Driving factors and clustering analysis of expressway vehicular CO2 emissions in Guizhou Province, China.

Expressways are essential for intercounty trips of passenger travel and freight mobility, which are also an important source of vehicular CO2 emissions in transportation sector. This study takes the expressway system of Guizhou Province as the research objective, and establishes the multi-year expressway vehicular CO2 emission inventories at the county level from 2011 to 2019. We employ the extended STIRPAT model incorporating ridge regression to identify driving factors from six different aspects, and then utilize the affinity propagation cluster method to conduct the differentiation research by dividing Guizhou's counties into four clusters. Based upon clustering analysis, localized and targeted policies are formulated for each cluster to reduce expressway vehicular CO2 emissions. The results indicate that generally: (1) Guizhou's expressway vehicular CO2 emissions manifest a continuously upward trend during 2011-2019. Small-duty passenger vehicle (SDV), light-duty truck (LDT), and heavy-duty truck (HDT) contribute to the largest CO2 emissions in eight vehicle types. (2) GDP and population are the foremost two positive driving factors, followed by urbanization rate and expressway length. The proportion of secondary industry is also a positive driver, but that of tertiary industry exhibits an opposite effect. (3) Regional disparity exists in four county clusters of Guizhou Province. Efficient policies are proposed, such as improving the layout and infrastructure of transportation hubs, promoting multimodal integration, and implementing industrial upgrading as per regional advantages. Sustainable expressway vehicular CO2 emission reduction is realized from both the source of industry and low-carbon modes of transport.

Fabrication and characterization of multi stimuli-responsive fibers via wet-spinning process.

Luminescent fibers have attracted much attention due to their application in smart textiles for anti-counterfeiting, camouflage, fashion designs and so on. However, fibers with single function of luminescent is fail to meet the growing demand of smart textiles. Herein, we develop a multifunctional fiber with quick-responsive reversible photochromic and light-emitting with long afterglow. Doping with rare earth material SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors and photochromic pigments into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers enable by facile wet-spinning process, the properties of photochromic luminescent fibers were experimentally investigated in details. The results make clear that resulting fibers exhibit quick-responsive reversible photochromic properties and can be excited by a wide range of ray from 300 to 450 nm, displaying a wide band with a maximum peak at 525 nm. The photochromic pigments and SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors distributed in fibers evenly and the fibers are stable below 258.76 °C. Persistent luminescent properties of fibers are excellent and the afterglow can last for more than 1 h. The ultimate strength of fibers are more than 1.39 MPa. Comparing with a lot of investigated luminescent fibers, our work to photochromic luminescent fibers show huge potential in anti-counterfeiting, aesthetics fashion designs and so on for smart textiles.

Facile Synthesis of a Color-Tunable Microcrystal Phosphor for Anti-Counterfeit Applications.

Developing luminescent materials with tunable emission colors provides exciting opportunities for application in the display, anti-counterfeiting, and optical sensors. Here, we report a convenient, versatile approach to synthesize color-tunable, up/down-conversion luminescence in an inorganic host material. The emission color can be tuned by varying the excitation wavelength, allowing dynamic color tuning in the visible spectrum. We demonstrate that an unprecedented luminescence tunability from these phosphors can be achieved by tailoring the intensity ratio of different emission peaks. These findings provide valuable insights into controlling multiple emission color processes while offering the possibility for dynamic anti-counterfeiting and visual sensing of ultraviolet light in the range from 250 to 320 nm. These results open the opportunity for developing next-generation stimuli-responsive luminescent materials and smart devices.

Nardosinanone N suppresses LPS-induced macrophage activation by modulating the Nrf2 pathway and mPGES-1.

The side effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the cardiovascular system mainly result from its inhibitory effect on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Since NSAIDs are one of the most commonly used anti-inflammatory drugs in the clinic, it is necessary to identify new anti-inflammatory drugs that are safer than NSAIDs. Nardosinanone N (NAN), a compound isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Nardostachys chinensis, was evaluated for its anti-inflammatory effects using the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cell line and rat peritoneal macrophage models. First, we found that NAN down regulated the levels of nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), but not cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Additionally, NAN reduced the M1 macrophage phenotype and increased the M2 macrophage phenotype. Furthermore, mechanistic studies showed that NAN activated the nuclear factor-erythroid 2 -related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway, which, in turn, increased the expression of antioxidant protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) to achieve its anti-inflammatory effect. Finally, Nrf2 siRNA and the HO-1 inhibitor significantly attenuated the anti-inflammatory effect of NAN. More interestingly, we found that NAN did not affect COX-2 expression and activity but reduced the PGE2 concentration by selective inhibition of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1). In conclusion, NAN may be a new anti-inflammatory drug that has fewer side effects than NSAIDs and can be a new potential Nrf2 activator and mPGES-1 inhibitor.

