Search

Due to the high–efficiency and stable solar–to–hydrogen conversion efficiency, dye–sensitized photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is considered to be one of the ideal ways to solve today's energy and environmental problems. The coupling interaction between sensitization matrix and light–absorbing dye play an important role for the activity of the dye–sensitized photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. In this work, amide–functionalized carbon nanospheres as a new–style sensitization matrix is prepared by a low–cost and uncomplicated two–step liquid phase reactions. Because amide groups on the surface of carbon nanospheres add additional adsorption sites by introducing H–bonding and enhancing coupling interaction between the sensitization matrix and dye molecules, the adsorption capacity of amide–functionalized carbon nanospheres increase 6.7 times compared with bare carbon nanospheres. Based on the material excellent adsorption performance, the Eosin Y dye–sensitized amide–functionalized carbon nanospheres with Pt co–catalyst exhibits high–efficiency activity for H2 generation (607.4 μmol for testing 2 h), which is 14.3 and 6.4 times higher photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity than Pt and carbon nanospheres with Pt assist. Moreover, the highest apparent quantum efficiency of photocatalyst can reach to 32.9% at 430 nm. The significantly improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of catalyst could be mainly ascribed to enhance amino groups adsorption active sites, which can fix the light–absorbing dyes on the surface of sensitization matrix and shorten the transmission distance of photogenerated charges.

The first-principles calculations based on density functional theory with projector-augmented wave are used to study the physical properties of monoclinic MgCO3 at lower mantle conditions. The results show that the phase transition pressure of rhombohedral MgCO3(magnesite) to monoclinic MgCO3 is between 72–79 GPa in the temperature range of the mantle. The equation of state for monoclinic MgCO3 agrees well with recent experimental results. The elastic constants of monoclinic MgCO3 are consistent with the latest theoretical results. The elastic modulus of monoclinic MgCO3, especially its shear modulus, exhibits a nonlinear pressure dependence, leading to a significant nonlinear pressure dependence of the small elastic anisotropy and the small wave velocity anisotropy, which is why carbide minerals may not be detected in the deep mantle. The thermodynamic properties of monoclinic MgCO3 at high temperature and high pressure are predicted using the Debye-Grüneisen model.

A 4Kg grade AlCoCrFeNi2.2 high entropy alloy was prepared by low vacuum medium frequency induction melting. The microstructure results showed that the microstructure and composition of the ingot were uniform. The microstructures were composed of primary Ni-rich FCC phase and eutectic structure. The eutectic structure was composed of Ni-rich FCC phase and Al-rich B2 phase. The hardness results showed no significant difference in Vickers hardness between different parts of the ingot, and fluctuated within the range of HV260 ± 20. The compression test results showed that there was no significant difference in compression performance between different parts of the ingot. The AlCoCrFeNi2.2 high entropy alloy had excellent compression performance, the yield strength reached 600 MPa, the fracture strength reached 2200 MPa, and the compression ratio was greater than 40%. Above all, the near-eutectic AlCoCrFeNi2.2 high-entropy alloy had the characteristics of good casting ability, high strength, good plasticity, and was easy to realize the preparation of large-volume non-segregation ingot.

Background The aim of the present study was to examine the clinical characteristics of hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach (HAS) and its diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Case summary A retrospective analysis of 13 HAS cases was performed. The mean age of the 13 patients was 66.08 years, and 10 of the 13 patients were male. Prior to treatment, the alpha-fetoprotein levels in the serum were elevated in 7 patients, the tumour was located in the distal or gastric body in 11 patients, and the gastroscopy pathological results showed that 3 patients had poorly differentiated tumours and that 8 patients had moderately/poorly differentiated tumours. Abdominal CT scans showed local stomach wall thickening, and enlarged lymph nodes were visible around the stomach in 8 patients. Of the 13 patients, 11 underwent radical surgery. The clinical pathological staging was as follows: Stage II in 2 cases; stage III in 8 cases; and stage IV in 1 case. A total of 3 patients were lost to follow-up. Otherwise, as of the last follow-up, 3 patients had survived for 56 mo, and the other 7 patients failed to achieve long-term survival (survival period of 1-56 mo). Conclusion HAS is a special type of gastric cancer, and the prognosis of HAS has improved compared with past prognoses. Measurement of alpha-fetoprotein, early diagnosis, active surgical treatment, and application of new diagnostic and treatment techniques are conducive to improving the prognosis of HAS.

