Neuroprotective effects of Shaoyao Gancao decoction against excitatory damage in PC12 cells based on the Src-NR2-nNOS pathway

Objective:To explore the neuroprotective effects of the Shaoyao Gancao decoction(SGD)against excitatory damage in PC12 cells and the role of the Src-NR2-nNOS pathway mediation by SGD in regulatingγ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)-glutamate(Glu)homeostasis.Methods: N-Methyl-d-aspartic acid(NMDA)was used to establish a PC12 cell excitability injury model.To investigate the neuroprotective effect of SGD,a cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay was used to determine PC12 cell viability,Annexin V/Propidium Iodide(Annexin V/PI)double staining was used to determine PC12 cell apoptosis,and Ca^(2+)concentration was observed using laser confocal microscopy.GABA receptor agonists and antagonists were used to analyze the neuroprotective interactions betweenγ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)and NMDA receptors.Additionally,molecular biology techniques were used to determine mRNA and protein expression in the Src-NR2-nNOS pathway.We analyzed the correlations between the regulatory sites of GABA and NMDA interactions,excitatory neurotoxicity,and brain damage at the molecular level.Results: NMDA excitotoxic injury manifested as a significant decrease in cell activity,increased apoptosis and caspase-3 protein expression,and a significant increase in intracellular Ca^(2+)concentration.Administration of SGD,a GABAA receptor agonist(muscimol),or a GABAB receptor agonist(baclofen)decreased intracellular Ca^(2+)concentrations,attenuated apoptosis,and reversed NMDA-induced upregulation of caspase-3,Src,NMDAR2A,NMDAR2B,and nNOS.Unexpectedly,a GABA_(A)receptor antagonist(bicuculline)and a GABA_(B)receptor antagonist(saclofen)failed to significantly increase excitatory neurotoxicity.Conclusions: Taken together,these results not only provide an experimental basis for SGD administration in the clinical treatment of central nervous system injury diseases,but also suggest that the Src-NR2A-nNOS pathway may be a valuable target in excitotoxicity treatment.

Protective mechanism of Paeoniae Radix Alba against chemical liver injury based on network pharmacology,molecular docking,and in vitro experiments

Objective:To explore and validate the potential targets of Paeoniae Radix Alba(P.Radix,Bai Shao)in protecting against chemical liver injury through network pharmacology,molecular docking technology,and in vitro cell experiments.Methods:Network pharmacology was used to identify the common potential targets of P.Radix and chemical liver injury.Molecular docking was used to fit the components,which were subsequently verified in vitro.A cell model of hepatic fibrosis was established by activating hepatic stellate cell(HSC)-LX2 cells with 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor-β1.The cells were exposed to different concentrations of total glucosides of paeony(TGP),the active substance of P.Radix,and then evaluated using the cell counting kit-8 assay,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and western blot.Results:Analysis through network pharmacology revealed 13 key compounds of P.Radix,and the potential targets for preventing chemical liver injury were IL-6,AKT serine/threonine kinase 1,jun protooncogene,heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1(HSP90AA1),peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma(PPARG),PTGS2,and CASP3.Gene Ontology(GO)enrichment analysis indicated the involvement of response to drugs,membrane rafts,and peptide binding.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis revealed that the main pathways involved lipid and atherosclerosis and chemical carcinogenesis-receptor activation.Paeoniflorin and albiflorin exhibited strong affinity for HSP90AA1,PTGS2,PPARG,and CASP3.Different concentrations of TGP can inhibit the expression of COL-I,COL-III,IL-6,TNF-a,IL-1β,HSP-90a,and PTGS2 while increasing the expression of PPAR-γand CASP3 in activated HSC-LX2 cells.Conclusion:P.Radix primarily can regulate targets such as HSP90AA1,PTGS2,PPARG,CASP3.TGP,the main active compound of P.Radix,protects against chemical liver injury by reducing the inflammatory response,activating apoptotic proteins,and promoting the apoptosis of activated HSCs.

