Search

• Pregnancy outcomes of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remain unsatisfactory. • Chinese herbal medicine is widely used for treating gynecological endocrine disorders. • Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula (BSJPF) can improve fertility potential among PCOS population. • BSJPF significantly enhanced bone morphogenetic protein 15 levels in follicular fluids. Chinese herbal medicine is widely used for treating polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The present study aimed to explore the effects of Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula, a Chinese herbal medicine formula, on the pregnancy outcomes of women with PCOS undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) based on a retrospective cohort study. One hundred and forty-six females with PCOS undergoing IVF-ET were included in the study from Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University between July 2016 and June 2021, of whom 73 patients received Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula treatment for 12 weeks before IVF-ET, while the other 73 did not. The clinical data were collected from the medical records of the included patients. Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) and leukemia inhibitory factor levels in the follicular fluids were detected. After the treatment of Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula, women with PCOS undergoing IVF-ET exhibited significant improvement in the fertilization (P<0.05), good-quality embryo (P<0.01), clinical pregnancy (P<0.01), and live birth (P<0.01) rates, and single birthweight in newborns (P<0.05). The expression levels of BMP15 in the follicular fluids of the women with PCOS were significantly increased after Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula treatment (P<0.05). This study provided preliminary evidence of a significant association of Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula treatment with improved pregnancy outcomes in women with PCOS undergoing IVF-ET, partly through increasing BMP15 levels in the follicular fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which has an extremely low coefficient of friction and good thermal and chemical stability, is widely used as a self-lubricating material. In this study, the thermal oxidative-ageing mechanisms of PTFE were studied using infrared spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, and the influence of the thermal oxidative-ageing time on its tribological properties was investigated under a high load (20 MPa). Results indicated that thermal oxidative-ageing resulted in oxidation fracture, generating CF 2 O products, followed by further oxidation to CFO 2 as ageing time increased. The dynamic friction coefficient of PTFE fluctuated significantly under heavy load, and its wear rate fluctuated over a small range but showed a decreasing trend with increased ageing. [Display omitted] • Thermal oxidative-aging mechanisms of PTFE are evaluated experimentally. • Molecular dynamics simulations predict thermal oxidative aging of PTFE with time. • Tribological properties under high load are affected by thermal oxidative aging. • The dynamic friction coefficient of PTFE fluctuates significantly under heavy load. • The wear rate tends to decrease with increasing aging time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is very important to improve the electrical conductivity of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs), which can be used under the external field. In this work, by employing a coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation, the effect of the external fields (tensile field and shear field) on the conductive probability of PNCs has been investigated in details by tuning the nanofiller shape. By carefully analyzing the conductive network, compared with the rod filler and the sphere filler, the Y filler and the X filler can protect the conducive networks well from their breakage perpendicular to the external fields, which thus can significantly enhance the conductive probability under the external fields. In other words, compared with under the quiescent state, the decrease or the increase of the conductive probability under the external fields depends on the nanofiller shape. Meanwhile, it is interesting to find that both the directional conductive probabilities parallel to the shear field and perpendicular to the shear field increase with the shear rate for the Y fillers, which further reflects their high conductive probability under the shear field. The reason can be attributed to two aspects: (1) the gradual aggregation of Y fillers under the external field; (2) the multi-arm structures of Y fillers. In summary, this work presents some further understanding how to improve the electrical conductivity of PNCs under the external fields by tuning the nanofiller shape. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • A series of novel 25-OCH 3 -PPD derivatives were synthesized. • Cytotoxic activities of the derivatives were evaluated on five human tumor cell lines. • Compounds 3a , 14a and 18a exhibited strong anti-tumor activities. • Having aromatic ester at the C3 position could enhance the antiproliferative activities. Abstract Previously we have reported that 25-OCH 3 -PPD could suppress the reproduction of cancer cells and cause apoptosis without obvious toxicity. Herein, we aimed to enhance its bioactivity by introducing aromatic groups to its dammarane-type skeleton. These synthesized derivatives were tested for their inhibitory activities against five cancer cell lines. Of them, compounds 3a , 14a and 18a had the strongest antiproliferative activities against tumor cells (IC 50 < 15 µM, 5-fold to 10-fold increases than 25-OCH 3 -PPD). Especially compound 14a displayed the