The first-principles calculations based on density functional theory with projector-augmented wave are used to study the anisotropy of elastic modulus, mechanical hardness, minimum thermal conductivity, acoustic velocity and thermal expansion of magnesite (MgCO3) under deep mantle pressure. The calculation results of the phase transition pressure, equation of state, elastic constants, elastic moduli, elastic wave velocities and thermal expansion coefficient are consistent with those determined experimentally. The research results show that the elastic moduli have strong anisotropy, the mechanical hardness gradually softens with increasing pressure, the conduction velocity of heat in the [100] direction is faster than that in the [001] direction, the plane wave velocity anisotropy first increases and then gradually decreases with increasing pressure, and the shear wave velocity anisotropy increases with the increase of pressure, the thermal expansion in the [100] direction is greater than that in the [001] direction. The research results are of great significance to people’s understanding of the high-pressure physical properties of carbonates in the deep mantle.

The development of sub-wavelength acoustic metamaterials such as local resonance phononic crystals is leading new research directions of elastic wavefront control as well as noise attenuation and vibration reduction. In this work, the low-frequency bandgap characteristics of a new three-dimensional local resonance phononic crystal model composed of lead sphere and multihole silicone rubber matrix are studied by finite element simulations. Compared with the reference model without matrix holes (Zhao et al. J. Sound Vib. 303:185, 2007), the first complete bandgap of the designed model possesses a lower starting frequency and a 133.68% relative bandwidth, that is the ratio of the bandwidth to the center frequency. The numerical results imply that the structure exists obvious transmission attenuation in the bandgap frequency range, and the effective mass density turns negative. It could be found that the excitation of torsional resonance mode as dominant mode for bandgap opening is attributed to the addition of the multiple holes, especially the cutting holes in the matrix, giving rise to the widening of bandgap. The effects of the component materials and the geometric parameters on the bandgap are further investigated.

Theoretical investigations are carried out for the cylindrical and spherical dust-ion acoustic solitary waves with the kinematic viscosity. By the reductive perturbation technique the damped KdV-Burgers equation is obtained, and an approximate analytical solution is given. Using this solution, the effects of different physical parameters on dust-ion acoustic solitary wave are discussed. The results may have applications in laboratory and space plasmas.

In this paper, we studied the element diffusion behaviors of the multi-principal CoCrFeNi high entropy alloy in molten Al at 700°C. Microstructure, structure and microhardness in the diffusion interfaces of CoCrFeNi and Al are studied by the X-ray diffraction, the scanning electron microscopy, the energy spectrometry, and the microhardness tester. The results showed that a complex chemical reaction occurred at the interface between the high-entropy alloy and the Al. A mixture of FCC + BCC solid solution layer was first formed. Then a bulk Al13Cr2 compound formed near the Al of the solid solution layer. With the increase of dipping time, the thickness of the solid solution layer remained unchanged, and the compounds gradually changed into spheres distributed in the Al matrix. The formation of BCC structure makes the hardness of the solid solution layer up to 450HV, and the existence of the compound also increases the hardness of the Al matrix significantly.

A simple and effective method of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection was established to identify the origin of Achyranthes bidentata Blume and evaluate its quality, based on chromatographic fingerprint combined with the similarity analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and the quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS). In the chromatographic fingerprint, 16 peaks were selected as the common model to evaluate the similarities among 18 batches (S1-S18) of A. bidentata Blume samples collected from different origins in China. The similarities values for 18 batches of samples were more than 0.75, which compared with control fingerprint. Furthermore, 18 batches of A. bidentata Blume samples were categorized into two groups for quantitative analysis, the quantification of three bioactive constituents (β-ecdysterone, cyasterone and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural) between QAMS and external standard method proved the consistency of the two methods, the three constituents showed good regression (R > 0.9995) within linear ranges, and their recoveries were within the range of 97.6-101.5%. This study demonstrated that the quality of A. bidentata Blume can be successfully evaluated by means of a combination of HPLC chromatographic fingerprint and QAMS approach.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, Th1 cytokine-predominant autoimmune disease result in a chronic and inflammatory disorder. Geniposide (GE), an iridoid glycoside compound that is purified from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, has antiinflammatory and other immunoregulatory effects, but its exact mechanism of actions on RA is unknown. The aim of this study was to elucidate antiinflammation effects of GE on adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats and its possible immune tolerance mechanisms. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered with GE (30, 60, and 120 mg/kg) orally from day 17 to 24 after immunization. Lymphocyte proliferation was assessed by MTT. Levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, and transforming growth factor-β1 were tested by ELISA. The expression of β2-AR, GRK2, and β-arrestin-1 and β-arrestin-2 was detected by western blot. Geniposide was found to relieve the secondary hind paw swelling and arthritis scores, along with attenuating histopathologic changes and decreasing IL-2 and increasing IL-4, transforming growth factor-β1 in mesenteric lymph node (MLN) lymphocytes of AA rats. In addition, GE in vivo increased the expression of β2-AR and decreased the expression of GRK2, β-arrestin-1 and β-arrestin-2, and level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate of MLN lymphocytes in AA rats. From these results, we can infer that GE on immune tolerance effects, β2-AR desensitization, and β2-AR-AC-cyclic adenosine monophosphate transmembrane signal transduction of MLN lymphocytes plays crucial roles in antiinflammatory and immunoregulatory pathogeneses of RA. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Geniposide (GE), an iridoid glycoside compound purified from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, has antiinflammatory and other pharmacological effects, but its mechanism of actions on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have not been clarified. The purpose of this article was to investigate the pharmacological effects of GE on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats and its feasible mechanisms. Collagen-induced arthritis was induced by injection of chicken type II collagen emulsion. The rats were orally administered with GE (33, 66, and 132 mg/kg) from days 14 to 30 after immunization. The histological examination showed that GE could attenuate histopathologic changes of mesenteric lymph node (MLN) in CIA rats. Geniposide inhibited the production of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-17, while promoting the production of IL-4 and transforming growth factor-beta 1 in MLN lymphocytes (MLNLs). Moreover, the proliferation capability of MLNLs was increased after the administration of GE. In addition, the treatment with GE in vivo decreased the expressions of P-Raf, P-MEK, and P-Erk1/2 in MLNLs. These results may highlight the antiinflammatory effects and possible mechanisms of GE in MLNLs of RA. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

