[Metabolomics study of Berberidis Radix in intervening ulcerative colitis based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS].

The effect of Tujia medicine Berberidis Radix on endogenous metabolites in the serum and feces of mice with ulcerative colitis(UC) induced by dextran sulfate sodium(DSS) was analyzed by metabolomics technology to explore the metabolic pathway and underlying mechanism of Berberidis Radix in the intervention of UC. The UC model was induced in mice by DSS. Body weight, disease activity index(DAI), and colon length were recorded. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-10(IL-10) in colon tissues were determined by ELISA. The levels of endogenous metabolites in the serum and feces were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were employed to characterize and screen differential metabolites. The potential metabolic pathways were analyzed by MetaboAnalyst 5.0. The results showed that Berberidis Radix could significantly improve the symptoms of UC mice and increase the level of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10. A total of 56 and 43 differential metabolites were identified in the serum and feces, respectively, belonging to lipids, amino acids, fatty acids, etc. After the intervention by Berberidis Radix, the metabolic disorder gradually recovered. The involved metabolic pathways included biosynthesis of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, linoleic acid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Berberidis Radix can alleviate the symptoms of mice with DSS-induced UC, and the mechanism may be closely related to the re-gulation of lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and energy metabolism.

Evidence for Moiré Trions in Twisted MoSe2 Homobilayers.

Moiré superlattices of van der Waals structures offer a powerful platform for engineering band structure and quantum states. For instance, Moiré superlattices in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene, ABC trilayer graphene have been shown to harbor correlated insulating and superconducting states, while in transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) twisted bilayers, Moiré excitons have been identified. Here we show that the effects of a Moiré superlattice on the band structure are general: In TMD twisted bilayers, excitons and exciton complexes can be trapped in the superlattice in a manner analogous to ultracold bosonic or Fermionic atoms in optical lattices. Using twisted MoSe2 homobilayers as a model system, we present evidence for Moiré trions. Our results thus open possibilities for designer van der Waals structures hosting arrays of Fermionic or bosonic quasiparticles, which can be used to realize tunable many-body states crucial for quantum simulation and quantum information processing.

Enhancing the Performance of Evolutionary Algorithm by Differential Evolution for Optimizing Distillation Sequence.

Optimal synthesis of distillation sequence is a complex problem in chemical processes engineering, which involves process structure optimization and operation parameters optimization. The study of the synthesis of distillation sequence is a crucial step toward improving the efficiency of chemical processes and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This work introduced the concept of binary tree to encode the distillation sequence. The performance of the six evolutionary algorithms was evaluated by solving a 14-component distillation sequence synthesis problem. The best algorithm was used to optimize the operation parameters of a triple-column distillation process. The total annual cost and CO2 emissions were considered as the metrics to evaluate the performance of triple-column distillation processes. As a result, NSGA-II-DE was found to be the best one of the six tested evolutionary algorithms. Then, NSGA-II-DE was applied to the distillation sequence optimization to find the best operating parameters, which led to a significant reduction in CO2 emission and total annual costs.

Four New Triterpenoid Saponins from the Root of Ilex centrochinensis.

One new siaresinolic acid saponin (1) and three new rotundic acid saponins (2-4) were isolated from the roots of Ilex centrochinensis. Their structures were confirmed by detailed analysis of standard spectroscopic data (IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR). Compounds 1-4 exhibited anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting nitric oxide production in a lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cell inflammatory model. However, they showed no significant lipid-lowering activity against the production of triglycerides in the lipid-accumulation model of HepG2 cells induced by oleic acid.

Manipulating Charge and Energy Transfer between 2D Atomic Layers via Heterostructure Engineering.

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals heterostructures have attracted enormous research interests due to their emergent electrical and optical properties. The comprehensive understanding and efficient control of interlayer couplings in such devices are crucial for realizing their functionalities, as well as for improving their performance. Here, we report a successful manipulation of interlayer charge transfer between 2D materials by varying different stacking layers consisting of graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and tungsten disulfide. Under visible-light excitation, despite being separated by few-layer boron nitride, the graphene and tungsten disulfide exhibit clear modulation of their doping level, i.e., a change of the Fermi level in graphene as large as 120 meV and a net electron accumulation in WS2. By using a combination of micro-Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the modulation is originated from simultaneous manipulation of charge and/or energy transfer between each of the two adjacent layers.

Surface Functionalization of Black Phosphorus with a Highly Reducing Organoruthenium Complex: Interface Properties and Enhanced Photoresponsivity of Photodetectors.

