Highly sensitive and wide-range iontronic pressure sensors with a wheat awn-like hierarchical structure.

Flexible pressure sensors with high sensitivity and wide sensing range are highly desired in e-skins and wearable electronics. However, there is always a trade-off between high sensitivity and broad sensing range for most flexible pressure sensors. Herein, an artificial wheat awn-like hierarchical structure is designed onto the dielectric layer of the iontronic pressure sensor, realizing both high sensitivity and broad working range. The sensor is constructed by sandwiching a wheat awn-like polyvinyl alcohol/H3PO4 dielectric layer between two transparent electrodes of silver nanowires/thermoplastic polyurethane/ionic liquid. The obtained sensor exhibits a high precision of 1 Pa, a high sensitivity of 47.65 kPa-1 (1-200 Pa), a wide measurement range from 1 Pa to 238 kPa, short response/recovery time of 13 ms/12 ms, outstanding stability over 6000 cycles, as well as good transparency. Considering these excellent properties, the sensor shows promising potential in health monitoring, human-computer interaction, wearable electronics, etc.

Establishing superfine nanofibrils for robust polyelectrolyte artificial spider silk and powerful artificial muscles.

Spider silk exhibits an excellent combination of high strength and toughness, which originates from the hierarchical self-assembled structure of spidroin during fiber spinning. In this work, superfine nanofibrils are established in polyelectrolyte artificial spider silk by optimizing the flexibility of polymer chains, which exhibits combination of breaking strength and toughness ranging from 1.83 GPa and 238 MJ m-3 to 0.53 GPa and 700 MJ m-3, respectively. This is achieved by introducing ions to control the dissociation of polymer chains and evaporation-induced self-assembly under external stress. In addition, the artificial spider silk possesses thermally-driven supercontraction ability. This work provides inspiration for the design of high-performance fiber materials.

Bioinspired Mechanically Robust and Recyclable Hydrogel Microfibers Based on Hydrogen-Bond Nanoclusters.

Mechanically robust hydrogel fibers have demonstrated great potential in energy dissipation and shock-absorbing applications. However, developing such materials that are recyclable, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly remains an enormous challenge. Herein, inspired by spider silk, a continuous and scalable method is introduced for spinning a polyacrylamide hydrogel microfiber with a hierarchical sheath-core structure under ambient conditions. Applying pre-stretch and twist in the as-spun hydrogel microfibers results in a tensile strength of 525 MPa, a toughness of 385 MJ m-3, and a damping capacity of 99%, which is attributed to the reinforcement of hydrogen-bond nanoclusters within the microfiber matrix. Moreover, it maintains both structural and mechanical stability for several days, and can be directly dissolved in water, providing a sustainable spinning dope for re-spinning into new microfibers. This work provides a new strategy for the spinning of robust and recyclable hydrogel-based fibrous materials.

Causal associations of male infertility with stroke: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Stroke is a devastating global health issue, with high mortality and disability rates. The increasing prevalence of male infertility among reproductive-aged men has become a growing concern worldwide. However, the relationship between male infertility and stroke incidence remains uncertain. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by employing a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Method: Utilizing genetic instrumental variables derived from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on male infertility and stroke, a two-sample MR design was implemented. Five different analysis methods, with inverse-variance weighted as the primary approach, were used to examine the genetic causal associations between male infertility and various stroke subtypes. Heterogeneity analysis, pleiotropy tests, and leave-one-out validation were conducted to assess heterogeneity, evaluate pleiotropy, and ensure the robustness of the findings. Result: The results indicate a potential lower risk of small vessel stroke associated with male infertility (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 0.82, 0.68 to 0.99, p=0.044), although no significant impact on other stroke subtypes was observed. The study exhibited low heterogeneity and no apparent pleiotropy; however, the stability of the results was not optimal. Conclusion: Male infertility might potentially confer a protective effect against small vessel stroke risk. Caution is warranted due to potential confounding factors. Additional studies are necessary to confirm these findings and provide further validation.

