As the advanced functional materials, silver nanoparticles are potentially useful in various fields such as photoelectric, bio-sensing, catalysis, antibacterial and other fields, which are mainly based on their various properties. However, the properties of silver nanoparticles are usually determined by their size, shape, and surrounding medium, which can be modulated by various synthesis methods. In this review, the fabrication methods for synthesizing silver nanoparticles of different shapes and specific size are illustrated in detail. Besides, the corresponding properties and applications of silver nanoparticles are also discussed in this paper.

Sunlight driven Ag2S-based heterostructures: promising photocatalysts for dealing with environmental and energy issues.

Endometriosis remains a common but challenging gynecological disease among reproductive-aged women with an unclear pathogenesis and limited therapeutic options. Numerous pieces of evidence suggest that NF-κB signaling, a major regulator of inflammatory responses, is overactive in endometriotic lesions and contributes to the onset, progression, and recurrence of endometriosis. Several factors, such as estrogen, progesterone, oxidative stress, and noncoding RNAs, can regulate NF-κB signaling in endometriosis. In the present review, we discuss the mechanisms by which these factors regulate NF-κB during endometriosis progression and provide an update on the role of NF-κB in affecting endometriotic cells, peritoneal macrophages (PMs) as well as endometriosis-related symptoms, such as pain and infertility. Furthermore, the preclinical drugs for blocking NF-κB signaling in endometriosis are summarized, including plant-derived medicines, NF-κB inhibitors, other known drugs, and the potential anti-NF-κB drugs predicted through the Drug-Gene Interaction Database. The present review discusses most of the studies concerning the multifaceted role of NF-κB signaling in endometriosis and provides a summary of NF-κB-targeted treatment in detail.

No abstract

The karst tiankeng is a special and grand negative terrain on the surface, that maintains a unique ecosystem. However, knowledge about bacterial and fungal communities in karst tiankengs is still limited. Therefore, soil samples from five karst tiankengs were collected and subjected to high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS genes, and multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed abundant and diversified bacterial and fungal communities in karst tiankeng. The bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria, and the fungal communities were dominated by Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in bacterial and fungal communities among the five karst tiankengs, which may indicate that the distribution of bacterial and fungal communities was driven by separate karst tiankengs. The co-occurrence network structure was characterized by highly modularized assembly patterns and more positive interactions. The keystone taxa were mainly involved in nutrient cycling and energy metabolism. The null model analysis results showed that the stochastic process, especially dispersal limitation, tended to be more important in controlling the development of bacterial and fungal communities in karst tiankeng. The bacterial community structure was significantly associated with soil properties (SWC, TN, AN, and BD), while the fungal community structure was significantly associated with soil properties (SWC and TP) and plant diversity. These results can expand our knowledge of the karst tiankeng microbiome.