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High-entropy diboride has been arousing considerable interest in recent years. However, the low toughness and damage tolerance limit its applications as ultra-high-temperature structural materials. Here we report that a unique SiB6 additive has been first incorporated as boron and silicon sources to fabricate a high-entropy boride (Ti0.2Zr0.2Hf0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2)B2–SiC composite though one-step boro/carbothermal reduction reactive sintering. A synergetic effect of high-entropy sluggish diffusion and SiC secondary phase retarded the grain growth of the (Ti0.2Zr0.2Hf0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2)B2–51SiC composites. The small grain size was beneficial to shorten the diffusion path for mass transport, thereby enhancing the relative density to ~99.3%. These results in an increase of fracture toughness from ~5.2 in HEBS-1900 to ~7.7 MPa·m1/2 in HEBS-2000, which corresponded to a large improvement of 48%. The improvement was attributed to a mixed mode of intergranular and transgranular cracking for offering effective pinning in crack propagation, resulting from balanced grain boundary strength collectively affected by improved densification, solid solution strengthening, and incorporation of SiC secondary phase.

Along with the development of science and technology, chemical reactions exhibit an important role in various fileds including synthesis, chemical engineering, energy, environment, biology and medicine. The effective intermediates monitoring and mechanism exploration of chemical reactions can promote their development and contribute to the design of new chemical reactions. However, in the complex reaction matrix, a variety of intermediates with different molecular weights, life and dynamic changes will be generated at different reaction conditions, the effective capture and structure determinations of the short-lived and active reaction intermediates are hard to be achieved. In recent years, ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) has been widely used in the detection of chemical intermediates to explore reaction mechanisms, due to its advantages of high sensitivity, high selectivity, rapid analysis and in-situ monitoring. Herein, the research progress and development of AMS for the detection of reaction intermediates were reviewed, which involved the reactions in the fields of electrochemistry, photochemistry, plasma chemistry and microdroplet chemistry. For different types of reactions, the designs of different AMS detection technologies were introduced in details. Upon the different ionization strategies, different kinds of techniques have been reported, including desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS), nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nESI-MS), extraction electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS), Venturi easy ambient sonic spray ionization mass spectrometry (VEASI-MS), spray-dependent plasma mass spectrometry (SDP-MS), accelerated plasma degradation coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (APD-MS), field-induced droplet ionization mass spectrometry (FIDI-MS) and so on. Subsequently, the progress and application of these mass spectrometry techniques in capturing intermediates of different kinds of reactions as well as the exploration of mechanisms were reviewed. Finally, the development of mass spectrometry for the detection of transient reaction intermediates in different chemical reactions, including electrochemical reactions, photochemical reactions, plasma reactions and microdroplet reactions were summarized and prospected. As reviewed, based on the characteristics of high throughput virtual screening and online monitoring, as well as the diversification of ion sources, AMS would be widely used in various fields including industrial production, environmental protection, energy and so on. In the future, the improved AMS techniques will be encouraged for examining more highly active intermediates with the increasing requirements for the examination of complicated reactions.