most potent activity against DU145, MCF-7 and HepG2 cells (IC 50 = 6.7 ± 0.8, 4.3 ± 0.8 and 5.8 ± 0.6 µM, respectively). Structure-activity relationships demonstrated that having aromatic ester at the C3 position could improve the bioactivity. The data provided new insights into exploring novel antiproliferative lead compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Systematic reviews need constantly updating as new evidence emerges. The aim of this comprehensive systematic review/meta-analysis focused on trials that provided acupuncture during in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) which were compared with routine care for a range of outcomes - implantation rate, biochemical pregnancies (presence of a positive urinary pregnancy test or a positive serum human chorionic gonadotrophin test), clinical pregnancies, ongoing pregnancies, and rates of miscarriage and live birth. Methods A systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture treatment during IVF or ICSI was carried out from database inception until July 31, 2017. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment and bias assessment were carried out by 2 researchers independently, with adjudication by the third researcher when necessary. A meta-analysis was performed to compare outcomes between women receiving acupuncture and those receiving routine care, and pooled relative risks (RR) were calculated. Results Statistically significant differences were observed in rates of clinical pregnancy (RR = 1.19, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.06–1.34 p = 0.002), live birth (RR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.09–1.69 p = 0.006), and implantation rate (RR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.08–1.59 p = 0.006) between the acupuncture and the control groups. No significant differences were found for biochemical pregnancies (RR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.92–1.35 p = 0.268), ongoing pregnancies (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: 0.95–1.55 p = 0.130), or miscarriage (RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.67–1.20 p = 0.447) between the two groups. Adverse events were described in 4 studies. Conclusions Acupuncture may have an impact on the outcome rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth; however, well-designed RCTs are warranted to further validate its effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction It is recognized that all over the world, infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) experience high levels of stress, but most remain undiagnosed and untreated. This study explored whether transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) could relieve anxiety levels in infertile women. Methods A total of 360 infertile women with tubal blockage were randomized into four groups: control group, TEAS–2 Hz group, TEAS–100 Hz group and TEAS-2/100 Hz group. After excluding patients who did not complete embryo transfer, 84, 84, 80 and 86 cases respectively remained in the above groups. Anxiety levels were measured using the Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS). Results We found that 2/100 Hz TEAS treatment significantly decreased the levels of state anxiety and preoperative anxiety (P < 0.05). In addition, there were indications that a100 Hz TEAS treatment could decrease the scores of APAIS. Conclusions TEAS using a frequency of 2/100 Hz could help to alleviate state anxiety and preoperative anxiety levels. The trial was registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Register (ChiCTR) with the identifier ChiCTR-TRC-14004493. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore whether transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) can improve the outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF).Design: A prospective, randomized, and controlled study.Setting: IVF center in a university hospital.Participants: Four hundred and eighty-one infertile patients with bilateral tubal blockage who were referred for IVF. Patients were randomized into four groups.Intervention: TEAS was administered for 30min, respectively, at 24h before TVOR and two hours before ET. The acupoints included SP10 (Xuehai, bilateral), SP8 (Diji, bilateral), LR3 (Taichong, bilateral), ST36 (Zusanli, bilateral), EX-CA1 (Zigong, bilateral), RN4 (Guanyuan), PC6 (Neiguan, bilateral), and RN12 (Zhongwan). Based on different frequencies of TEAS, patients were grouped into a TEAS-2Hz group, a TEAS-100Hz group and a TEAS-2/100Hz group. Patients in the control group only received routine IVF treatment and no TEAS was applied on them.Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: The number of mature oocytes, normally fertilized oocytes and good-quality embryos were used to evaluate oocyte developmental competence of the patients. Data of clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), implantation rate (IR), and live birth rate (LBR) were also obtained. The levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY), transforming growth factor alpha and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the follicular fluids were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results: No significant differences were found between the control, TEAS-2Hz, TEAS-100Hz and TEAS-2/100Hz groups on the numbers of metaphase II oocytes, normally fertilized zygotes, early cleavage embryos or good quality embryos (P > .05). However, the CPR, IR and LBR of the TEAS-2/100Hz group were significantly higher than those of the other groups, respectively (P < .05). The NPY levels in the follicular fluids of TEAS-2/100Hz group were significantly higher than those of the other groups (P < .05).Conclusion: TEAS using a frequency of 2/100Hz could help to improve the IVF outcomes partly by increasing