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Lately novel strategies to enhance the sensing properties on iron oxide have been proposed to achieve high performance gas sensors for acetone detection. In this working report, the synthesis of iron-glycerate (Fe-Gly) using glycerol to combine with Fe3+ is first presented. Depending on the thermal treatment, this compound can evolve into γ-Fe2O3, α/γ-Fe2O3 and α-Fe2O3. α/γ-Fe2O3 shows better sensing performance as far as acetone detection is concerned. Using the dual phases of α/γ-Fe2O3 as a fundamental building block, their sensing properties were further improved using Ni doping and Ru nanoparticles functionalization. The high response and selectivity to acetone detection was ascribed to the synergistic effects of unique nanosheets, mixed phases, rich oxygen vacancies and excellent catalytic activity of Ru nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontitis is significantly associated with the risk of cancers in the lung and the digestive system. Emerging evidence shows a plausible link between periodontitis and several types of brain diseases. However, the association between periodontal infection and glioma remains unclear. In the cultured GL261 glioma cells, P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) significantly promoted cell proliferation at concentrations ranging from 10 to 1000 ng/mL. It promoted cell migration at a higher concentration (100 and 1000 ng/mL). Additionally, exposure to 100 ng/mL P. gingivalis LPS induced a significant increase in the expression of TNF-α, TGF-β, MMP2, and MMP9, as well as the phosphorylation level of Akt at Ser473. These changes induced by P. gingivalis LPS were significantly antagonized by the Akt inhibitor. Furthermore, a total of 48 patients with brain tumors were enrolled to investigate their periodontal status before receiving tumor management. Poor periodontal status [probing depth (PD) ≥ 6 mm and attachment loss (AL) >5 mm] was found in 42.9% (9/21) of patients with glioma, which was significantly higher than that in patients with benign tumors and the relevant data in the 4th National Oral Health Survey in China. The glioma patients with both AL > 5 mm and PD ≥ 6 mm had a higher ki-67 labeling index than those with AL ≤ 5 mm or PD < 6 mm. These findings support the association between periodontal infection and glioma progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermodynamics for Kerr-AdS black hole in four dimensions is revisited using the recently proposed restricted phase space formalism, which includes the central charge C of the dual CFT and the chemical potential μ , but excludes the pressure and the conjugate volume, as thermodynamic variables. The Euler relation holds automatically, and the first order homogeneity of the mass and the zeroth order homogeneity of the intensive variables are made explicit. Thermodynamic processes involving each pair of conjugate variables are studied in some detail, with emphasis on the scaling properties of the equations of states. It turns out that the thermodynamic behavior of the Kerr-AdS black hole is very similar to that of the RN-AdS black hole studied earlier. In particular, it is found that, there is a first order supercritical phase equilibrium in the T - S processes at fixed nonvanishing angular momentum, while at vanishing angular momentum or at fixed angular velocities, there is always a non-equilibrium transition from a small unstable black hole state to a large stable black hole state. Moreover, there is a Hawking–Page phase transition in the μ - C processes. Due to the complicatedness of the Kerr metric, the exact critical point and the Hawking–Page temperature are worked out explicitly only in the slow rotating limit, however the characteristic thermodynamic properties do not rely on the slow rotating approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NiFe 2 O 4 is a promising sensing material for acetone detection, in which synthesizing 1D nanostructure and modulating the chemical composition are efficient strategies to enhance the sensing properties for multiple applications in reality. Herein, 1D precursor is hydrothermally synthesized using nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) to chelate Fe3+ and Ni2+ ions. After thermal annealing, nanoparticles assembled 1D NiFe 2 O 4 nanorods with mesoporous structures are prepared. The porous 1D structure yields a large surface area (197.1 m2/g), exposes more active sites as well as offers a suitable backbone for Pt nanoparticles functionalization, facilitating acetone detection. The gas sensor based on Pt functionalized NiFe 2 O 4 nanorods exhibits high response of 48.2–100 ppm acetone at 160 °C with a rapid response and recovery time (10 s/26 s), low limits of detection (1 ppm), good selectivity, outstanding repeatability and reliable long-term durability (30 days). In addition, a good linearity of the response as a function of the acetone