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Summary Plant cellulose is synthesized by a large plasma membrane‐localized cellulose synthase (CesA) complex. However, an overall functional determination of secondary cell wall (SCW) CesAs is still lacking in trees, especially one based on gene knockouts.Here, the Cas9/gRNA‐induced knockouts of PtrCesA4, 7A, 7B, 8A and 8B genes were produced in Populus trichocarpa. Based on anatomical, immunohistochemical and wood composition evidence, we gained a comprehensive understanding of five SCW PtrCesAs at the genetic level.Complete loss of PtrCesA4, 7A/B or 8A/B led to similar morphological abnormalities, indicating similar and nonredundant genetic functions. The absence of the gelatinous (G) layer, one‐layer‐walled fibres and a 90% decrease in cellulose in these mutant woods revealed that the three classes of SCW PtrCesAs are essential for multilayered SCW structure and wood G‐fibre. In addition, the mutant primary and secondary phloem fibres lost the n(G + L)‐ and G‐layers and retained the thicker S‐layers (L, lignified; S, secondary). Together with polysaccharide immunolocalization data, these findings suggest differences in the role of SCW PtrCesAs‐synthesized cellulose in wood and phloem fibre wall structures.Overall, this functional understanding of the SCW PtrCesAs provides further insights into the impact of lacking cellulose biosynthesis on growth, SCW, wood G‐fibre and phloem fibre wall structures in the tree.

In order to solve the issue that it is difficult to removing the powder chips of carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP), the chip morphology prediction model for single-layer composite materials and the 3D drilling model and the chip formation process for laminated composites are developed to study the chip formation mechanism. It is concluded that drilling chips are mainly tower-shaped chips and rice chips, with a small number of micro-circular chips and rectangular chips. If the temperature is too high, fiber pull-out starts to occur and C-shaped chips appear. A CFRP drilling test platform was built, and it was found that, if other conditions remain unchanged, the chip size decreases with an increase in the rotation speed, but increases with an increase in the cutting depth. As the cutting depth increases, the chip failure section also tends to be flat. Overall, the experimental tests confirmed the accuracy of the prediction model. This paper provides a reference for improving the quality of chip removal and the efficiency of CFRP suction-type internal chip removal systems.

Eliminating indoor formaldehyde (HCHO) pollution at room temperature is highly needed to improve the environment while saving energy. Herein, Pd/CeO2 catalysts with different morphologies of the CeO2 support were employed to investigate their performance for HCHO oxidation. The Pd/CeO2 nanocube (Pd/CeO2-C) catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity compared to commercial CeO2 and CeO2 nanorods. HCHO can be completely converted into CO2 and H2O over the Pd/CeO2-C (0.64 wt% Pd) catalyst at a weight hourly space velocity of 36 000 mL g−1 h−1 at room temperature. Multiple characterization results confirmed that the strong interfacial interaction between Pd and the CeO2-C support guarantees a high percentage of metallic Pd on the CeO2-C surface and its high dispersion, which is crucial for the oxidation of formaldehyde at low temperature. The in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform results indicated that CO, formate and dioxymethylene species are the main intermediates over the Pd/CeO2-C catalyst, and the active O species is responsible for their decomposition and oxidation. This work may promote the practical application of high performance Pd-based catalysts for indoor HCHO purification and related catalytic processes.

Adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation are promising technologies for eliminating antibiotics (e.g. tetracycline) in aquatic environments. However, traditional powdery nanomaterials are limited by drawbacks of difficult separation and lack of synergistic function, which do not conform to the practical demand. Herein, we developed a simple one-step gelation-pyrolysis route to fabricate hydrophilic three-dimensional (3D) porous photocatalytic adsorbent, in which CuO nanoparticles are uniformly and firmly embedded in nitrogen-doped (N-doped) porous carbon frameworks. The obtained N-doped carbon/CuO bulky composites exhibited excellent ability to adsorb tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), which was subsequently photo-oxidized under visible light. Their hydrophilic nature favors the adsorption processes toward TC, with a maximum adsorption capacity reaching 25.03 mg∙g−1. In addition, >94.4% of TC molecules could be photo-degraded in 4 h with good cycling efficiency after three consecutive tests. Finally, a reaction scheme for removal process of TC was proposed. The obtained 3D porous N-doped carbon/CuO nanocomposites show great promise for efficient removal of antibiotics in aqueous solution by synergistically utilizing adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation processes.