Abstract Background Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) plays a crucial role in hybrid production. K-type CMS, a cytoplasmic male sterile line of wheat with the cytoplasms of Aegilops kotschyi, is widely used due to its excellent characteristics of agronomic performance, easy maintenance and easy restoration. However, the mechanism of its pollen abortion is not yet clear. Results In this study, wheat K-type CMS MS(KOTS)-90-110 (MS line) and it’s fertile near-isogenic line MR (KOTS)-90-110 (MR line) were investigated. Cytological analysis indicated that the anthers of MS line microspore nucleus failed to divide normally into two sperm nucleus and lacked starch in mature pollen grains, and the key abortive period was the uninucleate stage to dinuclear stage. Then, we compared the transcriptome of MS line and MR line anthers at these two stages. 11,360 and 5182 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the MS and MR lines in the early uninucleate and binucleate stages, respectively. Based on GO enrichment and KEGG pathways analysis, it was evident that significant transcriptomic differences were “plant hormone signal transduction”, “MAPK signaling pathway” and “spliceosome”. We identified 17 and 10 DEGs associated with the IAA and ABA signal transduction pathways, respectively. DEGs related to IAA signal transduction pathway were downregulated in the early uninucleate stage of MS line. The expression level of DEGs related to ABA pathway was significantly upregulated in MS line at the binucleate stage compared to MR line. The determination of plant hormone content and qRT-PCR further confirmed that hormone imbalance in MS lines. Meanwhile, 1 and 2 DEGs involved in ABA and Ethylene metabolism were also identified in the MAPK cascade pathway, respectively; the significant up regulation of spliceosome related genes in MS line may be another important factor leading to pollen abortion. Conclusions We proposed a transcriptome-mediated pollen abortion network for K-type CMS in wheat. The main idea is hormone imbalance may be the primary factor, MAPK cascade pathway and alternative splicing (AS) may also play important regulatory roles in this process. These findings provided intriguing insights for the molecular mechanism of microspore abortion in K-type CMS, and also give useful clues to identify the crucial genes of CMS in wheat.

Abstract Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies and is characterized by reprogrammed metabolism. Ferroptosis, a programmed cell death dependent on iron, has emerged as a promising strategy for CRC treatment. Although small nucleolar RNAs are extensively involved in carcinogenesis, it is unclear if they regulate ferroptosis during CRC pathogenesis. Methods The dysregulated snoRNAs were identified using published sequencing data of CRC tissues. The expression of the candidate snoRNAs, host gene and target gene were assessed by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blots. The biological function of critical molecules was investigated using in vitro and in vivo strategies including Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), colony formation assay, flow cytometry, Fe2+/Fe3+, GSH/GSSG and the xenograft mice models. The ribosomal activities were determined by polysome profiling and O-propargyl-puromycin (OP-Puro) assay. The proteomics was conducted to clarify the downstream targets and the underlying mechanisms were validated by IHC, Pearson correlation analysis, protein stability and rescue assays. The clinical significance of the snoRNA was explored using the Cox proportional hazard model, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and survival analysis. Results Here, we investigated the SNORA56, which was elevated in CRC tissues and plasma, and correlated with CRC prognosis. SNORA56 deficiency in CRC impaired proliferation and triggered ferroptosis, resulting in reduced tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, SNORA56 mediated the pseudouridylation of 28 S rRNA at the U1664 site and promoted the translation of the catalytic subunit of glutamate cysteine ligase (GCLC), an indispensable rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of glutathione, which can inhibit ferroptosis by suppressing lipid peroxidation. Conclusions Therefore, the SNORA56/28S rRNA/GCLC axis stimulates CRC progression by inhibiting the accumulation of cellular peroxides, and it may provide biomarker and therapeutic applications in CRC.

Justify that the use of selenium has been shown to promote seed germination and seedling growth of some crops under salt stress but the physiological mechanisms in sorghum remain poorly understood. Herein, grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] variety Jinza 2002 was used to explore the effects and mechanisms of seed priming with 25 μmol/L sodium selenite [Se(IV)] on seed germination, seedling growth, antioxidant enzyme activity and osmotic regulatory substances under 120 mmol/L NaCl. The results showed that soaking sorghum seeds in Se(IV) effectively alleviated the harm of salt stress. Compared with the Na group, Se(IV) application increased germination percentage (by 23.8%), while facilitating the elongation of radicles (by 4.2%) and plumules (by 18.4%) under salt stress. Salt-stressed seedlings showed increased levels of leaf chlorophyll, soluble sugar, soluble protein and proline contents, and antioxidant enzyme activities, as well as root activity, and total biomass following Se(IV) application, along with decreased relative electrical conductivity and malondialdehyde content in the leaves. Findings of this study indicate that seed priming with Se(IV) facilitates sorghum seed germination and seedling growth under salt stress by improving root activity, enhancing leaf photosynthesis and antioxidant responses, and reducing cell membrane damage.

