Correlation between the RNA Expression and the DNA Methylation of Estrogen Receptor Genes in Normal and Malignant Human Tissues.

Estrogen plays a multifaceted function in humans via interacting with the estrogen receptors ERα, ERß, and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1). Previous research has predominantly concentrated on elucidating the signaling route of estrogen. However, the comprehensive understanding of the expression profile and control of these estrogen receptors in various human tissues is not well known. In the present study, the RNA levels of estrogen receptors in various normal and malignant human tissues were retrieved from the human protein atlas, the cancer genome atlas (TCGA), and the genotype-tissue expression (GTEx) databases for analyzing the expression profile of estrogen receptors through gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA). The status of DNA methylation of estrogen receptor genes from TCGA were analyzed through the software Wanderer and cBioPortal. The MethSurv tool was utilized to estimate the relevance between specific cytosine-guanine (CG) methylation and tumor survival. The expression profile analysis revealed that ERα, ERß, and GPER1 have unique expression patterns in diverse tissues and malignancies. The interesting results were the higher expression of ERß RNA in the male testis than in females and the positive association between the RNA level of ERα and the androgen receptor in different human normal tissues. Especially, the significant changes in GPER1 expression in multiple malignancies showed a consistent decrease with no exception, which indicates the role of GPER1 in common tumor inhibition. The finding on the expression profile provides clues for exploring novel potential physiological and pathophysiological functions of estrogen. The DNA methylation analysis manifested that the expression of GPER1 and ERα showed a substantial correlation with the methylation of specific CG sites in the cis-regulating region of the gene. However, no such association was observed for ERß. When comparing tumor tissues to normal tissues, the DNA methylation of certain CG sites of estrogen receptors showed a correlation with tumor survival but did not always correlate with the expression of that gene or with the expression of DNA methyltransferases. We proposed that the variation in DNA methylation at different CG sites in estrogen receptor genes had other functions beyond its regulatory role in its gene expression, and this might be associated with the progression and therapy efficiency of the tumor based on the modulation of the chromatin configuration.

Universal Sublimation Strategy to Stabilize Single-Metal Sites on Flexible Single-Wall Carbon-Nanotube Films with Strain-Enhanced Activities for Zinc-Air Batteries and Water Splitting.

Single-metal-site catalysts have recently aroused extensive research in electrochemical energy fields such as zinc-air batteries and water splitting, but their preparation is still a huge challenge, especially in flexible catalyst films. Herein, we propose a sublimation strategy in which metal phthalocyanine molecules with defined isolated metal-N4 sites are gasified by sublimation and then deposited on flexible single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films by means of π-π coupling interactions. Specifically, iron phthalocyanine anchored on the SWCNT film prepared was directly used to boost the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction of the zinc-air battery, showing a high peak power density of 247 mW cm-2. Nickel phthalocyanine and cobalt phthalocyanine were, respectively, stabilized on SWCNT films as the anodic and cathodic electrocatalysts for water splitting, showing a low potential of 1.655 V at 10 mA cm-2. In situ Raman spectra and theoretical studies demonstrate that highly efficient activities originate from strain-induced metal phthalocyanine on SWCNTs. This work provides a universal preparation method for single-metal-site catalysts and innovative insights for electrocatalytic mechanisms.

Three novel species of Aquapteridospora (Distoseptisporales, Aquapteridosporaceae) from freshwater habitats in Tibetan Plateau, China.

During an investigation of lignicolous freshwater fungi in the Tibetan Plateau, three Aquapteridospora taxa were collected from freshwater habitats in Xizang, China. The new species possess polyblastic, sympodial, denticles conidiogenous cells and fusiform, septate, with or without sheath conidial, that fit within the generic concept of Aquapteridospora, and multi-gene phylogeny placed these species within Aquapteridospora. Detailed morphological observations clearly demarcate three of these from extant species and are hence described as new taxa. The multi-gene phylogeny of the combined LSU, TEF1-α, and ITS sequence data to infer phylogenetic relationships and discuss phylogenetic affinities with morphologically similar species. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses, three new species viz. A.linzhiensis, A.yadongensis, and A.submersa are introduced. Details of asexual morphs are described, and justifications for establishing these new species are also provided in this study.

