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Curcumin, a natural bioactive compound derived from Curcuma longa , has been widely recognized for its antifungal properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of curcumin on the phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria alternata and its pathogenicity in cherry tomato fruit. The results demonstrated that curcumin treatment significantly inhibited mycelial growth and spore germination of A. alternata in a dose-dependent manner. Scanning electron microscopy revealed alterations in the morphology of A. alternata mycelia treated with curcumin. Furthermore, curcumin treatment led to an increase in malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide contents, indicating cell membrane damage in A. alternata. Moreover, curcumin exhibited a remarkable inhibitory effect on the incidence and lesion diameters of black rot caused by A. alternata in cherry tomato fruit. Gene expression analysis revealed upregulation of defense-related genes (POD , SOD , and CAT) in tomato fruit treated with curcumin. Additionally, curcumin treatment resulted in decreased activity of exocellular pathogenic enzymes (polygalacturonase, pectin lyase, and endo-1,4-β- d -glucanase) in A. alternata. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of curcumin as an effective antifungal agent against A. alternata , providing insights into its inhibitory mechanisms on mycelial growth, spore germination, and pathogenicity in cherry tomato fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a vital energy source, light is one of the most significant environmental signals for plants' growth and development. The crosstalk amongst phytohormones regulated by light exhibits quantitative dynamic changes, but methodologies to analyze their distribution during plant growth are still limited. Rapid, highly sensitive, low-invasive detection and simultaneous assessment of the levels of multiple classes of phytohormones have important phytology applications, however the existing sample pretreatment strategies remain intricate, laborious, and far from being developed for in vivo high-sensitivity testing. (81) We applied a nanoconfined liquid phase nanoextraction (NLPNE) technique based on acidified carbon nanofibers (ACNFs) in combination with LC-ESI-MS/MS for highly sensitive analysis of acidic phytohormones' photoregulation and dynamic distribution. In this system, the mass transfer ability of analytes entering the nanoconfined space is significantly improved given the nanoconfined effect. In particular, the accelerated and strong adsorption of alkaline compounds to the ACNFs surface provide minimum interference for acidic compounds (photosensitive phytohormones), which facilitates their simple, fast, and selective quantification with improved sensitivity. The ACNFs-NLPNE strategy achieved quantitative enrichment of multi-class phytohormones in less than 5 min, and detection limits down to 0.49 fg mL−1. Moreover, we monitored the phytohormone changes under red and blue monochromatic light with relative standard deviations <13.4 %. The results further indicated that short-time red light regulation promoted Lepidium sativum L. growth while blue light inhibited it. (141) A nanoconfinement effect-based sample pretreatment platform was developed for monitoring photoregulation phytohormones dynamic distribution with higher sensitivity and stability. Our findings highlighted the importance of the NLPNE approach in providing an accurate plant crosstalk information at the molecular level, which opens a promising avenue for investigating internal hormonal responses to external stimuli. (52). [Display omitted] • A nanoconfined liquid-phase nanoextraction strategy for highly sensitive analysis of photosensitive phytohormones was developed. • The method can extract multiclass phytohormones with sensitivity as high as 0.49 fg mL−1. • Application of this strategy to monitor phytohormone changes resulted in an enrichment factor range of 226.9–292.2. • Short-time red light regulation promoted Lepidium sativum L. growth, while blue light inhibited it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene has been demonstrated as a protective coating for Cu under ambient condition because of its high impermeability and light-weight oxidation barrier. However, it lacks the research of graphene as a protective coating in space environment. Here, we experimentally and theoretically study the oxidation behavior of graphene-coated Cu in vacuum atomic oxygen (AO) condition. After AO irradiation, the experimental results show multilayer graphene has better anti-oxidation than monolayer graphene. Meanwhile, the calculation results show the oxidation appeared on the graphene’s grain boundaries or the film’s vacancy defects for the monolayer graphene coated Cu foil. Moreover, the calculation results show the oxidation process proceeds slowly in multilayers because of the matched defects overlaps each other to form a steric hindrance to suppress the O atom diffusion in the vertical direction, and the mismatched defects generates potential energy barriers for interlayer to suppress the O atom diffusion in the horizontal direction. Hence, multilayer graphene films could serve as protection coatings to prevent diffusion of O