Review on mechanisms and structure-activity relationship of hypoglycemic effects of polysaccharides from natural resources

Diabetes mellitus(DM)is a common multifactorial disease,causing various complications,such as chronic metabolism.The current therapies for diabetes mellitus are commercial diabetic drugs that have different definite side effect.However,polysaccharides mainly extracted from natural resources,have advantages of safety,accessibility,and anti-diabetic potential.We have summarized recent research of natural polysaccharides with hypoglycemic activities,focusing on different pharmacological mechanisms in various cell and animal models.The relationships of structure-hypoglycemic effect are also discussed in detail.This review could provide a comprehensive perspective for better understanding on development and mechanism of natural polysaccharides against diabetes mellitus,which have been required by clinical studies yet.

A novel binary effective medium model to describe the prepeak stressstrain relationship of combined bodies of rock-like material and rock

Combined bodies of rock-like material and rock are widely encountered in geotechnical engineering,such as tunnels and mines.The existing theoretical models describing the stress-strain relationship of a combined body lack a binary feature.Based on effective medium theory,this paper presents the governing equation of the“elastic modulus”for combined and single bodies under triaxial compressive tests.A binary effective medium model is then established.Based on the compressive experiment of concretegranite combined bodies,the feasibility of determining the stress threshold based on crack axial strain is discussed,and the model is verified.The model is further extended to coal-rock combined bodies of more diverse types,and the variation laws of the compressive mechanical parameters are then discussed.The results show that the fitting accuracy of the model with the experimental curves of the concretegranite combined bodies and various types of coal-rock combined bodies are over 95%.The crack axial strain method can replace the crack volumetric strain method,which clarifies the physical meanings of the model parameters.The variation laws of matrix parameters and crack parameters are discussed in depth and are expected to be more widely used in geotechnical engineering.

Screening hepatoprotective effective components of Lonicerae japonica Flos based on the spectrum-effect relationship and its mechanism exploring

Lonicerae japonicae Flos(LF)is a kind of healthcare food with hepatoprotective function.This study was designed to explore the spectrum-effect relationships between UPLC fingerprints and the hepatoprotective effects of LF.Fingerprints of ten batches of LF were established by UPLC-PDA.The inhibitory levels of AST and ALT were used as pharmacological indexes,and secoxyloganin,isochlorogenic acid A and isochlorogenic acid C were screened as hepatoprotective active compounds by grey relational analysis(GRA)and partial least squares regression analysis(PLSR).Caspase-3 was obtained by network pharmacology as a key target of hepatoprotective active compounds.Molecular docking is used to explore the interaction between small molecules and proteins.This work provided a general model of the combination of UPLC-PDA and hepatoprotective effect to study the spectrum-effect relationship of LF,which can be used to considerable methods and insight for the fundamental research of the material basis of similar healthcare food.

“Buckets effect”in the kinetics of electrocatalytic reactions

In this study,we systematically investigated the effect of proton concentration on the kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)on Pt(111)in acidic solutions.Experimental results demonstrate a rectangular hyperbolic relationship,i.e.,the ORR current excluding the effect of other variables increases with proton concentration and then tends to a constant value.We consider that this is caused by the limitation of ORR kinetics by the trace oxygen concentration in the solution,which determines the upper limit of ORR kinetics.A model of effective concentration is further proposed for rectangular hyperbolic relationships:when the reactant concentration is high enough to reach a critical saturation concentration,the effective reactant concentration will become a constant value.This could be due to the limited concentration of a certain reactant for reactions involving more than one reactant or the limited number of active sites available on the catalyst.Our study provides new insights into the kinetics of electrocatalytic reactions,and it is important for the proper evaluation of catalyst activity and the study of structureperformance relationships.

