The grapevine miR827a regulates the synthesis of stilbenes by targeting VqMYB14 and gives rise to susceptibility in plant immunity.

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is an economically important fruit crop cultivated worldwide. In China, grapevine cultivation is very extensive, and a few Vitis grapes have excellent pathogen and stress resistance, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the grapevine response to stress remain unclear. In this study, a microRNA (miRNA; miR827a), which negatively regulates its target gene VqMYB14, a key regulatory role in the synthesis of stilbenes, was identified in Vitis quinquangularis (V. quinquangularis) using transcriptome sequencing. Using overexpression and silencing approaches, we found that miR827a regulates the synthesis of stilbenes by targeting VqMYB14. We used flagellin N-terminal 22-amino-acid peptide (flg22), the representative elicitor in plant basal immunity, as the elicitor to verify whether miR827a is involved in the basal immunity of V. quinquangularis. Furthermore, the promoter activity of miR827a was alleviated in transgenic grape protoplasts and Arabidopsis thaliana following treatment with flg22 and Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000), respectively. In addition, yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase reporter assay revealed that the ethylene transcription factor VqERF057 acted as a key regulator in the inhibition of miR827a transcription. These results will contribute to the understanding of the biological functions of miR827a in grapevine and clarify the molecular mechanism of the interaction between miR827a and VqMYB14.

Comparative Analysis of Clinical Outcomes: Posterior Cervical Endoscopic Discectomy versus Fenestration Laminectomy Discectomy for Cervical Disc Herniation.

Objective: It aimed to investigate the difference in clinical efficacy between posterior cervical endoscopic discectomy (PCED) and Fenestration laminectomy discectomy (FLD) in cervical disc herniation (CDH). Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 100 CDH patients undergoing nucleotomy and assigned them into the FLD and PCED groups, 50 cases for each group. The differences in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, skin incision, off-bed time, and hospital stay were evaluated. Numeric rating scales (NRS), Oswestry disability Index (ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA), excellent and good clinical efficacy, quality of life (QoL) SF-36 score, and complication rate were compared. Results: The results showed that compared with the FLD group, the PCED group had increased operation time, decreased intraoperative blood loss, skin incision length, off-bed time, and hospital stay (P < .01). Compared with the FLD group, the PCED group had decreased NRS and ODI scores and increased JOA scores at 1 d, 3 d, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months after operation (P < .05). Compared with the FLD group, the excellent and good rate of the PCED group increased significantly after 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years (52.0% vs 64.0%, 58.0% vs. 80.0%, 68.0% vs 90.0%, P < .05). Relative to the FLD group, the physical function, emotional function, vitality, social function, and mental health score of the PCED group increased obviously at 2 years after operation (P < .01). The postoperative complication rate was 0% in both FLD and PCED groups. PCED has good long-term clinical efficacy in the treatment of CDH, with excellent recovery and high safety. Conclusion: PCED showed favorable long-term clinical efficacy in the treatment of CDH, with excellent recovery and high safety. Compared to FLD, PCED resulted in reduced intraoperative blood loss, shorter incision length, and faster recovery. It also led to improved pain scores, functional outcomes, and quality of life measures. The absence of postoperative complications further supports the use of PCED as an effective treatment option for CDH.

Risk factors for macro vascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

This study investigates the connection between abnormal liver enzymes and macro vascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Clinical data from 276 T2DM patients with NAFLD were retrospectively examined and divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of macro vascular disease. Various biochemical markers were tested, including fasting C-peptide, total bilirubin (TBil), total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), C-reactive protein (CRP) and the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). The study found no significant differences in demographic variables between the two groups. However, patients with macro vascular disease had significantly higher levels of fasting C-peptide, CRP, HOMA-IR, TBil, TP, Alb and certain blood lipid markers. The study concludes that in T2DM patients with NAFLD, increased blood lipids, liver function and inflammatory factors are risk factors for macro vascular disease, suggesting the importance of clinical management to lower macro vascular disease prevalence.

Core-shell PdAu nanocluster catalysts to suppress sulfur poisoning.