Design of a new Li-rich Mn-based ternary cathode material based on the Ni, Co, and Mn action mechanism.

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, as the most advanced energy storage devices currently available, urgently require the development of cathode materials with high capacity, large specific energy, and fast charge/discharge performance to satisfy the continuous technological innovation. Here, a Li-rich Mn-based ternary cathode material Li7/6Nil/6Co1/6Mn1/2O2 is designed, and the geometrical structure, electronic properties, and thermodynamic properties of this material are investigated employing the first-principles method. Six layered structure models are established by adjusting the ratio of Ni, Co, and Mn elements, and the effects of various elements on the material properties are evaluated. Based on the performance of Ni, Co, and Mn in the structure, Li1.2Ni0.15Co0.1Mn0.55O2 features favorable electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and excellent stability. This material obtained through co-precipitation using a high temperature solid phase synthesis presents a high actual capacity (245 mA h g-1) and superior cycling performance (the capacity retention rate of the material is 84% after 60 cycles at 0.2C). This effort discusses the Li-rich Mn-based cathode materials in terms of the structural basis, reaction mechanism, and application exploration, which are valuable for guiding their theoretical design, optimization modification, and industrial application.

Clinical effect of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with mechanical ventilation: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Relevant studies were identified in the PubMed, Web of Science, National Library of Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang databases. A meta-analysis was performed after screening based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data extraction and literature quality evaluation. RESULTS: In total, 19 studies involving 2181 participants were included. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that compared with patients with conventional rehabilitation measures, patients with pulmonary rehabilitation measures had a higher offline success rate (relative risk (RR) = 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09, 1.24; p < 0.00001) and higher arterial oxygen partial pressure levels (mean difference (MD) = 8.96; 95%CI: 5.98, 11.94; p < 0.0001) and these measures significantly shortened the duration of mechanical ventilation (standardised MD (SMD) = -1.08; 95%CI: -1.58, -0.59; p < 0.0001) and ICU stay (SMD = -1.41; 95%CI: -1.94, -0.88; p < 0.0001). Aspiration significantly reduced the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (RR = 0.35; 95%CI: 0.24, 0.51; p < 0.00001) and deep vein thrombosis (RR = 0.32; 95%CI: 0.13, 0.76; p = 0.01) in ICU patients with mechanical ventilation. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary rehabilitation measures can improve the success rate of weaning from mechanical ventilation in ICU patients, shorten the time of mechanical ventilation and ICU hospitalisation and reduce the incidence of related adverse reactions, but the impact on mortality requires further study.

Introducing gradient Er ions and oxygen defects into SrCoO3 for regulating structural, electrical and magnetic transport properties.

The SrCoO3-δ system has broad application potential due to its diverse crystal structures, oxidation stoichiometric ratio, and significant electrical and magnetic properties. However, it faces the challenges of a complex crystal structure and oxygen defect control in this material system. Herein, we introduce oxygen defects into SrCoO3-δvia Er doping to regulate the structural, electrical and magnetic transport properties. Sr1-xErxCoO3-δ (x = 0-0.25) undergoes an evolution of structure and oxygen content (measured using the iodometric method) from hexagonal SrCoO2.626 (H + Co3O4) to cubic perovskite Sr0.9Er0.1CoO2.689 (CP) and finally to ordered tetragonal Sr0.8Er0.2CoO2.635 (OT). Among the three phases, Sr0.9Er0.1CoO2.689 (CP) exhibits the lowest resistivity, only 4.06 mΩ cm at room temperature, which is attributed to its high three-dimensional symmetry, overlap of O 2p and Co 3d orbitals at high oxygen ion concentration. Further introduction of Er ions and oxygen defects promotes the transformation from low spin Co4+ (LS, t52ge0g, S = 1/2) to high spin Co3+ (HS, t42ge2g, S = 2), and from the CoO6 octahedron (low magnetic moment transformation) to the CoO4.25 tetrahedron (high magnetic moment). The oxygen-deficient CoO4.25 layer appears, which can enhance the ordering of A sites and oxygen vacancies, and the CP phase transforms into room-temperature ferromagnetic Sr0.8Er0.2CoO2.635 (OT, TC∼330 K). Er ions provide unpaired electrons in the 2f orbital, which results in a strong magnetization of Sr0.8Er0.2CoO2.635 (OT, 4.66 µB/Co) at low temperatures.

