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The enhanced efficacy of vinegar‐processed Cyperus rotundus (VCR) in treating primary dysmenorrhea (PD) has been observed. However, the active components and potential mechanisms of synergy are still unclear. The objective of this study was to develop a method that combines bionic technology, plant metabolomics and network pharmacology to discover the active components and potential mechanisms underlying the enhanced therapeutic effects of VCR for PD. Vinegar processing alters the flavor of C. rotundus, leading to changes in its properties. The acidic nature of vinegar enhances the selectivity of the medicine toward the liver, thereby improving its ability to soothe the liver, regulate qi and provide pain relief. Through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical analysis, 30 key differential components between raw C. rotundus and VCR have been screened and identified. These differential components primarily exert their therapeutic effects in treating PD by modulating targets such as interleukin‐6, TNF, TP53 and PTGS2, as well as pathways including the estrogen signaling pathway, ovarian steroidogenesis, the TNF signaling pathway and the HIF‐1 signaling pathway. The findings of this study serve as a reference for the application of VCR in compound formulas and clinic practiceal. Furthermore, the methodology employed in this study provides research insights for the processing of other Chinese medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone fractures are the most common form of musculoskeletal trauma worldwide. Numerous microRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested to be participants in regulating bone‐related diseases. Recent studies revealed the regulatory role of miR‐22‐3p in osteogenic differentiation, but its role in fracture healing has not been investigated previously. Here, a rat femoral fracture model was established, Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were isolated to detect the specific function and underlying mechanisms of miR‐22‐3p. MiR‐22‐3p and sclerostin domain‐containing 1 (SOSTDC1) expression was determined by RT‐qPCR and immunohistochemistry staining. The levels of proteins associated with osteogenic differentiation were assessed by western blotting. Flow cytometry was conducted to identify the isolated rat BMSCs. Alizarin red staining, alkaline phosphatase staining and Oil Red O staining were used to evaluate the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of rat BMSCs. The interaction between miR‐22‐3p and SOSTDC1 was verified using a luciferase reporter assay. Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining of the bone tissues was performed to analyse the effect of miR‐22‐3p on histopathological changes in vivo. MiR‐22‐3p was downregulated in the callus tissues of rat femoral fracture, while the expression of SOSTDC1 was upregulated. The isolated rat BMSCs had the capacity for both osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. The differentiation capacity of BMSCs into osteoblasts was increased by miR‐22‐3p overexpression. MiR‐22‐3p activated the PI3K/AKT pathway by targeting SOSTDC1. SOSTDC1 overexpression and PI3K/AKT signalling inhibitor LY294002 abolished the enhancing effect of miR‐22‐3p overexpression on the osteogenesis of BMSCs. Thus MiR‐22‐3p facilitated the femoral fracture healing in rats. MiR‐22‐3p overexpression promoted fracture healing via the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway by targeting SOSTDC1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triterpenol is an important phytochemical that is beneficial to humans. However, there are limitations of application due to its poor solubility. Liposomes are increasingly utilized as a delivery system for phytochemicals with poor solubility which is suitable for triterpenol. In the present study, the stability of triterpenol‐loaded liposomes (Tri‐LP) is demonstrated. Tri‐LP stability is observed when the mass ratio of phospholipids to triterpenol is 4:1. Sodium alginate (ALG) and chitosan showed different effects on Tri‐LP. Tri‐LP coated by ALG (Tri‐LP‐ALG) is stabilized by H‐bonding, while electrostatic interactions can stabilize Tri‐LP coated by chitosan (Tri‐LP‐CH). Tri‐LP‐ALG is more stable than Tri‐LP‐CH during storage. The bioaccessibility of Tri‐LP is 11%. ALG and chitosan show no influence on bioaccessibility of Tri‐LP, but reduce the release rate of triterpenol during digestion. Overall, the findings suggest that Tri‐LP showed good promise for future application in functional beverages. Practical Applications: Triterpenol has poor solubility both in oil and water, which greatly limits the functional utilization of triterpene in organisms. Liposomes offer a novel approach to triternenol oral delivery system. It meets the current demands for food health. Liposomes can improve the absorption and utilization of triterpenol in vivo digestion. Many studies and applications of liposomes has carried out in medical field while nutritional supplements with liposomes technology are not common in the market. Triterpenol‐loaded liposomes can not only increase applications in phytochemicals with poor absorption but also offer an interesting attempt of liposomes in food development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Danggui Jianzhong decoction is a classical prescription that has been widely used for thousands of years. However, the quality of this formula is difficult to control owing to its complex chemical component system. In this study, a simple and efficient method comprising ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprint, chemical pattern recognition, and network pharmacology was established to evaluate the quality of this decoction. A total of 20 common peaks were obtained by fingerprint analysis and 19 chemicals were identified. The fingerprint similarity of 15 batch samples ranged from 0.963 to 0.991. Chemical pattern recognition analysis could clearly classify 15 batches of Danggui Jianzhong decoction into three groups. Further, seven chemical markers were screened out. A herbs‐active components‐targets‐disease network was constructed and enrichment analyses were performed, which indicated that these 19 chemical components are the medicinal substances of Danggui Jianzhong decoction. Further, the mechanism employed by this formula to treat primary dysmenorrhea may be related to the regulation of inflammatory response. In conclusion, this combination approach enables accurate evaluation and prediction of the quality of Danggui Jianzhong decoction, and lays the foundation for studies on the material basis and exploration of the mechanism of Danggui Jianzhong decoction in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A heterogeneous, recoverable catalyst of Co(II)−L@nano−SiO2 (where L=N‐(3‐trioxysilyl‐propyl)‐o‐vanillin imine) was synthesized, and it was thoroughly characterized by EA, ICP, FT‐IR, UV‐vis, TGA, XPS and BET techniques. The catalytic performance of Co(II)−L@nano−SiO2 was investigated in