To understand the mechanisms of surface erosion induced by slow highly-charged ion (SHCI) bombardment, the surface nanostructure formation in Si (111) surface by single Xe44+ ion was studied by using molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations, based on analyzing the multiple electron emission of the substrate. The time evolutions of the temperature, energy, pressure and density of the substrate have been systematically studied. The results show the bombardment of the incident SHCI resulting in an explosive event in the surface. A shock wave propagating at ~104 m/s is formed in the system during the initial 175 fs. After this initial shock, many particles are ejected from the surface since the extreme non-equilibrium of the system. And at t=370 fs, a crater-like nanostructure with diameter of ~40 Å and depth of ~18 Å is formed at the incident site.

Atomistic simulation was carried out to study the structural and elastic properties of MgCO $_{\boldsymbol {3}}$ magnesite within the pressure range of the Earth’s mantle based on a novel force field. The lattice parameters and elastic constants as a function of pressure up to 150 GPa are calculated. The results are in good agreement with the available experimental data and previous theoretical results, showing no phase transition over the pressure range of interest. We also found that magnesite exhibits a strong anisotropy throughout the lower mantle and that the nature of the anisotropy changes significantly with depth.

The hillocks on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface induced by highly charged Ar q + , Xe q + ions are studied by using molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations. And a hybrid potential created by combining the ReaxFF potential with the repulsive ZBL potential is used to describe the interatomic interactions. The effects of incident highly charged ion (HCI)’s kinetic energy and the energy gain due to the interaction of HCI with its own image on the formation of the hillocks are considered in the present simulations. Our results show that both potential and kinetic energy of HCI may affect the hillock size. However, the potential energy of HCI increases dramatically with charge state, which is more important than kinetic energy in the formation of the hillock in extremely high charge states. And it is found that both the height and width of the hillock agree well with experimental data. In addition, the bond breaking and bond formation during the formation of the hillock are also investigated, and the results show that there are many σ bonds breaking and interlayer bonds formation in one layer or between two layers during this process. Furthermore, most of the interlayer bonds in HOPG surface induced by HCI impact are sp 2 bond, although some interlayer sp 3 bonds are also observed in the present work.

Objective Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by the formation of joint synovitis and pannus. Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is an important mediator related to angiogenesis, inflammation and autoimmunity. As Geniposide (GE) has potent immuno-modulation function, we investigated the effects on the dynamic balance of angiogenesis-related factors and Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1)-S1P-S1P receptor 1 (S1PR1) signal transduction in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) rats. Method The model evaluation was performed from paw swelling degree, arthritis index and movement score. The immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to study the microvascular density (MVD) and pro/anti-angiogenic factors levels. The cell viability was examined by cell counting kit-8 assay. SphK1, S1PR1 mRNA and protein levels in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Results The results showed that GE can apparently suppressed the inflammatory pathological status. The arthritis index, paw swelling and MVD of AA rats were decreased with dose dependence (⁎P Conclusion It indicated that GE reduces the activity of SphK1 by restoring the dynamic balance between pro/anti-angiogenic factors, thereby interfering with SphK1-S1P-S1PR1 signal transduction, reducing the formation of synovial microvessels and exerting anti-angiogenesis effect of RA.