An electroplex, the counterpart of an exciplex, mainly occurs in an electric field and has been attracting the attention of researchers to explore and study its properties and applications in electroluminescent devices. In this work, we designed an efficient way to control the electroplex emission using dendritic molecular engineering. Increasing the peripheral alkyl-chain carbazole groups can not only inhibit the formation of electromers effectively but can also regulate the distance between the donor and acceptor molecules. Thus, it provides an effective strategy to study the formation mechanism of exciplexes and electroplexes via dendritic molecular engineering. Remarkably, TCTA-O-CZ and TCTA-O-2CZ demonstrate different photophysical and electroluminescent properties when blended with PhPO. The TCTA-O-CZ:PhPO mixture exhibits a new photoluminescence (PL) emission peak at 450 nm and an electroluminescence (EL) emission peak at 480 nm, which correspond to the exciplex and electroplex emissions, respectively. However, TCTA-O-2CZ shows only the electroplex emission at 480 nm under electrical excitation, which indicates that the electroplex features a long-range charge-transfer process. In addition, the electromer emission peaks at long wavelengths are also suppressed to a large extent. Thus, the spatial regulation between the donor and acceptor molecules seriously influences the formation of the exciplex, electromer and electroplex. Finally, solution-processed blue phosphorescence OLEDs (PHOLEDs) were fabricated using TCTA-O-CZ:PhPO and TCTA-O-2CZ:PhPO as the host and FIrpic as the guest. These devices, based on the TCTA-O-CZ:PhPO host (Device D) and TCTA-O-2CZ:PhPO host (Device E), show good performances with turn-on voltages of 4.2 V and 5.1 V, and current efficiencies of 17.1 cd A−1 and 9.6 cd A−1, respectively. The lower efficiency roll-off of Device E based on the TCTA-O-2CZ:PhPO host indicates that efficient encapsulation via dendritic molecular engineering can suppress the electromer emission and energy leakage.

This study aims to explore and evaluate the antitumor efficacy of doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded liposomes containing the novel tri-block polymer folate-poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-distearoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine (F-PEOz-DSPE), compared with folate-polyethylene glycol-distearoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine (F-PEG-DSPE) to offer an alternative for PEG decorated carriers. PEOz, a pH-sensitive polymer, exhibits similar solubility and segmental flexibility to PEG. In our previous study, PEOz was employed to an F-PEOz-DSPE which was segmentally similar to F-PEG-DSPE and exhibited selective targeting and pH-sensitivity in tumor cells. In this work, DOX-loaded liposomes containing F-PEOz-DSPE (F-PEOz liposome) or F-PEG-DSPE (F-PEG liposome) were prepared.

Nanomedicines (NMs) have played an increasing role in cancer therapy as carriers to efficiently deliver therapeutics into tumor cells. For this application, the uptake of NMs by tumor cells is usually a prerequisite to deliver the cargo to intracellular locations, which mainly relies on endocytosis. NMs can enter cells through a variety of endocytosis pathways. Different endocytosis pathways exhibit different intracellular trafficking routes and diverse subcellular localizations. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of endocytosis mechanisms is necessary for increasing cellular entry efficiency and to trace the fate of NMs after internalization. This review focuses on endocytosis pathways of NMs in tumor cells, mainly including clathrin- and caveolae-mediated endocytosis pathways, involving effector molecules, expression difference of those molecules between normal and tumor cells, as well as the intracellular trafficking route of corresponding endocytosis vesicles. Then, the latest strategies for NMs to actively employ endocytosis are described, including improving tumor cellular uptake of NMs by receptor-mediated endocytosis, transporter-mediated endocytosis and enabling drug activity by changing intracellular routes. Finally, active targeting strategies towards intracellular organelles are also mentioned. This review will be helpful not only in explicating endocytosis and the trafficking process of NMs and elucidating anti-tumor mechanisms inside the cell but also in rendering new ideas for the design of highly efficacious and cancer-targeted NMs.