More tree growth reduction due to consecutive drought and its legacy effect for a semiarid larch plantation in Northwest China

Extreme climate has increasingly led to negative impacts on forest ecosystems globally,especially in semiarid areas where forest ecosystems are more vulnerable.However,it is poorly understood how tree growth is affected by different drought events.In 2006–2009,the larch plantations in the semiarid areas of Northwest China were negatively affected by four consecutive dry years,which was a very rare phenomenon that may occur frequently under future climate warming.In this study,we analyzed the effect of these consecutive dry years on tree growth based on the data of the tree rings in the dominant layer of the forest canopy on a larch plantation.We found that the tree-ring width index(RWI)in dry years was lower than that in normal years,and it experienced a rapidly decreasing trend from 2006 to 2009(slope=-0.139 year^(-1),r=-0.94)due to water supply deficits in those dry years.Drought induced legacy effects of tree growth reduction,and consecutive dry years corresponded with greater growth reductions and legacy effects.Growth reductions and legacy effects were significantly stronger in the third and fourth consecutive dry years than that of single dry year(p<0.05),which might have been due to the cumulative stress caused by consecutive dry years.Our results showed that larch trees experienced greater tree growth reduction due to consecutive dry years and their legacy effect,and the trees had lower recovery rates after consecutive dry years.Our results highlight that consecutive dry years pose a new threat to plantations under climate warming,and thus,the effect of climate extremes on tree growth should be considered in growth models in semiarid areas.

Different mechanisms underlie similar species-area relationships in two tropical archipelagoes

Despite much research in the field of island biogeography,mechanisms regulating insular diversity remain elusive.Here,we aim to explore mechanisms underlying plant species-area relationships in two tropical archipelagoes in the South China Sea.We found positive plant species-area relationships for both coral and continental archipelagoes.However,our results showed that different mechanisms contributed to similar plant species-area relationships between the two archipelagoes.For coral islands,soil nutrients and spatial distance among communities played major roles in shaping plant community structure and species diversity.By contrast,the direct effect of island area,and to a lesser extent,soil nutrients determined plant species richness on continental islands.Intriguingly,increasing soil nutrients availability(N,P,K)had opposite effects on plant diversity between the two archipelagoes.In summary,the habitat quality effect and dispersal limitation are important for regulating plant diversity on coral islands,whereas the passive sampling effect,and to a lesser extent,the habitat quality effect are important for regulating plant diversity on continental islands.More generally,our findings indicate that island plant species-area relationships are outcomes of the interplay of both niche and neutral processes,but the driving mechanisms behind these relationships depends on the type of islands.

Research on the path of effective management of participation in joint-venture railway companies by China railway group

Purpose-Following the regional restructuring,the number of joint-venture railway companies in which the Group participates has significantly increased.This paper aims to explore the challenges faced by China Railway Group in managing participation in joint-venture railway companies.The study seeks to propose specific approaches to ensure the effective management of these companies,thereby maximizing the benefits of the regional restructuring and supporting the development of a strong transportation country and a modern infrastructure system.Design/methodology/approach-Based on the change in the shareholding relationship between China Railway Group and the joint-venture railway companies,and considering the current situation of the regional restructuring of these companies,as well as the insights from existing literature and typical case studies,this paper proposes some specific paths for effective management of joint-stock railway companies which China Railway Group participated in.Findings-The problems in participation management are the unclear dual leadership role of the party committee,the lack of discourse power,the lack of synergy between shareholders,the increasing risk of sustainable operation of the loss-making companies and the role of dispatched personnel is not fully played.Based on the theories,combined with the existing research and practical cases,the paper proposed specific approaches,such as perfecting top-level system design,maintaining the discourse power,carrying out differentiated management,arranging personnel rationally,arranging shareholders synergy,and innovating methods to provide references for China Railway Group’s subsequent management of joint venture railway companies.Originality/value-This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of the challenges faced by China Railway Group in managing participation in joint-venture railway companies following the regional restructuring.The study offers novel insights and practical recommendations for addressing these challenges.The findings can serve as valuable references for China Railway Group’s subsequent management of joint-venture railway companies which participated in,as well as for other stateowned enterprises facing similar challenges in managing their joint ventures.

