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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

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.

Current therapeutic strategies cannot eradicate hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA (HBV cccDNA), which accounts for the persistence of HBV infection. Very recently, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system has been used as an efficient and powerful tool for viral genome editing. Given that the primary duck hepatocyte (PDH) infected with duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) has been widely used to study human HBV infection in vitro, the present study aimed to demonstrate the targeted inhibition of DHBV DNA, especially cccDNA, by the CRISPR/Cas9 system using this model. We designed six single-guide RNAs (sgRNA1-6) targeting the DHBV genome. The sgRNA/Cas9 plasmid was transfected into DHBV-infected PDHs, and then DHBV total DNA (in culture medium and PDHs) and cccDNA were quantified by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The combined inhibition of CRISPR/Cas9 system and entecavir (ETV) was also assessed. Two sgRNAs, sgRNA4 and sgRNA6, exhibited efficient inhibition on DHBV total DNA (77.23 and 86.51%, respectively), cccDNA (75.67 and 85.34%, respectively) in PDHs, as well as DHBV total DNA in the culture medium (62.17 and 59.52%, respectively). The inhibition remained or enhanced from day 5 to day 9 following transfection. The combination of the CRISPR/Cas9 system and ETV further increased the inhibitory effect on DHBV total DNA in PDHs and culture medium, but not cccDNA. The CRISPR/Cas9 system has the potential to be a useful tool for the suppression of DHBV DNA.

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.

Aim To investigate the mechanism of hepatoprotection conferred by liver fibrosis through evaluating the activation phenotype of kupffer cells. Methods Control and fibrotic mice were challenged with a lethal dose of D-GalN/lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and hepatic damage was assessed by histology, serum alanine transferase (ALT) levels, and hepatic expression of HMGB1, a potent pro-inflammatory mediator. The localization of F4/80 (a surrogate marker of KCs), HMGB1, and type I collagen (Col-1) was determined by immunofluorescence staining. The phenotype of KCs was characterized by real-time PCR. KCs isolated from control or fibrotic mice were challenged with LPS or HMGB1 peptide, and HMGB1 translocation was analyzed. Results Liver fibrosis protected mice against D-GalN/LPS challenge, as shown by improved hepatic histology and reduced elevation of ALT compared with the normal mice treated in the same way. This hepatoprotection was also accompanied by inhibition of HMGB1 expression in the liver. Co-localization of F4/80, HMGB1, and Col-1 was found in fibrotic livers, indicating the close relationship between KCs, HMGB1 and liver fibrosis. KCs isolated from fibrotic mice predominantly exhibited an M2-like phenotype. In vitro experiments showed that HMGB1 was localized in the nucleus of the majority of M2-like KCs and that the translocation of HMGB1 was inhibited following stimulation with LPS or HMGB1 peptide, while both LPS and HMGB1 peptide elicited translocation of intranuclear HMGB1 in KCs isolated from the control mice. Conclusion M2-like Kupffer cells in fibrotic liver may exert a protective effect against acute insult by inhibiting the translocation of HMGB1.

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.