Improvement effects of azithromycin on bronchopulmonary dysplasia in neonatal rats and its mechanism / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effects of azithromycin on bronchopulmonary dysplasia （BPD） in neonatal rats based on hypoxia-inducible factor-1α（HIF-1α）/HIF-2α/vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） pathway. METHODS Sixty newborn SD rats were randomly divided into negative control group （NC）， BPD group， azithromycin group and budesonide group （positive control）， with 15 rats in each group. Rats in NC group were given normal breathing air， while rats in other three groups were exposed to high-concentration oxygen for 14 days to establish BPD rat models. After successful modeling， rats in azithromycin group were intraperitoneally injected with azithromycin 200 mg/kg， and rats in budesonide group were atomized with budesonide 1.5 mg/kg once a day for 14 consecutive days， while rats in BPD group and NC group were not treated. Pathological changes of lung tissue， radial alveolar count and mean alveolar intercept of rats were observed in each group. The white blood cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-1β， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， catalase （CAT） and malondialdehyde （MDA） were detected； mRNA and protein expressions of VEGF， HIF-1α， HIF-2α were also detected. RESULTS Compared with NC group， the lung tissue in BPD group was obviously damaged； the white blood cell count， average alveolar intercept and the levels of TNF-α， IL-6， IL-1β and MDA were significantly increased； the radial alveolar count， SOD and CAT levels， the relative expressions of VEGF， HIF-1α， HIF-2α mRNA and protein were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with BPD group， the changes of the above indexes in azithromycin group and budesonide group were significantly reversed （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Azithromycin can obviously improve the symptoms of BPD in rats， reduce inflammation and oxidative stress， and exert lung protection， the mechanism of which may be realized by activating HIF-1α/HIF-2α/VEGF pathway.

Morphophylogenetic evidence reveals four new fungal species within Tetraplosphaeriaceae (Pleosporales, Ascomycota) from tropical and subtropical forest in China.

Tetraplosphaeriaceae (Pleosporales, Ascomycota) is a family with many saprobes recorded from various hosts, especially bamboo and grasses. During a taxonomic investigation of microfungi in tropical and subtropical forest regions of Guizhou, Hainan and Yunnan provinces, China, several plant samples were collected and examined for fungi. Four newly discovered species are described based on morphology and evolutionary relationships with their allies inferred from phylogenetic analyses derived from a combined dataset of LSU, ITS, SSU, and tub2 DNA sequence data. Detailed illustrations, descriptions and taxonomic notes are provided for each species. The four new species of Tetraplosphaeriaceae reported herein are Polyplosphaeriaguizhouensis, Polyplosphaeriahainanensis, Pseudotetraploayunnanensis, and Tetraploahainanensis. A checklist of Tetraplosphaeriaceae species with available details on their ecology is also provided.

Electron-level insight into efficient synergistic oxygen evolution catalysis at multimetallic sites in PtNiFeCoCu high-entropy alloys.