cyclohexene(CyH) oxidation under mild conditions with oxygen as the sole oxidant. The results showed that Co(II)−L@nano−SiO2 exhibited better catalytic activity with the CyH conversion of 61 %, and a total selectivity of 55–60 % for the major products (2‐cyclohexen‐1‐one (CyO) and 2‐cyclohexen‐1‐ol (CyOH)), and there was no significant decrease in activity after five times reused. Furthermore, the overoxidation process was performed by epoxidation of CyO and CyOH. The mechanism involved allylic oxidation and overoxidation was confirmed by DFT calculations in the gas phase and the acetonitrile solvent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The slip rate predicted from geodetic and geomorphological measurements is quite uniform on ~800–1,000 km length of the Altyn Tagh and the Kunlun faults. GPS velocity field documents that tectonic loading on the two active faults changes greatly along their strikes. To explore the mechanical relationship between far‐field tectonic loading and fault slip‐rate accumulation, we built a 3D viscoelastic finite‐element model with fault motion governed by frictional strength of contact interfaces. Based on numerical experiments, it is found that the observed uniform slip rate could reflect lateral variation of frictional strength along fault strike. Variation of predicted frictional coefficient ranges from ~0.13 to ~0.02, verifying that the two active faults must be weak for their mechanical strength. In addition, the good fitness between the relatively weak segment of faults and the location of strong earthquakes suggests that seismic activity along the two faults could be related to their frictional strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the effect of shape on graphene pressure sensors, a theoretical model of polymerisation degree is proposed in this work. According to the theoretical model of polymerisation degree, it is found that the regular polygons have better sensitivity characteristics. The more the number of sides for the regular polygons, the larger the polymerisation degree, and the better the sensitivity of the graphene pressure sensors. According to the theoretical model, the polymerisation degree of the positive triangle, regular quadrilateral, regular pentagon, and circle shape is 0.5, 0.71, 0.81, and 1, respectively. The measured results show that the relative resistance change of positive triangle, regular quadrilateral, regular pentagon, and circle shape are 8.56, 9.24, 9.61, and 10.4%, respectively. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical results. Therefore, the theoretical model of polymerisation degree can provide effective quantitative guidance for the graphene pressure sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhi-zi-chi decoction (ZZCD) is a classical formula widely used in Chinese clinical application. In the present study, a novel and efficient strategy has been developed for screening and identification of multiple constituents and their metabolites of ZZCD using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography combined with triple time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The novel approach of an online data acquisition method dependent on multiple mass defect filter and dynamic background subtraction is combined with multiple data processing techniques. First, a total of 109 potential bioactive compounds were detected in ZZCD. Based on the same instrumental conditions, 100 compounds were found in rat biofluids after oral administration of ZZCD, including 61 original compounds of ZZCD as well as 39 metabolites. Conjugations with sulfate, glucuronate and amino acids were found as the predominant metabolic reaction of ZZCD. As more xenobiotics were detected in urine than those in bile were, it demonstrated that multiple components of ZZCD have undergone comprehensive renal excretion. This study reported the urinary and biliary excretion in rats after oral administration of ZZCD for the first time. The present study expands our knowledge about the constituents and metabolism of ZZCD, which could be very useful for further pharmacological and clinical studies of ZZCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of nanowire photonics requires integration of different nanowire components into highly ordered functional heterostructures. Herein, we report a sequential self-assembly of binary molecular components into branched nanowire heterostructures (BNHs) via lattice-matched epitaxial growth, in which the microribbon backbone of 2,5-Bis(5-tert-butyl-2-benzoxazolyl)thiophene (BBOT) functions as blue-emitting microlaser source to pump the nanowire branches of BODIPY. By constructing Au electrodes on both branch sides and measuring the photocurrent in them, we successfully realize the integration of an organic laser and a power meter in a single device. This work provides a new insight into the integration of 1D organic nanostructures into BNHs for realizing organic multifunctional photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DOI: 10.1002/jssc.202200327 The cover picture shows the schematics for quality evaluation of the classical prescription, Danggui Jianzhong Decoction. Front Cover: Quality evaluation of the classical prescription, Danggui Jianzhong decoction, using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprint, chemical pattern recognition, and network pharmacology The fingerprints (showing on the bamboo slips) were analysed for the quality evaluation (represented by a scale containing medicinal materials) of Danggui Jianzhong Decoction and a total of 20 common peaks were obtained. [Extracted from the article]

Total glucosides of paeony are the active constituents of Paeoniae Radix Alba. In this study, a novel strategy was proposed to find more metabolites and the differences between paeoniflorin, albiflorin and total glucosides of paeony (TGP). This strategy was characterized as follows: firstly, the animals were divided into three groups (paeoniflorin, albiflorin and TGP) to identify the source of TGP metabolites from paeoniflorin or albiflorin; secondly, a generic information-dependent acquisition scan for the low-level metabolites was triggered by the multiple mass defect filter and dynamic background subtraction; thirdly, the metabolites were identified with a combination of data-processing methods including mass defect filtering, neutral loss filtering and product ion filtering; finally, a comparative study was used in the metabolism of paeoniflorin, albiflorin and TGP. Based on the strategy, 18 metabolites of TGP, 10 metabolites of paeoniflorin and 13 metabolites of albiflorin were identified respectively. The results indicated that the hydrolysis, conjugation reaction and oxidization were the major metabolic pathways, and the metabolic sites were the glycosidic linkage, the ester bond and the benzene ring. This study is first to explore the metabolism of TGP, and these findings enhance our understanding of the metabolism and the interactions of paeoniflrin and albiflorin in TGP. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]