Irisin Alleviates Autoimmune Uveitis Through Promoting Retinal Microglial M1 to M2 Phenotypic Polarization Mediated by HIF-1α Pathway.

Irisin, proteolytically cleaved from Fndc5 protein, has been identified as an exercise-related hormone. Here, we investigated the irisin levels in aqueous humor and its involvement in the pathogenesis of uveitis. The results revealed that the irisin level in the aqueous humor was significantly decreased in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH), and Behcet uveitis (BU) patients, and was negatively correlated with TNF-α in BU patients. Exogenous supplementation of irisin alleviated scores of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) clinically and pathologically and suppressed the proportion of Th1 and Th17 cells in spleen. Fndc5-/- EAU mice exhibited more severe inflammatory manifestations with increased microglial activation in the retina. Irisin could mitigate M1 microglia and promote M2 microglia polarization. RNA sequencing of the retina showed that HIF-1α pathway was significantly enriched in Fndc5-/- EAU mice. HIF-1α pathway inhibitor significantly rescued EAU severity, associated with a decreased M1 microglial polarization in the retina of Fndc5-/- mice. In conclusion, we highlighted that irisin could alleviate uveitis by inhibiting Th1 and Th17 cells and reducing M1 microglial polarization via HIF-1α pathway.

Deciphering the neuroprotective mechanisms of RACK1 in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury: Pioneering insights into mitochondrial autophagy and the PINK1/Parkin axis.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) is a common and debilitating complication of cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke, characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction and cell apoptosis. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms behind these processes is essential for developing effective CIRI treatments. This study investigates the role of RACK1 (receptor for activated C kinase 1) in CIRI and its impact on mitochondrial autophagy. METHODS: We utilized high-throughput transcriptome sequencing and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify core genes associated with CIRI. In vitro experiments used human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) to simulate ischemia, followed by reperfusion (OGD/R). RACK1 knockout cells were created using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and cell viability, apoptosis, and mitochondrial function were assessed. In vivo experiments involved middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) surgery in rats, evaluating neurological function and cell apoptosis. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that RACK1 expression increases during CIRI and is protective by regulating mitochondrial autophagy through the PINK1/Parkin pathway. In vitro, RACK1 knockout exacerbated cell apoptosis, while overexpression of RACK1 reversed this process, enhancing mitochondrial function. In vivo, RACK1 overexpression reduced cerebral infarct volume and improved neurological deficits. The regulatory role of RACK1 depended on the PINK1/Parkin pathway, with RACK1 knockout inhibiting PINK1 and Parkin expression, while RACK1 overexpression restored them. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that RACK1 safeguards against neural damage in CIRI by promoting mitochondrial autophagy through the PINK1/Parkin pathway. These findings offer crucial insights into the regulation of mitochondrial autophagy and cell apoptosis by RACK1, providing a promising foundation for future CIRI treatments.

Factor-augmented transformation models for interval-censored failure time data.

Interval-censored failure time data frequently arise in various scientific studies where each subject experiences periodical examinations for the occurrence of the failure event of interest, and the failure time is only known to lie in a specific time interval. In addition, collected data may include multiple observed variables with a certain degree of correlation, leading to severe multicollinearity issues. This work proposes a factor-augmented transformation model to analyze interval-censored failure time data while reducing model dimensionality and avoiding multicollinearity elicited by multiple correlated covariates. We provide a joint modeling framework by comprising a factor analysis model to group multiple observed variables into a few latent factors and a class of semiparametric transformation models with the augmented factors to examine their and other covariate effects on the failure event. Furthermore, we propose a nonparametric maximum likelihood estimation approach and develop a computationally stable and reliable expectation-maximization algorithm for its implementation. We establish the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators and conduct simulation studies to assess the empirical performance of the proposed method. An application to the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study is provided. An R package ICTransCFA is also available for practitioners. Data used in preparation of this article were obtained from the ADNI database.

