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• 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]

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]

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]

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 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]