ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCEXiaojin Pills (XJPs), which has the function of dissipating knots and dispersing swelling, removing blood stasis, and relieving pain, is a classic prescription for the ...treatment of mammary glands hyperplasia. It is also the first choice of Chinese patent medicine for the clinical treatment of mammary glands hyperplasia in contemporary traditional Chinese medicine clinics. Previous studies have shown that the efficacy of XJPs "taken orally after soaked with Chinese Baijiu" in tradition was significantly better than that of taking it orally with water in modern in terms of activating the blood, anti-inflammation, analgesia, anti-mammary gland hyperplasia, anti-breast cancer and its metastasis in vitro and in vivo, especially under low-dose conditions. However, the material basis for the difference in efficacy between XJP&B and XJP&W is still unclear. AIM OF THE STUDYTo analyze the material basis of the significant difference in efficacy between XJP&B and XJP&W from the perspective of serum pharmacochemistry and pharmacokinetics, and clarified the scientific connotation of XJPs "taken orally after soaked with Chinese Baijiu". MATERIALS AND METHODSUltra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with a multivariate statistical analysis method were used to screen the differential components in the Chinese Baijiu extract and the water extract of XJPs and the corresponding residues, so as to clarify the differential components between XJP&B and XJP&W in vitro. The migrating components in the blood after XJP&B and XJP&W were characterized by serum pharmacochemical methods, in order to clarify the differential components in rats. The pharmacokinetic parameters of the representative components absorbed into the blood were compared between XJP&B and XJP&W by the pharmacokinetics study method, in order to determine the dynamic changes of the representative components in rats. RESULTSThe identification results of different components in vitro showed that there were 34 and 12 different compounds between the Chinese Baijiu extract and water extract of XJPs, and the residues after Chinese Baijiu extraction and water extraction, respectively. The content of different components such as arachidonic acid, ursolic acid, 3-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid, 2α-hydroxyursolic acid, and oleanolic acid was higher in the Chinese Baijiu extract, which was more than twice the content in the water extract. The results of the serum pharmacochemistry study indicated that 42 prototype components were identified in the serum of rats after XJP&B and XJP&W, including organic acids, alkaloids, steroids, and terpenoids. And XJP&B increased the absorption of the prototype components of organic acids in XJPs into the blood. The pharmacokinetic study results of representative components demonstrated that the mean plasma concentration-time profile and pharmacokinetic parameters of muscone, aconitine, and 3-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid were significantly different between XJP&B and XJP&W. Compared with XJP&W, the Cmax and AUC0-t of muscone and aconitine in XJP&B were higher, and the T1/2 and MRT0-t of 3-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid in XJP&B were relatively longer. CONCLUSIONThis research proved that "taking XJPs orally after being soaked with Chinese Baijiu" can increase the dissolution and absorption of active ingredients in XJPs, increase the plasma concentration and content of representative ingredients, and prolong its action time, thus enhancing the biological activity of XJPs in vitro and in vivo. To a certain extent, this study revealed the material basis of the significantly better efficacy of XJP&B than XJP&W and clarified the scientific connotation of XJPs "taken orally after soaked with Chinese Baijiu", which can provide a theoretical basis for the optimization of XJPs' clinical administration method.
Assessing drivers' behavior after transition from automated to manual driving (referred as to take-over condition) in highly automated vehicles (SAE Level 4) is a widely studied area. However, ...analyzing Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers' post-take-over behavior has received less attention, whereas it is forecasted that CMVs will be the first to vastly adopt highly automated vehicle technology. This study aims to analyze and compare CMV drivers' driving styles in take-over conditions with continuous manual driving. Assessing driving style, which is a function of various variables and actions, provides a comprehensive understanding of the changes in post-take-over behavior. Hence, the driving behaviors of 45 CMV drivers are collected using a driving simulator, and we investigated whether the driving style is subject to driving mode (take-over or manual), automation duration, repeated take-overs, and driver's factors. Here, drivers' driving behavior is classified into three driving styles, normal, conservative, and risky by using Multivariate Dynamic Time Warping approach followed by <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">k </tex-math></inline-formula>-means clustering. Comparing driving styles in take-over and manual driving conditions showed that conservative and risky driving styles (as in more speed reduction, harder brakes, and unsafe turns) are more common in take-over conditions. Furthermore, to gain behavioral insight into the detected driving styles, Generalized Linear Models are applied to model the driving behavior indices in each driving style. Modeling results showed that long-phase automation, traffic/environmental conditions, and bad driving history deteriorate post-take-over behavior. The findings of this paper provide valuable information to automotive companies and transportation planners on the nature of take-over conditions.