atom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a severe lack of effective treatments for ulcerative colitis (UC), a recurrent and intractable inflammatory bowel disease. The identification of valid targets and new drugs is an urgent need. In this study, we identified the XBP-1 agonist HLJ2 as a promising treatment candidate. In an in vivo mouse model of DSS-induced colitis, HLJ2 decreased weight loss, colon contracture, disease activity index (DAI), colon mucosa damage index (CMDI) and histopathological index (HI). HLJ2 also decreased myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and reduced production of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. HLJ2 improved intestinal mucosa damage induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and increased the expression of ZO-1 and claudin-1. Fecal 16s rRNA high-throughput sequencing demonstrated a significant improvement in UC intestinal dysbacteriosis in mice treated with HLJ2, including increased abundance of probiotics such as Lachnospiraceae, Prevotellaceae, and Lactobacillaceae. At the same time there was a reduction in the abundance of pathogenic or conditional pathogenic microorganisms such as Bacteroidaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, Deferribacteraceae, and Pseudomonadaceae in HLJ2-treated mice compared with untreated mice. Our results demonstrated that the XBP1 agonist HLJ2 inhibits inflammation, regulates the intestinal flora, and protects the intestinal mucosa. It is thus a potential therapeutic agent for ulcerative colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory deficits and cognitive decline. Excessive amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide aggregates and forms soluble oligomers and insoluble cerebral amyloid plaques, which is widely thought to be the underlying pathogenic mechanism of AD. Therefore, effective regulation of Aβ metabolism is an important aspect of preventing and improving AD. Berberine, which is the main active component of the traditional medicinal herb Coptidis rhizoma , has a positive effect on reducing Aβ levels. However, the exact mechanism involved is unclear and requires more investigation. In the present study, we examined the role of berberine in the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in neuroblastoma cells and primary cultured neurons and sought to characterize the role of AMPK in the metabolism of Aβ. The results indicate that berberine reduces Aβ generation and decreases the expression of β-site APP cleaving enzyme-1 (BACE1) via activating AMPK in N2a mouse neuroblastoma cells stably expressing human Swedish mutant APP695 (N2a/APP695sw), N2a cells, and primary cultured cortical neurons. Therefore, berberine reduced the accumulation of Aβ, which likely contributes to its memory enhancing effect in patients with AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory deficits and cognitive decline. Amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition and cholinergic defect are widely thought to be the underlying mechanism of learning and memory impairment. Geniposide, which is the main active component of the traditional Chinese herbal Gardenia jasminoides Ellis , elicits neuroprotective effects by alleviating inflammation responses and oxidative damages. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of geniposide on levels of cholinergic markers, RAGE, RAGE-dependent signalling pathways and amyloid accumulation in the APPswe/PS1dE9 AD model mouse. Geniposide suppressed MAPK signaling over-activation mediated by Aβ-RAGE interaction, resulting in reduced Aβ accumulation and amelioration of cholinergic deficits in the cerebral hippocampus. Furthermore, geniposide inhibited the toxic effect of oligomeric Aβ 1-42 induced cholinergic deficit by increasing ChAT levels and activity but decreasing AChE activity in cultured primary hippocampal neurons. These results indicated that geniposide enhanced cholinergic neurotransmission, which likely contributes to its memory enhancing effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain greatly affects the quality of life of people worldwide. Despite their demonstrated efficacy, currently used opioid drugs and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently associated with several adverse events. The identification of new therapeutic targets and the development of corresponding analgesics may represent novel approaches for effectively treating pain. SY0916 is a novel compound that was designed and synthesized by the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. As demonstrated by the hot plate test, tail-flick test and the formalin test, SY0916 exerted strong peripheral and central antinociceptive effects. Western blot, immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results indicate that SY0916 induces its peripheral antinociceptive effect by suppressing the peripheral activity of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE 2 ), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). Moreover, its central antinociceptive effect might be mediated by the down-regulation of PGE 2 and TNF-α expression and the inhibition of p-p38 and NF-κB pathway signaling in glial cells. These findings demonstrate that SY0916 may serve as a promising analgesic candidate drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Biochar application significantly decreased the diversity of microbial community. • Biochar application enhanced the microbial interaction in the megaaggregates. • B10 and B30 treatments increased the interactions between microbial communities. • B50 treatment decreased the interactions between microbial communities. Soil microbial community diversity and composition are responsive to biochar application. However, the impacts of biochar application on soil microbial community structure and interactions in different aggregate fractions are poorly understood. We conducted a 3-year field trial involving biochar application to black soil in northeastern China. Four biochar treatments were applied: 0 (B0, control), 10 (B10), 30 (B30) and 50 (B50) t ha−1 biochar. Compared to the B0 treatment, biochar application significantly decreased the diversity of bacterial and fungal communities. In addition, biochar application significantly increased the relative abundances (RAs) of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria and significantly decreased those of Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia. Moreover, the B30 and B50 treatments significantly increased and decreased the RA of Nitrospirae, respectively. Moreover, the RA trends of Acidobacteria, Nitrospirae and Planctomycetes among different aggregate fractions was mega-aggregates (ME; > 2 mm) > macroaggregates (MA; 0.25–2 mm) > microaggregates (MI; < 0.25 mm); the RAs of Basidiomycota and Glomeromycota in ME were higher than those in MA and MI. The RA of Ascomycota in MI was the highest among the different aggregate fractions. The co-occurrence networks showed that the B30 treatment enhanced microbial interactions in terms of the number of links, average degree, and modularity, while the B50 treatment reduced these interactions. Additionally, co-inertia analysis demonstrated that the microbial interactions in ME were enhanced by biochar application. Thus, an appropriate biochar application (e.g., 30 t ha−1 used in the present study area) can enhance soil microbial interactions, especially in ME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Different weighting methods are utilized to calculate the weights of evaluation indicators from different angle. • The game theory is employed to seek the optimal combination of index weights based on weight results of different weighting methods. • Successfully overcoming the problems that the combination of subjectivity and objectivity is insufficient and the weight ratio is seriously imbalance. • The introduction of prospect theory takes the psychological perceived value of decision makers into account. Black-start schemes play an important role in speeding up the rapid restoration of the power system after a blackout or a local outage. Evaluation of black-start schemes is an important part of decision-making in a black-start. The current assessment method still has the problem of the lack of subjective and objective combination. Given this background, this paper proposes an evaluation model of a black-start scheme combining the optimal combination weight and an improved VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method. Firstly, this paper uses the respectively analytic hierarchy process, principal component analysis, the criteria importance through intercriteria correlation, and the entropy weight method to calculate the indicator weight from a different angle. Moreover, the optimal weight of the evaluation indicator is obtained based on game theory, which successfully overcomes the problems that the combination of subjectivity and objectivity is insufficient and the weight ratio is seriously imbalanced. Secondly, to consider the perceived value of the decision-makers, prospect theory is introduced to calculate the "loss" and "gain" to obtain the foreground matrix. Thirdly, the positive and negative ideal solutions are determined based on the foreground matrix to improve the traditional VIKOR method, and then the black-start schemes are evaluated. Finally, example results verify the rationality and effectiveness of the proposed evaluation model. Moreover, the experimental results show that the proposed model is more stable and superior to existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorinated organic compounds are ubiquitously detected in saline waters. The photochlorination of organic compounds is one possible source, and chlorine radicals originating from other photosensitive substances have been reported to be responsible for organic compounds chlorination in previous reports. In this study, benzo[ a ]pyrene (BaP) chlorination in 10% acetonitrile/NaCl aqueous solution was initiated by self-sensitization of BaP, while chlorine radicals were not involved in the reaction. After 45 min of photoreaction in four seawater samples, chlorinated product (6-ClBaP) accounted for 10–17% of the fraction of transformed BaP, which was higher than that previously reported. The influences of Cl−, pH, humic acid, electron donors, and particulate matter on the formation of chlorobenzo[ a ]pyrene were systematically investigated. A self-sensitized photochlorination reaction mechanism was proposed as follow: photoexited BaP was activated to singlet state and then transformed to triplet state