Population genomics analysis reveals footprints of selective breeding in a rapid-growth variety of Paulownia fortunei with apical dominance.

Paulownia fortunei is an ecologically and economically valuable tree cultivated for its rapid growth and high-quality timber. To enhance Paulownia germplasm, we have developed the elite variety QingT with patented advantages in growth rate and apical dominance. To illuminate the genetic basis of QingT's superior traits, here we harness comparative population genomics to analyze genomic variation patterns between QingT and common Paulownia. We performed whole-genome re-sequencing of 30 QingT and 30 common samples, detecting 15.6 million SNPs and 2.6 million indels. Phylogeny and population structure analyses robustly partitioned common and QingT into distinct groups which indicate robust genome stabilization. QingT exhibited reduced heterozygosity and linkage disequilibrium decay compared to common Paulownia, reflecting high recombination, indicating hybridizing effects with common white-flowered string is the source of its patented advantages. Genome selection scans uncovered 25 regions of 169 genes with elevated nucleotide diversity, indicating selection sweeps among groups. Functional analysis of sweep genes revealed upregulation of ribosomal, biosynthesis, and growth pathways in QingT, implicating enhanced protein production and developmental processes in its rapid growth phenotype. This study's insights comprehensively chart genomic variation during Paulownia breeding, localizing candidate loci governing agronomic traits, and underpinnings of future molecular breeding efforts to boost productivity.

[Potential action mechanism of Yishen Tongluo Prescription on male infertility: An analysis based on network pharmacology].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the main active components and potential molecular mechanism of Yishen Tongluo Prescription (YTP) in the treatment of male infertility based on network pharmacological technology. METHODS: We searched and sorted the main active components of YTP and their individual potential targets in the databases of Systematic Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool of the Molecular Mechanism of TCM, and screened the targets related to male infertility diseases in the databases of Genecards, DisGeNET and OMIM. We made a Venn diagram by intersecting the predicted targets of YTP and those of male infertility diseases, constructed visualized networks for the association of the intersection targets and protein-protein interaction (PPI) using the Cytoscape software and STRING platform respectively, and conducted gene ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analyses using the DAVID database and R language "Cluster Profiler" software package respectively. RESULTS: A total of 99 active components, 250 targets of YTP, 4 397 targets of male infertility and 127 common targets were identified. GO analysis revealed that the biological processes of the common targets mainly included transcriptional regulation of RNA polymerase promoter Ⅱ, regulation of gene expressions, regulation of apoptosis, responses to estrogen, and cell responses to hypoxia. KEGG analysis showed significant enrichment of the common targets in the estrogen signaling pathway, cell apoptosis pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, and TNF signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Through network pharmacology, we identified the main active components of YTP and its multi-target and multi-pathway mechanism in the treatment of male infertility, which has paved the ground for animal and cell experiments in verifying the action mechanism of YTP on male infertility.

[Treatment of male immune infertility by traditional Chinese medicine: A meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of male immune infertility (MII) by meta-analysis. METHODS: We retrieved randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the treatment of male immune infertility with traditional Chinese medicine from the databases of WanFang, Chinese Biomedical Literature, Cochrane Library, Weipu, PubMed and CNKI, and performed methodological quality assessment of the RCTs identified and statistical analysis and evaluation of the publication bias using the RevMan5.4 software. RESULTS: Totally, 25 RCTs (2 563 cases) were included in this study. Compared with Western medicine alone in the treatment of MII, TCM achieved a significantly higher total effectiveness rate (OR = 6.35, 95% CI: 4.96－8.13, P<0.000 01), negative conversion rate of seminal plasma anti-sperm antibodies (OR = 4.52, 95% CI: 2.72 － 7.51, P<0.000 01), negative rate of serum anti-sperm antibodies (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 2.23－3.96, P<0.000 01), sperm concentration (MD = 15.56, 95% CI: 11.32－19.79, P<0.000 01), grade a sperm motility (MD = 3.85, 95% CI: 1.91－5.79, P=0.000 01), grade a+b sperm motility (MD = 13.77, 95% CI: 7.06－20.48, P<0.000 1), sperm viability (MD = 10.32, 95% CI: 6.78－13.86, P<0.000 01) and pregnancy rate (OR = 3.53, 95% CI: 2.68－4.63, P<0.000 01), but a lower rate of adverse reactions (OR = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01－0.23, P<0.000 01). There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm between TCM and Western medicine alone in the treatment of MII (MD = －7.53, 95% CI: －15.50－0.44, P = 0.06). CONCLUSION: TCM has a definite effectiveness and high safe in the treatment of male immune infertility.