concentration from 1 to 200 ppm is fitted. These results may open a novel avenue to fabricate mesoporous 1D NiFe 2 O 4 that is an extremely promising candidate for acetone detection. [Display omitted] • Mesoporous 1D NiFe 2 O 4 nanorods were synthesized using nitrilotriacetic acid followed by thermal treatment. • The NiFe 2 O 4 nanorods are assembled by nanoparticles, exhibiting a surface area of 197.1 m2/g. • The NTA contents exert influence on the morphologies and the sensing properties of NiFe 2 O 4. • The sensing performance of mesoporous NiFe 2 O 4 nanorods is enhanced by Pt functionalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylocoagulase (Coa) is a virulence factor of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) that promotes blood coagulation by activating prothrombin to convert fibrinogen to fibrin. Coa plays a crucial role in disease pathogenesis and is a promising target for the treatment of S. aureus infections. Here, we identified that isoquercitrin, a natural flavonol compound, can markedly reduce the activity of Coa at concentrations that have no effect on bacterial growth. Mechanistic studies employing molecular dynamics simulation revealed that isoquercitrin binds to Coa by interacting with Asp-181 and Tyr-188, thereby affecting the binding of Coa to prothrombin. Importantly, in vivo studies showed that isoquercitrin treatment significantly reduced the bacterial burden, pathological damage, and inflammation of lung tissue and improved the percentage of survival of mice infected with S. aureus Newman strain. These data suggest that isoquercitrin is a promising inhibitor of Coa that can be used for the development of therapeutic drugs to combat S. aureus infections. Key Points • Staphylocoagulase plays a key role in the pathogenesis of S. aureus infection. • We identified that isoquercitrin is a direct inhibitor of staphylocoagulase. • Isoquercitrin treatment can significantly attenuate S. aureus virulence in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate interpretation of the emotional information conveyed by others' facial expressions is crucial for social interactions. Event‐related alpha power, measured by time‐frequency analysis, is a frequently used EEG index of emotional information processing. However, it is still unclear how event‐related alpha power varies in emotional information processing in social anxiety groups. In the present study, we recorded event‐related potentials (ERPs) while participants from the social anxiety and healthy control groups viewed facial expressions (angry, happy, neutral) preceded by contextual sentences conveying either a positive or negative evaluation of the subject. The impact of context on facial expression processing in both groups of participants was explored by assessing behavioral ratings and event‐related alpha power (0–200 ms after expression presentation). In comparison to the healthy control group, the social anxiety group exhibited significantly lower occipital alpha power in response to angry facial expressions in negative contexts and neutral facial expressions in positive contexts. The influence of language context on facial expression processing in individuals with social anxiety may occur at an early stage of processing. The study investigated context‐influenced facial expression processing in individuals with social anxiety, revealing lower occipital alpha power for angry expressions in negative contexts and neutral expressions in positive contexts, compared to healthy controls. Our findings provide strong evidence for the early‐stage impact of context on facial expression processing in individuals with social anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystalline iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3) shows great potential for acetone detection in multiple applications such as monitoring air pollution and diagnosing diabetes. α-Fe 2 O 3 or γ-Fe 2 O 3 are generally used as sensing materials. Here, we report a sol-gel method followed by a thermal treatment to control the phases formation of mesoporous iron oxide. We have found that mixed α/γ-Fe 2 O 3 phases exhibit enhanced sensing performances toward acetone. Moreover, as α/γ-Fe 2 O 3 is coupled with 2D materials of MXene (Ti 3 C 2 T x), the agglomeration of Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles is prevented and the number of active sites for chemical absorption increased. Furthermore, the p-n heterojunctions lead to the enhancement of their response up to 148 towards 200 ppm of acetone at 200 °C. Additionally, Pt nanoparticles were be easily incorporated in between α/γ-Fe 2 O 3 and MXene to reduce the operating temperature down to 160 °C, while maintaining a very high response (307 towards 200 ppm) and lowering the detection limit to 0.5 ppm, thanks to the catalytic properties Pt nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two-stage reactions between PAC particles and NaClO were simulated. • PAC