Electroacupuncture pretreatment exhibits antidepressive effects by regulating hippocampal proteomics in rats with chronic restraint stress

The clinical effect of electroacupuncture on depression is widely recognized. However, the signal transduction pathways and target proteins involved remain unclear. In the present study, rat models of chronic restraint stress were used to explore the mechanism by which electroacupuncture alleviates depression. Rats were randomly divided into control, model, and electroacupuncture groups. Chronic restraint stress was induced in the model and electroacupuncture groups by restraining rats for 28 days. In the electroacupuncture group, electroacupuncture pretreatment at Baihui（GV20） and Yintang（GV29） acupoints was performed daily（1 m A, 2 Hz, discontinuous wave, 20 minutes） prior to restraint for 28 days. Open field tests and body weight measurements were carried out to evaluate the depressive symptoms at specific time points. On day 28, the crossing number, rearing number, and body weights of the model group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Behavior test results indicated that rat models of depressive-like symptoms were successfully established by chronic restraint stress combined with solitary raising. On day 28, an isobaric tag for a relative and absolute quantitation-based quantitative proteomic approach was performed to identify differentially expressed proteins in hippocampal samples obtained from the model and electroacupuncture groups. The potential function of these differential proteins was predicted through the use of the Cluster of Orthologous Groups of proteins（COG） database. Twenty-seven differential proteins（uncharacteristic proteins expected） were selected from the model and electroacupuncture groups. In addition to unknown protein functions, COG are mainly concentrated in general prediction function, mechanism of signal transduction, amino acid transport and metabolism groups. This suggests that electroacupuncture improved depressive-like symptoms by regulating differential proteins, and most of these related proteins exist in nerve cells.

Theoretical and experimental study of the pulling force of jet bits in radial drilling technology

Radial drilling technology, of which the jet bit is the key device, is a research focus in the field of oil drilling and production. This paper establishes mechanical equations for jet bits and analyzes the hydroseal of backward jets in bottom holes. Meanwhile this paper establishes a mechanical equation for a high pressure hose and analyzes the axial force distribution. Laboratory experiments indicate that the flow rate, the angle between the backward nozzle axis and the jet bit axis, and the hole diameter are the major influencing factors; the generation of the pulling force is mainly due to the inlet pressure of the jet bit; the backward jets can significantly increase not only the pulling force but also the stability of jet bits. The pulling force would reach 8,376 N under experimental conditions, which can steadily pull the high-pressure hose forward.

The interaction between multiple bubbles and the free surface

The flow is assumed to be potential, and a boundary integral method is used to solve the Laplace equation for the velocity potential to investigate the shape and the position of the bubble. A 3D code to study the bubble dynamics is developed, and the calculation results agree well with the experimental data. Numerical analyses are carried out for the interaction between multiple bubbles near the free surface including in-phase and out-of-phase bubbles. The calculation result shows that the bubble period increases with the decrease of the distance between bubble centres because of the depression effect between multiple bubbles. The depression has no relationship with the free surface and it is more apparent for out-of-phase bubbles. There are great differences in dynamic behaviour between the in-phase bubbles and the out-of-phase bubbles due to the depression effect. Furthermore, the interaction among eight bubbles is simulated with a three-dlmensional model, and the evolving process and the relevant physical phenomena are presented. These phenomena can give a reference to the future work on the power of bubbles induced by multiple charges exploding simultaneously or continuously.