Nardochinoid B Inhibited the Activation of RAW264.7 Macrophages Stimulated by Lipopolysaccharide through Activating the Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway.

Nardochinoid B (NAB) is a new compound isolated from Nardostachys chinensis. Although our previous study reported that the NAB suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 cells, the specific mechanisms of anti-inflammatory action of NAB remains unknown. Thus, we examined the effects of NAB against LPS-induced inflammation. In this study, we found that NAB suppressed the LPS-induced inflammatory responses by restraining the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) proteins and mRNA instead of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein and mRNA in RAW264.7 cells, implying that NAB may have lower side effects compared with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Besides, NAB upregulated the protein and mRNA expressions of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 when it exerted its anti-inflammatory effects. Also, NAB restrained the production of NO by increasing HO-1 expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Thus, it is considered that the anti-inflammatory effect of NAB is associated with an induction of antioxidant protein HO-1, and thus NAB may be a potential HO-1 inducer for treating inflammatory diseases. Moreover, our study found that the inhibitory effect of NAB on NO is similar to that of the positive drug dexamethasone, suggesting that NAB has great potential for developing new drugs in treating inflammatory diseases.

Excitation Wavelength-Dependent Dual-Mode Luminescence Emission for Dynamic Multicolor Anticounterfeiting.

Luminescent materials have become prevalent in data communication and information security because of their special optical characteristics. Conventional luminescent materials generally exhibit unicolor emission and fixed excitation mode, resulting in decreased efficiency of anticounterfeiting applications. The development of an iridescent chameleon-like material that can change its emission color under different stimulations is a significant challenge. Here, we propose that Pb2+, Mn2+, and lanthanide cations (such as Y3+, Tb3+, Yb3+) co-doped in Na2CaGe2O6 particles can be an effective tool for designing dual-mode anticounterfeiting materials based on their tunable fluorescence/persistent luminescence transformation and excitation wavelength-dependent emission. Ultimately, a proof-of-concept anticounterfeiting fabric is obtained by using the as-prepared phosphors and exhibits a dynamic multiple color response. This work exploits the possibility of developing a new class of multimode anticounterfeit materials, which would be almost impossible to mimic or counterfeit, providing a very high level of security.

Activation of Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway by Nardochinoid C Inhibits Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Macrophages.

The roots and rhizomes of Nardostachys chinensis have neuroprotection and cardiovascular protection effects. However, the specific mechanism of N. chinensis is not yet clear. Nardochinoid C (DC) is a new compound with new skeleton isolated from N. chinensis and this study for the first time explored the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effect of DC. The results showed that DC significantly reduced the release of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 cells. The expression of pro-inflammatory proteins including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were also obviously inhibited by DC in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. Besides, the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were also remarkably inhibited by DC in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. DC also suppressed inflammation indicators including COX-2, PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated THP-1 macrophages. Furthermore, DC inhibited the macrophage M1 phenotype and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. Mechanism studies showed that DC mainly activated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway, increased the level of anti-oxidant protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and thus produced the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects, which were abolished by Nrf2 siRNA and HO-1 inhibitor. These findings suggested that DC could be a new Nrf2 activator for the treatment and prevention of diseases related to inflammation and oxidative stress.

Nardochinoids A-C, Three Dimeric Sesquiterpenoids with Specific Fused-Ring Skeletons from Nardostachys chinensis.

Three unusual sesquiterpenoid dimers, nardochinoids A-C (1-3), were isolated from Nardostachys chinensis Batal. Compound 1 features a rare fused 3,8-dioxatricyclo[7.2.1.01,6]dodecane-11-one ring system, compound 2 is the first nitrogen-containing nornardosinane-aristolane sesquiterpene conjugate, and compound 3 represents the first example of the dimer of a nornardosinane and a nardosinane sesquiterpene. Their structures were characterized by NMR spectroscopic methods and X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis. Compound 3 showed significant anti-inflammatory activities.

A target and nontarget strategy for identification or characterization of the chemical ingredients in Chinese herb preparation Shuang-Huang-Lian oral liquid by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A target and nontarget strategy based on in-house chemical components library was developed for rapid and comprehensive analysis of complicated components from traditional Chinese medicine preparation Shuang-Huang-Lian oral liquid. The sample was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry using generic acquisition parameters. Automated detection and data filtering were performed on the UNIFI™ software and the detected peaks were evaluated against an in-house library. As a result, a total of 170 chemical components (110 target compounds and 60 nontarget ones) were identified or tentatively characterized, including 54 flavonoids, 30 phenylethanoid glycosides, 16 iridoid glycosides, 14 lignans, 32 organic acids, 19 triterpenoid saponins and five other types of compounds. Among them, 44 compounds were further confirmed by comparison with reference standards. It was demonstrated that this systematical approach could be successfully applied for rapid identification of multiple compounds in traditional Chinese medicine and its preparations. Furthermore, this work established the foundation for the further investigation on the metabolic fates of multiple ingredients in Shuang-Huang-Lian oral liquid.

