Electrocatalytic Mechanism of Defect in Spinels for Water and Organics Oxidation.

Spinels display promising electrocatalytic ability for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and organics oxidation reaction because of flexible structure, tunable component, and multifold valence. Unfortunately, limited exposure of active sites, poor electronic conductivity, and low intrinsic ability make the electrocatalytic performance of spinels unsatisfactory. Defect engineering is an effective method to enhance the intrinsic ability of electrocatalysts. Herein, the recent advances in defect spinels for OER and organics electrooxidation are reviewed. The defect types that exist in spinels are first introduced. Then the catalytic mechanism and dynamic evolution of defect spinels during the electrochemical process are summarized in detail. Finally, the challenges of defect spinel electrocatalysts are brought up. This review aims to deepen the understanding about the role and evolution of defects in spinel for electrochemical water/organics oxidation and provide a significant reference for the design of efficient defect spinel electrocatalysts.

CRP, IL-1α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 levels and the risk of breast cancer: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Epidemiological studies have reported a positive association between chronic inflammation and cancer risk. However, the causal association between chronic inflammation and breast cancer (BC) risk remains unclear. Here, we performed a Mendelian randomization study to investigate the etiological role of chronic inflammation in BC risk. We acquired data regarding C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-1a, IL-1b, and IL-6 expression and BC related to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from two larger consortia (the genome-wide association studies and the Breast Cancer Association Consortium). Next, we conducted the two-sample Mendelian randomization study to investigate the relationship of the abovementioned inflammatory factors with the incidence of BC. We found that genetically predicted CRP, IL-6, and IL-1a levels did not increase BC incidence (odds ratio (OR)CRP 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98-1.12, P = 0.2059, ORIL-6 1.05, 95% CI 0.95-1.16, P = 0.3297 and ORIL-1a 1.01, 95% CI 0.99-1.03, P = 0.2167). However, in subgroup analysis, genetically predicted IL-1b levels increased ER + BC incidence (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03-1.27, P = 0.0088). Our study suggested that genetically predicted IL-1b levels were found to increase ER + BC susceptibility. However, due to the support of only one SNP, heterogeneity and pleiotropy tests cannot be performed, which deserves further research.

Vacancy and strain engineering of Co3O4 for efficient water oxidation.

Co3O4 has been widely explored in electrocatalysis but seriously limited by its poor intrinsic ability. Defect engineering is an effective method to improve the electrocatalytic ability of catalysts by regulating electronic structure and optimizing the binding energy with surface adsorbates. Herein, in this work we have successfully integrated metal vacancies and tensile strain into Co3O4. With the formation of metal vacancies, the electronic structure of Co3O4 has been regulated. Moreover, the d-band center of Co3O4 has been modulated with the presence of tensile strain. The electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) ability of the obtained electrocatalyst was improved dramatically. The overpotential to reach 10 mA cm-2 was only 327 mV. Reaction kinetics was rapidly facilitated as indicated by smaller Tafel slope and charge transfer resistance. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the relocated atoms induced the formation of tensile strain and made d-band center of electrocatalyst near to Fermi level leading to enhanced the adsorption to reaction intermediates. What's more, the free energy barrier of rate-determining step (RDS) has been decreased with the integration of metal vacancies and tensile strain. This work provides an efficient strategy to develop defective and effective electrocatalysts.

Development and Psychometric Assessment of the Benefit Finding Scale for Chinese Older Adults With Chronic Diseases.

The current study sought to develop an instrument for measuring benefit finding in Chinese older adults with chronic diseases and establish its psychometric characteristics. Scale items were drafted based on a literature review, theoretical learning, the Benefit Finding Scale (BFS), the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, and results of interviews with 24 older adults with chronic diseases. The preliminary scale draft was constructed by performing a Delphi expert consultation and pretest with a small sample. Using the first draft of the scale, we surveyed 380 older adults with chronic diseases. The BFS for older adults with chronic diseases comprised 26 items. Using exploratory factor analysis, we identified six common factors that explained 66.86% of the variance. Item content validity index ranged from 0.818 to 1.000 and scale content validity index was 0.91. Cronbach's alpha of the scale was 0.924 and test-retest reliability was 0.902. The BFS for older adults with chronic diseases showed good validity and reliability and can be used as a measurement tool for benefit finding in the aforementioned population. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 16(1), 44-52.].