METTL14-mediated upregulation of lncRNA HOTAIR represses PP1α expression by promoting H3K4me1 demethylation in oxycodone-treated mice.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is a vital epigenetic mechanism associated with drug addiction. However, the relationship between m6A modification and oxycodone rewarding is less well explored. Based on an open field test, the present study evaluated oxycodone rewarding using chromatin immunoprecipitation PCR, immunofluorescence, and RNA sequencing. A marked increase in METTL14 protein and a decrease in PP1α protein due to oxycodone abundance in the striatal neurons were observed in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Oxycodone markedly increased LSD1 expression, and decreased H3K4me1 expression in the striatum. In the open field test, intra-striatal injection of METTL14 siRNA, HOTAIR siRNA, or LSD1 shRNA blocked oxycodone-induced increase in locomotor activity. The downregulation of PP1α was also inhibited after treatment with METTL14/HOTAIR siRNA and LSD1 shRNA. Enhanced binding of LSD1 with CoRest and of CoRest with the PP1α gene induced by oxycodone was also reversed by LSD1 shRNA. In addition, H3K4me1 demethylation was also blocked by the treatment. In summary, the investigation confirmed that METTL14-mediated upregulation of HOTAIR resulted in the repression of PP1α, which in turn facilitated the recruitment of LSD1, thus catalyzing H3K4me1 demethylation and promoting oxycodone addiction.

Aggregation-Induced Emission Phosphorescence Featured Au-Ag Coordination Polymer with a Diphosphine N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand for Highly Sensitive Detection of Cr(VI).

Luminescent materials with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics have been recognized as highly selective and sensitive probes for the detection of toxic metal ions in recent years. In this paper, a Au-Ag cluster-based coordination polymer [Au3Ag3(L)2(CN)6(H2O)2]n [1, L = 1,3-bis((diphenylphosphanyl)methyl)-4,5-dihydro-imidazolylidene] was prepared by in situ generation of the diphosphine N-heterocyclic carbene (PCNHCP)-type ligand L in the presence of the corresponding metal salts. Compound 1 exhibited 530 nm phosphorescence under 380 nm excitation with a QY of 6.30% and a lifetime (τ) of 7.14 µs in the solid state. 1 showed good AIE behavior in the mixture of MeOH/H2O while the best aggregation state (fwater = 90%, QY = 6.79%, τ = 6.70 µs) exhibited selective and sensitive emission quenching toward Cr(VI) ions. Ultralow detection limits of 9.7 ppb (w/w) for Cr2O72- and 17.9 ppb (w/w) for CrO42- were achieved.

The epigenetically regulated PP1α expression by KDM1A may contribute to oxycodone conditioned place preference in mice.

The lysine-specific demethylase 1 (KDM1A) is reported to be a regulator in learning and memory. However, the effect of KDM1A in oxycodone rewarding memory has yet to be studied. In our study, rewarding memory was assessed by using conditioned place preference (CPP) in male mice. Next generation sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR were used to explore the molecular mechanisms. Oxycodone significantly decreased PP1α mRNA and protein levels in hippocampal neurons. Oxycodone significantly increased KDM1A and H3K4me1 levels, while significantly decreased H3K4me2 levels in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Behavioral data demonstrated that intraperitoneal injection of ORY-1001 (KDM1A inhibitor) or intra-hippocampal injection of KDM1A siRNA/shRNA blocked the acquisition and expression of oxycodone CPP and facilitated the extinction of oxycodone CPP. The decrease of PP1α was markedly blocked by the injection of ORY-1001 or KDM1A siRNA/shRNA. Oxycodone-induced enhanced binding of CoRest with KDM1A and binding of CoRest with the PP1α promoter was blocked by ORY-1001. The level of H3K4me2 demethylation was also decreased by the treatment. The results suggest that oxycodone-induced upregulation of KDM1A via demethylation of H3K4me2 promotes the binding of CoRest with the PP1α promoter, and the subsequent decrease in PP1α expression in hippocampal neurons may contribute to oxycodone reward.

A Phosphorescent P/N/S Hybrid Ligand Stabilized Au2Cu Complex Selectively Senses Ammonia and Amines.