改性聚乳酸/生物玻璃复合纳米纤维的结构与性能

将辐照接枝改性聚乳酸(MPLLA)与纳米生物玻璃(NBG)复合,通过静电纺丝工艺制备MPLLA/NBG复合纳米纤维。利用红外光谱、扫描电镜、力学性能、表面接触角和体外矿化,研究聚乳酸接枝改性对复合纳米纤维结构及性能的影响。结果表明,辐射接枝改性有利于提高聚乳酸与NBG之间的相容性,减小纳米粉体团聚,纤维直径减小,分布变窄;复合纳米纤维横向拉伸强度均大于5.5 MPa,纵向拉伸强度从3.9 MPa提高到5.5 MPa,横向、纵向拉伸强度差距随接枝率增大而减小;PLLA/NBG与10%MPLLA/NBG表面水接触角20 s内无明显差异,20%MPLLA/NBG表面水接触角20 s内从134.2°降低至78.6°;接枝改性提高了复合纳米纤维矿化度,20%MPLLA/NBG在24 h内快速矿化,14d矿化度较PLLA/NBG与10%MPLLA/NBG分别提高7.88倍和6.18倍。

How do Chinese medicines that tonify the kidney inhibit dopaminergic neuron apoptosis?

Wistar rats were intragastrical y perfused with Chinese medicines used for tonifying the kidney. These included 0.180 g/mL of Herba Epimedi （Epimedium）, Semen Cuscutae （Dodder Seed）, or Herba Cistanches （Desertliving Cistanche）, 0.04 mg/mL monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor selegiline, or distil ed water for 14 consecutive days to prepare drug-containing serum or blank serum. MES23.5 cells in the logarithmic phase were cultured in media supplemented with 15%drug-containing serum for 24 hours, fol owed by incubation in culture solution containing 100μmol/L H2O2 for 3 hours. 3-（4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide （MTT） and flow tometry results showed that al drug-containing serums improved the survival rate of H 2 O 2-injured MES23.5 cells, inhibited pro-apoptotic FasL and caspase-3 expression, promoted anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression. However, drug-containing serums had little influence on Fas expression in H 2 O 2-injured MES23.5 cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results showed that serum containing Herba Cistanches or Herba Epimedi increased the expression of nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and glial cellline-derived neurotrophic factor in injured MES23.5 cells;serum containing Semen Cuscutae only increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor expres-sion; while expression of the above neurotrophic factors remained the same in cells treated with serum containing selegiline. These findings indicate that Chinese medicines used to tonify the kid-ney can protect nerve cells by regulating the expression of apoptosis-related factors and neuro-trophic factors in MES23.5 cells.

Optimization of Extraction Process and Content Determination of Total Flavonoids from Sanguisorbae Radix and Carbonized Sanguisorba Root by Orthogonal Experimental Design

[Objectives] To optimize the extraction process of total flavonoids from Sanguisorbae Radix and carbonized Sanguisorba root,compare quality of different batches of Sanguisorbae Radix,study the effects of processing on the content of flavonoids,and provide scientific basis for reasonable utilization of Sanguisorbae Radix. [Methods] Test samples were prepared by heating,refluxing,and extraction,the extraction process was optimized by orthogonal experiment design,color was developed by NaNO_2-Al( NO_3)3-NaOH,and total flavonoids were measured by UV method at the wavelength of 510 nm. [Results] The linear relationship of rutin was excellent in the concentration range of 0. 1248 mg/mL-0. 5712 mg/mL,R^2= 0. 9997; the average recovery was 99. 67% and the RSD was 0. 70%. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: the volume fraction of ethanol was 50%,the extraction temperature was 90℃,the extraction time was 90 min,and the solid-to-liquid ratio was 1∶ 20( g/mL). [Conclusions] After optimization of the extraction process,the extraction rate of total flavonoids in samples of Sanguisorbae Radix was significantly increased; there was certain difference in the content of total flavonoids between different batches of Sanguisorbae Radix and processed products; the total flavonoids significantly declines in carbonized sanguisorba root,and the influence of processing on its curative effect was to be further studied.