PTGIS May Be a Predictive Marker for Ovarian Cancer by Regulating Fatty Acid Metabolism.

Background: Ovarian cancer tends to metastasize to the omentum, which is an organ mainly composed of adipose tissue. Many studies have found that fatty acid metabolism is related to the occurrence and metastasis of cancers. Therefore, it is possible that fatty acid metabolism-related genes (FAMRG) affect the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. Methods: First, profiles of ovarian cancer and normal ovarian tissue transcriptomes were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. A LASSO regression predictive model was developed via the "glmnet" R package. The nomogram was created via the "regplot." Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses were conducted to determine the FAMRGs' roles. The percentage of immunocyte infiltration was calculated via CIBERSORT. Using "pRRophetic," the sensitivity of eight regularly used medications and immunotherapy was anticipated. Results: 125 genes were determined as different expression genes (DEGs). Based on RXRA, ECI2, PTGIS, and ACACB, a prognostic model is created and the risk score is calculated. Analyses of univariate and multivariate regressions revealed that the risk score was a distinct prognostic factor (univariate: HR: 2.855, 95% CI: 1.756-4.739, P < 0.001; multivariate: HR: 2.943, 95% CI: 1.800-4.812, P < 0.001). The nomogram demonstrated that it properly predicted the 1-year survival rate. The expression of memory B molecular units, follicular helper T molecular units, regulatory T molecular units, and M1 macrophages differed remarkably between the groups at high and low risk (P < 0.05). Adipocytokine signaling pathways, cancer pathways, and degradation of valine, leucine, and isoleucine vary between high- and low-risk populations. The findings of the GO enrichment revealed that the extracellular matrix and cellular structure were the two most enriched pathways. PTGIS, which is an important gene in fatty acid metabolism, was identified as the hub gene. This result was verified in ovarian cancer and ovarian tissues. The connection between the gene and survival was statistically remarkable (P = 0.015). The pRRophetic algorithm revealed that the low-risk group was more adaptable to cisplatin, doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, and etoposide (P < 0.001). Conclusion: PTGIS may be an indicator of prognosis and a possible therapeutic target for the therapy of ovarian cancer patients. The fatty acid metabolism of immune cells may be controlled, which has an indirect effect on cancer cell growth.

TTC7B Is a Novel Prognostic-Related Biomarker in Glioma Correlating with Immune Infiltrates and Response to Oxidative Stress by Temozolomide.

Background: Gliomas are one of the most prevalent malignant brain tumors. Hence, identifying biological markers for glioma is imperative. TTC7B (Tetratricopeptide Repeat Domain 7B) is a gene whose role in cancer in currently identified. To this end, we examined the TTC7B expression as well as its prognostic significance, biological roles, and immune system impacts in patients with glioma. Methods: We evaluated the function of TTC7B in GBM and LGG through the published CGGA (Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas) and TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) databases. CIBERSORT and TIMER were used to analyze the link between TTC7B and immune cells, while R was used for statistical analysis. In addition, Transwell analysis, including migration and invasion assays, was performed to identify the relationship between TTC7B and temozolomide. Results: Low expression of TTC7B was observed in GBM and LGG. 1p/19q codeletion, IDH mutation, chemotherapy, and grade were found to have a significant correlation with TTC7B. Besides, low TTC7B expression was linked with low overall survival (OS) in both GBM and LGG. In the Cox analysis, TTC7B was found to independently function as a risk element for OS of patients with glioma. Furthermore, CIBERSORT analysis demonstrated a positive link between TTC7B and multiple immune cells, especially activated NK cells. Transwell analysis, including migration and invasion assays, revealed that temozolomide reduced the migration and invasion capacity of glioma cells and increased the expression of TTC7B. Conclusion: In all, TTC7B could serve as a promising prognostic indicator of LGG and GBM, and is closely associated with immune infiltration and response to oxidative stress by temozolomide.

Establishment of an ovarian cancer omentum metastasis-related prognostic model by integrated analysis of scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq.

