Parishin A alleviates insomnia by regulating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis homeostasis and directly targeting orexin receptor OX.

Parishin A (PA), a bioactive compound derived from Gastrodia elata Blume, has been used as a herbal remedy for insomnia. Nevertheless, the mechanism underlying the effect of PA on promotion of sleep and its potential targets remain to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the potential of PA in ameliorating insomnia, probing into its interactions with the orexin receptor 2 (OX), antagonists of which are used clinically for the treatment of sleep disorders.

Revisiting the Facet Control in the Growth of Au Nanobipyramids.

Abnormalities of Au nanobipyramids (NBPs), such as rough surfaces, variable tip angles, corrugated edges, and curved tips, cannot be explained by traditional facet control. The underlying mechanism and significance of these abnormalities have not been fully recognized. This study revisits the growth process, focusing on the transition from normal to abnormal structures.

Liquid Active Surface Growth: Explaining the Symmetry Breaking in Liquid Nanoparticles.

In our previous studies of metal nanoparticle growth, we have come to realize that the dynamic interplay between ligand passivation and metal deposition, as opposed to static facet control, is responsible for focused growth at a few active sites. In this work, we show that the same underlying principle could be applied to a very different system and explain the abnormal growth modes of liquid nanoparticles. In such a liquid active surface growth (LASG), the interplay between droplet expansion and simultaneous silica shell encapsulation gives rise to an active site of growth, which eventually becomes the long necks of nanobottles.

Activation of the Melatonin Receptor MT by the Natural Product Gastrodin to Promote Sleep.

The activation of melatonin receptors, belonging to the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) superfamily, has been recognized as a vital approach in the clinical management of sleep disorders. Although the natural agonist melatonin and synthetic agonists (e.g.

Homogeneous continuous flow nitration of -methylisouronium sulfate and its optimization by kinetic modeling.

Nitration of -methylisouronium sulfate under mixed acid conditions gives -methyl--nitroisourea, a key intermediate of neonicotinoid insecticides with high application value. The reaction is a fast and highly exothermic process with a high mass transfer resistance, making its control difficult and risky. In this paper, a homogeneous continuous flow microreactor system was developed for the nitration of -methylisouronium sulfate under high concentrations of mixed acids, with a homemade static mixer eliminating the mass transfer resistance.

Flexible Terahertz Broadband Absorber Based on a Copper Composite Film.

Terahertz absorbers play a crucial role in terahertz detectors, radar stealth, electromagnetic shielding, and other fields. However, the design and fabrication of flexible terahertz broadband absorbers remain a challenge at present. Here, we demonstrated a terahertz broadband absorber based on a copper composite film (CCF) consisting of a copper foam and an organic silica gel doped with FeO powder.

First demonstration of 2T0C-FeDRAM: a-ITZO FET and double gate a-ITZO/a-IGZO FeFET with a record-long multibit retention time of >4-bit and >2000 s.

Conventional DRAM, consisting of one transistor and one capacitor (1T1C), requires periodic data refresh processes due to its limited retention time and data-destructive read operation. Here, we propose and demonstrate a novel 3D-DRAM memory scheme available with a single transistor and a single ferroelectric field-effect transistor (FeFET) DRAM (2T0C-FeDRAM), which offers extended retention time and non-destructive read operation. This architecture uses a back-end-of-line (BEOL)-compatible amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) that is suitable for increasing DRAM cell density.

Pyroptosis and the fight against lung cancer.

Pyroptosis, a newly characterized type of inflammatory programmed cell death (PCD), is usually triggered by multiple inflammasomes which can recognize different danger or damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), leading to the activation of caspase-1 and the cleavage of gasdermin D (GSDMD). Gasdermin family pore-forming proteins are the executers of pyroptosis and are normally maintained in an inactive state through auto-inhibition. Upon caspases mediated cleavage of gasdermins, the pro-pyroptotic N-terminal fragment is released from the auto-inhibition of C-terminal fragment and oligomerizes, forming pores in the plasma membrane.

Transfer learning across different chemical domains: virtual screening of organic materials with deep learning models pretrained on small molecule and chemical reaction data.