NPY levels in the follicular fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminium-stabilized calcium-based materials are currently an excellent solution for capturing CO 2 directly from industrial flue gas. However, there is still no report on the technology of low-cost and large-scale assembly of Ca 3 Al 2 O 6 and CaO. In this study, we innovatively put forward a silicon-assisted strategy to facilely synthesize high-purity Ca 3 Al 2 O 6 and evaluate its cyclic performance for stabilizing uptake CO 2 after assembly. With regard to the Si/Al ratio of 0.2, Ca 3 Al 2 O 6 was prepared selectively among 850–900 °C, with only 5.2% CaO residually. The introduction of silicon inhibited the formation of Ca 5 Al 6 O 14 by-products and the mechanism of silicon at the calcium-aluminum interface was also explained by systematic characterization. The Ca 3 Al 2 O 6 modified sorbent with simple assembly showed extremely high cycle stability improvement compared with the pure precipitated calcium carbonate derived CaO. These works provide technical guidance for the industrial scale-up of the rational design of Al-stabilized calcium-based adsorption materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Paeonol presents antiproliferative activity against endometrial hyperplasia in mice. • Ferroptosis is associated with endometrial hyperplasia. • Paeonol would promote ferroptosis by restraining PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. • Paeonol is a potential therapeutic agent against endometrial hyperplasia. Paeonol (Pae) is one of the active ingredients from components of Guizhi Fuling Capsule, a traditional Chinese medicine widely used for the treatment of women's diseases, which exhibits various biological and pharmacological activities. The objective of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the role of Pae in protecting against endometrial hyperplasia (EH). CCK-8 assay was performed to detect the effect of Pae on cell proliferation. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed to evaluate uterine tissue structure. A network pharmacology study was performed to search the disease targets. Single-cell transcriptome analysis was performed with uterine tissues from 3 healthy donors and 3 EH patients on 10X Genomics platform. Changes in lipid peroxidation were detected by the MDA reaction. IHC assay, Western blot, immunofluorescence and RT-qPCR were used to study the effects of estradiol and Pae on the expression levels of GPX4, PI3K, AKT, p-PI3K, p-AKT in mice. Pae treatment resulted in a decrease in cell viability of endometrial epithelial cells. Loss of uterus weight and morphology changes were observed in mice. In addition, Fe iron concentration and MDA levels increased, while the expression of GPX4, p-PI3K and p-AKT diminished. Pae exhibited obvious alleviative activity in estradiol-induced mice via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway-regulated ferroptosis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bu-Shen-Tian-Jing Formula (BSTJF), a formula of Chinese herbal medicine, has beneficial effects in treating PCOS. • BSTJF improves oxidative stress and glucose metabolism of PCOS. • BSTJF regulates mitochondrial SIRT3 and the following p38 MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders among women, and the curative effects of its current management are not satisfactory. A formula of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), called Bu-Shen-Tian-Jing Formula (BSTJF), has clinically shown beneficial effects in treating PCOS. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying BSTJF for treatment of PCOS. Whole blood samples were collected from women with PCOS treated and not treated with BSTJF (n = 5 per group). Whole transcriptome sequencing of leukocytes and untargeted metabonomic analysis of the plasma were performed. Three groups of 18 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly selected: control, PCOS, and BSTJF. A PCOS rat model was established using testosterone propionate. The estrous cycle; glucose tolerance; ovarian morphology; serum markers of oxidative stress; and expression of Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and phospho-protein kinase B in the ovary were measured. Palmitate was initially applied to KGN cells, followed by freeze-dried BSTJF powder. The glucose uptake, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and protein levels of SIRT3, PI3K, and glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) were detected in KGN cells. The transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles showed alterations in 572 genes and 73 metabolites in women with PCOS treated with BSTJF. The enriched pathways in women with PCOS treated with BSTJF were mainly involved in inflammation, insulin resistance, glucose and lipid metabolism, and neuro and associated signaling pathways. In PCOS rat models, BSTJF improved the estrous cycle, glucose tolerance, and ovarian morphology; relieved oxidative stress; increased ovarian SIRT3 expression; inhibited p38 MAPK activation; and promoted the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling in the ovary. In the in-vitro study with KGN cells, BSTJF rescued the palmitate-induced impaired glucose uptake and SIRT3 expression, reduced mitochondrial ROS production mediated by SIRT3, and restored the impaired insulin-induced PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. BSTJF effectively alleviated the pathogenesis of PCOS by improving oxidative stress and glucose metabolism via mitochondrial SIRT3 and the following insulin signaling pathway. This study innovatively revealed the action mechanism of CHM in treating PCOS. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid amine adsorption is considered to be the most promising technology for post-combustion CO 2 capture, but it still has drawbacks due to the high cost of supports and the easy occurrence of CO 2 -induced chemical deactivation. Herein, we propose a novel eco-friendly method for realizing efficient and stable solid amine adsorbents. A calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) support with a pore volume of 3.0 cm3 g−1 is synthesized from coal fly ash (CFA) with the pore-expanded assistance of azeotropic distillation, and then the PEI@CSH adsorbents are prepared by impregnation. The adsorption capacity of the prepared 60%PEI@CSH-0.1 adsorbent reaches 198 mg g−1 and exhibits an excellent cyclic stability, with an attenuation of only 1.9% after 10 cycles under ideal regeneration conditions. Even under realistic regeneration conditions, the CO 2 uptake remains at 103 mg g−1 after 10 cycles, which shows obvious advantages over that of commercial SiO 2 supports. By using FT-IR, solid-state NMR and DFT calculations, we found that the CSH support promotes the conversion of primary amines to secondary amines in PEI molecules, and thus effectively inhibits the inactivation induced by the formation of urea compounds. Therefore, the PEI@CSH adsorbents provide a low-cost and high-efficiency approach for both in-situ CFA utilization and CO 2 mitigation inside coal-fired power plants. [Display omitted] • PEI@CSH adsorbents showed excellent adsorption capacity and cyclic stability. • The surface chemical property of CSH led to the anti-urea PEI@CSH adsorbents. • Solid-phase NMR and DFT calculation were applied for clarifying anti-urea mechanism. • PEI@CSH adsorbents realized both in-situ CFA utilization and CO 2 mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction A systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to assess the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture in treating polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Methods RCTs that compared either acupuncture with no/sham (placebo) acupuncture or a certain therapy with acupuncture added in the treatment of PCOS were included in the review. Measures of treatment effectiveness were the pooled odds ratios (OR) for women with PCOS having acupuncture compared with women in the control group for the recovery of menstrual cycles, standardized mean difference (SMD) for body mass index (BMI), fasting insulin (FINS), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and the ratio of LH/FSH. Results A total of nine RCTs (531 women) met criteria for inclusion into the systematic review. Using the random effects model, pooling of the effect estimates from all RCTs showed recovery of menstrual cycles (OR = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.09–0.41, P < 0.01), BMI (SMD = −0.63, 95% CI: −1.04 to −0.21, P = 0.04), and LH (SMD = −0.39, 95% CI: −0.65 to −0.12, P < 0.01) which favored the acupuncture group. No significant differences were observed for FINS, FPG, FSH and the ratio of LH/FSH between acupuncture and control groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusions Acupuncture appears to significantly improve the recovery of the menstrual cycles and decrease the levels of BMI and LH in women with PCOS. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the limited methodological quality of included RCTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To survey effective treatment strategies for cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). Methods The clinical data of 78 patients diagnosed with CSP from January 2010 to December 2013 were reviewed. Results Among these patients, 17 patients were first treated at our hospital; of them, 2 were misdiagnosed. The other 61 patients were referred from other hospitals; of them, 21 were initially misdiagnosed. There were 9 patients who were treated with laparotomy, 50 patients with curettage after uterine artery embolization (UAE) with or without local methotrexate (MTX) infusion, 10 patients with dilatation and curettage, 6 patients with transvaginal sonographic guided local intragestational MTX injection, and 3 patients with systemic MTX injection. All patients finally recovered. Patients with excessive vaginal hemorrhage underwent either emergency UAE treatment or laparotomy. These two treatments had similar success rates (81.82% vs. 100%, χ 2 =0.289, P>0.05). Conclusions The accurate diagnosis of CSP is important. Curettage after UAE with or without local MTX infusion is a safe and effective method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new compounds callistephus A ( 1 ) and callistephus B ( 2 ) together with 4,6-dihydroxyphenyl-1-butanone-2- β - d -O-glucopyranoside ( 3 ), were isolated and purified from the Callistephus chinensis flower. Their structures were identified by the interpretation of spectroscopic data. X-ray crystallographic and analysis of quantum chemical ECD calculation were applied to determine the absolute configuration. Of them, callistephus A represents a rare sesquiterpene with new carbon skeleton and also its possible biogenesis was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current work, 12 novel 25-hydroxyprotopanaxadiol (25-OH-PPD) derivatives were synthesized by reacting with chloroacetyl chloride. And their in vitro antitumor activities were evaluated on six human tumor cell lines by MTT assay. The results demonstrated that, as compared with 25-OH-PPD, compounds 4 , 6 and 7 exhibited higher cytotoxic activity on all tested cell lines. Of them, compound 4 showed strongly inhibition against MCF-7, HCT-116 and Lovo cells with IC 50 values of 1.7, 1.6 and 2.1 μM, respectively. The IC 50 values of compound 6 against HCT-116 and 7 against MCF-7 were the lowest (1.2 and 1.6 μM, respectively). It was also noted that compound 4 showed a 20- to 100-fold greater growth inhibition than ginsenoside-Rg 3 (an anti-cancer regular drug in China). In conclusion, the data revealed that compounds 4 , 6 and 7 were potential candidates for anti-tumor treatment and may be useful for the development of novel antiproliferative agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When using Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) to treat endometriosis, the effects of CHM on the ovarian function have received little attention. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects and safety of CHM on the ovarian function in patients with endometriosis. Eight electronic databases were searched from their inception to March 2, 2021. We compared those receiving CHM with controls, all studies included were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Statistical analysis was performed using standard mean difference of hormonal levels: Estradiol(E 2), Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH). Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were conducted. A total of 844 patients from 11 RCTs were included. In E 2 levels, the analysis revealed a significant effect in favor of CHM group compared with the control group (SMD = 3.05, 95%CI = 0.29 to 1.32, P = 0.002). After subgroup analyses, there were still significant effects in both non-operative subgroup (SMD = 2.04, 95%CI = 0.04 to 1.88, P = 0.04) and post-operative subgroup (SMD = 2.19, 95%CI = 0.08 to 1.42, P = 0.03). There were no significant differences between the two subgroups in both FSH levels (P > 0.05) and LH levels (P > 0.05), and the subgroup analyses showed similar results. No adverse events were reported. CHM may improve ovarian function in patients with endometriosis through increasing E 2 levels whether there is surgery or not, which may indicate a referable and safe treatment for endometriosis. Due to the weak evidence, high-quality clinical trials are needed to support this conclusion. (PROSPERO ID is CRD42021240162) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although effects of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes among women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) have been analyzed Using systematic reviews and meta-analysis, few have been focused on psychological issues. The present systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture on relieving anxiety and/or depression during IVF treatment. As of November 2020, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs to observe the therapeutic effects of acupuncture used to relieve anxiety and/or depression during IVF treatment were identified from the following databases: Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science; China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP and Chinese Biomedicine database. Study selection, data collection and quality assessment were carried out. Study characteristics, results on anxiety and/or depression relief, IVF outcomes and adverse events were summarized. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 software. Twelve studies with 2867 participants were included. A significant difference (3 studies, 547 participants, MD -9.26, 95%CI −12.01 to -6.51, P <0.01) was observed for the relief of anxiety comparing acupuncture with controls during IVF treatment. No significant difference (9 studies, 1896 participants, RR=1.30, 95%CI 1.03 to 1.64; P =0.02) was found for clinical pregnancy rate. Only 2 out of 12 studies assessed remission of depression but there was no clear effect shown for acupuncture. Acupuncture may have a positive effect on anxiety relief during IVF treatment, while its effect on depression relief is inconclusive. More standardized, large-size, randomized and multicenter studies should be carried out on whether acupuncture can alleviate the anxiety and/or depression during IVF treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous in vitro studies have indicated that 2,3,3′,4,4′,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 156) may be a new contributor to metabolic disruption and may further cause the occurrence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, no study has clarified the specific contributions of PCB 156 to NAFLD progression by constructing an in vivo model. Herein, we evaluated the effects of PCB 156 treatment (55 mg/kg, i.p.) on the livers of C57BL/6 mice fed a control diet (CD) or a high-fat diet (HFD). The results showed that PCB 156 administration increased intra-abdominal fat mass, hepatic lipid levels and dyslipidemia in the CD-fed group and aggravated NAFLD in HFD-fed group. By using transcriptomics studies and biological methods, we found that the genes expression involved in lipid metabolism pathways, such as lipogenesis, lipid accumulation and lipid β-oxidation, was greatly altered in liver tissues exposed to PCB 156. In addition, the cytochrome P450 pathway, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and the glutathione metabolism pathway were significantly activated following exposure to PCB 156. Furthermore, PCB 156 exposure increased serum transaminase levels and lipid peroxidation, and the redox-related genes were significantly dysregulated in liver tissue. In conclusion, our data suggested that PCB 156 could promote NAFLD development by altering the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism and inducing oxidative stress. Image 1 • In vivo PCB 156 exposure caused hepatic lipid accumulation and dyslipidemia. • PCB 156 exposure interfered with the transcriptomics profiles of the liver in mice. • Multiple lipid metabolic pathways were disturbed in PCB 156-exposed mice. • Oxidative stress played a crucial role in PCB 156-induced fatty liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wet scrubber systems (WSSs) are commonly used for effective flue gas cleaning by removing acid gases and dust. To determine the influence of a WSS on polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and