QCD corrections to Upsilon production via color-octet states at the Tevatron and LHC

The NLO QCD corrections to Upsilon production via S-wave color-octet states Upsilon(^1S_0^8,^3S_1^8) at the Tevatron and LHC is calculated. The K factors of total cross section (ratio of NLO to LO) are 1.313 and 1.379 for Upsilon(^1S_0^8) and Upsilon(^3S_1^8) at the Tevatron, while at the LHC they are 1.044 and 1.182, respectively. By fitting the experimental data from the D0, the matrix elements for S-wave color-octet states are obtained. And new predictions for Upsilon production are presented. The prediction for the polarization of inclusive Upsilon contains large uncertainty rising from the polarization of Upsilon from feed-down of chi_b. To further clarify the situation, new measurements on the production and polarization for direct Upsilon are expected.Comment: 13 pages, 10 Figure

Wuzi Yanzong Pill—Based on Network Pharmacology and In Vivo Evidence—Protects Against Spermatogenesis Disorder via the Regulation of the Apoptosis Pathway

The crisis of male infertility is an issue of human reproductive health worldwide. The Wuzi Yanzong pill (WZYZP) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription that shows efficacy in kidney reinforcement and essence benefit to ameliorate male reproductive dysfunctions. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of the WZYZP on male infertility have not been investigated and clarified clearly. This study was designed to investigate the effects of the WZYZP on spermatogenesis disorder and explore its underlying pharmacological mechanisms. First, based on a network pharmacology study, 39 bioactive compounds and 40 targets of the WZYZP associated with spermatogenesis disorder were obtained, forming a tight compound-target network. Molecular docking tests showed tight docking of these compounds with predicted targeted proteins. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network identified TP53, TNF, AKT1, Bcl-XL, Bcl-2, and IκBA as hub targets. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway network and pathway-target-compound network revealed that the apoptosis pathway was enriched by multiple signaling pathways and multiple targets, including the hub targets. Subsequently, the chemical characterization of WZYZP was analyzed using liquid chromatography to quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and 40 compounds in positive ion mode and 41 compounds in negative ion mode in the WZYZP were identified. Furthermore, based on the prediction of a network pharmacology study, a rat model of spermatogenesis disorder was established to evaluate the curative role and underlying mechanisms of the WZYZP. The results showed that WZYZP treatment improved rat sperm quality and attenuated serum hormone levels, reversed histopathological damage of the testis, reduced cell apoptosis in testis tissues, and ameliorated the expression of the predicted hub targets (TP53, TNF-α, AKT1, NFκB, and IκBA) and the apoptosis related proteins (Bcl-XL, Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase 3, and Caspase 9). These results indicated that the WZYZP has a protective effect on spermatogenesis disorder, suggesting that it could be an alternative choice for male infertility therapy