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Conducting research on soft robots is crucial as there are still many problems that need to be resolved in the areas of material selection, structure design and manufacture, and drive control. Soft manipulators, a subset of soft robots, are now a popular area of study for many researchers. In comparison to typical manipulators, soft manipulators feature a high degree of gripping flexibility and a basic morphological structure. They are composed of flexible materials. They have a wide range of potential applications in healthcare, rehabilitation, bionics, and detection, and they can compensate for the drawbacks of rigid manipulators in some use scenarios. A modular soft-body torsional gripping system is developed after a torsional and gripping actuator is conceived and constructed, and its performance examined. The torsion actuator and the grasping actuator can be combined in the system in a modular fashion. With the help of RGB-D vision algorithms, this multi-modular setup makes it possible to combine soft actuators with various twisting degrees and achieve exact gripping. Through pneumatic control, the target object is precisely grasped and rotated at various angles, enabling the rotation of the target object in three dimensions.

Conducting related research is crucial since there are still many problems that need to be resolved in the research on soft robots in the areas of material selection, structure design and manufacture, and drive control. Soft manipulators, a subset of soft robots, are now a popular area of study for many researchers. In comparison to typical manipulators, soft manipulators feature a high degree of gripping flexibility and a basic morphological structure. They are composed of flexible materials. It has a wide range of potential applications in healthcare, rehabilitation, bionics, and detection, and it can compensate for the drawbacks of rigid manipulators in some use scenarios. A modular soft-body torsional gripping system is developed after a torsional and gripping actuator is conceived, constructed, and its performance is examined. The torsion actuator and the grasping actuator can be combined in the system in a modular fashion. With the help of RGB-D vision algorithms, this multi-modular setup makes it possible to combine soft actuators with various twisting degrees and achieve exact gripping. Through pneumatic control, the target object is precisely grasped and rotated at various angles, enabling rotation of the target object in three dimensions.

The mechanism of photodegradation of organic pollutants in seawater by TiO2-based catalysts irradiated by visible light was first explored by adding holes and free radical traps. The results showed that the photogenerated holes formed by the catalyst played a key role in the degradation of organic pollutants, regardless of whether the photodegradation occurred in seawater or pure water. Considering that the Yb-TiO2-rGO catalyst has a strong adsorption for organics, the salt ion almost did not interfere with the adsorption of pollutants by Yb-TiO2-rGO. Therefore, the degradation performance of Yb-TiO2-rGO did not remarkably change in the two water systems. For P25-ZN with a weak adsorption capacity for organics, several salt ions in the seawater hindered the contact of pollutants with the catalyst surface. Thus, the degradation rate of P25-ZN for phenol was significantly reduced. After the solvothermal reduction treatment for catalysts using ethylene glycol (EG) as the solvent, the increase in the Ti3+ content in the catalyst improved the visible-light response and activity of the catalyst. In addition, a small amount of EG grafted on the catalyst surface promoted the photocatalytic reaction process on the catalyst surface, thereby effectively resisting the interference of salt ions.

Conspecific seagrass living in differing environments may develop different root system acclimation patterns. We applied X-ray computed tomography (CT) for imaging and quantifying roots systems of Zostera japonica collected from typical oligotrophic and eutrophic sediments in two coastal sites of northern China, and determined sediment physicochemical properties that might influence root system morphology, density, and distribution. The trophic status of sediments had little influence on the Z. japonica root length, and diameters of root and rhizome. However, Z. japonica in oligotrophic sediment developed the root system with longer rhizome node, deeper rhizome distribution, and larger allocation to below-ground tissues in order to acquire more nutrients and relieve the N deficiency. And the lower root and rhizome densities of Z. japonica in eutrophic sediment were mainly caused by fewer shoots and shorter longevity, which was resulted from the more serious sulfide inhibition. Our results systematically revealed the effect of sediment trophic status on the phenotypic plasticity, quantity, and distribution of Z. japonica root system, and demonstrated the feasibly of X-ray CT in seagrass root system research.

