Continuous Synthesis of a Macrocyclic Sulfite of Polyethylene Glycol by Cascaded Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTRs).

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Long Pan and co-workers at Asymchem Life Sciences (Tianjin) Co. Ltd. The image depicts a novel continuous process for the synthesis of a macrocyclic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) sulfite, the precursor to PEG macrocyclic sulfate, a useful building block in PEG chemistry. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202304319.

Continuous Synthesis of a Macrocyclic Sulfite of Polyethylene Glycol by Cascaded Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTRs).

Many macrocyclic compounds are attractive drug-like molecules or intermediates due to their special properties. However, the bulk synthesis of such compounds are hindered by the necessity of using diluted solutions, in order to prevent intermolecular reactions that yields oligomer impurities, thereby resulting in a low production efficiency. Such challenge can be adequately addressed by using continuous reactors, allowing improved efficiency with smaller space footprints. In this work, we proposed a novel continuous process for the synthesis of a macrocyclic sulfite of tetraethylene glycol (PEG4-MCSi), which is a precursor to a very useful building block, PEG4-macrocyclic sulfate (PEG4-MCS). The basic reaction parameters, including stoichiometry and temperature, were first confirmed with small batch reactions, and the effectiveness of coiled reactors and continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) were compared. Cascaded CSTRs were proven to be suitable, and the reaction parameters were subject to further optimization to give a robust continuous process. The process was then tested with 4 parallel runs for up to 64 h. Finally, the merits and demerits of batch and continuous reactions were also compared, demonstrating the suitability of latter in the bulk production of macrocyclic PEG-MCSi compounds.

PEI functionalized cell membrane for tumor targeted and glutathione responsive gene delivery.

Polyethylenimine (PEI) is a broadly exploited cationic polymer due to its remarkable gene-loading capacity. However, the high cytotoxicity caused by its high surface charge density has been reported in many cell lines, limiting its application significantly. In this study, two different molecular weights of PEI (PEI10k and PEI25k) were crosslinked with red blood cell membranes (RBCm) via disulfide bonds to form PEI derivatives (RMPs) with lower charge density. Furthermore, the targeting molecule folic acid (FA) molecules were further grafted onto the polymers to obtain FA-modified PEI-RBCm copolymers (FA-RMP25k) with tumor cell targeting and glutathione response. In vitro experiments showed that the FA-RMP25k/DNA complex had satisfactory uptake efficiency in both HeLa and 293T cells, and did not cause significant cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the uptake and transfection efficiency of the FA-RMP25k/DNA complex was significantly higher than that of the PEI25k/DNA complex, indicating that FA grafting can increase transfection efficiency by 15 %. These results suggest that FA-RMP25k may be a promising non-viral gene vector with potential applications in gene therapy.

Cardiovascular disease risk in early-onset vs late-onset type 2 diabetes in China: A population-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of early-onset type 2 diabetes (EOD) vs late-onset type 2 diabetes (LOD) on nonfatal cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in China. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 46 239 participants from 14 provinces in China from 2007 to 2008, selecting 4949 participants with type 2 diabetes for analysis. Participants were categorized as EOD (<40 years) or LOD (≥40 years) based on age at diabetes diagnosis. Sociodemographic and nonfatal CVD information was collected through an interviewer-assisted questionnaire and clinical examination. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the nonfatal CVD risk. RESULTS: Out of 4949 participants with type 2 diabetes, 390 (7.88%) had nonfatal CVD. Participants with EOD had a higher age-standardized prevalence of nonfatal CVD than those with LOD (11.4% vs 4.4%). Compared to LOD patients, EOD patients tended to be males and had a higher family history of diabetes, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, and lower blood pressure levels. After adjustment for age and sex, EOD patients had a higher risk of nonfatal CVD than LOD patients (odds ratio [OR] 2.3, 95% CI 1.5-3.5). After further adjustment for diabetes duration, use of drugs, and other risk factors, the OR of nonfatal CVD was reduced but significant (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.9). Sensitivity analysis revealed that EOD patients with metabolic syndrome had an increased nonfatal CVD risk compared to LOD patients (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.5). CONCLUSIONS: EOD patients are at increased risk of nonfatal CVD. Individualized intervention and management measures for EOD patients are necessary.

Combination of metformin with liraglutide in treating HAIR-AN syndrome in children: A case report and literature review. / 二甲双胍联合利拉鲁肽治疗儿童HAIR-AN综合征1ä¾‹å¹¶æ–‡çŒ®å¤ä¹ .