The exploration of high-quality and efficient electrocatalysts is crucial for the advancement of clean energy utilization and the development of energy conversion technologies. Recently, high-entropy alloys (HEA) have been actively explored as viable catalysts for water electrolysis due to their unique performance such as wide scope for compositional adjustments, excellent catalytic activity, and outstanding stability. However, the mechanism of synergistic oxygen evolution by HEA electrocatalysts at multiple sites has not been systematically and clearly demystified. Herein, in this paper, Pt is combined with inexpensive metals Ni, Cu, Fe, and Co to form a stable HEA structure. The synergistic catalytic mechanism of the PtNiFeCoCu HEA in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been investigated, and the structure has been demonstrated to exhibit excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. The results suggest that the PtNiFeCoCu HEA catalyst achieved a lower overpotential of 0.44 V in the acidic OER, demonstrating that the PtNiFeCoCu HEA is a bifunctional electrocatalyst. In addition, oxygen intermediates are synergistically adsorbed on the surface of high-entropy alloys through multimetallic sites, which breaks the limitation of limited active sites. Further calculations indicated that the favorable OER activity of the catalyst originated from the strong associative coupling of the d orbitals of the synergistic metal sites to the 2p orbitals of the oxygen intermediates with enhanced synergistic effects. This work further elucidates the multisite synergistic catalysis of the PtNiFeCoCu HEA, providing a unique perspective to uncover the source of the high catalytic performance of HEA electrocatalysts.

Thermal and electrical transport properties of two-dimensional Dirac graphenylene: a first-principles study.

The development of high performance two-dimensional thermoelectric (TE) materials is crucial for enhancing the conversion of waste heat into electricity and for achieving the transition to new energy. In recent years, two-dimensional Dirac materials with high carrier mobility and non-trivial topological properties have been expected to extend the application of carbon-based materials in the TE field. However, research on the TE properties of two-dimensional Dirac materials is still scarce, and the relevant physical mechanisms that affect the TE figure of merit of the materials are still unclear. Therefore, we carefully selected a typical and experimentally synthesized Dirac structure, graphenylene, and systematically studied its thermal transport and electrical transport properties using density functional theory (DFT) and Boltzmann transport theory. The results show that the ZT value of graphenylene exhibits an extremely significant anisotropy. There is a significant discrepancy in the figure of merit (ZT) values of n-type and p-type systems at the optimum doping concentration, i.e., the ZT value of the n-type system (0.49) is one order of magnitude greater than that of the p-type system (0.06). Graphenylene exhibits excellent electronic performance due to its unique electronic band structure and has an extremely high conductivity (for the n-type system, electrical conductivity at room temperature is 109 S m-1). Interestingly, graphenylene has an unusually higher ZT at low temperature (0.5 at 300 K) than at high temperature (0.3 at 800 K) for n-type doping along the x-axis, contrary to the conventional view that higher ZT values exist in the high temperature range. This work provides a deep insight into the TE properties of two-dimensional Dirac carbon materials and offers new perspectives for enhancing the TE performance and application of carbon-based nanomaterials.

Asymmetry in sensory-motor function between the lower limbs in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: An observational study.

The objective of this study was to examine the difference in sensory-motor impairments (i.e., balance, contracture, coordination, strength, spasticity, and sensation) between legs in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. An observational study measured both lower limbs of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy over one session. Six sensory-motor impairments (balance, coordination, strength, spasticity, contracture, and proprioception) were measured. The between-leg differences were analyzed using the paired t-tests and presented as the mean differences (95% confidence interval (CI)). Twenty-four participants aged 10.3 years (standard deviation: 1.3) participated. The affected leg was less than the less-affected leg in terms of the strength of dorsiflexors (mean difference (MD) -2.8 Nm, 95% CI -4.2 to -1.4), plantarflexors (MD -2.6 Nm, 95% CI -4.1 to -1.0), knee extensors (MD -5.3 Nm, 95% CI -10.2 to -0.5) as well as range of ankle dorsiflexion (MD -8 deg, 95% CI -13 to -3), and balance (median difference -11.1, 95% CI -11.6 to -10.6). There was a trend toward a difference in terms of the strength of hip abductors (MD -2.6 Nm, 95% CI -5.3 to 0.1) and coordination (MD -0.20 taps/s, 95% CI -0.42 to 0.01). The legs were similar in terms of the strength of hip extensors (MD 0.3 Nm, 95% CI -4.7 to 5.3), proprioception (MD 1 deg, 95% CI 0 to 2), and spasticity (median difference 0, 95% CI 0 to 0). Examination of the difference in sensory-motor impairments between legs in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy has given us some insights into the deficits in both legs. Not only was balance, strength, and coordination decreased compared with the less-affected leg but also the less-affected leg was markedly decreased compared with typically developing children. Therefore, an intervention aimed at increasing muscle strength and coordination in both legs might have a positive effect, particularly on more challenging physical activities. This may, in turn, lead to successful participation in mainstream sport and recreation.