Geniposide (GE) is an active component isolated from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis that has anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological effects; however, the underlying mechanism of GE action has not been elucidated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Previous studies have shown that GE plays a therapeutic role in RA via regulation of the integrin beta 1 (Itgβ1)-mediated Ras-Erk1/2 signalling pathway. However, the specific mechanism of GE action on Itgβ1 has not been clarified. Recent evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the development of RA. In this study, we developed a miRNA-124a-based synoviocyte repair strategy. We demonstrated that miRNA-124a can directly inhibit the expression of the Itgβ1 gene and decrease TNF-α-stimulated cell proliferation in vitro. MH7A cells were obtained from the patient with RA and treated with GE in the presence of TNF-α (10 ng/mL). Additionally, we demonstrated that the expression of miRNA-124a can be regulated by GE. GE upregulated the expression of miRNA-124a and decreased the expression of Itgβ1 at the mRNA and protein levels. The results of the present study are the first to suggest that GE inhibits TNF-α-stimulated cell proliferation and blocks the activation of the Ras-Erk1/2 pathway via the upregulation of miRNA-124a expression. Our study elucidates the role of miRNA-124a as a protected miRNA in RA and may provide a novel strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of RA in the future.

Geniposide (GE), an iridoid glycoside compound derived from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruit, is known to have anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective mechanism of GE in the regulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway and the cross-talk among the MAPK signalling pathway in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) of adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats. AA was induced by injecting with Freund’s complete adjuvant. Male SD rats and FLS were subjected to treatment with GE (30, 60 and 120 mg/kg) in vivo from day 14 to 21 after immunization and GE (25, 50 and 100 μg/mL) in vitro, respectively. The proliferation of FLS was assessed by MTT. IL-4, IL-17, IFN-γ, and TGF-β1 were determined by ELISA. Key proteins in the MAPK signalling pathway were detected by Western blot. GE significantly reduced the proliferation of FLS, along with decreased IFN-γ and IL-17 and increased IL-4 and TGF-β1. In addition, GE decreased the expression of p-JNK, p-ERK1/2 and p-p38 in FLS of AA rats. Furthermore, disrupting one MAPK pathway inhibited the activation of other MAPK pathways, suggesting cross-talk among MAPK signalling. In vivo study, it was also observed that GE attenuated histopathologic changes in the synovial tissue of AA rats. Collectively, the mechanisms by which GE exerts anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects may be related to the synergistic effect of JNK, ERK1/2 and p38. Targeting MAPK signalling may be a new therapeutic strategy in inflammatory/autoimmune diseases.

Rationale Microdialysis has been used to detect the concentrations of drugs in tissues. Geniposide (GE), an iridoid glycoside compound, is the main bioactive component of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruit. We previously demonstrated that GE could control the activity of cytokines and reduce levels of inflammation in adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats, but the topic of concentration changes over time in the joint synovia of AA is scarcely studied. Methods In this study, microdialysis technique combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) was set up and confirmed to assay GE in the dialysate of the joint cavity in AA rats. Mass detection was conducted in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with negative electro-spray ionization, and Paeoniflorin (Pae) was used as an internal standard (IS). Results A lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of 5 ng/mL was found in this method and with good linearity in the range of 5-4000 ng/mL. All the validation data including accuracy, precision, intra and inter-day repeatability and stability meet the requirements. The relative recoveries of GE were determined at approximately 40.01%. Conclusions The measurements based on microdialysis combined with UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS provide a method for sampling and rapid sensitive analysis of GE in dialysate of joint cavity in AA rats. This method should be considered for future pharmacokinetics studies.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, Th1 cytokine-predominant autoimmune disease result in a chronic and inflammatory disorder. Geniposide (GE), an iridoid glycoside compound that is purified from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, has antiinflammatory and other immunoregulatory effects, but its exact mechanism of actions on RA is unknown. The aim of this study was to elucidate antiinflammation effects of GE on adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats and its possible immune tolerance mechanisms. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered with GE (30, 60, and 120 mg/kg) orally from day 17 to 24 after immunization. Lymphocyte proliferation was assessed by MTT. Levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, and transforming growth factor-β1 were tested by ELISA. The expression of β2-AR, GRK2, and β-arrestin-1 and β-arrestin-2 was detected by western blot. Geniposide was found to relieve the secondary hind paw swelling and arthritis scores, along with attenuating histopathologic changes and decreasing IL-2 and increasing IL-4, transforming growth factor-β1 in mesenteric lymph node (MLN) lymphocytes of AA rats. In addition, GE in vivo increased the expression of β2-AR and decreased the expression of GRK2, β-arrestin-1 and β-arrestin-2, and level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate of MLN lymphocytes in AA rats. From these results, we can infer that GE on immune tolerance effects, β2-AR desensitization, and β2-AR-AC-cyclic adenosine monophosphate transmembrane signal transduction of MLN lymphocytes plays crucial roles in antiinflammatory and immunoregulatory pathogeneses of RA. Copyright © 2017 John WileySons, Ltd.