To investigate the effects of the combined addition of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and sucrose on the fermentation weight loss (FWL), fermentation quality, and microbial community structure of ensiled rape straw under varying packing density conditions. After harvesting, the rapeseed straw was collected, cut into 1–2 cm pieces, and sprayed with sterile water to adjust the moisture content to 60%. The straw was then divided into two groups: one treated with additives (1 × 105 CFU/g fresh material of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and 10 kg/t fresh material of sucrose), and the other sprayed with an equivalent amount of sterile water as the control (CK). The treated materials were thoroughly mixed and packed into silos at densities of 450, 500, and 550 kg/m3. FWL was recorded on days 1, 3, 6, 15, 20, and 45 of fermentation. On day 45, the samples were analyzed for fermentation quality, microbial counts, and microbial diversity. FWL increased significantly (p < 0.05) in both the treated (LS) and control groups during fermentation. The LS group showed higher lactic acid (LA) levels (p < 0.05) and lower ammonia nitrogen levels (p < 0.05) compared to CK. The CK group had significantly higher (p < 0.05) counts of Coliforms and lower bacterial counts (p < 0.05) than LS. The dominant genera in the silage were Xanthomonas, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and Lentilactobacillus. In the LS group, the relative abundances of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lentilactobacillus ranged from 16.93% to 20.43% and 15.63% to 27.46%, respectively, with their combined abundance being higher than in CK. At a packing density of 500 kg/m3, the relative abundances of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lentilactobacillus in the LS group were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in CK. Increasing packing density and applying additives to rape straw silage effectively reduced FWL, improved fermentation quality, boosted the relative abundance of beneficial lactic acid bacteria, and decreased the presence of undesirable bacteria such as Enterobacter and Bacillus.

Protein secondary structure prediction (PSSP) plays a crucial role in resolving protein functions and properties. Significant progress has been made in this field in recent years, and the use of a variety of protein-related features, including amino acid sequences, position-specific score matrices (PSSM), amino acid properties, and secondary structure trend factors, to improve prediction accuracy is an important technical route for it. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of these factor features in secondary structure prediction is lacking in the current work. This study quantitatively analyzes the impact of several major factors on secondary structure prediction models using a more explanatory four-class machine learning approach. The applicability of each factor in the different types of methods, the extent to which the different methods work on each factor, and the evaluation of the effect of multi-factor combinations are explored in detail. Through experiments and analyses, it was found that PSSM performs best in methods with strong high-dimensional features and complex feature extraction capabilities, while amino acid sequences, although performing poorly overall, perform relatively well in methods with strong linear processing capabilities. Also, the combination of amino acid properties and trend factors significantly improved the prediction performance. This study provides empirical evidence for future researchers to optimize multi-factor feature combinations and apply them to protein secondary structure prediction models, which is beneficial in further optimizing the use of these factors to enhance the performance of protein secondary structure prediction models.

Abstract As highly promising devices for odor recognition, current electronic noses are still not comparable to human olfaction due to the significant disparity in the number of gas sensors versus human olfactory receptors. Inspired by the sniffing skills of wine tasters to achieve better odor perception, a multiple overlapping sniffs (MOSS) strategy is proposed in this study. The MOSS strategy involves rapid and continuous inhalation of odorants to stimulate the sensor array to generate feature‐rich temporal signals. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are performed to reveal the mechanism of complex dynamic flows affecting transient responses. The proposed strategy shows over 95% accuracy in the recognition experiments of three gaseous alkanes and six liquors. Results demonstrate that the MOSS strategy can accurately and easily recognize odors with a limited sensor number. The proposed strategy has potential applications in various odor recognition scenarios, such as medical diagnosis, food quality assessment, and environmental surveillance.

