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This study aims to extract phenolic-enriched compounds, specifically oleuropein, luteoloside, and hydroxytyrosol, from olive leaves using ball milling-assisted extraction (BMAE). Response surface methodology (RSM) and the Box–Behnken design (BBD) were used to evaluate the effects of the temperature, solvent-to-solid ratio, and milling speed on extraction recovery. The contents of the extract were determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and converted to recoveries to evaluate the extraction efficiency. The optimal extraction conditions for oleuropein, luteoloside, and hydroxytyrosol were identified. Oleuropein had a recovery of 79.0% ± 0.9% at a temperature of 56.4 °C, a solvent-to-solid ratio of 39.1 mL/g, and a milling speed of 429 rpm. Luteoloside's recovery was 74.6% ± 1.2% at 58.4 °C, 31.3 mL/g, and 328 rpm. Hydroxytyrosol achieved 43.1% ± 1.3% recovery at 51.5 °C, 32.7 mL/g, and 317 rpm. The reason for the high recoveries might be that high energy ball milling could reduce the sample size further, breaking down the cell walls of olive leaves, to enhance the mass transfer of these components from the cell to solvent. BMAE is displayed to be an efficient approach to extracting oleuropein, luteoloside, and hydroxytyrosol from olive leaves, which is easy to extend to industrial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital-real integration and green economy have become an important driving force to propel logistics industrial transformation upgrading and sustainable development. This paper analyzed the impact of digital-real integration on the transformation and upgrading of the logistics industry and the role of green economy from the perspectives of endogenous growth theory, green development theory, and industrial organization theory. Utilizing the panel data spanning 2013 to 2022 from 11 cities in Hebei Province, China, this study established the measurement indicator systems of logistics industrial transformation and upgrading, digital-real integration, and green economy, and measured the integrated developmental level employing an entropy weight–TOPSIS–grey correlation model. Further, the benchmark regression model, moderation effect model, and threshold effect model were applied to delve into the influence mechanism of logistics industrial transformation and upgrading influenced by digital-real integration under the green economy. The research results showed that: Digital-real integration contributed favorably to the transformation and upgrading of the logistics industry. The green economy exerted a beneficial moderating influence on the process, where digital-real integration affected the transformation upgrading of the logistics industry, and the moderating effect of the innovation elements was significantly the strongest. Digital-real integration exhibited a single threshold effect, and the moderating impact of the green economy also had a single threshold condition, and once both thresholds were surpassed, digital-real integration significantly promoted the logistics industrial reformation and upgrading. Drawing from the aforementioned conclusions, this study advanced development recommendations in terms of strengthening regional cooperation, intensifying digital-real integration, exerting the effect of the green economy, and establishing dynamic monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New urbanization in counties and the logistics industry are closely related and are essential in promoting regional economic and social development. There are specific challenges and obstacles to revealing the interaction mechanism and system state measurement between the two. This paper explains the two coupling mechanisms and constructs the evaluation index system. It proposes a new analysis method based on the coupling coordination degree model, the spatio-temporal evolution analysis, and the grey prediction model. The goal is to learn more about and fully realize the coordinated development mechanisms of the two. It then uses the Hebei province of China as an example to empirically analyze its systematic cross-sectional data from 2013 to 2022. Research findings: (1) In Hebei province, the new urbanization in counties and the logistics industry have a systematic coupling relationship. However, the logistics industry's comprehensive development level is relatively lagging. The two systems have been at a high-level coupling stage for the last decade and maintain a high coupling status. The coupling coordination has shown significant improvement. (2) Although the geographical distribution of the coupling and coordination degree of the new urbanization in counties and logistics industry system has short-term volatility, it is still stable in the long term and presents economic-related spatial characteristics. (3) Over the next five years, the coupling coordination of 11 cities in Hebei province will steadily grow. There will be greater harmonization between the two systems. (4) From the analysis results, the evaluation index system of the coupled system constructed is scientific and reasonable. The analysis method can not only measure the system's coupling degree, but it can also predict the development trend and analyze the spatial evolution. The technique has novelty and validity, which can be used as a reference for analyzing and making decisions about similar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pump station engineering is a water conservancy project used for long-distance water transfer, irrigation and drainage, and urban living and industrial water supply. Centrifugal pumps are one of the