An unequal divider with different terminated impedances and different electrical lengths of four uniform transmission lines

This paper proposes an unequal power divider with different terminated impedances and different electrical lengths for four uniform transmission lines. The proposed power divider consists of four transmission lines with different electrical lengths and an isolation resistor. Under different port impedances, the splitting ratio of the proposed divider can be adjusted to desired values by varying the electrical lengths of the divider transmission lines with uniform impedances. To verify the feasibility of the proposed divider, two circuits were designed with dividing ratios of 2: 1 and 4: 1 at an operating frequency of 2 GHz. The circuits used a uniform impedance of 40 ?? at terminated impedances of 50, 70, and 60 ??. The performance showed excellent agreement between the simulated and experimental results

Orostachys japonicus Inhibits Expression of the TLR4, NOD2, iNOS, and COX-2 Genes in LPS-Stimulated Human PMA-Differentiated THP-1 Cells by Inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK Activation

Orostachys japonicus is traditionally used as an inflammatory agent. In this report, we investigated the effects of O. japonicus extract on the expression of genes encoding pathogen-recognition receptors (TLR2, TLR4, NOD1, and NOD2) and proinflammatory factors (iNOS, COX-2, and cytokines) in LPS-stimulated PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells and the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. O. japonicus induced toxicity at high concentrations but had no effect at concentrations lower than 25 μg/mL. O. japonicus inhibited LPS-induced TLR4 and NOD2 mRNA levels, suppressed LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 transcription and translocation, and downregulated LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) mRNA levels. In addition, O. japonicus inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB activation and IκBα degradation and suppressed LPS-induced JNK, p38 MAPK, and ERK phosphorylation. Overall, our results demonstrate that the anti-inflammatory effects of O. japonicus are mediated by suppression of NF-κB and MAPK signaling, resulting in reduced TLR4, NOD2, iNOS, and COX-2 expression and inhibition of inflammatory cytokine expression

An Interpretable Time Series Forecasting Model for Predicting NOx Emission Concentration in Ferroalloy Electric Arc Furnace Plants

Considering the pivotal role of ferroalloys in the steel industry and the escalating global emphasis on sustainability (e.g., zero emissions and carbon neutrality), the demand for ferroalloys is anticipated to increase. However, the electric arc furnace (EAF) of ferroalloy plants generates substantial amounts of nitrogen oxides (NOx) because of the high-temperature combustion processes. Despite the substantial contributions of many studies on NOx prediction from various industrial facilities, there is a lack of studies considering the environmental condition of the EAF in ferroalloy plants. Therefore, this study presents a deep learning model for predicting NOx emissions from ferroalloy plants and further can provide guidelines for predicting NOx in industrial sites equipped with electric furnaces. In this study, we collected various historical data from the manufacturing execution system of electric furnaces and exhaust gas systems to develop a prediction model. Additionally, an interpretable artificial intelligence method was employed to track the effects of each variable on the NOx emissions. The proposed prediction model can provide decision support to reduce NOx emissions. Furthermore, the interpretation of the model contributes to a better understanding of the factors influencing NOx emissions and the development of effective strategies for emission reduction in ferroalloys EAF plants

Caffeine Produced in Rice Plants Provides Tolerance to Water-Deficit Stress

Exogenous or endogenous caffeine application confers resistance to diverse biotic stresses in plants. In this study, we demonstrate that endogenous caffeine in caffeine-producing rice (CPR) increases tolerance even to abiotic stresses such as water deficit. Caffeine produced by CPR plants influences the cytosolic Ca2+ ion concentration gradient. We focused on examining the expression of Ca2+-dependent protein kinase genes, a subset of the numerous proteins engaged in abiotic stress signaling. Under normal conditions, CPR plants exhibited increased expressions of seven OsCPKs (OsCPK10, OsCPK12, OsCPK21, OsCPK25, OsCPK26, OsCPK30, and OsCPK31) and biochemical modifications, including antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase) activity and non-enzymatic antioxidant (ascorbic acid) content. CPR plants exhibited more pronounced gene expression changes and biochemical alterations in response to water-deficit stress. CPR plants revealed increased expressions of 16 OsCPKs (OsCPK1, OsCPK2, OsCPK3, OsCPK4, OsCPK5, OsCPK6, OsCPK9, OsCPK10, OsCPK11, OsCPK12, OsCPK14, OsCPK16, OsCPK18, OsCPK22, OsCPK24, and OsCPK25) and 8 genes (OsbZIP72, OsLEA25, OsNHX1, OsRab16d, OsDREB2B, OsNAC45, OsP5CS, and OsRSUS1) encoding factors related to abiotic stress tolerance. The activity of antioxidant enzymes increased, and non-enzymatic antioxidants accumulated. In addition, a decrease in reactive oxygen species, an accumulation of malondialdehyde, and physiological alterations such as the inhibition of chlorophyll degradation and the protection of photosynthetic machinery were observed. Our results suggest that caffeine is a natural chemical that increases the potential ability of rice to cope with water-deficit stress and provides robust resistance by activating a rapid and comprehensive resistance mechanism in the case of water-deficit stress. The discovery, furthermore, presents a new approach for enhancing crop tolerance to abiotic stress, including water deficit, via the utilization of a specific natural agent