Number 2 Feibi Recipe Reduces PM2.5-Induced Lung Injury in Rats

Air pollution is the main cause of respiratory diseases. Fine particulates with the diameter below 2.5 μm can get into the alveoli and then enter the blood circulation through the lung tissue ventilation function and cause multiple systemic diseases especially the respiratory diseases. This study investigated the pathological mechanism of the lungs injury in rats induced by PM2.5 and the effect and mechanism of the Chinese herbal medicine number 2 Feibi Recipe (number 2 FBR) on lungs injury. In this experiment, Wistar rats were used. Lungs injury was induced by PM2.5. Number 2 FBR was used to treat the rats. The result showed that number 2 FBR could improve the lung injury in the rats. Meanwhile, it significantly reduced pathological response and inflammatory mediators including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-13 (IL-13), interleukin-17 (IL17), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and transforming growth factor-α (TNF-α) and upregulated glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the PM2.5 induced lung injury in the rats. Collectively, number 2 FBR appears to attenuate the lungs injury in rats induced by PM2.5

Understanding the differences in cultivated land protection behaviors between smallholders and professional farmers in Hainan Province, China

Cultivated land protection and quality improvement have become inevitable requirements for alleviating ecological and environmental pressure and sustainable agricultural development. It is of practical significance to explore the differences and causes of cultivated land protection behaviors (CLPB) between smallholders and professional farmers for formulating targeted protection policies and improving their effectiveness. Based on 422 mango farmers' survey data in Hainan Province, this paper explored the internal and external characteristics between smallholders and professional farmers, and used the Fairlie decomposition method to compare and analyze the sources of differences in farmers' CLPB. The results showed that: (1) the CLPB of smallholders and professional farmers differ significantly; (2) the sources of differences in CLPB between smallholders and professional farmers are different, including differences in internal characteristics and differences in external characteristics; (3) differences in internal characteristics are the main cause of the differences in farmer's CLPB, and the contribution of differences in external characteristics was smaller, of which planting years, annual household income and planting scale are the top three factors. It is suggested that differential protection policies should be designed for smallholders and professional farmers, such as guiding smallholders to carry out large-scale operations and improve their organizational level, encouraging and guiding professional farmers to sign long-term contracts to stabilize the land tenure, and formulating subsidy policies for cultivated land protection

Green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate increases atherosclerotic plaque stability in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice fed a high-fat diet

Background: Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is the principal component of green tea, has been shown to prevent atherosclerosis. However, the effect of EGCG on atherosclerotic plaque stability remains unknown. Aim: This study aimed to assess whether EGCG can enhance atherosclerotic plaque stability and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Apolipoprotein E-deficient mice fed a high-fat diet were injected intraperitoneally with EGCG (10 mg/kg) for 16 weeks. Cross sections of the brachiocephalic arteries were stained with haematoxylin and eosin for morphometric analyses or Masson’s trichrome for collagen content analyses. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the percentage of macrophages and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Protein expression and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity were assayed by Western blot and gelatin zymography, respectively. Serum inflammatory cytokine levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: After 16 weeks of feeding the high-fat diet, there were clear atherosclerotic lesions in the proximal brachiocephalic artery segments according to HE staining. EGCG treatment significantly increased the thickness of the fibrous cap. In the atherosclerotic plaques of the EGCG group, the relative macrophage content was decreased, whereas the relative SMC and collagen contents were increased. The expression levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, and extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) were significantly decreased by EGCG treatment. In addition, EGCG treatment decreased the circulat­ing tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and interferon-γ levels in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Conclusions: EGCG promotes atherosclerotic lesion stability in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Potentially, these effects are mediated through the inhibition of inflammatory cytokine, MMPs and EMMPRIN expression

Different mechanisms both lead to the production of the naphthalene-OH adduct in the 355 nm and 266 nm laser flash photolysis of the mixed aqueous solution of naphthalene and nitrous acid

