Identifying and eliminating false positives in thermal-assisted photocatalysis.

We discovered that employing inappropriate calibration curves for activity evaluation resulted in false positive results. Specifically, an artificial efficiency of hydrogen production is exaggerated by up to 2.2-fold if the calibration curves are misused, leading to considerably high false positive results. Our study highlights the importance of utilizing the correct calibration curve to ensure a true performance, and is beneficial for fostering advancements in the development of thermal-assisted photocatalysis.

Effect of short-term 10 Hz repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation on postural control ability in patients with mild hemiparesis in acute ischemic stroke: a single-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can improve postural control in subacute and chronic ischemic stroke, but further research is needed to investigate the effect of rTMS on acute ischemic stroke. Objective: We compared the therapeutic effects of rTMS plus conventional rehabilitation and conventional rehabilitation on postural control in patients with mild hemiparesis in acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Eighty-six patients with acute ischemic stroke were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group within 1-7 days of onset. Patients in both groups received conventional rehabilitation for 2 weeks. Patients in the experimental group received rTMS treatments lasting for 2 weeks. Before and after the 2-week treatment, patients were assessed based on the Timed up and Go (TUG) test, Dual-Task Walking (DTW) test, Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), gait kinematic parameters, Barthel Index (BI), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Additionally, TUG and single-task gait velocity were assessed at 2 months after the start of treatment, and independent walking recovery was also followed up. Results: After 2 weeks of treatment, compared to conventional rehabilitation, participants who underwent rTMS treatment plus conventional rehabilitation exhibited notable enhancements in TUG, FAC, POMA, and some gait parameters [single-task gait velocity, gait stride length, gait cadence, gait cycle]. Changes in cognitive function partially mediated the improvement in single-task gait velocity and gait stride length by rTMS plus conventional rehabilitation. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) analysis showed that the trend of improvement in single-task gait velocity over time was more pronounced in the experimental group than in the control group. The results of the Kaplan-Meier curve indicated a median gait recovery time of 90 days for patients in the experimental group and 100 days for the control group. Multifactorial Cox regression analyses showed that rTMS plus conventional rehabilitation promoted faster recovery of independent walking compared with conventional rehabilitation. Conclusion: rTMS plus conventional rehabilitation outperformed conventional rehabilitation in improving postural control in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Improvements in cognitive function may serve as a mediating factor in the favorable treatment outcome of rTMS plus conventional rehabilitation for improving postural control. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR1900026225.

Modulating crystal facets of photoanodes for photoelectrocatalytic scalable degradation of fluorinated pharmaceuticals in wastewater.

Fluorinated pharmaceuticals pollution has become an ever-increasing environmental concern due to its negative impacts. Photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation system is a desirable approach to tackle the pollution problems. However, photogenerated charge separation and interfacial mass transfer are the main bottlenecks for improving the PEC degradation performance. Herein, we report a TiO2 photoanode with tuned (101)/(110) facets in situ grown on a Ti mesh substrate for PEC degradation of fluorinated pharmaceuticals. The exposure of (101) facets facilitates efficient photogenerated charge separation and the desorption of generated •OH radical. Besides, the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of photoanode promotes macroscopic mass transfer. This system performed complete defluorination of 5-fluorouracil and more than 75 % total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency. The apparent reaction rate constant of high (101) facet-exposed TiO2 grown on Ti mesh is up to 6.96 h-1, 6‒fold faster than that of photoanode with low (101) facet-exposed TiO2 grown on Ti foil. It is demonstrated that a large-sized PEC system of 1200 cm2 can degrade 100 L of synthetic fluorinated pharmaceutical wastewater with more than 80 % elimination efficiency. This work showcases the facet and substrate modulated strategy of fabricating high-performed photoanode for PEC wastewater purification.

PCSK9 inhibitors ameliorate arterial stiffness in ACS patients: evidences from Mendelian randomization, a retrospective study and basic experiments.