A Statistical Model with Non-Linear Effects and Non-Proportional Hazards for Breast Cancer Survival Analysis

The Cox proportional hazard model is being used extensively in oncology in studying the relationship between survival times and prognostic factors. The main question that needs to be addressed with respect to the applicability of the Cox PH model is whether the proportional hazard assumption is met. Failure to justify the subject assumption will lead to misleading results. In addition, identifying the correct functional form of the continuous covariates is an important aspect in the development of a Cox proportional hazard model. The purpose of this study is to develop an extended Cox regression model for breast cancer survival data which takes non-proportional hazards and non-linear effects that exist in prognostic factors into consideration. Non-proportional hazards and non-linear effects are detected using methods based on residuals. An extended Cox model with non-linear effects and time-varying effects is proposed to adjust the Cox proportional hazard model. Age and tumor size were found to have nonlinear effects. Progesterone receptor assay status and age violated the proportional hazard assumption in the Cox model. Quadratic effect of age and progesterone receptor assay status had hazard ratio that changes with time. We have introduced a statistical model to overcome the presence of the proportional hazard assumption violation for the Cox proportional hazard model for breast cancer data. The proposed extended model considers the time varying nature of the hazard ratio and non-linear effects of the covariates. Our improved Cox model gives a better insight on the hazard rates associated with the breast cancer risk factors.

How to conduct an acupuncture dose–effect relationship study? A discussion based on study methodology

Acupuncture therapy is widely used in the clinic,and its therapeutic effects have been proven by numerous studies.The dose–effect relationship of acupuncture is a fundamental aspect of the acupuncture research system.Recent studies found that different acupuncture dosages altered study results directly,indicating the importance of screening the optimal stimulation dosage.However,the system for studying the acupuncture dose–effect relationship is still in its infancy,and the methodology of the system needs to be improved.This review aimed to define the factors impacting acupuncture“dosage”and“effect,”and to improve the methodological system for research on the dose–effect relationship of acupuncture.By summarizing the current findings of acupuncture dose–effect studies,we discussed the vital acupuncture parameters and methodological problems that influence the relationship between acupuncture dosage and its effects.These factors consist of specific influencing factors(acupoint selection,acupuncture manipulation parameters,de qi response)and nonspecific influencing factors(comparison selection,blinding procedure,patient expectancy).Our perspectives offer suggestions for the design of acupuncture dosage–effect trials.Further studies need to be conducted to establish the methodological system and provide systematic evidence of the acupuncture dose–effect relationship.

Microsphere femtosecond laser sub-50 nm structuring in far field via non-linear absorption

Creation of arbitrary features with high resolution is critically important in the fabrication of nano-optoelectronic devices.Here,sub-50 nm surface structuring is achieved directly on Sb2S3 thin films via microsphere femtosecond laser irradi-ation in far field.By varying laser fluence and scanning speed,nano-feature sizes can be flexibly tuned.Such small patterns are attributed to the co-effect of microsphere focusing,two-photons absorption,top threshold effect,and high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser-induced incubation effect.The minimum feature size can be reduced down to~30 nm(λ/26)by manipulating film thickness.The fitting analysis between the ablation width and depth predicts that the feature size can be down to~15 nm at the film thickness of~10 nm.A nano-grating is fabricated,which demonstrates desirable beam diffraction performance.This nano-scale resolution would be highly attractive for next-generation laser nano-lithography in far field and in ambient air.

Effects of Selenium on Fusarium Growth and Associated Fermentation Products and the Relationship with Chondrocyte Viability

This study determined the effects of selenium on the growth of Fusorium strains and the effects of products extracted from the fungal cultures on relevant indicators of chondrocytes injury.

Spectrum-Effect Relationship Between High Performance Liquid Chromatography Fingerprints and Anticoccidial Activities of a Compound Chinese Medicine

Quality control and screening of active substances in traditional Chinese medicines have been performed using fingerprint analysis. The spectrum-effect relationship between chromatography fingerprints and efficacy of herbal drugs is considered as a potentially useful method for determining active ingredients in complex mixtures. The study was designed to develop a method for determining the bioactive components of a compound Chinese medicine called Tiefeng based on spectrum-effect relationships between high-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） fingerprints and anticoccidial activities. Four peaks of the established HPLC fingerprint indicate the main bioactive components of this medicine. In addition, pharrnacodynamic atlas was defined and used to assess the anticoccidial activity of Tiefeng from different sources for the first time. We found that the level of anticoccidial activity of Tiefeng was consistent with the degree of similarity between the pharmacodynamic atlas and chromatogram of any sample. Furthermore, effect of this medicine was related with the main active constituents, along with the origin and the harvesting time.