A high degree of automated driving distracts drivers more easily, resulting in slow recognition of critical events during driving and slow responses to emergencies. Automated driving and manual ...switching processes are also prone to erroneous decisions. We conducted a simulated automated driving experiment to study participants' visual perception characteristics during the take‐over of vehicle control. The present study used dynamic videos to imitate the driving situations when drivers returned their gaze from the distractive source to the road. We collected the drivers' eye movement data to analyze the search strategy and physiological characteristics of the drivers after the take‐over reminder. The results showed that the instant information search method of the drivers was scanning of the driving scene. When the degree of distraction deepened and the hazard level of scenes increased, the pupil diameter of the drivers increased and the fixation duration became longer. These findings can help to design take‐over warnings and support more intelligent automated driving systems to judge whether measures should be taken to interfere with the driver's operation to avoid collisions. Furthermore, the drivers' fixation point distribution focused on the left side and the lower side of the scene. We suggest that the take‐over warning is displayed in the head‐up display. This study provides a better understanding of drivers' visual perception characteristics when drivers' eyesight returns from other distractors to the driving scene and a good theoretical basis for the design of hazard warning information for automated driving.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)-based product take-back regulation holds OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) of electronics responsible for the collection and recovery (e.g., recycling) of ...electronic waste (e-waste). This is because of the assumption that recycling these products has a net cost, and unless regulated they end up in landfills and harm the environment. However, in the last decade, advances in product design and recycling technologies have allowed for profitable recycling. This change challenges the basic assumption behind such regulation and creates a competitive marketplace for e-waste. That is, OEMs subject to EPR have to compete with Independent Recyclers (IRs) in collecting and recycling e-waste. Then a natural question is whether EPR achieves its intended goal of increased landfill diversion amid such competition and what its welfare implications are, where welfare is the sum of OEM and IR profits, environmental benefit, and waste-holder surplus. Using an economic model, we find that EPR that focuses on producer responsibility alone may reduce the total landfill diversion and welfare amid competition. A possible remedy in the form of counting IRs collection towards OEM obligations guarantees higher landfill diversion. However, EPR may continue to reduce the total welfare, particularly when OEM recycling replaces more cost-effective IR activity.
There are functional benefits to exercise in muscle, even when performed late in life, but the contributions of epigenetic factors to late‐life exercise adaptation are poorly defined. Using reduced ...representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS), ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and mitochondrial‐specific examination of methylation, targeted high‐resolution methylation analysis, and DNAge™ epigenetic aging clock analysis with a translatable model of voluntary murine endurance/resistance exercise training (progressive weighted wheel running, PoWeR), we provide evidence that exercise may mitigate epigenetic aging in skeletal muscle. Late‐life PoWeR from 22–24 months of age modestly but significantly attenuates an age‐associated shift toward promoter hypermethylation. The epigenetic age of muscle from old mice that PoWeR‐trained for eight weeks was approximately eight weeks younger than 24‐month‐old sedentary counterparts, which represents ~8% of the expected murine lifespan. These data provide a molecular basis for exercise as a therapy to attenuate skeletal muscle aging.
Aged mice (22‐24 months old) subjected to a voluntary high‐volume hypertrophic exercise training stimulus (progressive weighted wheel running, or PoWeR) had a lower DNA methylation age in skeletal muscle, as well as a more youthful overall methylation profile.
Abstract
It is unknown whether lobster behaviour is sensitive to fishing, as has been previously suggested for fish. This study investigated the impacts of recreational fishing on the wariness of ...western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus, George) through comparisons between fished sites and no-take reserves (NTRs) at Rottnest Island. We used visual census to survey the density and size structure of lobster at sites inside and outside three comparable NTRs, and baited remote underwater video to study the behaviour of lobster at comparable sites. The density of legal-sized P. cygnus was twice as high within NTRs (0.34 ± 0.05) than fished sites (0.16 ± 0.03). P. cygnus also spent less time with bait in fished sites (0.42 ± 0.15 min) than NTRs (1.15 ± 0.28 min). This study provides the first evidence that behaviour of decapods, namely P. cygnus, is sensitive to noninjury-related disturbance associated with recreational fishing, with higher wariness in fished areas. Investigation is required into potentially confounding biotic and abiotic factors to further explore the applicability of lobster wariness as an indicator for fishing pressure.
