Systems Biology Analysis of the Effect and Mechanism of Qi-Jing-Sheng-Bai Granule on Leucopenia in Mice

Qi-Jing-Sheng-Bai granule (QJSB) is a newly developed traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula. Clinically, it has been used for the treatment of leucopenia. However, its pharmacological mechanism needs more investigation. In this study, we firstly tested the effects of QJSB on leucopenia using mice induced by cyclophosphamide. Our results suggested that QJSB significantly raised the number of peripheral white blood cells, platelets and nucleated bone marrow cells. Additionally, it markedly enhanced the cell viability and promoted the colony formation of bone marrow mononuclear cells. Furthermore, it reversed the serum cytokines IL-6 and G-CSF disorders. Then, using transcriptomics datasets and metabonomic datasets, we integrated transcriptomics-based network pharmacology and metabolomics technologies to investigate the mechanism of action of QJSB. We found that QJSB regulated a series of biological processes such as hematopoietic cell lineage, homeostasis of number of cells, lymphocyte differentiation, metabolic processes (including lipid, amino acid, and nucleotide metabolism), B cell receptor signaling pathway, T cell activation and NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. In a summary, QJSB has protective effects to leucopenia in mice probably through accelerating cell proliferation and differentiation, regulating metabolism response pathways and modulating immunologic function at a system level

Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE), Life and Health

Light has profoundly impacted modern medicine and healthcare, with numerous luminescent agents and imaging techniques currently being used to assess health and treat diseases. As an emerging concept in luminescence, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has shown great potential in biological applications due to its advantages in terms of brightness, biocompatibility, photostability, and positive correlation with concentration. This review provides a comprehensive summary of AIE luminogens applied in imaging of biological structure and dynamic physiological processes, disease diagnosis and treatment, and detection and monitoring of specific analytes, followed by representative works. Discussions on critical issues and perspectives on future directions are also included. This review aims to stimulate the interest of researchers from different fields, including chemistry, biology, materials science, medicine, etc., thus promoting the development of AIE in the fields of life and health

Investigation into Influences of Hydraulic Fracturing for Hard Rock Weakening in Underground Mines

The long overhanging distance of hard roofs and long-collapse steps induces a large area of suspension on the working face in underground coal mines, resulting in excessive pressure and deformation on the surrounding rocks of the adjacent roadway in the work face, which seriously threatens the safety of coal mining operations. In this study, in order to study the hydraulic fracturing effects on hard roofs, numerical simulation and in situ tests were conducted. The analysis and comparison of fracturing effects under different hydraulic fracturing parameters were carried out, and the reasonable hydraulic fracturing parameters of the hydraulic weakening of hard roofs were designed accordingly. Based on designed hydraulic fracturing, industrial tests were conducted in the field while stress and deformation were recorded. The results show that hydraulic fracturing could effectively reduce the pressure of the hard roof. Hydraulic fracturing effectively destroyed the cantilever beam structure above the coal pillar, reduced the stress concentration, and moderated mineral pressure at the working face. The proposed methods and obtained results provide theoretical and technical support for the treatment of underground mines with hard roofs

Diagnostic Value of Enhanced CT Combined with Serum Hmam Level in Detection of Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis of Breast Cancer

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of enhanced CT combined with serum human mammaryglobin (hMAM) level in detection of axillary lymph node metastasis of breast cancer. Methods: 100 patients with breast cancer treated in our hospital from June 2017 to June 2020 were selected. All patients underwent enhanced CT before operation, and the serum hMAM level was detected. We further analyzed the diagnostic value of enhanced CT combined with serum hMAM level in axillary lymph node metastasis of breast cancer by comparing the consistency between the results of the detection rate of axillary lymph node metastasis obtained respectively by enhanced CT, serum hMAM level, combined examination and the postoperative pathological results which was taken as the standard. Results: 51 patients (51%) were diagnosed as positive axillary lymph node metastasis by serum hMAM and pathological results while 12 patients (12%) with negative axillary lymph node metastasis were diagnosed by both serum hMAM and pathological results, with the consistency rate of 81.5%. Kappa test showed great consistency, 55 cases (55%) were diagnosed as positive axillary lymph node metastasis by enhanced CT and pathological results while 13 cases (13%) with negative axillary lymph node metastasis were diagnosed by enhanced CT and pathology, with the consistency rate of 82.3%. Kappa test showed great consistency, There were 61 cases (61%) with positive axillary lymph node metastasis diagnosed by enhanced CT combined with serum hMAM examination and pathological results while 16 cases (16%) with negative axillary lymph node metastasis diagnosed by enhanced CT combined with serum hMAM examination and pathological results, with the consistency rate of 90.4%. Kappa test showed great consistency, The sensitivity of enhanced CT and serum hMAM were respectively 78.0% and 76.5% while the specificity were respectively 69.5% and 70.3%, which showed no significant difference. The sensitivity and specificity of enhanced CT combined with serum hMAM in detecting lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those of the two alone. Conclusion: The method of enhanced CT combined with serum hMAM level hold high diagnostic value for axillary lymph node metastasis of breast cancer, and show high consistency with the pathological results. Preoperative comprehensive examination and comprehensive analysis of breast cancer are conducive to the diagnosis of the disease and can provide basis for the selection of surgical methods

