Synergistic and protective effect of atorvastatin and amygdalin against histopathological and biochemical alterations in Sprague-Dawley rats with experimental endometriosis

Abstract The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of combined atorvastatin and amygdalin in a rat model of endometriosis. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 levels in the peritoneal fluid were determined. The expression of TNF-α, IL-6, MMP-2, and MMP-9 mRNA, and the levels of lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) were measured. Histopathological analysis was also conducted. The results showed that peritoneal TNF-α, IL-6, MMP-2, and MMP-9 levels were reduced by > 50%, and mRNA expression was decreased. Lipid peroxidation was considerably reduced, while GSH, SOD, Gpx, and catalase levels increased by > 40%. Reductions in leukocyte infiltration and fibrosis following treatment were also observed. Thus, our study suggested that combined treatment consisting of atorvastatin and amygdalin attenuates endometriosis. A detailed investigation of molecular mechanism of atorvastatin and amygdalin in endometriosis is needed

Finite-Element Analysis of High-Strength Steel Extended End-Plate Connections under Cyclic Loading

In order to examine the seismic behavior of high-strength steel extended end-plate connections, a three-dimensional efficient finite-element model in Abaqus was established subjected to cyclic loading at the beam end. Geometrical dimensions, boundary conditions, element types, contact properties between the bolts, end-plate and column flange, and material cyclic constitutive models were described in detail. Geometry and material nonlinearity were adequately considered. In particular, a cyclic plasticity model for high-strength steels was employed that was easily calibrated based on the tension coupon test, so as to describe the complicated cyclic hardening and softening response. The simulated results of the finite-element model were compared to the test ones in terms of both deformation modes and hysteresis loops. The results showed that the bending deformation of the end-plate and column flange was accurately captured, and the gap phenomena among the bolt nuts, the end-plate, and column flange was described in a satisfactory manner as well. The hysteresis loops from the simulation agreed well with the test results, reproducing the pinched shape due to the end-plate gap evolution under cyclic loading as well as the quite plump shape with stable energy dissipation when the panel zone dominated the cyclic response. Therefore, the accuracy of the finite-element model was verified and it provided a strong benchmark tool for investigating the cyclic or seismic performance of this kind of connection. The connection failure including the bolt fracture and cracking in the end-plate needs further numerical study by calibrating accurate material failure models for high-strength steels and bolts

Simulation Analysis and Multiobjective Optimization of Pulverization Process of Seed-Used Watermelon Peel Pulverizer Based on EDEM

To enhance the utilization of seed-used watermelon peel and mitigate environmental pollution, a hammer-blade seed-used watermelon peel crusher was designed and manufactured, and its structure and working parameters were optimized. Initially, the seed-used watermelon peel crusher and seed-used watermelon peel model were constructed, and the model’s parameters were calibrated. Subsequently, the discrete element method (EDEM2022) was employed to investigate the effects of spindle speed (MSS), the number of hammers (NCB), and feeding volume (FQ) on the pulverizing process. Multivariate nonlinear regression prediction models were developed for the percentage of pulverized particle size less than 8 mm (Psv), pulverizing efficiency (Ge), and power density (Ppd), followed by the analysis of influencing factors and prediction models using ANOVA. The multiobjective optimization of the prediction model utilizing the improved hybrid metacellular genetic algorithm CellDE resulted in solutions of 90.02%, 89.57%, and 8.35 × 10−3 t/(h-kw) for Psv-opt, Ge-opt, and Ppd-opt, respectively. The corresponding optimal interaction values of MSS, NCB, and FQ were determined to be 1500 r/min, 108, and 150 kg/min. Finally, a prototype test was conducted by combining the optimal factor interaction values, yielding statistically calculated values of 96.63%, 92.37%, and 7.76 × 10−3 t/(h-kw) for Psv-pr, Ge-pr, and Ppd-pr, respectively. The results indicate that the optimized values of Psv-opt, Ge-opt, and Ppd-opt models have an error of less than 8% compared to the statistically calculated values of the prototype test and outperform the values of Psv-ori, Ge-ori, and Ppd-ori obtained under the original parameters