Metal contamination in fishery water may pose a serious threat to aquatic products and human health. In this study, the contents of seven trace metals were assessed in water, sediment, and ten commercially important species (seven fish and three crustaceans) with different trophic guilds, habitat preferences, and motility, collected from the Zhoushan Fishery, northwest East China Sea. In general, the results showed that the concentrations of trace metals in water and sediment were lower than the safety thresholds set by the National Seawater Quality Standard of China and the sediment quality guidelines, except for Cu, As, and Cr in sediment. The high metal concentrations were spatially distributed in the west of the Zhoushan Fishery, which is probably due to the chemical pollution generated from many large international ports and chemical industries in Hangzhou Bay. The metal concentrations in the species were lower than the legislation thresholds established by the Commission Regulation and China National Standard, except for Cd in two crustacean species. However, a health risk assessment indicated that the consumption of the analyzed seafood is safe. However, there is a potential risk to local consumers who prefer crustaceans. From a species-specific bioaccumulation point of view, species in high trophic guilds, benthivores, species with low motility, or those living near the sediment have been found to be most likely to accumulate metals. Our findings could contribute to the understanding of the accumulation tendencies of metals in species of different trophic guilds with varying habitat preferences and motility and provide valuable data to environmental and seafood safety managers.

It has been proven that skeletal muscle index (SMI) and muscle attenuation (MA) are correlated with outcomes in liver cirrhosis. However, whether there are sex differences in these factors re-mains unknown. We aimed to analyze the predictive ability of SMI and MA for the prognosis of cirrhotic patients of different sexes and promote computed tomography (CT) use in body composition assessment.CT images taken at the 3rd lumbar vertebra from 223 patients were quantified for body composi-tion. A Cox regression model was used to assess associations between mortality and body composition. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated to evaluate the predictive ability of SMI and MA for the 1-, 3- and 5- year mortality of cirrhotic patients.The majority of patients with liver cirrhosis were male (64.6%), and there was a weak linear correlation between SMI and MA in males (r=0.33, p0.001). In the sex stratified multivariate Cox regression analysis, SMI in males (HR=0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.98; p=0.002) and MA in females (HR=0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.96; p0.001) were independently associated with mortality. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of SMI (AUC=0.718) and MA (AUC=0.705) were similar in the 5-year mortality predic-tion of males, while in females, MA (AUC=0.797) had a stronger predictive ability than SMI (AUC=0.541).SMI in males and MA in females are independent prognostic factors for liver cirrhosis. For females, MA may be a more sensitive indicator of mortality prediction than SMI, while in males, they are equivalent.

Seafood is increasingly used worldwide due to its nutritional value. It is rich in essential minerals, liposoluble vitamins, and high-quality proteins. However, many seafood species tend to accumulate metals, making them a threat to human health. We chose Xincun Lagoon and Li-an Lagoon, which have been seriously polluted by local activities, and the relatively clean Tufu Bay as the research areas to investigate whether trace metals in economic seafood species in these areas threaten the food safety of consumers. The results show that the mean concentrations (mg kg-1 ww) of trace metals were Cu 0.22 ± 0.18, Pb 0.040 ± 0.028, Zn 5.25 ± 1.60, Cd 0.009 ± 0.004, Hg 0.0072 ± 0.0031, As 0.21 ± 0.12, and Cr 0.084 ± 0.048 in fish samples (Trachinotus ovatus); Cu 4.00 ± 0.96, Pb 0.075 ± 0.030, Zn 19.10 ± 2.64, Cd 0.050 ± 0.024, Hg 0.0131 ± 0.0035, As 0.91 ± 0.27, and Cr 0.216 ± 0.095 in crab samples (Charybdis natator); and Cu 5.37 ± 1.39, Pb 0.095 ± 0.023, Zn 21.38 ± 3.59, Cd 0.096 ± 0.026, Hg 0.0208 ± 0.0052, As 1.65 ± 0.59, and Cr 0.406 ± 0.117 in bivalve samples (Ruditapes philippinarum), respectively, with species specific (fish < crab < bivalve) and significant seasonal and spatial variation (p < 0.05). However, health risk assessment (EDI, THQ, TTHQ, CR) indicated that the consumption of the analyzed seafood from the study areas is safe for local consumers. But there is a potential risk for fishermen and those who prefer seafood.

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of digital tomosynthesis in urolithiasis compared with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Subjects and Methods: This study received the approva...

The kinetic behavior of the antioxidant activity of aqueous/organic polyphenol extracts from navel orange peel was evaluated using DPPH and FRAP assays to assess their capacity to scavenge DPPH and ferric reducing antioxidant power. The stability of polyphenol extracts, including the influencing factors of temperature, pH, light, and the correlation of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were also investigated. The kinetic reaction results showed that the antioxidant activity i.e. DPPH radical scavenging capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power depended on concentration and reaction time. Its stability in aqueous phase and organic phase was influenced by temperature, pH and light in varying degrees. 50 °C was a key temperature point above which the total polyphenol content and antioxidant ability decreased remarkably. The phenolic compounds were not stable at pH 7, but showed a strongest DPPH radical scavenging capacity in both aqueous and organic phases. Acidic conditions seemed to be better for maintaining antioxidant ability of extracts from navel orange peel than alkaline conditions in aqueous and organic phases. Avoiding light kept the extracted phenolic compounds stable. There is a significant correlation between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. These results provide some basic understanding of extracts from navel orange peel and promote the application of the extracted polyphenol from navel orange peel as antioxidants.