OBJECTIVE: Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecological malignant tumors, and it preferentially metastasizes to omental tissue, leading to intestinal obstruction and death. scRNA-seq is a powerful technique to reveal tumor heterogeneity. Analyzing omentum metastasis of ovarian cancer at the single-cell level may be more conducive to exploring and understanding omentum metastasis and prognosis of ovarian cancer at the cellular function and genetic levels. METHODS: The omentum metastasis site scRNA-seq data of GSE147082 were acquired from the GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) database, and single cells were clustered by the Seruat package and annotated by the SingleR package. Cell differentiation trajectories were reconstructed through the monocle package. The ovarian cancer microarray data of GSE132342 were downloaded from GEO and were clustered by using the ConsensusClusterPlus package into omentum metastasis-associated clusters according to the marker genes gained from single-cell differentiation trajectory analysis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) and immune infiltration differences between clusters were analyzed by the estimate and CIBERSORT packages. The expression matrix of genes used to cluster GSE132342 patients was extracted from bulk RNA-seq data of TCGA-OV (The Cancer Genome Atlas ovarian cancer), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression were performed to establish an omentum metastasis-associated gene (OMAG) signature. The signature was then tested by GSE132342 data. Finally, the clinicopathological characteristics of TCGA-OV were screened by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis to draw the nomogram. RESULTS: A total of 9885 cells from 6 patients were clustered into 18 cell clusters and annotated into 14 cell types. Reconstruction of differentiation trajectories divided the cells into 5 branches, and a total of 781 cell trajectory-related characteristic genes were obtained. A total of 3769 patients in GSE132342 were subtyped into 3 clusters by 74 cell trajectory-related characteristic genes. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival analysis showed that the prognosis of cluster 2 was the worst, P < 0.001. The TME analysis showed that the ESTIMATE score and stromal score in cluster 2 were significantly higher than those in the other two clusters, P < 0.001. The immune infiltration analysis showed differences in the fraction of 8 immune cells among the 3 clusters, P < 0.05. The expression data of 74 genes used for GEO clustering were extracted from 379 patients in TCGA-OV, and combined with survival information, 10 candidates for OMAGs were filtered by LASSO. By using multivariate Cox regression, the 6-OMAGs signature was established as RiskScore = 0.307*TIMP3 + 3.516*FBN1-0.109*IGKC + 0.209*RPL21 + 0.870*UCHL1 + 0.365*RARRES1. Taking TCGA-OV as the training set and GSE132342 as the test set, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to verify the prognostic value of 6-OMAGs. Screened by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, 3 (age, cancer status, primary therapy outcome) of 5 clinicopathological characteristics were used to construct the nomogram combined with risk score. CONCLUSION: We constructed an ovarian cancer prognostic model related to omentum metastasis composed of 6-OMAGs and 3 clinicopathological features and analyzed the potential mechanism of these 6-OMAGs in ovarian cancer omental metastasis.

Integrated Microarray Analysis to Identify Genes and Small-Molecule Drugs Associated with Stroke Progression.

Several blood biomarkers are now considered increasingly important for stratifying risk, monitoring disease progression, and evaluating the response to therapy in ischemic stroke. The purpose of the present study was to identify the key genes associated with ischemic stroke progression and elucidate the potential therapeutic small molecules. Microarray datasets related to stroke for GSE58294, GSE22255, and GSE16561 were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were filtered using the Limma package. DAVID was then searched to perform gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses. Based on the DEGs, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was developed using Cytoscape, and MCODE was applied to conduct module analysis. Finally, to identify the potential drugs for ischemic stroke, the connectivity map (CMap) database was used. Sixty DEGs were identified after analyzing the three datasets. The GO data analysis revealed that the DEGs were significantly associated with biological processes, including positive regulation of programmed cell death, protein localization in organelles, and positive regulation of apoptosis. KEGG analysis showed that the DEGs were particularly enriched in the Fc epsilon RI signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and Huntington's disease. We selected five DEGs with high connectivity (CYBB, SYK, DUSP1, TNF, and SP1) that significantly predicted stroke progression. In addition, CMap prediction showed ten small molecules that could be used as adjuvants when treating ischemic stroke. The outcomes of the present study indicated that the five genes mentioned above can be considered potential targets for developing new medications that can modify the ischemic stroke process, and mycophenolic acid was the most promising small molecule to treat ischemic stroke.