Surface/interfacial transport through pores control desalination mechanisms in 2D carbon-based membranes.

The shortage of freshwater is a critical concern for contemporary society, and reverse osmosis desalination technology has gathered considerable attention as a potential solution to this problem. It has been recognized that the desalination process involving water flow through angstrom-sized pores has tremendous potential. However, it is challenging to obtain angstrom-sized pore structures with internal mass transfer and surface/interface properties matching the application conditions. Herein, a two-dimensional (2D) zeolite-like carbon structure (Carzeo-ANG) was constructed with unique angstrom-sized pores in the zeolite structure; then, the surface/interfacial transport behavior and percolation effect of the Carzeo-ANG desalination membrane were evaluated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and classical molecular dynamics. The first-principles calculations in density functional theory were implemented through the Vienna ab initio simulation package (VASP), which is a commercial package for the simulation of carbon-based materials. The results show that Carzeo-ANG is periodically distributed with angstrom-sized pores (effective diameter = 5.4 Å) of dodecacyclic carbon rings, which ensure structural stability while maintaining sufficient mechanical strength. The remarkable salt-ion adsorption properties and mass transfer activity combined with the reasonable density distribution and free energy barrier for water molecules endow the membrane with superior desalination ability. At the pressure of 80 MPa, the rejection efficiency of Cl- and Na+ were 100% and 96.25%, and the membrane could achieve a water flux of 132.71 L cm-2 day-1 MPa-1. Moreover, the interconnected electronic structure of Carzeo-ANG imparts a self-cleaning effect.

Insight into the Fe atom-FeS cluster synergistic catalysis mechanism for the oxygen evolution reaction in NiS2-based electrocatalysts.

The development of highly active oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts with fast kinetics is crucial for the advancement of clean energy and fuel conversion to achieve a sustainable energy future. Recently, the synergistic effect of single-atom doping and multicomponent clusters has been demonstrated to significantly improve the catalytic activity of materials. However, such synergistic effects involving multi-electron and proton transfer processes are quite complex and many crucial mechanistic details need be well comprehended. We ingeniously propose a catalyst, (Fed-FeSc)@NiS2 (d stands for doping and c stands for clustering), with Fe and FeS acting synergistically on a NiS2 substrate. Specifically, fully dynamic monitoring of multiple active sites at the (Fed-FeSc)@NiS2 interface using metadynamics is innovatively performed. The results show that the rate determining step value at the overpotential of 1.23 V for the synergistic (Fed-FeSc)@NiS2 is 1.55 V, decreased by 6.67% and 35.29% compared to those of the independently acting single-atom doping and multi-clusters. The unique synergistic structure dramatically increases the d-band centre of the Fe site (-1.45 eV), endowing (Fed-FeSc)@NiS2 with more activity than conventional commercial Ir-C catalysts. This study provides insights into the synergistic effects of single-atom doping and multi-component clusters, leading to exploratory inspiration for the design of highly efficient OER catalysts.

New insights into phase transition behavior and electrochemistry corrosion of three-dimensional biphenylene.