Determination of Inorganic Elements in Roots, Stems and Leaves of Arctium lappa L. by ICP-OES

[Objectives] To determine the content of 20 inorganic elements in 18 samples of roots, stems and leaves from of Arctium lappa L. produced in different areas. [Methods] The wet digestion and technique of inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry(ICP-OES) were used. [Results] 20 kinds of inorganic elements in the samples of A. lappa L. roots contained rich elements essential for human beings such as K, Ca, Na, P and trace elements Cu, Fe, Zn; heavy metals Pb, As, Cu, Cd in A. lappa L. samples did not exceed the limit, and Hg was not detected in all 12 samples; heavy metals in A. lappa L. roots harvested in 12 months did not exceed the limit. [Conclusions] Compared with the roots of A. lappa L., the inorganic elements in the stems and leaves of A. lappa L. were relatively less. The samples collected from Shuimo Town in Wenchuan County of Aba Prefecture with an altitude of 920 m showed little difference from samples collected from Qiongxi Town in Hongyuan County of Aba Prefecture with an altitude of 3 505 m in 20 kinds of inorganic elements.

Extraction Process of Green Pigment from Leaves of Arctium lappa L. by Ultrasound Assisted Method and Its Stability Study

[Objectives] The research aimed to extract green pigment from leaves of Arctium lappa L. and inspect its stability. [Methods] Ultrasound assisted method was used. [Results] Water bath temperature had little impact on green pigment, and Al^(3+), Cu^(2+), Mg^(2+) and Zn^(2+) in metal ions greatly affected green pigment, while Fe^(3+) had very little impact on the stability of green pigment. pH did not basically affect green pigment of A. lappa L. [Conclusions] The extraction rate and stability of green pigment from leaves of A. lappa L. were higher, and it was one of materials suitable for extracting green pigment.

Extraction Process and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides from Cyathula Capitata( Wall. ) Moq.

[Objectives]To optimize the ultrasonic-assisted extraction process of polysaccharides from Cyathula Capitata( Wall.) Moq. and evaluate its antioxidant capacity in vitro. [Methods] The single factor orthogonal design was applied to explore the effects of ultrasonic time,solid-to-liquid ratio,extraction time and ethanol precipitation concentration on the extraction rate of crude polysaccharides from C. Capitata,to obtain the optimal extraction process; DPPH and ABTS^+ free radical scavenging ability was detected to evaluate its in vitro antioxidant activity.[Results]The optimal extraction process of C. Capitata crude polysaccharide was as follows: solid-to-liquid ratio was 40∶ 1,the extraction temperature was 50℃,the ultrasonic time was 80 min. Under such conditions,the extraction rate of C. Capitata crude polysaccharide was 10. 51%,and the purity was 56. 9%; C. Capitata crude polysaccharide has good scavenging ability to DPPH and ABTS^+ free radicals,and its IC_(50) values are 0. 468 and 0. 231 mg/mL,respectively. [Conclusions]The optimized process is simple and feasible,and the C. Capitata polysaccharide has good antioxidant activity in vitro. This experiment provides a basis for the further development and utilization of the C. Capitata polysaccharide.