Reaction of a P/N/S hybrid ligand dpppyatc (N,N-bis((diphenylphosphaneyl)methyl)-N-(pyridin-2-yl)-amino-thiocarbamide) with Au(tht)Cl (tht=tetrahydrothiophene) and [Cu(MeCN)4]BF4 afforded cluster complex [Au2Cu(dpppyatc)2](BF4)2Cl (1). Upon excitation at 480 nm, 1 emitted orange phosphorescence at 646 nm, which was red-shifted to ~698 nm selectively in the presence of ammonia or amine vapor. This chromic photoluminescent response toward ammonia was sensitive and reversible. Complex1 could detect ammonia in aqueous solution down to concentrations of 2 ppm (w/w).

Modulating ß-Keto-enamine-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Atom-Transfer Radical Addition Reaction.

The atom-transfer radical addition (ATRA) reaction simultaneously forges carbon-carbon and carbon-halogen bonds. However, frequently-used photosensitizers such as precious transition metal complexes, or organic dyes have limitations in terms of their potential toxicity and recyclability. Three ß-ketoenamine-linked covalent organic frameworks (COFs) from 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol and 1,4-phenylenediamines with variable transient photocurrent and photocatalytic activity have been prepared. A COF bearing electron-deficient Cl atoms displayed the highest photocatalytic activity toward the ATRA reaction of polyhalogenated alkanes to give halogenated olefins under visible light at room temperature. This heterogeneous photocatalyst exhibited good functional group tolerance and could be recycled without significant loss of activity.

4-Octyl Itaconate Inhibits Proinflammatory Cytokine Production in Behcet's Uveitis and Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis.

4-octyl itaconate (4-OI) is an anti-inflammatory metabolite that activates the nuclear-factor-E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) signaling. In the current work, we investigated whether 4-OI could affect the production of proinflammatory cytokines in Behcet's uveitis (BU) and experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of active BU patients and healthy individuals with in vitro 4-OI treatment were performed to assess the influence of 4-OI on the proinflammatory cytokine production. EAU was induced and used for investigating the influence of 4-OI on the proinflammatory cytokine production in vivo. The flow cytometry, qPCR, and ELISA were performed to detect proinflammatory cytokine expression. NRF2 signaling activation was evaluated by qPCR and western blotting (WB). Splenic lymphocyte transcriptome was performed by RNA sequencing. The NRF2 expression by BU patients-derived PBMCs was lower than that by healthy individuals. After treatment with 4-OI, the proportion of Th17 cells, along with the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-17, TNF-α, MCP-1, and IL-6) by PBMCs, were downregulated, and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) expression was upregulated, although IFN-γ expression was unaffected. The EAU severity was ameliorated by 4-OI in association with a lower splenic Th1/Th17 cell proportion and increased nuclear NRF2 expression. Additionally, 4-OI downregulated a set of 248 genes, which were enriched in pathways of positive regulation of immune responses. The present study shows an inhibitory effect of 4-OI on the proinflammatory cytokine production in active BU patients and EAU mice, possibly mediated through activating NRF2 signaling. These findings suggest that 4-OI could act as a potential therapeutic drug for the treatment and prevention of BU in the future study.

Schiff-base Polymer Immobilized Ruthenium for Efficient Catalytic Cross-coupling of Secondary Alcohols with 2-amino- and γ-aminobenzyl Alcohols to Give Quinolines and Pyridines.

A Schiff-base porous polymer has been impregnated with ruthenium trichloride for acceptor-free dehydrogenation coupling (ADC) of secondary alcohols with γ-amino- and 2-aminobenzyl alcohols to give pyridines and quinolines. This heterogenous catalyst exhibited high catalytic efficiency over repeated cycles with wide functional group tolerance.

Ultra-Dispersed α-MoC1-x Embedded in a Plum-Like N-Doped Carbon Framework as a Synergistic Adsorption-Electrocatalysis Interlayer for High-Performance Li-S Batteries.