Experimental Investigation into the Influences of Weathering on the Mechanical Properties of Sedimentary Rocks

The time-dependent behaviors of the sedimentary rocks which refer to the altering of the mechanical and deformable properties of rock elements in the long-term period are of increasing importance in the investigation of the failure mechanism of the rock strata in underground coal mines. In order to obtain the accurate and reliable mechanical parameters of the sedimentary rocks at different weathering grades, the extensive experimental programs including the Brazilian splitting test, uniaxial compression tests, and direct shear tests have been carried out on the specimens that exposed to the nature environments at different durations. The correlation between the weathering grades and mechanical parameters including uniaxial tensile strength, uniaxial compression strength, elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, cohesion, and friction coefficient was proposed. The obtained results suggested that uniaxial tensile strength, uniaxial compressive strength, elastic modulus, and cohesion dramatically decreased with increasing weathering time, characterized as the negative exponential relationship in general. The influences of various weathering grades on fracture behavior of the rock specimens were discussed. The cumulative damage of the rock by the weathering time decreased the friction coefficient of the specimens which led to the initiation and propagation of microcrack within the rock at lower stress conditions. The obtained results improved the understanding of the roles of weathering on the mechanical properties of sedimentary rocks, which is helpful in the design of the underground geotechnical structures

Laboratory Based Investigation of Stress Corrosion Cracking of Cable Bolts

Premature failure of cable bolts due to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in underground excavations is a worldwide problem with limited cost-effective solutions at present. To determine the cause and mechanism of SCC, identify potential technologies and eventually avoid catastrophic failure of cable bolts, a two-step methodology was implemented: (i) a long-term test using groundwater collected from underground mines, and (ii) an accelerated test using an acidified solution. Laboratory experimentation on both representative coupon and full-size cable bolt specimens was conducted. In the long-term tests, simulated underground environments were recreated in ‘corrosion cells’ which contained a newly designed cable bolt coupon together with a mixture of groundwater, coal and clay, to measure the potential for developing SCC. The incidence of SCC failures was not related to groundwater alone. Geomaterials in the corrosion cells accelerated the corrosion of cable bolts by increasing the concentrations of total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity of the water. Following this, an acidic solution containing sulphide, synthesised based on the chemical properties of groundwater from twelve Australian underground mines, was used as the testing solution for the accelerated tests. A coherent failure mechanism for SCC crack initiation, propagation and catastrophic failure of cable bolts was developed. Hydrogen embrittlement was determined to be the dominant mechanism for SCC. SCC only occurred when the environment could promote atomic hydrogen diffusion into the cable bolt, with the crack propagation rate being determined by the hydrogen diffusion rates. SCC resistance of full-size cable bolts was examined using designed tension loading apparatus and periodically increasing strain rate loading mechanism. The cable bolts with more wires took longer to fail. The cable bolts with plain wires provided greater resistance to SCC than those with indented wires. Galvanisation improved the resistance of cable bolts against SCC. The methodologies developed here can be applied to study SCC in other reinforcement materials and the results of this thesis can be used to develop guidelines to assess the environments causing susceptibility to SCC of high-carbon steel and set optimal support regimes in different geological and environmental conditions

Food Retail Network Spatial Matching and Urban Planning Policy Implications: The Case of Beijing, China

Food is the core of urban daily life and socio-economic activities but is rarely the focus of urban planning. The spatial layout of food retail outlets is important for optimizing the urban food system, improving land resource allocation, and encouraging healthy food consumption. Based on food retail POI data, this study employed kernel density estimation, road network centrality, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and locational entropy to analyze the spatial characteristics of supermarkets, produce markets, and small stores in an urban center in Beijing, and explored street coupling and supply-demand matching. The results indicated that within the study area: (1) supermarkets had an obvious “core-periphery” distribution, produce markets had a polycentric distribution, and small stores had a relatively uniform distribution; (2) road network centrality indices revealed a differentiated multi-core-edge distribution; (3) streets with high locational entropy values for supermarkets and produce markets were mostly concentrated in the central area, whereas the matching distribution of small stores was relatively balanced. From the perspective of urban planning, policy implications are proposed based on spatial and social equity, urban-rural differences, population structure and distribution status, and a resilient supply chain. The study findings have practical significance for guiding the development of urban food systems in a healthy, just, and sustainable direction, as well as rational urban land planning

Family Involvement, Family Essence, and Family-Centered Non-Economic and Economic Goals in Chinese Family Firms: A Replication Study

Using a sample of 409 Chinese family businesses, we replicate and extend an influential study undertaken by Chrisman et al. (2012). Consistent with Chrisman et al. (2012), we confirm the bridging position of family essence in transforming family influence into family-centered non-economic goals in business. We also found that the theoretical model of Chrisman et al. (2012) can be used to explain the prevalence and magnitude of family-centered economic goals in Chinese family firms. In addition, we explore the impact of external regional differences and internal firm conditions in affecting the causal relationships among family involvement, family essence, and family-centered goals