Brassica napus cultivars have little or no primary dormancy; however, they are prone to secondary dormancy induction. Secondary dormant seeds can produce volunteer plants, which can result in genetic contamination, reduced quality and biosafety issues. However, information regarding the molecular mechanism underlying secondary dormancy is limited. The MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 (MFT) gene, which is evolutionarily conserved in the plant kingdom, acts in a complex gene network in the seed dormancy or germination processes. In this study, we identified four B. napus genes that share high homology with AtMFT, named as BnaMFT. Analyses of cis-acting elements showed that BnaMFT promoters contain multiple seed-specific regulatory elements, and various stress- and hormone-responsive elements. Further experiments validated that BnaMFTs were specifically expressed during seed maturation and in the dry seed, with peaks at 35–42 days after pollination. BnaMFTs were not sufficient for primary dormancy; however, they were significantly enhanced by secondary dormancy induction with PEG6000 treatment. Moreover, BnaMFT transcripts were elevated by treatment with abscisic acid (ABA), which is known to be accumulated during secondary dormancy. These results collectively suggest that increased BnaMFT transcription levels are associated with secondary dormancy induction in an ABA-dependent manner in B. napus.

A large number of salt caverns by solution mining are abandoned widely. After reasonable reformation, some of these caverns are expected to store energies, such as petroleum, natural gas, and compressed air energy. Different from other countries, salt formations of China are mainly bedded with lower thickness. In order to improve the mining efficiency of bedded salt formations, solution mining with double-well convection is widely adopted, which brings more horizontal caverns with larger dimensions and also larger roofs. When these horizontal caverns are transformed into underground energy storage, the layered roofs are easily suffered from unbalanced deformation and failure, and then become the channels of oil or gas leakage. Therefore, a series of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation were carried out to reveal the failure mechanism and stability of the bedded roof, and then some meaningful conclusions are acquired. Firstly, in the overlying strata, the argillaceous anhydrite layer is the key roof in the selection of the abandoned horizontal cavern for energy storage. Secondly, according to plate theory, the invalid of the bedded key roof needs to be treated into failure and instability respectively. Thirdly, the analysis on the vertical and horizontal stress in the key roof shows that it does experience a second type of instability. Finally, in order to maintain the stability of bedded key roof, the main influence factors require careful and comprehensive consideration, including the length of the long side, the thickness of the protective salt layer, and the internal pressure.

To characterize a pyrazinamidase from non-pathogen Pseudonocardia carboxydivorans. A pyrazinamidase gene pncA encoding a 23-kDa protein PncA-Pse from P. carboxydivorans was over-expressed in Escherichia coli and characterized. This PncA-Pse can convert both pyrazinamide and nicotinamide efficiently with the optimal pH and temperature of pH 8.5 and 45 °C, respectively. Although ferrous iron and manganese were detected in PncA-Pse, the enzymatic activity is not affected by EDTA with the final concentration of 10 mM. Moreover, the enzymatic activity was not significantly affected with the addition of several metal ions, respectively. Based on the structure modeling, the 61st histidine which is associated with the metal binding, was mutated into alanine to get mutant H61A. No activity, iron and manganese were detected for H61A, which implies that PncA-Pse is a metal enzyme with resistance of the metal ion chelator EDTA, which is different from the previous reports. This is the first characterized pyrazinamidase from the genus Pseudonocardia, a non-pathogen.

Molecular dynamics simulation method was used to study the influence of $$NO_2^ - $$ on both the structure and properties of the binary nitrate salts (60 wt.% NaNO3 + 40 wt.% KNO3). The density and viscosity of the mixtures were experimentally measured and the simulation results met well with the experimental ones. The simulation results showed that, with the addition of $$NO_2^ - $$, the ionic clusters tended to loose and the mobilities of all the ions tended to increase. The density, viscosity, and heat capacity decreased while the thermal conductivity increased with the increase of +++ concentration. The correlation between the microscopic structure and physical properties of the mixtures were discussed and revealed.