In vertebrates, action selection often involves higher cognition entailing an evaluative process. However, urgent tasks, such as defensive escape, require an immediate implementation of the directionality of escape trajectory, necessitating local circuits. Here we reveal a specialized spinal circuit for the execution of escape direction in adult zebrafish. A central component of this circuit is a unique class of segmentally repeating cholinergic V2a interneurons expressing the transcription factor Chx10. These interneurons amplify brainstem-initiated escape commands and rapidly deliver the excitation via a feedforward circuit to all fast motor neurons and commissural interneurons to direct the escape maneuver. The information transfer within this circuit relies on fast and reliable axo-axonic synaptic connections, bypassing soma and dendrites. Unilateral ablation of cholinergic V2a interneurons eliminated escape command propagation. Thus, in vertebrates, local spinal circuits can implement directionality of urgent motor actions vital for survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lidocaine patches in Chinese patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods Patients were randomized to receive lidocaine patches or placebo every day for 4 weeks. Efficacy endpoints included the decrease of analogue scale score (VAS) value at week 4, 2 and 1 and the percentage of patients that achieved a 30% decrease of VAS value. Safety analyses were conducted as well. Results Two hundred forty Chinese patients were randomized. At week 1, lidocaine patch-treated patients had a higher clinical response versus placebo, and at week 4, the mean (SD) decreases of VAS value compared to the baseline were 14.01 (14.35) in the treatment group and 9.36 (12.03) in the placebo group (p = 0.0088). Overall, the safety profile in the treatment group was consistent with that observed in the placebo group [adverse event (AE) incidence rate: 33.33% versus 37.29%, p = 0.5857]. Conclusions Lidocaine patches resulted in improved clinical response versus placebo in the treatment of PHN patients and were well tolerated.

Abstract Background A variety of external factors might seriously degrade PET image quality and lead to inconsistent results. The aim of this study is to explore a potential PET image quality assessment (QA) method with deep learning (DL). Methods A total of 89 PET images were acquired from Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) in China in this study. Ground-truth quality for images was assessed by two senior radiologists and classified into five grades (grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, and grade 5). Grade 5 is the best image quality. After preprocessing, the Dense Convolutional Network (DenseNet) was trained to automatically recognize optimal- and poor-quality PET images. Accuracy (ACC), sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), and area under the ROC Curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic properties of all models. All indicators of models were assessed using fivefold cross-validation. An image quality QA tool was developed based on our deep learning model. A PET QA report can be automatically obtained after inputting PET images. Results Four tasks were generated. Task2 showed worst performance in AUC,ACC, specificity and sensitivity among 4 tasks, and task1 showed unstable performance between training and testing and task3 showed low specificity in both training and testing. Task 4 showed the best diagnostic properties and discriminative performance between poor image quality (grade 1, grade 2) and good quality (grade 3, grade 4, grade 5) images. The automated quality assessment of task 4 showed ACC = 0.77, specificity = 0.71, and sensitivity = 0.83, in the train set; ACC = 0.85, specificity = 0.79, and sensitivity = 0.91, in the test set, respectively. The ROC measuring performance of task 4 had an AUC of 0.86 in the train set and 0.91 in the test set. The image QA tool could output basic information of images, scan and reconstruction parameters, typical instances of PET images, and deep learning score. Conclusions This study highlights the feasibility of the assessment of image quality in PET images using a deep learning model, which may assist with accelerating clinical research by reliably assessing image quality.

Abstract Background This pilot study is aimed to perform a pilot visualization study to investigate in vivo fibroblast activation in non-ischemic cardiomyopathies by 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT. Methods Twenty-nine consecutive patients with symptomatic non-ischemic cardiomyopathies who underwent 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT were prospectively recruited. Clinical characteristics and echocardiographic parameters were recorded. Cardiac uptake was quantified by standardized uptake values (SUVmax , SUVmean, SUVR) and left ventricular metabolism volume. The relationship between 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake with clinical and echocardiography parameters was investigated. Results Heterogeneous 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake was observed in different subtypes of non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. Twenty-two (75.9%) patients showed elevated 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake in the left ventricle, and 10 (34.5%) patients also showed slightly diffuse elevated uptake in the right ventricle. Cardiac uptake values were significantly correlated with enlarged ventricular volume evaluated by echocardiography. Conclusion FAPI PET/CT presents a potential value for in vivo visualization and quantification of fibroblast activation on the molecular level. Further study is warranted for investigating the theranostic and prognostic value of elevated FAP signal.