Background: Current evidences suggest that Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/kexin Type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) exhibit a protective influence on acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Nevertheless, further investigation is required to comprehend the impact and mechanisms of these pharmaceutical agents on inflammatory factors and arterial stiffness (AS) in patients with ACS. Consequently, the objective of this study is to ascertain the influence of PCSK9i on arterial stiffness in ACS patients and elucidate the underlying mechanisms behind their actions. Methods: This study employed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to examine the association between genetic prediction of PCSK9 inhibition and arterial stiffness. Data of 71 patients with ACS were retrospectively collected, including PCSK9i group (n = 36, PCSK9 inhibitors combined with statins) and control group (n = 35, statins only). Blood lipid levels, inflammatory markers and pulse wave velocity (PWV) data were collected before treatment and at 1 and 6 months after treatment for analysis. Additionally, cell experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of PCSK9i on osteogenesis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), utilizing western blot (WB), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and calcification index measurements. Results: The results of the MR analysis suggest that genetic prediction of PCSK9 inhibition has potential to reduce the PWV. Following treatment of statins combined with PCSK9 inhibitors for 1 and 6 months, the PCSK9i group exhibited significantly lower levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), fibrinogen (FIB) and procalcitonin (PCT) compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, PWV in the PCSK9i group demonstrated significant reduction after 6 months of treatment and was found to be associated with the circulating CRP level. In cell experiments, PCSK9i pretreatment ameliorated osteogenesis of VSMCs through reducing the deposition of calcium ions, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). Conclusion: PCSK9i have potential to enhance arterial stiffness in ACS patients. Specifically, at the clinical level, this impact may be attributed to alterations in circulating CRP levels. At the cellular level, it is associated with the signaling pathway linked to RUNX2.

Association of total sleep duration variability with risk of new stroke in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between total sleep duration variability and stroke in the middle-aged and elderly population in China. METHODS: Data were collected from the 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018 surveys of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A total of 3485 participants, who had not experienced a stroke until 2015 and completed the follow-up in 2018, were enrolled to analyze the relationship between total sleep duration variability and new stroke. Total sleep duration was calculated by summing self-reported nocturnal sleep duration and daytime napping. The variability was determined by calculating the standard deviation (SD) of total sleep duration across the first three waves. A binary logistic regression model was utilized to analyze this association. RESULTS: Of the 3485 participants, 183 (5.25%) sustained a stroke event. A dose-response relationship was observed, indicating an increased stroke risk of 0.2 per unit (hours) increase in total sleep duration variability [OR (95% CI): 1.20 (1.01-1.42)]. Upon stratification by sex groups, this increased risk was significant only in men [OR (95% CI): 1.44 (1.12-1.83)]. CONCLUSION: Increased total sleep duration variability was associated with an increased risk of stroke in the middle-aged and elderly, independent of factors such as age, nocturnal sleep duration, napping habits, region of residence, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, BMI, smoking, drinking habits, and marital status. However, a more notable correlation was observed in males.

A p-n-p Configuration Based on the Cuprous Oxide/Silicon Tandem Photocathode for Accelerating Solar-Driven Hydrogen Evolution.

Photoelectrochemical splitting of water into hydrogen is a potential route to motivate the application of solar-driven conversion to clean energy but is regularly limited by its low efficiency. The key to addressing this issue is to design a suitable photocathode configuration for high-efficiency photogenerated carrier separation and transmission to photocathode-surface reaction sites. In this work, we report a Si-Cu2O tandem photocathode featuring a p-n-p configuration for solar-driven hydrogen evolution in an alkaline solution. Driven by this built-in field, the electrons induced from Si were transferred through FeOOH, which acted as electron tunnels, to combine with the holes from Cu2O, triggering more electrons generated from Cu2O to particiate in the surface reaction. Under simulated sunlight, the optimized photocathode achieved and maintained a photocurrent density of -11 mA/cm2 at 0 VRHE in alkaline conditions for 120 min, outperforming the reported tandem cell consisting of Si and Cu2O photocathodes. Our results provide valuable insight into a feasible way to construct an optimized photocathode for efficient solar-driven H2 evolution.

Boosting CO2 piezo-reduction via metal-support interactions in Au/ZnO based catalysts.

Confronting the challenge of climate change necessitates innovative approaches for the reduction of CO2 emissions. Metal-support interaction has been widely demonstrated to enable greatly improved performances in thermal-catalytic, photocatalytic and electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. However, its applicability and specifically its role in the emerging piezo-electrocatalytic CO2 reduction are unknown, severely hampering the utilizations of piezo-electrocatalysis in CO2 conversion. Herein, by adopting Au particles supported on ZnO (Au/ZnO) as a paradigm, it is found that the metal-support interaction can remarkably improve the separation and transfer of piezo-carriers and enhance CO2 adsorption. As a result, Au/ZnO demonstrates a substantially boosted activity for piezo-electrocatalytic CO2 reduction and the optimal sample exhibits a 37.3% increase in CO yield compared to the pristine ZnO. The integration of metal-support interactions opens a new avenue to the design of advanced piezo-electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction.