Efficacy of natural products on premature ovarian failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the effects of natural products on animal models of premature ovarian failure (POF). METHODS: We conducted comprehensive literature searches and identified relevant studies that examined the protective effects of natural products on experimental POF. We extracted quantitative data on various aspects such as follicular development, ovarian function, physical indicators, oxidative stress markers, inflammatory factors, and protein changes. The data was analyzed using random-effects meta-analyses, calculating pooled standardized mean differences and 95% confidence intervals. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic, and bias was estimated using the SYRCLE tool. RESULTS: Among the 879 reviewed records, 25 articles met our inclusion criteria. These findings demonstrate that treatment with different phytochemicals and marine natural products (flavonoids, phenols, peptides, and alkaloids, etc.) significantly improved various aspects of ovarian function compared to control groups. The treatment led to an increase in follicle count at different stages, elevated levels of key hormones, and a decrease in atretic follicles and hormone levels associated with POF. This therapy also reduced oxidative stress (specifically polyphenols, resveratrol) and apoptotic cell death (particularly flavonoids, chrysin) in ovarian granulosa cells, although it showed no significant impact on inflammatory responses. The certainty of evidence supporting these findings ranged from low to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: Phytochemicals and marine natural product therapy (explicitly flavonoids, phenols, peptides, and alkaloids) has shown potential in enhancing folliculogenesis and improving ovarian function in animal models of POF. These findings provide promising strategies to protect ovarian reserve and reproductive health. Targeting oxidative stress and apoptosis pathways may be the underlying mechanism.

Application of mesenchymal stem cell therapy for premature ovarian insufficiency: Recent advances from mechanisms to therapeutics.

The incidence of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is increasing worldwide, particularly among younger women, posing a significant challenge to fertility. In addition to menopausal symptoms, POI leads to several complications that profoundly affect female reproductive function and overall health. Unfortunately, current clinical treatment strategies for this condition are limited and often yield unsatisfactory outcomes. These approaches typically involve hormone replacement therapy combined with psychological support. Recently, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapies for POI have garnered considerable attention in global research. MSCs can restore ovarian reproductive and endocrine functions through diverse mechanisms, including controlling differentiation, promoting angiogenesis, regulating ovarian fibrosis, inhibiting apoptosis, enhancing autocrine and paracrine effects, suppressing inflammation, modulating the immune system, and genetic regulation. This editorial offers a succinct summary of the application of MSC therapy in the context of POI, providing evidence for groundbreaking medical approaches that have potential to enhance reproductive health and overall well-being for women.

Mechanisms of Bushen Tiaoxue Granules against controlled ovarian hyperstimulation-induced abnormal morphology of endometrium based on network pharmacology.

Bushen Tiaoxue Granules (BTG) is an empirical Chinese herbal formula that has been used for the treatment of subfertility. The protective effect of BTG on controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH)-induced impaired endometrial receptivity has been reported in our previous study. This study aims to explore the mechanisms of BTG on ameliorating abnormal morphology of endometrium based on network pharmacology. Active compounds of BTG were identified via the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology and UPLC-MS technology. The SwissTargetPrediction platform and HERB database were used to screen out the putative targets of BTG. Potential targets of endometrial dysfunction caused by COH were obtained from three GEO databases. Through the STRING database, the protein-protein interaction was carried out according to the cross-common targets of diseases and drugs. GO terms and KEGG pathways enrichment analyses were conducted via the Metascape database. AutoDock Vina was used for docking validation of the affinity between active compounds and potential targets. Finally, in vivo experiments were used to verify the potential mechanisms derived from network pharmacology study. A total of 141 effective ingredients were obtained from TCMSP and nine of which were verified in UPLC-MS. Six genes were selected through the intersection of 534 disease related genes and 165 drug potential targets. Enrichment analyses showed that BTG might reverse endometrial dysfunction by regulating adherens junction and arachidonic acid metabolism. Hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed that BTG ameliorated the loose and edematous status of endometrial epithelium caused by COH. The protein expression of FOXO1A, ß-Catenin and COX-2 was decreased in the COH group, and was up-regulated by BTG. BTG significantly alleviates the edema of endometrial epithelium caused by COH. The mechanisms may be related to adheren junctions and activation of arachidonic acid metabolism. The potential active compounds quercetin, taxifolin, kaempferol, eriodictyol, and isorhamnetin identified from the BTG exhibit marginal cytotoxicity. Both high and low concentrations of kaempferol, eriodictyol, and taxifolin are capable of effectively ameliorating impaired hESC cellular activity.