Long-wavelength fluorescent sensors with large Stokes shifts show useful applications in chemical biology and clinical laboratory diagnosis. We have recently reported [4-(4-{[3-(4-boronobenzamido)propyl]carbamoyl}quinolin-2-yl)phenyl]boronic acid that can selectively recognize d-ribose in a buffer solution of pH 7.4. However, the short emission wavelength (395 nm) and aggregation-caused quenching effect are not conducive to applications as a sensor. Novel diboronic acid compounds are synthesized using 2-(4-boronophenyl)quinoline-4-carboxylic acid as the building block and p-phenylenediamine as the linker. These compounds show aggregation-induced emission and fluorescence emission at about 500 nm. In addition, after binding to most carbohydrates, the aggregated state of the boronic acid–containing compounds is dissociated, resulting in fluorescence quenching. Using [4-(4-{[4-(3-borono-5-methoxybenzamido)phenyl]carbamoyl}quinoline-2-yl)phenyl]boronic acid as an example, addition of 55 mM of d-ribose resulted in the strongest quenching of 83% for all the tested carbohydrates, indicating selectively recognizing d-ribose. The reciprocal of the fluorescence intensity change showed a good linear relationship with the reciprocal of d-ribose concentration ( R2 ⩾ 0.99), indicating sensor binding to d-ribose in a ratio of 1:1 to form an inclusion complex. The fluorescence emission is red-shifted compared to 2-(4-boronophenyl)quinoline-4-carboxylic acid and its common derivatives, which provides a new method for the development of long-wavelength fluorescent sensors.

Podophyllotoxin (PPT) is a non-alkaloid toxin lignin with pronounced biological activity. While, solid-state investigation on this active pharmaceuticals ingredient (API) is less concerned. In this contribution, polymorph screening was performed and two anhydrous forms, one hydrate of PPT were harvested, and amorphous PPT was also prepared. These four solid forms were characterized by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. And their mutual transformation were also disclosed. Form I and II were the stable crystal forms, hydrate was the metastable form, and amorphous polymorph was the unstable form. Form I, II and hydrate could be transformed to amorphous form after heating at 190 °C for 2 h and then quench cooling down to room temperature. The dissolution properties of these forms were also investigated. Form II demonstrated the best solubility and amorphous polymorph showed the fastest intrinsic dissolution rate. The solid-state information of PPT obtained here provided valuable supporting for its further pharmaceutical application and quality control.

Bushen-Tiaojing-Fang (BSTJF) is commonly used to treat infertility. This study investigated the effects of BSTJF on the pregnancy outcomes of patients with repeated controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), on mitochondrial function, and on oxidative stress in ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) and follicular fluid (FF). The samples and clinical data of 97 patients, including 35 in the control group, 29 in the placebo group and 33 in the BSTJF group, were collected for this study. The mitochondrial ultrastructure, ATP content, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) number, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity levels, and mRNA expression levels of Mn-SOD, GSH-Px, and nuclear factor erythroid-derived factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) were analyzed. The high-grade embryo (P P = 0.033), and clinical pregnancy (P = 0.031) rates, as well as the ATP content (P = 0.014), mtDNA number (P = 0.035), GSH-Px activity (P = 0.004 in GCs and P = 0.008 in FF) and mRNA expression levels (P = 0.019), were significantly lower in the placebo group than in the control group, whereas the 8-OHdG content was significantly (P = 0.006 in FF) higher in the placebo group than in the control group. Compared with those in the placebo group, the high-grade embryo rate (P = 0.007), antioxidant enzyme activity (P = 0.037 and 0.036 in Mn-SOD; P = 0.047 and 0.030 in GSH-Px) and mRNA level (P P = 0.039 in Mn-SOD and P = 0.002 in GSH-Px) were significantly higher in the BSTJF group, as were changes in mitochondrial ultrastructure, ATP (P = 0.040) and mtDNA number (P = 0.013). In conclusion, BSTJF can improve oxidative stress in patients with repeated COS and pregnancy outcomes.