Hangzhou Bay is facing severe anthropogenic perturbation because of its geographic position. We studied species-specific bioaccumulation of metals in commercially important fishes and shellfishes, and calculated the potential human health hazards through their consumption, which has not been reported earlier from this area. The hierarchy of metal concentration in organisms was in the decreasing order of Zn (10.32 ± 7.13) > Cu (2.40 ± 2.66) > As (0.42 ± 0.26) > Cr (0.11 ± 0.08) > Cd (0.07 ± 0.07) > Pb (0.05 ± 0.02) > Hg (0.012 ± 0.009). Except for Cd and As concentrations in fishes, metal concentrations have not exceeded the national and international guideline values. P. laevis and P. trituberculatus were the most bioaccumulative of the species studied. According to the non-carcinogenic risk assessment, children were more susceptible to metal contamination than adults. The carcinogenic risk (CR) values indicated that children were likely to experience carcinogenic threats for taking cancer-causing agents As and Cd through fish consumption. In terms of organisms, intake of two crab species, P. trituberculatus and E. sinensis, as well as the oyster species P. laevis, could be detrimental to consumers.

We analyzed the distribution and bioaccumulation of six heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd and Hg) in marine organisms, water, and sediments from China's Hainan and Zhoushan coastal regions. In all marine organism, seawater, and sediment samples, Zn and Hg had the highest and lowest concentrations, respectively. Heavy metals in marine organisms varied by region and species, with concentrations being higher in Zhoushan than in Hainan (except for Zn) and in crab than in fish. Marine organisms' ability to digest and eliminate heavy metals (bioaccumulation ability), based on bioaccumulation factors, was significantly higher for heavy metals in seawater than in sediment. Higher sediment background values may explain the higher heavy metal concentrations in crab. Generally, marine organisms' bioaccumulation ability was higher for Cu and Zn and lower for Pb. Findings specific to the coastal environments may be generalizable to other coastal areas in China or worldwide.

This work reports the synthesis of an effective charring agent (ammonium polyphosphate ester (BAPPE)) and its application in preparing intumescent transparent fire resistive coatings. Bisphenol A epoxy resin reacted with diethanol amine to produce a waterborne epoxy resin (WEP), and then WEP was further reacted with orthophosphoric acid (PA) and urea (U) to obtain BAPPE. The chemical structure of BAPPE was confirmed by FT-IR and 1H NMR. Transparent fire resistive coating containing BAPPE and melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF) resin was prepared. The thermal gravimetric analysis showed that BAPPE could enhance char formation of the coating in the temperature range of 320–800 ℃. The flammability evaluation by simulated big panel method, smoke density test, and cone calorimeter (CONE) indicated that the presence of BAPPE significantly increased the fire resistant time, suppressed the smoke release amount, and remarkably reduced the peak heat release rate (pHRR) to 6.6 kW/m2. It was proved BAPPE could act as a three sources integrated reactive flame retardant in transparent coating. It is proposed that BAPPE can form cross-linking networks with MUF, thus enhancing the char formation upon heating and improving the fire resistance of the coating.

Rationale and Objectives The posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm (PICAA), especially distal PICAA, is easily missed by a doctor, leading to misdiagnosis and treatment delays. The objective of this article is to report the computed tomography angiography (CTA) presentations of 30 cases of PICAA proved by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) or surgical operation, and analyze the causes of misdiagnosis of PICAA by CTA. Materials and Methods Thirty cases of patients with PICAA that were proved by DSA or surgical operation were included in this study, all of whom underwent CTA before surgical procedure. The relationship between the locations of PICAA and the rates of missed diagnosis by CTA was analyzed. The detection rates of the PICAA by volume rendering (VR) images and original thin axial images of CTA were compared. Results Twelve cases (12 of 30, 40%) of aneurysm lied on the proximal end of posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) (border with vertebral artery) and all of them (12 of 12,100%) were clearly displayed on the VR images of CTA and correctly diagnosed by doctors. Eighteen cases (18 of 30, 60%) of aneurysm lied on the distal part of the PICA, whereas only 2 of them (2/18, 11.1%) were displayed on the VR images and correctly diagnosed before surgical procedure. After surgical operation, the respective review of the CTA images demonstrated that all aneurysms (30 of 30, 100%) can be found on the thin axial images after careful observation and are shown on VR images after adjusting the display threshold when the locations of the PICAA through thin axial images were known, including the distal PICAA. Conclusions Thin axial CT images are most important and reliable for the detection of distal PICAA. Overdependence on three-dimensional VR images of CTA is the main cause of misdiagnosis.