Burden and attributable risk factors of ischemic stroke in China from 1990 to 2019: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

Background: The epidemiologic characteristics and attributable risk factors of ischemic stroke in China have changed over the past three decades. An up-to-date analysis on deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), prevalence, incidence, and attributable risk factors of ischemic stroke for China is needed. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of burden and attributable risk factors of ischemic stroke at national level in China by sex from 1990 to 2019. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2019. All data used in this study was derived from the 2019 GBD study. Deaths, DALYs, prevalence, incidence, and attributable risk factors of ischemic stroke in China by sex from 1990 to 2019 were analyzed. Results: From 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized deaths rate decreased by 3.3%, age-standardized DALYs rate decreased by 4%, age-standardized prevalence rate increased by 33.5%, and age-standardized incidence rate of ischemic stroke in China increased by 34.7%. In 2019, ambient particulate matter pollution became an important risk factor, whereas household air pollution from solid fuels was no longer a major risk factor for ischemic stroke in China. Burden of ischemic stroke was higher in China compared to other regions. Ambient particulate matter pollution among men, and diet high in sodium, smoking, household air pollution from solid fuels among women account for the increased deaths/DALYs due to ischemic stroke in China. Conclusion: Our study revealed that great changes have occurred in burden and attributable risk factors of ischemic stroke in China in the past three decades. Distinct sex-specific differences are observed in burden and attributable risk factors.

Flexible and Transparent Electronic Skin Sensor with Sensing Capabilities for Pressure, Temperature, and Humidity.

Inspired by the interlocked biological geometry of human skin, herein, we design a flexible and transparent sensor with interlocked square column arrays with composites of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs), citric acid (CA), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), which exhibit multisensory capabilities for pressure, temperature, and humidity. As a flexible pressure sensor, the interlocked AgNPs/CA/PVA sensor possesses a high sensitivity (-1.82 kPa-1), low detection limit (10 Pa), fast response (75 ms), and outstanding stability due to the high sensitivity of the contact resistance of the interlocked square column arrays to pressure. Because of the rigid dependence of the resistance of the AgNPs/CA/PVA composite on temperature, the interlocked AgNPs/CA/PVA sensor can also act as a temperature sensor, which exhibits high resolution (0.1 °C) and reliability in detecting ambient temperature. In addition, it is found that the amount of water molecules adsorbed by PVA and CA changes with the ambient humidity. Therefore, the interlocked AgNPs/CA/PVA sensor is also able to detect humidity in real time. This work proposes a simple but useful route to fabricate a flexible and transparent electrical skin sensor, which has great potential in the perception of pressure, temperature, and humidity.

Habitat selection of wintering cranes in typical wetlands in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River over the past 20 years, China.

The wetlands in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are the main overwintering and perching places for cranes. To examine the habitat selection mechanism of cranes in this area, two natural wetland reserves, Shengjin Lake and Poyang Lake, which are the main habitats of typical cranes, were selected as the study area. Using 20 years of Landsat satellite image data (between 1999 and 2019), the vegetation cover index was calculated from a pixel dichotomy model, and the landscape pattern index was obtained through Fragstats. The entropy method was adopted to determine the weight of the landscape index, and then, the habitat suitability index was calculated. Combined with the number of typical crane populations in the reserve, the selection mechanism of overwintering habitat of cranes was revealed. On the change of land-use type, the crane habitat of Shengjin Lake transferred more to non-crane habitat, and other land types increased, resulting in the decrease of crane habitat area. However, the change of crane habitat in Poyang Lake Reserve was small, so it can accommodate more cranes to overwintering here. In terms of vegetation coverage, most of the vegetation cover areas of Shengjin Lake were woodland near or far from the lake, but the woodland was not the habitat of cranes. Most of the vegetation-covered areas of Poyang Lake are grassland near the lake, which provide rest and foraging places for cranes. In the landscape pattern, the number of landscape patches in Shengjin Lake was large, the degree of landscape fragmentation was higher than that in Poyang Lake, the landscape complexity was higher, and the landscape diversity was simpler. This is not conducive to the maintenance of crane habitat, but also reduces the attractiveness of overwintering cranes, while the landscape suitability of crane habitat in Poyang Lake was higher than that in Shengjin Lake, and cranes were more likely to choose Poyang Lake as their overwintering habitat.

A modified mouse model of haemorrhagic transformation associated with tPA administration after thromboembolic stroke.