Abstract Due to their atomically dispersed active centers, single‐atom nanozymes (SAzymes) have unparalleled advantages in cancer catalytic therapy. Here, loaded with chlorin e6 (Ce6), a hydrothermally mass‐produced bimetallic silicate‐based nanoplatforms with atomically dispersed manganese/gadolinium (Mn/Gd) dual sites and oxygen vacancies (OVs) (PMnSAGMSNs‐V@Ce6) is constructed for tumor glutathione (GSH)‐triggered chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and O2‐alleviated photodynamic therapy. The band gaps of silica are significantly reduced from 2.78 to 1.88 eV by doping with metal ions, which enables it to be excited by a 650 nm laser to produce electron‐hole pairs, thereby facilitating the generation of reactive oxygen species. The Gd sites can modulate the local electrons of the atom‐catalyzed Mn sites, which contribute to the generation of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Tumor GSH‐triggered Mn2+ release can convert endogenous H2O2 to •OH and realize GSH‐depletion‐enhanced CDT. Significantly, the hydrothermally generated OVs can not only capture Mn and Gd atoms to form atomic sites but also can elongate and weaken the O‐O bonds of H2O2, thereby improving the efficacy of Fenton reactions. The degraded Mn2+/Gd3+ ions can be used as tumor‐specific magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. All the experimental results demonstrate the great potential of PMnSAGMSNs‐V@Ce6 as cancer theranostic agent.

Summary: Background: Clinical appearance and high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) are indispensable for diagnosing skin diseases by providing internal and external information. However, their complex combination brings challenges for primary care physicians and dermatologists. Thus, we developed a deep multimodal fusion network (DMFN) model combining analysis of clinical close-up and HFUS images for binary and multiclass classification in skin diseases. Methods: Between Jan 10, 2017, and Dec 31, 2020, the DMFN model was trained and validated using 1269 close-ups and 11,852 HFUS images from 1351 skin lesions. The monomodal convolutional neural network (CNN) model was trained and validated with the same close-up images for comparison. Subsequently, we did a prospective and multicenter study in China. Both CNN models were tested prospectively on 422 cases from 4 hospitals and compared with the results from human raters (general practitioners, general dermatologists, and dermatologists specialized in HFUS). The performance of binary classification (benign vs. malignant) and multiclass classification (the specific diagnoses of 17 types of skin diseases) measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were evaluated. This study is registered with www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2300074765). Findings: The performance of the DMFN model (AUC, 0.876) was superior to that of the monomodal CNN model (AUC, 0.697) in the binary classification (P = 0.0063), which was also better than that of the general practitioner (AUC, 0.651, P = 0.0025) and general dermatologists (AUC, 0.838; P = 0.0038). By integrating close-up and HFUS images, the DMFN model attained an almost identical performance in comparison to dermatologists (AUC, 0.876 vs. AUC, 0.891; P = 0.0080). For the multiclass classification, the DMFN model (AUC, 0.707) exhibited superior prediction performance compared with general dermatologists (AUC, 0.514; P = 0.0043) and dermatologists specialized in HFUS (AUC, 0.640; P = 0.0083), respectively. Compared to dermatologists specialized in HFUS, the DMFN model showed better or comparable performance in diagnosing 9 of the 17 skin diseases. Interpretation: The DMFN model combining analysis of clinical close-up and HFUS images exhibited satisfactory performance in the binary and multiclass classification compared with the dermatologists. It may be a valuable tool for general dermatologists and primary care providers. Funding: This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Clinical research project of Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital.