Cysts serve as a seed source for the initiation and recurrence of a harmful algal bloom (HAB) caused by dinoflagellates. And the influence of calcium on cyst formation has been relatively understudied. In the present study, we investigated the effects of calcium (Ca2+) on the growth and encystment of Scrippsiella trochoidea. We incubated S. trochoidea in modified f/2 media in flasks which were divided into five groups and treated with different Ca2+ concentrations (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 g·L−1). We revealed that cell density increased with increasing Ca2+ concentrations; however, cell density was reduced when Ca2+ concentrations exceeded 0.2 g·mL−1. Additionally, the number of cysts and the cyst formation rate similarly increased as Ca2+ concentrations increased, but these were reduced when Ca2+ concentrations exceeded 0.4 g·mL−1. Lastly, S. trochoidea absorbed Ca2+ from the water when cysts were formed and under high Ca2+ concentrations, more calcareous thorn cysts formed.

Psychological stress can affect female reproduction by deteriorating oocyte quality, but the molecular mechanism is unclear. In this study, we used the chronic unpredictable stress model to study the effect of psychological stress on mouse oocyte competence during preimplantation stage, and RNA sequencing in single oocytes to analyze differential gene expression at the transcription level. Stress changed the serum levels of glucocorticoids and reduced oocyte developmental potential, depending on the strength of the stress. Strong stress (two stressors per day) reduced the fertilization rate and induced significant apoptosis in blastocysts. Moderate stress (one stressor per day) reduced the cleavage rate and blastocyst formation rate. Weak stress (one stressor every 2 days) did not have any significant negative effect on the fertilization, cleavage, and blastocyst formation. Hatching rate was not affected by stress, but stress retarded the development of the expanded blastocysts and inhibited the embryo development at early stages. Transcriptome analysis revealed that stress disturbed the expression of cell cycle regulators and apoptotic genes. The hub genes identified through protein-protein interaction analysis include Msln, Ceacam12, Psg16, Psg17, and Psg23, which are all carcinoembryonic or related genes involved in cell adhesion, proliferation, and migration. Thus, stress was inhibitory on fertilization and early embryo development in mice.

α-synuclein is involved in the pathogenesis of multiple system atrophy (MSA) and can be regulated by peripheral immune activation (PIA). We aimed to clarify the correlations between PIA and the prevalence of MSA and to analyze the role of PIA in the progression of the disease. A total of 321 patients with probable MSA and 321 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were included in this study. Lymphocyte subsets, including CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells, and the levels of immunoglobulins IgG, IgM, and IgA were evaluated. The proportions of CD3+ and CD4+ T-lymphocytes were significantly increased in MSA patients compared with those of normal controls. In addition, the ratio of CD4+ to CD8+ cells was significantly increased in male MSA patients and IgG concentrations were decreased in female MSA patients. Furthermore, the concentrations of IgM in female MSA patients were dynamically different at various disease stages and gradually decreased from the early stage until the end stage of the disease (p = 0.029). Other detected immunological indexes were not significantly different during the entire disease course. In this study, high proportions of CD3+ and CD4+ T-lymphocytes and decreased IgG levels were associated with an increased risk for MSA in a Chinese patient population. In addition, PIA may be involved in the progression of MSA.

Xincun Lagoon is an important fishing area in northern Hainan Island, China. It has long been exposed to pollutants from local sewage, breeding cages and fishing boats, resulting in serious pollution threats to the survival of fish. In this study, we examined the concentrations of seven trace metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Hg, As and Cr) in sixteen economic fish species collected from Xincun Lagoon and their exposed environment (water and sediment). The concentrations of Pb and Zn in the water column were higher than the safety threshold stipulated by Chinese legislation, while the contents of all examined metals in the sediment and fish species were lower than the legislative thresholds set by China and international organizations. The contents of trace metals in the fish species in high trophic levels or those that prefer to live in/on the sediment layer were significantly higher than those in other trophic levels and pelagic/subbenthic fish, these species had homogeneous anthropogenic pollution sources for Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and As. Our results show that the trace metal contents in fish were mainly affected by trophic level and habitat preference. The contribution of metal exposure from the sediment to metal accumulation in fish was lower than that in water, especially for the Cd and Hg in the sediment. These results provide valuable information for further understanding the species-specific patterns of metal accumulation in fish and the development of targeted conservation measures for the environment and fish consumers.