Characterizing protein–protein interactions (PPIs) is an effective method to help explore protein function. Here, through integrating a newly identified split human Rhinovirus 3 C (HRV 3 C) protease, super-folder GFP (sfGFP), and ClpXP-SsrA protein degradation machinery, we developed a fluorescence-assisted single-cell methodology (split protease-E. coli ClpXP (SPEC)) to explore protein–protein interactions for both eukaryotic and prokaryotic species in E. coli cells. We firstly identified a highly efficient split HRV 3 C protease with high re-assembly ability and then incorporated it into the SPEC method. The SPEC method could convert the cellular protein-protein interaction to quantitative fluorescence signals through a split HRV 3 C protease-mediated proteolytic reaction with high efficiency and broad temperature adaptability. Using SPEC method, we explored the interactions among effectors of representative type I-E and I-F CRISPR/Cas complexes, which combining with subsequent studies of Cas3 mutations conferred further understanding of the functions and structures of CRISPR/Cas complexes., Wang et al. developed a fluorescence-assisted single-cell methodology (split protease-E. coli ClpXP (SPEC)) to characterise protein-protein interactions for both eukaryotic and prokaryotic species in E. coli cells. Their method can quantify these interactions with high sensitivity, easy manipulation, and broad temperature adaptability

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated the embryotoxicity and fetotoxicity of thallium (Tl). However, the effects of prenatal exposure to Tl on birth weight and placental weight and the mediating role of placental weight in the association of Tl with birth weight remain unclear.Methods: We recruited 2,748 participants from the ongoing Prenatal Environment and Offspring Health Cohort (PEOH Cohort) study, which was initiated in 2016 in Guangzhou, China. The Tl concentrations in maternal urine samples collected during the first and third trimester were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Birth weight and placental weight were extracted from maternal medical records.Results: Pregnant women exposed to the highest tertile of Tl in the first trimester (β = −42.7 g, 95% CI: −82.3, −3.1 g) and third trimester (β = −50.6 g, 95% CI: −99.0, −2.3 g) had babies with lower birth weights than those exposed to the lowest tertile. We also found significant negative associations of exposure to Tl concentrations in the first and third trimester with placental weight. Mediation analyses showed that 50.3% (95% CI: 15.9, 79.2%) and 33.5% (95% CI: 1.3, 80.3%) of the effects of Tl exposure in the first and third trimester on birth weight were mediated by decreased placental weight.Conclusion: Our results suggest that prenatal exposure to Tl is negatively associated with birth weight and that this association may be mediated by decreased placental weight.

It has been known for many years that mixtures of lanthanum chloride (LaCl3) with alkali chlorides in spent nuclear fuel show severe departures from ideality. To go deep into this non-ideality, the local structure of molten LaCl3 was investigated by experiments and classic molecular dynamics simulations. However, there appears to be some controversy concerning conclusions of these research methodology such as coordination numbers of the first coordination shell. In this work, interatomic potential driven by machine learning is developed based on data sets generated by ab initio calculations in order to research the local structure and property of molten LaCl3 at 1200 K, 1300 K, 1400 K and 1500 K. The machine learning potential enables higher efficiency and similar accuracy relative to DFT and yields precise descriptions of microstructures and properties. Microstructural evolution with target temperatures is analyzed through partial radial distribution functions, coordination numbers, angular distribution functions and total neutron structural factors. We observe short- and intermediate-range order and the latter disappears at high temperature. The sevenfold and eightfold coordinated structures are dominant in LaCl3 melt and the network structure is composed of corner-sharing, edge-sharing and face-sharing configurations. Evolution of properties including density and self-diffusion coefficient over the entire operating temperature range are documented. This work exhibits a thorough understanding of the local structure and property of LaCl3 melt and reveals the accuracy of machine learning potential on molten trivalent metal chlorides for first time.