In this work, a heterostructure obtained by vacuum evaporation of a strong molecular n-dopant, [RuCp*(mes)]2 , onto black phosphorus (BP) is reported, along with the systematic investigation of the interfacial structure and properties by various in situ characterization techniques. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectra (UPS) showed a large decrease in the work function of BP and a new peak within the bandgap, which is attributed to electron transfer from dopants to the underlying BP. The electrons trapped at the interface act as hole traps and induce photogating effect so that a photodetector based on BP-organoruthenium complex heterostructure demonstrates a photoresponsivity of 5.5 mA W-1 and an EQE of 1.3 % at 515 nm, a tenfold improvement compared to the pristine BP device.

Reversible Oxidation of Blue Phosphorus Monolayer on Au(111).

Practical applications of two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus (BP) are limited by its fast degradation under ambient conditions, for which many different mechanisms have been proposed; however, an atomic level understanding of the degradation process is still hindered by the absence of bottom-up methods for the growth of large-scale few-layer black phosphorus. Recent experimental success in the fabrication of single-layer blue phosphorus provides a model system to probe the oxidation mechanism of two-dimensional (2D) phosphorene down to single-layer thicknesses. Here, we report an atomic-scale investigation of the interaction between molecular oxygen and blue phosphorus. The atomic structure of blue phosphorus and the local binding sites of oxygen have been precisely identified using qPlus-based noncontact atomic force microscopy. A combination of low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements reveal a thermally reversible oxidation process of blue phosphorus in a pure oxygen atmosphere. Our study clearly demonstrates the essential role of oxygen in the initial oxidation process, and it sheds further light on the fundamental pathways of the degradation mechanism.

Vapour-liquid-solid growth of monolayer MoS2 nanoribbons.

Chemical vapour deposition of two-dimensional materials typically involves the conversion of vapour precursors to solid products in a vapour-solid-solid mode. Here, we report the vapour-liquid-solid growth of monolayer MoS2, yielding highly crystalline ribbons with a width of few tens to thousands of nanometres. This vapour-liquid-solid growth is triggered by the reaction between MoO3 and NaCl, which results in the formation of molten Na-Mo-O droplets. These droplets mediate the growth of MoS2 ribbons in the 'crawling mode' when saturated with sulfur. The locally well-defined orientations of the ribbons reveal the regular horizontal motion of the droplets during growth. Using atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and second harmonic generation microscopy, we show that the ribbons are grown homoepitaxially on monolayer MoS2 with predominantly 2H- or 3R-type stacking. Our findings highlight the prospects for the controlled growth of atomically thin nanostructure arrays for nanoelectronic devices and the development of unique mixed-dimensional structures.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides: interface and defect engineering.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been considered as promising candidates for next generation nanoelectronics. Because of their atomically-thin structure and high surface to volume ratio, the interfaces involved in TMDC-based devices play a predominant role in determining the device performance, such as charge injection/collection at the metal/TMDC interface, and charge carrier trapping at the dielectric/TMDC interface. On the other hand, the crystalline structures of TMDCs are enriched by a variety of intrinsic defects, including vacancies, adatoms, grain boundaries, and substitutional impurities. Customized design and engineering of the interfaces and defects provides an effective way to modulate the properties of TMDCs and finally enhance the device performance. Herein, we summarize and highlight recent advances and state-of-the-art investigations on the interface and defect engineering of TMDCs and their corresponding applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices. Various interface engineering approaches for TMDCs are overviewed, including surface charge transfer doping, TMDC/metal contact engineering, and TMDC/dielectric interface engineering. Subsequently, different types of structural defects in TMDCs are introduced. Defect engineering strategies utilized to modulate the optical and electronic properties of TMDCs, as well as the developed high-performance and functional devices are summarized. Finally, we highlight the challenges and opportunities for interface and defect engineering in TMDC materials for electronics and optoelectronics.

A new para-quinone-type flavan from the leaves of Ilex centrochinensis and its anti-inflammatory activities.

A new para-quinone-type flavan, (2S)-7-methoxy-3',4'-dihydroxy-5,8-quinoflavan (1), together with three known compounds, were isolated from the leaves of Ilex centrochinensis. Their structures were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analyses for new structure and in comparison with published data for known compounds. Moreover, the new compound was evaluated its cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro on LPS induced RAW 264.7 cells and the results showed that 1 has promising anti-inflammatory activities.

Surface Functionalization of Black Phosphorus via Potassium toward High-Performance Complementary Devices.