Reducing sulfur poisoning is significant for maintaining the catalytic efficiency and durability of heterogeneous catalysts. We screened PdAu nanoclusters with specific Pd : Au ratios based on Monte Carlo simulations and then carried out density functional calculations to reveal how to reduce sulfur poisoning via alloying. Among various nanoclusters, the core-shell structure Pd13Au42 (Pd@Au) exhibits a low adsorption energy of SO2 (-0.67 eV), comparable with O2 (-0.45 eV) and lower than CO (-1.25 eV), thus avoiding sulfur poisoning during the CO catalytic oxidation. Fundamentally, the weak adsorption of SO2 originates from the negative d-band center of the shell and delocalized charge distribution near the Fermi level, due to the appropriate charge transfer from the core to shell. Core-shell nanoclusters with a different core (Ni, Cu, Ag, Pt) and a Pd@Au slab model were further constructed to validate and extend the results. These findings provide insights into designing core-shell catalysts to suppress sulfur poisoning while optimizing catalytic behaviors.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of Tilletia horrida infection in resistant and susceptible rice (Oryza sativa L.) male sterile lines reveals potential candidate genes and resistance mechanisms.

Rice kernel smut (RKS), caused by the basidiomycete fungus Tilletia horrida, is one of the most devastating diseases affecting the production of male sterile lines of rice (Oryza sativa) worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms of resistance to T. horrida have not yet been explored. In the present study, RNA sequencing analysis of rice male sterile lines, that are resistant and susceptible to RKS (Jiangcheng 3A and 9311A, respectively) was conducted after T. horrida infection. Transcriptomic analysis showed that a greater number of differentially expressed gene (DEGs) was observed in Jiangcheng 3A compared with 9311A after T. horrida inoculation. Furthermore, 4, 425 DEGs were uniquely detected in Jiangcheng 3A, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses of these DEGs revealed that oxidoreductase activity, peroxidase activity, cutin, suberine and wax biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis were key pathways for T. horrida resistance. In summary and based on transcriptome analysis, we suggest a preliminary regulatory mechanism for Jiangcheng 3A cultivar resistance response to T. horrida inoculation.

The Effects of Adiponectin and Adiponectin Receptor 1 Levels on Macrovascular Complications Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The present study aimed to investigate the serum levels of adiponectin (APN) and adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) combined with macrovascular complications (MVC), as well as their correlation with clinical parameters. METHODS: A total of 60 T2DM patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of MVC: T2DM + MVC group (n=30) and T2DM group (n=30). Additionally, 30 healthy people were selected as control group (NC group). Clinical data and biological parameters were detected and recorded. T test was performed to compare the differences between two groups, and the results were corrected using Bonferroni method. Meanwhile, the correlation analysis and multiple stepwise regression analysis were used to analyze the association of APN and AdipoR1 with clinical factors. RESULTS: The levels of APN and AdipoR1 were significantly decreased in T2DM group and T2DM + MVC group compared with NC group, with the lowest value in T2DM + MVC group (all P<0.01). Serum APN levels were positively correlated with FINS and TG (r = 0.412, 0.316, respectively; both P<0.05), and negatively correlated with SBP, DBP and LDL-C (r = -0.292, -0.383, -0.334, respectively; all P<0.05). Serum levels of AdipoR1 were positively correlated with APN (r = 0.726, P<0.01), and negatively correlated with BMI, SBP, DBP, FBG, TC and LDL-C (r = -0.440, -0.446, -0.374, -0.444, -0.344, -0.709, respectively; all P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Serum levels of APN and AdipoR1 are significantly lower in T2DM group and T2DM + MVC group, showing lowest value in T2DM + MVC group. APN and AdipoR1 levels may influence glucose and lipid metabolism in T2DM patients.

N-H bond activation in ammonia by TM-SSZ-13 (Fe, Co, Ni and Cu) zeolites: a first-principles calculation.

N-H activation is crucial for NH3-assisted selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and selective catalytic oxidation (SCO) of NH3 in exhaust emission treatment of the diesel engine. Copper-exchanged CHA-type zeolites show high performance for N-H activation, however, the atomic-level understanding of the activation mechanism is inaccessible. In this work, we use density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the origin of high activity through electronic structures, magnetic properties and the N-H bond of NH3 activation on the naked Cu2+ as the active site in Cu-SSZ-13. Fe, Co and Ni-SSZ-13 were also systematically studied for comparison. The incorporation of transition metal ions leads to high-spin d-states around the Fermi level. The magnetic moment of 3.858, 2.889, 1.920 and 0.946 µB is observed for Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu-SSZ-13, respectively. A distorted square planar crystal field is found. For Cu-SSZ-13, the electronic configuration of Cu2+ ensures the lowest unoccupancy of b1g (dx2-y2), enabling to receive electrons from base NH3 and thus activate the N-H bond with a barrier of 1.26 eV significantly lower than that in Fe, Co and Ni-SSZ-13. These findings may provide fundamental insights into the high activity and selectivity of Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts for NOx removal and NH3 oxidation at high temperature.