Objective: To establish a new mouse model of haemorrhagic transformation associated with delayed tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment to provide a novel tool to study therapeutic strategies for haemorrhagic transformation. Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to carotid artery thrombosis stimulated with ferric chloride. The thrombus was then mechanically detached to induce migration toward the intracranial circulation. To induce haemorrhagic transformation, mice were intravenously injected with 10 mg/kg tPA 4.5 h after the onset of ischaemia and were sacrificed 24 h after tPA treatment. Results: In this new model, administration of tPA 4.5 h after stroke exacerbated the risk of intracerebral haemorrhage. Thrombolysis with tPA also exacerbated cerebral infarction, brain oedema, blood-brain barrier breakdown, and neurological deficits. However, cerebral blood flow was not significantly affected. Conclusion: The present model is reproducible, easy to perform, and mimics the clinical situation of haemorrhagic transformation after tPA treatment in humans. This modified model can be used as a new tool to test experimental drugs for haemorrhagic transformation associated with delayed tPA administration after an ischaemic stroke.

Multifunctional Iontronic Sensor Based on Liquid Metal-Filled Ho llow Ionogel Fibers in Detecting Pressure, Temperature, and Proximity.

Fiber-based pressure/temperature sensors are highly desired in wearable electronics because of their natural advantages of good breathability and easy integrability. However, it is still a great challenge to fabricate reliable and highly sensitive fiber-based pressure/temperature sensors via a scalable and facile strategy. Herein, a novel fiber-based iontronic sensor with excellent pressure- and temperature-sensing capabilities is designed by assembling two crossed hollow and porous ionogel fibers filled with liquid metal. Serving as a pressure sensor, a high detection resolution (1.16 Pa), a high sensitivity of 13.30 kPa-1 (0-2 kPa), and a wide detection range (∼207 kPa) are realized owing to its novel hierarchical structure and the selection of deformable liquid electrodes. As a temperature sensor, it exhibits a high temperature sensitivity of 25.99% °C-1 (35-40 °C), high resolution of 0.02 °C, and good repeatability and reliability. On the basis of these excellent sensing capabilities, the as-prepared sensor can detect not only pressure signals varied from weak pulse to large joint movements but also the proximity of different objects. Furthermore, a large-area fiber array can be easily woven for acquiring the pressure mapping to intuitively distinguish the location, magnitude, and shape of the loaded object. This work provides a universal strategy to design fiber-shaped iontronic sensors for wearable electronics.

Confined Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers within Emulsion Droplets: A Perspective.

When the self-assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) occurs within organic emulsion droplets in the aqueous phase, the strong structural frustration of BCP chains causes the formation of a series of well-regulated BCP particles that cannot be obtained from the self-assembly of BCPs in the bulk state or solution. In this Perspective, we review the recent progress of the self-assembly of BCPs confined in emulsion droplets. The governing factors of the structure and morphology of the as-prepared BCP particles are summarized. In addition, the applications of the as-prepared BCP particles in photonic crystals and drug release are discussed. Finally, we also give a forward-looking perspective on future challenges in this field.

Efficacy of Flavonoids on Animal Models of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common gynecological endocrinopathies. Evidence suggest that flavonoids have beneficial effects on endocrine and metabolic diseases, including PCOS. However, high-quality clinical trials are lacking. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies to determine the flavonoids' effects in animal models of PCOS. Three electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched from their inception to March 2022. The Systematic Review Center for Laboratory Animal Experimentation's risk of bias tool was used to assess methodological quality. The standardized mean difference was calculated with 95% confidence intervals as the overall effects. R was used for all statistical analyses. This study was registered in PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42022328355). A total of eighteen studies, including 300 animals, met the inclusion criteria. Our analyses demonstrated that, compared to control groups, flavonoid groups showed a significantly lower count of atretic follicles and cystic follicles and the count of corpus luteum was higher. A significant reduction in the luteinizing hormone (LH), LH/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and free testosterone were observed in intervention groups. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the effects of flavonoids on the level of FSH, estradiol, and progesterone. Subgroup analyses indicated that the type of flavonoid, dose, duration of administration, and PCOS induction drug were relevant factors that influenced the effects of intervention. Current evidence supports the positive properties of flavonoids on ovarian histomorphology and hormonal status in animal models of PCOS. These data call for more randomized controlled trials and further experimental studies investigating the mechanism in more depth.

PVA/ChCl Deep Eutectic Polymer Blends for Transparent Strain Sensors with Antifreeze, Flexible, and Recyclable Properties.