Isolation and characterization of intestinal bacteria associated with cellulose degradation in grasshoppers (Orthoptera).

Insect gut bacteria play an essential role in the nutritional metabolism, growth, and development of insects. Grasshoppers (Orthoptera) are cellulose-rich plant-feeding pests. Although the biological potential of grasshopper gut microorganisms to assist cellulose decomposition is well established, microbial resources for efficient degradation of cellulose biomass are still scarce and need to be developed. In this study, we used selective media to isolate cellulose-degrading bacteria from the intestines of Atractomorpha sinensis, Trilophidia annulata, Sphingonotus mongolicus, and Calliptamus abbreviatus. Phylogenetic analysis based on the maximum likelihood method using 16S rDNA sequencing sequences to identify bacteria revealed the isolation of 11 strains belonging to 3 genera, including Klebsiella, Aeromonas, and Bacillus. The degradability of the isolates to cellulose was then determined by the DNS colorimetric method, and the results showed that Bacillus had the highest degradation rate. The elucidation of microbial cellulose degradation capacity in grasshoppers not only contributes to the understanding of multiple plant-insect-microbe interactions, but also provides a valuable microbial resource for solving the biomass conversion of cellulose species problem.

Using UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS and HPLC-CAD to Identify Impurities in Cycloastragenol, Which Is a Pre-Clinical Candidate for COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent disease that has become the third leading cause of death worldwide. Cycloastragenol (CAG), which is the genuine sapogenin of the main active triterpene saponins in Astragali radix, is a bioavailable pre-clinical candidate for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and it was investigated in our previous study. In order to progress medical research, it was first efficiently produced on a 2.5-kg scale via Smith degradation from astragaloside IV (AS-IV). Simultaneously, since the impurity profiling of a drug is critical for performing CMC documentation in pre-clinical development, a study on impurities was carried out. As these structures do not contain chromophores and possess weak UV absorption characteristics, HPLC-CAD and UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS were employed to carry out the quality control of the impurities. Then, column chromatography (CC), preparative thin-layer chromatography (PTLC), and crystallization led to the identification of 15 impurities from CAG API. Among these impurities, compounds 1, 4, 9, 10, 14, and 15 were elucidated via spectroscopic analysis, and 2-3, 5-8, and 11-13 were putatively identified. Interestingly, the new compounds 9 and 14 were rare 10, 19-secocycloartane triterpenoids that displayed certain anti-inflammatory activities against LPS-induced lymphocyte cells and CSE-induced MLE-12 cells. Additionally, a plausible structural transformation pathway of the degradation compounds from CAG or AS IV was proposed. The information obtained will provide a material basis to carry out the quality control and clinical safety assurance of API and related prescriptions. Reasonable guidance will also be provided regarding the compounds with weak UV absorption characteristics.

Heterodyne detection of backscattering for whispering-gallery-mode sensors.

Whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microcavities have shown significant applications in nanoparticle sensing for environmental monitoring and biological analysis. However, the enhancement of detection resolution often calls for active cavities or elaborate structural designs, leading to an increase of fabrication complexity and cost. Herein, heterodyne amplification is implemented in WGM microsensors based on backscattering detection mechanism. By interfering with an exotic reference laser, the reflecting light backscattered by perturbation targets can be strongly enlarged, yielding an easy-to-resolve and consequently sensitive microsensor. The dependence of detection laser frequency has also been characterized with the assistance of optothermal dynamics. We show that exploiting heterodyne interferometry boosts the detection of weak signals in microresonator systems and provides a fertile ground for optical microsensor development.

Association between gait features assessed by artificial intelligent system and cognitive function decline in patients with silent cerebrovascular disease: study protocol of a multicenter prospective cohort study (ACCURATE-2).

