Growth of millimeter-sized 2D metal iodide crystals induced by ion-specific preference at water-air interfaces.

Conventional liquid-phase methods lack precise control in synthesizing and processing materials with macroscopic sizes and atomic thicknesses. Water interfaces are ubiquitous and unique in catalyzing many chemical reactions. However, investigations on two-dimensional (2D) materials related to water interfaces remain limited. Here we report the growth of millimeter-sized 2D PbI2 single crystals at the water-air interface. The growth mechanism is based on an inherent ion-specific preference, i.e. iodine and lead ions tend to remain at the water-air interface and in bulk water, respectively. The spontaneous accumulation and in-plane arrangement within the 2D crystal of iodide ions at the water-air interface leads to the unique crystallization of PbI2 as well as other metal iodides. In particular, PbI2 crystals can be customized to specific thicknesses and further transformed into millimeter-sized mono- to few-layer perovskites. Additionally, we have developed water-based techniques, including water-soaking, spin-coating, water-etching, and water-flow-assisted transfer to recycle, thin, pattern, and position PbI2, and subsequently, perovskites. Our water-interface mediated synthesis and processing methods represents a significant advancement in achieving simple, cost-effective, and energy-efficient production of functional materials and their integrated devices.

Constructing an Al3+/Zn2+-Based Solid Electrolyte Interphase to Enable Extraordinarily Stable Al3+-Based Electrochromic Devices.

The interface between the electrochromic (EC) electrode and ionic conductor is crucial for high-performance and extraordinarily stable EC devices (ECDs). Herein, the effect of the ALD-AZO interfacial layer on the performance of the WO3 thin film was examined, revealing that an introduction of the ALD-AZO interfacial layer to the Al3+-based complementary ECDs can lead to improved EC performance and stability, such as an extraordinary cyclability of more than 20,000 cycles, an outstanding coloration efficiency of 109.69 cm2 C-1, and a maximum transmittance modulation of 63.44%@633 nm. The probable explanation is that the introduced ALD-AZO interfacial layer can effectively regulate the band gap of WO3, promote the electron transport process, and induce the formation of a robust solid electrolyte interphase to protect the electrode during cycling. These findings offer valuable insights for enhancing the EC performance of the EC thin films and new space for the construction of advanced multivalent Al3+-based ECDs.

Chitosan derived N-doped carbon anchored Co3O4-doped MoS2 nanosheets as an efficient peroxymonosulfate activator for degradation of dyes.

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS), which is dominated by non-free radical pathway, has a good removal effect on organic pollutants in complex water matrices. In this article, a biodegradable cobalt-based catalyst (Co3O4/MoS2@NCS) was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method with chitosan (CS) as nitrogen­carbon precursor and doped with Cobaltic­cobaltous oxide (Co3O4) and Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and was used to activate PMS to degrade dye wastewater. Electrochemical tests showed that Co3O4/MoS2@NCS exhibited higher current density and cycling area than MoS2@NCS and MoS2. In the Co3O4/MoS2@NCS/PMS system, the degradation rate of 30 mg·L-1 rhodamine B (RhB) reached 97.75 % within 5 min, and kept as high as 94.34 % after 5 cycles. Its rate constant was 1.91 and 8.37 times that of MoS2@NCS/PMS and MoS2/PMS, respectively. It had good complex background matrices and acid-base anti-interference ability, and had good universality and reusability. The degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) were more than 91 % within 5 min at pH 4.8. The experimental results demonstrated that MoS2-modified CS as a carrier exposed a large number of active sites, which not only dispersed Co3O4 nanoparticles and improved the stability of the catalyst, but also provided abundant electron rich groups, and promoted the activation of PMS and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). PMS was effectively activated by catalytic sites (Co3+/Co2+, Mo4+/Mo5+/Mo6+, CO, pyridine N, pyrrole N, hydroxyl group and unsaturated sulfur), producing a large number of radicals that attack RhB molecules, causing chromophore cleavage, ring opening, and mineralization. Among them, non-free radical 1O2 was the main ROS for RhB degradation. This work is expected to provide a new idea for the design and synthesis of environmentally friendly and efficient MoS2-modified cobalt-based catalysts.

