Glycyrrhizin could reduce ocular hypertension induced by triamcinolone acetonide in rabbits

Purpose: To evaluate the hypotensive effects of glycyrrhizin (GL) on a rabbit model of ocular hypertension (OH) induced by triamcinolone acetonide (TA). Methods: Forty New Zealand White Rabbits were divided as follows: control (intravitreal injection of sterile saline solution); GL (intravitreal injection of sterile saline solution, then fed with 25mg GL/day); TA (intravitreal TA injection); TA+GL (intravitreal TA injection, then fed with GL) and GL+TA (pre-treated with GL for 3 days, then got TA injection and the following GL treatment). Intraocular pressure (IOP), flash electroretinogram (flash ERG) and flash visual evoked potential (flash VEP) were measured during the follow-up (28 days). The aqueous humor was analyzed, using (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and principal components analysis (PCA). Results: IOP elevation was observed in the TA group during the follow-up, compared to the controls (p<0.01). The IOP was decreased in the TA+GL group and the GL+TA group, compared to the TA group (p<0.05). Both in flash ERG and VEP, the amplitudes were decreased, and the implicit time was prolonged in the TA group, compared to the controls (p<0.05); and the parameters were improved after intervention of GL, compared to the TA group (p<0.05). PCA results indicated that TA could affect ocular metabolism (especially the sugar metabolism), and GL could inhibit it. Conclusions: The administration of GL could suppress OH induced by TA in rabbits, and improve their electrophysiological parameters. Metabolomics is a useful tool in ophthalmology research. Our results indicate that TA-induced ocular metabolism changes could be compensated by GL.Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyOphthalmologySCI(E)6ARTICLE2242056-20641

Research on Two Dimensional Code Encryption Method Based on Embedded Device

As the carrier of information storage, the generation standard and identification method of two-dimensional code are shared. A set of unified standards used, but without corresponding encryption measures, it is difficult to ensure that the two-dimensional code information will not be attacked and tampered by criminals in the process of transmission, resulting in information security risks. With the intellectualization of embedded devices, two-dimensional code has found an increasingly wide application, but its safety issue is becoming more and more prominent. This paper proposes a two-dimensional code encryption method based on embedded devices. In this paper, AES symmetric encryption algorithm which ensures both encryption and decryption speed and security is selected to encrypt the two-dimensional code. Key expansion with the traditional AES encryption algorithm has some flaws in that once a key in one of the rounds is intercepted, the previous and the following subkeys will be calculated through fixed algorithm. Random function is used to improve the generating algorithm of expanded keys, hence enhancing the anti-attack ability of the encryption algorithm. By putting random function and g function into Cloud for operation, the speed of encryption and decoding QR code of the embedded device is increased. The test results show that the system designed in this paper can effectively hide the information contained in the QR code picture, which shows that this method ensures high security

Quantum coherence and site distinguishability for a single electron in nonuniform lattice systems

Quantum coherence C and site distinguishability DQ are studied for an electron in several typical nonuniform lattice systems. Numerical results show that both C and DQ can reflect electron localization properties. At Anderson transition, an electron exhibiting relatively more wavelike behavior changes to relatively more particlelike behavior

Edge detection depends on achromatic channel in Drosophila melanogaster

Edges represent important information in object recognition, and thus edge detection is crucial for animal survival. Various types of edges result from visual contrast, such as luminance contrast and color contrast. So far, the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying edge detection and the relationship between different edge information-processing pathways have been largely undemonstrated. In the present study, using a color light-emitting-diode-based Buridan's paradigm, we demonstrated that a blue/green demarcation is able to generate edge-orientation behavior in the adult fly. There is a blue/green intensity ratio, the so-called point of equal luminance, at which wild-type flies did not show obvious orientation behavior towards edges. This suggests that orientation behavior towards edges is dependent on luminance contrast in Drosophila. The results of mutants ninaE(17) and sev(LY3); rh5(2); rh6(1) demonstrated that achromatic R1-R6 photoreceptor cells, but not chromatic R7/R8 photoreceptor cells, were necessary for orientation behavior towards edges. Moreover, ectopic expression of rhodopsin 4 (Rh4), Rh5 or Rh6 could efficiently restore the edge-orientation defect in the ninaE(17) mutant. Altogether, our results show that R1-R6 photoreceptor cells are both necessary and sufficient for orientation behavior towards edges in Drosophila