RASSF7 promotes cell proliferation through activating MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The Ras-association domain family (RASSF) proteins have been involved in many important biological processes. RASSF7 is recently reported to be up-regulated in several types of cancer. However, the function of RASSF7 remain unknown in human cancers. To explore the role of RASSF7 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells proliferation and molecular mechanism. RASSF7 expression was examined using public database TCGA, qRT-PCR and Western blot. The correlation between RASSF7 and clinicopathological features was measured. Overexpression and silencing of RASSF7 were performed to measure the impact on HCC cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis. Futhermore, the molecular mechanism of MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway regulation by RASSF7 was explored. RASSF7 was significantly up-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines, and correlated with AFP, poor tumor histology and T stage. Overexpression of RASSF7 promoted HCC cell proliferation, drived G1-S phase cell cycle transition and inhibited apoptosis. Knockdown of RASSF7 suppressed cell growth, induced G1-S phase cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis. Furthermore, our findings also demonstrated that RASSF7 promoted HCC cell proliferation through activating MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Taken together, this study provides a novel evidence for clinical significance of RASSF7 as a potential biomarker, and demonstrates that RASSF7- MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway might be a novel pathway involved in HCC progression.

Clinical Significance of Serum lncRNA Cancer Susceptibility Candidate 2 (CASC2) for Chronic Renal Failure in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND LncRNA CASC2 has been established to have critical functions in tumorigenesis but, while its involvement in high-glucose-induced chronic renal failure remains unclear. MATERIAL AND METHODS We included patients with type 2 diabetes combined with chronic renal failure, as well as patients with diabetic retinopathy, diabetic ketoacidosis, diabetic foot infections or diabetic cardiomyopathy, and diabetic patients without any obvious complication, as well as healthy controls. Blood samples and renal tissues were obtained from each participant and expression of lncRNA CASC2 in those tissues was detected by qRT-PCR. Diagnostic value of lncRNA CASC2 for type 2 diabetes combined with chronic renal failure was evaluated by ROC curve analysis. All patients were followed up for 5 years and the occurrence of chronic renal failure was recorded. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, expression of lncRNA CASC2 in serum and renal tissue was specifically downregulated in patients with type 2 diabetes combined with chronic renal failure but not in type 2 diabetic patients combined with other complications. Follow-up showed that patients with low serum level of lncRNA CASC2 had significantly higher incidence of chronic renal failure. CONCLUSIONS lncRNA CASC2 is a reliable diagnostic biomarker for type 2 diabetes combined with chronic renal failure and low serum level of lncRNA CASC2 predicts the occurrence of chronic renal failure in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Wear behavior of seven artificial resin teeth assessed with three-dimensional measurements.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Artificial resin teeth are widely used for removable dental prostheses because of their excellent properties. An evaluation of their wear behavior is important for predicting good clinical performance. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine the wear behavior of 7 different artificial resin teeth with 3-dimensional measurements. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The artificial denture teeth tested were 2 composite resin teeth (Yamahachi PX, Huge Kaijing), 3 cross-linked acrylic resin teeth (Cosmo HXL, Premium 8, Vita Lingoform), and 2 conventional acrylic resin teeth (Yamahachi FX, Shengjian). The specimens were subjected to an abrasive tester for masticatory simulation. The wear loss (vertical loss and volume loss) was determined with a confocal laser scanning microscope. Data were analyzed with 1-way ANOVA followed by the Games-Howell post hoc test (α=.05). RESULTS: The mean vertical loss and volume loss for all cross-linked acrylic resin teeth (0.987-1.03 µm, 0.858-0.939 mm(3) × 10(-3)) were higher than for all composite resin teeth (0.636-0.698 µm, 0.507-0.650 mm(3) × 10(-3), P<.001) but lower than those for conventional acrylic resin teeth Yamahachi FX and Shengjian (1.39 µm, 1.24 mm(3) × 10(-3); 12.1 µm, 16.4 mm(3) × 10(-3); P<.001). No significant differences for wear loss were found between the Vita Lingoform group and the other cross-linked acrylic resin teeth (P>.05). CONCLUSION: The wear behavior of the artificial teeth examined differed with regard to their compositions. The composite resin teeth and high cross-linked acrylic resin teeth found superior wear resistance over the conventional acrylic resin teeth.