It is estimated that the annual cost of corrosion in most countries accounts for 3-4% of gross domestic product, far exceeding the losses caused by natural disasters, prompting scientists to continuously search for high-performance anti-corrosion materials. Among these high-performance materials, two-dimensional carbon materials represented by graphene have received widespread attention due to their excellent chemical stability and anti-permeability. However, some studies have found that the poor ability of graphene to bind to the interface and the electrical coupling caused by metallicity make it possible to protect copper from corrosion only for a short period of time. To circumvent these issues, through phase behavior research, interface binding property simulation and corrosion mechanism exploration, we propose a more promising anti-corrosive three-dimensional (3D) biphenylene diamond-like carbon membrane (BP-DLC). The kinetic study results show that due to the Gibbs free energy of biphenylene structures below three layers being lower than 0, few-layer biphenylene can spontaneously generate phase transitions of limited size, forming a biphenylene diamond-like membrane and exhibiting superior mechanical properties and a certain degree of flexibility. Mechanical and electronic performance results further show that there is a strong bonding effect between BP-DLC and the metal surface, which further enhances the bistate heterostructure and prolongs the coating life of BP-DLC materials. Compared with pure graphene and Cu substrates, BP-DLC membranes exhibit stronger corrosion resistance by reducing porosity, increasing charge transfer and hindering the diffusion of corrosion ions to the substrate. This study provides a new strategy for constructing corrosion-resistant materials by designing long-term stable and highly corrosion-resistant diamond-like membranes.

Computational simulation-driven discovery of novel zeolite-like carbon materials as seawater desalination membranes.

Freshwater is a scarce and vulnerable resource that has never encountered such an extensive focus on a nearly worldwide scale as it does today. Recently, it has been found that desalination powered by two-dimensional (2D) carbon materials as separation membranes has significantly reduced the operational costs and complexity but presents heavy requirements for the structural stability and separation properties of the membrane materials. Here, we combined carbon materials with promising adsorption properties and zeolites characterized by a regular pore structure to obtain a zeolite-like structured carbon membrane Zeo-C and investigated the suitability of the Zeo-C membrane for seawater desalination based on the computational-simulation-driven approach. The results of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the periodic pore distribution conferred favorable structural stability and mechanical strength to the Zeo-C desalination membrane. The rejection rate of Na+ and Cl- is ensured at 100% under a pressure of 40-70 MPa, and that of Na+ could reach 97.85% even though the pressure increases to 80 MPa, exhibiting superior desalination properties. The porous nature of the zeolite-like structure and the low free energy potential barrier are conducive for reliable adsorption and homogeneous diffusion of salt ions, which facilitates the acquisition of desirable water molecule permeability and salt ion selectivity. In particular, the interlinked delocalized π-network imparts inherent metallicity to Zeo-C for self-cleaning in response to electrical stimulation, thereby extending the lifetime of the desalination membrane. These studies have greatly encouraged theoretical innovations and serve as a guiding reference for desalination materials.

Taxonomy and Phylogeny of Hyphomycetous Muriform Conidial Taxa from the Tibetan Plateau, China.

During the investigation of lignicolous freshwater fungi in the Tibetan Plateau habitat, fifteen collections were isolated from submerged decaying wood. Fungal characteristics are commonly found as punctiform or powdery colonies with dark pigmented and muriform conidia. Multigene phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, SSU and TEF DNA sequences showed that they belong to three families in Pleosporales. Among them, Paramonodictys dispersa, Pleopunctum megalosporum, Pl. multicellularum and Pl. rotundatum are established as new species. Paradictyoarthrinium hydei, Pleopunctum ellipsoideum and Pl. pseudoellipsoideum are reported as new records on the freshwater habitats in Tibetan Plateau, China. The morphological descriptions and illustrations of the new collections are provided.

A Novel Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography Combined with Ultraviolet Detection Method for Quantitative Determination of Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate, 4-Pyridoxine Acid and Pyridoxal in Animal Plasma.

