destructive, low-cost testing technologies; accuracy of testing data; and fusion of multi-modal testing data. The study believes that intelligence, precision, and speed are the key development directions for the testing of the traditional Chinese herbal medicines and prepared slices. To this end, we propose the following suggestions: continuously improving the testing standards and data sharing system, deepening the research and application of AI, strengthening the application of multi-modal data fusion technology, introducing new sensor technologies, and enhancing the supervision over AI applications, so as to promote the high-quality development of testing for traditional Chinese herbal medicines and prepared slices, and ensure the continuous and healthy development of the traditional Chinese medicine industry.

Background: Alzheimer's disease threatens the health of older adults, particularly by disrupting executive and memory functions, and many studies have shown that aerobic exercise prevents and improves the symptoms associated with the disease. Objective: The objective was to systematically review the effects of aerobic exercise on executive and memory functions in patients with Alzheimer's disease and to determine the effect factors and mechanisms of the design of aerobic exercise intervention programs. Method: Relevant literature was searched in three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO) from January 1, 2014 to March 1, 2023, using a subject-word search method. Data on 10 items, including author and country, were extracted from the literature after screening. The quality of the literature was evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale, and a systematic review was performed. Results: Twelve papers from seven countries were ultimately included, embodying 11 randomized controlled trials and one study with a repeated-measures design. The overall quality of the studies was good as 657 study participants, aged 45 years and older who had varying degrees of Alzheimer's disease and significant symptoms, were included. Aerobic exercise was found to have a significant positive impact on executive and memory functions in people with Alzheimer's disease. Conclusion: The effects of aerobic exercise on aspects of executive function were mainly characterized by improvements in inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, whereas the effects on aspects of memory function were mainly characterized by improvements in logical memory, situational memory, and short-term memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Purpose Methods Results Conclusions The relaxivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents is primarily attributed to metal ions such as gadolinium (Gd) and iron. However, the impact of organic solutes on relaxivity, particularly through alterations in water molecule dynamics, has not been thoroughly investigated. This research was aimed to explore how organic solutes affect the relaxivities of water and Gd‐based contrast agents (GBCAs), potentially revealing new aspects for the development of contrast agents.To investigate the effects of different proportions of water‐soluble organic solvents mixed with pure water and GBCA on T1 and T2 relaxivities.Ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 1,4‐dioxane, glycerin, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG) 200, and PEG 400 were mixed with ultrapure water in various ratios (100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 30:70, 20:80, 10:90, 0:100). GBCA was added to these mixtures at a concentration of 0.05 mmol/L. The mixtures underwent T1 and T2 mapping scans using a 3.0 Tesla MRI machine, and the relaxivities R1 (1/T1) and R2 (1/T2) were calculated and compared.The relaxivity R1 of ethanol, 1,4‐dioxane, and DMSO mixtures with water or GBCA, as well as R2 of DMSO mixtures with GBCA, initially increased and then decreased. Conversely, R1 and R2 increased significantly with higher proportions of diethylene glycol, PEG 200, and glycerin in the mixtures with GBCA. The increase in relaxivity R1 was correlated with greater viscosity. When the proportion of DMSO and diethylene glycol exceeded 20%, minimal variability in R2 was observed as the water content decreased.Adding organic solvents to water and paramagnetic relaxation reagents could alter T1 and T2 relaxivities, suggesting potential new directions for modifying current contrast agents. Additionally, increasing the viscosity of the contrast agent was found to enhance the relaxivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the corrosion resistance of LA43M alloy, MgAl-NO3−-Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH) was prepared on the surface of the alloy by an in situ hydrothermal method, and uniform and dense MgAl-V2O74−-LDH films were successfully obtained by ion-exchange over different