Environmental regulation, hidden economy, and China's outward foreign direct investment

The need to balance economic growth and its environmental impact continues to be a serious issue in China. As environmental regulation in China increases in importance, it is critical to understand how it impacts economic growth drivers such as outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) to formulate effective policies. One consideration should be the hidden economy, which can weaken the effects of environmental regulation on OFDI. This study investigates the scale of the hidden economy in 30 provinces and province-level municipalities in China in the period 2004 to 2015. The study uses the multiple indicators and multiple causes (MIMIC) model and the systematic generalized method of moments (GMM) test to analyze the impact of environmental regulation and the hidden economy on China's OFDI. The results show that stronger environmental regulation promotes OFDI. However, the hidden economy inhibits China's OFDI, as the positive effects of environmental regulation that drive OFDI are distorted. From a regional perspective, stronger environmental regulation promotes OFDI as well, while the hidden economy inhibits it. The interaction between environmental regulation and the hidden economy also inhibits it significantly

Stabilizing Buried Interface via Synergistic Effect of Fluorine and Sulfonyl Functional Groups Toward Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract The interfacial defects and energy barrier are main reasons for interfacial nonradiative recombination. In addition, poor perovskite crystallization and incomplete conversion of PbI2 to perovskite restrict further enhancement of the photovoltaic performance of the devices using sequential deposition. Herein, a buried interface stabilization strategy that relies on the synergy of fluorine (F) and sulfonyl (S=O) functional groups is proposed. A series of potassium salts containing halide and non-halogen anions are employed to modify SnO2/perovskite buried interface. Multiple chemical bonds including hydrogen bond, coordination bond and ionic bond are realized, which strengthens interfacial contact and defect passivation effect. The chemical interaction between modification molecules and perovskite along with SnO2 heightens incessantly as the number of S=O and F augments. The chemical interaction strength between modifiers and perovskite as well as SnO2 gradually increases with the increase in the number of S=O and F. The defect passivation effect is positively correlated with the chemical interaction strength. The crystallization kinetics is regulated through the compromise between chemical interaction strength and wettability of substrates. Compared with Cl−, all non-halogen anions perform better in crystallization optimization, energy band regulation and defect passivation. The device with potassium bis (fluorosulfonyl) imide achieves a tempting efficiency of 24.17%

Geochemical Behaviors of Heavy Metal(loid)s in Soil Ferromanganese Nodules in Typical Karst Areas in Southwest China

The ferromanganese nodules (FMNs) developing in soils of karst regions are naturally characterized by high heavy metal(loid)s contents due to several geological factors. Soil FMNs can considerably influence the geochemical behaviors of soil heavy metal(loid)s. However, the mechanisms of the FMN effects in soils of karst areas soils remain unclear, resulting in less understanding of the development process of karst soils. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate 21 individual FMNs collected in soils derived from carbonate rocks in Guangxi province, China, to reveal the mechanisms of heavy metal(loid)s enrichment in FMNs. The studied soil FMNs were mainly composed of Fe2O3, SiO2, Al2O3, MnO2, and TiO2, with proportions of 25.95, 20.8, 19.07, 3.98, and 1.23%, respectively. Compared to the background soils of Guangxi, the soil FMNs exhibited great enrichment in heavy metal(loid)s. The enrichment factors followed the order of Cd (243.33), Cr (49.67), Cu (5.46), Ni (8.37), Pb (23.68), Zn (15.4), and As (20.11). The heavy metal(loid)s contents in the soil FMNs of the karst areas were much higher than those observed in non-karst areas worldwide. According to the principal component analysis (PCA) results, the first three principal components contributed to about 88.81% of the total variance of the FMN compositions. PC1 (50.90%) suggested the presence of quartz, feldspar, and clay minerals-related elements in the soil FMNs, whereas PC2 (27.10%) and PC3 (10.81%) indicated the presence of Mn(oxyhydr)oxides and Fe(oxyhydr)oxides-related elements in the soil FMNs, respectively. The obtained selective extraction results demonstrated that up to 93% of the total contents of heavy metal(loid)s, namely, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Zn, were bound to Mn(oxyhydr)oxides. In contrast, oxyanionic species (As and Cr) were predominantly sequestered in Fe(oxyhydr)oxides