Identification of Intersite Distance Effects in Au-Ag Single-Atom Alloy Catalysts Using Single Nanoparticle Collision Electrochemistry.

Regulating the atomic density of single-atom alloys (SAAs) promotes the potential to significantly enhance the electrocatalytic activity. However, conventional methods for study on the electrocatalytic performance of SAAs versus the intersite distance demand exhaustive experiments and characterization. Herein, we present a combinatorial synthesis and analysis method to investigate the intersite distance effect of SAA electrocatalysts. We employ single-nanoparticle collision electrochemistry to realize in situ electrodeposition of a precisely tunable Au atomic density onto individual parent Ag nanoparticles, followed by instantaneous electrocatalytic measurement of the newborn Au-Ag SAAs. In this work, the utility of our method is confirmed by the identification of intersite distance effects of Au-Ag SAAs toward the oxygen reduction reaction. When the site distance between two neighboring Au atoms is 1.9 nm, Au-Ag SAAs exhibit optimal activity. This work provides a simple and efficient method for screening other SAA electrocatalysts with ideal intersite distance at the single-nanoparticle level.

Sleep Disturbances in Early Gestation and the Risks of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Maternal poor sleep quality may increase blood pressure during pregnancy, but sound evidence is still limited and inconsistent. To evaluate whether sleep disturbances in early gestation are risk factors for the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, we conducted the Early Life Plan Project from June 2016 to December 2019. Maternal sleep patterns were assessed at 12-16 weeks of gestation by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire. For gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, we estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using multinomial logistic regression models adjusting for potential confounders. Among 5,532 eligible women, we observed that maternal blood pressure in early gestation was significantly higher in women with low sleep efficiency (≤85%), long sleep duration (≥9 hours/night), and snoring. Compared with nonsnorers, snoring in early gestation was independently associated with preeclampsia (OR = 1.72 (95% CI: 1.09, 2.73) for snoring once or twice per week; OR = 2.06 (95% CI: 1.01, 4.31) for snoring 3 or more times per week), particularly for term preeclampsia (OR = 1.79 (95% CI: 1.08, 2.95) and 2.26 (95% CI: 1.03, 4.95), respectively). Results suggest that snoring in early gestation may be a significant risk factor for preeclampsia, with a dose-response pattern.

Porous carbon aerogel derived from bacterial cellulose with prominent potential for efficient removal of antibiotics from the aquatic matrix.

The development of adsorption methods for the remediation of antibiotics pollution in water is hindered by the lack of high-performance sorbents. In this study, a nanofiber carbon aerogel was prepared using bacterial cellulose and its adsorption performances for three common antibiotics (norfloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and chloramphenicol) in water were evaluated. The as-prepared nanofiber carbon aerogel showed a higher adsorption capacity toward target antibiotics compared to other adsorbents reported in the literature. The maximum adsorption capacities for norfloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and chloramphenicol were 1,926, 1,264, and 525 mg/g, respectively at 298 K. Notably, the nanofiber carbon aerogel was able to adsorb 80% of the equilibrium adsorption capacity within 1 min and reach equilibrium within 15 min. After five regeneration cycles, the adsorption capacity still reached 1,166, 847, and 428 mg/g for norfloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and chloramphenicol, respectively. The characterization results showed that the carbon aerogel exhibited a high specific surface area (1,505 m2/g) and a layered porous network structure. Furthermore, the mechanistic study reveals that the enhanced antibiotic adsorption by the as-prepared nanofiber carbon aerogel was attributed to the pore filling effect, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic effect, electrostatic interaction, and π-π interactions. Overall, these results imply that low-cost and green nanofiber carbon aerogels may be promising adsorbents for the remediation of antibiotic-contaminated wastewater. The materials prepared from natural and readily available bacterial cellulose can adsorb antibiotics efficiently, which provides a reference for the development of adsorbent materials using natural substances.

Antibacterial Surgical Sutures Developed Using Electrostatic Yarn Wrapping Technology.

A significant amount of research has been conducted on applying functional materials as surgical sutures. Therefore, research on how to solve the shortcomings of surgical sutures through available materials has been given increasing attention. In this study, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC)/PVP/zinc acetate nanofibers were coated on absorbable collagen sutures using an electrostatic yarn winding technique. The metal disk of an electrostatic yarn spinning machine gathers nanofibers between two needles with positive and negative charges. By adjusting the positive and negative voltage, the liquid in the spinneret is stretched into fibers. The selected materials are toxicity free and have high biocompatibility. Test results indicate that the nanofiber membrane comprises evenly formed nanofibers despite the presence of zinc acetate. In addition, zinc acetate can effectively kill 99.9% of E. coli and S. aureus. Cell assay results indicate that HPC/PVP/Zn nanofiber membranes are not toxic; moreover, they improve cell adhesion, suggesting that the absorbable collagen surgical suture is profoundly wrapped in a nanofiber membrane that exerts antibacterial efficacy and reduces inflammation, thus providing a suitable environment for cell growth. The employment of electrostatic yarn wrapping technology is proven effective in providing surgical sutures with antibacterial efficacy and a more flexible range of functions.