BACKGROUND: Gait disturbances may appear prior to cognitive dysfunction in the early stage of silent cerebrovascular disease (SCD). Subtle changes in gait characteristics may provide an early warning of later cognitive decline. Our team has proposed a vision-based artificial intelligent gait analyzer for the rapid detection of spatiotemporal parameters and walking pattern based on videos of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between gait features assessed by our artificial intelligent gait analyzer and cognitive function changes in patients with SCD. METHODS: This will be a multicenter prospective cohort study involving a total of 14 hospitals from Shanghai and Guizhou. One thousand and six hundred patients with SCD aged 60-85 years will be consecutively recruited. Eligible patients will undergo the intelligent gait assessment and neuropsychological evaluation at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. The intelligent gait analyzer will divide participant into normal gait group and abnormal gait group according to their walking performance in the TUG videos at baseline. All participants will be naturally observed during 1-year follow-up period. Primary outcome are the changes in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. Secondary outcomes include the changes in intelligent gait spatiotemporal parameters (step length, gait speed, step frequency, step width, standing up time, and turning back time), the changes in scores on other neuropsychological tests (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Stroop Color Word Test, and Digit Span Test), falls events, and cerebrovascular events. We hypothesize that both groups will show a decline in MMSE score, but the decrease of MMSE score in the abnormal gait group will be more significant. CONCLUSION: This study will be the first to explore the relationship between gait features assessed by an artificial intelligent gait analyzer and cognitive decline in patients with SCD. It will demonstrate whether subtle gait abnormalities detected by the artificial intelligent gait analyzer can act as a cognitive-related marker for patients with SCD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT04456348 ; 2 July 2020).

Enhanced Mechanical Stability and Proton Conductivity Performance from the Dense Mn(II)-Metal-Organic Framework to Porous Mn(II)-Fe(III)-Metal-Organic Framework.

Postsynthetic modification (PSM) of the metal-organic framework (MOF) has been demonstrated to be an effective strategy to enhance performance. In this particular work, the anion framework Mn-MOF {[Mn3O(H2O)3(HTC)]2-} (HTC6- = (5'-(3,5-dicarboxyphenyl)-[1,1':3',1″-terphenyl]-3,3″,5,5″-tetracarboxylate] was obtained, and NH2(CH3)2+ ions were filled within the pores to balance the charge. In order to release the internal pores of Mn-MOF, the trivalent Fe(III) was introduced instead of Mn(II) nodes, resulting in the porous Mn1-xFex-MOF, and the NH2(CH3)2+ ions were simultaneously deported from the pores. The content of Fe(III) in Mn1-xFex-MOF was highly dependent on the concentration of Fe(III) solution, and the maximum could be up to Mn0.05Fe0.95-MOF with a BET surface area of 1209.457 m2 g-1. Compared to the amorphization of dense Mn-MOF at 0.8 GPa in a diamond anvil cell, the mechanical stability of porous Mn0.05Fe0.95-MOF has been dramatically enhanced, and the framework integrity could be maintained up to 16.5 GPa. The proton conductivity for the Mn1-xFex-MOF series was also investigated, where Mn0.93Fe0.07-MOF showed the best performance of 1.47 × 10-2 S cm-1 under 70 °C and 98% RH due to the onset of reversed charge from the anionic framework to cationic framework and the formation of the most compact hydrogen bonding net. This work has not only provided an example for the PSM strategy but also illustrated that the versatile functionalities of MOF materials were mainly ascribed to the tunable porosity.

Approaches to Configuration Determinations of Flexible Marine Natural Products: Advances and Prospects.

Flexible marine natural products (MNPs), such as eribulin and bryostatin, play an important role in the development of modern marine drugs. However, due to the multiple chiral centers and geometrical uncertainty of flexible systems, configuration determinations of flexible MNPs face great challenges, which, in turn, have led to obstacles in druggability research. To resolve this issue, the comprehensive use of multiple methods is necessary. Additionally, configuration assignment methods, such as X-ray single-crystal diffraction (crystalline derivatives, crystallization chaperones, and crystalline sponges), NMR-based methods (JBCA and Mosher's method), circular dichroism-based methods (ECCD and ICD), quantum computational chemistry-based methods (NMR calculations, ECD calculations, and VCD calculations), and chemical transformation-based methods should be summarized. This paper reviews the basic principles, characteristics, and applicability of the methods mentioned above as well as application examples to broaden the research and applications of these methods and to provide a reference for the configuration determinations of flexible MNPs.

Graphene-Based Nanoelectromechanical Periodic Array with Tunable Frequency.