When quantum dots meet blue phase liquid crystal elastomers:visualized full-color and mechanically-switchable circularly polarized luminescence

Polymer-based circularly polarized luminescence(CPL)materials with the advantage of diversified structure,easy fabrication,high thermal stability,and tunable properties have garnered considerable attention.However,adequate and precise tuning over CPL in polymer-based materials remains challenging due to the difficulty in regulating chiral structures.Herein,visualized full-color CPL is achieved by doping red,green,and blue quantum dots(QDs)into reconfigurable blue phase liquid crystal elastomers(BPLCEs).In contrast to the CPL signal observed in cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers(CLCEs),the chiral 3D cubic superstructure of BPLCEs induces an opposite CPL signal.Notably,this effect is entirely independent of photonic bandgaps(PBGs)and results in a high glum value,even without matching between PBGs and the emission bands of QDs.Meanwhile,the lattice structure of the BPLCEs can be reversibly switched via mechanical stretching force,inducing on-off switching of the CPL signals,and these variations can be further fixed using dynamic disulfide bonds in the BPLCEs.Moreover,the smart polymer-based CPL systems using the BPLCEs for anti-counterfeiting and information encryption have been demonstrated,suggesting the great potential of the BPLCEs-based CPL active materials.

Cation-π and electrostatic interactions co-driven assembly of two-dimensional heteropore supramolecular polymers with rapid iodine capture capability

Constructing two-dimensional(2D)supramolecular polymers with complicated hierarchical porosity significantly contributes to developing effective strategies to control delicate self-assembly architectures,thus facilitating the fabrication of advanced 2D organic functional materials.Here,we report utilizing cooperative cation-πand electrostatic interactions to construct a series of robust 2D heteropore supramolecular polymers(2D HPSPs)with hierarchical pore structures,in which hexagonal and rectangular pores are alternately and periodically arranged,and the pore sizes can be finely tuned.Remarkably,the as-prepared 2D HPSPs exhibit excellent iodine(I_(2))capture rate(a maximum K80%value is 2.25 g h^(-1)),and present a novel mechanism involving transport-adsorption spatiotemporal separation for rapid I_(2)capture.In this mechanism,the transport of free I_(2)is first conducted in large hexagonal pores,and then I_(2)can be preferentially adsorbed in small rectangular pores,thereby preventing the transfer channels from blocking and greatly improving the adsorption kinetics.

LDformer:a parallel neural network model for long-term power forecasting

Accurate long-term power forecasting is important in the decision-making operation of the power grid and power consumption management of customers to ensure the power system’s reliable power supply and the grid economy’s reliable operation.However,most time-series forecasting models do not perform well in dealing with long-time-series prediction tasks with a large amount of data.To address this challenge,we propose a parallel time-series prediction model called LDformer.First,we combine Informer with long short-term memory(LSTM)to obtain deep representation abilities in the time series.Then,we propose a parallel encoder module to improve the robustness of the model and combine convolutional layers with an attention mechanism to avoid value redundancy in the attention mechanism.Finally,we propose a probabilistic sparse(ProbSparse)self-attention mechanism combined with UniDrop to reduce the computational overhead and mitigate the risk of losing some key connections in the sequence.Experimental results on five datasets show that LDformer outperforms the state-of-the-art methods for most of the cases when handling the different long-time-series prediction tasks.

仿生光子晶体纤维的研究进展

光子晶体纤维是由光子晶体结构组成的纤维,具有高饱和度的结构色彩;其结合响应性材料或柔性基质可制备各种传感响应性光子晶体纤维,在可穿戴智能传感设备方面具有应用潜力.自然界中存在许多光子晶体纤维结构,比如雪绒花花瓣的绒毛,撒哈拉沙漠银蚂蚁的毛发,黑嘴喜鹊羽毛等,光子晶体纤维的研究对于取代传统纺织业的化学染料具有重要意义.本综述总结了光子晶体纤维的概念、仿生制备方法、性能及相关应用,并对光子晶体纤维在纺织业和智能传感领域的应用前景进行展望,该综述对于发展光子晶体纤维的制备方法及潜在应用具有重要意义.