Two-dimensional black phosphorus configured field-effect transistor devices generally show a hole-dominated ambipolar transport characteristic, thereby limiting its applications in complementary electronics. Herein, we demonstrate an effective surface functionalization scheme on few-layer black phosphorus, through in situ surface modification with potassium, with a view toward high performance complementary device applications. Potassium induces a giant electron doping effect on black phosphorus along with a clear bandgap reduction, which is further corroborated by in situ photoelectron spectroscopy characterizations. The electron mobility of black phosphorus is significantly enhanced to 262 (377) cm2 V-1 s-1 by over 1 order of magnitude after potassium modification for two-terminal (four-terminal) measurements. Using lithography technique, a spatially controlled potassium doping technique is developed to establish high-performance complementary devices on a single black phosphorus nanosheet, for example, the p-n homojunction-based diode achieves a near-unity ideality factor of 1.007 with an on/off ratio of ∼104. Our findings coupled with the tunable nature of in situ modification scheme enable black phosphorus as a promising candidate for further complementary electronics.

Water-Catalyzed Oxidation of Few-Layer Black Phosphorous in a Dark Environment.

Black phosphorus (BP) shows great potential in electronic and optoelectronic devices owing to its semiconducting properties, such as thickness-dependent direct bandgap and ambipolar transport characteristics. However, the poor stability of BP in air seriously limits its practical applications. To develop effective schemes to protect BP, it is crucial to reveal the degradation mechanism under various environments. To date, it is generally accepted that BP degrades in air via light-induced oxidation. Herein, we report a new degradation channel via water-catalyzed oxidation of BP in the dark. When oxygen co-adsorbs with highly polarized water molecules on BP surface, the polarization effect of water can significantly lower the energy levels of oxygen (i.e. enhanced electron affinity), thereby facilitating the electron transfer from BP to oxygen to trigger the BP oxidation even in the dark environment. This new degradation mechanism lays important foundation for the development of proper protecting schemes in black phosphorus-based devices.

Dammarane-type saponins from Ziziphus jujube.

Two new dammarane-type saponins jujubosides D and E, together with three known compounds, were isolated from the seeds of Ziziphus jujube. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence. Compounds 1-5 showed lipoxygenase-inhibiting activity.

Telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of Oldenlandia diffusa.

We report the complete telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of Oldenlandia diffusa which renowned in traditional Chinese medicine, comprising 16 chromosomes and spanning 499.7 Mb. The assembly showcases 28 telomeres and minimal gaps, with a total of only five. Repeat sequences constitute 46.41% of the genome, and 49,701 potential protein-coding genes have been predicted. Compared with O. corymbosa, O. diffusa exhibits chromosome duplication and fusion events, diverging 20.34 million years ago. Additionally, a total of 11 clusters of terpene synthase have been identified. The comprehensive genome sequence, gene catalog, and terpene synthase clusters of O. diffusa detailed in this study will significantly contribute to advancing research in this species' genetic, genomic, and pharmacological aspects.

Combining bioinformatics and multiomics strategies to investigate the key microbiota and active components of Liupao tea ameliorating hyperlipidemia.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Hyperlipidemia as a major health issue has attracted much public attention. As a geographical indication product of China, Liupao tea (LPT) is a typical representative of traditional Chinese dark tea that has shown good potential in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. LPT has important medicinal value in hyperlipidemia prevention. However, the active ingredients and metabolic mechanisms by which LPT alleviates hyperlipidemia remain unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to systematically investigate the metabolic mechanisms and active ingredients of LPT extract in alleviating hyperlipidemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Firstly, we developed a mouse model of hyperlipidemia to study the pharmacodynamics of LPT. Subsequently, network pharmacology and molecular docking were performed to predict the potential key active ingredients and core targets of LPT against hyperlipidemia. LC-MS/MS was used to validate the identity of key active ingredients in LPT with chemical standards. Finally, the effect and metabolic mechanisms of LPT extract in alleviating hyperlipidemia were investigated by integrating metabolomic, lipidomic, and gut microbiome analyses. RESULTS: Results showed that LPT extract effectively improved hyperlipidemia by suppressing weight gain, remedying dysregulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, and reducing hepatic damage. Network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking suggested that four potential active ingredients and seven potential core targets were closely associated with roles for hyperlipidemia treatment. Ellagic acid, catechin, and naringenin were considered to be the key active ingredients of LPT alleviating hyperlipidemia. Additionally, LPT extract modulated the mRNA expression levels of Fxr, Cyp7a1, Cyp8b1, and Cyp27a1 associated with bile acid (BA) metabolism, mitigated the disturbances of BA and glycerophospholipid (GP) metabolism in hyperlipidemia mice. Combining fecal microbiota transplantation and correlation analysis, LPT extract effectively improved species diversity and abundance of gut microbiota, particularly the BA and GP metabolism-related gut microbiota, in the hyperlipidemia mice. CONCLUSIONS: LPT extract ameliorated hyperlipidemia by modulating GP and BA metabolism by regulating Lactobacillus and Dubosiella, thereby alleviating hyperlipidemia. Three active ingredients of LPT served as the key factors in exerting an improvement on hyperlipidemia. These findings provide new insights into the active ingredients and metabolic mechanisms of LPT in improving hyperlipidemia, suggesting that LPT can be used to prevent and therapeutic hyperlipidemia.