Take-all is a devastating soil-borne disease that affects wheat production. The continuous generation of disease-resistance germplasm is an important aspect of the management of this pathogen. In ...this study, we characterized the wheat-
Keng (
)-derived progeny H139 that exhibits significantly improved resistance to wheat take-all disease compared with its susceptible parent 7182. Sequential genomic
hybridization (GISH) and multicolor fluorescence
hybridization (mc-FISH) analyses revealed that H139 is a stable wheat-
disomic substitution line lacking wheat chromosome 2D. Expressed sequence tag-sequence tagged site (EST-STS) marker and Wheat Axiom 660K Genotyping Array analysis further revealed that H139 was a novel wheat-
2Ns/2D substitution line. In addition, the H139 line was shown to be cytologically stable with a dwarf phenotype and increased spikelet number. These results indicate that H139, with its enhanced wheat take-all disease resistance and desirable agronomic traits, provides valuable genetic resources for wheat chromosome engineering breeding.
When navigating the environment, animals need to prioritize responses to the most relevant stimuli. Although a theoretical framework for selective visual attention exists, its circuit implementation ...has remained obscure. Here we investigated how larval zebrafish select between simultaneously presented visual stimuli. We found that a mix of winner-take-all (WTA) and averaging strategies best simulates behavioral responses. We identified two circuits whose activity patterns predict the relative saliencies of competing visual objects. Stimuli presented to only one eye are selected by WTA computation in the inner retina. Binocularly presented stimuli, on the other hand, are processed by reciprocal, bilateral connections between the nucleus isthmi (NI) and the tectum. This interhemispheric computation leads to WTA or averaging responses. Optogenetic stimulation and laser ablation of NI neurons disrupt stimulus selection and behavioral action selection. Thus, depending on the relative locations of competing stimuli, a combination of retinotectal and isthmotectal circuits enables selective visual attention.
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•Zebrafish respond to competing stimuli using winner-take-all and averaging strategies•Retinotectal and isthmotectal circuits enable context-dependent stimulus selection•Perturbing nucleus isthmi function disrupts behavioral action selection•Isthmotectal circuit layout is consistent with local enhancement and global suppression
Fernandes et al. investigate how zebrafish larvae respond selectively to one of two stimuli competing for the animal’s attention. Two strategies for stimulus selection are used: winner-take-all or averaging. The corresponding neuronal computations are implemented in an intricate system of feedback loops between tectum and nucleus isthmi.
As a kind of flexible membrane structure, the flexible bag-type wave energy converter (WEC) is currently in the conceptual development stage. This paper presents a novel type of water-filled ...submerged flexible bag WEC that has successfully generated electricity in a laboratory environment. Experimental studies have been conducted to investigate the hydrodynamic response of the flexible bag and the optimal resistance damping of the power take-off (PTO). The experimental results show that the average displacement of the PTO and power output are nonlinear for different wave heights. Furthermore, the capture width ratio (CWR) of the WEC varies depending on the wave period. The optimal resistance damping for this physical model has been determined to be 80 Ω. These findings can serve as a validation for future numerical simulations, and additional experimental studies will be carried out to optimize the structure of the WEC and enhance its energy conversion efficiency.
Refusing the best price? Li, Sida; Ye, Mao; Zheng, Miles
Journal of financial economics,
February 2023, 2023-02-00, Volume:
147, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The Regulation National Market System (Reg NMS) links fragmented stock exchanges by routing orders to the National Best Bid and Offer (NBBO). As the NBBO ignores exchange fees, 62% of routings lead ...to worse net prices. An increase in fee differences increases the market share captured by orders that refuse Reg NMS routings, particularly for stocks whose fees account for a large portion of transaction costs. Heterogeneous opportunity costs rationalize routing choices: non-routable orders entail lower non-execution costs than routable orders. Our results indicate that fees and clientele segmentation drive the proliferation of order types in the Reg NMS era.
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