The shuttle effect and sluggish redox kinetics of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) severely hinder the scalable application of lithium-sulfurr (Li-S) batteries. Herein, the highly dispersed α-phase molybdenum carbide nano-crystallites embedded in a porous nitrogen-doped carbon framework (α-MoC1-x @NCF) are developed via a simple metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) assisted strategy and proposed as the multifunctional separator interlayer for Li-S batteries. The inlaid MoC1-x nanocrystals and in situ doped nitrogen atoms provide a strong chemisorption and outstanding electrocatalytic conversion toward LiPSs, whereas the unique plum-like carbon framework with hierarchical porosity enables fast electron/Li+ transfer and can physically suppress LiPSs shuttling. Benefiting from the synergistic trapping-catalyzing effect of the MoC1-x @NCF interlayer toward LiPSs, the assembled Li-S battery achieves high discharge capacities (1588.1 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C), impressive rate capability (655.8 mAh g-1 at 4.0 C) and ultra-stable lifespan (a low capacity decay of 0.059% per cycle over 650 cycles at 1.0 C). Even at an elevated sulfur loading (6.0 mg cm-2 ) and lean electrolyte (E/S is ≈5.8 µL mg-1 ), the battery can still achieve a superb areal capacity of 5.2 mAh cm-2 . This work affords an effective design strategy for the construction of muti-functional interlayer in advanced Li-S batteries.

Model-driven terahertz image reconstruction method for debonding defects in thermal barrier coatings.

A terahertz imaging system is considered to be an effective method to study the thermal barrier coating defects in gas turbine engines. However, due to the influence of the system hardware and terahertz wavelength, the imaging system has slow acquisition efficiency, low image resolution, and serious edge blur, which cannot meet the demand for defect detection. To overcome the above defects, a model-driven terahertz image reconstruction method is proposed, which uses simulation data to build datasets, reduces the dependence on experimental data, and has a good reconstruction effect on experimental images. A fusion loss function based on the edge intensity was designed to optimize the edge effect of reconstructed images. Compared with the bicubic, SRCNN, and VDSR methods, the proposed method can achieve better results in terms of visual and evaluation indices for the reduced terahertz images. It is proved that this method can effectively restore the defect contour in the terahertz image, sharpen the edge of the image, and improve the image quality. It has a good application value in the industry.

A Multiple Stimuli-Responsive Ag/P/S Complex Showing Solvochromic and Mechanochromic Photoluminescence.

The reaction of CF3COOAg, 3-bdppmapy (N,N-bis(diphenylphosphanylmethyl)-3-aminopyridine) and HTZ (1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol) in CH2Cl2/MeOH resulted in a dinuclear Ag/P/S complex [Ag2(TZ)2(3-bdppmapy)2]·xSol (1·xSol). Crystals of 1·xSol converted to 1·2MeOH in air at room temperature and further to 1 under vacuum upon heating. The solid-state, room-temperature photoluminescent emission of 1·xSol (510 nm) shifted to 494 nm (1·2MeOH) and 486 nm (1). Grinding solids of 1·2MeOH in air resulted in amorphous 1G characterized by solid-state emission at 468 nm, which converted to 1GR with 513 nm emission upon MeOH treatment. Grinding 1GR in air returned 1G, and this interconversion was reproducible over five cycles. The solid-state photoluminescence of 1G changed in response to vapors containing low-molecular weight alcohols but remained unchanged after exposure to other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or to water vapor. Test papers impregnated with 1G could detect methanol in vapors from aqueous solutions at concentrations above 50%. Complex 1G is, therefore, an example of a stimuli-responsive molecular sensor for the detection of alcohols.