ObjectiveTo assess whether the administration of Zishen Yutai Pill (ZYP) could improve the pregnancy outcomes in different subgroups of women undergoing fresh embryo transfer cycles.Materials and methodsThis is a post hoc analysis of a large scale, placebo-controlled, double blind, randomized clinical trial (RCT) regarding the use of ZYP during assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. The RCT was conducted at 19 in vitro fertilization (IVF) centers between April 2014 and June 2017. A total of 2265 women undergoing fresh embryo transfer cycles were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive ZYP (n = 1131) or placebo (n = 1134). Post hoc logistic regression analyses were applied in this study to examine the between-group differences of ZYP and placebo on clinical pregnancy rate among different subgroups. Detailed analyses, both in intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol population, were also conducted in specific subgroups with regards to rates of implantation, biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, live birth, pregnancy loss, as well as other neonatal indices.ResultsZYP showed a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rates than placebo in the ITT population. Detailed subgroup analyses were conducted in subgroup in advanced maternal age (AMA, ≥ 35 years old) and overweight/obese patients (BMI > 24), due to the clinical importance and statistical results. In these subgroups, baseline characteristics were similar between two arms (all P > 0.05). Significantly elevated clinical pregnancy rates were observed in ZYP cohort (both P < 0.05) compared with the placebo group. Results also showed that ZYP treatment resulted in significantly higher rates of implantation, biochemical pregnancy in AMA or overweight/obese patients in ITT analysis (all P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe current post hoc subgroup analysis suggested that AMA and overweight/obese women could experience clinical benefits when treated with ZYP in their fresh embryo transfer cycles. The study provides references for the use of ZYP in ART practices. However, further studies in specific subgroups should be examined in more rigorous clinical trial settings.Clinical trial registrationChictr.org.cn, ChictrTRC-14004494.

Abstract Background Necroptosis is a novel type of programmed cell death distinct from apoptosis. However, the role of necroptosis in ovarian cancer (OC) remains unclear. The present study investigated the prognostic value of necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) and the immune landscape in OC. Methods The gene expression profiling and clinical information were downloaded from the TCGA and GTEx databases. Differentially expressed NRGs (DE-NRGs) between OC and normal tissueswere identified. The regression analyses were conducted to screen the prognostic NRGs and construct the predictive risk model. Patients were then divided into high- and low-risk groups, and the GO and KEGG analyses were performed to explore bioinformatics functions between the two groups. Subsequently, the risk level and immune status correlations were assessed through the ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms. The tumor mutation burden (TMB) and the drug sensitivity were also analyzed based on the two-NRG signature in OC. Results Totally 42 DE-NRGs were identified in OC. The regression analyses screened out two NRGs (MAPK10 and STAT4) with prognostic values for overall survival. The ROC curve showed a better predictive ability in five-year OS using the risk score. Immune-related functions were significantly enriched in the high- and low-risk group. Macrophages M1, T cells CD4 memory activated, T cells CD8, and T cells regulatory infiltration immune cells were associated with the low-risk score. The lower tumor microenvironment score was demonstrated in the high-risk group. Patients with lower TMB in the low-risk group showed a better prognosis, and a lower TIDE score suggested a better immune checkpoint inhibitor response in the high-risk group. Besides, cisplatin and paclitaxel were found to be more sensitive in the low-risk group. Conclusions MAPK10 and STAT4 can be important prognosis factors in OC, and the two-gene signature performs well in predicting survival outcomes. Our study provided novel ways of OC prognosis estimation and potential treatment strategy.

Along with the industrial development and human society progress, large number of pollutants have been discharged to induce the environmental pollution, which have attracted global attentions. To evaluate the environmental pollution and environmental effects, the fast, accurate, and reliable analytical methods are required for qualitative and quantitative analysis of pollutants. Ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) has the advantages of rapid, in-situ and real-time analysis of samples at ambient conditions, without any sample pretreatment. Herein, from the perspective of different ionization technologies, the applications of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI-MS), as well as the corresponding coupling techniques for the detection of environmental water pollutants were reviewed. Finally, the development of ambient ionization mass spectrometry in the detection of environmental pollutants was summarized and prospected.

