Pharmacological Investigation on the Qi-Invigorating Action of Schisandrin B: Effects on Mitochondrial ATP Generation in Multiple Tissues and Innate/Adaptive Immunity in Mice

Schisandrae Fructus, containing schisandrin B (Sch B) as its main active component, is recognized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for its Qi-invigorating properties in the five visceral organs. Our laboratory has shown that the Qi-invigorating action of Chinese tonifying herbs is linked to increased mitochondrial ATP generation and an enhancement in mitochondrial glutathione redox status. To explore whether Sch B can exert Qi-invigorating actions across various tissues, we investigated the effects of Sch B treatment on mitochondrial ATP generation and glutathione redox status in multiple mouse tissues ex vivo. In line with TCM theory, which posits that Zheng Qi generation relies on the Qi function of the visceral organs, we also examined Sch B’s impact on natural killer cell activity and antigen-induced splenocyte proliferation, both serving as indirect measures of Zheng Qi. Our findings revealed that Sch B treatment consistently enhanced mitochondrial ATP generation and improved mitochondrial glutathione redox status in mouse tissues. This boost in mitochondrial function was associated with stimulated innate and adaptive immune responses, marked by increased natural killer cell activity and antigen-induced T/B cell proliferation, potentially through the increased generation of Zheng Qi.

Revealing the correlation between adsorption energy and activation energy to predict the catalytic activity of metal oxides for HMX using DFT

Traditional selection of combustion catalysis is time-consuming and labor-intensive.Theoretical calculation is expected to resolve this problem.The adsorption energy of HMX and O atoms on 13 metal oxides was calculated using DMol3,since HMX and O are key substances in decomposition process.And the relationship between the adsorption energy of HMX,O on metal oxides(TiO_(2),Al_(2)O_(3),PbO,CuO,Fe_(2)O_(3),Co_(3)O_(4),Bi_(2)O_(3),NiO)and experimental T30 values(time required for the decomposition depth of HMX to reach 30%)was depicted as volcano plot.Thus,the T30 values of other metal oxides was predicted based on their adsorption energy on volcano plot and validated by previous experimental data.Further,the adsorption energy of HMX on ZrO_(2)and MnO_(2)was predicted based on the linear relationship between surface energy and adsorption energy,and T30 values were estimated based on volcano plot.The apparent activation energy data of HMX/MgO,HMX/SnO_(2),HMX/ZrO_(2),and HMX/MnO_(2)obtained from DSC experiments are basically consistent with our predicted T30 values,indicating that it is feasible to predict the catalytic activity based on the adsorption calculation,and it is expected that these simple structural properties can predict adsorption energy to reduce the large quantities of computation and experiment cost.

An Efficient Boron Source Activation Strategy for the Low‑Temperature Synthesis of Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Lowering the synthesis temperature of boron nitride nanotubes(BNNTs)is crucial for their development.The primary reason for adopting a high temperature is to enable the effective activation of highmelting-point solid boron.In this study,we developed a novel approach for efficiently activating boron by introducing alkali metal compounds into the conventional MgO–B system.This approach can be adopted to form various low-melting-point AM–Mg–B–O growth systems.These growth systems have improved catalytic capability and reactivity even under low-temperature conditions,facilitating the synthesis of BNNTs at temperatures as low as 850℃.In addition,molecular dynamics simulations based on density functional theory theoretically demonstrate that the systems maintain a liquid state at low temperatures and interact with N atoms to form BN chains.These findings offer novel insights into the design of boron activation and are expected to facilitate research on the low-temperature synthesis of BNNTs.

Runoff change in the Yellow River Basin of China from 1960 to 2020 and its driving factors