flue gas particles, a field study was carried out in a full-scale municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator (850 t/d). Phase-separated samples at four flue gas sampling points and two scrubbing solution sampling points were collected for PCDD/F analysis. Two particle samples at the WSS inlet and outlet were simultaneously obtained for TEM-EDS analysis. The memory effect inside the WSS apparently elevated the PCDD/F I-TEQ concentration from 0.0056 to 0.0088 ng I-TEQ Nm−3 by increasing the mass concentrations of 17 congeners. A PCDD/F flux chart was established to interpret the adsorption/desorption mechanism of PCDD/Fs inside the WSS that showed apparent desorption from scrubbing solution. The potential interaction relationship between PCDD/F and flue gas particles were also observed, that was, the desorbed PCDD/Fs from scrubbing solution might be adsorbed by flue gas particles again and therefore enhanced the concentration of solid-phase PCDD/Fs from 0.0236 to 0.0411 ng Nm−3. Furthermore, TEM-EDS analysis indicated that the WSS could evidently remove some soluble particles and reduce the particle size. And the variation in morphology, elemental composition, and distribution of flue gas particles were observed during the scrubbing process. This study systematically analyzed the memory effect of PCDD/Fs and firstly investigated the specific impact of WSS on flue gas particles, thereby improving the comprehensive understanding of WSS applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial function and glucose metabolism play important roles in bidirectional signaling between granulosa cells (GCs) and oocytes. However, the factors associated with mitochondrial function and glucose metabolism of GCs in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are poorly understood, and their potential downstream effects on oocyte quality are still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are alterations in mitochondrial-related functions and glucose metabolism in ovarian GCs of women with PCOS and the role of Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) in this process. Here, we demonstrated that women with PCOS undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer had significantly lower rates of metaphase II oocytes, two-pronuclear fertilization, cleavage, and day 3 good-quality embryos. Germinal vesicle- and metaphase I-stage oocytes from women with PCOS exhibited increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and downregulation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. GCs from women with PCOS presented significant alterations in mitochondrial morphology, amount, and localization, decreased membrane potential, reduced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, increased mitochondrial ROS and oxidative stress, and insufficient oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) together with decreased glycolysis. SIRT3 expression was significantly decreased in GCs of PCOS patients, and knockdown of SIRT3 in KGN cells could mimic the alterations in mitochondrial functions and glucose metabolism in PCOS GCs. SIRT3 knockdown changed the acetylation status of NDUFS1, which might induce altered mitochondrial OXPHOS, the generation of mitochondrial ROS, and eventually defects in the cellular insulin signaling pathway. These findings suggest that SIRT3 deficiency in GCs of PCOS patients may contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction, elevated oxidative stress, and defects in glucose metabolism, which potentially induce impaired oocytes in PCOS. [Display omitted] • Women with polycystic ovary syndrome have impaired oocyte quality. • Granulosa cells of polycystic ovary syndrome show altered mitochondrial functions. • Granulosa cells of polycystic ovary syndrome show defects in glycolysis. • Sirtuin 3 deficiency exists in granulosa cells of polycystic ovary syndrome. • Sirtuin 3 regulates acetylation status of NDUFS1 and insulin signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A dammarane derivative (4-XL-PPD) was obtained by structural modification. • 4-XL-PPD showed much better anticancer activity than original compound AD-2 on cancer cells. • 4-XL-PPD-induction of apoptosis of can be attenuated by the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine in gastric carcinoma cells. • 4-XL-PPD inhibits migratory and invasive. (20 R)-Dammarane-3 β , 12 β , 20, 25-tetrol (25-OH-PPD) is a ginsenoside isolated from Panax ginseng (C. A. Meyer). Previous research shows that the compound exhibits anti-cancer activities on many human cancer cell lines. In an attempt to enhance 25-OH-PPD activity, some derivatives were synthesized. Through screening of the derivative compounds for anti-cancer activity against gastric carcinoma cells, 12 β - O -(L-Chloracetyl)-dammar-20(22)-ene-3 β , 25-diol (4-XL-PPD) was selected as a strong anti-cancer agent. In this study, the anti-cancer mechanisms of 4-XL-PPD were investigated. The results showed that compound 4-XL-PPD resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of cells viability in gastric cancer cells, without affecting the viability of normal cell (human gastric epithelial cell line-GES-1). In BGC-803 cancer cells, 4-XL-PPD triggered apoptosis, and stimulated reactive oxygen species production. Apoptosis can be attenuated by the reactive oxygen species scavenger N-acetylcysteine. Meantime, 4-XL-PPD effectively suppressed the migratory and invasive capabilities of BGC-803 cancer cell and inhibited the expression levels of proteins associated with migratory and invasive capabilities (MMP-2, MMP-9, E-cadherin and CD34). All the results suggest that 4-XL-PPD exhibited remarkable anticancer activity base on inducing apoptosis via generating reactive oxygen species and inhibiting migratory