The 355 nm and 266 nm nanosecond laser flash photolysis of the mixed aqueous solution of naphthalene (Np) and nitrous acid (HNO2) were performed to investigate the photo-initiated microscopic reactions in this binary component system. Following the 355 nm laser flash, HNO2 was readily photolyzed to NO and OH, and the latter fragment added to the Np ring to form the Np–OH adduct at the rate constant of (1.1 ± 0.1) × 1010 M−1 s−1. Following the 266 nm laser flash, Np was populated first to its lowest excited singlet state (S1) and then to its lowest excited triplet state (T1) via intersystem crossing. Np(S1) and Np(T1) both formed the [Np···HNO2]* exciplex with HNO2, and the fast dissociation of this exciplex again produced the Np–OH adduct. The second-order quenching rate constants of Np(S1) and Np(T1) by HNO2 were measured to be (6.0 ± 0.2) × 109 M−1 s−1 and (4.8 ± 0.2) × 109 M−1 s−1, respectively. It was very interesting to conclude that although both the 355 nm and the 266 nm irradiation of the mixed aqueous solution of Np and HNO2 produced the Np–OH adduct, the mechanisms leading to this species varied essentially for the two cases. This work suggested an unexpected way of releasing OH by HNO2 other than its direct photolysis, namely via forming exciplex with the excited Np (and possibly other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) in the environment

Study on Two Typical Progressive Motions in Tai Chi (Bafa Wubu) Promoting Lower Extremity Exercise

Background: By comparatively investigating the joints, muscles and bones of the lower extremity during two progressive motions in Bafa Wubu and normal walking, this paper aims to enrich the diversity of walking exercise and scientifically provide theoretical guidance for primary practitioners. The scientific training methods and technical characteristics of Bafa Wubu, as well as its contribution to comprehensive exercise of the lower extremities, are further explored. Methods: A total of eight professional athletes of Tai Chi at the national level were recruited. The kinetic parameters of the lower extremity were calculated using AnyBody 7.2 musculoskeletal modeling. Stress analysis of the iliac bone was performed using an ANSYS 19.2 workbench. Results: In Bafa Wubu, the ground reaction force during two progressive motions was significantly smaller than that noted during normal walking. During warding off with steps forward and laying with steps forward, the load at the three joints of the lower extremity was significantly smaller than that during normal walking in the frontal plane, but significantly greater than that noted during normal walking in the vertical axis. In addition, the lower limb joint torque was higher than that of normal walking in both progressive movements, and lower limb muscle activation was higher. The iliac bone loads during the two progressive motions were larger than those during normal walking, and the maximum loading point differed. Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate the biomechanical performance of Bafa Wubu in professional athletes of Tai Chi. Two progressive motions of Bafa Wubu require the lower extremity to be slowly controlled, thereby resulting in a smaller ground reaction force. In addition, the loads of the three joints at the lower extremity all increase in the vertical direction and decrease in the lateral direction, reducing the possibility of lateral injury to the joints. In addition, the two progressive motions significantly enhance the muscle strength of the plantar flexion muscles, dorsiflexor, and muscles around the thigh, and effectively stimulate the bones of the lower extremity. Therefore, progressive motion training contributes to improving the controlling and supporting capabilities of the lower extremities during normal walking

Random Collective Representation-Based Detector with Multiple Features for Hyperspectral Images

Collaborative representation-based detector (CRD), as the most representative anomaly detection method, has been widely applied in the field of hyperspectral anomaly detection (HAD). However, the sliding dual window of the original CRD introduces high computational complexity. Moreover, most HAD models only consider a single spectral or spatial feature of the hyperspectral image (HSI), which is unhelpful for improving detection accuracy. To solve these problems, in terms of speed and accuracy, we propose a novel anomaly detection approach, named Random Collective Representation-based Detector with Multiple Feature (RCRDMF). This method includes the following steps. This method first extract the different features include spectral feature, Gabor feature, extended multiattribute profile (EMAP) feature, and extended morphological profile (EMP) feature matrix from the HSI image, which enables us to improve the accuracy of HAD by combining the multiple spectral and spatial features. The ensemble and random collaborative representation detector (ERCRD) method is then applied, which can improve the anomaly detection speed. Finally, an adaptive weight approach is proposed to calculate the weight for each feature. Experimental results on six hyperspectral datasets demonstrate that the proposed approach has the superiority over accuracy and speed