Phononic crystals (PnCs) have attracted much attention due to their great potential for dissipation engineering and propagation manipulation of phonons. Notably, the excellent electrical and mechanical properties of graphene make it a promising material for nanoelectromechanical resonators. Transferring a graphene flake to a prepatterned periodic mechanical structure enables the realization of a PnC with on-chip scale. Here, we demonstrate a nanoelectromechanical periodic array by anchoring a graphene membrane to a 9 × 9 array of standing nanopillars. The device exhibits a quasi-continuous frequency spectrum with resonance modes distributed from ∼120 MHz to ∼980 MHz. Moreover, the resonant frequencies of these modes can be electrically tuned by varying the voltage applied to the gate electrode sitting underneath. Simulations suggest that the observed band-like spectrum provides an experimental evidence for PnC formation. Our architecture has large fabrication flexibility, offering a promising platform for investigations on PnCs with electrical accessibility and tunability.

MS/MS-Based Molecular Networking: An Efficient Approach for Natural Products Dereplication.

Natural products (NPs) have historically played a primary role in the discovery of small-molecule drugs. However, due to the advent of other methodologies and the drawbacks of NPs, the pharmaceutical industry has largely declined in interest regarding the screening of new drugs from NPs since 2000. There are many technical bottlenecks to quickly obtaining new bioactive NPs on a large scale, which has made NP-based drug discovery very time-consuming, and the first thorny problem faced by researchers is how to dereplicate NPs from crude extracts. Remarkably, with the rapid development of omics, analytical instrumentation, and artificial intelligence technology, in 2012, an efficient approach, known as tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS)-based molecular networking (MN) analysis, was developed to avoid the rediscovery of known compounds from the complex natural mixtures. Then, in the past decade, based on the classical MN (CLMN), feature-based MN (FBMN), ion identity MN (IIMN), building blocks-based molecular network (BBMN), substructure-based MN (MS2LDA), and bioactivity-based MN (BMN) methods have been presented. In this paper, we review the basic principles, general workflow, and application examples of the methods mentioned above, to further the research and applications of these methods.

[Xianfang Huoming Decoction improves sperm quality in asthenospermia mice: An investigation based on the detoxification and sperm-nourishing method].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of Xianfang Huoming Decoction (XHD) improving sperm motility in mice with asthenospermia (AS). METHODS: Thirty normal BALB/c mice were randomly divided into six groups, blank control, AS model control, low-dose XHD, medium-dose XHD, high-dose XHD and levocarnitine + vitamin E (LC+VE). The AS model was established in the latter five groups by injection of methotrexate at 0.5 mg/kg once a week, and the mice in the blank control group were injected with the same volume of normal saline, all for 8 weeks. From the ninth week, the animals in the blank control and AS model control groups were treated with PBS at 0.1 ml/d, those in the low-, medium- and high-dose XHD groups with XHD at 7.13, 14,2 and 28.52 g/kg/ d respectively, and those in the LC+VE group with LC+VE (30:1) at 0.55 g/kg/d, all for 4 weeks. Then, the bilateral epididymides were harvested from all the mice for preparation of a sperm suspension and observation of the total numbers of sperm and motile sperm. The testis tissues were obtained for to determination of the expressions of Nrf-2- and HO-1-related mRNA and proteins by fluorescence staining, RT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the AS model controls, the mice treated with low-, medium- and high-dose XHD showed dramatically increased sperm concentration (ï¼»22.36 ± 16.02ï¼½ vs ï¼»39.04 ± 4.50ï¼½, ï¼»40.76 ± 6.57ï¼½ and ï¼»41.04 ± 8.39ï¼½ ×106/ml, P < 0.01) and motility (ï¼»22.89 ± 14.96ï¼½% vs ï¼»47.98 ± 4.74ï¼½%, ï¼»48.53 ± 6.03ï¼½% and ï¼»49.31 ± 6.24ï¼½%, P< 0.01), decreased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (ï¼»16.82 ± 14.96ï¼½% vs ï¼»12.08 ± 3.26ï¼½%, ï¼»10.77 ± 2.21ï¼½% and ï¼»9.56 ± 2.08ï¼½%, P< 0.01), and up-regulated expressions of Nrf-2- and HO-1-related mRNA and proteins in the testis tissue (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Xianfang Huoming Decoction inhibits the development of oxidative stress by up-regulating the expressions of Nrf-2- and HO-1-related mRNA and proteins in the testis tissue, which has provided theoretical evidence for its clinical application in the treatment of asthenospermia.

6-Gingerol relieves myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury by regulating lncRNA H19/miR-143/ATG7 signaling axis-mediated autophagy.

