Tailoring Second Coordination Sphere for Tunable Solid-Liquid Interfacial Charge Transfer toward Enhanced Photoelectrochemical H2 Production.

The recombination of photogenerated charge carriers severely limits the performance of photoelectrochemical (PEC) H2 production. Here, we demonstrate that this limitation can be overcome by optimizing the charge transfer dynamics at the solid-liquid interface via molecular catalyst design. Specifically, the surface of a p-Si photocathode is modulated using molecular catalysts with different metal atoms and organic ligands to improve H2 production performance. Co(pda-SO3H)2 is identified as an efficient and durable catalyst for H2 production through the rational design of metal centers and first/second coordination spheres. The modulation with Co(pda-SO3H)2, which contains an electron-withdrawing -SO3H group in the second coordination sphere, elevates the flat-band potential of the polished p-Si photocathode and nanoporous p-Si photocathode by 81 mV and 124 mV, respectively, leading to the maximized energy band bending and the minimized interfacial carrier transport resistance. Consequently, both the two photocathodes achieve the Faradaic efficiency of more than 95 % for H2 production, which is well maintained during 18 h and 21 h reaction, respectively. This work highlights that the band-edge engineering by molecular catalysts could be an important design consideration for semiconductor-catalyst hybrids toward PEC H2 production.

Highly Efficient and Selective Light-Driven Dry Reforming of Methane by a Carbon Exchange Mechanism.

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a promising technique for converting greenhouse gases (namely, CH4 and CO2) into syngas. However, traditional thermocatalytic processes require high temperatures and suffer from low selectivity and coke-induced instability. Here, we report high-entropy alloys loaded on SrTiO3 as highly efficient and coke-resistant catalysts for light-driven DRM without a secondary source of heating. This process involves carbon exchange between reactants (i.e., CO2 and CH4) and oxygen exchange between CO2 and the lattice oxygen of supports, during which CO and H2 are gradually produced and released. Such a mechanism deeply suppresses the undesired side reactions such as reverse water-gas shift reaction and methane deep dissociation. Impressively, the optimized CoNiRuRhPd/SrTiO3 catalyst achieves ultrahigh activity (15.6/16.0 mol gmetal-1 h-1 for H2/CO production), long-term stability (∼150 h), and remarkable selectivity (∼0.96). This work opens a new avenue for future energy-efficient industrial applications.

Self-management behaviours in adults with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a cross-sectional survey from China.

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in China has significantly increased due to changing lifestyles and rising obesity rates. Effective self-management behaviours are crucial for reversing NAFLD. This study aimed to assess the current self-management status and the influencing factors among the Chinese NAFLD population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: This was a study conducted between 30 May 2022 and 30 May 2023 at a tertiary care hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 380 patients diagnosed with NAFLD were included in this study. NAFLD patients included in this study were diagnosed by FibroScan and had a controlled attenuation parameter ≥248 dB/m. PRIMARY OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcomes were self-management, demographic characteristics and clinical features of patients with NAFLD. Self-management-related domains were assessed using the self-management questionnaire of NAFLD. RESULTS: The study included 380 patients with an average age of 42.79±13.77 years, with 62.89% being male. The mean score on the self-management scale was 80.92±18.31, indicating a low level of self-management behaviours. Among the five dimensions of the self-management scale, lifestyle management received the highest score (10.68±2.53), while disease knowledge management received the lowest score (9.29±2.51). Furthermore, gender (ß=0.118, p=0.009), education level (ß=0.118, p=0.010), body mass index (BMI) (ß=-0.141, p=0.002) and sleep quality (ß=0.387, p<0.001) were found to influence the self-management behaviours of patients to some extent. CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional survey in China revealed impaired self-management behaviours among adults with NAFLD. The study identified significant associations between self-management behaviours and gender, education level, BMI and sleep quality. Healthcare providers should focus on optimising the care of NAFLD patients to enhance their self-management behaviours.

Bridging molecular photosensitizer and catalyst on carbon nanotubes toward enhanced selectivity and durability for CO2 photoreduction.