adsorption capacity was seriously weakened after exposed to NaClO. • The altered PAC tended to more readily deposit on UF membrane surface. • Enhanced cake fouling and worsened effluent quality were found due to reacted PAC. • This study raised concerns on the adverse impacts induced by membrane cleaning. The integrated PAC/UF technique has gained increasing applications in water treatment systems. However, the fouling and substantial PAC deposition on membrane surfaces remain perennial hurdles. To tackle these issues, on-line membrane cleaning with NaClO should be frequently performed to sustain the membrane permeability, leading to the inevitable contact between NaClO and PAC particles, which may significantly change the PAC properties, hence the entire performance of water treatment during the next round of operation. This study simulated the two reactions between PACs and NaClO (i.e. deposited PAC with high-concentration NaClO and suspended PAC with low-concentration NaClO) based on the current practice of on-line membrane cleaning, and further investigated the impacts of NaClO-induced PAC variations on PAC/UF performance. The results showed that (i) the adsorption capacities of altered PACs for humic acid (HA), bovine serum albumin (BSA) as well as contaminants in surface water were seriously weakened because of the decreased specific surface area and pore volume; (ii) The altered PAC surface became more hydrophilic, presumably leading to the higher deposition on membrane surface. Besides, (iii) the PAC deposition amounts were all enhanced by the presence of BSA, while substantially decreased by HA. Further addition of Ca2+ with HA dramatically increased PAC deposition probably by forming the cross-linked molecular chains to connect PAC-PAC or PAC-membrane. As a result, membrane fouling in PAC/UF water treatment system was remarkedly aggravated when the altered PACs were applied due to NaClO exposure. Meanwhile, the surface water treatment performances in terms of COD Mn removal, UV 254 removal and turbidity removal significantly decreased, implying the adverse impacts of employing such altered PAC in the practical water treatment system. Given on-line chemical cleaning is frequently conducted during a long-term operation, the current study raised serious concerns on membrane cleaning induced PAC variations and potentially negative influences on the real-life PAC/UF water treatment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that the perception of ambiguous facial expressions for individuals with social anxiety was influenced by the affective verbal context. However, it is still unknown how emotional facial expressions are perceived by individuals with social anxiety in the context of the verbal context. In this study, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) technology to examine how individuals with social anxiety perceive emotional facial expressions in positive and negative contexts. The results showed that: (1) Within the negative verbal contexts, the amplitude of P1 induced by facial expressions in the social anxiety group was significantly higher than that induced by the healthy control group; The N170 amplitude induced by facial expressions in social anxiety group was less negative than that in the healthy control group, and was not affected by the context. (2) The social anxiety group had significantly higher LPP in negative contexts elicited by angry expressions than by happy expressions. This study proved that the perception of emotional facial expressions was influenced by top-down information in the early and late stages of visual perception for individuals with social anxiety. • The effect of verbal context on emotional facial expression perception was investigated in socially anxious individuals. • We found sustained attention to threatening faces in negative context in socially anxious individuals. • A hypervigilance tendency for negative contextualized faces was found for socially anxious individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane separation technology has been generally preferred for treating high-salinity organic wastewater during the last decades of years. Despite not suitable for ion removal, ultrafiltration (UF) is quite appropriate and widely employed for retaining solids, organic matters and macromolecules etc. from high-salinity wastewater. However, limited efforts have been made to investigate the UF fouling characteristics affected by such high saline environment. In this study, sodium chloride (NaCl) with the concentration higher than 10 g/L was employed to examine its impacts on the UF fouling behaviors. The results showed that the involvement of high-concentration NaCl remarkably aggravated HA fouling formation, whereas mitigated BSA fouling development. In the presence of NaCl, HA seemed to form a more homogenous fouling layer, while substantial scattered and large NaCl crystals with different shapes appeared