Band Position-Independent Piezo-Electrocatalysis for Ultrahigh CO2 Conversion.

Piezo-electrocatalysis as an emerging mechano-to-chemistry energy conversion technique opens multiple innovative opportunities and draws great interest over the past decade. However, the two potential mechanisms in piezo-electrocatalysis, i.e., screening charge effect and energy band theory, generally coexist in the most piezoelectrics, making the essential mechanism remain controversial. Here, for the first time, the two mechanisms in piezo-electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (PECRR) is distinguished through a narrow-bandgap piezo-electrocatalyst strategy using MoS2 nanoflakes as demo. With conduction band of -0.12 eV, the MoS2 nanoflakes are unsatisfied for CO2 -to-CO redox potential of -0.53 eV, yet they achieve an ultrahigh CO yield of ≈543.1 µmol g-1  h-1 in PECRR. Potential band position shifts under vibration are still unsatisfied with CO2 -to-CO potential verified by theoretical investigation and piezo-photocatalytic experiment, further indicating that the mechanism of piezo-electrocatalysis is independent of band position. Besides, MoS2 nanoflakes exhibit unexpected intense "breathing" effect under vibration and enable the naked-eye-visible inhalation of CO2 gas, independently achieving the complete carbon cycle chain from CO2 capture to conversion. The CO2 inhalation and conversion processes in PECRR are revealed by a self-designed in situ reaction cell. This work brings new insights into the essential mechanism and surface reaction evolution of piezo-electrocatalysis.

The impact of physical activity intervention on perinatal depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: No meta-analysis has analyzed the effect of physical activity level, period of physical activity intervention, and duration of intervention, on perinatal depression. This study was to evaluate the impact of physical activity intensity, dose, period, and duration on perinatal depression. METHODS: The literature was searched via the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. Weighted mean difference (WMD) or the risk ratio (RR) was used as the effect indicator, and the effect size was represented by the 95 % confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analysis based on the perinatal stage, physical activity intensity, physical activity equivalent, and intervention duration was performed. RESULTS: Totally, 35 studies including 5084 women were included. Physical activity could reduce the incidence and severity of depression in perinatal women. Among depressed women with prenatal depression, low-intensity physical activity, with metabolic equivalents (METs)-min/week being <450, was associated with lower levels of depression. In the general population, the risk of postpartum depression was lower in the physical activity group when the duration of intervention was ≥12 weeks, being II, III stage, and ≥450 METs-min/week. Both low and moderate-intensity physical activity were beneficial to an improved depression severity among depressed women with postpartum depression, and moderate exercise intervention could decrease the risk of postpartum depression in general pregnant women. LIMITATIONS: Different types of physical activities may affect the effectiveness of interventions. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated physical activity specifically targeted at pregnant women could reduce depression risk and severity.

Identifying and Removing the Interfacial States in Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Schottky Si Photoanodes for the Highest Fill Factor.

A critical bottleneck for realizing an efficient Schottky type Si photoelectrode is minimizing the charge extraction losses across the heterointerface via reducing the unfavorite defects. This requires a clear microscopic insight into the correlation between interfacial features and photoconversion. Herein, by taking the n-Si/oxide (MOx)/Ni as the prototype, the heterointerface with the different characteristics and its effects on charge transportation and the corresponding photoelectric/photoelectrochemical (PEC) behaviors were clarified. An ultra-thin AlOx layer can effectively diminish the interfacial pinning of n-Si/Ni and significantly facilitate the photoconversion; meanwhile, it results in some unexpected donor-like deep defects at around 0.59 eV below the conduction band of n-Si, which could be ionized under a reverse bias and cause about 10% photogenerated charge recombination. Fortunately, these deep defects can be further eliminated by cooperating AlOx with a thin Au layer. The AlOx/Au dual-interlayer can remove almost all unexpected defects and maximize the efficiency of the electric field for charge extraction from semiconductor Si for the surface catalytic reaction. Eventually, the n-Si/SiOx/AlOx/Au/Ni/NiFeOx photoanode exhibited a record fill factor of 0.75 for the corresponding photoelectric device and an applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 3.71% for PEC water oxidation. This study provides definite insights into interfacial electronic states and elaborates their crucial role in solar photoelectric conversion.