Vitamin B6 is an indispensable micronutrient in organisms and is widely distributed in blood, tissues, and organs. Changes in the content and ratio of vitamin B6 can affect the entire physiological condition of the body, so it becomes particularly important to reveal the relationship between changes in its content and disease by monitoring vitamin B6 levels in the organism. In this study, a two-dimensional liquid chromatography-UV detector (2D-LC-UV) was used to establish a method for the simultaneous detection of PLP, PA, and PL for the first time. First, PLP, PA, and PL were extracted with plasma: 0.6 M TCA: ultrapure water = 1:2:3 (v/v/v) and then derivatized. Enrichment and preliminary separation were performed on a one-dimensional column and automatically entered into a two-dimensional column for further separation. This method exhibited good selectivity, and the correlation coefficients for the analyte calibration curves were >0.99. The detection limits for PLP, PA, and PL were 0.1, 0.2, and 4 nmol/L, respectively. The results showed that the system has high loading capacity, excellent resolution, and a good peak shape. This method is expected to provide applicability for the determination of PLP, PA, and PL in pharmacological, pharmaceutical, and clinical research.

Red anatase TiO2 microspheres with exposed major {001} facets and boron-stabilized hydrogen-occupied oxygen vacancies for visible-light-responsive water oxidation.

In pursuit of efficient solar energy to chemical energy conversion through band engineering of wide-bandgap photocatalysts such as TiO2, a compromise occurs between a narrow bandgap and high-redox-capacity photo-induced charge carriers, which impairs the potential advantages associated with the widened absorption range. The key to this compromise is an integrative modifier that can simultaneously modulate both the bandgap and band edge positions. Herein, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that oxygen vacancies occupied by boron-stabilized hydrogen pairs (OVBH) serve as an integrative band modifier. Compared to hydrogen-occupied oxygen vacancies (OVH), which require the aggregation of nanosized anatase TiO2 particles, oxygen vacancies coupled with boron (OVBH) can be easily introduced into large and highly crystalline TiO2 particles, as shown by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The coupling with interstitial boron facilitates the introduction of paired hydrogen atoms. The red-colored {001} faceted anatase TiO2 microspheres with OVBH benefit from the narrowed bandgap of 1.84 eV and the down-shifted band position. These microspheres not only absorb long-wavelength visible light up to 674 nm but also enhance visible-light-driven photocatalytic oxygen evolution.

Activated FeS2 @NiS2 Core-Shell Structure Boosting Cascade Reaction for Superior Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution.

Unlike single-step reactions, multi-step reactions can be greatly facilitated only if all the intermediate reactions can be catalyzed simultaneously and progressively. Herein, the theoretical analysis and experiments to illustrate the superiority of the cascade oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are conducted. As different OER intermediate reactions demand Fex Ni1-x OOH with altered Fe/Ni ratios, gradient Fe-doped NiOOH can be an ideal electrocatalyst for the efficient cascade OER in line. Fine controlling of the nucleation sequence of iron and nickel sulfides leads to a FeS2 @NiS2 core-shell structure. The activated outward diffusion of Fe dopants results in the gradient Fe/Ni ratios in the Fex Ni1-x OOH shell, where a cascade OER can happen. Electrochemical tests suggest that the FeS2 @NiS2 only needs an overpotential of 237 mV to reach the current density of 10 mA cm-2 , with fast reaction kinetics and good stability.

Relative contribution of sensory and motor impairments to mobility limitations in children with cerebral palsy: an observational study.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative contribution of sensory and motor impairments to mobility limitations in cerebral palsy. An observational study was carried out in 83 children with all types of cerebral palsy with a mean age of 10.8 years (SD 1.2). Five impairments (coordination, strength, spasticity, contracture, proprioception) and three aspects of mobility (standing up from a chair, short and long distance walking) were measured. Standard multiple regression was used to determine the relative contribution of impairments to mobility as well as the relative contribution of strength of individual muscle groups (dorsiflexors, plantarflexors, knee extensors, hip abductors and hip extensors) to mobility. Five impairments accounted for 48% of the variance in overall mobility (p < 0.001): coordination independently accounted for 9%, contracture for 4% and strength for 3% of the variance. Five muscle groups accounted for 53% of the variance in overall mobility (p < 0.001): hip extensors independently accounted for 9%, knee extensors for 4%, dorsiflexors for 4% and plantarflexors for 3% of the variance. Our findings demonstrate that the impairments making a significant independent contribution to mobility in pre-adolescent cerebral palsy were loss of coordination, loss of strength and contracture.