Abstract Unidirectional SiCf/SiC minicomposite with a scheelite (CaWO4) interphase coating was fabricated through the precursor infiltration and pyrolysis method. Fractography of the SiCf/SiC minicomposites indicated that weak fiber/matrix bonding can be provided by the CaWO4 interphase. Furthermore, interfacial debonding stress of SiCf/CaWO4/SiC minicomposite was evaluated through the fiber push-out test, and estimated to be 80.7 ± 4.6 MPa. In-situ tensile SEM observation of SiCf/CaWO4/SiC minicomposite after oxidation at 1000–1100 °C was carried out, and thermal compatibility between CaWO4 interphase coating and SiC fiber or matrix after heat treatment at 1300 °C was investigated.

Objective: Zishen Yutai Pill (ZYP) is a frequently used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation in women’s health. However, the effects of ZYP on endometrial epithelial response have not been fully explored. Herein, uterine natural killer cell (uNK) secretion medium was used to mimic the uterine microenvironment. Thereafter, an endometrial epithelial cell line (Ishikawa cells) was treated with ZYP-containing serum to elucidate the effects of ZYP on endometrial receptivity.Methods: uNK cells were isolated from decidual tissues of pregnant women undergoing pregnancy termination surgery, and thereafter, uNK secretion medium was collected. ZYP-containing serum was collected from rats after intragastrical administration of ZYP. Ishikawa cells were divided into three groups, one treated with blank control (control group), one treated with uNK secretion medium (uNK group), and one treated with both uNK secretion medium and ZYP-containing serum (ZYP + uNK group). Total RNAs were extracted. Gene expression profiles of Ishikawa in different groups were determined through microarray analysis. mRNA expressions of selected genes were determined through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was determined using Western blotting (WB). Results: Compared with the uNK group, the gene expressions of ZYP group with a total of 1117 genes were significantly altered, among which 510 genes were upregulated and 607 genes were downregulated. Compared with uNK group, expressions of CSF1, CSF2, SPP1, and ICAM1 were upregulated (P

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorder worldwide. Extensive research has identified multiple factors contributing to its development, including genetic predisposition, chronic infection, gut dysbiosis, aberrant serotonin metabolism, and brain dysfunction. Recent studies have emphasized the critical role of the early life stage as a susceptibility window for IBS. Current evidence suggests that diet can heighten the risk of IBS in offspring by influencing the microbiota composition, intestinal epithelium structure, gene expression, and brain-gut axis. The use of antibiotics during pregnancy and the neonatal period disrupts the normal gut microbiota structure, aligning it with the characteristics observed in IBS patients. Additionally, early life stress impacts susceptibility to IBS by modulating TLR4, NK1, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis while compromising the offspring's immune system. Formula feeding facilitates the colonization of pathogenic bacteria in the intestines, concurrently reducing the presence of probiotics. This disruption of the Th1 and Th2 cell balance in the immune system weakens the intestinal epithelial barrier. Furthermore, studies suggest that delivery mode influences the occurrence of IBS by altering the composition of gut microbes. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the existing evidence regarding the impact of adverse early life exposures on IBS during pregnancy, intrapartum, and neonatal period. By consolidating this knowledge, the review enhances our understanding of the direct and indirect mechanisms underlying early life-related IBS and offers new insights and research directions from childhood to adulthood.

Purpose: To investigate and systematically describe the mechanism of action of Prunella vulgaris (P. vulgaris) against digestive system tumors and related toxicity reduction. Methods: This study briefly describes the history of medicinal food and the pharmacological effects of P. vulgaris, focusing on the review of the anti-digestive tumor effects of the active ingredients of P. vulgaris and the mechanism of its toxicity reduction. Results: The active ingredients of P. vulgaris may exert anti-tumor effects by inducing the apoptosis of cancer cells, inhibiting angiogenesis, inhibiting the migration and invasion of tumor cells, and inhibiting autophagy. In addition, P. vulgaris active ingredients inhibit the release of inflammatory factors and macrophages and increase the level of indicators of oxidative stress through the modulation of target genes in the pathway to achieve the effect of toxicity reduction. Conclusion: The active ingredients in the medicine food homology plant P. vulgaris not only treat digestive system tumors through different mechanisms but also reduce the toxic effects. P. vulgaris is worthy of being explored more deeply.