Stenting with high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation for distal biliary obstruction caused by pancreatic carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

Introduction: Between 42% and 77% of patients with distal malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) suffer from pancreatic carcinoma (PC). Aim: To analyse the clinical efficacy of stenting accompanied by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation in patients with distal MBO from PC. Material and methods: Relevant articles published through March 2021 were identified in the Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang, VIP, and CNKI databases. RevMan v5.3 and Stata v12.0 were used for the meta-analysis. Results: Twenty-nine articles were initially identified, and 5 of these were eventually included. These articles described 142 patients who underwent biliary stenting alone and 132 patients who underwent biliary stenting with HIFU ablation. The pooled Δ total bilirubin (TBIL) values were comparable between the 2 treatment groups (p = 0.10). The pooled stent dysfunction rate was significantly greater in the group with stenting alone (p = 0.03), and the pooled HR for the stent patency duration indicated that the duration of stent patency was increased in the stenting with HIFU ablation group (p < 0.0001). Overall survival rates were significantly longer in the stenting with HIFU ablation group (p < 0.0001). HIFU ablation was associated with an 80% pooled clinical response rate. The pooled cholangitis (p = 0.47) and pancreatitis (p = 0.56) rates were comparable between the 2 groups. Funnel plots did not reveal any significant evidence of endpoint-associated publication bias. Conclusions: Stenting with HIFU ablation increased both stent patency and overall survival in patients with distal MBO caused by PC compared to stenting alone.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of butein in different nociceptive and inflammatory mice models.

BACKGROUND: Around 30% world population affected by acute and chronic pain due to inflammation and accidental injuries. Pain is a uncomfortable sensation and it reduce the patients' life quality. OBJECTIVE: The present exploration focuses to explore the beneficial effects of butein on the different chemical and thermal-provoked nociceptive and inflammatory mice models. METHODOLOGY: The nociception was induced to the Swiss mice using different chemical (formalin, acetic acid, glutamate, and capsaicin) and thermal (hot plate and tail immersion) methods. the mice were supplemented with 10, 15, and 20 mg/kg of butein and respective standard drugs like morphine, diclofenac sodium, and dexamethasone. The anti-inflammatory effects of butein was studied using carrageenan-provoked inflammation in mice. RESULTS: The present findings clearly demonstrated that the butein was substantially lessened the different thermal and chemical provoked nociception in mice. The carrageenan-triggered paw edema and inflammatory cell infiltrations were appreciably suppressed by the butein treatment. The TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 levels in the carrageenan-induced mice were effectively depleted by the butein. CONCLUSION: Altogether, the present findings evidenced the potent antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of the butein in different nociceptive mice models.

Impact of COVID-19 on Anxiety, Stress, and Coping Styles in Nurses in Emergency Departments and Fever Clinics: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, emergency departments and fever clinics nurses acted as gatekeepers to the health care system. To manage the psychological problems that these nurses experience, we should develop appropriate training and intervention programs. OBJECTIVE: To identify the impact of COVID-19 on the psychology of Chinese nurses in emergency departments and fever clinics and to identify associated factors. METHODS: This online cross-sectional study recruited participants through snowball sampling between 13 February and 20 February 2020. Nurses self-administered the online questionnaires, including a general information questionnaire, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale-14, and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire. RESULTS: We obtained 481 responses, of which 453 were valid, an effective response rate of 94.18%. Participants who had the following characteristics had more mental health problems: female gender, fear of infection among family members, regretting being a nurse, less rest time, more night shifts, having children, lack of confidence in fighting transmission, not having emergency protection training, and negative professional attitude. CONCLUSION: Effective measures are necessary to preserve mental health of nurses in emergency departments and fever clinics. These include strengthening protective training, reducing night shifts, ensuring adequate rest time, and timely updating the latest pandemic situation.

Experiences and Psychological Adjustments of Nurses Who Voluntarily Supported COVID-19 Patients in Hubei Province, China.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic poses a major threat to global public health and economic development. Moreover, it has put considerable psychological pressure on nurses, who have played a vital role in the prevention and control of the epidemic. OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study aimed at exploring the experiences and psychological adjustments of nurses who voluntarily traveled to Hubei Province in China to provide support during the COVID-19 epidemic. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with twelve nurses recruited from three hospitals in Jiangsu Province and performed qualitative content analysis of the interview data. RESULTS: The following themes emerged from the analysis: (1) motivations for supporting the hardest-hit areas (professional commitment, family support, and media propaganda); (2) challenges faced during the support missions (heavy workloads, changes in working patterns, communication barriers, and barriers associated with wearing personal protective equipment); (3) psychological experiences (a sense of uncertainty, fear of infection, loneliness, stressful events, and sleep disorders); (4) psychological adjustments (adequate training and personal protective equipment, positive responses to stress, and social support); and (5) personal and professional growth (a strong professional identity, a positive work attitude, a perception of expanded possibilities, realization of the value of learning, and cherishing life). CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Policy makers and nursing managers should implement effective measures for supporting nurses. They include ensuring adequate workforce preparedness for nurses, strengthening protection training, including professional psychologists in support teams, encouraging nurses to apply self-regulation methods, such as exercising and listening to music, and seeking social support to promote mental health.