Calcium-magnesium-alumina-silicate(CMAS)resistant high entropy ceramic(Y_(0.2)Gd_(0.2)Er_(0.2)Yb_(0.2)Lu_(0.2))_(2)Zr_(2)O_(7) for thermal barrier coatings

A novel high-entropy material,(Y_(0.2)Gd_(0.2)Er_(0.2)Yb_(0.2)Lu_(0.2))_(2)Zr_(2)O_(7)was successfully synthesized by the solid state reaction method and spark plasma sintering,and investigated as a promising thermal barrier coating material.Rare-earth elements were distributed homogeneously in the pyrochlore structure.It was found that the prepared high-entropy ceramic maintains pyrochlore structure at the temperature up to 1600℃,and it possesses a similar thermal expansion coefficient(10.2×10^(−6)K^(−1) at 25-900℃)to that of YSZ,low thermal conductivity(<0.9 W m^(-1)K^(−1) at 100-1000℃)and good CMAS resistance(infiltration depth is 22μm after annealed at 1300℃for 24 h).The corrosion process was investigated,and RE elements distributing homogeneously in(Y_(0.2)Gd_(0.2)Er_(0.2)Yb_(0.2)Lu_(0.2))_(2)Zr_(2)O_(7)show different diffusion rates in CMAS.RE^(3+) with a larger radius(closer to Ca^(2+))is easier to react with CMAS to form an apatite phase.

A green eco-environment for sustainable development:framework and action

Following its 40-year reform and‘Open Door’policy,China has recently proposed a new approach to green development and rural revitalization—the idea of Agriculture Green Development(AGD),with the key feature of creating a green eco-environment.In this minireview we introduce the definition,theory,framework and major components of a green eco-environment as a key part of the AGD.We define a green eco-environment as including four key elements or measures:(1)a green ecoenvironmental indicator system;(2)environmental monitoring and warning networks;(3)emission standards and environmental thresholds for key pollutants;(4)emission controls and pollution remediation technologies.We have used Quzhou County(a typical county in the center of the North China Plain)as an example to show how detailed air,water and soil monitoring networks,as well as improved farmer practices and pollution control measures(especially ammonia emission mitigation and PM2.5 pollution reduction),can begin to create a green eco-environment in China and that AGD is possible.We conclude by stressing the need to improve the framework and practice for a green eco-environment,especially the importance of linking proposals and practices for a green eco-environment with the United Nations high priority Sustainable Development Goals.

Micellar Catalysis:Visible-Light Mediated Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine C—H Amination with N-Aminopyridinium Salt Accelerated by Surfactant in Water

A light-promoted metal-free protocol for the amination of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines with N-aminopyridinium salt by the assistance of surfactants in water was reported,charactering mild and environmentally benign conditions,as well as great functional group tolerance.Micelles with negatively charged polar surface and hydrophobic core formed from sodium dodecyl sulfate serve as an ideal medium for visible-light mediated radical reaction of cationic pyridine salt and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine in aqueous phase.The electrostatic interaction between positively charged N-aminopyridinium and negatively charged surface of micelles is of great significance in this method.

Self-assembly of latex particles for colloidal crystals

Self-assembly of latex particles is of great importance for fabricating various functional colloidal crystals. In this paper, we review recent research on the self-assembly of latex particles for colloidal crystals, covering the assembly forces and various assembly approaches of latex particles, including self-assembly by gravity sedimentation, vertical deposition, physical confinement, electric field, and magnetic field. Furthermore, some simple methods for assembling latex particles such as spin coating, spray coating, and printing are also summarized.

Synthesis of Hyperbranched Polymer for 3D Printing

3D printing has been developing rapidly in recent years owing to its application in academic and industry areas,but the poor mechanical property of printing materials limits its application.Herein,a photocurable resin with good mechanical property was obtained based on hyperbranched polymer synthesized through the reaction of carboxylic acids with isocyanates catalyzed by magnesium stearate.Three kinds of hyperbranched polymers with different molecular weight were fabricated by modulating the content of isocyanates.By mixing hyperbranched polymer with acryloylmorpholine,polyethylene glycol diacrylate 400 and photoinitiator of 819,the photocurable resin was obtained.The influence of various factors on mechanical properties of samples was investigated such as molecular weight of hyperbranched polymer and the light exposure time.Comparing with the commercial resin,the flexural strength(116.06 MPa)and impact strength(34.59 kJ/m^(2))of the resultant resin increased by 21.2%and 20.8%,respectively.