main pump types commonly used in pumping stations, and their operation is of considerable importance for the safety, stability, and efficient operation of pumping stations. This paper takes a large pumping station with seven centrifugal pump units as the research object and combines experimental research and numerical simulation. The axial flow velocity uniformity, average cross-sectional deviation angle, and hydraulic loss of the pump inlet section are evaluated, and the internal flow characteristics of the pump under different startup combination conditions are analyzed based on entropy generation and vorticity. This study also explores the operational performance of the pump station under different startup combination conditions, revealing the mutual influence mechanism between different startup combinations of pump stations and the internal and external characteristics of centrifugal pumps and introducing the optimal startup combination scheme for the pump station system. Research results indicate that the difference in energy loss of centrifugal pumps under different startup combinations is mainly manifested in the impeller and guide vane flow channels. For the two existing inlet flow channel structures in the pump station, the unit effectively operates when the inlet flow channel is tilted to the left. The optimal startup combination method of the pump station under different startup combinations is determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under normal physiological conditions, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced through redox reactions as byproducts of respiratory and metabolic activities. However, due to various endogenous and exogenous factors, the body may produce excessive ROS, which leads to oxidative stress (OS). Numerous studies have shown that OS causes a variety of pathological changes in cells, including mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA damage, telomere shortening, lipid peroxidation, and protein oxidative modification, all of which can trigger apoptosis and senescence. OS also induces a variety of aging-related diseases, such as retinal disease, neurodegenerative disease, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, ovarian disease, and prostate disease. In this review, we aim to introduce the multiple internal and external triggers that mediate ROS levels in rodents and humans as well as the relationship between OS, aging, and aging-related diseases. Finally, we present a statistical analysis of effective antioxidant measures currently being developed and applied in the field of aging research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow pattern of the forebay of the pumping station has a considerable effect on the operating efficiency and stability of the pump unit. A good forebay flow pattern can enable the pump unit to improve efficiency and operating conditions. This study takes a large pumping station as the research object and considers two rectification schemes, namely, a single bottom sill and a "bottom sill + diversion pier". Without rectification facilities under different start-up schemes, the forebay flow pattern after the addition of rectification facilities is calculated, and the influence of single and combined rectification facilities is analyzed. Results show large-scale undesirable flow structures such as backflow and vortex in the forebay of the original design that without rectification facilities and uneven flow distribution occurs in the operating unit. The addition of a bottom sill in the forebay can control the central water beam from the water diversion pipe. The flow is divided to spread to both sides of the forebay and can be rectified twice after installing the diversion piers. The combined rectifier facility of "bottom sill + diversion pier" is beneficial to disperse incoming flow and make the flow distribution of each unit more uniform. The backflow and vortex inside the forepond are basically eliminated, and the flow state of the forepond is significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pump station engineering is a water conservancy project that utilizes water pump units for energy transfer and conversion, and safe water transportation. This study ensures the safe and efficient operation of the pumping station system by taking a pump station project containing seven water pump units as the research object. Under the premise that the total water intake of the pumping station is certain, the flow distribution of the pumping station is optimized with the working flow and head as the constraint function, and the minimum operating cost as the objective function, and the required number of operating units is determined to obtain the optimal combination of flow distribution and the corresponding working flow of each operating unit. Compared with previous studies, the novel feature of this study is that a genetic algorithm is used to optimize the power-up combination and rationally distribute the flow, which can minimize the energy consumption and maximize the operation efficiency of the pumping station. Then, a genetic-algorithm-based optimization method is constructed for unit operation combination and flow distribution. The optimized combination of units is evaluated by using the uniformity of flow velocity at the inlet section of the water pump and the average deviation angle of the section as indicators. The results indicate that, when each operating unit in the pump station has the same working flow distribution, the total input power of the pump station is at maximum. As the differences increase in the working flow rates allocated to each operating unit, the total input power of the pump station decreases. Through the proposed schemes, the optimal operating combination and flow distribution of the pump station system can be achieved when the total water intake is constant, thereby enabling efficient operations and creating maximum economic and social benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The proposed research can be used for simultaneous positioning and mapping of unmanned vehicles in complex engineering environments. Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), as a key task of unmanned vehicles for construction machinery, is of great significance for later path planning and control. Construction tasks in the engineering field are mostly carried out in bridges, tunnels, open fields, etc. The prominent features of these environments are high scene similarity, few geometric features, and large-scale repetitive texture information, which is prone to sensor detection degradation. This leads to positioning drift and map building failure. The traditional method of motion estimation and 3D reconstruction uses a single sensor, which lacks enough information, has poor adaptability to the environment, and cannot guarantee good positioning accuracy and robustness in complex environments. Currently, the strategy of multi-sensor fusion is proven to be an effective solution and is widely studied. This paper proposes a SLAM framework that integrates LiDAR, IMU, and camera. It tightly couples the texture information observed by camera, the geometric information scanned by LiDAR, and the measured value of IMU, allowing visual-inertial odometry (VIO) and LiDAR-inertial odometry (LIO) common implementation. The LIO subsystem extracts point cloud features and matches them with the global map. The obtained pose estimation can be used for the initialization of the VIO subsystem. The VIO system uses direct method to minimize the photometric error and IMU measurement error between images to estimate the pose of the robot and the geometric structure of the scene. The two subsystems assist each other to perform pose estimation, and can operate normally even when any subsystem fails. A factor graph is used to combine all constraints to achieve global pose optimization. Keyframe and sliding window strategies are used to ensure real-time performance. Through real-vehicle testing, the system can perform incremental and real-time state estimation and reconstruct a dense 3D point cloud map, which can effectively solve the problems of positioning drift and mapping failure in the lack of geometric features or challenging construction environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tubular turbines are widely used in low water head and tidal power development due to their straight flow path, simple structure, and wide efficient area. However, the severe vibration during actual operation greatly affects the safe operation of the tubular turbine. This study performs a numerical calculation of the tubular turbine, which meets the actual machine conditions considering the free surface and water gravity; compares and analyzes the flow characteristics and pressure fluctuation spectrum characteristics in the tubular turbine under different water heads; and verifies the comparison with the actual machine test results to explore the vibration characteristics and vibration mechanism of the tubular turbine. Research results show that a large pressure difference is observed between the top and bottom of the runner chamber, and the runner needs to experience large periodic pressure fluctuations during rotation due to the combined effect of hydrostatic pressure and hydrodynamic pressure. Under different water heads, obvious flow turbulence and high turbulent kinetic energy areas are observed in the runner and draft tube due to the influence of the shape of the blade wake vortex. The vibration in the tubular turbine is mainly concentrated in the runner and draft tube and influenced by the water gravity and the runner structure of the transverse cantilever beam. The amplitude of pressure fluctuation is the largest when the frequency inside the runner is the blade passing frequency at each water head, so the maximum vibration position is located at the runner. The research results serve as a guide for the design and operation of the horizontal tubular turbine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between physical fitness (PF) level and Chinese middle-school students' perceived well-being, motivation, and enjoyment. Method: In this study, the participants were randomly selected from 16 Beijing-based middle schools in China. In addition to the collection of demographic data (i.e., gender, age, and parental education), tools including the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, the Behavioural Regulation in Sport Questionnaire, and the Physical Activity Children's Enjoyment Scale were employed for collecting data on other variables of well-being, motivation, and enjoyment, respectively. Results: A total of 1678 adolescents (M age = 14.66 years, SD = 1.80) participated in this study. According to the results, significant gender differences could be observed in the PF categories of mean age, BMI, vital capacity, 50-m sprint, muscular strength, and flexibility (all p < 0.05). In contrast, there was no significant gender difference in the levels of well-being, motivation, and enjoyment observed, with similar scores for boys and girls (p > 0.05). Indeed, adolescents with low BMI scores and high levels of vital capacity, muscular strength, and flexibility showed better well-being, motivation, and enjoyment. However, no association was observed