Machine learning is becoming a preferred method for the virtual screening of organic materials due to its cost-effectiveness over traditional computationally demanding techniques. However, the scarcity of labeled data for organic materials poses a significant challenge for training advanced machine learning models. This study showcases the potential of utilizing databases of drug-like small molecules and chemical reactions to pretrain the BERT model, enhancing its performance in the virtual screening of organic materials.

Spatial-temporal impacts of invasive Spartina anglica on the rates and pathways of organic carbon mineralization and resulting C-Fe-S cycles in the intertidal wetland of the Han River Estuary, Yellow Sea.

To elucidate the spatial-temporal impact of invasive saltmarsh plant Spartina anglica on the biogeochemical processes in coastal wetlands, we investigated the rates and partitioning of organic carbon (C) mineralization in three representative benthic habitats: (1) vegetated sediments inhabited by invasive S. anglica (SA); vegetated sediments by indigenous Suaeda japonica; and (3) unvegetated mud flats. Microbial metabolic rates were greatly stimulated at the SA site during the active growing seasons of Spartina, indicating that a substantial amount of organic substrates was supplied from the high below-ground biomass of Spartina.

GAPS: a geometric attention-based network for peptide binding site identification by the transfer learning approach.

Protein-peptide interactions (PPepIs) are vital to understanding cellular functions, which can facilitate the design of novel drugs. As an essential component in forming a PPepI, protein-peptide binding sites are the basis for understanding the mechanisms involved in PPepIs. Therefore, accurately identifying protein-peptide binding sites becomes a critical task.

Standardized ileal digestible methionine requirements for 22 to 29-d-old male broilers based on the growth performance and feather development.

The aim of the present experiment was to determine the standardized ileal digestible (SID) methionine (Met) requirement during the grower phase (22 to 29 days). A total of 192 Ross 308 male broilers (745 ± 50.5 g) were assigned to six dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design, with eight replicate cages per treatment.

Shearing-induced formation of Au nanowires.

Shearing-induced nucleation is known in our daily lives, yet rarely discussed in nano-synthesis. Here, we demonstrate an unambiguous shearing-induced growth of Au nanowires. While in static solution Au would predominately deposit on pre-synthesized triangular nanoplates to form nano-bowls, the introduction of stirring or shaking gives rise to nanowires, where an initial nucleation could be inferred.

Exposure to Gulf war illness-related chemicals exacerbates alcohol-induced liver damage in rodents.

Gulf War Illness (GWI) describes a series of symptoms suffered by veterans of the Gulf war, consisting of cognitive, neurological and gastrointestinal dysfunctions. Two chemicals associated with GWI are the insecticide permethrin (PER) and the nerve gas prophylactic pyridostigmine-bromide (PB). In this study we assessed the effects of PER and PB exposure on the pathology and subsequent alcohol (EtOH)-induced liver injury, and the influence of a macrophage depletor, PLX3397, on EtOH-induced liver damage in PER/PB-treated mice.

Inclusion of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NSMJ15 in broiler diets induces changes in jejunal immune cell population and cecal microbiota.

Objective: The objective was to investigate growth performance, antioxidant enzyme activity, intestinal morphology, immune cell distribution, short chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile, and microbiota in broiler chickens fed a diet containing Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NSMJ15.

Methods: A total of 120 1-day-old Ross 308 male broilers were allocated to 2 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design. A control group was fed a corn-soybean meal control diet, and an NSMJ15-supplemented group was fed a control diet supplemented with 1 g/kg L.

Growth performance and nitrogen excretion of broiler chickens fed low protein diets supplemented with crystalline amino acids.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of amino acid (AA) supplementation in low-protein (LP) diets on growth performance and nitrogen (N) excretion. A total of 175 7-day-old Ross 308 male broilers, with a mean body weight (BW) of 165 g (standard deviation = 11.2 g), were grouped into five blocks by BW and allocated to seven treatments according to a randomized complete block design with five replicate cages at five birds per cage.

Jolkinolide B synergistically potentiates the antitumor activity of GPX4 inhibitors via inhibiting TrxR1 in cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer cells.

Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is a promising anticancer therapeutic target; however, the application of GPX4 inhibitors (GPX4i) is limited owing to intrinsic or acquired drug resistance. Hence, understanding the mechanisms underlying drug resistance and discovering molecules that can overcome drug resistance are crucial. Herein, we demonstrated that GPX4i killed bladder cancer cells by inducing lipid reactive oxygen species-mediated ferroptosis and apoptosis, and cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer cells were also resistant to GPX4i, representing a higher half-maximal inhibitory concentration value than that of parent bladder cancer cells.

An artificial intelligence platform for automated PFAS subgroup classification: A discovery tool for PFAS screening.

Since structural analyses and toxicity assessments have not been able to keep up with the discovery of unknown per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), there is an urgent need for effective categorization and grouping of PFAS. In this study, we presented PFAS-Atlas, an artificial intelligence-based platform containing a rule-based automatic classification system and a machine learning-based grouping model. Compared with previously developed classification software, the platform's classification system follows the latest Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition of PFAS and reduces the number of uncategorized PFAS.

Exposure to Gulf war illness-related chemicals exacerbates alcohol- induced liver damage in rodents.

Gulf War Illness (GWI) describes a series of symptoms suffered by veterans of the Gulf war consisting of cognitive, neurological and gastrointestinal dysfunctions. Two chemicals associated with GWI are the insecticide permethrin (PER) and the nerve gas prophylactic pyridostigmine-bromide (PB). In this study we assessed the effects of PER and PB exposure on pathology and subsequent alcohol (EtOH)-induced liver injury, and the influence of a macrophage depletor, PLX3397, on EtOH-induced liver damage in PER/PB- treated mice.

Revolutionizing the structural design and determination of covalent-organic frameworks: principles, methods, and techniques.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) represent an important class of crystalline porous materials with designable structures and functions. The interconnected organic monomers, featuring pre-designed symmetries and connectivities, dictate the structures of COFs, endowing them with high thermal and chemical stability, large surface area, and tunable micropores. Furthermore, by utilizing pre-functionalization or post-synthetic functionalization strategies, COFs can acquire multifunctionalities, leading to their versatile applications in gas separation/storage, catalysis, and optoelectronic devices.

New animal model of chronic gout reproduces pathological features of the disease in humans.

Objectives: Gout, as the most prevalent form of inflammatory arthritis, necessitates the use of animal models to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in its development. Therefore, our objective was to develop a novel chronic mouse model of gout that more closely mimics the progression of gout in humans.

Methods: A novel chronic mouse model of gout was established by a simple method, which does not require high technical proficiency, predominantly involves daily intraperitoneal injections of potassium oxonate for approximately 4 months, combined with a high fat-diet and injections of acetic acid into the hind paws to facilitate the formation of monosodium urate (MSU).

Effects of Different Feeding Durations on Ileum Length and Weight and Basal Endogenous Loss of Phosphorus in Broiler Chickens Fed a Phosphorus-Free Diet.

The study investigated the effects of feeding duration on the length and weight of the ileum, and basal endogenous loss (BEL) of phosphorus (P) on broiler chickens fed a P-free diet (PFD). A standard starter diet was fed to 384 birds for 15 days. On day 15, they were weighed and randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups in a randomized complete block design, with eight replicate cages per treatment and 16 birds per cage.

A high activity mesoporous Pt@KIT-6 nanocomposite for selective hydrogenation of halogenated nitroarenes in a continuous-flow microreactor.

In this study, we designed a Pt@KIT-6 nanocomposite prepared by impregnating platinum nanoparticles on the nanopores of the KIT-6 mesoporous material. This Pt@KIT-6 nanocomposite was used as a catalyst in a micro fixed bed reactor (MFBR) for the continuous-flow hydrogenation of halogenated nitroarenes, which demonstrates three advantages. First, the Pt@KIT-6 nanocomposite has a stable mesoporous nanostructure, which effectively enhances the active site and hydrogen adsorption capacity.

Gold nanohexagrams active surface growth under sole CTAB control.

The synthesis of homochiral nanostructures involves not only the chiral ligand, but also CTAB. The latter is often treated as a weak ligand unable to compete with the thiol-based chiral ligand. Here, we show that CTAB alone is able to induce Active Surface Growth on Au nanoplates, giving curved tips and steep ridges in the resulting nano-hexagrams.