Serum neuron specific enolase level as a predictor of prognosis in acute ischemic stroke patients after intravenous thrombolysis.

OBJECTIVE: Serum neuron specific enolase (NSE) concentrations are significantly correlated with stroke severity and clinical outcome in ischemic stroke patients. We aimed to determine whether the serum levels of neuron specific enolase in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients after intravenous thrombolysis are associated with stroke severity, and indicative of favorable outcome. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed the serum neuron specific enolase levels with for 67 subjects with AIS patients treated with intravenous recombinant tissue type plasminogen activator (rtPA) within 4.5h from symptom onset. Neurologic deficit was assessed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. Clinical outcome was assessed after 90days according to the modified Rankin Scale. RESULTS: Neuron specific enolase levels correlated with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 24h after rtPA bolus (R=0.342, p=0.005). Regarding the 67 included patients, 32 (47.8%) reached favorable outcome. They had a lower NIHSS score on admission (p=0.000) and at 24h after rtPA bolus (p=0.000), and had lower levels of neuron specific enolase (p=0.006). But only NIHSS score at 24h after rtPA bolus rather than neuron specific enolase level was an independent predictor for favorable outcome. CONCLUSION: We found that after treatment with intravenous rtPA therapy, lower serum neuron specific enolase levels were associated with favorable outcome, which may be confounded by the link to NIHSS score.

Detection of trace levels of lead in aqueous liquids using extractive electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

A sensitive approach, based on semi-quantitative measurement of the characteristic fragments in multi-stage extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS(n)), was developed for fast detection of trace levels of lead in aqueous liquids including mineral water, lake water, tap water, energy drinks, soft drinks, beer, orange juice, and tea. A disodium ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) aqueous solution was electrosprayed to produce negatively charged primary ions which then intersected the neutral sample plume to generate anions of EDTA-Pb(II) complexes. The charged EDTA-Pb(II) complexes were characterized with multistage collision induced dissociation (CID) experiments. The limit of detection (LOD) using EESI-MS(3) was estimated to be at the level of 10(-13)g/mL for directly detecting lead in many of these samples. The linear dynamic range was higher than 2 orders of magnitude. A single sample analysis could be completed within 2 min with reasonable semi-quantitative performance, e.g., relative standard deviations (RSDs) for deionized water were 4.6-7.6% during 5 experimental runs (each of them had 10 repeated measurements). Coca-cola and Huiyuan orange juice, representative beverage samples with complex matrices, generated recovery rates of 91.5% and 129%, respectively. Our experimental data demonstrated that EESI-MS is a useful tool for the fast detection of lead in various solutions, and EESI-MS showed promises for fast screening of lead-contaminated aqueous liquid samples.

[Carbon cycle in ten kinds of forest ecosystem in Guangzhou City].

Based on an extensive collection of information and experimental data, this paper studied the carbon cycle in ten kinds of forest ecosystem in Guangzhou, China, aimed to explore the carbon cycling patterns in, southern subtropical forest ecosystems. For the test ecosystems, their carbon density ranged from 108.35 to 151.85 t C x hm(-2), with 10. 85-48.86 t C x hm(-2) in tree layer and 87.74-99.01 t C x hm(-2) in soil layer (0-60 cm), being lower than the national average. There were 4. 41-9. 15 t C x hm(-2) x a(-1) flowed from atmosphere to vegetation stratum, 0. 74-2.06 t C x hm(-2) x a(-1) from vegetation stratum to soil, and 3.94-5.42 t C x hm(-2) x a(-1) from soil to atmosphere, i.e., the forest systems absorbed 0.47-4.97 t C x hm(-2) x a(-1) from atmosphere. The net ecosystem production (NEP) varied with forest stand, being higher for broadleaved forest than coniferous forest, mixed forest than pure forest, and natural secondary forest than artificial forest.