Wearable elastic electronic devices have attracted tremendous attention due to their monitoring capabilities for human motion detection. In this work, a hydrogen bond acceptor quaternary ammonium salt, choline chloride (ChCl), has been used to fabricate deep eutectic polymer (DEP) blends with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The miscibility, molecular interaction, and physical properties of PVA/ChCl DEP blends were investigated systematically. It is demonstrated that the deep eutectic of PVA/ChCl can be obtained by simple solution blending, and the melting points of both PVA and ChCl are reduced respectively due to the strong hydrogen bond between PVA and ChCl. Due to the elasticity of the PVA/ChCl elastomer and the response of ChCl ions to temperature and humidity, the fabricated sensor showed stable and repeatable resistance changes upon strain, temperature, and humidity variations. We hypothesize that the DEP blend system has potential applications in functional composites and the final PVA/ChCl elastomer composites exhibited high transparent, antifreeze, and recyclable capability, which may be promising for applications in soft/flexible devices.

Ultrastretchable, Antifreezing, and High-Performance Strain Sensor Based on a Muscle-Inspired Anisotropic Conductive Hydrogel for Human Motion Monitoring and Wireless Transmission.

Integrating structural anisotropy, excellent mechanical properties, and superior sensing capability into conductive hydrogels is of great importance to wearable flexible electronics yet challenging. Herein, inspired from the aligned structure of human muscle, we proposed a facile and universal method to construct an anisotropic hydrogel composed of polyacrylamide and sodium alginate by pre-stretching in a confined geometry and subsequent ionic cross-linking. The designed hydrogels showed extraordinary mechanical performances, such as ultrahigh stretchability, a comparable modulus to that of human tissues, and good toughness, ascribed to their anisotropically aligned polymer networks. Additionally, the hydrogel possessed anisotropic conductivity due to the anisotropy in ion transport channels. The hydrogel along the vertical direction was further cut and assembled into a flexible strain sensor, exhibiting a low detection limit (0.1%), wide strain range (1585%), rapid response (123 ms), distinct resilience, good stability, and repeatability, thereby being capable of monitoring and discriminating different human movements. In addition, the relatively high ionic conductivity and superior sensitivity enabled the anisotropic hydrogel sensor to be used for wireless human-machine interaction. More interestingly, the Ca2+-cross-linking strategy also endowed the hydrogel sensor with antifreezing ability, further broadening their working temperature. This work is expected to speed up the development of hydrogel sensors in the emerging wearable soft electronics.

The Efficacy of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Animal Models of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) on ovarian mass, weight, sex hormone disorders, and insulin resistance in animal models of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted through a comprehensive search in three databases to find studies testing CHM in animal models of PCOS. Two researchers independently reviewed the retrieval, extraction, and quality assessment of the dataset. The pooled effects were calculated using random-effect models; heterogeneity was explored through subgroup analysis; and stability was assessed through sensitivity analysis. In addition, publication bias was assessed using the Egger's bias test. Results: Fifteen studies with twelve mice and 463 rats published from 2016 to 2021 met the inclusion criteria. The results of primary outcomes revealed that CHM therapy was significantly different with control animals in ovarian mass and testosterone (SMD, -1.01 (95% CI, -1.58, -1.45); SMD, -1.62 (95% CI, -2.07, -1.16), respectively). The secondary outcomes as well showed an overall positive effect of CHM compared with control animals in weight (SMD, -1.02 (95% CI, -1.39, -0.65)), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (SMD, 0.58 (95% CI, 0.19, 0.97)), luteinizing hormone (LH) (SMD, -0.94 [95% CI, -1.25, -0.64)), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (SMD, -1.24 (95% CI, -1.57, -0.92)). Subgroup analyses indicated that PCOS induction drug, formula composition, random allocation, and assessment of model establishment were relevant factors that influenced the effects of interventions. The stability of the meta-analysis was showed robust through sensitivity analysis. The publication bias was substantial. Conclusions: Administration with CHM revealed a statistically positive effect on ovarian mass, weight, sex hormone disorders, and insulin resistance. Moreover, these data call for further high-quality studies investigating the underlying mechanism in more depth.

Wearable Ionogel-Based Fibers for Strain Sensors with Ultrawide Linear Response and Temperature Sensors Insensitive to Strain.