between timed sit-ups and pull-ups and well-being, motivation, and enjoyment. Conclusions: This study produced preliminary findings on the relationship between PF and Chinese adolescents' perceived well-being, motivation, and enjoyment. To improve the health of adolescents, it is necessary to adopt prospective and experimental research designs for advocating for fitness education in school-based programs in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ripened oriental melon (Cucumis melo) with orange-colored flesh is rich in β-carotene. Lycopene β-cyclase (LCYB) is the synthetic enzyme that directly controls the massive accumulation of β-carotene. However, the regulatory mechanism underlying the CmLCYB-mediated β-carotene accumulation in oriental melon is fairly unknown. Here, we screened and identified a transcription factor, CmNAC34, by combining bioinformatics analysis and yeast one-hybrid screen with CmLCYB promoter. CmNAC34 was located in the nucleus and acted as a transcriptional activator. The expression profile of CmNAC34 was consistent with that of CmLCYB during the fruit ripening. Additionally, the transient overexpression of CmNAC34 in oriental melon fruit promoted the expression of CmLCYB and enhanced β-carotene concentration, while transient silence of CmNAC34 in fruit was an opposite trend, which indicated CmNAC34 could modulate CmLCYB-mediated β-carotene biosynthesis in oriental melon. Finally, the yeast one-hybrid (Y1H), electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), β-glucuronidase (GUS) analysis assay, and luciferase reporter (LUC) assay indicated that CmNAC34 could bind to the promoter of CmLCYB and positively regulated the CmLCYB transcription level. These findings suggested that CmNAC34 acted as an activator to regulate β-carotene accumulation by directly binding the promoter of CmLCYB, which provides new insight into the regulatory mechanism of carotenoid metabolism during the development and ripening of oriental melon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydropower unit is the compensation power generation of the energy regulating unit in wind–solar–water multi-energy complementary systems that often require the turbine to operate in a partial working condition area, thereby resulting in problems of low hydraulic efficiency and severe vibration during operation. A multi-objective and multi-condition optimization design method for Francis turbine runner based on the super-transfer approximation approach was proposed in this study. The proposed method aims to improve the hydraulic performance of the turbine, enhance and suppress the vibration of the turbine, and expand the operation range of the turbine on the basis of the actual situation given that Francis turbine frequently operates in low- and ultralow-load areas under the condition of multi-energy complementarity and continuous adjustment of operating conditions. Different operating conditions from low load to full load were selected as performance evaluation conditions. The super-transfer approximation method was used to select the weight co-efficient of water turbine operating conditions, and a multi-objective optimization function with the efficiency and cavitation performance of the water turbine as optimization objectives was constructed to ensure that the optimized water turbine can achieve the optimal performance in the full working condition range. Results showed that the pressure distribution on the blade surface of the optimized runner was uniform and the working ability was enhanced under the condition of ensuring the performance stability of optimal and rated conditions when the original runner was optimized. The hydraulic efficiency of the turbine under the low-load conditions OP1 and OP2 increased by 4.61 and 3.17%, respectively. Hence, the optimized runner is suitable for hydraulic turbines under multi-energy complementary conditions. The results of this study can provide a reference for the optimal design and operation of the turbine runner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current work, novel graphene quantum dots (GQDs)-doped goethite (α-FeOOH) nanocomposites (GQDs/α-FeOOH) were prepared by following a feasible hydrolysis method and applied for ciprofloxacin (CIP) removal. Results showed that the CIP degradation efficiency was significant (93.73%, 0.0566 min−1) in the GQDs/α-FeOOH + H2O2 + Vis system using much lower amounts of H2O2 (0.50 mM), which is 3.9 times the α-FeOOH + H2O2 + Vis system. It was found that •OH, O 2 • − , and 1O2 were mainly responsible for CIP degradation in the GQDs/α-FeOOH photo-Fenton system. GQDs/α-FeOOH demonstrated broad-spectrum UV–vis-IR responsiveness in the degradation of ciprofloxacin as a function of the doping of GQDs. Additionally, GQDs/α-FeOOH showed outstanding durability (recyclability up to 3 cycles with a lower iron leaking amount, 0.020 mg L−1), a broad range of application pH, and a pretty acceptable catalytic efficacy in a variety of surface water matrices. Overall, GQDs/α-FeOOH have been shown to be an effective photocatalyst for the remediation of emerging contaminants via the workable exploitation of solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vigorous development of low-head hydraulic resources and tidal energy with greater stability and predictability is drawing attention to tubular turbines. However, many problems, such as incorrect unit association relationship, insufficient unit output, and severe vibration, occur frequently in tubular turbines, particularly when the water head is low. These phenomena cannot be known through model machine tests and numerical studies. Therefore, this study takes the tubular turbine with different water heads as the research object, in accordance with the actual boundary conditions. The unsteady numerical research for the prototype machine is conducted while considering the free surface in the reservoir area and water gravity. The internal flow characteristics of the tubular turbine with different water heads and the influence of free surface on its performance are analyzed. The research indicates the following: affected by the free surface and the water gravity, the pressure in the entire flow passage of the horizontal tubular turbine increases with the increase in the submerged depth. In addition, the short water diversion section allows the water flow from the reservoir area to still have a certain asymmetry before reaching the runner. During the rotation process of the runner, the surface pressure and torque of the blade have evident periodic fluctuations, and the amplitude of the fluctuations will increase significantly with the decrease in H/D1. Moreover, in the case of small H/D1, the amplitude of pressure pulsation in the draft tube is larger, and concentrated high-frequency pressure pulsation occurs. These factors will lead to the occurrence of material fatigue damage, unstable output, and increased vibration in low-head tubular turbines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tip leakage vortex has an important influence on the performance of semi-open centrifugal pumps. Simulations based on the three-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes were conducted to study the structural characteristics of tip leakage vortex and its effects on the internal flow field, and the Shear Stress Transport k-ω turbulence model was used to simulate the whole flow passage of centrifugal pumps with tip clearances of 0 mm and 1 mm. Then, the tip leakage vortex was analyzed using the relative vorticity transport equation. The numerical data and experimental results agreed well. The leakage vortex formed in the tip clearance led to 18.7% and 14.4% decrease in head and efficiency under design condition, respectively, and the bigger the flow rate, the fast the performance decreased. Tip leakage vortex formed at the leading edge of the blade moved along the suction surface. Whereas the tip leakage vortex formed near the middle of the blade extended to the pressure surface of the adjacent blade. This phenomenon deteriorated the flow field and induced passage vortex, thereby reducing the static pressure and blade load and changing the static pressure distribution law. The formation and development of leakage vortex could be attributed to the relative vortex stretching the term. The Coriolis force term could reflect the change of vorticity caused by leakage flow, and the viscous diffusion term served as the vorticity source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is needed for food processing facilities to carry out a number of tasks, including moving goods, washing, processing, and cleaning operations. This causes them to produce wastewater effluent, and they are typically undesirable since it contains a high volume of suspended solids, bacteria, dyestuffs, salts, oils, fats, chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand. Therefore, treatment of food industry wastewater effluent is critical in improving process conditions, socio-economic benefits and our environmental. This short review summarizes the role of available membrane technologies that have been employed for food wastewater treatment and analyse their performance. Particularly, electrospun nanofiber membrane technology is revealed as an emerging membrane science and technology area producing materials of increasing performance and effectiveness in treating wastewater. This review reveals the challenges and perspectives that will assist in treating the food industry wastewater by developing novel membrane technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achyranthes japonica Nakai root (AJNR) is used to treat osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) owing to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. This study investigated the inhibitory effects of AJNR on arthritis. AJNR was extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2), and its main compounds, pimaric and kaurenoic acid, were identified. ANJR's inhibitory effects against arthritis were evaluated using primary cultures of articular chondrocytes and two in vivo arthritis models: destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) as an OA model, and collagenase-induced arthritis (CIA) as an RA model. AJNR did not affect pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6)-mediated cytotoxicity, but attenuated pro-inflammatory cytokine-mediated increases in catabolic factors, and recovered pro-inflammatory cytokine-mediated decreases in related anabolic factors related to in vitro. The effect of AJNR is particularly specific to IL-6-mediated catabolic or anabolic alteration. In a DMM model, AJNR decreased cartilage erosion, subchondral plate thickness, osteophyte size, and osteophyte maturity. In a CIA model, AJNR effectively inhibited cartilage degeneration and synovium inflammation in either the ankle or knee and reduced pannus formation in both the knee and ankle. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed that AJNR mainly acted via the inhibitory effects of IL-6-mediated matrix metalloproteinase-3 and -13 in both arthritis models. Therefore, AJNR is a potential therapeutic agent for relieving arthritis symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) are the first identified orphan nuclear receptors. The ERR family consists of ERRα, ERRβ, and ERRγ, regulating diverse isoform-specific functions. We have reported the importance of ERRγ in osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis. However, therapeutic approaches with ERRγ against OA associated with inflammatory mechanisms remain limited. Herein, we examined the therapeutic potential of a small-molecule ERRγ inverse agonist, GSK5182 (4-hydroxytamoxifen analog), in OA, to assess the relationship between ERRγ expression and pro-inflammatory cytokines in mouse articular chondrocyte cultures. ERRγ expression increased following chondrocyte exposure to various pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Pro-inflammatory cytokines dose-dependently increased ERRγ protein levels. In mouse articular chondrocytes, adenovirus-mediated ERRγ overexpression upregulated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 and MMP-13, which participate in cartilage destruction during OA. Adenovirus-mediated ERRγ overexpression in mouse knee joints or ERRγ transgenic mice resulted in OA. In mouse joint tissues, genetic ablation of Esrrg obscured experimental OA. These results indicate that ERRγ is involved in OA pathogenesis. In mouse articular chondrocytes, GSK5182 inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine-induced catabolic factors. Consistent with the in vitro results, GSK5182 significantly reduced cartilage degeneration in ERRγ-overexpressing mice administered intra-articular Ad-Esrrg. Overall, the ERRγ inverse agonist GSK5182 represents a promising therapeutic small molecule for OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persulfate (PS)-activated, iron-based heterogeneous catalysts have attracted significant attention as a potential advanced and sustainable water purification system. Herein, a novel Fe3O4 impregnated graphene oxide (Fe3O4@GO)-activated persulfate system (Fe3O4@GO+K2S2O8) was synthesized by following a sustainable protocol and was tested on real wastewater containing dye pollutants. In the presence of the PS-activated system, the degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B (RhB) was significantly increased to a level of ≈95% compared with that of Fe3O4 (≈25%). The influences of different operational parameters, including solution pH, persulfate dosage, and RhB concentration, were systemically evaluated. This system maintained its catalytic activity and durability with a negligible amount of iron leached during successive recirculation experiments. The degradation intermediates were further identified through reactive oxygen species (ROS) studies, where surface-bound SO4− was found to be dominant radical for RhB degradation. Moreover, the degradation mechanism of RhB in the Fe3O4@GO+K2S2O8 system was discussed. Finally, the results indicate that the persulfate-activated Fe3O4@GO catalyst provided an effective pathway for the degradation of dye pollutants in real wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reveals first principle results of the endohedral fullerenes made from neutral or charged single atomic lithium (Li or Li+) encapsulated in fullerenes with various cage sizes. According to the calculated binding energies, it is found that the encapsulation of a single lithium atom is energetically more favorable than that of lithium cation. Lithium, in both atomic and cationic forms, exhibits a clear tendency to depart from the center in large cages. Interaction effects dominate the whole encapsulation process of lithium to carbon cages. Further, the nature of the interaction between Li (or Li+) and carbon cages is discussed based on reduced density gradient, energy decomposition analysis, and charge transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural plant extracts and compounds (NPECs), which originate from herbs or plants, have been used in the clinical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for many years. Over the years, many scientists have carried out a series of studies on the treatment of RA by NPEC. They found a high quantity of active NPECs with broad application prospects. In view of various complex functions of these NPECs, exploring their potential as medicines for RA treatment will be beneficial for RA patients. Thus, to help advance the development of high-quality NPECs for RA, we herein aimed to review the research progress of NPECs in the treatment of RA in recent years. Our findings showed that, from the pharmacological perspective, natural plant extracts or mixed herbal compounds effectively regulate the immune system to alleviate RA by inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokines. Further, individualized medication can be applied according to each patient's physical condition. However, the pathogenesis of RA and its immune mechanism has not been fully understood and requires further studies.

In this study, solution enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids (SEDS) technique was applied for the preparation of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) loaded Eudragit S100 (EU S100) nanoparticles. The effects of various process variables including pressure, temperature, 5-ASA concentration and solution flow rate on morphology, particle size, 5-ASA loading and entrapment efficiency of nanoparticles were investigated. Under the appropriate conditions, drug-loaded nanoparticles exhibited a spherical shape and small particle size with narrow particle size distribution. In addition, the nanoparticles prepared were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. The results showed that 5-ASA was imbedded into EU S100 in an amorphous state after SEDS processing and the SEDS process did not induce degradation of 5-ASA.