and invasive, which support development of 4-XL-PPD as a potential agent for cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(20R)-Dammarane-3 β , 12 β , 20, 25-tetrol (25-OH-PPD) is a ginsenoside isolated from Panax ginseng (C. A. Meyer). This compound exhibits anti-cancer activities on many human cancer cell lines. In this study, we investigated anti-cancer mechanisms of 12 β - O -( L -Chloracetyl)-dammar-20(22)-ene-3 β ,25-diol(12-Chloracetyl-PPD), a modified 25-OH-PPD. We found that compound 12-Chloracetyl-PPD resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of viability in prostate, breast, and gastric cancer cells, without affecting the viability of normal cell (human gastric epithelial cell line-GES-1, hair follicle dermal papilla cell line-HHDPC and rat myocardial cell line-H9C2). In MDA-MB-435 and C4-2B cancer cells, 12-Chloracetyl-PPD induced G2/M cell cycle arrest, down-regulated mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) expression, up-regulated p53 expression, triggered apoptosis, and stimulated reactive oxygen species production. Apoptosis can be attenuated by the reactive oxygen species scavenger N-acetylcysteine. Our results suggested that compound 12-Chloracetyl-PPD showed obvious anti-cancer activity based on delaying cell cycle arrest and inducing cell apoptosis by reactive oxygen species production, which supported development of 12-Chloracetyl-PPD as a potential agent for cancer chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco is traditionally known to potentiate hair growth promotion. However, there has been no report on its main active ingredient responsible for the hair growth activity. In the current work, cedrol as a major constituent from P. orientalis was evaluated for its potential on hair growth in vivo . Different concentrations of cedrol (10, 20 and 30 mg/mL) were applied topically over the shaved skin of C57BL/6 mice and monitored for 21 days. Results indicated that cedrol significantly promoted hair growth in a dose-dependent manner, particularly for the female mice. Both male and female mice groups treated with 30 mg/mL cedrol required shorter time than the blank control and 2% minoxidil groups at different growth stages. Compared with the blank control (8.87 mm) and 2% minoxidil (9.94 mm) groups at 21 days, the hair length of female mice treated with 30 mg/mL cedrol showed a remarkable increase with the value of 11.07 mm. Hair in male and female mice groups treated with 30 mg/mL cedrol was heavier than the 2% minoxidil (38.2 and 35.9 mg, respectively) groups with the weight of 42.6 and 45.2 mg, respectively. Further observation of the hair follicle demonstrated that cedrol exerted a remarkable effect on the hair follicle length. These findings suggested that cedrol may be the main active ingredient of P. orientalis and have the potential of becoming a new hair growth promoter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel monolithic tree-branch-like copper-manganese oxides nanoarrays have been fabricated, exhibiting excellent periodate activation efficiency for the degradation of organic pollutants by synergistic effect between reduced copper and mixed-valence manganese species. [Display omitted] • A novel monolithic tree-branch-like copper-manganese oxides nanoarrays (CMM) was fabricated. • The Fenton-like microreactor CMM exhibits excellent catalytic activity for degradation of organic pollutants. • O 2 −, 1O 2 and OH were the major reactive radicals for 4-CP degradation in the CMM/NaIO 4 system. • The positive synergistic effect between reduced copper and mixed-valence manganese species for IO 4 - activation. Recently, considerable attention has been paid to develop novel Fenton-like oxidation systems for environmental remediation. The activation of periodate (NaIO 4) is a desirable oxidation process that drive redox reactions to produce abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS) by a suitable activator. This study reports a simple hydrothermal-calcination route for forming novel tree-branch-like copper-manganese oxides (CuMnO x @MnO x , CMM) nanoarrays, and the production of radical species from NaIO 4 induced by CMM for the removal of rhodamine B and 4-chlorophenol from wastewater. The synergistic effects of Cu oxides and Mn oxides composite significantly elevated the activation of periodate, exhibited excellent degradation performance in the CMM/NaIO 4. Furthermore, reduced copper species and mixed-valence manganese species play a major role in reaction via XPS analysis. Additionally, the underlying degradation mechanism of this work was systematically researched by radical quenching tests and EPR analysis. Superoxide anion radical (O 2 −) was the major free radicals in this system, simultaneously the production of non-radical singlet oxygen (1O 2) via the electron transfer, which are contributed to remove organic pollutants. This work provides a facile way for fabricating monolithic multi-component metal oxides, and new insights into understand activation mechanism of manganese-based periodate activator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amine-functionalized adsorbents have become a hot topic in research on CO 2 separation from biogas. However, developing superior adsorbents with high adsorption capacity and stable cyclic stability under a CO 2 regeneration atmosphere remains difficult. In this study, azeotropic distillation, a green, recyclable method, was used to expand the pores of the nano-Al 2 O 3 support. The pore volume of pore-expanded nano-Al 2 O 3 reached 1.62 cm3 g−1, and the derived amine-functionalized nano-Al 2 O 3 adsorbent ('60%PEI@AD-Al 2 O 3 ') possessed a superior CO 2 uptake of 199.4 mg·g−1 adsorbent with rapid adsorption kinetics. '60%PEI@AD-Al 2 O 3 ' showed favourable cyclic stability under CO 2 regeneration atmosphere