Hyperandrogenism-insulin resistance-acanthosis nigricans (HAIR-AN) syndrome is a special and rare subtype of polycystic ovarian syndrome. It can lead to hyperandrogenism (HA), insulin resistance (IR), and acanthosis nigricans (AN) accompanied by acne, hirutism, irregular menstruation, and other androgen excess symptoms. A case of pediatric HAIR-AN syndrome with severe AN was admitted to the Department of Endocrinology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital. The patient's clinical manifestations, laboratory data, imaging features, and gene sequencing were analyzed, and the patient was diagnosed with pediatric HAIR-AN syndrome. Obesity, IR, hyperglycemia, menstrual disorder, and AN were significantly improved after treating with metformin and liraglutide. HAIR-AN syndrome occurs in various forms. When the patient appears unexplained acanthosis nigricans and menstrual disorders, the disease should be considered possible. Early diagnosis and symptomatic supportive treatment can improve the quality of life.

Spectral CT reconstruction via low-rank representation and structure preserving regularization.

Objective:With the development of computed tomography (CT) imaging technology, it is possible to acquire multi-energy data by spectral CT. Being different from conventional CT, the X-ray energy spectrum of spectral CT is cut into several narrow bins which leads to the result that only a part of photon can be collected in each individual energy channel.This can severely degrade the image qualities. To address this problem, we propose a spectral CT reconstruction algorithm based on low-rank representation and structure preserving regularization in this paper.Approach:To make full use of the prior knowledge about both the inter-channel correlation and the sparsity in gradient domain of inner-channel data, this paper combines a low-rank correlation descriptor with a structure extraction operator as priori regularization terms for spectral CT reconstruction. Furthermore, a split-Bregman based iterative algorithm is developed to solve the reconstruction model. Finally, we propose a multi-channel adaptive parameters generation strategy according to CT values of each individual energy channel.Main results: Experimental results on numerical simulations and real mouse data indicate that the proposed algorithm achieves higher accuracy on both reconstruction and material decomposition than the methods based on simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART), total variation minimization (TVM), total variation with low-rank (LRTV), and spatial-spectral cube matching frame (SSCMF). Compared with SART, our algorithm improves the feature similarity (FSIM) by 40.4% on average for numerical simulation reconstruction, whereas TVM, LRTV, and SSCMF correspond to 26.1%, 28.2%, and 29.5%, respectively.Significance: We outline a multi-channel reconstruction algorithm tailored for spectral CT. The qualitative and quantitative comparisons present a significant improvement of image quality, indicating its promising potential in spectral CT imaging.

Is it worth promoting battery swapping? A social welfare perspective on provider- and consumer-side incentives.

In countries that promote further EV diffusion, battery swapping opens up a market outlet for time-sensitive consumers as well as another green policy channel. To better understand this phenomenon from the perspective of policy-making, this study establishes a Hotelling model of a competitive market comprising a battery swapping service provider and a charging service provider. The analyses of three scenarios, no subsidization, consumer subsidization, and provider subsidization, reveal how to maximize social welfare. Considering subsidy amount, consumer time preferences, service time, and operating costs, the findings provide valuable insights for policymakers. Whereas incentive programs are generally helpful for battery swapping development and social welfare improvement, it is more effective to subsidize service providers than end consumers. Considering subsidy opportunity cost, it is necessary to control incentive amount and make continuous adjustments to promote battery swapping services without harming charging services.

Pt Single Atoms on CrN Nanoparticles Deliver Outstanding Activity and CO Tolerance in the Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction.

The large-scale application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells is currently hampered by high cost of commercial Pt catalysts and their susceptibility to poisoning by CO impurities in H2 feed. In this context, the development of CO-tolerant electrocatalysts with high Pt atom utilization efficiency for hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) is of critical importance. Herein, Pt single atoms are successfully immobilized on chromium nitride nanoparticles by atomic layer deposition method, denoted as Pt SACs/CrN. Electrochemical tests establish Pt SACs/CrN to be a very efficient HOR catalyst, with a mass activity that is 5.7 times higher than commercial PtRu/C. Strikingly, the excellent performance of Pt SACs/CrN is maintained after introducing 1000 ppm of CO in H2 feed. The excellent CO-tolerance of Pt SACs/CrN is related to weaker CO adsorption on Pt single atoms. This work provides guidelines for the design and construction of active and CO-tolerant catalysts for HOR.