Heteroleptic copper(I) complexes [Cu(dmp)(N

Earth-abundant copper(I) coordination complexes of an imine-phosphine and a diimine have been developed as visible-light photocatalysts. Reaction of [Cu(MeCN)4]BF4 with hetero-bidentate phosphinopyrazole (phpz) ligand R1R2C3HN2PPh3 (R1 = R2 = H (1a); R1 = H, R2 = Me (1b); R1 = H, R2 = Ph (1c); R1 = R2 = Me (1d)) and 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dmp) gave four heteroleptic bis-chelate Cu(I) complexes [Cu(dmp)(R1R2C3HN2PPh3)]BF4 (R1 = R2 = H (2a); R1 = H, R2 = Me (2b); R1 = H, R2 = Ph (2c); R1 = R2 = Me (2d)) with distorted tetrahedral geometries. Complexes 2a-2d exhibited broad absorption in the visible spectrum and could facilitate photochemical intermolecular atom-transfer radical addition reactions of CBr4, or CCl3Br, CHI3 to styrenes in yields up to 91% and with a broad substrate scope. The absorption, emission, redox potential and photocatalytic activity were dependent on the substituents on the phpz ligand. Mechanistic studies supported an atom-transfer radical addition (ATRA) mechanism.

One-Dimensional Heterobimetallic Au/Ag Coordination Polymer Showing a Selective, Reversible, and Visible Vapor-Chromic Photoluminescent Response toward Methanol.

A heterobimetallic coordination polymer [Au4(dppmt)4(AgCl)2]n (1) incorporating an in situ generated P-S ligand (dppmtH) was synthesized from the solvothermal reaction of Au(tht)Cl, AgCl, and dpppyatc in CH3CN/CH2Cl2 (dppmtH = (diphenylphosphino)methanethiol, tht = tetrahydrothiophene, dpppyatc = N,N-bis((diphenylphosphaneyl)methyl)-N-(pyridin-2-yl)-amino-thiocarbamide). The structure of 1 contains a one-dimensional helical Au-Au chain in which the unique [Au4Ag2S2] cluster units are connected by [Au2(dppmt)2] dimers. Upon excitation at 343 nm, 1 exhibited cyan (495 nm) phosphorescent emission at quantum yield (QY) = 22.3% and τ = 0.78 µs (λex = 375 nm). Coordination polymer 1 exhibited a rapid, selective, reversible, and visible vapor-chromic response on exposure to methanol (MeOH) vapor with its emission shifting to a more intense green (530 nm, λex = 388 nm) with QY = 46.8% and τ = 1.24 µs (λex = 375 nm). A polymethylmethacrylate film containing 1 served as a reversible chemical sensor for the sensitive detection of MeOH in air.

A pairwise pseudo-likelihood approach for regression analysis of left-truncated failure time data with various types of censoring.

BACKGROUND: Failure time data frequently occur in many medical studies and often accompany with various types of censoring. In some applications, left truncation may occur and can induce biased sampling, which makes the practical data analysis become more complicated. The existing analysis methods for left-truncated data have some limitations in that they either focus only on a special type of censored data or fail to flexibly utilize the distribution information of the truncation times for inference. Therefore, it is essential to develop a reliable and efficient method for the analysis of left-truncated failure time data with various types of censoring. METHOD: This paper concerns regression analysis of left-truncated failure time data with the proportional hazards model under various types of censoring mechanisms, including right censoring, interval censoring and a mixture of them. The proposed pairwise pseudo-likelihood estimation method is essentially built on a combination of the conditional likelihood and the pairwise likelihood that eliminates the nuisance truncation distribution function or avoids its estimation. To implement the presented method, a flexible EM algorithm is developed by utilizing the idea of self-consistent estimating equation. A main feature of the algorithm is that it involves closed-form estimators of the large-dimensional nuisance parameters and is thus computationally stable and reliable. In addition, an R package LTsurv is developed. RESULTS: The numerical results obtained from extensive simulation studies suggest that the proposed pairwise pseudo-likelihood method performs reasonably well in practical situations and is obviously more efficient than the conditional likelihood approach as expected. The analysis results of the MHCPS data with the proposed pairwise pseudo-likelihood method indicate that males have significantly higher risk of losing active life than females. In contrast, the conditional likelihood method recognizes this effect as non-significant, which is because the conditional likelihood method often loses some estimation efficiency compared with the proposed method. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method provides a general and helpful tool to conduct the Cox's regression analysis of left-truncated failure time data under various types of censoring.

A Novel Photoluminescent Ag/Cu Cluster Exhibits a Chromic Photoluminescence Response towards Volatile Organic Vapors.