on BSA fouling layer. Further analysis demonstrated that NaCl at high levels induced the agglomeration of BSA foulants, leading to their slower transportation to membrane surface and alleviated the formation of cake layer. Comparatively, the electrostatic attraction and thermodynamic interactions between HA-HA and HA-membrane were substantially increased at high-salinity condition, probably facilitating HA migration to membrane and enhancing fouling layer development. Consequently, the different effects of high salinity on HA and BSA fouling were systematically revealed with their formation mechanisms proposed, which should provide an insightful guidance for membrane fouling control when high-salinity organic wastewater is treated with membrane-based technique. [Display omitted] • High-salinity environment enhanced HA fouling, while reduced BSA fouling formation. • Substantial NaCl crystals with different shapes appeared on BSA cake layer. • Fouling mechanisms of HA and BSA under the effects of high salinity were proposed. • This study offers new insight into UF fouling when treating high saline wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently proposed restricted phase space thermodynamics is shown to be applicable to a large class of higher dimensional higher curvature gravity models coupled to Maxwell field, which are known as black hole scan models and are labeled by the spacetime dimension d and the highest order k of the Lanczos-Lovelock densities appearing in the action. Three typical example cases with (d , k) = (5 , 1) , (5 , 2) and (6 , 2) are chosen as example cases and studied in some detail. These cases are representatives of Einstein-Hilbert, Chern-Simons and Born-Infield like gravity models. Our study indicates that the Einstein-Hilbert and Born-Infield like gravity models have similar thermodynamic behaviors, e.g., the existence of isocharge T − S phase transitions with the same critical exponents, the existence of isovoltage T − S transitions and the Hawking-Page like transitions, and the similar high temperature asymptotic behaviors for the isocharge heat capacities, etc. However, the Chern-Simons like (5 , 2) -model behaves quite differently. Neither isocharge nor isovoltage T − S transitions could occur and no Hawking-Page like transition is allowed. This seems to indicate that the Einstein-Hilbert and Born-Infield like models belong to the same universality class while the Chern-Simons like models do not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to study the association between rs12976445 polymorphism and the incidence of IA re-bleeding. Genotype and allele frequency analysis was performed to study the association between rs12976445 polymorphism and the risk of IA re-bleeding. Western blot, ELISA and real-time RT-PCR were conducted to measure the relative expression of miR-125a, ET1 mRNA and ET1 protein. Computational analysis and luciferase assays were utilized to investigate the association between the expression of miR-125a and ET1 mRNA. No significant differences were observed between IA patients with or without symptoms of re-bleeding. Subsequent analyses indicated that the T allele was significantly associated with the reduced risk of IA re-bleeding. In patients carrying the CC genotype, miR-125a level was up-regulated while ET1 mRNA/protein levels were reduced compared with those in patients carrying the CT or TT genotype. And ET1 mRNA was identified as a virtual target gene of miR-125a with a potential miR-125a binding site located on its 3'UTR. Accordingly, the ET mRNA/protein levels could be suppressed by the transfection of miR-125a precursors, but the transfection of ET1 siRNA exhibited no effect on the expression of miR-125a. Therefore, an increased level of miR-125a can lead to the increased risk of IA re-bleeding. Since miR-125a level is higher in CC-genotyped patients, it can be concluded that the presence of T allele in the rs12976445 polymorphism is associated with a lower risk of IA re-bleeding, and miR-125a may be used as a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target for IA rupture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxylamine (NH2OH) is an important feedstock in fuels, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals. Nanostructured electrocatalysts drive green electrosynthesis of hydroxylamine from nitrogen oxide species in water. However, current electrocatalysts still suffer from low selectivity and manpower‐consuming trial‐and‐error modes, leaving unclear selectivity/activity origins and a lack of catalyst design principles. Herein, we theoretically analyze key determinants of selectivity/activity and propose the adsorption energy of NHO (Gad(*NHO)) as a performance descriptor. A weak *NH2OH binding affinity and a favorable reaction pathway (*NHO pathway) jointly enable single‐atom catalysts (SACs) with superior NH2OH selectivity. Then, an activity volcano plot of Gad(*NHO) is established to