52 research outputs found

    Investigating Key Targets of Dajianzhong Decoction for Treating Crohn’s Disease Using Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network

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    Background: Crohn’s disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease, cases of which have substantially increased in recent years. The classical formula Dajianzhong decoction (DD, Japanese: Daikenchuto) is often used to treat CD, but few studies have evaluated related therapeutic mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the potential targets and mechanisms of DD used for treating CD at the molecular level through the weighted gene co-expression network. Methods: The main chemical components of the three DD herbs (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim., Zingiber officinale (Willd.) Rosc., and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) were searched for using the HERB database. The targets for each component were identified using the SwissTargetPrediction and HERB databases, whereas the disease targets for CD were retrieved from the GeneCards and DisGeNET databases. The functional enrichment analysis was performed on the common targets of DD and CD. High-throughput sequencing data for CD patients were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and WGCNA was performed to identify the key targets. The association between the key targets and DD ingredients was verified using molecular docking. Results: By analyzing the interaction targets between DD and CD, 196 overlapping genes were identified. The enrichment results indicated that the PI3K-AKT, TNF, MAPK, and IL-17 signaling pathways influenced the mechanism of action of DD in counteracting CD. Combined with WGCNA, four differentially expressed genes (SLC6A4, NOS2, SHBG, and ABCB1) and their corresponding 24 compounds were closely related to the occurrence of CD. Conclusions: By integrating gene co-expression network analysis, this study preliminarily reveals the internal molecular mechanism of DD in treating CD from a systematic perspective, validated by molecular docking. However, these findings require further validation

    Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of Agricultural Land Eco-Efficiency: A Case Study of 128 Cities in the Yangtze River Basin

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    Analysis of spatiotemporal heterogeneity and evolutionary characteristics of agricultural land eco-efficiency is of great significance for achieving a rational use of natural resources and coordinated development of the agricultural economy as well as the ecological environment. In this study, we construct the “ecological space–agricultural production–carbon emission” framework, incorporate carbon emission intensity as an undesired output into the evaluation index system of agricultural land eco-efficiency, calculate the eco-efficiency of agricultural land in 128 cities in the Yangtze River basin from 2009 to 2018 by adopting the super-efficiency SBM model, and discuss the spatial and temporal changes using methodology such as hotspot analysis and kernel density estimation by ArcGIS. The results show the following. The overall trend of agricultural land eco-efficiency in the Yangtze River basin is increasing year by year and still has potential for improvement. However, there are significant discrepancies among cities, with the eco-efficiency of the downstream being much higher than that of the midstream and upstream regions, and demonstrating the pattern of “big dispersion–small agglomeration”. Some cities are still facing pressure to improve the eco-efficiency of agricultural land. Correspondingly, this paper puts forward optimization recommendations: Firstly, the downstream cities should give full play to their geographical advantages, actively introduce advanced production technologies, and reasonably allocate agricultural resources. Secondly, the upstream and midstream regions should formulate reasonable regional strategies in accordance with their natural resource endowments to improve the ecological benefits of agricultural land and narrow the regional disparities. This paper gives targeted policy recommendations at the levels of paying attention to education of farmers, providing incentives for ecological planting, strengthening agricultural infrastructure construction, reasonably controlling the use of agricultural materials, and increasing investment in agricultural pollutant emission management

    A novel method for improving interfacial joining strength of vacuum brazed TiAl/GH3536 thin-walled structure by Au coating

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    Lightweight components and materials based on the joining of dissimilar materials have attracted wide attention in aerospace field. To obtain the optimized micromorphology and interfacial microstructure of the brazed joints, a new method of Au layer deposition on TiAl base metal was proposed to assist the brazing of TiAl plate to GH3536 thin-walled structure. Significantly, the design of Au layer affected the brazing fillet, dissolution of GH3536 core and the evolution of interface, and then the maximum force under tensile loading of the hetero-thin-walled structure. The effect of Au layer thickness on the interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties was discussed in detail. Upon the deposition of an Au layer with a concentration of 0.2 wt% onto the TiAl plate, the load-bearing capacity of the brazed thin-walled structure was observed to undergo a significant enhancement. Specifically, the maximum force sustained under tensile loading was measured to be 391 N, thereby exhibiting a remarkable increase of 117 % relative to that of the Au-free system.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52175307 and 51905125) and the Taishan Scholars Foundation of Shandong Province, China (No. tsqn201812128)

    Diffusion Bonding of Ti<sub>2</sub>AlNb Alloy and High-Nb-Containing TiAl Alloy: Interfacial Microstructure and Mechanical Properties

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    In this study, reliable Ti2AlNb/high-Nb-containing TiAl alloy (TAN) joints were achieved by diffusion bonding. The effects of bonding temperature and holding time on the interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties were fully investigated. The interfacial structure of joints bonded at various temperatures and holding times was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that the typical microstructure of the Ti2AlNb substrate/O phase/Al(Nb,Ti)2 + Ti3Al/Ti3Al/TAN substrate was obtained at 970 &#176;C for 60 min under a pressure of 5 MPa. The formation of the O phase was earlier than the Al(Nb,Ti)2 phase when bonding temperature was relatively low. When bonding temperature was high enough, the Al(Nb,Ti)2 phase appeared earlier than the O phase. With the increase of bonding temperature and holding time, the Al(Nb,Ti)2 phase decomposed gradually. As the same time, continuous O phase layers became discontinuous and the Ti3Al phase coarsened. The maximum bonding strength of 66.1 MPa was achieved at 970 &#176;C for 120 min

    Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Ti<sub>2</sub>AlNb/GH99 Superalloy Brazed Joints Using TiZrCuNi Amorphous Filler Alloy

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    Dissimilar materials brazing of Ti2AlNb alloy to GH99 superalloy is of great pragmatic importance in the aerospace field, especially the lightweight space aircraft components manufacturing. In this work, TiZrCuNi amorphous filler alloy was used as brazing filler, and experiments were carried out at different brazing temperatures and times to investigate the changes in interfacial structures and properties of the joints. The typical interfacial microstructure was Ti2AlNb alloy/B2/β/Ti2Ni (Al, Nb) + B2/β + (Ti, Zr)2(Ni, Cu) + (Ti, Zr)(Ni, Cu)/(Cr, Ni, Ti) solid solution + (Ni, Cr) solid solution/GH99 superalloy when being brazed at 1000 °C for 8 min. The interfacial microstructure of the joints was influenced by diffusion and reaction between the filler alloy and the parent metal. The prolongation of brazing process parameters accelerated the diffusion and reaction of the liquid brazing alloy into both parent metals, which eventually led to the aggregation of (Ti, Zr)2(Ni, Cu) brittle phase and increased thickness of Ti2Ni (Al, Nb) layer. According to fracture analyses, cracks began in the Ti2Ni (Al, Nb) phase and spread with it as well as the (Ti, Zr)2(Ni, Cu) phase. The joints that were brazed at 1000 °C for 8 min had a maximum shear strength of ~216.2 MPa. Furthermore, increasing the brazing temperature or extending the holding time decreased the shear strength due to the coarse Ti2Ni (Al, Nb) phase and the continuous (Ti, Zr)2(Ni, Cu) phase

    Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Effect of Penthorum chinense Pursh Extract against t-BHP-Induced Liver Damage in L02 Cells

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    Penthorum chinense Pursh (P. chinense), a traditional Chinese medicine used by the Chinese Miao minority, has been used to treat liver diseases for a long time. However, the mechanism behind the liver protective effects of P. chinense remains unclear so far. The aim of the present study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of P. chinense and its possible mechanism(s). Immortalized normal human normal liver L02 cells were used to evaluate the protective effect of P. chinense aqueous extract against tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced liver cell damage. Treatment with P. chinense aqueous extract significantly protected L02 cells from t-BHP-induced cytotoxicity, prevented t-BHP-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and decreased the percentage of apoptosis by inhibiting the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. This study demonstrates that P. chinense is a potential hepatoprotective agent in t-BHP-induced liver cell damage, which may benefit the further application of P. chinense in the clinic

    Quality Evaluation of Randomized Controlled Trials of Rhodiola Species: A Systematic Review

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    10.1155/2021/9989546Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine2021998954

    The Extraction and Separation of Scarce Critical Metals: A Review of Gallium, Indium and Germanium Extraction and Separation from Solid Wastes

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    Gallium (Ga), indium (In), and germanium (Ge) play an important role in the modern high-tech material field. Due to their low content and scattered distribution in the crust, and the increasing demand for these metals in recent years, their supply risks have sharply increased. Therefore, the recycling of these metals is of great significance. In this work, a systematic review was performed using the Web of Science, Scopus, MDPI, Elsevier, and Springer Link databases. The combined terms used for the search were Ga/In/Ge, extraction, separation, and recycling. After a careful evaluation of the titles, abstracts, and full texts, a total of 106 articles were included. This paper briefly describes the resource features of Ga, In, and Ge. After that, the chemical principles, technical parameters, and metal recovery in various extraction and separation methods from monometallic and polymetallic resources are systematically reviewed. Leaching followed by solvent extraction or ion exchange is the main process for Ga, In, and Ge recovery. Although many attempts have been made to separate multiple metals from leaching solutions, highly selective solvents and resins are still the research priority. This review can provide theoretical and technical guidance for the separation of Ga, In, and Ge from various resources

    Berberine Regulated Lipid Metabolism in the Presence of C75, Compound C, and TOFA in Breast Cancer Cell Line MCF-7

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    Berberine interfering with cancer reprogramming metabolism was confirmed in our previous study. Lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function were also the core parts in reprogramming metabolism. In the presence of some energy-related inhibitors, including C75, compound C, and TOFA, the discrete roles of berberine in lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function were elucidated. An altered lipid metabolism induced by berberine was observed under the inhibition of FASN, AMPK, and ACC in breast cancer cell MCF-7. And the reversion of berberine-induced lipid suppression indicated that ACC inhibition might be involved in that process instead of FASN inhibition. A robust apoptosis induced by berberine even under the inhibition of AMPK and lipid synthesis was also indicated. Finally, mitochondrial function regulation under the inhibition of AMPK and ACC might be in an ACL-independent manner. Undoubtedly, the detailed mechanisms of berberine interfering with lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function combined with energy-related inhibitors need further investigation, including the potential compensatory mechanisms for ATP production and the upregulation of ACL
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