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) causes severe damage in cardiac tissue, thereby resulting in a high rate of mortality. 6-Gingerol (6-G) is reported to play an essential role in alleviating MIRI. However, the underlying mechanism remains obscure. This study was intended to explore the potential mechanism by which 6-G functions. Q-PCR was employed to quantify the relative RNA levels of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) H19 (H19), miR-143, and ATG7, an enzyme essential for autophagy, in HL-1 cells. Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry were employed for protein evaluation in cultured cells or mouse tissues. Cell viability, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis were analysed by CCK-8, LDH, and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The binding sites for miR-143 were predicted using starBase software and experimentally validated through a dual-luciferase reporter system. Here, we found that 6-G elevated cellular H19 expression in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-treated HL-1 cells. Moreover, 6-G increased Bcl-2 expression but reduced cleaved caspase 3 and caspase 9 protein levels. Mechanistically, H19 directly interacted with miR-143 and lowered its cellular abundance by acting as a molecular sponge. Importantly, ATG7 was validated as a regulated gene of miR-143, and the depletion of miR-143 by H19 caused an increased in ATG7 expression, which in turn promoted the autophagy process. Last, mouse experiments highly supported our in vitro findings that 6-G relieves MIRI by enhancing autophagy. The H19/miR-143/ATG7 axis was shown to be critical for the function of 6-G in relieving MIRI.

Color-detuning-dynamics-based quantum sensing with dressed states driving.

Exploring quantum technology to precisely measure physical quantities is a meaningful task for practical scientific researches. Here, we propose a novel quantum sensing model based on color detuning dynamics with dressed states driving (DSD) in stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. The model is valid for sensing different physical quantities, such as magnetic field, mass, rotation and so on. For different sensors, the used systems can range from macroscopic scale, e.g. optomechanical systems, to microscopic nanoscale, e.g. solid spin systems. The dynamics of color detuning of DSD passage indicates the sensitivity of sensors can be enhanced by tuning system with more adiabatic or accelerated processes in different color detuning regimes. To show application examples, we apply our approach to build optomechanical mass sensor and solid spin magnetometer with practical parameters.

Demonstration of Yb3+-doped and Er3+/Yb3+-codoped on-chip microsphere lasers.

Rare-earth-doped on-chip microlasers are of great significance in both fundamental research and engineering. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Yb3+-doped and Er3+/Yb3+-codoped on-chip microsphere lasers fabricated via sol-gel synthesis. Laser emissions were observed in a band around 1040 nm in both Yb3+-doped and Er3+/Yb3+-codoped resonators pumped at 980 nm and had measured ultralow thresholds of 5.2 µW and 0.6 µW, respectively. Both single-mode and multi-mode emissions were recorded around 1040 nm in these lasers. Single-mode and two-mode emissions were obtained at 1550 nm in the Er3+/Yb3+-codoped lasers when pumped at 980 nm and 1460 nm, respectively. Furthermore, quality factors induced by different loss mechanisms in the microsphere lasers are theoretically estimated. These resonators are expected to contribute to the high-density integration of on-chip silica-based microlasers.

Scalable higher-order exceptional surface with passive resonators.

The sensitivity of perturbation sensing can be effectively enhanced with higher-order exceptional points due to the nonlinear response to frequency splitting. However, experimental implementation is challenging since all the parameters need to be precisely prepared. The emergence of an exceptional surface (ES) improves the robustness of the system to the external environment, while maintaining the same sensitivity. Here, we propose, to our knowledge, the first scalable protocol for realizing a photonic high-order ES with passive resonators. By adding one or more additional passive resonators in the low-order ES photonic system, the three- or arbitrary N-order ES is constructed and proved to be easily realized in experiment. We show that the sensitivity is enhanced and the experimental demonstration is more resilient against fabrication errors. The additional phase-modulation effect is also investigated.

Phase-controlled dual-wavelength resonance in a self-coupling whispering-gallery-mode microcavity.

We report a novel, to the best of our knowledge, way to achieve phase-controlled dual-wavelength resonance based on whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microcavities experimentally. With the help of a feedback waveguide, not only two optical pathways but also a unidirectional coupling between counter-propagating waves are formed, which is the requirement of all-optical analogues of electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler-Townes splitting. By adjusting the accumulating phase introduced from the fiber waveguide, we observe the signal lineshape changes from symmetric to asymmetric, i.e., the resonant transmission and extinction ratio of two splitting modes can be controlled, which brings a new degree of freedom to the WGM resonator system. These results may boost the development of quantum state control and pave the way for reconfiguring devices such as narrow-band filters.