Homogenous molecular photocatalysts for CO2 reduction, especially metal complex-based photosensitizer‒catalyst assemblages, have been attracting extensive research interests due to their efficiency and customizability. However, their low durability and recyclability limit practical applications. In this work, we immobilized the catalysts of metal terpyridyl complexes and the photosensitizer of [Ru(bpy)3]Cl2 onto the surface of carbon nanotubes through covalent bonds and electrostatic interactions, respectively, transforming the homogeneous system into a heterogeneous one. Our characterizations prove that these metal complexes are well dispersed on CNTs with a high loading (ca. 12 wt.%). Photocatalytic measurements reveal that catalytic activity is remarkably enhanced when the molecular catalysts are anchored, which is three times higher than that of homogeneous molecular catalysts. Moreover, when the photosensitizer of [Ru(bpy)3]Cl2 is immobilized, the side reaction of hydrogen evolution is completely suppressed and the selectivity for CO production reaches 100%, with its durability also significantly improved. This work provides an effective pathway for constructing heterogeneous photocatalysts based on rational assembly of efficient molecular photosensitizers and catalysts.

Clinical impact of hepatic steatosis on chronic hepatitis B patients in Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and hepatic steatosis (HS) are two prevalent chronic liver diseases in Asia. The incidence of CHB combined with HS is increasing due to the rising obesity rates. However, the impact of HS on CHB remains a topic of debate. Hereby, this meta-analysis aims to examine the effect of HS on Asian patients with CHB. Searches were conducted on four databases to identify articles published from 2005 to 2023. The random-effects or fixed-effects model was used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs), weighted mean difference (WMD), and confidence intervals (CIs) for the included articles. Of the 15,959 records screened, 88 studies were included in the analysis of HS prevalence in Asian CHB patients with a prevalence of 36.5% (95% CI: 33.7%-39.3%). In addition, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and combined metabolic diseases have varying degrees of impact on HS in CHB patients. Furthermore, the coexistence of HS was negatively associated with the response to antiviral therapy, including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.53-0.89) and ALT normalization (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.61-0.92) in CHB patients after 48 weeks of treatment. Regarding disease prognosis, HS was not significantly associated with fibrosis or cirrhosis in CHB patients, while an inverse association was observed between HS and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (OR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.23-6.99). This implies that the coexistence of HS in CHB patients may exacerbate the progression of HCC, which needs to be verified by further studies.

Association of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and growth hormone deficiency: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

An association exists between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and growth hormone (GH). Patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) may be more susceptible to NAFLD. The prevalence of NAFLD and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in GHD patients is currently unknown. Multiple databases were searched for experiments related to NAFLD (or NASH) and GHD. Screening, quality evaluation and data extraction were carried out independently by two authors. Analyses used random or fixed effects models, including NAFLD prevalence, NASH prevalence, odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). We included 10 studies with a total of 782 participants. The results showed that the prevalence of NAFLD in GHD patients was 51% (95% CI: 39-63). The risk of NAFLD in GHD patients was significantly higher than that in controls (age-, sex- or body mass index-matched, without GHD) (pooled OR = 4.27, 95% CI: 1.33-13.68%, p = 0.015). The prevalence of NASH in GHD patients was 18% (95% CI: 5-31). The prevalence of NAFLD in GHD patients is significantly higher than that in the general population, especially NASH. There is a need to develop targeted strategies for the early identification, prevention, or control of NAFLD/NASH in patients with GHD.

Boosting photocatalytic synchronous production of H2 coupled with acetone over Co doped Cu3P quantum dots/ZnIn2S4 nanosheets p-n nanojunction.

Photocatalysis provides a new way for synchronous H2 production and organic synthesis at normal temperature and pressure, usually, water and organic substrate function as sources of hydrogen protons and organic products, which are complex and limited by two half-reactions. Employing alcohols as reaction substrates to simultaneously produce H2 and valuable organics in a redox cycle is worthy studying, to which catalyst design at atomic level holds the key. In this paper, Co elements doped Cu3P (CoCuP) quantum dots (QDs) are prepared and coupled with ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) nanosheets to form a 0D/2D p-n nanojunction which can effectively boost aliphatic and aromatic alcohols activation to simultaneously produce H2 and corresponding ketones (or aldehydes). The optimal CoCuP/ZIS composite demonstrated the highest activity for dehydrogenation of isopropanol to acetone (17.77 mmol⋅g-1⋅h-1) and H2 (26.8 mmol⋅g-1⋅h-1), which was 2.40 and 1.63 times higher than that of Cu3P/ZIS composite, respectively. Mechanistic investigations revealed that such high-performance originated from the accelerated electron transfer of the formed p-n junction and the thermodynamic optimization caused by the Co dopant which was the active site of oxydehydrogenation as a prerequisite step for isopropanol oxidation over the surface of the CoCuP/ZIS composite. Besides that, coupling of the CoCuP QDs can lower the dehydrogenation activation energy of isopropanol to form a key radical intermediate of (CH3)2CHO* for improving the activity of simultaneous production of H2 and acetone. This strategy provides an overall reaction strategy to obtain two meaningful products (H2 and ketones (or aldehydes)) and deeply explores the integrated redox reaction of alcohol as substrate for high solar-chemical energy conversion.