Analysing runoff changes and how these are affected by climate change and human activities is deemed crucial to elucidate the ecological and hydrological response mechanisms of rivers.The Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration and the Range of Variability Approach(IHA-RVA)method,as well as the ecological indicator method,were employed to quantitatively assess the degree of hydrologic change and ecological response processes in the Yellow River Basin from 1960 to 2020.Using Budyko's water heat coupling balance theory,the relative contributions of various driving factors(such as precipitation,potential evapotranspiration,and underlying surface)to runoff changes in the Yellow River Basin were quantitatively evaluated.The results show that the annual average runoff and precipitation in the Yellow River Basin had a downwards trend,whereas the potential evapotranspiration exhibited an upwards trend from 1960 to 2020.In approximately 1985,it was reported that the hydrological regime of the main stream underwent an abrupt change.The degree of hydrological change was observed to gradually increase from upstream to downstream,with a range of 34.00%-54.00%,all of which are moderate changes.However,significant differences have been noted among different ecological indicators,with a fluctuation index of 90.00%at the outlet of downstream hydrological stations,reaching a high level of change.After the mutation,the biodiversity index of flow in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River was generally lower than that in the base period.The research results also indicate that the driving factor for runoff changes in the upper reach of the Yellow River Basin is mainly precipitation,with a contribution rate of 39.31%-54.70%.Moreover,the driving factor for runoff changes in the middle and lower reaches is mainly human activities,having a contribution rate of 63.70%-84.37%.These results can serve as a basis to strengthen the protection and restoration efforts in the Yellow River Basin and further promote the rational development and use of water resources in the Yellow River.

Promoting sustainable consumption and circular economy:the intention of Vietnamese youth consumers to purchase products made from recycled plastics

Recycling is viewed as a key component in a circular economy and serves as an ideal solution for promoting sustainability.During the global plastic crisis,plastic recycling practices have been adopted worldwide,leading to the production of various products made from recycled plastics(PRP).Nevertheless,a gap persists between consumption and demand for such products,which is primarily attributed to a lack of comprehension from the consumer perspective.Given the pivotal role consumers play in the adoption of these products,this study explores consumers’intentions to purchase PRP.This is particularly significant in Vietnam,which is an emerging economy aspiring to achieve the objectives of a circular economy and sustainable development.Utilizing an integrated cognitive-emotional framework comprising the Valence Theory and the Norm Activation Model,data from 564 Vietnamese students were gathered and analyzed using structural equation modeling.The results show that awareness of consequences is a major driver of consumer purchase intentions,followed by perceived ease of application and monetary incentives.The results also indicate that health concerns have the strongest effect on purchase intention and in the negative side,meaning that the health-related risk is the primary concern for consumers during the decision-making process.This research holds substantial value for academics and managers,as it aids in the theoretical exploration and the formulation of strategies to improve consumer acceptance of PRP.

The Application of Goal-Setting Theory in the Second Classroom Teaching Activities of College English

Interest is the precondition and motivation for people's accomplishment.However,due to the exam-oriented system,millions of parents and teachers neglect the interests of children,and our children nearly forget their interests or hobbies.Based on different interests of children,the thesis analyzes how to apply the goal-setting theory in the second classroom teaching activities of College English,using the example of Lushan College of Guangxi University of Technology.

The Role of Trait Activation Theory in Occupational Behavior:A Systematic Review

The Trait Activation Theory(TAT)is widely regarded as the most influential personality theory approach in psychology.The purpose of this study is to analyze the TAT’s role in the contemporary workplace.Which personality traits are more likely to predict work success?Which characteristics should businesses prioritize throughout the recruiting and selection processes?According to the Trait Activation Theory,what is the significance of motivation in the workplace and how can employers find employees who can be more productive,efficient,and involved in the organization’s goals?A systematic review of past recent research was used to answer the questions raised above.Following the gathering and examination of multiple recent publications on the issue,it was determined that the use of this model had a favorable impact on individual and group performance,working relationships,manager job performance,and workplace creativity.

A Comparison of New General System Theory Philosophy With Einstein and Bohr

The New General System theory was developed to be a theory of everything for complex systems within the world we can observe.This theory was constructed by supplementing a new mind-ether ontology into Bertalanffy’s general system theory framework.This theory is basically a generalization of classical mechanics rather than a revolution to it taken both by Einstein and Bohr in developing their relativity theory and quantum mechanics.The purpose of this paper is to reveal the reasons why Einstein and many others fail to unify relativity theory with quantum mechanics through comparing the main differences in philosophical opinions among NGST,Einstein,and Bohr.It is the hope of the authors that this clarification could speed up the unification process.