Summary Hypoxia is known to stimulate mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) in cells. Here, we present a detailed protocol to detect mROS using MitoSOX staining in live cells under normoxia and hypoxia. Flow cytometry allows sensitive and reliable quantification of mROS by FlowJo software. We optimized several aspects of the procedure including hypoxic treatment, working concentrations of the staining buffer, and quantitative analyses. Here, we use HepG2 cells, but the protocol can be applied to other cell lines. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Yang et al. (2020)., Graphical abstract, Highlights • Detailed protocol to detect mitochondrial ROS in cell lines • MitoSOX staining in normoxic and hypoxic live cells • Flow cytometry allows quantification and statistical analysis, Hypoxia is known to stimulate mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) in cells. Here, we present a detailed protocol to detect mROS using MitoSOX staining in live cells under normoxia and hypoxia. Flow cytometry allows sensitive and reliable quantification of mROS by FlowJo software. We optimized several aspects of the procedure including hypoxic treatment, working concentrations of the staining buffer, and quantitative analyses. Here, we use HepG2 cells, but the protocol can be applied to other cell lines.

Three series of novel nitrofuran-1,3,4-oxadiazole hybrids were designed and synthesized as new anti-TB agents. The structure activity relationship study indicated that the linkers and the substituents on the oxadiazole moiety greatly influence the activity, and the substituted benzenes are more favoured than the cycloalkyl or heterocyclic groups. Besides, the optimal compound in series 2 was active against both MTB H37Rv strain and MDR-MTB 16883 clinical isolate and also displayed low cytotoxicity, low inhibition of hERG and good oral PK, indicating its promising potential to be a lead for further structural modifications.

Background Morroniside is the main ingredient of Cornus officinalis, which has an antioxidant effect. Ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) are responsible for regulating the development and atresia of follicles, which are susceptible to oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated whether morroniside could inhibit oxidative stress of GCs induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), thus leading to improve oocyte quality. Methods The study was divided into 5 groups: control group, H2O2 group, morroniside (5 µM) + H2O2, morroniside (10 µM) + H2O2, Morroniside (20 µM) + H2O2. Cell survival rate was determined by CCK-8, ROS fluorescence level was determined by DCFH-DA probe, MDA, 8-OHdG, T-AOC, SOD, NQO1 and caspase-3 were determined by ELISA, SOD, NQO1, Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, caspase-9, Nrf2 and MAPKs protein expression were determined by Western blot, and Nrf2 nuclear translocation level was determined by immunofluorescence method. SPSS21.0 was used for statistical data analysis. Results After pretreatment with morroniside, the levels of ROS, MDA and 8-OHdG in ovarian GCs were significantly decreased. Morroniside significantly upregulated the level of p-Nrf2 and promoted the nuclear translocation level of Nrf2, which transcriptionally activated antioxidase SOD and NQO1. In addition, the levels of apoptosis-related proteins Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and caspase-9 were significantly regulated via p38 and JNK pathway by morroniside. Conclusions These results suggested that morroniside could reduce oxidative damage and apoptosis of ovarian GCs induced by H2O2 in multiple ways, which provided a new idea for clinical improvement of oxidative stress in female reproductive system.

Xue Bai,1 Yibo Tang,2 Qiang Li,1 Dan Liu,1 Guimin Liu,1 Xiaolei Fan,2 Zhejun Liu,2 Shujun Yu,1 Tian Tang,1 Shuyan Wang,2 Lingru Li,3 Kailin Zhou,4 Yanfei Zheng,3 Zhenquan Liu1,3 1School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Humanities, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yanfei ZhengNational Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +8618010091957Email yanfei_z@163.comZhenquan LiuSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 13810419708Email lzqbzy@sina.comPurpose: One of the most common types of male infertility is recognized as oligoasthenozoospermia (OA), characterized by low sperm count and quality in males. As a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Cuscutae Semen-Mori Fructus coupled-herbs (CSMFCH) has been known to act a curative effect on OA for thousands of years. Nevertheless, the substantial basis and molecular mechanism of CSMFCH in treating OA remain elusive.Methods: Herein, an integrated approach, including network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experiment validation, was utilized to reveal the new candidate active component and mechanism of CSMFCH in treating OA.Results: The results show that kaempferol is the most significant bioactive component of CSMFCH on OA. The mechanism and targets of CSMFCH against OA are relevant to hormone regulation, oxidant stress, and reproductive promotion. In order to validate network pharmacology results, molecular docking and experiment validation were conducted. In detail, molecular docking was employed to verify the strong binding interactions between kaempferol and the core targets. UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS was used to identify kaempferol in the CSMFCH extract. In vitro and in vivo experiments further proved CSMFCH and kaempferol could enhance the mouse Leydig (TM3) and mouse Sertoli (TM4) cell viability, improve the male reproductive organ weights, sperm quality, and decrease testis tissue damage in the OA mouse model induced by CP.Conclusion: Our results not only identify the new candidate active component of CSMFCH in treating OA but also provide new insights into the mechanisms of CSMFCH against OA.Keywords: traditional Chinese medicine, oligoasthenozoospermia, kaempferol, network pharmacology