Energy transfer driven brightening of MoS2 by ultrafast polariton relaxation in microcavity MoS2/hBN/WS2 heterostructures.

Energy transfer is a ubiquitous phenomenon that delivers energy from a blue-shifted emitter to a red-shifted absorber, facilitating wide photonic applications. Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors provide unique opportunities for exploring novel energy transfer mechanisms in the atomic-scale limit. Herein, we have designed a planar optical microcavity-confined MoS2/hBN/WS2 heterojunction, which realizes the strong coupling among donor exciton, acceptor exciton, and cavity photon mode. This configuration demonstrates an unconventional energy transfer via polariton relaxation, brightening MoS2 with a record-high enhancement factor of ~440, i.e., two-order-of-magnitude higher than the data reported to date. The polariton relaxation features a short characteristic time of ~1.3 ps, resulting from the significantly enhanced intra- and inter-branch exciton-exciton scattering. The polariton relaxation dynamics is associated with Rabi energies in a phase diagram by combining experimental and theoretical results. This study opens a new direction of microcavity 2D semiconductor heterojunctions for high-brightness polaritonic light sources and ultrafast polariton carrier dynamics.

Ligand effect on switching the rate-determining step of water oxidation in atomically precise metal nanoclusters.

The ligand effects of atomically precise metal nanoclusters on electrocatalysis kinetics have been rarely revealed. Herein, we employ atomically precise Au25 nanoclusters with different ligands (i.e., para-mercaptobenzoic acid, 6-mercaptohexanoic acid, and homocysteine) as paradigm electrocatalysts to demonstrate oxygen evolution reaction rate-determining step switching through ligand engineering. Au25 nanoclusters capped by para-mercaptobenzoic acid exhibit a better performance with nearly 4 times higher than that of Au25 NCs capped by other two ligands. We deduce that para-mercaptobenzoic acid with a stronger electron-withdrawing ability establishes more partial positive charges on Au(I) (i.e., active sites) for facilitating feasible adsorption of OH- in alkaline media. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy and theoretical study indicate a profound electron transfer from Au(I) to para-mercaptobenzoic acid. The Tafel slope and in situ Raman spectroscopy suggest different ligands trigger different rate-determining step for these Au25 nanoclusters. The mechanistic insights reported here can add to the acceptance of atomically precise metal nanoclusters as effective electrocatalysts.

New guaianolides from Artemisia anomala.

Two new guaianolides artemanomalides A and B were isolated from the aerial parts of Artemisia anomala S. Moore. Their structures were characterized as 2-oxo-5α, 10α-dihydroxy-guaia-3-en-1α, 6ß, 7α, 11ß H-12, 6-olide (1) and 8α-acetoxy-2-oxo-5α, 10α-dihydroxy-guaia-3, 11(13)-dien-1α, 6ß, 7αH-12, 6-olide (2) on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 1 and 2 showed inhibitory activities against COX-2 enzyme with IC(50) values of 8.8 and 3.6 µM.

Study on Interfacial Bonding Properties of NiTi/CuSn10 Dissimilar Materials by Selective Laser Melting.

The dissimilar materials bonding of NiTi alloy with shape memory effect (SME) and CuSn10 alloy with good ductility, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity can be used in aerospace, circuits, etc. In order to integrate NiTi and CuSn10 with greatly different physical and chemical properties by selective laser melting (SLM), the effects of forming interlayers with different SLM process parameters were explored in this study. The defects, microstructure, and component diffusion at the interface were also analyzed. Columnar grain was found along the molten pool boundary of the interfacial region, and grains in the interfacial region were refined. Elements in the interfacial region had a good diffusion. Phase identifying of the interface showed that Ni4Ti3 was generated. The analysis showed that the columnar grain, refined grains in the interfacial region, and a certain amount of Ni4Ti3 could strengthen the interfacial bonding. This study provides a theoretical basis for forming NiTi/CuSn10 dissimilar materials structural members.