Comparative efficacy of 5 sodium-glucose cotransporter protein-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor and 4 glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist drugs in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The relative efficacy of 5 sodium-glucose cotransporter protein-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors and 4 glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) therapy has not been sufficiently investigated. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which patients with NAFLD were treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists were included. Primary outcomes were improvements in liver enzymes and liver fat parameters, while secondary outcomes included anthropometric measures, blood lipids and glycemic parameters. The frequentist method was used to perform a network meta-analysis. Evidence certainty was assessed using the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE). Results: The criteria were satisfied by 37 RCTs with 9 interventions (5 SGLT-2 inhibitors and 4 GLP-1 receptor agonists). Based on high certainty evidence, in patients with NAFLD (or comorbid with type 2 diabetes), semaglutide could lower alanine aminotransferase as well as aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transferase, controlled attenuation parameter, liver stiffness measurement, body weight, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin. Liraglutide could lower alanine aminotransferase as well as subcutaneous adipose tissue, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, glucose and homeostasis model assessment, while dapagliflozin could lower alanine aminotransferase as well as body weight, fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, glucose and homeostasis model assessment. Conclusion: Semaglutide, liraglutide, and dapagliflozin all have a certain effect on NAFLD (or comorbid with type 2 diabetes) based on high confidence evidence from indirect comparisons, and semaglutide appears to have a therapeutic advantage over the other included medicines. Head-to-head studies are needed to provide more confidence in clinical decision-making.

Enhancing the durability of Au clusters in CO2 photoreduction via encapsulation in Cu-based metal-organic frameworks.

Here, we report the encapsulation of Au25 nanoclusters in a Cu3(BTC)2 metal-organic framework (Au25@Cu-BTC), which can achieve CO2 photoreduction for selective CO production in a gas-solid reaction system at low-concentration CO2 atmospheres (even to 0.1%), with remarkably enhanced durability up to at least 48 h.

Digital Therapeutics: Emerging New Therapy for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

The increased prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) worldwide is particularly worrisome, as no medication has been approved to treat the disease. Lifestyle modifications aimed at promoting weight loss and weight maintenance remain the current first-line treatment for NAFLD. However, due to the lack of standard and scientific guidance and out-of-hospital supervision, long-term outcomes of lifestyle interventions for patients with NAFLD are often unsatisfactory. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic aggravated this dilemma. At the same time, digital therapeutics (DTx) are expected to be a new method for the convenient management and treatment of patients with NAFLD and are attracting a great deal of attention. DTx, which provide evidence-based medicine through software programs for remote intervention in preventing, treating, or managing diseases, overcome the drawbacks of traditional treatment. The efficacy of the approach has already been demonstrated for some chronic diseases, but DTx have not been fully developed for NAFLD. This study reviews the concepts, clinical value, and practical applications related to DTx, with an emphasis on recommendations based on unmet needs for NAFLD. A better understanding of the current state will help clinicians and researchers develop high-quality, standardized, and efficient DTx products, with the aim of optimizing the prognosis of patients with NAFLD.

Comparative efficacy of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, pioglitazone and vitamin E for liver histology among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: systematic review and pilot network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: There is no conclusive evidence comparing the efficacy of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists to the other guidelines recommended pharmacotherapy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, we aim to compare the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists, pioglitazone and vitamin E in patients with NAFLD. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library up to 11 April 2022. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing GLP-1 receptor agonists, pioglitazone and vitamin E against placebo or other active controls in patients with NAFLD were included. RESULTS: Nine RCTs including 1482 patients proved eligible. GLP-1 receptor agonists ranked first in steatosis, ballooning necrosis, γ-glutamyl transferase, body weight, body mass index, and triglycerides. Administration of GLP-1 receptor agonists, as compared with placebo, was associated with improvement in liver histology [steatosis (OR = 4.11, 95% CI: 2.83, 5.96), ballooning necrosis (OR = 3.07, 95% CI: 2.14, 4.41), lobular inflammation (OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.29, 2.68), fibrosis (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.20)]. CONCLUSIONS: GLP-1 receptor agonists were as effective as pioglitazone and vitamin E for liver histology among patients with NAFLD. GLP-1 receptor agonists might be considered as an alternative or complementary treatment in the future clinical practice. [Figure: see text].

Barriers and enabling factors in weight management of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A qualitative study using the COM-B model of behaviour.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global public health problem. Lifestyle modifications aimed at promoting weight loss and weight maintenance remain the current first-line treatments for NAFLD. OBJECTIVE: We aim to identify barriers and enabling factors in weight management among patients with NAFLD using the capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviour (COM-B) model of behaviour. DESIGN: This study adopted a qualitative design using semistructured interviews analysed with content analysis and the COM-B framework. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Interviews were conducted with 27 patients with NAFLD who experienced successful or unsuccessful weight reduction. RESULTS: Our study included 27 participants: 15 participants with successful weight loss (successful weight loss refers to a decrease in body weight ≥7% of the initial body weight for patients with NAFLD) and 12 participants with unsuccessful weight loss. Thirty-five themes (19 barriers and 16 facilitators) were mapped onto the COM-B model as barriers and facilitators to weight management among patients with NAFLD. The key barriers were lack of time and energy, lack of awareness of weight, lack of attention to NAFLD, treating food as a reward or compensation and social entertainment. The key facilitators were having basic weight loss knowledge and skills, strong motivation, attention to NAFLD, unsuccessful weight loss experiences and positive feedback from phased success. CONCLUSION: In addition to identifying factors consistent with existing studies, this study identified factors that influence weight management in NAFLD patients, such as basic weight loss skills and rational thinking before weight loss, which were not previously reported. This has clinical implications for clinical healthcare providers and health management services for the improvement of education and support regarding lifestyle improvement and weight management in patients with NAFLD. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: We recruited potential participants from the Bariatric Clinic, Hepatology Clinic and Physical Examination Center of hospitals between March 2021 and October 2021. Twenty-seven patients with NAFLD who had successful or unsuccessful weight loss experiences participated in the study and responded to questions on weight management.

Highly Efficient and Selective Photocatalytic Nonoxidative Coupling of Methane to Ethylene over Pd-Zn Synergistic Catalytic Sites.

Photocatalytic nonoxidative coupling of CH4 to multicarbon (C2+) hydrocarbons (e.g., C2H4) and H2 under ambient conditions provides a promising energy-conserving approach for utilization of carbon resource. However, as the methyl intermediates prefer to undergo self-coupling to produce ethane, it is a challenging task to control the selective conversion of CH4 to higher value-added C2H4. Herein, we adopt a synergistic catalysis strategy by integrating Pd-Zn active sites on visible light-responsive defective WO3 nanosheets for synergizing the adsorption, activation, and dehydrogenation processes in CH4 to C2H4 conversion. Benefiting from the synergy, our model catalyst achieves a remarkable C2+ compounds yield of 31.85 µmol·g-1·h-1 with an exceptionally high C2H4 selectivity of 75.3% and a stoichiometric H2 evolution. In situ spectroscopic studies reveal that the Zn sites promote the adsorption and activation of CH4 molecules to generate methyl and methoxy intermediates with the assistance of lattice oxygen, while the Pd sites facilitate the dehydrogenation of methoxy to methylene radicals for producing C2H4 and suppress overoxidation. This work demonstrates a strategy for designing efficient photocatalysts toward selective coupling of CH4 to higher value-added chemicals and highlights the importance of synergistic active sites to the synergy of key steps in catalytic reactions.

Sensitive Organic Vapor Sensors Based on Flexible Porous Conductive Composites with Multilevel Pores and Thin, Rough, Hollow-Wall Structure.

Advanced organic vapor sensors that simultaneously have high sensitivity, fast response, and good reproducibility are required. Herein, flexible, robust, and conductive vapor-grown carbon fibers (VGCFs)-filled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) porous composites (VGCFs/PDMS sponge (CPS)) with multilevel pores and thin, rough, and hollows wall were prepared based on the sacrificial template method and a simple dip-spin-coating process. The optimized material showed outstanding mechanical elasticity and durability, good electrical conductivity and hydrophobicity, as well as excellent acid and alkali tolerance. Additionally, CPS exhibited good reproducible sensing behavior, with a high sensitivity of ~1.5 × 105 s-1 for both static and flowing organic vapor, which was not affected in cases such as 20% squeezing deformation or environment humidity distraction (20~60% RH). Interestingly, both the reproducibility and sensitivity of CPS were better than those of film-shaped VGCFs/PDMS (CP), which has a thickness of two hundred microns. Therefore, the contradiction between the reproducibility and high sensitivity was well-solved here. The above excellent performance could be ascribed to the unique porous structures and the rough, thin, hollow wall of CPS, providing various gas channels and large contact areas for organic vapor penetration and diffusion. This work paves a new way for developing advanced vapor sensors by optimizing and tailoring the pore structure.

Diterpenoid DGA induces apoptosis via endoplasmic reticulum stress caused by changes in glycosphingolipid composition and inhibition of STAT3 in glioma cells.

Glioma is one of the most common malignant primary brain tumors, with poor prognosis and high recurrence. There are currently few drugs approved for brain tumors; thus, it is necessary to develop new effective drugs. Natural diterpenoids have important biological activities, including antiinflammatory, antioxidative, and antitumor effects. In this study, 7α,14ß-dihydroxy-ent-kaur-17-dimethylamino-3,15-dione (DGA), a diterpenoid compound modified from glaucocalyxin A, inhibited the proliferation of many tumor cells, especially glioma. Flow cytometry analysis showed that DGA induced apoptosis in glioma cells. DGA also inhibited xenograft tumors in nude mice. It affected the expression of ceramide synthases (CerS) in glioma cells; CerS1 decreased, and CerS2 and CerS5 increased, resulting in a change in the composition of glycosphingolipids containing varying acyl chain lengths. In glioma cells treated with DGA, the gene transcription of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), X-box binding protein-1 (XBP1), and C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) in unfolded protein response pathways was upregulated. Meanwhile, the ratio of proapoptotic protein Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) to antiapoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) also increased. This suggested that an imbalance of glycosphingolipids caused by DGA induced severe endoplasmic reticulum stress and triggered cell apoptosis. Moreover, Western blotting showed DGA inhibited the signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway by reducing the phosphorylation of STAT3 and its upstream kinases, which also promoted the apoptosis of glioma cells. Together, these results explored the anticancer activities of DGA and highlighted it as a potential candidate for treating glioma.

Precisely Tailoring Heterometallic Polyoxotitanium Clusters for the Efficient and Selective Photocatalytic Oxidation of Hydrocarbons.

Photocatalysis is a promising yet challenging approach for the selective oxidation of hydrocarbons to valuable oxygenated chemicals with O2 under mild conditions. In this work, we report an atomically precise material model to address this challenge. The key to our solution is the rational incorporation of Fe species into polyoxotitanium cluster to form a heterometallic Ti4 Fe1 cocrystal. This newly designed cocrystal cluster, which well governs the energy and charge transfer as evidenced by spectroscopic characterizations and theoretical calculations, enables the synergistic process involving C(sp3 )-H bond activation by photogenerated holes and further reactions by singlet oxygen (1 O2 ). Remarkably, the cocrystal Ti4 Fe1 cluster achieves efficient and selective oxidation of hydrocarbons (C5 to C16 ) into aldehydes and ketones with a conversion rate up to 12 860 µmol g-1 h-1 , 5 times higher than that of Fe-doped Ti3 Fe1 cluster. This work provides insights into photocatalyst design at atomic level enabling synergistic catalysis.

Boosting Interfacial Charge Transfer with a Giant Internal Electric Field in a TiO2 Hollow-Sphere-Based S-Scheme Heterojunction for Efficient CO2 Photoreduction.

The construction of an S-scheme charge transfer pathway is considered to be a powerful way to inhibit charge recombination and maintain photogenerated carriers with high redox capacity to meet the kinetic requirements of the carbon dioxide (CO2) photoreduction reaction. For an S-scheme heterojunction, an internal electric field (IEF) is regarded as the main driving force for accelerating the interfacial spatial transfer of photogenerated charges. Herein, we designed a TiO2 hollow-sphere (TH)-based S-scheme heterojunction for efficient CO2 photoreduction, in which WO3 nanoparticles (WP) were applied as an oxidation semiconductor to form an intimate interfacial contact with the TH. The S-scheme charge transfer mode driven by a strong IEF for the TH/WP composite was confirmed by in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. As a result, abundant photogenerated electrons with strong reducing ability would take part in the CO2 reduction reaction. The combination of surface photovoltage spectra and transient photocurrent experiments disclosed that the IEF intensity and charge separation efficiency of the fabricated TH/WP composite were nearly 16.80- and 1.42-fold higher, respectively, than those of the pure TH. Furthermore, sufficient active sites provided by the hollow-sphere structure also enhanced the kinetics of the catalytic reaction. Consequently, the optimized TH/WP composite showed a peak level of CO production of 14.20 µmol g-1 in 3 h without the addition of any sacrificial agent. This work provides insights into the kinetic studies of the S-scheme charge transfer pathway for realizing high-performance CO2 photoreduction.

Comprehensive analyses for genetic diversities of 19 autosomal STRs in Chinese Kazak group and its phylogenetic relationships with other continental populations.

Short tandem repeats (STRs) play an essential role in forensic genetics due to their high degree of polymorphisms, wide distributions and easy detection method. In this study, allelic frequencies and forensic statistical parameters of the 19 autosomal STR loci in a Kazak ethnic group were calculated, and its genetic relationships with reference populations were assessed in order to understand population structure better and enrich population genetic data for forensic practice in Chinese Kazak ethnic group. There were 226 identified alleles with the corresponding allelic frequencies ranging from 0.0008 to 0.5295 in the 628 unrelated healthy Kazak individuals in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. All autosomal STRs were conformed to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni's correction. The cumulative power of discrimination and the combined probability of exclusion of all the 19 autosomal STRs were 0.999 999 999 999 999 999 999 997 162 and 0.999 999 994 484, respectively. Furthermore, the D A distances and Fixation index values of pairwise populations, principal component analysis, multidimensional scaling analysis, phylogenetic tree analysis and structure analysis were conducted to probe the genetic relationships between the Kazak group and other reference populations. The population genetic results showed that these 19 autosomal STR loci were characterised by high genetic diversities in the Kazak group. Furthermore, the studied Kazak group had close genetic relationships with the Uyghur group and the Uzbek group. The present results may facilitate understanding the genetic background of the Chinese Xinjiang Kazak group.

Carbon dots with intrinsic theranostic properties for photodynamic therapy of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Carbon dots (CDs) are one of the carbon-based materials with remarkable optical properties, good water dispersibility and high biocompatibility. However, few studies have emphasized the intrinsic photodynamic and anticancer properties of CDs. Herein, we used CDs as photosensitizers to explore their photodynamic therapy (PDT) effect on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. The obtained CDs had an effective cellular internalization capacity and possessed good biocompatibility in both CAL-27 and UM1 cells. After irradiation, the CDs showed obvious photodynamic effects on the test cells, which were confirmed by apoptosis analysis. In addition, the CDs exhibited excellent intracellular ROS generation under irradiation, and the subsequent induced cell death may be related to a lysosome-associated pathway.

Structural Reconstruction of Cu2 O Superparticles toward Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction with High C2+ Products Selectivity.

Structural reconstruction is a process commonly observed for Cu-based catalysts in electrochemical CO2 reduction. The Cu-based precatalysts with structural complexity often undergo sophisticated structural reconstruction processes, which may offer opportunities for enhancing the electrosynthesis of multicarbon products (C2+ products) but remain largely uncertain due to various new structural features possibly arising during the processes. In this work, the Cu2 O superparticles with an assembly structure are demonstrated to undergo complicated structure evolution under electrochemical reduction condition, enabling highly selective CO2 -to-C2+ products conversion in electrocatalysis. As revealed by electron microscopic characterization together with in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, the building blocks inside the superparticle fuse to generate numerous grain boundaries while those in the outer shell detach to form nanogap structures that can efficiently confine OH- to induce high local pH. Such a combination of unique structural features with local reaction environment offers two important factors for facilitating C-C coupling. Consequently, the Cu2 O superparticle-derived catalyst achieves high faradaic efficiencies of 53.2% for C2 H4 and 74.2% for C2+ products, surpassing the performance of geometrically simpler Cu2 O cube-derived catalyst and most reported Cu electrocatalysts under comparable conditions. This work provides insights for rationally designing highly selective CO2 reduction electrocatalysts by controlling structural reconstruction.