predict a series of SACs and discover Mn SACs as optimal electrocatalysts that exhibit pH‐dependent activity. These theoretical prediction results are also confirmed by experimental results, rationalizing our Gad(*NHO) descriptor. Furthermore, Mn−Co geminal‐atom catalysts (GACs) are predicted to optimize Gad(*NHO) and are experimentally proved to enhance NH2OH formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxylamine (NH2OH) is an important feedstock in fuels, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals. Nanostructured electrocatalysts drive green electrosynthesis of hydroxylamine from nitrogen oxide species in water. However, current electrocatalysts still suffer from low selectivity and manpower‐consuming trial‐and‐error modes, leaving unclear selectivity/activity origins and a lack of catalyst design principles. Herein, we theoretically analyze key determinants of selectivity/activity and propose the adsorption energy of NHO (Gad(*NHO)) as a performance descriptor. A weak *NH2OH binding affinity and a favorable reaction pathway (*NHO pathway) jointly enable single‐atom catalysts (SACs) with superior NH2OH selectivity. Then, an activity volcano plot of Gad(*NHO) is established to predict a series of SACs and discover Mn SACs as optimal electrocatalysts that exhibit pH‐dependent activity. These theoretical prediction results are also confirmed by experimental results, rationalizing our Gad(*NHO) descriptor. Furthermore, Mn−Co geminal‐atom catalysts (GACs) are predicted to optimize Gad(*NHO) and are experimentally proved to enhance NH2OH formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hollow heart is a kind of physiological defect that seriously affects the yield, quality, and economic value of cucumber. However, the formation of hollow hearts may relate to multiple factors in cucumber, and it is necessary to conduct analysis. Results: In this study, hollow and non-hollow fruits of cucumber K07 were used for comparative transcriptome sequencing and analysis. 253 differentially expressed genes and 139 transcription factors were identified as being associated with the formation of hollow hearts. Hormone (auxin) signaling and cell wall biosynthesis were mainly enriched in GO and KEGG pathways. Expression levels of key genes involved in indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis in carpel were lower in the hollow fruits than non-hollow fruits, while there was no difference in the flesh. The concentration of indole-3-acetic also showed lower in the carpel than flesh. The biosynthetic pathway and content analysis of the main components of the cell wall found that lignin biosynthesis had obvious regularity with hollow heart, followed by hemicellulose and cellulose. Correlation analysis showed that there may be an interaction between auxin and cell wall biosynthesis, and they collectively participate in the formation of hollow hearts in cucumber. Among the differentially expressed transcription factors, MYB members were the most abundant, followed by NAC, ERF, and bHLH. Conclusions: The results and analyses showed that the low content of auxin in the carpel affected the activity of enzymes related to cell wall biosynthesis at the early stage of fruit development, resulting in incomplete development of carpel cells, thus forming a hollow heart in cucumber. Some transcription factors may play regulatory roles in this progress. The results may enrich the theory of the formation of hollow hearts and provide a basis for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three compounds were synthesized and characterized based on the same viologen ligand and different metal salts. Although their range of applications is basically similar, their different internal structures result in different light response rates. [Display omitted] • Three new multifunctional viologen coordination polymers have been synthesized. • Three compounds all exhibit high sensitivity to UV light. • In the process of detecting ammonia, the three compounds showed excellent stimulus response ability. • The ability of the three compounds to detect different concentrations of Cr 2 O 7 2-anions was further verified by fluorescence quenching effect. Three Zn/Cd-viologen coordination polymers (CPs), namely, {Zn[(bcbpy) 0.5 (ipa)(H 2 O)]·H 2 O} n (1), {Zn[(bcbpy) 0.5 (ipa)(H 2 O) 0.5 ]·H 2 O} n (2), and {Cd[(bcbpy)(SO 4)]·2H 2 O} n (3), have been constructed using aromatic carboxylic acid and viologen-derived ligands, where H 2 bcbpy·2Cl represents 1,1′-bis((4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4′-bipyridine) dichloride and H 2 ipa stands for isophthalic acid. All three CPs display photochromic properties, transforming from yellow to dark blue upon irradiation with a xenon lamp. Notably, the photoresponse rates vary among these CPs, with compound 1 showing the fastest photoresponse, followed closely by compounds 2 and 3. Furthermore, CPs 1 , 2 , and 3 display a unique sensitivity