with a final CO 2 uptake of 133.8 mg·g−1 adsorbent after 50 cycles, which possessed a competitive CO 2 uptake compared with the reported amine-functionalized adsorbents with anti-urea stability. This superior performance is attributed to the large pore volume of the pore-expanded nano-Al 2 O 3 support and the anti-urea stability for '60%PEI@AD-Al 2 O 3 ', which does not require active amine modification and avoids diluting the active amine content. Furthermore, the effect of water vapour in biogas on adsorption performance was studied. Water vapour could significantly promote CO 2 adsorption at low temperatures (<90 °C), and it was accompanied by strong water vapour adsorption, which would potentially increase the regeneration energy consumption. Additionally, water vapour could effectively inhibit the formation of urea compounds, further improving the cyclic stability. Because of the facile, scalable preparation method, the synthesised amine-functionalized nano-Al 2 O 3 adsorbent has broad application prospects for CO 2 separation. [Display omitted] • Nano-Al 2 O 3 was pore-expanded via n-butanol solvent to a pore volume of 1.62 cm3 g−1. • Polyethylenimine was impregnated on nano-Al 2 O 3 for CO 2 separation from biogas. • '60%PEI@AD-Al 2 O 3 ' adsorbent shows superior CO 2 uptake of 199.4 mg·g−1 adsorbent. • '60%PEI@AD-Al 2 O 3 ' adsorbent possesses favourable cyclic and anti-urea stability. • Water vapour can inhibit the urea formation and improve the cyclic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient conversion of biomass-derived carbohydrates to alkyl levulinates is an important goal of biorefinery process, but is still challenging on applicable catalyst. Ce–Si pillared montmorillonite (CeSiM) clay heterostructures, incorporated with Wells-Dawson tungstophosphoric acid (H 6 P 2 W 18 O 64 , DPW), were prepared for the first time and used as the multifunctional catalyst for direct production of ethyl levulinate (EL) from various biomass-derived sugars. The DPW introduced by sol-gel method (DPW-CeSiM) has been effectively incorporated into the framework of porous CeSiM, while part of DPW was just absorbed on the surface of CeSiM by impregnation method (DPW-CeSiM-I). The DPW-CeSiM catalyst has large specific surface area owing to the insertion of Ce–Si pillars, and possesses strong Brønsted acidity and moderate Lewis acidity originated from the incorporated DPW and the Ce-doping, respectively. Due to the well synergistic effect of porous structure and dual acid, the DPW-CeSiM catalyst efficiently catalyzed the conversion of glucose into EL with 56.2% yield and nearly 100% conversion at 170 °C for 4 h. The recyclability studies certified that DPW-CeSiM catalyst showed higher stability than DPW-CeSiM-I over cycles and could be easily recovered from consecutive alcoholysis of biomass-derived sugars. The DPW-CeSiM catalyst also displayed high activity toward the conversion of other biomass-derived carbohydrates (fructose, sucrose, cellobiose and cellulose) into EL. Therefore, this work provides an instructive strategy for the design of efficient and stable DPW-based catalysts with dual acid sites uniformly distributed over the porous structure, which is obviously potential for industrial production of alkyl levulinates from carbohydrates and biomass. [Display omitted] • The DPW-modified Ce–Si pillared montmorillonite was successfully prepared. • The DPW-CeSiM is heterogenous catalyst with dual acidity and porous structure. • The DPW incorporated by sol-gel method has a strong bonding with the CeSiM support. • Glucose ethanolysis via DPW-CeSiM catalyst achieved high EL yield of 56.2%. • Direct ethanolysis of various carbohydrates is available using DPW-CeSiM catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A prediction model (κ -model) is proposed for secondary average temperature. • κ -model can accurately build with a small amount of training data. • κ -model has a high prediction accuracy compared to data-driven methods at the beginning of heating. • The training data needed to build different models are evaluated. A prediction model, which can be established with a small number of operating data, is the key to realize the on-demand heating as soon as possible for new heating stations. The existing physics-based methods with high accuracy are based on detailed building thermal parameters, which are difficult to obtain and have poor applicability. Data-driven methods have high prediction accuracy, but they require a large amount of historical data for model training. In this paper, a novel prediction model based on building thermal inertia was proposed, called κ -model. Analysis and comparison were conducted between κ -model, support vector machine (SVM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and Multiple linear regression (MLR) with different conditions for secondary average temperature prediction. Results showed that κ -model can explore the heating characteristics from 1/2 days of operational data, and predict secondary average temperature with high precision by one-step or multi-step not only hourly but also daily. While XGBoost and MLR required the operational data of 15/60 days for the hourly/daily prediction model training, the accuracy of multi-step prediction was higher than that of one-step prediction for XGBoost, and MLR was not suitable for daily multi-step prediction due to error accumulation. SVM required the training data of 15/75 days for the hourly/daily prediction, and one-step prediction had higher accuracy than multi-step prediction. The above mean that in practical engineering, only κ -model can be applied for hourly prediction from November 16 to November 29, and for daily prediction from November 17 to January 16 at the beginning of the heating season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]