Botany,Traditional Uses,and Pharmacology of Polygonati Rhizoma

Huang Jing (黄精 Polygonati Rhizoma, PR) was first documented as a herbal medicine in Ming Yi Bie Lu (《名医别录》 Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians) in China. However, there was no comprehensive review on the botany, traditional uses, and pharmacological effects of PR till now. In this study, the botany, traditional uses including Taoist medicine, and pharmacological effects of PR were reviewed and summarized to provide insights on drug development of PR. In Taoist medicine, PR maintains agerasia and helps prolong human life-span, and is used for fasting (Bigu). In the Zhong Guo Yao Dian (《中国药典》Chinese Pharmacopeia) version 2020, PR exerts replenishing qi and nourishing yin, invigorating the spleen, moistening the lung, and strengthening the kidney. Pharmacological studies show that PR has effects of anti-oxidation, anti-diabetes, anti-osteoporosis, anti-cancer, anti-hyperlipidemia, cardiomyocyte protection, immunomodulatory, and thus can be used for treatment of infertility, anti-microorganisms, and improving sleep and memory. In conclusion, PR may play a potential role for chronic disease management and health preservation and this very role deserves a more in-depth research.

SRP54 Negatively Regulates IFN-Beta Production and Antiviral Response by Targeting RIG-I and MDA5

During virus infection,RIG-I-like receptors(RLRs)recognize viral RNAs and recruit the adaptor protein VISA to activate downstream signaling,leading to activation of transcription factors NF-κB and IRF3,which collaborate to induce type I interferons(IFNs).IFNs further induce expression of hundreds of IFN-stimulated genes(ISGs)that suppress viral replication and facilitate the adaptive immune response.Dysregulated production of IFNs is implicated in various immune diseases.Here we identified Signal Recognition Particle 54(SRP54)as a negative regulator of RLRs-induced antiviral signaling.Overexpression of SRP54 inhibited RNA virus-triggered induction of IFN-b and increased viral replication,whereas knockdown of SRP54 had opposite effects.Mechanistically,SRP54 interacted with both RIG-I and MDA5 and impaired their association with VISA.Our findings demonstrate that SRP54 acts as a negative regulator of RLRs-mediated innate immune response by disrupting the recruitment of VISA to RIG-I/MDA5.

Formation and Structural Evolution of Fe72.5B15.6Si7.8Nb1.7Zr1.7Cu0.7 Nanocrystalline Alloy

A 2.5-mm Fe72.5B15.6Si7.8Nb1.7Zr1.7Cu0.7 glassy rod was successfully fabricated using copper mold casting.The introduction of Cu resulted in the formation of large quantities of a-Fe nanoparticles embedded in the glassy matrix after isothermal annealing.The Fe72.5B15.6Si7.8Nb1.7Zr1.7Cu0.7 nanocrystalline alloy exhibited high saturation magnetization(~1.26 T) and a low coercive force(~0.8 A/m) after annealing at 833 K for 15 min due to the precipitation of ~15-nm-sized a-Fe nanoparticles in the glassy matrix.The structural evolution of the FeBSiNbZrCu amorphous alloy during the annealing process was discussed using a dual-cluster model.

Corrosion behavior of additive-manufactured NiFeCrMo alloys in various corrosion media

To understand the corrosion performance of additive-manufactured Ni-based in various corrosion media during the actual engineering application environment,the corrosion properties of NiFeCrMo alloys were investigated in 3.5 wt.%NaCl solution,1 mol/L H2SO_(4) solution,and 1 mol/L KOH solution,using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.The electrochemical measurement results revealed that the additive-manufactured NiFeCrMo alloys have higher corrosion resistance in all three solutions,compared with the as-cast samples.The results of the scanning electron microscope confirmed that the degree of additive-manufactured NiFeCrMo alloys after potentiostatic polarization in all three solutions is less serious.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed that the enhancement of the corrosion resistance for the additive-manufactured NiFeCrMo alloys is attributed to the modification of the composition of the passive films.Additive manufactured processing promotes the enrichment of the element of Cr or Mo in the passive film and it suppresses the formation of the oxidation of the element of Fe,leading to higher stability of the passive films.The reason for the higher corrosion resistance of the additive-manufactured NiFeCrMo alloys was related to the enrichment of the element of Cr,as well as the lower content of the elements of Ni and Fe near the grain boundaries,which are beneficial to forming a more compact passive film.The combined results are essential for the applications of high-strength Ni-based as structural materials in a corrosion environment.