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Simple Summary: Here, we show that the plant-derived product, sanguinarine, inhibited aerobic glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation; which resulted in energy alternations and necroptosis of tumor cells. Moreover, we identify the PKM2/β-catenin axis as the main target in sanguinarine treatment against HCC development. Backgrounds: Abnormal metabolism is the hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma. Targeting energy metabolism has become the major focus of cancer therapy. The natural product, sanguinarine, displays remarkable anti-tumor properties by disturbing energy homeostasis; however, the underlying mechanism has not yet been elucidated. Methods: The anticancer activity of sanguinarine was determined using CCK-8 and colony formation assay. Morphological changes of induced cell death were observed under electron microscopy. Necroptosis and apoptosis related markers were detected using western blotting. PKM2 was identified as the target by transcriptome sequencing. Molecular docking assay was used to evaluate the binding affinity of sanguinarine to the PKM2 molecule. Furthermore, Alb-CreERT2; PKM2loxp/loxp; Rosa26RFP mice was used to construct the model of HCC—through the intervention of sanguinarine in vitro and in vivo—to accurately explore the regulation effect of sanguinarine on cancer energy metabolism. Results: Sanguinarine inhibited tumor proliferation, metastasis and induced two modes of cell death. Molecular docking of sanguinarine with PKM2 showed appreciable binding affinity. PKM2 kinase activity and aerobic glycolysis rate declined, and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation was inhibited by sanguinarine application; these changes result in energy deficits and lead to necroptosis. Additionally, sanguinarine treatment prevents the translocation of PKM2 into the nucleus and suppresses the interaction of PKM2 with β-catenin; the transcriptional activity of PKM2/β-catenin signaling and its downstream genes were decreased. Conclusions: Sanguinarine showed remarkable anti-HCC activity via regulating energy metabolism by PKM2/β-catenin signaling. On the basis of these investigations, we propose that sanguinarine might be considered as a promising compound for discovery of anti-HCC drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative Poisson's ratio materials have the advantages of good shear resistance, dent resistance, and fracture resistance. Thus, they have great application potential in the manufacturing field with high requirements for material mechanical flexibility. However, negative Poisson's ratio materials are relatively rare. In this paper, the first principles calculation is used to study the single-layer P2/m-P phosphorene. It is found that when −5% to 5% strain is applied along the zigzag (Y) direction, there is a negative Poisson's ratio effect along the Z direction, and Poisson's ratio is −0.288, which is about ten times that of the single-layer black phosphorus (the negative Poisson's ratio of the single-layer black phosphorus is −0.027). Compared with black phosphorene, it has more potential applications in wearable and impact resistant equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time carbon emissions monitoring at the enterprise level is a crucial tool in shifting macrolevel carbon peak and carbon neutrality plans toward micro-level implementations. This study extends the existing CO2 emissions accounting framework to enterprise emissions monitoring. We analyze the correlation mechanism between electricity consumption and CO2 emissions by industries, calculate the electricity–CO2 coefficients, and finally model an enterprise-level real-time carbon emissions monitoring method based on electricity big data. Taking Guangxi region as a sample, the results show that (1) the proportion of electricity-related emissions is on the rising stage in Guangxi, with 441 g CO2/KWh emitted from electricity consumption in 2020, (2) the carbon emissions from the energy-intensive industries account for over 70% of the whole society, and they all have high electricity–CO2 coefficients, far exceeding the industry average of 1129 g/kWh, and (3) the monitoring method is applied to 1338 enterprises from over 40 industries. The emission characteristics reflect the regional and industrial heterogeneity. This enterprise-level monitoring method aims to optimize the carbon emissions calculation method toward higher temporal and spatial resolutions, so as to provide an important numerical basis for promoting carbon emission reduction and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]