Integrated sensing from the synergetic color change of the center/brush of cholesteric liquid crystal particles

Cholesteric liquid crystal(CLC)particles can adaptively respond to constant changes in external stimuli and thus are widely used in solvent-sensing,pattern fabrication,and anti-counterfeiting.Previous studies discussed the color change at the center of the particles for various applications.However,few studies analyzed the color change of the brush structure of particles in response to various applications because of the complicated birefringence effect.In this paper,we present a novel integrated sensing system based on the synergetic color change from the center and the brush structure of CLC particles.This system provides abundant and additional sensing information relative to the traditional system.CLC particles are prepared by mixing reactive mesogens,a reactive chiral dopant,a non-reactive LC molecule,and a photoinitiator by using a microfluidic device and subsequent photopolymerization.The CLC particles exhibit gorgeous color at the center and brush structure upon various solvent stimuli because of the Bragg reflection and the birefringence effect,which is explained by the possible color-changing mechanism introduced in this paper.For proof-of-concept applications,such color-changing polymer particles are demonstrated in multi-solvent-sensing detection and pattern display.This study provides new insights into the development of stimuli-responsive advanced functional materials with tailorable nanostructures toward technological applications ranging from sensing to display.

Furan-based liquid-crystalline small-molecule donor guest improving the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells with amorphous packing

Introducing liquid-crystalline small-molecule donors(SMDs)into binary systems based on the strong intermolecular interactions of SMDs is a facile and effective strategy to tune the active layer morphology and improve the performance of organic solar cells(OSCs).Contrary to conventional understanding,this research proposes a new strategy for ternary OSCs implicating that"weakly crystalline materials can also optimize the morphology of the active layer and improve the OSCs performance".Herein,we designed and synthesized two liquid-crystalline SMDs,Z1 and Z2,based on benzodifuran(BDF)units.The amorphous Z2-incorporated ternary devices present an unexpectedly improved power conversion efficiency(PCE)>18%with good stability.By contrast,the highly ordered Z1-based ternary devices possess a significantly depressed efficiency.Multiple characterizations reveal that the Z2-based ternary blend films possess improved miscibility and efficient charge transport.This novel strategy for the selection of the third component is significant for the fabrication of high-efficiency ternary OSCs.

An end-capped strategy for crystalline polymer donor to improve the photovoltaic performance of non-fullerene solar cells

The effects of end-capped modifications of a polymer donor with high molecular weight on non-fullerene solar cells are largely ignored,even if the chain-end-functionalized method of conjugated polymers is an effective strategy in modulating polymeric optical-electronic properties.In this study,we design and synthesize an end-capped polymer,PM6TPO,via a reaction with the parent polymer PM6.Meanwhile,the conventional detection methods of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight(MALDI-TOF),and ^(1)H nuclear magnetic resonance(^(1)H NMR) were replaced by simple solution-based inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) to evaluate the end-capped efficacy of PM6TPO.By introducing end-capped groups on a high molecular weight polymer donor,we could finely tune the aggregated behavior,strengthen the miscibility between the donor and acceptor without sacrificing the strong aggregated properties,and reduce the non-radiative recombination with a lower energy loss.Therefore,the PM6TPO-based organic solar cell(OSC)realized a higher open-circuit voltage of 0.843 V and PCE of 17.26% than that of the non-end-capped parent polymer,PM6(0.824 V and 16.21%,respectively).This work not only provides a straightforward method for verifying the end-capped efficacy of a high molecular weight polymer but also indicates a new research direction for improving the photovoltaic performance of non-fullerene-based solar cells.