VqNAC44 enhances stilbene synthesis and disease resistance in Chinese wild grape by interacting with VqMYB15.

As significant phytoalexins, stilbene compounds can improve the stress resistance of grapes under biotic and abiotic stress conditions and have biological effects such as antitumour, antioxidant, immune regulation and cardiovascular protection activities in humans. RESVERATROL SYNTHASE (RS), also known as STILBENE SYNTHASE (STS), is the critical enzyme regulating stilbene synthesis and has been identified in a few plant species. However, the regulatory mechanisms of stilbene synthesis are uncertain. In this study, an NAC family transcription factor from Vitis quinquangularis, named VqNAC44, was characterized as an indirect regulator of stilbene synthesis. It is worth noting that VqNAC44 did not bind to the STS promoter nor did it interact with the STS protein but interacted with the MYB transcription factor VqMYB15. This interaction between VqMYB15 and VqNAC44 was validated by a yeast two-hybrid assay and bimolecular fluorescence complementation. Overexpressing VqNAC44 in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly increased its tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Transient overexpression of VqNAC44 and VqMYB15 in grape leaves resulted in increased expression of the STS gene and increased production of stilbene compounds. The experimental results confirmed that VqNAC44 regulated stilbene synthesis by interacting with VqMYB15, thereby enhancing the plant stress resistance.

Strain engineering on electronic structure, effective mass and charge carrier mobility in monolayer YBr3.

In recent years, two-dimensional materials have significant prospects for applications in nanoelectronic devices due to their unique physical properties. In this paper, the strain effect on the electronic structure, effective mass, and charge carrier mobility of monolayer yttrium bromide (YBr3) is systematically investigated using first-principles calculation based on density functional theory. It is found that the monolayer YBr3undergoes energy band gap reduction under the increasing compressive strain. The effective mass and charge carrier mobility can be effectively tuned by the applied compressive strain. Under the uniaxial compressive strain along the zigzag direction, the hole effective mass in the zigzag direction (mao1_h) can decrease from 1.64m0to 0.45m0. In addition, when the uniaxial compressive strain is applied, the electron and hole mobility can up to ∼103cm2V-1s-1. The present investigations emphasize that monolayer YBr3is expected to be a candidate material for the preparation of new high-performance nanoelectronic devices by strain engineering.

Dative B←N bonds based crystalline organic framework with permanent porosity for acetylene storage and separation.

The utilization of dative B←N bonds for the creation of crystalline organic framework (BNOF) has increasingly received intensive interest; however, the shortage of permanent porosity is an obstacle that must be overcome to guarantee their application as porous materials. Here, we report the first microporous crystalline framework, BNOF-1, that is assembled through sole monomers, which can be scalably synthesized by the cheap 4-pyridine boronic acid. The 2D networks of BNOF-1 were stacked in parallel to generate a highly porous supramolecular open framework, which possessed not only the highest BET surface area of 1345 m2 g-1 amongst all of the BNOFs but also features a record-high uptake of C2H2 and CO2 in covalent organic framework (COF) materials to date. Dynamic breakthrough experiments demonstrated that BNOF-1 material can efficiently separate C2H2/CO2 mixtures. In addition, the network can be regenerated in organic solvents with no loss in performance, making its solution processable. We believe that BNOF-1 would greatly diversify the reticular chemistry and open new avenues for the application of BNOFs.

Controlled fabrication of flower-like nickel oxide hierarchical structures and their application in water treatment.

Flower-like NiO hierarchical structures with 2-5 µm diameter assembled from nanosheet building blocks have been successfully fabricated via a wet-chemical method combined with thermodecomposition technology. The template-free method is facile and effective in preparing flower-like NiO superstructures in high yield. The intermediate product and final hierarchical structures are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform IR (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effects of growth temperature and reaction time on the morphologies of the as-prepared structures were investigated by SEM characterization and a possible mechanism for the formation of flower-like NiO is proposed. Based on the nitrogen adsorption and desorption measurements, the BET surface area of the as-obtained sample is 55.7 m²/g and the pore-size distribution plot indicates a bimodal mesopore distribution, with pore sizes of ca. 2.6 nm and 7.4 nm, respectively. In comparison with sphere-like and rod-like structures, the flower-like NiO hierarchical structures show an excellent ability to rapidly remove various pollutants when used as adsorbent and photocatalyst in waste-water treatment, which may be attributed to its unique hierarchical and porous surface structures.