Preparation of PEI-modified nanoparticles by dopamine self-polymerization for efficient DNA delivery.

Achieving efficient and safe gene delivery is of great significance to promote the development of gene therapy. In this work, a polydopamine (PDA) layer was coated on the surface of Fe3 O4 nanoparticles (NPs) by dopamine (DA) self-polymerization, and then magnetic Fe3 O4 NPs were prepared by the Michael addition between amino groups in polyethyleneimine (PEI) and PDA. The prepared Fe3 O4 NPs (named Fe3 O4 @PDA@PEI) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As an efficient and safe gene carrier, the potential of Fe3 O4 @PDA@PEI was evaluated by agarose gel electrophoresis, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, fluorescence microscopy, and flow cytometry. The results show that the Fe3 O4 @PDA@PEI NPs are stable hydrophilic NPs with a particle size of 50-150 nm. It can efficiently condense DNA at low N/P ratios and protect it from nuclease degradation. In addition, the Fe3 O4 @PDA@PEI NPs have higher safety than PEI. Further, the Fe3 O4 @PDA@PEI/DNA polyplexes could be effectively absorbed by cells and successfully transfected and exhibit higher cellular uptake and gene transfection efficiency than PEI/DNA polyplexes. The findings indicate that the Fe3 O4 @PDA@PEI NPs have the potential to be developed into a novel gene vector.

Development and assessment of diabetic nephropathy prediction model using hub genes identified by weighted correlation network analysis.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one microvascular complication of diabetes. About 30% of diabetic patients can develop DN, which is closely related to the high incidence and mortality of heart diseases, and then develop end-stage renal diseases. Therefore, early detection and screening of high-risk patients with DN is important. Herein, we explored the differences of serum transcriptomics between DN and non-DN in type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. We obtained 110 target genes using weighted correlation network analysis. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis indicates these target genes are mainly related to membrane adhesion, alpha-amino acid biosynthesis, metabolism, and binding, terminus, inhibitory synapse, clathrinid-sculpted vesicle, kinase activity, hormone binding, receptor activity, and transporter activity. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicates the process of DN in diabetic patients can involve synaptic vesicle cycle, cysteine and methionine metabolism, N-Glycan biosynthesis, osteoclast differentiation, and cAMP signaling pathway. Next, we detected the expression levels of hub genes in a retrospective cohort. Then, we developed a risk score tool included in the prediction model for early DN in T2DM patients. The prediction model was well applied into clinical practice, as confirmed by internal validation and several other methods. A novel DN risk model with relatively high prediction accuracy was established based on clinical characteristics and hub genes of serum detection. The estimated risk score can help clinicians develop individualized intervention programs for DN in T2DM. External validation data are required before individualized intervention measures.

Flavonoids for viral acute respiratory tract infections: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Herbal and 'natural' products are a growing industry in today's society because they reportedly help with numerous diseases and ailments. To date, there are some randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted on patients concerning the efficacy of flavonoids against viral acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) showing inconsistent results. On this basis, we will summarise the available evidence to investigate the efficacy of flavonoids on viral ARTI by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This protocol has been registered. The systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted by Cochrane guidelines and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis statement. RCTs comparing the flavonoids group with the control group for treating virus-induced ARTI will be included. RCTs published with relative outcomes will be searched through 12 databases. Data were searched from inception to 25 March 2022. Relevant literature search, data extraction and quality assessment will be performed by pairs of reviewers independently, and the third researcher will be involved in a discussion for disagreements. Stata V.16.0 software will be used for statistical analysis. Dichotomous data will use the ORs with 95% CIs. Continuous data will use the weighted mean difference with 95% CIs. Heterogeneity will be tested by χ2-based Cochran Q statistic and I2 statistic. Sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses will be used to observe the heterogeneity between included studies. The funnel plot, Egger's test and Begg's test will be used to judge the publication bias. A p<0.05 will be considered to indicate a statistically significant result. TRAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202180107.