Study on the Biological Basis of Qi, Blood, and Vessel in Immune Thrombocytopenia Patients With Syndrome of Qi Failing to Govern Blood Based on the Theory of Qi and Blood

Objective: To investigate the biological basis of qi, blood and vessel in immune thrombocytopenia(ITP) patients with syndrome of qi failing to govern blood(SQFGB) based on traditional Chinese medicine.Methods: A total of 52 ITP patients with SQFCB were enrolled and divided into bleeding group(38 cases) and non-bleeding group(14 cases).Bleeding group was further divided into mild qi deficiency group(25 cases) and moderate/severe qi deficiency group(13 cases) based on Chinese Medicine syndrome score.20 healthy volunteer were recruited as control group.The count of platelet(PLT) was taken as the blood related indicator.The expressions of cytokines including IL-1β, IL-17 A, TNF-α, CD40 L, and TGF-β, detected by Aim Plex Multiple Immunoassays for Flow, were taken as the qi related indicators.The expressions of VEGF-A, detected by Aim Plex Multiple Immunoassays for Flow and NO, NOS, and ET-1 detected by ELISA, were taken as the vessel related indicators.Results: As compared to the control group, the count of PLT, taken as the blood related indicator, was significantly lower in ITP group patients with SQFCB(P<0.05).The expression levels of IL-17 A and TNF-α, taken as the qi related indicators, were significantly higher, while those of CD40 L, IL-1β, and TGF-β, also taken as the qi related indicators, were significantly lower in ITP patients with SQFCB, respectively(P<0.05).The expression levels of NO and ET-1, taken as the vessel related indicators, were significantly higher, while the expression levels of NOS and VEGF-A also taken as the vessel related indicators, were significantly lower in ITP patients with SQFCB, respectively(P<0.05).The count of PLT, taken as the blood related indicator, was significantly lower in moderate/severe group than those in mild group(P<0.05).The expression levels of CD40 L and TGF-β, taken as the qi related indicators, were also significantly lower in moderate/severe group than those in mild group, respectively(P<0.05).Conclusion: The count of PLT might be the biological basis of blood.The expressions of NO, NOS, ET-1 and VEGF-A might be the biological basis of vessel.The expressions of IL-1β, IL-17 A, TNF-α, TGF-β, and CD40 L may be the biological basis of qi.The expressions of CD40 L and TGF-β could reflect the degree of qi deficiency in ITP patients based on the theory of qi and blood.

Theory of Fighting the Epidemic with Traditional Chinese Medicine Qigong(气功)Therapy

Qigong(气功)therapy is an active self-paced exercise therapy and it has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).As early as the mention of it in the Huang Di Nei Jing(《黄帝内经》Huangdi s Internal Classic),there is a record of using qigong therapy to prevent and treat pestilence.This thesis discusses the idea and methods of qigong therapy in TCM,such as daoyin(导引),expiration and inspiration,and meditation.These methods purpose to have the functions of strengthening and consolidating the primordial qi,improving health conditions,and resisting pestilent qi.Therefore,the core idea of fighting the epidemic with qigong therapy is to enhance the healthy qi,and to prevent the intrusion of pestilent qi into the human body.It embodies the TCM thought of“when there is sufficient healthy qi inside the body,the evil cannot invade the body.”

A Discussion on the Constitution Factors of Thin Endometrium Based on the Theory of Qi and Blood

Thin endometrium has been proven to be a key contributing factor leading to infertility and poor pregnancy outcomes.Increasing the thickness and capacity of thin endometrium seems to be one of the challenging issues in reproductive medicine.The states of qi and blood are closely related to uterine blood circulation.Constitution is regarded as an important basis for determining the incidence as well as distinguishing,preventing,and treating diseases in traditional Chinese medicine.Based on the theory of qi and blood,this paper discusses the constitution factors of thin endometrium and puts forward the prospect of using big data tools to investigate the correlation between qi-blood imbalance constitution and the incidence of thin endometrium,so as to explore new approaches for the prevention and treatment of thin endometrium by regulating qi and blood as well as improving the constitution condition.

System Assimilation of E-Skills in Tertiary Institutions to Empower Graduates in South Africa

The value of system assimilation is to improve working relationships between tutors and learners while increasing workflow efficiency among tertiary institutions with low operational costs. E-skills could be described as electronic education development, to assist ICT professionals to reach their future career goals and aim to help users boost their ICT skills. In a society that is expanding, it is also a crucial issue to take into account. Researchers have turned their attention to this topic because of its significance and contribution to the empowerment of graduates in digital education. Many scholars have proposed many methods for integrating e-skills into society with impressive results, but the rising rate of graduate unemployment in South Africa is gradually becoming a big worry in our society. A model based on Activity Theory (AT) and e-skills will be developed in our tertiary institution to equip graduates with skills that will increase their employability and provide more individualized work opportunities as part of this study’s effort to solve this issue. With the use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Cronbach’s Alpha for validity and reliability testing, the study will create an experimental performance to assess the approach taken to measure e-skills in tertiary institutions to empower graduates in South Africa. The study established that system development and e-skilled models for tertiary institutions are growing gradually, especially in South African institutions, that empower graduates with profitable employability with experiences to improve work operation in the industries. In conclusion, system development and e-skills are very demanding but important to empower graduate employability to determine competency in the professional workforce.