Spectrum-effect relationship between HPLC fingerprints and bioactive components of Radix Hedysari on increasing the peak bone mass of rat

The traditional Chinese medicine of Radix Hedysari plays an important role in invigorating gas for ascending, benefiting blood for promoting production of fluid, and promoting circulation for removing obstruction in collaterals, which is consistent with the principle of treatment for osteoporosis. This study is designed to investigate the bioactive components on increasing peak bone mass (PBM) by exploring the spectrum-effect relationship between chromatography fingerprints and effect. Multiple indicators are selected to evaluate the pharmacological activity. In fingerprints, 21 common peaks are obtained, five of which are identified. Furthermore, gray relational analysis (GRA) is a quantitative method of gray system theory and is used to describe the correlation degree of common peaks and pharmacological activities with relational value. 21 components are then divided into three different regions, of which ononin and calycosin play an extremely significant role in increasing PBM. In addition, factor analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) are used to screen the optimal producing area for Radix Hedysari. This provides a comprehensive and efficient method to improve the quality evaluation of Radix Hedysari, confirming the bioactive components for PBM-enhancement and further develop its medicinal value.

Combined effect of bicarbonate and water in photosynthetic oxygen evolution and carbon neutrality

Carbon neutrality is widely concerned and highly valued by many countries.Biosphere has always maintained the balance between oxidized organic substances and assimilated organic matter,resulting in netzero carbon dioxide(CO_(2)) emissions and maintaining its own carbon neutrality.Nature has set a good example for human beings to coordinate oxygen(O_(2)) balance and CO_(2)balance,and achieve carbon neutrality.How does photosynthetic oxygen evolution initiate carbon and water neutrality?My synthesis shows that photo system Ⅱ functions as carbonic anhydrase to catalyze the reaction of CO_(2)hydration under physiological conditions,and CO_(2)hydration coupled with chemical equilibrium,H^(+)+HCO_(3)^(-)→1/2O_(2)+2e^(-)+2H^(+)+CO_(2),occurs in a photosystem Ⅱ corecomplex.Meanwhile,I focused on the revisiting of four classical heavy oxygen(O^(18)) labeling experiments and found that bicarbonate can promote photo synthetic oxygen evolution,and that photo synthetic oxygen evolution can alternately come from bicarbonate and water,not only water.Bicarbonate photolysis and water photolysis account for half of the photo synthetic oxygen evolution respectively,which can well explain the bicarbonate effect,Dole effect and plants’ environmental adaptability.Photosynthetic oxygen evolution initiated the journey of water metabolism and carbon metabolism in nature,which led to the coupling as 1:1(mol/mol) stoichiometric relationship between the reduction of CO_(2)and oxidation of organic carbon,coordinated the evolution of the atmosphere,hydrosphere,lithosphere and biosphere,and realized "carbon neutrality" in the whole Earth system.

Mediating role of physical activity in the relationship between psychological distress and intimate relationships among stroke patients