Flavonoid-containing supplements for preventing acute respiratory tract infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the efficacy and safety of flavonoid-containing supplements in preventing acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI). METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of flavonoid-containing supplements on ARTI prevention in the aspects of ARTI incidence, mean ARTI sick days, symptoms, bio-immune markers, and adverse effects were searched in 5 databases. Data were searched from inception to November 26, 2021. Stata 16.0 was used to perform the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Twenty RCTs (n = 4521) were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Pooled results showed that in the flavonoid-containing supplement group, the ARTI incidence and mean ARTI sick days were significantly decreased compared to those in the control group (RR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.74-0.89, p < 0.001; WMD = -0.56, 95% CI: -1.04 to -0.08, p = 0.021; respectively). In 8 RCTs, flavonoids were singly used for interventions, ARTI incidence in the experimental group significantly decreased compared to that in the control group (RR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.72-1.00, p = 0.047). In ten RCTs, flavonoid-containing mixtures were applied for interventions, and ARTI incidence in the experimental group significantly decreased compared to that in the control group (RR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.71-0.89, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the ARTI incidence and mean ARTI sick days were significantly decreased in the experimental group compared to those in the control group in the flavan-3-ols subgroup (RR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.67-0.92, p = 0.002; WMD = -2.75, 95% CI: -4.30 to -1.21, p < 0.001; respectively) and the multiple subclasses subgroup (RR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.63-0.88, p = 0.001; WMD = -0.56, 95% CI: -1.11 to -0.01, p = 0.046; respectively). However, the bio-immune markers including interleukin-6, hypersensitive-c-reactive-protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ did not differ between the flavonoid group and the control group. Moreover, in the flavonoid-containing supplement group, the incidence of adverse reactions did not increase compared to that in the control group (RR = 1.16, 95% CI: 0.78-1.73, p = 0.469). CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that flavonoid-containing supplements were efficacious and safe in preventing ARTIs. The most important limitations result from the small number of trials, poor quality of some included RCTs, differences in the composition and types of interventions, principal subclasses of flavonoids, methods of administration, and methodology. Moreover, only a few RCTs conducted independent verification of the flavonoid supplements used in the trial in terms of purity and potency, which may lead to a potential source of bias. Thus, larger and better-designed studies are needed to further verify this conclusion.

Fabrication of zein-based hydrophilic nanoparticles for efficient gene delivery by layer-by-layer assembly.

As a natural biological macromolecule, zein has broad application prospects in drug delivery due to its unique self-assembly properties. In this work, zein/sodium alginate (Zein/SA) nanocomposites were prepared by a pH-cycle method, Then Zein/SA/PEI (ZSP) nanocomposites were prepared by efficient layer-by-layer assembly method, ZSP nanocomposite of higher transfection performance was further labeled by folic acid (FA). After characterizing the physicochemical properties of ZSP by various methods, the potential of ZSP as a gene delivery vehicle was explored in vitro. The results showed that ZSP had good dispersibility and stability, the diameter distribution was in the range of 124-203 nm, and it had a typical core-shell structure, which could effectively condensate DNA and protect it from nuclease hydrolysis. ZSP exhibited proton buffering capacity similar to PEI, lower cellular toxicity, lower protein adsorption and erythrocyte hemolysis effect than PEI. ZSP/pDNA complexes could be taken up by cells and exhibited higher transfection efficiency than PEI/DNA complexes at the same weight ratio. The transfection efficiency of the complex in HeLa and 293T cells can be improved by FA labeling, especially in HeLa cells. These results provide new perspective for the design and development of efficient zein-based gene delivery systems.