[Danhong Tongjing Prescription improves sperm quality in patients with bilateral varicocele after varicocelectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Danhong Tongjing Prescription (DTP) on sperm quality in patients with bilateral varicocele (VC) after microsurgical varicocelectomy. METHODS: We randomly assigned 68 patients with bilateral VC to receive microsurgical varicocelectomy (the control group, n = 34) or microsurgical varicocelectomy followed by oral administration of DTP for a course of 90 days (the DTP group, n = 34). Before and after treatment, we obtained the sperm concentration, total sperm count, total sperm motility, the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS), sperm acrosomal enzyme activity, inhibin B (Inh-B) level, and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) from the patients and compared the parameters between the two groups. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in sperm concentration, PMS, acrosomal enzyme activity or sperm DFI among the patients with different degrees of VC preoperatively. After 3 months of medication, sperm concentration, total sperm count, total sperm motility, PMS and acrosomal enzyme activity were all increased while DFI decreased in both the control and DTP groups, even more significantly in the DTP group than in the control, and the Inh-B level was also markedly elevated in the DTP group in comparison with the baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The severity of bilateral VC is not correlated with the reduction of semen quality. DTP can improve sperm quality by improving total sperm count, PMS and acrosomal enzyme activity and reducing DFI in VC patients after varicocelectomy. The underlying mechanisms of the prescription may be related to its anti-oxidative stress action and abilities of improving reproductive hypoxia, spermatogenic environment and the function of Sertoli cells, but the specific signaling pathway involved is not yet clear.

[Mechanism of Shouhui Tongbian Capsules in treating constipation based on network pharmacology and molecular docking].

To explore the mechanism of Shouhui Tongbian Capsules in treating constipation by means of network pharmacology and molecular docking approach. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP) and Bioinfoematics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine(BATMAN) were applied to obtain chemical components and potential targets of eight herbs in Shouhui Tongbian Capsules according to the screening principles of oral availability(OB)≥30% and drug-like property(DL)≥0.18. Disease targets relating to constipation were screened out through GeneCards, PharmGkb and other databases, drug targets were integrated with disease targets, and intersection targets were exactly the potential action targets of Shouhui Tongbian Capsules for treating constipation; PPI network of potential targets was constructed using STRING platform, and GO(gene ontology) analysis and KEGG(Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) pathway data were obtained to conduct enrichment analysis and predict its mechanism of action. Cytoscape 3.6.1 was used to construct a network of "medicinal materials-chemical components-drug targets", and the network topology analysis was carried out on the PPI network to obtain its main components and key targets. Molecular docking between components and key targets of Shouhui Tongbian Capsules verified the accuracy of network pharmacological analysis results. The PPI network analysis showed 92 chemical components, including quercetin, stigmaste-rol, aloe-emodin, rhein, and key targets for instance AKT1, MAPK1, IL6, JUN, TNF and TP53. The enrichment analysis of KEGG screened out 157 signal pathways(P<0.01), mainly involving interleukin 17 signaling pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, thyroid hormone signaling pathway. Quercetin, resveratrol and lysine with top degree value had a rational conformation in docking site of protein crystal complexes. This study preliminarily showed that various active ingredients in Shouhui Tongbian Capsules could regulate multiple signaling pathways, increase intestinal smoothness and peristalsis function, ensure smooth intestinal lumen, and play a role in treating constipation by acting on key targets, such as AKT1, MAPK1, IL6 and JUN.

Manipulation of optomechanically induced transparency and absorption by indirectly coupling to an auxiliary cavity mode.

We theoretically study the optomechanically induced transparency (OMIT) and absorption (OMIA) phenomena in a single microcavity optomechanical system, assisted by an indirectly coupled auxiliary cavity mode. We show that the interference effect between the two optical modes plays an important role and can be used to control the multiple-pathway induced destructive or constructive interference effect. The three-pathway interference could induce an absorption dip within the transparent window in the red sideband driving regime, while we can switch back and forth between OMIT and OMIA with the four-pathway interference. The conversion between the transparency peak and absorption dip can be achieved by tuning the relative amplitude and phase of the multiple light paths interference. Our system proposes a new platform to realize multiple pathways induced transparency and absorption in a single microcavity and a feasible way for realizing all-optical information processing.