Follicular helper T cells (TFH) and follicular regulatory T cells (TFR), subsets of T cells, co-regulate the reactions of germinal center (GC) B cells. TFH provide help to the GC response, while the TFR suppress those processes. Nevertheless, the role of circulating TFR (cTFR) and circulating TFH (cTFH) in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains limited. Twenty healthy controls (HCs), 24 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 23 with HBV-related liver cirrhosis (LC), and 18 with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma were enrolled in our study between October 2015 and September 2016. We detected the frequencies of cTFR-like cells and cTFH-like cells, the percentage of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), inducible co-stimulator (ICOS), and interleukin-21 (IL-21) expressed on circulating CD4+CXCR5+ T cells by flow cytometry. Compared to the HC group, the percentage of cTFR-like cells and ratio of cTFR-like/cTFH-like were significantly increased in patients with HBV infection. A raised percent...

In this work, a plasmonic metallic Bi deposited BiPO4/BiWO6 heterostructure with surface oxygen vacancies was synthesized through one-step solvothermal method. The successful synthesis of material was confirmed by a series of characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, transmission electron microscope, photoluminescence spectroscopy. The characterization results showed that the surface oxygen vacancies were concentrated on the surface of BiPO4. The photocatalytic activity of Bi/BiPO4/Bi2WO6 was evaluated by photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue and 2,4-Dichlorophenol under simulated sunlight irradiation. Meanwhile, with the addition of hydrogen peroxide, the photocatalytic efficiency would be further improved. The presence of rich surface oxygen vacancies and photo-induced electron were beneficial to produce hydroxyl radicals. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of Bi/BiPO4/Bi2WO6 heterostructure was ascribed to high separation efficiency of photo-generated electron–hole pairs, which aroused by the synergistic effects of heterojunction among different components, surface plasmonic resonance effect of Bi, and the surface oxygen vacancies.

Bi/α-Bi2O3 nanoparticles rich in oxygen vacancies in the surface and subsurface loading on g-C3N4 nanosheets were realized via a calcination-photoreduction technique, during which the emergence of oxygen vacancies and the generation of metallic Bi from α-Bi2O3 decomposition were achieved simultaneously. The co-occurrence of Bi nanoparticles and oxygen vacancies was favorable for the consumption and separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes. The three-component heterojunction photocatalyst (Bi/α-Bi2O3/g-C3N4, labeled as BBC) exhibited a remarkably high photocatalytic activity under the visible light irradiation, the degradation rate reached almost 90.2% for Tetracycline (TC) and 95.6% for RhB after 180 min and 90 min reaction respectively, far outperforming other decent photocatalysts under the same conditions. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed to the synergistic effect of surface oxygen vacancies (OVs) and Bi nanoparticles. Furthermore, a probable photocatalytic mechanism for degrading the target contaminants by BBC photocatalysts was tentatively proposed.

A novel efficient Bi modified Bi 2 S 3 pillared g-C 3 N 4 (BBC) plasmonic semiconductor photocatalyst has been successfully developed in a mixed solvothermal environment. The photocatalytic abilities of the as-prepared samples are examined by the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and oxidation of tetracycline (TC). And the chemical composition, structure, morphology and photo-absorption properties of the photocatalysts have been investigated by XRD, FT-IR, XPS, TEM, HRTEM and DRS methods, respectively. It is found that the addition of triethanolamine (TEA) results in the formation of the pillared-g-C 3 N 4 (PG) nanostructure. The agglomeration of g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets moiety and Bi 2 S 3 nanorods moiety can be both hindered effectively by the special PG structure. And the photocatalytic results indicate that BBC exhibits the best photoreduction and photooxidation performances among all the samples, and meanwhile possesses superior photo-stability during the recycling runs. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of BBC could be ascribed to the furtherance of charge separation, localized surface plasma resonance (SPR) effect of metallic Bi and the excellent reaction interface. Finally, a tentative mechanism of BBC for photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and oxidation of TC is discussed in detail.