Bi-Kernel Graph Neural Network with Adaptive Propagation Mechanism for Hyperspectral Image Classification

Graph neural networks (GNNs) have been widely applied for hyperspectral image (HSI) classification, due to their impressive representation ability. It is well-known that typical GNNs and their variants work under the assumption of homophily, while most existing GNN-based HSI classification methods neglect the heterophily that is widely present in the constructed graph structure. To deal with this problem, a homophily-guided Bi-Kernel Graph Neural Network (BKGNN) is developed for HSI classification. In the proposed BKGNN, we estimate the homophily between node pairs according to a learnable homophily degree matrix, which is then applied to change the propagation mechanism by adaptively selecting two different kernels to capture homophily and heterophily information. Meanwhile, the learning process of the homophily degree matrix and the bi-kernel feature propagation process are trained jointly to enhance each other in an end-to-end fashion. Extensive experiments on three public data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method

Newly compiled Tai Chi (Bafa Wubu) promotes lower extremity exercise: a preliminary cross sectional study

Background Tai Chi (Bafa Wubu) is a new type of simplified Tai Chi widely practiced by Tai Chi enthusiasts that has developed and perfected simplified Tai Chi movement and enriched Tai Chi practice methods. When practicing, Tai Chi athletes and enthusiasts can choose the Bafa Wubu movements to practice according to their physical conditions. The purpose of this article is to discuss the mechanism by which Bafa Wubu promotes lower extremity exercise from the perspective of exercise biomechanics. Objectives This article aims to explore the scientific training methods and technical characteristics of Bafa Wubu, and its contribution to comprehensive exercise of the lower extremities, by analyzing the biomechanical characteristics of the lower extremities of participants who practice Bafa Wubu at different levels and by comparing their ground reaction force, lower limb joints, and muscles during Bafa Wubu. Methods A total of 16 male participants were recruited and divided into an amateur group (N = 8) and a professional group (N = 8). The data were collected by a BTS 3D infrared-based motion capture system, and Kistler 3D force plate. The lower extremity joint forces and muscle strength were calculated by anybody simulation software with inverse dynamics. Results During elbowing and leaning sideways with steps sideways (ELS), the ground reaction force of the professional group was significantly higher than that of the amateur group in the sagittal, vertical, and frontal axes (P < 0.01). While stepping forward, backward, and sideways, the professional group’s joints loading at the hip, knee, and ankle was always higher in the vertical direction (P < 0.01). Furthermore, during warding off with steps forward (WOF), laying with steps forward (LF), and rolling back with steps backward (RBB), hip joint loading increased in the med–lat direction. During actions with steps backward and sideways, the professional group’s ankle flexion/extension torque and hip abduction/rotation torque were significantly larger than those of the amateur group (P < 0.01). Different actions in Bafa Wubu activate muscles to different degrees, whereas the iliacus is mainly responsible for stabilizing postures when practitioners perform standing knee lifting motions. Conclusions Professional groups who have been practicing Tai Chi (Bafa Wubu) for a long time have higher ground reaction force, and the force on the three joints of the lower extremities is different for various movements, which has positive significance for exercising the joints of the lower extremities. In addition, various motions activate muscles of different types at different levels. For amateurs to practice different movements to stimulate the muscles, targeted areas of practice promote the lower extremity muscles’ synergistic force. In summary, the muscles and joints of the lower extremity can obtain comprehensive and balanced exercise through Bafa Wubu