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Background Effective-component compatibility of Bufei Yishen formula III (ECC-BYF III) demonstrates positive effects on stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Purpose To investigate the mechanisms of ECC-BYF III on COPD rats from the aspect of airway epithelial cell senescence. Methods COPD model rats (Sprague-Dawley rat) were treated with ECC-BYF III for 8 weeks, and the efficacy was evaluated. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced senescence model of airway epithelial cells was treated with ECC-BYF III, and related enzymes and proteins involved in oxidative stress and mitophagy were detected. Results ECC-BYF III markedly rescued pulmonary function and histopathological changes, which might be associated with the amelioration of lung senescence, including the reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 levels, increase of the level in total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and decease in the p21 level in the airways. Furthermore, ECC-BYF III suppressed p16 and p21 expressions and senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) in CSE-induced airway epithelial cells. Moreover, ECC-BYF III upregulated mitophagy-related proteins, including the co-localizations of TOM20 and LC3B, PINK1 and PARK2, and improved mitochondrial function by upregulating mitochondrial mitofusin (MFN)2 and reducing dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) expression. ECC-BYF III enhanced the activities of T-SOD and GSH-PX by up-regulating NRF2, thus inhibiting oxidative stress. After intervention with NRF2 inhibitor, the regulation effects of ECC-BYF III on oxidative stress, mitophagy and senescence in airway epithelial cells were significantly suppressed. Conclusions ECC-BYF III exerts beneficial effects on COPD rats by ameliorating airway epithelial cell senescence, which is mediated by inhibiting oxidative stress and subsequently enhancing mitophagy through the activation of NRF2 signaling.

Peimine, a bioactive substance isolated from Chinese medicine Fritillaria, can potentially suppress pulmonary fibrosis (PF); however, its therapeutic mechanism remains unclear. Recent evidence suggests the participation of M2-type macrophages in the pathogenesis of PF. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of peimine on a bleomycin (BLM)-induced PF rat model and the underlying mechanism of this effect. After BLM administration, peimine was administered to rats from day 29 to day 42, with pirfenidone (PFD) as a positive control. H&E and Masson’s trichrome stain were used to analyze histological changes. Q-PCR and western blotting were used to measure mRNA levels and protein levels, respectively. High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology detected the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) regulated by peimine. Our results revealed that peimine treatment significantly ameliorated BLM-induced PF by suppressing histological changes and collagen deposition. In addition, peimine decreased the number of M2 macrophages and the expression of profibrotic factors. RNA-seq results showed that DEGs regulated by peimine in IL-4-induced macrophages were mainly associated with immune system processes, the PI3K/Akt pathway, and the MAPKs pathway. Then, immunofluorescence assay and western blot results demonstrated that peimine treatment suppressed the expression of p-p38 MAPK and p-Akt (s473) and also inhibited the nuclear translocation of p-STAT6. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that peimine has a protective effect on PF through the suppression of M2 polarization of macrophages by inhibiting the STAT6, p38 MAPK, and Akt signals.

Background and rationale Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a critical disease with a poor prognosis. Although different studies have been conducted for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, limited treatments are available. Jin-shui Huan-xian granule (JHG), which is a Chinese medicine herbal compound, has shown promising efficacy in reducing frequencies of acute exacerbations, improving exercise capacity the quality of life of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of JHG for IPF. Subjects and methods This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 312 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients will be enrolled and randomly allocated to one of the two groups with 1:1. After a 2-week washout period, 52-week treatment will also be performed for all the patients. Patients in the experimental group and the control group will be given JHG and JHG placebo, respectively. Outcome measures including acute exacerbations, pulmonary function, dyspnea, exercise capacity, and quality of life will be evaluated in this study. Discussion Based on our previous study, it is hypothesized that JHG will reduce acute exacerbations; improve exercise capacity, pulmonary function, and quality of life; and delay the disease progression-free. High-level evidence-based support for TCM in IPF will also be obtained in this study. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04187690. Register on December 11, 2019

Acute-exacerbation chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is mainly associated with acute respiratory tract infection. In recent years, a growing number of studies have found that Tanreqing capsule (TRQ) has a favorable anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, we used network pharmacology and pharmacodynamics to explore the molecular mechanism and effects of TRQ in AECOPD treatment. To further understand the molecular mechanism of TRQ in AECOPD treatment, we used the network pharmacology to predict components of TRQ, TRQ-related targets, AECOPD-related targets, and pathways. In addition, we used the cigarette-smoke/lipopolysaccharide -induced AECOPD experimental model in Sprague–Dawley rats (72 rats randomly divided into six groups [n = 12 each]: control, model, high-TRQ [TRQ-H], medium-TRQ [TRQ-M], low-TRQ, and dexamethasone [Dex]) to evaluate the therapeutic effects of TRQ and to verify the network pharmacology. We found that 59 overlapping targets based on component-and AECOPD-related targets were frequently involved in the advanced glycation end product–receptor for advanced glycation end product signaling pathway in diabetic complications, the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase–protein kinase B signaling pathway, and the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 signaling pathway, which might play important roles in the anti-inflammatory mechanism of TRQ in AECOPD treatment. Moreover, TRQ groups exerted protective effects against AECOPD by reducing the infiltration of inflammatory cells. Meanwhile, TRQ-M and TRQ-H groups significantly downregulated or upregulated the expression of tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL) 6, C-reactive protein, IL10, and serum amyloid A, as key targets in network pharmacology, in the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid to achieve anti-inflammatory efficacy. Our study showed that TRQ had better anti-inflammatory efficacy against AECOPD, and initially elucidated its molecular mechanism. Moreover, our study also provides a new strategy to explore effective mechanism of TRQ against AECOPD; and further studies are needed to validate the biological processes and pathways of TRQ against AECOPD.

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of heat-clearing and detoxifying Chinese medicine injections in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD). Randomized controlled trial(RCT) on the treatment of AECOPD with heat-clearing and detoxifying Chinese medicine injections were retrieved from 8 databases including CNKI and PubMed(from establishment to July 11, 2021). Related information in eligible articles was extracted, and the quality of the included articles was assessed by Cochrane collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias. Stata SE 15.1 and ADDIS 1.16.6 were employed for data analysis. A total of 81 RCTs were screened out, involving 7 526 patients(3 782 in the experimental group and 3 744 in the control group). According to the statistical difference and network Meta-analysis, the injections are in the order of(1)Reduning Injection+conventional western medicinegt;Tanreqing Injection+conventional western medicine in improving the effective rate,(2)Reduning Injection+conventional western medicinegt;Tanreqing Injection+conventional western medicine in decreasing C-reactive protein(CRP),(3)Reduning Injection+conventional western medicinegt;Xiyanping Injection+conventional western medicinegt;Tanreqing Injection+conventional western medicine in reducing white blood cell count(WBC),(4)Yuxingcao Injection+conventional western medicinegt;Reduning Injection+conventional western medicinegt;Tanreqing Injection+conventional western medicine in lowering partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO_2),(5)Yuxingcao Injection+conventional western medicinegt;Reduning Injection+conventional western medicinegt;Tanreqing Injection+conventional western medicinegt;Xiyanping Injection+conventional western medicine in improving partial pressure of oxygen(PaO_2), and(6)Qingkailing Injection+conventional western medicinegt;Tanreqing Injection+conventional western medicine in shortening mean hospital stay. In terms of safety, none of the five injections have serious adverse reactions. The five heat-clearing and detoxifying Chinese medicine injections are effective for AECOPD, but the mechanisms are different. Among them, Reduning Injection+conventional western medicine and Tanreqing Injection+conventional western medicine demonstrate better and more effects. Due to the differences in the quantity and quality of included studies, the conclusion needs to be further verified.

A series of Ag2–xO/FTO-i electrodes (where i denotes the current density during the electrodeposition, and i = 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 7) was fabricated in 0.1 M K2B4O7 electrolyte containing Ag+ ions by galvanostatic electrocrystallization. The electrode composition and morphology were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results reveal that the electrode films consist of Ag2O, but some of the Ag+ ions on the {111} crystal facets are oxidized into Ag2+ ions. Furthermore, the Ag2–xO/FTO-1 electrode shows a triangular slice shape of a parallel matrix with a larger exposed area of {111} crystal facets than other Ag2–xO/FTO-i (i = 0.5, 2, 3, 4, or 7) electrodes. Electrocatalytic experiments prove that the Ag2−xO/FTO-1 electrode produces the highest oxidative current density, has an overpotential of 417 mV at 10 mA cm−2, and has a Tafel slope of 47 mV dec−1 in 0.1 M K2B4O7. Electrochemical impedance spectra indicate that Ag2−xO/FTO-1 electrodes have the best ability for charge transfer. In addition, in the I-t test over 10 h, the current density decreased 4%. Fortunately, both O–O and Ag2+ species were detected after electrocatalysis and a possible mechanism for the oxygen evolution reaction is proposed in which the formation of Ag2+ and O–O species on {111} facets plays a critical role.

Development of high-efficiency anode electrocatalysts remains a challenge for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Herein, carbon dots (CDs) and Co-substituted sandwich polyoxometalate K10[Co4(H2O)2...

The present study explored the regularity of prescriptions for the treatment of intermediate and advanced lung cancer to provide references for clinical medication. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM were searched for the research papers on the treatment of lung cancer by Chinese medicine published from database inception to May 31, 2021. The relevant information of qualified papers was extracted to establish a database. The Chinese medicines with frequencygt;3% underwent analysis of the latent structure and association rules by Lantern 5.0 and SPSS Molder 14.1, respectively, and the prescription regularity in the treatment of intermediate and advanced lung cancer was analyzed based on the frequency description. A total of 713 papers were included, involving 327 Chinese medicines with a cumulative frequency of 12 794 and 106 prescriptions with a cumulative frequency of 824. The commonly used Chinese medicines were dominated by deficiency-tonifying, heat-clearing, phlegm-resolving, and cough/dyspnea-relieving drugs, such as Astragali Radix, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Ophiopogonis Radix, Poria, and Hedyotis Diffusa, which are cold, warm, and plain in nature and sweet, bitter, and pungent in flavor, and mainly act on lung, spleen, and stomach meridians. Commonly used prescriptions included Shashen Maidong Decoction, Liujunzi Decoction, and Baihe Gujin Decoction. The latent structure analysis revealed 32 latent variables and 65 hidden classes. Six comprehensive clustering models and 11 core prescriptions were obtained by professional knowledge inference. The common syndromes of intermediate and advanced lung cancer were inferred to be Qi and Yin deficiency in the lung, Qi deficiency in the lung and spleen, Yin deficiency in the liver and kidney, combined phlegm and stasis, phlegm-heat obstructing lung, and Qi stagnation and blood stasis. Forty-four strong associations were screened out by association rules analysis, including four pairwise strong associations(Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma→Ophiopogonis Radix, Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma→Glehniae Radix, Amomi Fructus→Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, and Polygonati Rhizoma→Astragali Radix) and 40 triplet strong associations(such as Trichosanthis Radix+Glehniae Radix→Ophiopogonis Radix, Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma+Glehniae Radix→Ophiopogonis Radix, Trichosanthis Radix+Ophiopogonis Radix→Glehniae Radix, and Scutellariae Barbatae Herba+Codonopsis Radix→Hedyotis Diffusa). In the treatment of intermediate and advanced lung cancer, Qi-replenishing and Yin-nourishing drugs are mainly employed, assisted with cancer-resisting, toxin-removing, spleen-invigorating, phlegm/stasis-resolving, and blood-activating drugs based on syndrome differentiation. The roots were treated following the principles of tonifying lungs and replenishing the spleen, and symptoms following the principles of removing the toxin, dispelling stasis, and resolving phlegm.

To explore the characteristics and rule of clinical acupoint selection in treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).The clinical articles of acupuncture in treatment of AECOPD were retrieved from the databases of PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and SinoMed, from the date of establishment to July 15, 2020. The articles were screened in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the prescriptions of acupuncture and the relevant information of the acupoints and meridians were extracted to establish the database. The data mining methods i.e. Apriori association rule analysis and cluster analysis were used to analyse the using frequency, involving meridians, acupoint distributions, association rules and cluster of selected acupoints.A total of 54 articles were included, 67 acupuncture prescriptions were extracted, 69 acupoints were involved and the total using frequency was 475 times. The top 5 acupoints in frequency were Danzhong (CV 17), Feishu (BL 13), Zusanli (ST 36), Fenglong (ST 40) and Dingchuan (EX-B1). The main involved meridians were bladder meridian of foot-The local acupoints and acupoints along meridians are the main acupuncture prescriptions for AECOPD, and the special points are the predominated selection. The acupoint compatibility embodies the therapeutic principle of "strengthening vital

Jinshui Huanxian granules (JSHX) is a clinical Chinese medicine formula used for treating pulmonary fibrosis (PF). However, the effective components and molecular mechanisms of JSHX are still unclear. In this study, a combination approach using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-Orbitrap Fusion mass spectrometry (UPLC-Orbitrap Fusion MS) integrated with network pharmacology was followed to identify the components of JSHX and the underlying molecular mechanisms against PF. UPLC-Orbitrap Fusion MS was used to identify the components present in JSHX. On the basis of the identified components, we performed target prediction using the SwissTargetPrediction database, protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis using STRING database, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis using Metascape and constructed a component-target-pathway network using Cytoscape 3.7.2. Molecular docking technology was used to verify the affinity between the core components and targets. Finally, the pharmacological activities of three potentially bioactive components were validated in transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1)-induced A549 cell fibrosis model. As a result, we identified 266 components, including 56 flavonoids, 52 saponins, 31 alkaloids, 10 coumarins, 12 terpenoids and 105 other components. Of these, 90 validated components were predicted to act on 172 PF-related targets and they exhibited therapeutic effects against PF via regulation of cell migration, regulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, reduction of oxidative stress, and anti-inflammatory activity. Molecular docking showed that the core components could spontaneously bind to receptor proteins with a strong binding force. In vitro, compared to model group, hesperetin, ruscogenin and liquiritin significantly inhibited the increase of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibronectin (FN) and the decrease of e-cadherin (E-cad) in TGF-β1-induced A549 cells. This study is the first to show, using UPLC-Orbitrap Fusion MS combined with network pharmacology and experimental validation, that JSHX might exert therapeutic actions against PF by suppressing the expression of key factors in PF. The findings provide a deeper understanding of the chemical profiling and pharmacological activities of JSHX and a reference for further scientific research and clinical use of JSHX in PF treatment.

Development of semiconductor catalysts is an attractive way to solve energy shortage and pollution problems. In this work, a kind of ternary heterojunction nanocomposite g-C3N4/Co3O4/Ag2O was successfully prepared, whose morphology, structure and composition were characterized by TEM, EDS, XRD and XPS analysis. Photocatalytic experiments prove that g-C3N4/Co3O4/Ag2O shows good photodegradation efficiency (98.09%) for RhB under visible light. The free radical capture experiment indicates that the hole, superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical all contribute to the photocatalytic process. In addition, it is found that introducing Ag2O into the composite can efficiently promote the formation of H2O2via the reduction of O2. An electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) study further confirms that the value of electron transfer during the ORR is 2.07 for g-C3N4/Co3O4/Ag2O, indicating the promoted two-electron O2 reduction reaction to H2O2. Based on the above results and energy band structures of semiconductors, a possible photocatalysis mechanism is proposed.

Background At present, there is short of effective treatment for acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF). The treatment of IPF with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has some advantages. However, the evidence is unclear whether TCM can be recommended as an effective therapy to treat AE-IPF. The purpose of the study is to explore the efficacy and safety of TCM for patients with AE-IPF. Methods A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory clinical trial will be performed. A total of 80 patients diagnosed with AE-IPF will be randomized into the intervention or control group. In addition to conventional treatment, the intervention group will be treated with Kangxianhuanji granule, and the control group will be given a placebo granule. The administration frequency is 10 g each time and two times daily. After 4 weeks of treatment, the patients were followed up for 12 weeks. The primary outcomes are treatment failure rate and all-cause mortality. Secondary outcome measures will include the length of hospitalization, overall survival, acute exacerbation rate, intubation rate, Modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) score, the St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (SGRQ-I) score, and arterial blood gas analysis. Discussion TCM may be beneficial in IPF. However, it has never been evaluated in patients with AE-IPF, who are incredibly prone to respiratory failure and have a high mortality rate. It is the first clinical trial to explore the efficacy and safety of TCM in the treatment of AE-IPF. This result will provide a basis for further study, which provides a high-quality evidence for the treatment of AE-IPF with TCM. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900026289. Registered on 29 September 2019.

The Bu-Fei formula (BFF) has a positive effect on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, its therapeutic mechanisms against COPD remain unknown.To explore BFF's therapeutic effect on COPD and pharmacological mechanisms.First, the effect of BFF on rats with COPD was studied. Rats were randomly assigned to the blank, COPD, BFF treatment, and aminophylline (APL) treatment groups. From weeks 1-8, the COPD model was established by Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) and cigarette smoke. Then, rats were given corresponding treatment for 8 weeks. The lung function of the rats was analyzed by whole-body plethysmography and pulmonary function testing, lung histopathology by electron microscopy and hematoxylin and eosin staining, and protein levels by immunohistochemistry. Next, the key components and targets of BFF in COPD were screened by network pharmacology analysis. Finally, the possible mechanism was verified through molecular docking and in vivo experiments.BFF significantly improved lung function and lung histopathology in COPD rats and inhibit inflammation and collagen deposition in lung tissues. Also, 46 bioactive compounds and 136 BFF targets related to COPD were identified; among them, 3 compounds (quercetin, luteolin, and nobiletin) and 6 core targets (Akt1, BCL2, NF-κB p65, VEGFA, MMP9, and Caspase 8) were the key molecules associated with the mechanisms of BFF. The target enrichment analysis suggested that BFF's mechanisms might involve the apoptosis-related pathway; this possibility was supported by the molecular docking data. Lastly, BFF was indicated to increase the expression of core target genes and the production of apoptosis-related proteins.BFF affects COPD by regulating the apoptosis-related pathways and targets.

Two new tungstosilicates (C(NH2)3)5KNa2H3[Sn(CH2CH2COOCH3)Co(H2O)2Si2W19O69]·10H2O (Si2W19-Co-SnRCOOCH3) and (C(NH2)3)5KNa2H3[Sn(CH2CH2COOCH3)Mn(H2O)2Si2W19O69]·13H2O (Si2W19-Mn-SnRCOOCH3) modified by organometal (OM) and transition metal (TM) ions were obtained, and they were self-assembled from mono-TM-containing (TM = Co, Mn) γ-[SiW10O35]6- (γ-SiW10)-based dimeric tungstosilicate and estertin Cl3SnCH2CH2COOCH3 in an acetate buffer solution, respectively. Their structures were determined with a series of physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods including X-ray crystallography, XRPD, etc. The estertin functional position in the tungstosilicate skeleton was analyzed by theoretical calculations using density functional theory (DFT). These two compounds have good catalytic activity for the oxidation of cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone. Meanwhile, they were composited with TiO2 using a facial layer-by-layer (LBL) method. The assembled composite films {Si2W19-TM-SnRCOOCH3/TiO2}n (TM = Co, Mn; n is the bilayer number, n = 1-6) exhibit efficient photoelectrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of methanol under irradiation of 100 mW cm-2 using a Xe lamp as a light source. And the {Si2W19-Co-SnRCOOCH3/TiO2}4 film produces the highest photocurrent among the composite films studied in this work. Combining the dark current measurement, surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the enhanced photoelectrocatalytic activity of {Si2W19-Co-SnRCOOCH3/TiO2}4 composite film for the oxidation of methanol is attributed to the suppressed electron-hole recombination, increased carrier separation efficiency and interfacial charge transfer.

Cysteine, as an important amino acid in the human body, plays a vital role in people's normal life activities. In this paper, a ratiometric fluorescent probe for detecting cysteine was designed and synthesized based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process. In this FRET system, a coumarin derivative was used as the energy donor, a rhodol fluorophore was chosen as the energy receptor, and an acrylate group was utilized as a cysteine recognition unit. In the absence of cysteine, the rhodol receptor was in the non-fluorescent lactone state and the FRET process was inhibited. Upon addition of cysteine, the closed spirolactone form was converted to a conjugated fluorescent xanthene form to induce the occurrence of FRET which resulted in a fluorescent signal decrease at 470 nm and enhancement at 543 nm. The ratiometric fluorescent probe exhibited excellent selectivity to Cys over Hcy and GSH. In addition, I543nm/I470nm of the probe for cysteine displayed a good linear relationship in the range of 5.0 × 10−7–1.0 × 10−4 mol L−1, and the detection limit was 2.0 × 10−7 mol L−1. Furthermore, the probe showed low cell toxicity and was successfully applied to the confocal imaging of cysteine in HepG2 cells using dual emission channels.

A novel complex based on the Dawson-like [H3BiW18O60]6−, i.e. (C2H9N2)2[{Cu(C10H8N2)(C2H8N2)}2(H3BiW18O60)]·5.5H2O or (enH)2[{Cu(2,2′-bipy)(en)}2(μ4-H3BiW18O60)]·5.5H2O, (1), where enH is protonated ethane-1,2-diamine, 2,2′-bipy is 2,2′-bipyridine and en is ethane-1,2-diamine, has been synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, IR spectroscopy, powder XRD, and thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA). For (1), each [H3BiW18O60]6− anion acts as a tetradentate ligand connecting [Cu(2,2′-bipy)(en)]2+ fragments via two terminal and two bridging O atoms, forming a two-dimensional network structure. Along the a and c axes, polyoxometalate units are arranged in an AB…AB manner. The electrochemical behaviour of (1)–CPE (CPE is a carbon paste electrode) was investigated in 2 M H2SO4 solution by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The redox process of WVI/V takes place at E 1/2 = −0.58 (I–I′) and −0.37 V (II–II′), and at −0.04 V (III–III′) for CuII/0. The magnetic properties of (1) were investigated in the range 2–300 K and indicated the existence of strong antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the Cu2+ centres.

A [H3AgI(H2O)PW11O39]3−-TiO2/ITO electrode was fabricated by immobilizing a molecular polyoxometalate-based water oxidation catalyst, [H3AgI(H2O)PW11O39]3− (AgPW11), on a TiO2 electrode. The resulting electrode was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Linear sweep voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance measurements were performed in aqueous Na2SO4 solution (0.1 mol L−1). We found that a higher applied voltage led to better catalytic performance by AgPW11. The AgPW11-TiO2/ITO electrode gave currents respectively 10 and 2.5 times as high as those of the TiO2/ITO and AgNO3-TiO2/ITO electrodes at an applied voltage of 1.5 V vs Ag/AgCl. This result was attributed to the lower charge transfer resistance at the electrode-electrolyte interface for the AgPW11-TiO2/ITO electrode. Under illumination, the photocurrent was not obviously enhanced although the total anode current increased. The AgPW11-TiO2/ITO electrode was relatively stable. Cyclic voltammetry of AgPW11 was performed in phosphate buffer solution (0.1 mol L−1). We found that oxidation of AgPW11 was a quasi-reversible process related to one-electron and one-proton transfer. We deduced that disproportionation of the oxidized [H2AgII(H2O)PW11O39]3− might have occurred and the resulting [H3AgIIIOPW11O39]3− oxidized water to O2.

The anion form of a cobalt substituted mono-lacunary Keggin type polyoxometalate (POM) complex in aqueous solution was identified as [Co(H2O)(H3PW11O39)]2− and its stability constant was determined to be 5.19 × 104 by spectrophotometry. Additionally, the electrocatalytic performances towards water oxidation of different concentrations of [Co(H2O)(H3PW11O39)]2− were investigated in the neutral phosphate buffer solution, and it was found that [Co(H2O)(H3PW11O39)]2− anion itself has little activity; the activity of [Co(H2O)(H3PW11O39)]2− solution actually results from dissociated [Co(H2O)6]2+. This work provides a simple way to understand the origin of catalytic water oxidation activity of a POM-based complex.

To achieve scalable applications in solar hydrogen production, it is necessary to develop visible-light-responsive photocatalysts that are highly efficient, cost-effective, stable and environmentally-benign. Here narrow bandgap Zn–Cd–S solid solution photocatalysts (Eg = 2.11–2.53 eV) were prepared via a facile and green hydrothermal strategy under mild conditions. Amazingly, over the naked Zn0.5Cd0.5S photocatalyst, an extraordinarily high H2 production activity in Na2S–Na2SO3 aqueous solution is achieved up to 18.3 mmol h−1 g−1 with an apparent quantum efficiency of 73.8% per 50 mg under 420 nm light irradiation, which, to our knowledge, outperforms cocatalyst-free metal sulfide photocatalysts previously reported to date. Such super high performance arises from the enhanced visible-light-absorption capacity, suitable conduction and valence band potential together with the facilitated charge transport in Zn–Cd–S solid solutions. This work may open an avenue for the green preparation of inexpensive photocatalysts for solar H2 production.

Both the additive and multiplicative models of crop yield and water supply are polynomial equations, and the number of parameters increases linearly when the growing period is specified. However, interactions among multiple parameters occasionally lead to unreasonable estimations of certain parameters, which were water sensitivity coefficients but with negative value. Additionally, evapotranspiration must be measured as a model input. To facilitate the application of these models and overcome the aforementioned shortcomings, a simple model with only three parameters was derived in this paper based on certain general quantitative relations of crop yield ( Y ) and water supply ( W ). The new model, Y/Y m –W k /( W k + w h k ), fits an S or a saturated curve of crop yield with the cumulative amount of water. Three parameters are related to biological factors: the yield potential ( Y m ), the water requirement to achieve half of the yield potential (half-yield water requirement, w h ), and the water sensitivity coefficient ( k ). The model was validated with data from 24 maize lines obtained in the present study and 17 maize hybrids published by other authors. The results showed that the model was well fit to the data, and the normal root of the mean square error (NRMSE) values were 2.8 to 17.8% (average 7.2%) for the 24 maize lines and 2.7 to 12.7% (average 7.4%) for the 17 maize varieties. According to the present model, the maize water-sensitive stages in descending order were pollen shedding and silking, tasselling, jointing, initial grain filling, germination, middle grain filling, late grain filling, and end of grain filling. This sequence was consistent with actual observations in the maize field. The present model may be easily used to analyse the water use efficiency and drought tolerance of maize at specific stages.

Carboxyethyltin and first-row transition metals (TMs) were firstly introduced into trivacant Keggin-type tungstoantimonate in an aqueous solution, leading to the formation of four crystalline organic–inorganic hybrid sandwich-type polyoxometalates (POMs), formulated as Na10−x−yKyHx[((TM)(H2O)3)2(Sn(CH2)2COO)2(SbW9O33)2]·nH2O (SbW9-TM-SnR, TM = Mn, Co, Ni, Zn; x = 1, 1, 0, 0; y = 0, 5, 5, 2; n = 18, 24, 24, 22, respectively). SbW9-TM-SnR exhibit high catalytic ability for the oxidation of cyclohexanol. Meanwhile, SbW9-TM-SnR were composited with polypyrrole (PPy) through an electropolymerization process, forming PPy-SbW9-TM-SnR, on which platinum (Pt) was further electro-deposited to prepare PPy-SbW9-TM-SnR/Pt for electrocatalytic methanol (CH3OH) oxidation in acid solution. The composition and morphology of PPy-SbW9-TM-SnR/Pt were determined by IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical experimental results show that SbW9-TM-SnR and PPy obviously enhance the electrocatalytic and anti-intoxication abilities of Pt, and the highest peak current density of 0.87 mA cm−2, corresponding to 1.85 and 1.43 times higher than those of pure Pt and PPy/Pt electrodes respectively, is acquired for the PPy-SbW9-Ni-SnR/Pt composite electrode. These findings may enlarge the application of PPy and POMs in the electrocatalytic field.

A kind of broad spectral responsive photoelectrode has been assembled from open-chain carboxyethyltin functionalized Dawson sandwich-type polyoxometalates (POMs) [{Sn(CH2)2COO}2M2(P2W15O56)2]16− (SnR-M-P2W15, M = Mn, Co, Cu and Zn) and organic dyes such as rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) through the layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly method. SnR-M-P2W15 shows strong adsorption towards RhB and MB. The adsorption capacity of SnR-Co-P2W15 towards RhB and MB reached 217.36 and 288.76 mg g−1 in 10 min, respectively. Compared to Keggin sandwich-type open-chain carboxyethyltin–POM and closed-ring carboxyethyltin–POM derivatives such as [Zn2{Sn(CH2)2COO}2[(PW9O34)2]10− (SnR-Zn-PW9) and [K3{Sn(CH2)2COO}2(PW9O34)2]11− (SnR-PW9), and the parent POMs [M4(H2O)2(P2W15O56)2]16− (M-P2W15, M = Mn, Co, Cu and Zn), SnR-M-P2W15-based photoelectrodes showed significantly enhanced photocurrent owing to their greater visible light harvesting. Also, the photoelectric performances of LBL multilayer films can be adjusted by controlling the number of deposited layers, adsorbed dye types and incorporated transition metal ions in the POMs.

Vision navigation is an alternative to Global Position System (GPS) in environments where access to GPS is denied. Yet, the classical feature-based method has to extract feature observations from the image as input, which performs poor in environments with little features. To address this problem, a fusion of feature-based method and direct method is designed. The feature-based method is used in feature rich regions, while the direct method is used in regions with little features. Thus we utilize the fusion of two methods to improve the environmental adaptability of vision navigation. To improve the robustness to outliers, the Huber weight function is applied. Then the nonlinear optimization method is utilized to obtain the optimal camera pose. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can meet the needs of real-time autonomous navigation.

The simulation of landing stability for lunar landers is very important before the landing of real lunar landers on the planet. However, the landing stability of a lunar lander depends on human subjectivity, which cannot be determined by the existing algorithms under all situations. This paper shows several landing stability algorithms for lunar landers, and proposes an algorithm based on centroid wall. The experiments show that this algorithm works well.

A new polyoxometalate (POM) estertin derivative, {C(NH2)3}Na10K7[(W4O16){Sn(CH2)2COO}4(B-α-AsW9O33)2]·25H2O (1), has been synthesized from K14[As2W19O67(H2O)]·nH2O ({As2W19}) and Cl3SnCH2CH2COOCH3, which exhibits an unusual boat-like structural feature: four [Sn(CH2)2COO]2+ groups surround a center W4O16 cluster and link two [AsW9O33]9− subunits. 1 shows efficient oxidation catalytic activity and can be applied for mimicking enzyme catalysis.

Time-correlation coincidence counts of neutrons are an important means to measure attributes of nuclear material. The main deficiency in the analysis is that an attribute of an unknown component can only be assessed by comparing it with similar known components. There is a lack of a universal method of measurement suitable for the different attributes of the components. This paper presents a new method that uses universal relations to estimate the mass and neutron multiplication factor of any uranium component with known enrichment. Based on numerical simulations and analyses of 64 highly enriched uranium components with different thicknesses and average radii, the relations between mass, multiplication and coincidence spectral features have been obtained by linear regression analysis. To examine the validity of the method in estimating the mass of uranium components with different sizes, shapes, enrichment, and shielding, the features of time-correlation coincidence-count spectra for other objects with similar attributes are simulated. Most of the masses and multiplications for these objects could also be derived by the formulation. Experimental measurements of highly enriched uranium castings have also been used to verify the formulation. The results show that for a well-designed time-dependent coincidence-count measuring system of a uranium attribute, there are a set of relations dependent on the uranium enrichment by which the mass and multiplication of the measured uranium components of any shape and size can be estimated from the features of the source-detector coincidence-count spectrum.

In the field of material chemistry, it is of great significance to develop abundant and sustainable materials for solar energy harvesting and management. Herein, after evaluating the energy band characteristics of 13 kinds of polyoxometalates (POMs), the trisubstituted POM compound K6H4[α-SiW9O37Co3(H2O)3]·17H2O (SiW9Co3) was first studied due to its relatively smaller band gap (2.23 eV) and higher lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level (−0.63 V vs NHE). Additionally, the preliminary computational modeling indicated that SiW9Co3 exhibited the donor–acceptor (D–A) structure, in which the cobalt oxygen clusters and tungsten skeletons act as the electron donor and electron acceptor, respectively. By employing SiW9Co3 to modify the TiO2 film, the visible photovoltaic and photocurrent response were both enhanced, and the light-induced photocurrent at 420 nm was improved by 7.1 times. Moreover, the highly dispersive and small sized SiW9Co3 nanoclusters loading on TiO2 were successfully achieved by fab...

A supercapacitor electrode assembled from activated carbon (AC) and (NH 4 ) 6 [P 2 Mo 18 O 62 ]·14.2H 2 O (P 2 Mo 18 ) was fabricated for the first time, and showed remarkable electrochemical performance ascribed to the synergy of the double layer capacitance of AC and the pseudocapacitance of P 2 Mo 18 . The investigations indicate that the AC/P 2 Mo 18 electrode exhibits a specific capacitance of 275 F g − 1 at a high current density of 6 A g − 1 , which is substantially larger than the 182 F g − 1 of the AC electrode. In addition, the AC/P 2 Mo 18 electrode possesses a remarkable rate capability (89%) when the current density is increased from 2 to 6 A g − 1 .

The photosensitive polyoxometalate (POM) [PW11O39RhCH2CO2H]5− was first introduced into the liquid crystal material through the encapsulation of dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DODA+). The theoretical calculation was performed to simulate the distribution of DODA+ around the POM anion. The surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) result indicated that the hybrid exhibits the photovoltaic effect upon optical illumination and displays the character of a p-type material, which paves a new way for their potential application in the optoelectronics.

SiW11V/graphene nanocomposite was first prepared and introduced into TiO2 film. It showed a significant photocurrent response, which can be attributed to the photoinduced electrons of SiW11V. This work provides a promising strategy for exploring POMs sensitizers with lower energy levels than the CB of TiO2.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major chronic disease that seriously endangers public health. Some remarkable results have shown that Chinese medicine has an obvious clinical effect in preventing and treating COPD. To further promote the normative use of Chinese medicine to better guide the clinical diagnosis and treatment of COPD, the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies developed a panel to establish the guidelines by systematically evaluating, based on the revision and transformation of Guidelines for Chinese Medicine Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease released by the China Association of Chinese Medicine in 2019 (Standard No: T/CACM 1319-2019), the latest clinical research evidence at home and abroad, formatting the International Clinical Practice Guideline of Chinese Medicine—Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and publishing in both Chinese and English. The guidelines consist of 12 parts: preface, introduction, scope, normative references, terms and definitions, disease diagnosis and staging, severity assessment, etiology and pathogenesis, syndrome differentiation and treatment, other treatment, prevention and care, and appendix. They also standardize the contents of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) etiology and pathogenesis, syndrome differentiation and treatment, and prevention and care of COPD. These guidelines are applicable to clinical respiratory physicians of TCM and integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine. The release of these guidelines will help improve the effect and level of Chinese medicine for COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, chronic, frequently occurring, and difficult disease of the respiratory system and is a huge disease burden. Pulmonary rehabilitation is an important part of clinical treatment. Chinese medicine lung rehabilitation (CMLR), which is based on Chinese medicine theory and practice, is a comprehensive rehabilitation measure that can prevent and treat pulmonary diseases and preserve physical and mental functions. Its aim is to promote the return of patients to society as soon as possible. To better guide the clinical practice of COPD rehabilitation, the Specialty Committee of Pulmonary Rehabilitation of World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies established a panel for formulating guidelines, systematically retrieved domestic and foreign literature, performed systematic evaluation after expert consultation and on-site discussion, and finally, formed the guidelines in accordance with the development standard of international evidence-based guidelines. The guideline has seven parts, which are the preface, introduction, scope, normative references, terms and definitions, types of disease syndromes, diseases assessment, CMLR techniques, and annex. The techniques of CMLR include 11 techniques in seven species, such as Simplified Taijiquan, Baduanjin, and Liuzijue. The guideline defines the technical points (time, frequency, course, etc.), optimal applicable population, use of drugs, common acupoints, operation methods, and so on for each technique. The release of the guidelines is helpful to improve the rehabilitation technique standardization and to improve the curative effect and level of rehabilitation.

According to a TOM bushing faults, three typical 220kV cable-conductor bushings (COT, TOM and BRDLW) widely used in the power grid are analyzed about diversion structure. Bushing diversion structure, diversion contact surface, current path and installation sensitivity are discussed in the paper. The study found that installation accuracy of TOM bushing has greater effect on contact resistance of diversion path than others. The improper installation of TOM bushing caused overheating defects and finally developed into this bushing fault.

In this paper, we load TiO2 on the surface of the tri-pyridine-ruthenium heteropolytungstate [Ru(bipy)3]2[SiW12O40]·2C2H5OH·8H2O (1), which is mixed with P25 powder to get photoanode material and then adsorb N719 dyes to assemble a dye-sensitized solar cell. It is important that the performance of the DSSCs with 1-doped TiO2 (1 @ TiO2) is superior to ones with H4SiW12O40-doped TiO2 ({SiW12} @ TiO2), although their photoelectric conversion efficiencies are both higher than pure P25-based cells. The investigation of the EIS shows that 1 @ TiO2 can restrain charge recombination and doping the transition metal ruthenium improves the performance of the cell. The photovoltaic performance of the cell is enhanced and the short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) is as high as 16.272 mA cm− 2, which is 20.4% higher than pure P25-based cells and 4.4% higher than the {SiW12} @ TiO2-based cells under simulated AM 1.5 irradiation.

The high-nuclear cluster compound Na48[HxMo368O1032(H2O)240(SO4)48]·ca.1000H2O (denoted as {Mo368}) represents the known nanoscale hedgehog-type cluster anion with the diameter of approximately 6 nm. Herein, a TiO2@{Mo368} composite was prepared through a sol–gel process for the first time. SEM, XPS, and UV–vis spectra were employed to characterize their chemical composition and structures. Meanwhile, the as-obtained composite was further mixed with P25 (Degussa P25 titania photocatalyst) then applied as the photoanodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs); the results showed that DSSCs with the P25-TiO2@{Mo368}-based photoanodes exhibited better performance than that with pure P25-based photoanodes, which was due to less carrier recombination and longer electron lifetime in the former DSSCs by the results from analysis of dark current measurement, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and open-circuit voltage decay curve.

To develop and validate a specific patient reported outcome (PRO) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients (COPD-PRO) at a set of standardized procedures. Literature analysis, interview and group discussion were performed to draft an initial model of COPD-PRO. Thereafter, 65 clinicians and experts throughout China reviewed the draft scale. Then cognitive debriefing interviews with 40 patients were conducted to assess respondent comprehension of the scale. After that, the revised scale was validated through pre-testing and field-testing. Finally, the psychometric properties of the COPD-PRO were evaluated by indicators such as validity, reliability and responsiveness based on the data from 230 patients. The COPD-PRO contained 17 items in 3 domains: amelioration of clinical symptoms, satisfaction of health condition and satisfaction of treatment effect. The Cronbach's α, Split-half coefficient and test-retest coefficient were 0.806, 0.744, 0.703, respectively; the correlation coefficients between domains and overall scale were 0.835–0.963; 5 factors were extracted according to the conceptual model. The differences of the scale scores before and after treatment were statistically significant (P=0.000). The COPDPRO has good validity, reliability and responsiveness. The COPD-PRO could provide patients' response to the treatments and then evaluate the effect of treatment in a standardized way.

Dawson-type heteropolyacid {P2Mo18VI} and its two-electron heteropoly blue {P2Mo2VMo16VI}-doped TiO2 composites have been successfully prepared by a simple sol–gel method and introduced into the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), which results in a significant performance enhancement of DSSCs. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and open-circuit voltage decay (OCVD) curve were employed to investigate the electron transport and carrier recombination behavior in DSSCs. The results show that doping with {P2Mo18VI} and {P2Mo2VMo16VI} could both suppress the dark current and increase the electron lifetime in DSSCs. The performance of DSSCs with both {P2Mo18VI}-doped and {P2Mo2VMo16VI}-doped photoanodes is better than that with pure P25 photoanodes and the overall conversion efficiency was improved by 24.48% and 17.19%, respectively.