through inter-system crossing. Then the excited triplet state and oxygen formed [3BaP*-3O 2 ] or [BaP-1O 2 ] complex, which further reacted with Cl− to produce 6-ClBaP. ga1 • Photochlorination of BaP in 10% acetonitrile/NaCl aqueous solution was initiated by self-sensitization. • Photochlorinated product of BaP accounted for 10–17% transformed BaP in seawater. • Chlorine radicals were not involved in the self-sensitization photoreaction. • Higher pH level is beneficial for the photochlorination reaction of BaP. • Self-sensitive photochlorination pathway may be fundamental in saline water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a recurrent and chronic intestinal disease. Available drugs for UC are accompanied by poor effectiveness or severe adverse events and thus there is an urgent need to develop specific and effective drugs for UC treatment. HLY is a new compound synthesised from coptisine by our institute. HLY activates the transcriptional activity of X-box binding protein 1 (xbp1) and inhibits the expression of non-muscle myosin heavy chain 9 (myh9) in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC6). When the xbp1 gene was silenced by siRNA, HLY had no effect on myh9. HLY effectively reduced body weight loss and the percentage of colon contracture in vivo , decreased disease activity index (DAI) score, colon mucosal damage index (CMDI) and tissue histopathological index (THI) in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC mice. Furthermore, oral HLY effectively increased the expression of xbp1 and inhibited the expression of myh9 in vivo as demonstrated by western-blot and immunohistochemical assays. Taken together, HLY could alter ulcerative colitis via the xbp1-myh9 pathway. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that the monomer compound targets the xbp1-myh9 pathway in the treatment of UC. HLY may be developed as a possible therapeutic candidate for UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of efficient catalyst with low-cost, earth-abundant metals for sustainable hydrogen generation is still an intriguing challenge. Doping of cation or anion is regarded as an effective approach for ingenious modulation of chemical composition related to the electrocatalysts for improving their activity. Herein, a ternary Ni(S 0.49 Se 0.51 ) 2 porous flakes array on carbon fiber cloth (CFC) via simultaneous sulfuration and selenylation of Ni(OH) 2 flakes. Owing to the synergistic effect between Ni, S and Se atoms, high surface area, abundant active site and good conductivity of the Ni(S 0.49 Se 0.51 ) 2 /CFC, the as-synthesized catalyst requires lower overpotential (113 mV) than pure NiS 2 /CFC and NiSe 2 /CFC to drive 10 mA cm −2 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 1.0 M KOH with good sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic film mulching (PF) can change soil properties and microbial community structure. However, the effect of PF on soil microbial interactions in different aggregate fractions is still unclear. We conducted a three-year field trial in black soil of northeastern China to evaluate the variation in soil microbial interactions and community structure in different aggregate fractions after PF. Compared with the control (CK), the PF treatment significantly decreased the humification index by 13.9% and chromophoric dissolved organic matter by 36.6% and significantly increased the fractal dimension by 4.8% and electrical conductivity by 22.8%. In addition, the PF treatment significantly decreased the relative abundances of Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia but significantly increased the relative abundance (RA) of Proteobacteria. Furthermore, the PF treatment significantly decreased the RA of Glomeromycota in megaaggregates (>2 mm, ME) and macroaggregates (0.25–2 mm) and the RA of Actinobacteria in microaggregates (<0.25 mm, MI), related to decreases in aggregate stability. Compared with the CK treatment, the PF treatment significantly decreased the bacterial Shannon index in ME but significantly increased the fungal Shannon index in MI. Moreover, β-1,4-glucosidase activity significantly influenced the community structure of soil bacteria and fungi. The PF treatment decreased soil microbial interactions, especially in ME. The keystone of the microbial network shifted from 0319-6A21 (Nitrospirae) to Gsoil-1167 (Actinobacteria) after PF. In short, PF decreased soil aggregate stability and microbial interactions in black soil in a subhumid area. [Display omitted] • Plastic film mulching (PF) decreased microbial interactions in black soil. • The keystone of microbial network was Gsoil-1167 (Actinobacteria) under PF. • PF significantly decreased the bacterial Shannon index in megaaggregates. • PF significantly increased the fungal Shannon index in microaggregates. • PF significantly decreased soil aggregate stability and the humification of DOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world with high mortality rate. EHLJ7 is a quaternary coptisine derivative synthesized by our institute. In this study, the role and mechanism of EHLJ7 on CRC are further elucidated. Using target fishing, colon cancer-associated target screening and molecular docking analysis, PI3K/AKT pathway was selected for the target of EHLJ7 at CRC. Results of Flow