BACKGROUND Stroke patients often experience psychological distress,which can impact their intimate relationships with spouses,subsequently influencing their treatment and recovery.Physical activity is considered a key rehabilitation method for stroke patients.This paper aims to analyze whether psychological distress affects intimate relationship between spouses through physical activity.AIM To explore the mediating effect of physical activity between psychological distress and intimate relationship in stroke patients.METHODS A total of 256 stroke patients who underwent treatment at the First People’s Hospital of Shangqiu between July 2021 and July 2022 were enrolled in this study.The participants completed questionnaires,including the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale(K10),the Quality of Relationship Index(QRI),International Physical Activity Questionnaire,and a general information questionnaire.Data analysis were performed using SPSS 23.0.The Harman test was employed to detect common method deviations,and Spearman correlation was used for correlation analysis.The mediating effect was assessed using Process 3.4.1,with significance testing of the regression coefficients conducted using the bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method(5000 iterations,95%confidence interval).Statistical significance was set at P<0.05.RESULTS The results showed that patients scored an average of 21.61±6.44 points on the K10,32.40±6.19 points on the QRI;the median physical activity level according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was 1861(566,2846)MET·min/w.The level of physical activity(the physical activity intensity of the patients reflected by the Interna-tional Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form scale)negatively correlated with psychological distress and intimacy(P<0.05),and positively correlated with each other(P<0.05),with the correlation stronger at lower physical activity levels compared to higher ones.The mediating effect of physical activity between psychological distress and intimate relationship was calculated to be 40.23%.Bootstrap analysis further validated the results.The mediating effect of psychological distress on intimate relationships through physical activity level was-0.284,with a confidence interval of-0.409 to-0.163,excluding 0,confirming a significant mediating effect of psychological distress on intimate relationships.CONCLUSION Physical activity significantly affects relationship between psychological distress and intimate relationships among stroke patients.Addressing the role of physical activity may have implications for improving patient outcomes and rehabilitation strategies.

Non-Linear Effects in Optical Systems by Lie Algebra and Symplectic Mapping

The use of signals of different frequencies determines the geometrical deviation with respect to the optical axes of a given beam. This angle can be determined by Sympletic Map (SM), a powerful and simple mathematical tool for the characterization and construction of images in Geometrical Optics. The Sympletic Map constitutes a Lie Group, with an algebra associated: the Lie Algebra. In general, the SM can be expressed as an infinite series, where each term corresponds to different contributions produced by the optical devices that constitute the optical system (lenses, apertures, bandwidth cutoff, etc.). The level of correction to be performed on the image to recover the original object is clear and controllable by SM. This formalism can be extended easily to physical optics to describe diffraction and interference phenomena.

The Assessment of Non-Linear Effects in Clinical Research

Background: Novel models for the assessment of non-linear data are being developed for the benefit of making better predictions from the data. Objective: To review traditional and modern models. Results, and Conclusions: 1) Logit and probit transformations are often successfully used to mimic a linear model. Logistic regression, Cox regression, Poisson regression, and Markow modeling are examples of logit transformation;2) Either the x- or y-axis or both of them can be logarithmically transformed. Also Box Cox transformation equations and ACE (alternating conditional expectations) or AVAS (additive and variance stabilization for regression) packages are simple empirical methods often successful for linearly remodeling of non-linear data;3) Data that are sinusoidal, can, generally, be successfully modeled using polynomial regression or Fourier analysis;4) For exponential patterns like plasma concentration time relationships exponential modeling with or without Laplace transformations is a possibility. Spline and Loess are computationally intensive modern methods, suitable for smoothing data patterns, if the data plot leaves you with no idea of the relationship between the y- and x-values. There are no statistical tests to assess the goodness of fit of these methods, but it is always better than that of traditional models.

The Relationship between the Plasmodium Falciparum Clearance and the Clinical Effect of the Case with Cerebral Malaria Treated with Artemisinin

Malaria is 1 mosquito-borne disease,which is most commonly caused by a parasite called Plasmodium falciparum(P.falciparum).Cerebral malaria is the most severe neurological complication presented in

Relationship between biological features and the SMVS's inhibitory effect on mating behavior of Nilaparvata lugens (Stal)

Our previous studies revealed that second malevibration signal (SMVS) restrained the matingbehavior of N. lugens, the influences of threebiological features (density, age, and wingform) on SMVS’s inhibitory effect were hereinstudied by playing back its record. The dura-tion of playback was 4 h. Except otherwisestatement, N. lugens tested were virginmacropterous males and females aged 4-6 d af-ter emergence, and the density was 5 pairs (5females and 5 males) of N. lugens per cage (4cm in diameter and 8 cm in height). The in-hibitory effect of SMVS was evaluated usingmating rate (i. e. the rate of females withspermatophore). The results were as follows: