Catalytic methane decomposition on CNT-supported Fe-catalysts.

Methane, either as natural gas or as a resource obtained from various bioprocesses (e.g., digestion, landfill) can be converted to carbon and hydrogen according to. CH4(g)→C(s)+2H2(g)ΔH298K=74.8kJ/mol. Previous research has stressed the growing importance of substituting the high-temperature Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) by a moderate temperature Catalytic Methane Decomposition (CMD). The carbon formed is moreover of nanotube nature, in high industrial demand. To avoid the use of an inert support for the active catalyst species, e.g., Al2O3 for Fe, leading to a progressive contamination of the catalyst by support debris and coking of the catalyst, the present research investigates the use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as Fe-support. Average CH4 conversions of 75-85% are obtained at 700 °C for a continuous operation of 40 h. The produced CNT from the methane conversion can be continuously removed from the catalyst bed by carry-over due to its bulk density difference (∼120 kg/m3) with the catalyst itself (∼1500 kg/m3). CNT properties are fully specified. No thermal regeneration of the catalyst is required. A tentative process layout and economic analysis demonstrate the scalability of the process and the very competitive production costs of H2 and CNT.

The long non-coding RNA mir155hg promotes NLRP3-inflammasome activation and oxidative stress response in acute lung injury by targeting miR-450b-5p to regulate HIF-1α.

BACKGROUND: Acute lung injury (ALI) can cause multiple organ dysfunction and a high mortality rate. Inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, and immune damage contribute to their pathogenic mechanisms. We studied the role of the newly discovered lncRNA, Lncmir155hg, in ALI. METHODS: The levels of Lncmir155hg and miR-450b-5p from mice with ALI were detected via polymerase chain reaction analysis (qRT-PCR) and Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Pathological changes of lung were detected by HE (hematoxylin and eosin) staining, and HIF-1α, NOD-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) and caspase-1 protein changes were detected by immunohistochemistry. MLE-12 cells proliferation was detected by Cell-Counting Kit 8 analysis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected via flow cytometry. NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), and caspase-1 were measured via western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays detected the expression of Inflammatory factors. Lncmir155hg, miR-450b-5p, miR-450b-5p, and HIF-1α targets were predicted using LncTar and miRWalk and confirmed in dual-luciferase reporter assays. RESULTS: In mice with ALI and MLE-12 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Lncmir155hg was high-expressed and miR-450b-5p was low-expressed. sh-Lncmir155hg reduced the damage of lung tissue, the production of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress reaction induced by LPS，miR-450b-5p reverses the effect of Lncmir155hg in mice. sh-Lncmir155hg decreased the protein levels of HIF-1α, NLRP3 and caspase-1 in LPS-induced lung tissues. sh-Lncmir155hg+miR-450b-5p inhibitor transfection reversed the effect of sh-Lncmir155hg on the expression of HIF-1α, NLRP3 and caspase-1. Lncmir155hg knockdown induced proliferation and inhibited NLRP3-inflammasome activation and oxidative stress in MLE-12 cells of ALI. miR-450b-5p was identified to have binding with Lncmir155hg, and inhibition of miR-450b-5p eliminated the effect of si-Lncmir155hg in MLE-12 cells of ALI. More importantly, miR-450b-5p was directly combined with HIF-1α, miR-450b-5p mimic promoted proliferation and inhibited activation of inflammasome associated proteins and reaction of oxidative stress, and HIF-1α overexpression abolished these effects. CONCLUSION: Lncmir155hg aggravated ALI via the miR-450b-5p/HIF-1α axis.

Application of the "Plan-Do-Check-Action" plan in improving the pass rate of the "National Medical Licensing Examination".

BACKGROUND: The National Medical Licensing Examination (NMLE) is the only objective, standardized metric to evaluate whether a medical student possessing the professional knowledge and skills necessary to work as a physician. However, the overall pass rate of NMLE in our hospital in 2021 was much lower than that of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, which was required to be further improved. METHODS: To find the reasons for the unsatisfactory performance in 2021, the quality improvement team (QIT) organized regular face-to-face meetings for in-depth discussion and questionnaire, and analyzed the data by "Plato analysis" and "Brainstorming method". After finding out the reasons, the "Plan-Do-Check-Action" (PDCA) cycle was continued to identify and solve problems, which included the formulation and implementation of specific training plans by creating the "Gantt charts", the check of effects, and continuous improvements from 2021 to 2022. Detailed information about the performance of students in 2021 and 2022, and the attendance, assessment, evaluation and suggestions from our hospital were provided by the relevant departments, and the pass rate-associated data was collected online. RESULTS: After the PDCA plan, the pass rate of NMLE in our hospital increased by 10.89% from 80.15% in 2021 to 91.04% in 2022 (P = 0.0109), with the pass rate of skill examination from 95.59% in 2021 to 99.25% in 2022 (P = 0.0581) and theoretical examination from 84.5% in 2021 to 93.13% in 2022 (P = 0.027). Additionally, the mean scores of all examinees increased with the theoretical examination score increasing from 377.0 ± 98.76 in 2021 to 407.6 ± 71.94 in 2022 (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed a success application of the PDCA plan in our hospital which improved the pass rate of the NMLE in 2022, and the PDCA plan may provide a practical framework for future medical education and further improve the pass rate of NMLE in the next year.

CO2/H2 Separation by Synergistic Enhanced Hydrate Method with SDS and R134a.

The synergistic effect of thermodynamic promoter tetrafluoroethane (R134a) and kinetic promoter sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) can significantly improve the phase equilibrium conditions required for CO2 hydrate formation and promote rapid generation of CO2 hydrate. Based on this, this study investigates the influence of SDS and R134a synergy on the separation of CO2/H2 mixed gas using the hydrate method. The research reveals that without SDS addition, R134a hydrate forms first at the gas-liquid interface before CO2 hydrate induction, hindering gas-liquid exchange. The addition of SDS can inhibit the formation of the hydrate film, enhance the initiator effect of R134a in the CO2 hydrate formation process, accelerate the nucleation of CO2 hydrate, and thus synergistically strengthen the separation of CO2/H2 mixed gases. Hydrate formation can be achieved at a concentration of 100 ppm of SDS solution, and the synergistic growth effect of R134a and CO2 hydrate becomes more significant with increasing SDS concentration. Optimal separation efficiency and maximum H2 concentration are achieved at 500 ppm of SDS, with 42.29 and 54.88% separation efficiency and H2 concentration, respectively. Decreasing the initial charge temperature has little impact on separation efficiency but significantly reduces the induction time, reducing it to 3 min at 12 °C. This study improved the separation efficiency of CO2 and H2 mixed gas, providing a better reference for hydrogen purification by the hydrate method.

Effect of alprostadil plus cilostazol on the treatment outcomes and inflammatory factors in patients with lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans receiving evidence-based care.

This study aims to elucidate the effect of alprostadil (ALP) plus cilostazol (CIL) on the treatment outcomes and inflammatory factors in patients with lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans (LEASO) receiving evidence-based care. Firstly, 130 patients with LEASO were selected from February 2020 to February 2023 and then randomly divided into two groups with 65 patients each. Excluding the dropouts, 59 patients in the control group (6 cases of dropout) received ALP and 62 patients in the research group (3 cases of dropout) received ALP plus CIL. Both groups were cared for in accordance with the evidence-based care model. Treatment outcomes, arteriosclerosis indexes (blood flow of dorsalis pedis artery [DPA], ankle-brachial index [ABI] and toe-brachial index [TBI]), hemorheological parameters (erythrocyte aggregation index [EAI], erythrocyte deformation index [EDI], high blood viscosity [HBV] and haematocrit [HCT]), inflammatory factors (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor [TNF]-α) and complications (nausea, diarrhoea, headache and transaminase elevation) were compared between the control and research groups. Results show that the overall response rate was markedly higher in the research group (90.32%) than in the control group (74.58%). Additionally, the blood flow of DPA, ABI and TBI in the research group significantly increased after the treatment and were higher than those in the control group. Meanwhile, the EAI, EDI, HBV, HCT, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were significantly lower. The two groups did not differ markedly in the complication rate. The above findings suggest that ALP plus CIL is effective for patients with LEASO receiving evidence-based care. It can significantly improve arteriosclerosis indexes and hemorheological parameters while inhibiting serum inflammatory responses, with some certain safety.

Role of light microplastics in the dispersion process of spilled crude oil in the marine environment.

Oil spill and microplastic (MP) pollution are the main problems in the marine environment. After an oil spill, the oil film may be dispersed into the water column in the form of droplets under the action of ocean waves. In this study, the sea condition was simulated through the batch conical flask oscillation experiment. Merey crude oil was selected as experimental oil, and polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) were used as experimental MP. The effects of MP properties (type, concentration and size) on the dispersion of spilled oil were investigated. It is found that for each MP, the oil dispersion efficiency (ODE) increased rapidly at first and then tended to be stable, which all reached the maximum at 360 min. When the concentrations of PE and PS increased from 0 to 100 mg/L, the maximum ODE decreased from 32.64 % to 13.72 % and 10.75 %, respectively, indicating that the presence of MP inhibits the oil dispersion. At the same oscillation time, the volumetric mean diameter (VMD) of dispersed oil increased with the MP concentration. When the particle size of PE and PS increased from 13 to 1000 µm, the maximum ODE increased from 24.74 % to 31.49 % and 28.60 %, respectively. However, the VMD decreased with the size of MP. In addition, the time series of the oil adsorption rate by the MP were well fitted by the kinetic models. The results of this research deepen the understanding of the migration law of spilled oil to the marine environment in the presence of MP, and may further improve the ability of marine environmental scientists to predict the fate of oil spill.

Self-Assembly of Chiral Porous Metal-Organic Polyhedra from Trianglsalen Macrocycles.

Metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs) can exhibit tunable porosity and functionality, suggesting potential for applications such as molecular separations. MOPs are typically constructed by the bottom-up multicomponent self-assembly of organic ligands and metal ions, and the final functionality can be hard to program. Here, we used trianglsalen macrocycles as preorganized building blocks to assemble octahedral-shaped MOPs. The resultant MOPs inherit most of the preorganized properties of the macrocyclic ligands, including their well-defined cavities and chirality. As a result, the porosity in the MOPs could be tuned by modifying the structure of the macrocycle building blocks. Using this strategy, we could systematically enlarge the size of the MOPs from 26.3 to 32.1 Å by increasing the macrocycle size. The family of MOPs shows experimental surface areas of up to 820 m2/g, and they are stable in water. One of these MOPs can efficiently separate the rare gases Xe from Kr because the prefabricated macrocyclic windows of MOPs can be modified to sit at the Xe/Kr size cutoff range.

Effects of plasma-activated water combined with ultrasonic treatment of corn starch on structural, thermal, physicochemical, functional, and pasting properties.

In this study, corn starch was used as the raw material, and modified starch was prepared using a method combining plasma-activated water and ultrasound treatment (PUL). This method was compared with treatments using plasma-activated water (PAW) and ultrasound (UL) alone. The structure, thermal, physicochemical, pasting, and functional properties of the native and treated starches were evaluated. The results indicated that PAW and UL treatments did not alter the shape of the starch granules but caused some surface damage. The PUL treatment increased the starch gelatinization temperature and enthalpy (from 11.22 J/g to 13.13 J/g), as well as its relative crystallinity (increased by 0.51 %), gel hardness (increased by 16.19 %) compared to untreated starch, without inducing a crystalline transition. The PUL treatment resulted in a whitening of the samples. The dual treatment enhanced the thermal stability of the starch paste, which can be attributed to the synergistic effect between PAW and ultrasound (PAW can modify the starch structure at a molecular level, while ultrasound can further disrupt the granule weak crystalline structures, leading to improved thermal properties). Furthermore, FTIR results suggested significant changes in the functional groups related to the water-binding capacity of starch, and the order of the double-helical structure was disrupted. The findings of this study suggest that PUL treatment is a promising new green modification technique for improving the starch structure and enhancing starch properties. However, further research is needed to tailor the approach based on the specific properties of the raw material.

Atorvastatin improved ulcerative colitis in association with gut microbiota-derived tryptophan metabolism.

AIMS: Atorvastatin is a commonly used cholesterol-lowering drug that possesses non-canonical anti-inflammatory properties. However, the precise mechanism underlying its anti-inflammatory effects remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The acute phase of ulcerative colitis (UC) was induced using a 5 % dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) solution for 7 consecutive days and administrated with atorvastatin (10 mg/kg) from day 3 to day 7. mRNA-seq, histological pathology, and inflammatory response were determined. Intestinal microbiota alteration, tryptophan, and its metabolites were analyzed through 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. KEY FINDINGS: Atorvastatin relieved the DSS-induced UC in mice, as evidenced by colon length, body weight, disease activity index score and pathological staining. Atorvastatin treatment reduced the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Atorvastatin also relieved the intestinal microbiota disorder caused by UC and decreased the proliferation of pernicious microbiota such as Akkermansia and Bacteroides. Atorvastatin dramatically altered tryptophan metabolism and increased the fecal contents of tryptophan, indolelactic acid (ILA), and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Furthermore, atorvastatin enhanced the expression level of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and interleukin-22 (IL-22) and further promoted the expression level of intestinal tight junction proteins, such as ZO-1 and occludin, in colitis mice. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings indicated that atorvastatin could alleviate UC by regulating intestinal flora disorders, promoting microbial tryptophan metabolism, and repairing the intestinal barrier.

Podocyte SIRPα reduction aggravates lupus nephritis via promoting T cell inflammatory responses.

Signal-regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) has recently been found to be highly expressed in podocytes and is essential for maintaining podocyte function. However, its immunoregulatory function in podocytes remains elusive. Here, we report that SIRPα controls podocyte antigen presentation in specific T cell activation via inhibiting spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) phosphorylation. First, podocyte SIRPα under lupus nephritis (LN) conditions is strongly downregulated. Second, podocyte-specific deletion of SIRPα exacerbates renal disease progression in lupus-prone mice, as evidenced by an increase in T cell infiltration. Third, SIRPα deletion or knockdown enhances podocyte antigen presentation, which activates specific T cells, via enhancing Syk phosphorylation. Supporting this, Syk inhibitor GS-9973 prevents podocyte antigen presentation, resulting in a decrease of T cell activation and mitigation of renal disease caused by SIRPα knockdown or deletion. Our findings reveal an immunoregulatory role of SIRPα loss in promoting podocyte antigen presentation to activate specific T cell immune responses in LN.

Plasticity in resource allocation of the invasive Phytolacca americana: Balancing growth, reproduction, and defense along urban-rural gradients.

In response to varying environments along urban and rural gradients, invasive plants may strategically allocate resources to enhance their invasiveness. However, how invasive plants balance their resources for growth, reproduction, and defense as responses to biotic and abiotic factors across these gradients remain unclear. We conducted field surveys on the growth, reproduction, and herbivory of the invasive species Phytolacca americana across diverse urban and rural habitats. Leaf samples were collected to analyze the nutritional content, primary and secondary metabolites. We found that plant growth rates, specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen content, and concentrations of flavonoids and saponins were higher in urban habitats, while reproduction, herbivory, and carbon-to­nitrogen ratios were lower than those in rural habitats. We also found a trade-off between growth rate and herbivory, as well as trade-offs among defense traits associated with herbivory (e.g., leaf mass per area, the inverse of leaf nitrogen content, and carbon­nitrogen ratio) and the production of metabolites associated with abiotic stress tolerance (e.g., soluble sugars, flavonoids, and saponins). As earlier studies showed low levels of genetic diversity within and between populations, our findings suggest that the urban-rural gradient patterns of resource allocation are primarily phenotypic plasticity in response to herbivory in rural areas and abiotic factors in urban areas. Our study sheds light on the mechanisms by which urbanization affects plant invasions and offers insights for the implementation of their management strategies.

ABO and Rhesus blood groups and multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between ABO and Rhesus (Rh) blood groups and various health outcomes. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the robustness of these associations is still lacking. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, and several regional databases from their inception until Feb 16, 2024, with the aim of identifying systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies exploring associations between ABO and Rh blood groups and diverse health outcomes. For each association, we calculated the summary effect sizes, corresponding 95% confidence intervals, 95% prediction interval, heterogeneity, small-study effect, and evaluation of excess significance bias. The evidence was evaluated on a grading scale that ranged from convincing (Class I) to weak (Class IV). We assessed the certainty of evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria (GRADE). We also evaluated the methodological quality of included studies using the A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). AMSTAR contains 11 items, which were scored as high (8-11), moderate (4-7), and low (0-3) quality. We have gotten the registration for protocol on the PROSPERO database (CRD42023409547). RESULTS: The current umbrella review included 51 systematic reviews with meta-analysis articles with 270 associations. We re-calculated each association and found only one convincing evidence (Class I) for an association between blood group B and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk compared with the non-B blood group. It had a summary odds ratio of 1.28 (95% confidence interval: 1.17, 1.40), was supported by 6870 cases with small heterogeneity (I2 = 13%) and 95% prediction intervals excluding the null value, and without hints of small-study effects (P for Egger's test > 0.10, but the largest study effect was not more conservative than the summary effect size) or excess of significance (P < 0.10, but the value of observed less than expected). And the article was demonstrated with high methodological quality using AMSTAR (score = 9). According to AMSTAR, 18, 32, and 11 studies were categorized as high, moderate, and low quality, respectively. Nine statistically significant associations reached moderate quality based on GRADE. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a potential relationship between ABO and Rh blood groups and adverse health outcomes. Particularly the association between blood group B and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk.

Enhanced Charge Transfer in Quasi-2D Perovskite by Formamidinium Cation Gradient Incorporation for Efficient and Stable Solar Cells.

Quasi-2D perovskites have attracted much attention in perovskite photovoltaics due to their excellent stability. However, their photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) still lags 3D counterparts, particularly with high short-circuit current (JSC) loss. The quantum confinement effect is pointed out to be the sole reason, which introduces widened bandgap and poor exciton dissociation, and undermines the light capture and charge transport. Here, the gradient incorporation of formamidinium (FA) cations into quasi-2D perovskite is proposed to address this issue. It is observed that FA prefers to incorporate into the larger n value phases near the film surface compared to the smaller n value phases in the bulk, resulting in a narrow bandgap and gradient structure within the film. Through charge dynamic analysis using in situ light-dark Kelvin probe force microscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy, it is demonstrated that incorporating 10% FA significantly facilitates efficient charge transfer between low n-value phases in the bulk and high n-value nearby film surface, leading to reduced charge accumulation. Ultimately, the device based on (AA)2(MA0.9FA0.1)4Pb5I16, where AA represents n-amylamine renowned for its exceptional environmental stability as a bulky organic ligand, achieves an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.58% and demonstrates enhanced illumination and thermal stability.

Plasma Biomarkers for Hypertension-Mediated Organ Damage Detection: A Narrative Review.

Hypertension (HT) is a disease that poses a serious threat to human health, mediating organ damage such as the cardiovascular (CV) system, kidneys, central nervous system (CNS), and retinae, ultimately increasing the risk of death due to damage to the entire vascular system. Thus, the widespread prevalence of hypertension brings enormous health problems and socioeconomic burdens worldwide. The goal of hypertension management is to prevent the risk of hypertension-mediated organ damage and excess mortality of cardiovascular diseases. To achieve this goal, hypertension guidelines recommend accurate monitoring of blood pressure and assessment of associated target organ damage. Early identification of organ damage mediated by hypertension is therefore crucial. Plasma biomarkers as a non-invasive test can help identify patients with organ damage mediated by hypertension who will benefit from antihypertensive treatment optimization and improved prognosis. In this review, we provide an overview of some currently available, under-researched, potential plasma biomarkers of organ damage mediated by hypertension, looking for biomarkers that can be detected by simple testing to identify hypertensive patients with organ damage, which is of great significance in clinical work. Natriuretic peptides (NPs) can be utilized as a traditional biomarker to detect hypertension-mediated organ damage, especially for heart failure. Nevertheless, we additionally may need to combine two or more plasma biomarkers to monitor organ damage in the early stages of hypertension.

Serum albumin is associated with the inherent property of acute myeloid leukemia and correlates with patient outcomes.

An accurate prognostic model for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can guide personalized treatment. In our prospective cohort of 591 patients newly diagnosed with AML, we evaluated the prognostic significance of serum albumin levels. We recognized baseline serum albumin as a prognostic factor by univariate Cox regression analysis (albumin-high vs albumin-low: overall survival [OS]: hazard ratio [HR]: 0.679, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.529-0.870, P = .002; cumulative incidence of relapse [CIR]: HR: 0.705, 95% CI: 0.530-0.938, P = .017) and multivariate Cox regression analysis (OS: HR per g/L: 0.966, 95% CI: 0.940-0.993, P = .014; CIR: HR per g/L: 0.959, 95% CI: 0.927-0.993, P = .017). In the subgroup analysis, serum albumin was prognostic significant in patients who received intermediate-dose cytarabine combined with daunorubicin and omacetaxine mepesuccinate induction (albumin-high vs albumin-low: OS: HR: 0.585, 95% CI: 0.397-0.863, P = .007; CIR: HR: 0.551, 95% CI: 0.353-0.861, P = .009) rather than those receiving conventional-dose induction regimens. In addition, the impact of baseline serum albumin level was evident in patients with intermediate European LeukemiaNet risk (albumin-high vs albumin-low: OS: HR: 0.617, 95% CI: 0.424-0.896, P = .011; CIR: HR: 0.617, 95% CI: 0.388-0.979, P = .040). Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that leukemia stem cell signatures were enriched in patients with low serum albumin levels. Our study suggested that baseline serum albumin level was associated with the inherent properties of AML and correlated with patient outcomes.