A Study of Listening Teaching in High School English Class from the Perspective of Schema Theory

Listening comprehension is not only helpful for students’ learning ability, but also related to students’ scope of knowledge. According to the schema theory, listeners' knowledge plays an important role on the understanding of what they have listened. This paper aims to analyze the listening teaching in high school class under the schema theory.

Speeding up the prediction of C-O cleavage through bond valence and charge on iron carbides

The activation of CO on iron-based materials is a key elementary reaction for many chemical processes.We investigate CO adsorption and dissociation on a series of Fe,Fe_(3)C,Fe_(5)C_(2),and Fe_(2)C catalysts through density functional theory calculations.We detect dramatically different performances for CO adsorption and activation on diverse surfaces and sites.The activation of CO is dependent on the local coordination of the molecule to the surface and on the bulk phase of the underlying catalyst.The bulk properties and the different local bonding environments lead to varying interactions between the adsorbed CO and the surface and thus yielding different activation levels of the C-O bond.We also examine the prediction of CO adsorption on different types of Fe-based catalysts by machine learning through linear regression models.We combine the features originating from surfaces and bulk phases to enhance the prediction of the activation energies and perform eight different linear regressions utilizing the feature engineering of polynomial representations.Among them,a ridge linear regression model with2nd-degree polynomial feature generation predicted the best CO activation energy with a mean absolute error of 0.269 eV.

Identification and comparison of the local physicochemical structures of transition metal-based layered double hydroxides for high performance electrochemical oxygen evolution reactions

Layered double hydroxides(LDHs) have attracted considerable attention as a cost effective alternative to the precious iridium-and ruthenium-based electrocatalysts for an oxygen evolution reaction(OER),a bottleneck of water electrolysis for sustainable hydrogen production.Despite their excellent OER performance,the structural and electronic properties of LDHs,particularly during the OER process,remain to be poorly understood.In this study,a series of LDH catalysts is investigated through in situ X-ray absorption fine structure analyses and density functional theory(DFT) calculations.Our experimental results reveal that the LDH catalyst with equal amounts of Ni and Fe(NF-LDH) exhibits the highest OER activity and catalytic life span when compared with its counterparts having equal amounts of Ni and Co(NC-LDH)and Ni only(Ni-LDH).The NF-LDH shows a markedly enhanced OER kinetics compared to the NC-LDH and the Ni-LDH,as proven by the lower overpotentials of 180,240,and 310 mV,respectively,and the Tafel slopes of 35.1,43.4,and 62.7 mV dec^(-1),respectively.The DFT calculations demonstrate that the lowest overpotential of the NF-LDH is associated with the active sites located at the edge planes of NF-LDH in contrast to those located at the basal planes of Ni-LDH and NC-LDH.The current study pinpoints the active sites on various LDHs and presents strategies for optimizing the OER performance of the LDH catalysts.

Coexistence Theory of Slag Structure and Its Application to Calculation of Oxidizing Capability of Slag Melts

The coexistence theory of slag structure and it's application to calculation of the oxidizing capabilities of slag melts is described. It is shown that the law of mass action can be widely applied to the calculation of oxidizing capabilities of slag melts in combination with the coexistence theory of slag structure.For slag melts containing basic oxides FeO and MnO, their oxidizing capabilities can be expressed by N Fe tO =N FeO +6N Fe 2O 3 , while for slag melts containing basic oxides CaO, MgO, etc., in addition to FeO and MnO, their oxidizing capabilities can be given as N Fe tO =N FeO +6N Fe 2O 3 +8N Fe 3O 4 .