Ordered Ag-g-C 3 N 4 /SBA-15 was successfully synthesized using SBA-15 as a template and support. The samples were characterized by TEM, XRD, XPS, N 2 adsorption-desorption. The results showed that metallic silvers with diameter 15 nm were distributed on the surface of g-C 3 N 4 thin-layered. The specific surface area of the composite was 563.4 m 2 g −1 . As the final products for ozonation, oxalic acid was used to investigate its catalytic ability in heterogeneous photocatalytic ozonation under simulated solar light irradiation. Ordered Ag-g-C 3 N 4 /SBA-15 with the mass ratio of silver nitrate/dicyandiamide around 4% was found to be the most efficient for oxalic acid degradation. The kinetic constant was 1.60 and 2.52 times as high as that of solar light/Ag-g-C 3 N 4 /O 3 and solar light/g-C 3 N 4 /O 3 process, respectively. It demonstrated that both the Ag nanoparticles and improved specific surface area contributed to the enhancement, which promoted the decomposition of O 3 and increased the active sites in reaction. The synergy index for photocatalytic ozonation of oxalic acid was calculated to be 5.71, which indicated a superior synergistic effect between photocatalysis and ozonation. In addition, 4% Ag-g-C 3 N 4 /SBA-15 samples showed good stability in photocatalytic ozonation process by cycled for four times, and the mechanism was also confirmed in this study. It is suggested that Ag-g-C 3 N 4 /SBA-15 composites is a promising catalyst for the practical application of photocatalytic ozonation.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The Kai Yu Zhong Yu recipe (KYZY) is a classic herbal formula in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been used to treat infertility associated with psychological stress for more than three hundred years. Aim of the study Psychological stress has major impacts on fertility, with variable outcomes depending on the nature, strength, and duration of the stress. Stress can directly disturb ovulation, oocyte quality, maturation, and embryo development. The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular mechanism by which KYZY improves oocyte developmental potential under psychological stress. Materials and methods ICR female mice aged 4–5 weeks were randomly divided into five groups: control, stressed in the chronic unpredictable stress model (CUSM), and stressed plus KYZY treatment at 38.2 g/kg (KYZYH), 19.1 g/kg (KYZYM), or 9.6 g/kg (KYZYL). Ovary function was assessed by measuring serum levels of estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH). Oocyte quality was evaluated in terms of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, apoptotic DNA fragmentation, and mitochondria distribution. We used RNA sequencing (RNAseq) to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between groups and then further analyzed the DEGs for gene ontology (GO) term enrichment and protein-protein interactions. Results Mice in the stressed group had reduced serum E2, LH, and FSH as well as increased ROS levels, increased apoptosis, and disturbed mitochondria distribution in oocytes. Treatment with KYZY at all three doses reversed or ameliorated these negative effects of stress. DEG analysis identified 187 common genes between the two comparisons (stressed vs. control and KYZYM vs. stressed), 33 of which were annotated with six gene ontology (GO)'s biological process (BP) terms: cell differentiation, apoptosis, ATP synthesis, protein homo-oligomerization, neuron migration, and negative regulation of peptidase activity. Protein-protein interaction network analysis of DEGs identified key hub genes. Notably, the genes Atp5o and Cyc1 were both involved in the ATP synthesis and among the top three hub genes, suggesting that regulation of oocyte mitochondrial electron transport and ATP synthesis is important in the response to stress and also is a possible mechanism of action for KYZY. Conclusions KYZY was effective in ameliorating the adverse effects of stress on oocyte competence, possibly by targeting the mitochondrial respiratory chain and ATP synthase.

Metallic Bi coupled Bi 12 SiO 20 (Bi/BSO) is synthesized by a solvothermal method. Characterization demonstrates the presence of Bi metal on Bi 12 SiO 20 , the intimate interface between Bi metal and Bi 12 SiO 20 , and the existence of oxygen vacancies in Bi/BSO. It possesses improved photocatalytic activity, and its reaction rates are 23 and 1.4 times higher than those of Bi 12 SiO 20 in RhB and 2,4-DCP removal. Its enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to its enhanced visible-light-response and improved charge separation resulting from the surface plasmon resonance effect endowed by metallic Bi and the unique features of oxygen vacancies on Bi 12 SiO 20 . Meanwhile, with the addition of H 2 O 2 , its reaction rates are 3 times higher than that of Bi 12 SiO 20 in 2, 4-DCP removal, indicating that oxygen vacancies are beneficial for the generation of OH. This work paves a new way to enhance the photocatalytic activity of Bi 12 SiO 20 by utilizing the cost-effective plasmonic Bi metal and oxygen vacancies.