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging technology for tumor treatment in which photosensitizer (PS)-mediated light irradiation reduces oxygen, producing high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can cause vascular injury and effectively kill tumor cells. However, the naturally hypoxic tumor microenvironment is the main obstacle that hinders the photodynamic response in vivo and prevents its extensive application to tumor treatment. Moreover, PDT-mediated oxygen consumption further increases tumor hypoxia, potentially causing a variety of adverse consequences, such as angiogenesis, tumor invasion, and metastasis. To overcome these limitations caused by hypoxia, multiple strategies have been investigated, including the use of oxygen carriers and reactive oxygen supply materials, the regulation of tumor microenvironments, and multimodal therapy including PDT. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in the development of strategies to relieve tumor hypoxia for improved PDT efficacy and better therapeutic effects. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in the development of strategies to relieve tumor hypoxia for improved PDT efficacy, from the design of novel nonreactive oxygen carriers to reactive materials and other strategies, including the regulation of tumor microenvironments and PDT-involved multimodal therapy.

This study aimed to gain insight into cocrystal interactions through solid-state characterization and theoretical computation. We formulated four novel cocrystalline phases of antipyrine (AN) and a...

Labile organic matter plays an important role in permafrost carbon cycling, however, little is known about the effects of permafrost on labile organic matter dynamics. Here, we examined seasonal changes in the labile organic matter including light fraction carbon (LFC), water extractable organic carbon (WEOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) contents in a relict permafrost region on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), China. We selected three different areas including permafrost, boundary, and seasonally frozen ground area. The results showed that seasonal changes in labile organic matter were not the result of soil heterogeneity. Among all three areas, depth strongly correlated with labile organic matter content. LFC was significantly associated with the soil organic carbon (SOC) content. The MBC contents, which were the lowest in permafrost area but highest in seasonally frozen ground area, were strongly affected by temperature. Multiple linear regression models showed that temperature was a significant predictor for labile organic matter in the permafrost area, but the effects of temperature were weaker in the boundary and seasonally frozen ground areas. Our results suggested that permafrost degradation could decrease production but increase decomposition rates of labile organic matter in permafrost regions, and this process should be taken into consideration in permafrost carbon cycle models.

Cathodic passivation is mainly caused by the hydrolysis of anhydrous magnesium chloride. However, the phase transition process of magnesium chloride hydrates is still insufficient although it is important in industrial technology. Here, the thermal decomposition processes of MgCl2·H2O have been investigated using molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory methods. Two kinetic types of reaction pathways were proposed which can be classified as the intramolecular model and intermolecular model. The calculations show that the intermolecular scheme was easier occurred as it provided a lower energy barrier pathway. Moreover, a theoretical structure of the hydrolysis product (MgOHCl) was determined and then modified in consideration of the experimental information. With the detailed orientation relationship between MgOHCl and MgCl2 examined by transmission electron microscopy, MgOHCl structure was confirmed to be an atomic alteration and distorted variant of the MgCl2 structure. These results indicate the validity of structure transition based on the reaction pathway and provide important atomistic-scale insight into product formation in these materials.

This paper reports a seed-mediated growth of Pd@Cu core–shell nanocubes with controllable edge lengths from 49 to 103 nm in an aqueous system using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) capped Pd n...