APPLICABILITY OF THE MASS ACTION LAW IN COMBINATION WITH THE COEXISTENCE THEORY OF METALLIC MELTS INVOLVING COMPOUND TO BINARY METALLIC MELTS

Based on the atomicity and molecularity as well as the consistency ofthermodynamic properties and activities of metallic melts with their structures, the coexistencetheory of metallic melts structure involving compound has been suggested. According to this theory,the calculating models of mass action concentrations for different binary metallic melts have beenformulated. The calculated mass action concentrations agree well with corresponding measuredactivities, which confirms that the suggested theory can reflect the structural characteristics ofmetallic melts involving compound and that the mass action law is widely applicable to this kind ofmetallic melts.

Physical activity during pregnancy and the role of theory in promoting positive behavior change:A systematic review

Background: Physical activity(PA) during pregnancy provides physical and psychological benefits for mother and child. U.S. guidelines recommend ≥30 min of moderate exercise for healthy pregnant women most days of the week; however, most women do not meet these recommendations. Theory assists in identifying salient determinants of health behavior to guide health promotion interventions; however, the application of theory to examine PA among pregnant women has not been examined cohesively among multiple levels of influence(e.g.,intrapersonal, interpersonal, neighborhood/environmental, and organizational/political). Subsequently, this systematic review aims to identify and evaluate the use of health behavior theory in studies that examine PA during pregnancy.Methods: Articles published before July 2014 were obtained from Pub Med and Web of Science. Inclusion criteria applied were:(1) empiricallybased;(2) peer-reviewed;(3) measured factors related to PA;(4) comprised a pregnant sample; and(5) applied theory. Fourteen studies were included. Each study's application of theory and theoretical constructs were evaluated.Results: Various theories were utilized to explain and predict PA during pregnancy; yet, the majority of these studies only focused on intrapersonal level determinants. Five theoretical frameworks were applied across the studies—all but one at the intrapersonal level. Few determinants identified were from the interpersonal, neighborhood/environmental, or organizational/political levels.Conclusion: This systematic review synthesized the literature on theoretical constructs related to PA during pregnancy. Interpersonal, community,and societal levels remain understudied. Future research should employ theory-driven multi-level determinants of PA to reflect the interacting factors influencing PA during this critical period in the life course.

Mode-Coupling Theory for Glass Transition of Active-Passive Binary Mixture

Collective behaviours of active particle systems have gained great research attentions in re- cent years. Here we present a mode-coupling theory （MCT） framework to study the glass transition of a mixture system of active and passive Brownian particles. The starting point is an eff）ctive Smoluchowski equation, which governs the dynamics of the probability dis- tribution function in the position phase space. With the assumption of the existence of a nonequilibrium steady state, we are able to obtain dynamic equations for the intermediate scattering functions （ISFs）, wherein an irreducible memory function is introduced which in turn can be written as functions of the ISFs based on standard mode-coupling approximations. The effect of particle activity is included through an effective difIusion coefficient which can be obtained via short time simulations. By calculating the long-time limit of the ISF, the Debye-Waller （DW） factor, one can determine the critical packing fraction ηc of glass transition. We find that for active-passive （AP） mixtures with the same particle sizes, ηc increases as the partial fraction of active particle xA increases, which is in agreement with previous simulation works. For system with different active/passive particle sizes, we find an interesting reentrance behaviour of glass transition, i.e., ηc shows a non-monotonic dependence on xa. In addition, such a reentrance behaviour would disappear if the particle activity is large enough. Our results thus provide a useful theoretical scheme to study glass transition behaviour of active-passive mixture systems in a promising way.

Determination of thermodynamic properties in full composition range of Ti-Al binary melts based on atom and molecule coexistence theory

The results of predicting thermodynamic properties in the full composition range of Ti-Al binary melts in a temperature range from 1973 to 2273 K were obtained by coupling with the developed thermodynamic model for calculating mass action concentration N_i of structural units in Ti-Al system based on the atom and molecule coexistence theory（AMCT）. Temperature dependence of the activity coefficients of Ti and Al in natural logarithmic form in the infinitely dilute solution（0x_（Ti）0.01） of Ti-Al binary melts was also determined from the calculated activity coefficients of Ti and Al at temperatures of 1973, 2073, 2173, and 2273 K. The standard molar Gibbs free energy change of dissolving pure liquid element i（l） for forming 1%（mass fraction） element i in Ti-Al binary melts further was deduced. With the aid of this model, meanwhile, the determined excess thermodynamic properties, such as the excess molar mixing Gibbs free energy/entropy/enthalpy were also calculated.