White continuum is generated from laser-induced air plasma by nanosecond laser at 355 nm. We investigate not only the spectral characteristics but also the temporal behavior of air plasma white continuum. The relationship between plasma spectra and laser energy density is explored, and the results show that a process of inverse bremsstrahlung type is the mechanism responsible for the breakdown. By adjusting the coupling angle between white continuum and optical fiber, the pulse duration can be controlled as short as ~10 ns. Furthermore, two nanosecond broadband beams with almost the similar characteristics ranging from 400 nm to 700 nm are obtained, which can be employed in transient absorption spectroscopy study.

Transient absorption and luminescence spectra at sub-damage site of K9 glass by laser irradiation at 355 nm are presented. The dependence of transient absorption on laser energy and number of pulses was investigated. As the energy density increases to 2.54 and 3.18 J/cm 2 , the transient absorption intensity reaches to about 0.20 range from 400 to 480 nm. With the increase of number of pulses the process of residual absorption appears, which can be used to explain the fatigue effect of K9 glass. The defects in K9 glass were investigated by fluorescence and Raman spectra. The fluorescence band centered at about 410 nm is attributed to oxygen deficiency centers. The mechanism of two-photon ionization plays a critical role at sub-damage site. Compared to the Raman spectra of pristine site, intensity of Raman spectra is very high at a lower energy density, while it decreased at a higher energy density.

In order to predict the flush performances of digital toilet products before mass production, a numerical simulation for a three-dimensional unsteady multi-phase flow in the flushing process of a wash-down toilet is carried out by using FLUENT software. The finite volume method (FVM) is used to discrete the three governing equations in space and time. The discrete equations are solved by using the first-order upwind discretization scheme and the PISO pressure-velocity coupling scheme. The realizable turbulence model is chosen as the viscous model to treat the fluid flow with large bending curvature wall. The volume of fluid (VOF) model is applied to solve the transient free-surface problem. First, a two-phase flow was simulated on the assumption that there is not sewage but water in the trap seal. Then, by simplifying the mixture of sewage and water in the trap seal as the third phase with high viscosity, a three-phase flow was simulated. Moreover, in order to validate the simulated results, a flushing testing was conducted to test the flush range, and a target type flow meter was designed, calibrated and applied to test the flush velocity. The comparisons show a good agreement between the numerical and experimental results. Based on the verified simulation results, the flush performances of the digital wash-down toilet, such as flush range, flush velocity and sewage replacement ability, can be predicted and evaluated.

Agricultural informatization provides an essential power support to the modern agriculture development. The significance of speeding up the progress of agricultural information for new rural construction and some constrain factors on that process was analyzed in this paper. Also, some suggestions on agricultural informatization process acceleration were proposed from different perspectives.

The hot compression tests on a Gleeble-1500D thermal mechanics simulator were carried out under the strain rate range of 1~ 0.005s-1 at the temperature range of 873-1373K in order to evaluate the constitutive equation of 5Cr21Mn9Ni4N valve steel. All of the flow stress curves exhibit a single peak stress, after which the stress is followed by a steady state regime. The results indicate that the deforming behavior is strongly depending on the strain rate and the deforming temperature. According the experimental data, the hyperbolic law is used to develop the constitutive equations. In the constitutive equations, the effect of the deforming temperature and the strain rate are represented by the Zener-Hollomam parameter. And the flow stress curves are coinciding with the constitutive equation of .

Based on “length and energy scale matching” theory, we put forward a model for the Ar17+ion in grazing incidence on an Al surface. Using the model and a more detailed side feeding rate, the inner-shell filling and X-ray emission of the incident Ar17+ion are minutely studied. The results show that the final charged state of the ion gradually increases with increasing incident velocity, which is in accordance with experimental results. The central energies of K X-ray lines (Kαand Kβ) are mainly influenced by the vertical energy of the ion, that is, for a given incident angle the X-ray spectrum from the ion with bigger incident energy is dominated by the decay of the ion with fewer L- and M-shell vacancies. However, the intensity of the lines depends not only on the vertical velocity, but also the horizontal velocity of the incident ion. In addition, both of the K X-ray lines have large widths, which shows that they are emitted from an ion with a broad spectrum of L- and M-shell populations.