cytometry, wound healing assay and transwell migration assay confirmed that EHLJ7 could inhibit migration and apoptosis of colon cancer cells by specifically inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway in vitro. Xenograft tumor models and a newly established azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)/Peptostreptococcus anaerobiu (P.anaerobius)-induced CRC mouse model are applied to access the anti-cancer action and mechanism of EHLJ7 using western-blot, immunohistochemistry and analysis of exosomes. The key findings in this study are listed as follows: (1) EHLJ7 exerts superior anti-tumor effect with good safety on Xenograft tumor model and CRC model; (2) EHLJ7 exerted its anti-CRC effect by specifically inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. In summary, we demonstrated that EHLJ7 exerts therapeutic effect against CRC by PI3K/AKT pathway, which made it possible as a potentially effective compound for the treatment of CRC. • A newly CRC model induced by AOM/DSS/P.anaerobius was • EHLJ7 has good therapeutic effect on CRC model mice. • EHLJ7 exerted its anti-CRC effect by specifically inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have previously shown the inhibition of the small-molecule inhibitor FB2 on imatinib-sensitive and resistance CML cell lines with the wild-type Bcr–Abl fusion gene. Here we report the potent and selective antiproliferation on FB2 on transfected Ba/F3 p210 cell lines expressing various isoforms of Bcr–Abl (wild-type, Y253F, T315I). FB2 which orients Bcr–Abl and Src kinase activities, is shown to override imatinib-resistance CML involving Y253F mutation in the Abl kinase domain of the fusion protein except T315I in vivo and in vitro. Thus, we present FB2 that displays potency toward Bcr–Abl and Src as the molecular target, and which could potentially be used to override drug resistance in CML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HEV infection led to mitochondrial dysfunction and activity of the mitophagy pathway. • The mitochondria were in the oxidative stress situation in HEV-infected hepatocyte. • Mitophagy may be one of the key factors of hepatocytes injury caused by HEV infection. Recently, hepatitis E virus (HEV) has caused large outbreaks and presented a significant public health problem. Thus, the mechanism of HEV has attracted increasing research attention. Previous studies revealed that HEV infection induced hepatocyte injuries and structural and functional changes in mitochondria. These pathological changes affected the life cycle of hepatocytes. However, the precise underlying mechanism and the effector protein responsible for this process remain unclear. In the present study, mitochondrial function and the expression of mitophagy-associated mRNA transcripts and proteins were detected in an HEV- infected Mongolian gerbil model. Observation of ultrastructural changes in the liver of the inoculated group revealed the disappearance of mitochondrial cristae of mitochondrion, blurring of the bilayer structure and cavitation in the cytoplasm. The results showed that the mitochondrial transmembrane potential of decreased, mitochondrial transition pore (MPTP) opening increased, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production increased, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity decreased in the HEV-inoculated group. Moreover, the LC3, Beclin1, BNIP3L, Parkin, PINK1 and P62 mRNA levels were significantly increased (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) in the inoculated group. Western blot and immunohistochemistry assay analyses detected the upregulation of the mitophagy-associated proteins LC3, Beclin1, BNIP3L, Parkin, PINK1 and P62 (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) in HEV-infected gerbils. All these data demonstrated that HEV infection in vivo induced mitochondrial dysfunction and the activation of the mitophagy pathway, which might be one of the key factors in hepatocyte injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tripterygium glycosides (TG), which are extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine, Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. (TwHF), has promising applications in the treatment of renal diseases; however, since its active components exerts bidirectional kidney toxicity, its clinical application is severely restricted. Recent investigations have demonstrated definite toxicity-reducing effects from glycyrrhizic acid glycosides (GA) when combined with TG; however, the mechanism remains unclear. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the specific molecular mechanism by which GA alleviates TG-induced renal toxicity from the perspective of tight junctions. Dynamic analyses, which investigated the changes in kidney toxicity biomarkers for different combinations and concentrations of TG and GA, were conducted for three weeks on SD rats and renal tissue structural changes were examined after three weeks of administration. Additionally, the transcription and translation levels of the relevant tight junctions and RhoA/ROCK1/MLC signalling proteins were analysed in HK-2 cells. Our study showed that TG can cause transient tubulotoxicity at certain doses, and that the combined application of GA and TG can repair tight junction structures by regulating the key factors in the RhoA/ROCK1/MLC signalling pathway, thus reducing TG-induced nephrotoxicity. Overall, this study provides a new strategy to reduce TG-induced toxicity by protecting renal tight junctions. [Display omitted] • Certain dose of TG may cause transient kidney injury via damage to the renal tubules. • Disruption of the tight junctions in renal tubular epithelial cells is a key pathway in TG-induced nephrotoxicity. • GA may exert a protective effect against TG-induced nephrotoxicity by regulating the RhoA/ROCK1/MLC signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with the dual constraints of resources and the environment, green technology innovation has become an important measure to solve the development challenges of heavily polluting industries. From the perspective of institutional regulation theory, this paper studies the impact of direct environmental regulation on green technology innovation in Chinese listed companies of heavily polluting industries by using the Panel Poisson fixed effect model. Besides, the heterogeneity of ownership and industry is discussed. The results indicate that direct environmental regulations exert a strong and significant incentive effect on green technology innovations in heavily polluting industries. Regarding the heterogeneity of enterprise ownership, direct environmental regulations were found to be more significant to the green technology innovations of state-owned listed companies in such industries. Considering industry heterogeneity, compared with labor-resource intensive industries, direct environmental regulation can effectively encourage green technology innovations in technology-capital intensive industries. This study provides a policy basis for promoting environmental governance and green technology innovation in China's heavily polluting industries. Unlabelled Image • Direct environmental regulation show significant positive effects on green technology innovation by using micro data. • The marginal effect of direct environmental regulation on green technology innovation was 7.2%. • Ownership and industry heterogeneity of direct environmental regulation's impact on green technology innovation are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The development of bifunctional catalysts that can be applied to both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is widely regarded as a key factor in the production of sustainable hydrogen fuel by electrochemical water splitting. In this work, we present a high-performance electrocatalyst based on nickel-cobalt metal-organic frameworks for overall water splitting. The as-obtained catalyst shows low overpotential to reaches the current density of 10 mA cm−2 with 249 mV for OER and 143 mV for HER in alkaline media, respectively. More importantly, when the electrolyzer was assembled with the as-prepared catalyst as anode and cathode simultaneously, it demonstrates excellent activity just applies a potential of 1.68 V to achieve 10 mA cm−2 current density for overall water splitting. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • NiCoSe/C was prepared by direct selenylation of Ni/Co metal-organic framework. • The NiCoSe/C catalyst shows high performance for both OER and HER. • The NiCoSe/C catalyst shows efficient overall water splitting property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Facile fabrication of high-performance catalyst based on low-cost metals for sustainable hydrogen evolution is still a matter of cardinal significance. However, synthetic approaches for electrocatalyst are usually complicated and the yields are often low. Herein, we report a one-step simple method for the large-scale synthesis of Co/Ni-MoO 2 composite as efficient and stable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst to drive 10 mA cm−2 current density with a low overpotential of 103 mV in basic media. Co-MoO 2 and Ni-MoO 2 were also prepared using this method with overpotential of 137 and 130 mV, respectively, to gain the same current density. These results indicate that this facile synthesis approach is of great practical importance as it can be easily used for large-scale preparation of electrocatalysts in industry. Highlights • A facile one-step method for synthesis of Co/Ni-MoO 2 composite was developed. • Co/Ni-MoO 2 supplies two kinds of active sites including Co/Ni specie and MoO 2 specie. • The catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance for HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a comprehensive review of the research works regarding the solar assisted heat pump system (SAHP) in the application of domestic hot water will be conducted, starting with the working principle, classification, theoretical analysis and demonstration samples. The overview of the research works was then analysed with respects to five categories, i.e., (1) integrated structure and individual components layout, sizing and optimisation; (2) thermal performance simulation and prediction; (3) laboratory based measurement compared against the modelling prediction; (4) long-term performance evaluation through real time and onsite measurement; and (5) economic and environmental assessment and social acceptance analyses. The opportunities, i.e. developing novel, economically- feasible, energy-efficient