Six new sesquiterpenoids from Nardostachys chinensis Batal.

Six new sesquiterpenoids, namely nardosinanones J-N and nardoaristolone C, were isolated from the rhizomes and roots of Nardostachys chinensis Batal. Their structures were determined by interpretation of spectroscopic data (HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR). A combination of X-ray crystal diffraction, ECD calculation, and Mosher ester methods was employed to determine the absolute configuration of the isolated compounds. Compounds 1-2, 4-6 were evaluated anti-inflammatory activities in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. The results showed that compound 5 obviously inhibited LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 protein expression compared to single LPS stimulation, which indicated the potential effect to medicate anti-inflammatory.

Rapid characterization of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen by UPLC/Qtof MS with novel informatics platform and its application in evaluation of two seeds from Ziziphus species.

A strategy for rapid identification of target and non-target components from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) extracts were proposed by utilizing the UNIFI informatics platform for the computer-assisted UPLC/Qtof MS data analyses. Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS) contains various bioactive chemical ingredients, such as flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids and terpenes. Currently, there is no method that allows rapid and comprehensive identification of these multiple components. The rapid identification of chemical components in ZSS was successfully achieved with this strategy. As a result, 60 target components were identified and 53 non-target components were characterized. Among them, chemical structures of 40 new components were deduced based on their characteristic MS fragmentation patterns. In addition, the chemical ingredients of Ziziphi Mauritianae Semen (ZMS), which is often used as substitution of ZSS, were also investigated with the same strategy. A total of 132 chemical components were identified from these two plants, including 7 additional non-target new components. It demonstrated that this strategy not only facilitated an efficient protocol for the screening and identification of target components, but also offered a new perspective on discovering non-target components in TCMs or other herbal medicines. Furthermore, 48 components were selected for semi-quantitative analyses to evaluate the difference in chemical ingredients between these two seeds of Ziziphus species. The results showed that ZSS enriched many saponins, while ZMS contained few saponins. On the contrary, many cyclopeptide alkaloids could be detected in ZMS with high content, but rare in ZSS. These results can be used for the differentiation between ZSS and its adulterant (ZMS), and also to set a scientific foundation for the establishment of quality control of ZSS.

Identification of metabolites of PSORALEAE FRUCTUS in rats by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry analysis.

The fruit of Psoralea corylifolia (Psoraleae Fructus) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which has been used to prevent and treat vitiligo, psoriasis, and osteoporosis in China for thousands of years. Phytochemical investigation on Psoraleae Fructus, as well as some metabolism research focused on pharmacokinetics of several single compounds from this plant, has been reported. However, the effective material of Psoraleae Fructus is still unknown. In the present study, the metabolic fate of multiple components of Psoraleae Fructus in rats was investigated by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS). Based on a three-step strategy, a total of 142 Psoraleae Fructus-related xenobiotics were identified or tentatively characterized in rat biofluids after oral administration of six representative single compounds and Psoraleae Fructus extract. All six different types of constituents of Psoraleae Fructus, including furocoumarin, coumestan, isoflavone, flavanone, chalcone and monoterpene phenol, could be absorbed into the circulation system. In addition, compared with the metabolism of six representative single compounds, different metabolic fate was observed after oral administration of Psoraleae Fructus extract, which indicated that the drug-drug interactions occurred when fed by multi-component herbal extract, and the investigations only focused on several main components were not sufficient to represent and reflect the overall efficacy of plants. The present study will be conducive to further pharmacological mechanism research on Psoraleae Fructus.

Monoterpene pyridine alkaloids and phenolics from Scrophularia ningpoensis and their cardioprotective effect.

Scrophularianines A-C (1-3), three new unusual monoterpene pyridine alkaloids with cyclopenta [c] pyridine skeleton reported from the genus Scrophularia for the first time, together with 15 known compounds (4-18), were isolated from the extract of Scrophularia ningpoensis. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive analyses of spectroscopic evidences. The biogenetic relationship between monoterpene pyridine alkaloids and iridoids was proposed preliminarily. The myocardial protective bioassay indicated that compounds 13 and 14 with a concentration of 10(-4)M exhibited significantly protective effect against H2O2-induced apoptosis in cardiomyocytes.