Geniposide (GE), an iridoid glycoside compound purified from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, has antiinflammatory and other pharmacological effects, but its mechanism of actions on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have not been clarified. The purpose of this article was to investigate the pharmacological effects of GE on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats and its feasible mechanisms. Collagen-induced arthritis was induced by injection of chicken type II collagen emulsion. The rats were orally administered with GE (33, 66, and 132 mg/kg) from days 14 to 30 after immunization. The histological examination showed that GE could attenuate histopathologic changes of mesenteric lymph node (MLN) in CIA rats. Geniposide inhibited the production of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-17, while promoting the production of IL-4 and transforming growth factor-beta 1 in MLN lymphocytes (MLNLs). Moreover, the proliferation capability of MLNLs was increased after the administration of GE. In addition, the treatment with GE in vivo decreased the expressions of P-Raf, P-MEK, and P-Erk1/2 in MLNLs. These results may highlight the antiinflammatory effects and possible mechanisms of GE in MLNLs of RA. Copyright © 2017 John WileySons, Ltd.

Context: Development of a reliable and selective anti-inflammatory agent of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), induced or up-regulated by inflammatory/injury stimulus such as IL-1β, TNF-α and LPS in the various types of organs, tissues and cells, with low side effects is a long-standing medicinal chemistry problem with significant social implications.Objective: To target druggable enzymome COX-2 by exploiting NSAIDs and genipin (GEP) in anti-inflammatory infection.Materials and methods: The compound aspirin GEP ester (AGE) was designed by computer-assisted screening, synthesized in the esterification of the acylate derivative and the methylate derivative with Et3N, and evaluated with 20, 40 and 60 mg/kg from days 18 to 24 after immunization in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats by the sequential enzymatic experiments, western-blot analysis and pathological observation methods.Results: AGE exhibited higher binding affinity with COX-1 and displayed the lowest estimated free energy with COX-2 than other li...

A comprehensive experiment was conducted for heat transfer characteristics for an array of impinging gaseous slot jets to a flat plate with strong turbulence (nozzle exit Reynolds number Re=22500~64700).Find that turbulence intensity of flow has an important influence on local forced convective heat transfer coefficient. Meanwhile, the nozzle-to-plate spacing and nozzle exit Reynolds number Re would affect the mean forced convective heat transfer coefficient of the slot jets. And heat transfer efficiency of slot jets has been set to show the relation between ability of the jets and energy consumption of gas supply.

In numerical manifold schemes for direct solution of steady Navier-Stokes equations, mixed cover for velocity and pressure was adopted in finite element cover system. The patch test of numerical schemes was investigated, mixed cover manifold element has been proved to meet the stability conditions, and can be applied to directly solve Navier-Stokes equations coupled velocity and pressure. As an application, the numerical manifold schemes were used to simulate the steady flow past a step. Numerical solutions illustrate the stability of numerical manifold schemes, and it indicates that manifold method is an effective numerical method for steady Navier-Stokes equations.

To form the thick-plate with the tubular bulge, the backward and forward extrusion and punch process is proposed. The thickness of sheet metal, the inner diameter of tubular bulge, the diameter of punch-die, the forward extrusion depth and other process parameters are set by orthogonal regression design method and these groups of values are used respectively to simulate the combined extruding and punching process by the plastic analysis software DEFORM3D. And then, the linear regression equation is obtained between the bulge height and process parameters. The results indicate that the main factors affecting the bulge height are the thickness of sheet metal and diameter of punch-die within a certain range. However, the inner diameter of tubular bulge and the forward extrusion depth have a little contribute to bulge height. Also, the reliability of linear regression equation is not fine and the prediction model of tubular bulge needs to a more in-depth study.

International audience; Unlike other large rivers flowing out of Tibet, the Yellow River escapes from the plateau towards the NE crossing no less than five NW-SE striking, actively growing ranges and intervening basins. Thick Plio-Quaternary deposits and fluvial terraces testify to a phase of aggra- dation and sediment infill up to the average surface elevation (3200 - 3250 m a.s.l.) of the Gonghe, Guide and Qinghai Lake basins. A set of seven main terraces across the Gonghe Basin suggests progressive down-cutting of the Yellow River carving the 500 m deep Longyang gorge at the basin exit. 10Be and 26Al concentrations in quartz of surface and sub-surface samples of four terraces constrain the timing of incision by determining the burial age of the deposit and the exposure age of its surface. Modelling the depth dependence of the 10Be concentration and the 26Al/10Be ratio allows us to constrain the onset of the ongoing phase of incision to 120-250 ka. These ages suggest long-term incision rates between 2-6 mm/a. Together with the present morphology of the Yellow River terraces across the Gonghe basin and the Longyang gorge, our results imply rapid river catchment evolution and interaction between river dynamics, tectonic and climate in northeastern Tibet.