times. SEM, XRD, EDS, electrochemical polarisation, EIS and hydrogen evolution experiments were conducted to analyse microstructure and corrosion resistance of these films. The results verified that with increase of the ion-exchange reaction time, the nanosheets of the MgAl-V2O74−-LDH film are larger in size, uniformly distributed, and slightly increased in thickness. The surface of the modified MgAl-V2O74−-LDH film grown for 4 h on the surface had a staggered and tilted manner, and the gaps between the nanosheets were small, making it more effective in blocking the corrosive medium. The MgAl-NO3−-LDH film modified by V2O74− anion intercalation can further improve the corrosion resistance of the LA43M alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the effect of corrosion inhibitor modification on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of MgAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) film on LA43M Mg-Li alloy, the LDH films were successfully obtained by ion exchange method at different hydrothermal temperatures. Microstructure of the MgAl LDH films with anion intercalation were characterized by SEM, EDS and XRD, and the corrosion resistance of the films were tested by EIS, polarization curve and hydrogen evolution experiments. The results showed that the modified LDH nanosheets are larger in size, denser and slightly thicker than that of MgAl LDH film. Electrochemical tests and hydrogen precipitation experiments demonstrated that the corrosion inhibitor modified LDH films can further enhance the corrosion resistance of the film. The LDH prepared at 60°C has the most uniform density and the maximum thickness. It has the lowest Icorr(1.754×10−8 A.cm2) and the most positive Ecorr(−1.147 V). Furthermore, it showed the best corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has emerged as a potential and secure antiproteinuric agent in IgA nephropathy (IgAN). This study endeavored to explore the impact of HCQ on the immune functionality and intestinal flora disorders in IgAN rats, as well as to elucidate the underlying mechanisms through in vivo and in vitro experiments. IgAN model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats through the administration of BSA, LPS, and CCl4, and the IgAN rats received a continuous 8-week treatment with HCQ. Moreover, the human glomerular mesangial cells (HMCs) were incubated with IgA1 to establish an in vitro cellular model of IgAN. At the end of experimental period, samples were collected for further analysis. HCQ ameliorated the elevated levels of 24hUTP, SCr, BUN, the number of urinary RBC, and the activation of inflammation-related proteins within the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. In the IgAN rat group, there was a pronounced escalation in IgA deposition, mesangial matrix hyperplasia, and glomerular inflammatory cell infiltration, while the administration of HCQ effectively mitigated these pathological changes. In addition, the reduced production of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg in the IgAN group was effectively reversed by HCQ. Furthermore, HCQ has the capacity to restore the compromised state of the intestinal mucosal barrier induced by IgAN and mitigate the circumstances of intestinal permeability and disruption in the intestinal flora. HCQ diminishes IgA aberrant glycosylation levels, ameliorates renal and intestinal histopathological damage, and attenuates intestinal flora disorders and immune dysfunction in IgAN rats by means of activating the C1GALT1/Cosmc pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered double hydroxides (LDH) are widely used in the field of Mg alloy surface protection due to their interlayer anion exchangeable and physical barrier. To explore the effect of corrosion inhibitor modification on the growth and corrosion resistance of LDH coating, MgAl‐NO3−‐LDH precursor film was obtained on the surface of LA43M alloy by in situ growth method, and then MgAl‐V2O74−‐LDH, MgAl−Cl−‐LDH and MgAl‐ASP‐LDH were prepared by the ion exchange method. The morphology, composition, and corrosion resistance of the LDH film with different anion intercalation were studied systematically by scanning electron microscope, energy disperse spectroscopy, X‐ray diffractometer, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and electrochemical tests. The results show that the modified LDH nanosheets are larger in size and uniformly tightly bonded to the substrate, and the thickness of the film is increased. Electrochemical tests and hydrogen precipitation experiments demonstrated that all four LDH films provided protection to the substrate, and the corrosion resistance of the V2O74−, Cl− and ASP‐containing films modified by corrosion inhibitors was improved compared with that of the precursor films, among which the MgAl‐V2O74−‐LDH had the best corrosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]