systems in combination with advanced technologies, conducting the real time and onsite measurement and assessing the energy, economic and environmental influences and social acceptance, applying standardisation method to design, manufacture, choose, test and utilise the appropriate system, and exploring energy policy and subsidy strategies for market expansion of SAHP, will be provided for the researchers and engineers relevant to this research field. The results of this research will be helpful in indicating the potential research areas for the overseas and domestic researchers, developing potential industries for the worldwide engineers, expanding the global solar market, and providing potential ways of saving energy and reducing carbon emission for the local governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by β-amyloid protein (Aβ) deposition. Reducing the Aβ load may be a new perspective for AD treatment. Ginsenoside Re is an extract from Panax notoginseng , which is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for the treatment of various diseases for years. Ginsenoside Re has been reported to decrease Aβ in Alzheimer's disease animal models, but the mechanism has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism of ginsenoside Re. Our results showed that ginsenoside Re decreased the Aβ levels in N2a/APP695 cells. Aβ peptides are generated by β-secretase (β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1)) and γ-secretase. We found that ginsenoside Re decreased the BACE1 mRNA and protein levels and inhibited BACE1 activity in the N2a/APP695 cells. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) is a transcription factor that regulates the activity of the BACE1 promoter, and activating PPARγ can inhibit BACE1. The results also showed that ginsenoside Re significantly increased the PPARγ protein and mRNA levels. These effects of ginsenoside Re on BACE1 could be effectively inhibited by the PPARγ antagonist GW9662. These findings indicate that ginsenoside Re inhibits BACE1 through activation of PPARγ, which ultimately reduces the generation of Aβ 1–40 and Aβ 1–42 . Therefore, ginsenoside Re may be a promising agent for the modulation of Aβ-related pathology in AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report new developments on the chemical vapor deposition growth of 0.4nm single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) inside the linear channels of the aluminophosphate zeolite, AlPO4-5 (AFI), single crystals (0.4nm-SWCNT@AFI). Ethylene (C2H4) and carbon monoxide (CO) were used as the feedstock. Polarized Raman spectroscopy was used to analyze the structure and quality of SWCNTs, both the radial breathing mode and G-band are much clearer and stronger than the samples grown by the old process which used template tripropylamine molecules for growing SWCNT@AFI. From the Raman spectra, it is clearly seen that the RBM is composed of two peaks at 535 and 551cm−1. By using the pseudopotential module in Material Studio to calculate the Raman lines, the 535cm−1 peak is attributed to the (5,0) SWCNTs and the 551cm−1 peak to the (3,3) SWCNTs. The abundance of (4,2) is relatively small. Thermal gravity analysis showed that while the samples grown by CO display less than 1wt% of carbon, for the samples heated in C2H4 atmosphere the weight percentage of SWCNTs is around 10%, which implies ∼30% of the AFI channels are occupied with SWCNTs, a significant increase compared with the previous samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The effects of Reduning injection and nebulized inhalation for treating upper respiratory tract infections were compared, including anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, anti-tussive, and anti-phlegm. Using chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, and geniposide as the index components, the pharmacokinetics and tissue distributions were compared. Influenza virus PR8-infected mice in the Reduning groups showed significantly reduced mortality and prolonged survival time. The white blood cell count was significantly reduced in the 20- and 10-min groups. Inhalation significantly decreased the temperature from 2 h in the 20- and 10-min groups. Inhalation significantly reduced the cough rate but not cough latency. Phenol red excretion was significantly increased in all Reduning groups. The elimination half-life of geniposide after inhalation in male and female rats was 2.05–5.28 and 4.03–10.4 h, respectively, which was much greater than after injection. Regarding tissue distribution, the injection dose (2 mL/kg) was 50 times the inhalation dose, and maximum serum concentration (C max) and AUC INF_obs of the four components in the trachea and lung were 0.95–11.1 and 0.59–4.36 times the inhalation values, respectively. Plasma C max and AUC INF_obs were 160–637 and 22.7–180 times the inhalation values, respectively. Atomized Reduning dose was equivalent to 1/90 of the mouse injection dose, and the effects of inhalation were similar or superior to those of injections. Atomization inhalation is targeted to the lungs, so systemic drug exposure was greatly reduced and lung concentration was high, which may increase the efficacy and reduce the safety risks associated with injections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]