Microdialysis, a sampling method for pharmacokinetics–pharmacodynamics (PK–PD) modeling in preclinical and clinical studies, is a convenient in vivo sampling technique. Geniposide (GE), an iridoid glycoside compound, is the major active ingredient of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruit which has an anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, an articular cavity microdialysis sampling system for adjuvant arthritic (AA) rats was established to study the effect of GE on the release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in AA rats induced by Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA). An UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed to determine the concentrations of GE and PGE2 in the dialysate. Through the determination of drug concentrations and PGE2 efficacy levels in the dialysate, the developed methods were successfully applied to set up concentration–time and effect–time profiles followed by PK–PD modeling of GE’s effect on decreasing PGE2 release after oral administration of GE. The effect was well described by the developed PK–PD modeling, indicating that GE may play an anti-inflammatory role via decreasing AA-induced elevated PGE2 levels. In the selection of suitable endogenous small molecules as effect markers, the establishment of AA rat joint-cavity microdialysis is an attractive technique for rational PK–PD studies.

The interaction of equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) with precipitation hardening during warm ECAE at 180°C in a Al-4.3 wt.% Mg-1.2 wt.% Cu alloy, annealed at various stages of ageing, was studied by room temperature compression tests and transmission electron microscopy. It was observed that peak aged samples lose much of their strength during ECAE due to fragmentation of precipitates. The highest strength after four ECAE passes (route Bc) at 180°C is obtained with samples in the under-aged condition although in this case dissolution of precipitates into the matrix occurs. After four ECAE passes fine equiaxed grains with an average size of approximately 200 nm with some traces of remnant elongated grains were obtained.

A very sharp Brass {0 1 1}〈2 1 1〉 recrystallization texture with astonishingly high intensity has been successfully fabricated through rolling at room temperature by 98% and subsequent two-step annealing 423 K for 1200 s + 973 K for 5400 s in nitrogen in pure silver sheet that can be used as a substrate for coated Y-123 superconducting tapes without any buffer layers.

Texture transition in silver introduced by the addition of 10 at% Pd alloying element was analyzed in this study. Experimental results show that the dependence of rolling texture on rolling reduction in thickness rather than on rolling temperature has been mostly detected, and the recrystallization texture transition process in pure silver is so strongly influenced by the addition of alloying element palladium that the final stable state of recrystallization texture has been changed from Brass {011} orientation to Copper {112} orientation. The single cube {001} recrystallization texture in warm rolled silver, Brass {011} recrystallization texture in room-temperature rolled silver, and Copper {112} recrystallization texture in room-temperature rolled or warm rolled Ag-10 at% Pd alloy have been successfully developed for the fabrication of metallic substrates suitable for high-temperature superconducting tapes.

The Litang fault zone (LFZ) is an active fault zone within the northwestern Sichuan sub-block. Field investigation reveals new evidence for its late Quaternary offset, neoteric earthquake ruptures and surface-rupturing segmentation, from which long-term slip-rates, characteristic earthquake magnitudes and recurrence intervals on the fault zone are estimated. This study shows that the LFZ consists of three subordinate faults, and they are the northern Maoyaba fault, Litang fault and Kangga-Dewu fault, respectively. All of them are dominated by leftlateral strike-slip with reverse dipslip component on different segments. Based on offset landforms and ages of relevant deposits collected from seven sites, it is estimated that the average leftlateral slip-rate on the LFZ reaches 4.0±1.0 mm/a in the past 14 ka BP, and vertical (reverse) dipslip rate in the range of 0.1-1.8 mm/a. Three subordinate faults are independent earthquake rupturing segments, on which the maximum moment magnitude of the characteristic earthquakes is estimated to be 7.0–7.3, and their average recurrence interval to be 500–1000 a. The latest earthquake ruptures occurred 119±2 years ago on the northern Maoyaba fault, about 1890 AD on the Litang fault, and in 1948 AD on the Kangga-Dewu fault, and this may indicate a unidirectional migration for surface rupturing earthquakes along the Litang fault zone, related to stress triggering between the segments.

In order to demonstrate the effect of deformation temperature on texture formation in silver alloy sheet for superconducting types, the deformation and annealing textures of Ag-10 at% Pd alloy rolled at the temperatures from -1960C to 1600C and subsequently annealed were examined. A single Copper type texture with high intensity in ODFs has been realized in this study. Based on the experimental results, a metallurgical processing to get a sharp single orientation type texture in Ag-Pd alloy has been presented for manufacturing highly oriented superconducting substrate tapes.

In order to obtain a sharply cube textured silver sheet as the substrate for high temperature superconductor (HTS) film with high Jc (critical current density), warm rolling combined with two step annealing treatment has been performed to clarify the perspective of texture formation in pure silver. Two kinds of starting material, which are silver ingots of commercial purity obtained by casting in air and vacuum, were used to examine the effect of oxygen on texture development. The main feature of warm rolling texture obtained in this study was a strong Brass {011} component with minor S {123} component, and in some cases, cube {001} component or Copper {112} component appeared also depending on the warm rolling procedures. Upon crystallization, {001}, {124} and {13,6,15} orientations were formed as the dominant components in silver sheets and the relative amount of their orientation components depended on the concrete annealing conditions applied and on the oxygen content. A very sharp single-crystal like cube texture has been successfully realized in the specimen, which was cast in vacuum, warm rolled by 95 percent and subsequently annealed as 1500C×10 min-5000C×30 min in nitrogen. Finally, we discussed the technological basis on sharp cube texture formation in f.c.c. pure metals with low stacking fault energy.