to different concentrations of Cr 2 O 7 2- anion solutions. When immersed in these solutions, the compounds exhibit varying degrees of fluorescence quenching effects, allowing for the monitoring of even the lowest ion concentrations. Additionally, upon exposure to ammonia vapor, the three compounds undergo a color change from yellow to dark brown, indicating their sensitivity to ammonia vapor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compounds 1 and 2 were synthesized and characterized based on different viologen ligands. They showed different structures, photochromism and applications. [Display omitted] • Two novel multifunctional Cd-viologen coordination polymers have been synthesized. • Compounds 1 and 2 exhibit high sensitivity to UV light. • Compound 2 has the ability to detect amines. The self-assembly of Cd(II) ions with two kind of viologen ligands 1-(3,5-dicarboxybenzyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium chloride (H 2 L1+Cl −), 1-(3-carboxybenzyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium chloride (HL2+Cl −) and 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (H 3 BTC) under solvothermal and hydrothermal conditions results in two coordination polymers, namely, {[Cd(L1)OH]} n (1) and {[Cd(L2)(HBTC)H 2 O]·2H 2 O} n (2). Due to the formation of viologen radicals, they exhibit reversible photochromism through electron transfer, and the order of light response time is 2 > 1. The time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT)-B3LYP/lanl2dz method was used to deeply understand the donor–acceptor structures, the matching rules between L and acid parts, and the intermolecular/intramolecular atom- atom close contact based on the fraction of intercontact. Compound 1 exhibit intramolecular electron transfer. Compound 2 exhibits two electron transfer modes: intramolecular and intermolecular electron transfer. In addition, when exposed to various amines (NH 3 , TEA = triethylamine, MA = o-methylaniline, aniline), compound 1 displays significantly different visual color changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Heterostructure N-Ni 3 S 2 /CoS 2 catalyst was in situ growth on Ni foams. • The interconnected NiCo-LDH nanosheets were converted into continuous nanosheets after vulcanization. • N-Ni 3 S 2 /CoS 2 /NF catalyst exhibits excellent activity for both HER and OER. • N-Ni 3 S 2 /CoS 2 /NF delivers a cell voltage of 1.56 V in the water splitting reaction. • The catalytic performances are attributed to abundant interface and large electrochemical surface area. The design and synthesis of non-noble bifunctional electrocatalysts with high efficiency for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is still ongoing for enhanced overall water splitting. Herein, the heterostructure N-doped nickel sulfide/cobalt sulfide (N-Ni 3 S 2 /CoS 2) catalyst was in situ growth on Ni foams (NF) via an electrochemical deposition method followed by rapidly vulcanizing process at low-temperature. Benefiting from the abundant interface, high conductivity of NF, large electrochemical surface area, N-Ni 3 S 2 /CoS 2 /NF catalyst exhibits excellent activity for both HER and OER. Low overpotentials of 245 and 100 mV can drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2 for OER and HER in 1.0 M KOH. Serving as the bifunctional catalysts, N-Ni 3 S 2 /CoS 2 /NF catalyst delivers the current density of 10 mA cm−2 at a very low cell voltage of 1.56 V in the water splitting reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) necessitate the research on therapeutic tactics which are different from classical antibiotics in overcoming resistance and treating infections. In S. aureus , von Willebrand factor-binding protein (vWbp) is one of the key virulence determinants because it mediates not only the activation of thrombin to convert fibrinogen to fibrin, thereby enabling S. aureus to escape from the host immune clearance, but also the adhesion of S. aureus to host cells. Thus, vWbp is regarded as a promising druggable target to treat S. aureus -associated infections. Here we identify that baicalein, a natural compound isolated from the Chinese herb Scutellaria baicalensis , can effectively block the coagulase activity of vWbp without inhibiting the growth of the bacteria. Through thermal shift and fluorescence quenching assays, we demonstrated that baicalein directly binds to vWbp. Molecular dynamics simulations and mutagenesis assays revealed that the Asp-75 and Lys-80 residues are necessary for baicalein binding to vWbp. Importantly, we demonstrated that baicalein treatment attenuates the virulence of S. aureus and protects mice from S. aureus -induced lethal pneumonia. In addition, baicalein can improve the therapeutic effect of penicillin G by 75% in vivo. These findings indicate that baicalein might be developed as a promising therapeutic agent against drug-resistant S. aureus infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]