Fiber-shaped stretchable strain and temperature sensors are highly desirable for wearable electronics due to their excellent flexibility, comfort, air permeability, and easiness to be weaved into fabric. Herein, we prepare a smart ionogel-based fiber composed of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and ionic liquid (IL) by the facile and scalable wet-spinning technique, which can serve as a wearable strain sensor with good linearity (a correlation coefficient of 0.997) in an ultrawide sensing range (up to 700%), ultralow-detection limit (0.05%), fast response (173 ms) and recovery (120 ms), and high reproducibility. Attributed to these outstanding strain sensing performances, the designed TPU/IL ionogel fiber-shaped sensor is able to monitor both subtle physiological activities and large human motions. More interestingly, because of the fast response and high resolution to strain, the fiber-shaped sensor can be sewn into the fabric to secretly encrypt and wirelessly translate message according to the principle of Morse code. More importantly, a wearable strain-insensitive temperature sensor can be obtained from the ionogel fiber if it is designed into an "S" shape, which can effectively eliminate the interference of strain on temperature sense. It is found that the inaccuracy of temperature sense is within 0.15 °C when the sensor is subjected to 30% tensile strain simultaneously. Moreover, this strain-insensitive temperature sensor shows a monotonic temperature response over a wide temperature range (-15 to 100 °C) with an ultrahigh detecting accuracy of 0.1 °C and good reliability, owing to the fast and stable thermal response of IL. This temperature sensor can realize the detection of thermal radiation, proximity, and respiration, exhibiting enormous potential in smart skin, personal healthcare, and wearable electronics. This work proposes a simple but effective strategy to realize the essential strain and temperature sensing capabilities of wearable electronics and smart fabrics without mutual interference.

Investigation of the mechanisms and experimental verification of Cuscuta-Salvia in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) via network pharmacology.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disease associated with reproduction. The Cuscuta-Salvia formula has been widely used to treat for PCOS in clinic. However, its chemical and pharmacological properties remain unclear. We identified the active components and related targets of Cuscuta-Salvia using UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS and TCMSP database. Disease targets were obtained from the DisGeNET and GeneCards databases. Subsequently, common targets between Cuscuta-Salvia and PCOS were identified using a Venn diagram. PPI network was established. Core genes were selected using a Cytoscape software plugin. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed for common targets using the "pathview" package in R. Several core targets were verified using molecular and Immunological methods. By combining UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS with a network pharmacology study, 14 active components and a total of 80 common targets were obtained. Ten core genes were regulated by Cuscuta-Salvia in PCOS, including IL6, AKT1, VEGFA, TP53, TNF, MAPK1, JUN, EGF, CASP3, and EGFR. GO results showed that cellular response to drugs, response to oxygen levels, response lipopolysaccharides, and response to molecule of bacterial origin in BP category; membrane, transcription regulator complex, nuclear chromatin, postsynaptic membrane, and vesicle lumen in CC category; DNA-binding transcription factor binding, RNA polymerase II-specific DNA-binding transcription factor binding, DNA-binding transcription activator activity, RNA polymerase II-specific, DNA-binding transcription activator activity, and cytokine receptor binding in MF terms. The KEGG enrichment pathway was mainly involved in the PI3K - Akt, MAPK, TNF, IL-17 signalling pathways, and in cellular senescence. Furthermore, the results of the experimental study showed that Cuscuta-Salvia ameliorated the pathological changes in the ovaries, liver and adipose tissue. And it improved the expressions of the genes or proteins. Our results demonstrate that Cuscuta-Salvia may provide a novel pharmacological basis in an experimental model of PCOS by regulating gene expression. This study provides a basis for future research and clinical applications.

Light-driven sequential shape transformation of block copolymer particles through three-dimensional confined self-assembly.

Shape-controlled block copolymer (BCP) particles that respond to light stimulus have drawn great attention due to their promising applications in smart materials, yet polymeric particles with light-triggered controllable sequential shape transformation (SST) are still rarely reported. By confined co-assembly of polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) and azo-containing light-responsive additives within emulsions, herein, we fabricated BCP particles with light-controlled SST behavior. Attributed to the quaternization of P2VP chains with bromoalkyl additives and the trans-cis isomerization of an azo group under UV light, the interfacial interactions between the BCPs and the surrounding aqueous phase are significantly varied; therefore, the particles exhibit three distinct phases in sequence: (1) elongation of ellipsoidal particles with increasing domain spacing; (2) shape transformation of elongated ellipsoidal particles into accordion-like particles; and (3) disassembly of polymer particles into small spheres. In addition, these particles with SST behavior can be used in light-controlled drug release at a high spatial-temporal resolution, demonstrating their potential in clinical settings and biomedicine.