Flavonoids for Treating Viral Acute Respiratory Tract Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 30 Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of flavonoids in treating viral acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs). METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were entered into meta-analyses performed separately for each indication. Efficacy analyses were based on changes in disease-specific symptom scores. Safety was analyzed based on the pooled data from all eligible trials, by comparing the incidence of adverse events between flavonoids and the control. RESULTS: In this study, thirty RCTs (n = 5,166) were included. In common cold, results showed that the flavonoids group decreased total cold intensity score (CIS), the sum of sum of symptom intensity differences (SSID) of CIS, and duration of inability to work vs. the control group. In influenza, the flavonoids group improved the visual analog scores for symptoms. In COVID-19, the flavonoids group decreased the time taken for alleviation of symptoms, time taken for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR clearance, the RT-PCR positive subjects at day 7, time to achievement of the normal status of symptoms, patients needed oxygen, patients hospitalized and requiring mechanical ventilation, patients in ICU, days of hospitalization, and mortality vs. the control group. In acute non-streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis, the flavonoids group decreased the tonsillitis severity score (TSS) on day 7. In acute rhinosinusitis, the flavonoids group decreased the sinusitis severity score (SSS) on day 7, days off work, and duration of illness. In acute bronchitis, the flavonoids group decreased the bronchitis severity score (BSS) on day 7, days off work, and duration of illness. In bronchial pneumonia, the flavonoids group decreased the time to symptoms disappearance, the level of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). In upper respiratory tract infections, the flavonoids group decreased total CIS on day 7 and increased the improvement rate of symptoms. Furthermore, the results of the incidence of adverse reactions did not differ between the flavonoids and the control group. CONCLUSION: Results from this systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that flavonoids were efficacious and safe in treating viral ARTIs including the common cold, influenza, COVID-19, acute non-streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis, acute rhinosinusitis, acute bronchitis, bronchial pneumonia, and upper respiratory tract infections. However, uncertainty remains because there were few RCTs per type of ARTI and many of the RCTs were small and of low quality with a substantial risk of bias. Given the limitations, we suggest that the conclusions need to be confirmed on a larger scale with more detailed instructions in future studies.Systematic Review Registration: inplasy.com/inplasy-2021-8-0107/, identifier: INPLASY20218010.

[Effectiveness analysis of lateral condyle sliding osteotomy in total knee arthroplasty for the treatment of lateral femoral bowing deformity].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of lateral condyle sliding osteotomy (LCSO) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for the treatment of lateral femoral bowing deformity. METHODS: The clinical data of 17 patients with lateral femoral bowing deformity treated by LCSO during TKA between July 2018 and July 2020 was retrospectively analysed. There were 3 males and 14 females, with an average of 63.2 years (range, 58-68 years). The etiology of lateral femoral bowing deformity included 12 cases of femoral developmental deformity and 5 cases of femoral fracture malunion. Kellgren-Lawrence classification of knee osteoarthritis was 4 cases of grade Ⅲ and 13 cases of grade Ⅳ. The preoperative hip-knee shaft was 9.5°-12.5° (mean, 10.94°). The disease duration was 3-25 years (mean, 15.1 years). The mechanical lateral distal femur angle (mLDFA), hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA), and mechanical axis deviation (MAD) of the distal femur were measured before operation and at last follow-up to evaluate the correction of extra-articular deformities in the joints and the recovery of mechanical force lines of the lower extremities. The knee society score (KSS) knee score and function score, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, knee joint range of motion (ROM) were used to evaluate effectiveness. The knee varus/valgus stress test and osteotomy healing by X-ray films were performed to evaluate the joint stability and the safety of LCSO. RESULTS: All incisions of the patients healed by first intention after operation, and there was no early postoperative complication such as infection of the incision and deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities. All 17 patients were followed up 12-36 months, with an average of 23.9 months. The osteotomy slices all achieved bony healing, and the healing time was 2-5 months, with an average of 3.1 months. After operation, the knee varus/valgus stress tests were negative, and there was no relaxation and rupture of the lateral collateral ligament, instability of the knee joint, loosening, revision and infection of the prosthesis occurred. At last follow-up, mLDFA, HKA, MAD, knee ROM, VAS score, KSS knee score and function score significantly improved when compared with preoperative ones ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION: LCSO is effective and safe in TKA with lateral femoral bowing deformity. Extra-articular deformities are corrected intra-articularly. The mechanical force line and joint balance of the lower extremities can be restored simultaneously in an operation.

Exterior computed tomography image reconstruction based on anisotropic relative total variation in polar coordinates.

In computed tomography (CT) image reconstruction problems, exterior CT is an important application in industrial non-destructive testing (NDT). Different from the limited-angle problem that misses part of the rotation angle, the rotation angle of the exterior problem is complete, but for each rotation angle, the projection data through the central region of the object cannot be collected, so that the exterior CT problem is ill-posed inverse problem. The results of traditional reconstruction methods like filtered back-projection (FBP) and simultaneous algebra reconstruction technique (SART) have artifacts along the radial direction edges for exterior CT reconstruction. In this study, we propose and test an anisotropic relative total variation in polar coordinates (P-ARTV) model for addressing the exterior CT problem. Since relative total variation (RTV) can effectively distinguish edges from noises, and P-ARTV with different weights in radial and tangential directions can effectively enhance radial edges, a two-step iteration algorithm was developed to solve the P-ARTV model in this study. The fidelity term and the regularization term are solved in Cartesian and polar coordinate systems, respectively. Numerical experiments show that our new model yields better performance than the existing state-of-the-art algorithms.