Machine Learning-Based Predictive Modeling of Diabetic Nephropathy in Type 2 Diabetes Using Integrated Biomarkers: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Purpose: Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a major complication of diabetes mellitus, significantly impacts global health. Identifying individuals at risk of developing DN is crucial for early intervention and improving patient outcomes. This study aims to develop and validate a machine learning-based predictive model using integrated biomarkers. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a baseline dataset involving 2184 participants without DN, categorized based on their development of DN over a follow-up period of 36 months: DN (n=1270) and Non-DN (n=914). Various demographic and clinical parameters were analyzed. The findings were validated using an independent dataset comprising 468 participants, with 273 developing DN and 195 remaining as Non-DN over the follow-up period. Machine learning algorithms, alongside traditional descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used for statistical analyses. Results: Elevated levels of serum creatinine, urea, and reduced eGFR, alongside an increased prevalence of retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy, were prominently observed in those who developed DN. Validation on the independent dataset further confirmed the model's robustness and consistency. The SVM model demonstrated superior performance in the training set (AUC=0.79, F1-score=0.74) and testing set (AUC=0.83, F1-score=0.82), outperforming other models. Significant predictors of DN included serum creatinine, eGFR, presence of diabetic retinopathy, and peripheral neuropathy. Conclusion: Integrating machine learning algorithms with clinical and biomarker data at baseline offers a promising avenue for identifying individuals at risk of developing diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes patients over a 36-month period.

Constructing an Asymmetric Covalent Triazine Framework to Boost the Efficiency and Selectivity of Visible-Light-Driven CO2 Photoreduction.

The photocatalytic reduction of CO2 represents an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach for generating valuable chemicals. In this study, a thiophene-modified highly conjugated asymmetric covalent triazine framework (As-CTF-S) is developed for this purpose. Significantly, single-component intramolecular energy transfer can enhance the photogenerated charge separation, leading to the efficient conversion of CO2 to CO during photocatalysis. As a result, without the need for additional photosensitizers or organic sacrificial agents, As-CTF-S demonstrates the highest photocatalytic ability of 353.2 µmol g-1 and achieves a selectivity of ≈99.95% within a 4 h period under visible light irradiation. This study provides molecular insights into the rational control of charge transfer pathways for high-efficiency CO2 photoreduction using single-component organic semiconductor catalysts.

The HPV viral regulatory mechanism of TLRs and the related treatments for HPV-associated cancers.

Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) typically leads to cervical cancer, skin related cancers and many other tumors. HPV is mainly responsible for evading immune tumor monitoring in HPV related cancers. Toll like receptors (TLRs) are particular pattern recognition molecules. When the body is facing immune danger, it can lead to innate and direct adaptive immunity. TLR plays an important role in initiating antiviral immune responses. HPV can affect the expression level of TLR and interfere with TLR related signaling pathways, resulting in sustained viral infection and even carcinogenesis. This paper introduces the HPV virus and HPV related cancers. We discussed the present comprehension of TLR, its expression and signaling, as well as its role in HPV infection. We also provided a detailed introduction to immunotherapy methods for HPV related diseases based on TLR agonists. This will provide insights into methods that support the therapeutic method of HPV related conditions with TLR agonists.

Incorporation of ascorbic acid in chitosan-based coating combined with plasma-activated water: A technology for quality preservation of red grapes after simulated transportation.

Red grapes possess multiple bioactivities but are highly susceptible to spoilage due to the lack of efficient preservation techniques. Plasma-activated water (PAW) treatment and the incorporation of antioxidants in bio-based coatings are promising methods for preserving produce. In this study, we tested a novel combination by incorporating ascorbic acid (AA) into a chitosan-based edible coating (CH) and combining it with plasma-activated water (PAW) treatment (CA-PAW) before simulating transport vibrations to extend the shelf-life of red grapes. The results from storage at 4 °C for 20 d indicated that the CA-PAW treatment reduced microbial counts by 2.62 log10 CFU/g for bacteria, 1.72 log10 CFU/g for yeasts and molds, and 1.1 log10 CFU/g for coliforms, in comparison to the control group treated with sterile deionized water. Total phenols and total flavonoid content were the highest observed, at 111.2 mg GAE/100 g and 262.67 mg RE/100 g, respectively. This treatment also inhibited water migration and erosion, and reduced damage to cell structure. Microstructural observations revealed that the CH coating on the surface of red grapes diminished the degradation of bioactive components. In conclusion, the CA-PAW treatment effectively inhibited the adverse physiological changes caused by vibration and mechanical damage to red grapes, maintained their nutritional and sensory qualities, and extended the shelf life by at least 8 d.