Molecular dynamics simulation method with an improved flexible nitrate model was used in this paper to study the structure and properties of molten LiNO3, NaNO3, and KNO3. Both local structure and physical properties including densities, thermal conductivities, viscosities and heat capacities of the salts were simulated comprehensively. Different simulation methods were used and the results were compared with experimental data. The relationship between the structure and properties of the salts were discussed. Besides, a binary mixture of NaNO3 and KNO3 was also simulated to verify the applicability of the force field and simulation method for salt mixtures. The results indicate that the force field and simulation methods adopted in this paper work well in predicting the properties of both single nitrate salts and their mixtures. This paper did a basis job for further investigation into the simulation of nitrate salt mixtures used in thermal energy storage.

We planned to investigate the possible influences of long non-coding RNA (opioid growth factor receptor pseudogene 1) OGFRP1 in endometrial cancer and its potential regulatory mechanism. We measured the level of OGFRP1 in endometrial cancer tissues and evaluated the influences of OGFRP1 dysregulation on the tumour cell biological processes of endometrial cancer cells. Further, the regulatory relationships between OGFRP1 and miR-124-3p, between miR-124-3p and Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) were, respectively, investigated. The interaction between OGFRP1 dysregulation and activation of PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway was revealed by Western blotting. OGFRP1 was up-regulated in endometrial cancer tissues and cells. OGFRP1 suppression inhibited the malignant behaviour (inhibited cell viability, promoted cell apoptosis, and suppressed cell migration and invasion) of the Ishikawa cells via negatively regulating miR-124-3p. SIRT1 was a target gene of miR-124-3p, and miR-124-3p regulated tumour growth and metastasis by the down-stream signal of SIRT1. Moreover, suppression of OGFRP1 restrained the activation of PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β signals in the Ishikawa cells via miR-124-3p/SIRT1 axis. Our experiments revealed that upregulation of OGFRP1 may enhance the progression of endometrial cancer by regulating miR-124-3p/SIRT1 axis and by activating PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway. OGFRP1 may be of significance in illustrating the biology of endometrial cancer.

Effects of transgenic crops on soil microbial communities are important constituents in ecological risk assessment. The Illumina MiSeq sequencing method was employed to examine the effects of transgenic glufosinate-resistant rapeseed and the associated herbicide application on rhizospheric bacterial communities at different growth stages. Our results showed that both transgenic rapeseed and the application of herbicide Basta (active ingredient: glufosinate) had no significant influence on alpha-diversity of rhizospheric bacterial communities. The dominant phyla across all samples were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes and Actinobacteria. These dominant phyla show no remarkable differences under transgenic rapeseed, transgenic rapeseed with glufosinate applied, and non-transgenic acceptor counterpart rapeseed. Nevertheless, they respond differently at different growth stages. These results indicate that community variation was strongly dependent on the growth stage. Therefore, growing glufosinate-resistant transgenic rapeseed line Z7B10 and application of glufosinate herbicide had no adverse effects on the rhizospheric bacterial community composition.

In this article, the cathode passivation in the MgCl2 electrolysis caused by iron ions was characterized first time by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in which the magnesium with the shape of caviar could be seen intuitively. The cathodic processes of Fe (III) on tungsten electrode in MgCl2-NaCl-KCl-CaCl2 melts were investigated with different methods including square wave voltammetry (SWV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), and chronopotentiometry (CP) at 973 K. The results showed that the reduction of Fe (III) was a diffusion control reversible reaction process with one single step and that the nucleation mechanism of Fe (III) deposition on tungsten electrodes was instantaneous, consistent with the formation and growth mechanism of hemispherical nuclei. Besides, Arrhenius treatment was employed to obtain the activation energy for the diffusion process in the molten salt mixtures. The value of activation energy for the diffusion of Fe (III) was derived as 32.50 kJ mol−1 by the method of CA electrochemical technique. The equilibrium potential of Fe (III)/Fe(0) was determined by open circuit chronopotentiometry. In addition, the standard apparent potential of the Fe (III)/Fe(0) and Fe (III) activity coefficient in melts were estimated at 973 K.