An Algorithm for the Pricing and Timing of the Option to make a Two-Stage Investment with Credit Guarantees.

We develop a jump-diffusion model for a guarantee-investment combination financing mode (G-I mode) that is recently popular in financial practice. We assume that a borrower has exclusively an option to invest in a project in two stages. The project's cash flow follows a double exponential jump-diffusion process and it is increased by a growth factor once the second-stage investment is exercised. The first-stage investment cost is financed by a bank loan with the guarantee provided by an insurer, who promises to provide the second-stage investment cost as well as take the lender's all default losses. In return for the guarantee and investment, the borrower pays a guarantee fee upon first investment and grants a fraction of equity upon second investment to the insurer. In sharp contrast to prior papers on guarantee, the guarantee costs are contracted prior to investment. We provide closed-form solutions and produce a numerical algorithm for the timing and pricing of the two investment options.

Ordered PtFeIr Intermetallic Nanowires Prepared through a Silica-Protection Strategy for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Developing efficient and stable Pt-based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is a way to promote the large-scale application of fuel cells. Pt-based alloy nanowires are promising ORR catalysts, but their application is hampered by activity loss caused by structural destruction during long-term cycling. Herein, the preparation of ordered PtFeIr intermetallic nanowire catalysts with an average diameter of 2.6 nm and face-centered tetragonal structure (fct-PtFeIr/C) is reported. A silica-protected strategy prevents the deformation of PtFeIr nanowires during the phase transition at high temperature. The as-prepared fct-PtFeIr/C exhibited superior mass activity for ORR (2.03 A mgPt -1 ) than disordered PtFeIr nanowires with face-centered cubic structure (1.11 A mgPt -1 ) and commercial Pt/C (0.21 A mgPt -1 ). Importantly, the structure and electrochemical performance of fct-PtFeIr/C were maintained after stability tests, showing the advantages of the ordered structure.

A Rhenium Single-Atom Catalyst for the Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Single atom catalysts (SACs) have received a great deal of attention due to their extremely high active site utilization and superior activities. The exploration of metal SACs has been carried out by screening the elemental periodic table from first-row to second-row, and even third-row transition metals. However, Re SACs have not been reported, even if Re metal sites also play essential roles in catalyzing many important reactions. The construction of Re SACs may maximize Re catalytic sites and provide new Re active sites for higher activity. Herein, we used 1,10-phenanthroline to complex Re cations on carbon black, followed by heat treatment to obtain Re SAC. The Re SAC exhibited an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) half-wave potential of 0.72 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in 0.1 M KOH, superior to Re nanoparticles catalyst (0.67 V vs. RHE). Re SAC exhibited better stability at 0.5 V vs. RHE than Pt/C, showing potential as a new electrocatalyst for ORR.

Acarbose Reduces Low-Grade Albuminuria Compared to Metformin in Chinese Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes.

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of acarbose in lowering low-grade albuminuria compared to metformin in newly diagnosed Chinese type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Metformin and AcaRbose Clinical Trial was a randomized, open-label trial in newly diagnosed T2DM patients. Participants received 48 weeks of monotherapy with acarbose (100 mg three times a day) or metformin (1500 mg once a day). As the hypoglycemic effect of acarbose and metformin has been evaluated in previous reports. This analysis studied the effect of the two antidiabetic drugs on reducing urinary albumin. The percent change in the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (uACR) from baseline to week 48 was analyzed, and ANCOVA was employed to establish whether the effect in decreasing uACR was mediated by metabolic improvement. RESULTS: Acarbose reduced the adjusted mean percent uACR by -31.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] -48.4 to -7.5) compared with metformin. When adjusting for changes in glycated hemoglobin, body weight, systolic blood pressure and triglycerides or changes in area under the curve of glucagon-like peptide 1 (AUCGLP-1) in the standard meal test, the uACR-lowering effect was not attenuated. If stratified by eGFR, blood glucose level, sex or uACR level, the effect of acarbose versus metformin was consistent across subgroups. The proportion of patients with a reduction in uACR of at least 70% was 48.6% in the acarbose group and 34.1% in the metformin group. CONCLUSION: Acarbose lowered the uACR compared to metformin in newly diagnosed T2DM patients independent of improvements in hyperglycemia, blood pressure, body weight and triglycerides.