A new Ag/Cu bimetallic cluster [Ag10Cu6(bdppthi)2(C≡CPh)12(EtOH)2](ClO4)4 (1, bdppthi = N,N'-bis(diphenylphosphanylmethyl)-tetrahydroimidazole) exhibited strong phosphorescent (PL) emission at 644 nm upon excitation at 400 nm. Removal of the coordinated EtOH molecules in 1 resulted in derivative 1a, which exhibited significant red-shifted emission at 678 nm. The structure and PL of 1 was restored on exposure to EtOH vapor. Cluster 1a also exhibited a vapor-chromic PL response towards other common organic solvent vapors including acetone, MeOH and MeCN. A PMMA film of 1a was developed as a reusable visible sensor for MeCN.

Covalent Grafting of a Nickel Thiolate Catalyst onto Covalent Organic Frameworks for Increased Photocatalytic Activity.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have recently emerged as prospective photoactive materials with noble Pt as a cocatalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. In this work, a series of SH-group-functionalized covalent organic frameworks, TpPa-1-SH-X, is prepared by reaction of p-phenylenediamine (Pa) and 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) with p-NH2 C6 H4 SH as a modulating agent. The reaction of TpPa-1-SH-X with NiII acetylacetonate Ni(acac)2 gave nickel thiolate-immobilized TpPa-1 (TpPa-1-SNi-X). The highest hydrogen evolution rate was 10.87 mmol h-1 g-1 , which was an enhancement of 16.47, 3.83, and 1.84 times than that of the parent TpPa-1, covalent-bond-free [(p-NH2 C6 H4 S)2 Ni]n /TpPa-1-SH-10, and 3 wt % Pt-deposited TpPa-1, respectively. This enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is ascribed to enhanced crystallinity, the use of NiII thiolate as a cocatalyst and covalent bonding between the cocatalyst and TpPa-1.

Succinic acid exacerbates experimental autoimmune uveitis by stimulating neutrophil extracellular traps formation via SUCNR1 receptor.

AIMS: To investigate the effect of succinic acid on the development of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Succinic acid was administrated intraperitoneally to evaluate its effects on immune response and EAU in mice. Intraocular inflammation was evaluated by histopathological scoring. Frequencies of Th1/Th17 cells were measured by flow cytometry. Concentrations of IFN-γ/IL-17A, neutrophil elastase (NE) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent test. Infiltration of neutrophils and generation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) within the eye were assessed by immumofluorescence. NETs formation in extracellular matrix was visualised by laser scanning confocal microscopy. Succinate receptor (SUCNR1) antagonist was used to investigate its effect on the generation of NETs. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal injection of succinic acid exacerbated EAU severity as evidenced by severe histological changes in association with elevated frequencies of splenic Th1/Th17 cells, and upregulated levels of IFN-γ/IL-17A and NETs in plasma. In vitro experiments showed that succinic acid could promote the generation of NETs by neutrophils as shown by increased expression of NE and MPO.NETs could increase the frequencies of Th1/Th17 cells in CD4+ T cells and their expression of IFN-γ/IL-17A. In the experiment of receptor antagonism, the upregulatory effect of succinic acid on NETs could be significantly blocked by SUCNR1 antagonist. CONCLUSIONS: Succinic acid could worsen EAU induced by IRBP in mice. This effect was possibly mediated by its upregulation on NETs generation and frequencies of Th1/Th17 cells in affiliation with increased production of IFN-γ/IL-17A through succinic acid-SUCNR1 axis.

Ni(II)-Mediated Photochemical Oxidative Esterification of Aldehydes with Phenols.

The photopromoted, Ni-catalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenation esterification of phenols and aromatic aldehydes has been achieved in an oxidant- and external photosensitizer-free manner. This reliable and atom-economical transformation was tolerant to a wide range of functional groups and proceeded efficiently to give various aryl benzoates in moderate to high yields. Additionally, this photocatalytic system displayed high activity for the hydrogen-evolution cross coupling of aliphatic aldehydes and phenols employing dual nickel and aromatic aldehyde catalysis.