The Crosstalk of the Salicylic Acid and Jasmonic Acid Signaling Pathways Contributed to Different Resistance to Phytoplasma Infection Between the Two Genotypes in Chinese Jujube.

Jujube witches' broom disease (JWB), one of the most serious phytoplasma diseases, usually results in the destruction of Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.). Although most jujube cultivars are sensitive to JWB, we found a few genotypes that are highly resistant to JWB. However, the molecular mechanism of phytoplasma resistance has seldom been studied. Here, we used Chinese jujube "T13," which has strong resistance to JWB, and a typical susceptible cultivar, "Pozao" ("PZ"), as materials to perform comparative transcriptome, hormone, and regulation analyses. After phytoplasma infection, the differential expression genes (DEGs) were detected at all three growth phases (S1, S2, and S3) in "PZ," but DEGs were detected only at the first growth phase in "T13." Meanwhile, no phytoplasma was detected, and the symptoms especially witches' broom caused by JWB were not observed at the last two growth phases (S2 and S3) in "T13." Protein-protein interaction analysis also showed that the key genes were mainly involved in hormone and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling. In addition, during the recovered growth phase in "T13" from S1 to S2, the level of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was significantly increased and then decreased from S2 to S3. Moreover, jasmonic acid (JA) was significantly accumulated in "PZ" diseased plants, especially at the S2 phase and at the S2 phase in "T13," while the content of salicylic acid (SA) decreased significantly at the S2 phase of "T13" compared to that in "PZ." The changes in H2O2 and JA or SA were consistent with the changes in their key synthesis genes in the transcriptome data. Finally, exogenous application of an SA inhibitor [1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT)] rescued witches' broom symptoms, while the contents of both JA and MeJA increased after ABT treatment compared to the control, demonstrating that exogenous application of an SA inhibitor rescued the symptoms of jujube after phytoplasma infection by decreasing the contents of SA and increasing the contents of JA and MeJA. Collectively, our study provides a new perspective on the transcriptional changes of Chinese jujube in response to JWB and novel insights that the crosstalk of JA and SA signaling communicated together to contribute to "T13" JWB resistance.

Design Rules of a Sulfur Redox Electrocatalyst for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Seeking an electrochemical catalyst to accelerate the liquid-to-solid conversion of soluble lithium polysulfides to insoluble products is crucial to inhibit the shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries and thus increase their practical energy density. Mn-based mullite (SmMn2 O5 ) is used as a model catalyst for the sulfur redox reaction to show how the design rules involving lattice matching and 3d-orbital selection improve catalyst performance. Theoretical simulation shows that the positions of Mn and O active sites on the (001) surface are a good match with those of Li and S atoms in polysulfides, resulting in their tight anchoring to each other. Fundamentally, dz2 and dx2 -y2 around the Fermi level are found to be crucial for strongly coupling with the p-orbitals of the polysulfides and thus decreasing the redox overpotential. Following the theoretical calculation, SmMn2 O5 catalyst is synthesized and used as an interlayer in a Li-S battery. The resulted battery has a high cycling stability over 1500 cycles at 0.5 C and more promisingly a high areal capacity of 7.5 mAh cm-2 is achieved with a sulfur loading of ≈5.6 mg cm-2 under the condition of a low electrolyte/sulfur (E/S) value ≈4.6 µL mg-1 .

Effects of different doses of metformin on bone mineral density and bone metabolism in elderly male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a chronic disease, which may cause various complications. Patients with diabetes are at high risk of bone and joint disorders, such as osteoporosis and bone fractures. In addition, it became widely accepted that diabetes has an important impact on bone metabolism. Metformin is a commonly used and effective first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes. Some glucose-lowering agents have been found to have an effect on bone metabolism. The present study explored if different doses of metformin have an effect on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone metabolism in type 2 diabetes. AIM: To investigate the effects of different doses of metformin on BMD and bone metabolism in elderly male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A total of 120 elderly male outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were admitted to our hospital were included in the study from July 2018 to June 2019. They were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group with 60 patients in each group. Patients in the experimental group were given high dose metformin four times a day 0.5 g each time for 12 wk. Patients in the control group were given low dose metformin orally twice a day 0.5 g each time for 12 wk. The changes in bone mineral density and bone metabolism before and after treatment and the efficacy rate of the treatment were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the efficacy rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). Before the treatment, there was no significant difference in BMD and bone metabolism between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, after the treatment, BMD and bone metabolism were improved in the two groups. Moreover, BMD and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group, and N-terminal/midregion and ß-isomerized C-terminal telopeptides were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both high and low dose metformin can effectively control the blood glucose levels in elderly male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the benefits of high dose metformin in improving BMD and bone metabolism level was more obvious in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

One-pot preparation of hierarchical Cu2O hollow spheres for improved visible-light photocatalytic properties.