Environmental exposure to legacy poly/perfluoroalkyl substances, emerging alternatives and isomers and semen quality in men: A mixture analysis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Multiple studies have examined the relationship between PFAS and semen quality, but none has explored the associations of PFAS mixture that includes emerging alternatives and branched isomers. METHODS: 22 PFAS, including 10 linear legacy PFAS, 7 branched isomers, 3 short chain alternatives and 2 components of F53B [e.g., 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (Cl-PFESA)] were quantified in blood plasma among 740 healthy men. Five semen quality parameters (i.e., volume, count, concentration, total motility and progressive rate) were assessed. Multiple linear regression and three multiple pollutant models (i.e., adaptive elastic net regression, quantile based g-computation, and XGBoost method) were used to assess the associations of individual PFAS and PFAS mixture with semen quality and the potential interactive effects among congeners. RESULTS: After adjusting for selected confounders, perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) presented significant and negative associations with sperm count [ßAENET = -0.09 (95%CI: -0.14, -0.03) for PFBS, and -0.16 (95%CI: -0.25, -0.07) for PFHxS] and sperm concentration [-0.04 (95%CI: -0.08, -0.001) for PFBS and -0.11 (95%CI: -0.17, -0.04) for PFHxS]. 6:2 Cl-PFESA showed negative associations with total motility (-2.33, 95%CI: -3.80, -0.86) and progressive rate (-1.46, 95%CI: -2.79, -0.12). But perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS) was positively associated with sperm count and concentration. These associations were supported by the importance assessment of these four congeners in XGBoost analyses. However, no associations were found between PFAS mixture or branched isomers and semen quality; nor were there significant interactions among PFAS congeners. CONCLUSIONS: In the current cross-sectional study, we found that two emerging PFAS replacements (i.e., 6:2 Cl-PFESA and PFBS) and PFHxS exposure were associated with reduced semen concentration, total sperm count and motility in men. Meanwhile, significant positive associations between PFHpS and sperm count and concentration were also observed. But there were no consistent associations between PFAS mixture, branched isomers and semen quality.

Associations Between Different Dietary Vitamins and the Risk of Obesity in Children and Adolescents: A Machine Learning Approach.

BACKGROUNDS: Simultaneous dietary intake of vitamins is considered as a common and real scenario in daily life. However, limited prospective studies have evaluated the association between multivitamins intake and obesity in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the intake of different dietary vitamins and the risk of obesity in children (6-11 years) and adolescents (12-19 years). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study based on data from U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013-2016. A total of 3634 children and adolescents were included who had available data on dietary vitamins, obesity and covariates. We analyzed the dietary intake levels of nine vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the associations between vitamins and obesity. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) was employed to explore the joint and independent effects of vitamins on obesity among children and adolescents. RESULTS: In the multivariate logistic regression model, five vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, and vitamin D) were negatively associated with obesity in children and adolescents. BKMR analysis showed that when the concentration of the nine vitamins was at or above the 55th percentile compared with the median value, the combined intake of these vitamins could significantly reduce the risk of obesity in children and adolescents. Potential interactions between vitamin B2 and vitamin B12 in increasing the risk of obesity in children and adolescents were observed. CONCLUSIONS: We determine the combined effects of multivitamins on obesity in children and adolescents, and observe a significant interaction between vitamin B2 and vitamin B12. Further cohort studies are needed to clarify the health effects of multivitamins intake in a larger population.

Functional role of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 gamma 1 (EIF4G1) in NSCLC.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 gamma 1(EIF4G1) is related to tumorigenesis and tumor progression. However, its role and the underlying mechanisms in the regulation of tumor development in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) remain largely unknown. Here we report that the levels of EIF4G1 expression are much higher in NSCLC cell lines and tumor tissues than those in the normal lung cells and adjacent normal tissues from the same patients. Using shRNA to knock down EIF4G1 expression stably, we found EIF4G1 required for NSCLC cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, migration and invasion. Furthermore, silencing of EIF4G1 induces NSCLC cell apoptosis and causes G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. To identify the partner protein network of EIF4G1 in NSCLC cells, we found that Ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (USP10) can directly interacts with EIF4G1, while acting as a negative regulator for EIF4G1-mediated functions. Together, our results indicate that EIF4G1 functions as an oncoprotein during NSCLC development, which may represent a novel and promising therapeutic target in lung cancer.