Texture formation in pure silver was investigated in order to obtain sharply Brass {011} (211) type textured silver sheet that can be used as a substrate for Y-123 superconducting coated tapes without any buffer layers. The feature of recrystallization texture after the two-step annealing appeared as two peaks close to Goss {011}(100) orientation and Brass [011] (211) orientation respectively with other weak components along α-fiber in specimens rolled at room temperature, and only one peak close to Brass {011}(211) orientation with weak components limited to cube orientation, rotated cube orientation and orientation close to Copper {112}(111) orientation in those warm rolled at 150°C. By using the improved metallurgical processing, a very sharp Brass {011}(211) type texture has been successfully realized in specimen, which was cast in vacuum, warm rolled by 92% at 150°C and subsequently annealed as 200°C-20 min + 800°C-180 min in nitrogen. There are some critical conditions on the formation of sharp Brass {011}(211) type recrystallization texture: a low oxygen content in the starting material, elevated rolling temperature, and the selection of lower primary recrystallization temperature of two-step annealing process.

In order to demonstrate the effect of deformation temperature on texture formation in silver alloy sheet for superconducting tapes, the rolling and annealing textures of Ag-10 mol% Pd alloy rolled at the temperatures from-196 to 160°C and subsequently annealed were examined in detail. The roll ing texture for all deformed specimens rolled at temperatures from -196 to 160°C consisted of a certain component near the Brass {110} (112) orientation with some weak components. During annealing procedure, the characteristic components of deformation texture disappeared quickly in specimens rolled at room temperature or -196°C but slowly in those warm-rolled at 120°C or 160°C. The Copper component was found to be formed by higher temperature annealing in specimens warm-rolled at 160°C and those rolled at room temperature. Above all, a single {112} (111) Copper type texture with high intensity in ODFs has been realized in three different specimens, which were rolled by 92% at room temperature or warm-rolled by 92% or 95% at 160°C and subsequently annealed as 200°C-10 min + 500°C-30 min + 800°C-180 min + 950°C-180 min respectively. From the experimental results obtained here, a metallurgical processing to get a sharp single orientation type texture in Ag-10mol% Pd alloy was presented for the development of new technology on oriented superconducting substrate tapes.

In order to obtain a sharply textured silver sheet with a single orientation as a substrate, which is favorable for high temperature superconductor (HTS) film having high Jc (critical current density), the sheet metallurgical processing of pre-heated rolling combined with two step annealing treatment has been performed. We used two kinds of starting material, which are silver ingots of commercial purity obtained by casting in air and vacuum, to examine the effect of oxygen on texture development. The main feature of warm rolling texture obtained in this study was a strong Brass {011}‹211› component with minor S {123}‹412› component, and in some cases, cube {001}‹100› component or Copper {112}‹111› component appears also depending on the warm rolling procedures. Upon crystallization, it has been found that cube {001}‹100›, {124}‹4, 12, 7› and {13, 6, 15}‹365› orientations were formed as the dominant components in silver sheets and the relative amount of their orientation components depended on the concrete annealing conditions applied after the warm rolling and on the oxygen content. A very sharp single-crystal like cube texture has been successfully obtained in the specimen, which was cast “in vacuum”, warm rolled at 95 percent and subsequently annealed 10 minutes at 150°C and 30 minutes at 500°C in nitrogen. Finally, we discussed the technological basis on sharp cube texture formation in fcc pure metals with low stacking fault energy.

Flexoelectricity is referred as an instantaneous polarization of dielectrics in response to non-uniform strains or strain gradients. Due to the fact that strain gradients are inversely proportional to the feature size of structures, the flexoelectricity is believed to be significant at the nano-scale. Based on the extended linear piezoelectricity theory, this work attempts to investigate the flexoelectric effect upon the electromechanical coupling of a piezoelectric nanoplate by developing a modified Kirchhoff plate model. Simulation results on the electroelastic fields indicate that the flexoelectric effect is size-dependent, which is more prominent for thinner plates with smaller thickness. It is also observed that the effect of the flexoelectricity upon the electromechanical coupling of the piezoelectric nanoplate is sensitive to the applied electric voltage. This study aims to establish a further understanding of the flexoelectric effect on the electromechanical coupling of piezoelectric nanomaterials, thus provide guidance for the design and applications of piezoelectric nanostructures.