As visible light photocatalysts, narrow bandgap semiconductors can effectively convert solar energy to chemical energy, exhibiting potential applications in alleviating energy shortage and environmental pollution. Cu2O hollow spheres with a narrow band gap and uniform hierarchical structures have been fabricated in a controlled way. The one-pot solvothermal method without any template is simple and facile. The morphologies, crystal structures, composition, specific surface areas, and optical and photoelectric properties of the products were analyzed by various techniques. The hollow and solid Cu2O spheres could be fabricated by controlling the reaction time, and a possible growth process of the Cu2O hollow spheres was revealed. The degradation of methyl orange (MO) was used to investigate the visible-light catalytic properties of the Cu2O samples. More than 90% of MO is degraded under visible light illumination of 20 min, exhibiting a quick catalytic reaction. The rate constant of the Cu2O hollow spheres was 2.54 times and 46.6 times larger than those of the Cu2O solid spheres and commercial Cu2O powder, respectively. The possible photocatalytic mechanism of MO was revealed over Cu2O hollow spheres through the detection of active species. The as-prepared Cu2O hollow spheres display improved visible-light catalytic activity and stability, indicating their potential application in wastewater treatment.

Cooperative Catalysis toward Oxygen Reduction Reaction under Dual Coordination Environments on Intrinsic AMnO3 -Type Perovskites via Regulating Stacking Configurations of Coordination Units.

It remains challenging for pure-phase catalysts to achieve high performance during the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction to overcome the sluggish kinetics without the assistance of extrinsic conditions. Herein, a series of pristine perovskites, i.e., AMnO3 (A = Ca, Sr, and Ba), are proposed with various octahedron stacking configurations to demonstrate the cooperative catalysis over SrMnO3 jointly explored by experiments and first-principles calculations. Comparing with the unitary stacking of coordination units in CaMnO3 or BaMnO3 , the intrinsic SrMnO3 with a mixture of corner-sharing and face-sharing octahedron stacking configurations demonstrates superior activity (Ehalf-wave  = 0.81 V), and charge-discharge stability over 400 h without the voltage gap (≈0.8 V) increasing in zinc-air batteries. The theoretical study reveals that, on the SrMnO3 (110) surface, the active sites switch from coordinatively unsaturated atop Mn (*OO, *OOH) to Mn-Mn bridge (*O, *OH). Therefore, the intrinsic dual coordination environments of Mn-Ocorner and Mn-Oface enable cooperative modulation of the interaction strength of the oxygen intermediates with the surface, inducing the decrease of the *OH desorption energy (rate-limiting step) unrestricted by scaling relationships with the overpotential of ≈0.28 V. This finding provides insights into catalyst design through screening intrinsic structures with multiple coordination unit stacking configurations.

Trace analysis of 61 natural and synthetic progestins in river water and sewage effluents by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A broad number of natural and synthetic progestins are widely used in human and veterinary therapies. Although progestins exhibit adverse effects in aquatic organisms, information about environmental occurrence and fate have been limited to several compounds, hampering the accuracy of risk assessments of the compounds. In this study, a selective and sensitive analytical method was established to simultaneously determine 19 natural and 42 synthetic progestins in environmental waters, and the synthetic progestins included 19-nortestosterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone and progesterone derivatives. All of the target compounds were effectively separated using an HSS T3 column, and the recoveries for effluent and river samples were 80-115% and 75-105%, respectively. The detection limits for the 61 analytes were in the range of 0.05-0.60 ng/L and 0.03-0.40 ng/L for the effluent and river samples, respectively. The developed method is applied to analyze the target progestogens in sewage effluent and river water samples from Beijing. The detected concentrations of natural progesterone metabolites (3α-hydroxy-5ß-tetrahydroprogesterone) were up to 63 times higher than those of the parent compound. Of the three groups of synthetic progestins, the progesterone derivatives were detected for the first time and had the highest concentrations followed by the 19-nortestosterone and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone derivatives. In contrast to previous studies, the predominant derivative compounds of 19-nortestosterone were found to be 19-nortestosterone, gestodene and mifepristone, and those of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone were 6-epi-medroxy progesterone 17-acetate and melengestrol acetate. The toxicities and environmental risk of these emerging progestins deserves more attention in the future.