Multi-scale effects of landscape on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in a subtropical agricultural watershed: A case of Qi river basin (QRB), China

Studying the temporal and spatial relationship between water body nutrients and landscape elements in the agricultural watershed will be helpful in revealing the process of non-point source pollution (NPSP). In order to quantitatively analyze the effects of landscape elements on nitrogen and phosphorus at multiple scales, the Qi River basin located at the tail of the Three Gorges Reservoir was selected as the study area, and various methods such as t-test, one-way analysis of variance, pearson correlation and redundancy analysis were used. The results showed that the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) parameters in the dry season were higher than those in the rainy season, and the spatial differences of N and P in the watershed were significant (with the 95 % level). This may be due to the difference in surface runoff, which led to higher nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in dry season than in rainy season. Built land percetage (BLP), the largest patch index and the paddy land percentage had the largest coefficients of variation (greater than 40 %). The 100 m buffer zone had the lowest correlation with the catchment, and the 300–1000 m buffer zone had the strongest correlation. The correlation coefficient in the rainy season was greater than that in the dry season. The interpretation rate of all selected indicators in the rainy season exceeded 51.87 % (significant with the 95 % confidence level), while the dry season on the same scale increased by 7.12 %-14.28 % (significant with the 95 % confidence level). Topography and land use/cover had obvious effects on N and P parameters in water bodies. N and P were typically positively correlated with paddy land percentage, dry land percentage and built land percentage, patch density and Shannon diversity index, but they had a negative correlation with the largest patch index. The optimal spatial scale of N and P management in the rainy season was within the buffer range of 100 m–500 m, while the optimal management scale in the dry season was the 500 m buffer and catchment. The amount of N and P entering the river could be reduced to varying degrees by setting up hedges and increasing the route into the river. The results of this study will be helpful for the prevention and control of NPSP in the subtropical basin

Automatic Masseter Muscle Accurate Segmentation from CBCT Using Deep Learning-Based Model

Segmentation of the masseter muscle (MM) on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is challenging due to the lack of sufficient soft-tissue contrast. Moreover, manual segmentation is laborious and time-consuming. The purpose of this study was to propose a deep learning-based automatic approach to accurately segment the MM from CBCT under the refinement of high-quality paired computed tomography (CT). Fifty independent CBCT and 42 clinically hard-to-obtain paired CBCT and CT were manually annotated by two observers. A 3D U-shape network was carefully designed to segment the MM effectively. Manual annotations on CT were set as the ground truth. Additionally, an extra five CT and five CBCT auto-segmentation results were revised by one oral and maxillofacial anatomy expert to evaluate their clinical suitability. CBCT auto-segmentation results were comparable to the CT counterparts and significantly improved the similarity with the ground truth compared with manual annotations on CBCT. The automatic approach was more than 332 times shorter than that of a human operation. Only 0.52% of the manual revision fraction was required. This automatic model could simultaneously and accurately segment the MM structures on CBCT and CT, which can improve clinical efficiency and efficacy, and provide critical information for personalized treatment and long-term follow-up

Rational Design of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Electrocatalysts for Commercial Alkaline Water Electrolysis

With the further exploitation of renewable energy sources, electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is considered a key technology to solve environmental problems and achieve global carbon neutrality. Currently, alkaline water electrolyzers (AWEs) have been revitalized as a traditional electrolytic water production industry, yet they face great challenges in achieving new technological breakthroughs due to the catalytic properties of electrode materials. In alkaline media, besides the slow kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction, the sluggish HER needing water dissociation and the mass transfer problems at high current densities are among the major factors limiting the development of alkaline water electrolysis for industrial applications. Therefore, it is of great importance to design HER electrocatalysts with high activity and stability at high current densities (>500 mA cm−2) for industrial applications at the “Research and Development level” (R&D level). Herein, a brief overview of the development of AWEs at the industrial scale is presented, and some mainstream recognized catalysis mechanisms for HER in alkaline electrolytes are summarized. Based on the requirements of industrial application and theoretical guidance, the activation strategies of HER electrocatalysts are also summarized. This review will propose new insights into the future development of alkaline water electrolysis