Long non-coding RNA PWRN1 affects ovarian follicular development by regulating the function of granulosa cells.

RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the role of Prader-Willi region non-protein coding RNA 1 (PWRN1) in ovarian follicular development and its molecular mechanism? DESIGN: The expression and localization of PWRN1 were detected in granulosa cells from patients with different ovarian functions, and the effect of interfering with PWRN1 expression on cell function was detected by culturing granulosa cells in vitro. Furthermore, the effects of interfering with PWRN1 expression on ovarian function of female mice were explored through in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. RESULTS: The expression of PWRN1 was significantly lower in granulosa cells derived from patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) compared with patients with normal ovarian function. By in-vitro culturing of primary granulosa cells or the KGN cell line, the results showed that the downregulation of PWRN1 promoted granulosa cell apoptosis, caused cell cycle arrested in S-phase, generated high levels of autophagy and led to significant decrease in steroidogenic capacity, including inhibition of oestradiol and progesterone production. In addition, SIRT1 overexpression could partially reverse the inhibitory effect of PWRN1 downregulation on cell proliferation. The results of in-vitro culturing of newborn mouse ovary showed that the downregulation of PWRN1 could slow down the early follicular development. Further, by injecting AAV-sh-PWRN1 in mouse ovarian bursa, the oestrous cycle of mouse was affected, and the number of oocytes retrieved after ovulation induction and embryos implanted after mating was significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: This study systematically elucidated the novel mechanism by which lncRNA PWRN1 participates in the regulation of granulosa cell function and follicular development.

Preparation of Ti/SnO2-Sb2O4-La Electrode with TiO2 Nanotubes Intermediate Layer and the Electrochemical Oxidation Performance of Rhodamine B.

A La-doped Ti/SnO2-Sb2O4 electrode with TiO2-NTs intermediate layer (Ti/TiO2-NTs/SnO2-Sb2O4-La) was created via the electrodeposition technique. The physicochemical and electrochemical properties of the electrode were analyzed through FESEM, XRD, XPS, CV, and LSV electrochemical tests. The results showed that TiO2-NTs were tightly packed on the surface of Ti substrate, thus improving the binding force of the SnO2-Sb2O4-La coating, offering greater specific surface area, more active spots, higher current response, and longer lifespan for the degradation of rhodamine B. The lifespan of the Ti/TiO2-NTs/SnO2-Sb2O4-La electrode reached 200 min (1000 mA cm-2, 1 M H2SO4), while the actual service life was up to 3699 h. Under the conditions of initial pH 3.0, Na2SO4 concentration of 0.1 M, current density of 30 mA cm-2, and initial rhodamine B concentration of 20 mg L-1, the color and TOC removal rate of rhodamine B reached 100% and 86.13% within 15 and 30 min, respectively. Rhodamine B was decomposed into acids, esters, and other molecular compounds under the action of •OH and SO4•- free radicals and electrocatalysis, and finally completely mineralized into CO2 and H2O. It is anticipated that this work will yield a novel research concept for producing DSA electrodes with superior catalytic efficacy and elevated stability.

Hypofunction of macrophage chemotaxis contributes to defective efficacy of herceptin in HER2-positive breast cancer patients.

Breast cancer was considered as a kind of prone breast tumors with the complicated pathological mechanisms and diverse clinical classifications. In the clinical treatments of HER2-positive tumor patients, HER2 monoclonal antibodies, such as Herceptin, have shown well-defined therapeutic effects. Nevertheless, due to the heterogeneity of breast cancers, drug resistance inevitably appeared during the application of Herceptin. In order to fully understand the immune tolerance status of the tumor microenvironment in the population of sensitive and insensitive patients, this study carried out a series of studies through Luminex cytokines assay, clinicopathological analysis, immunofluorescence, and PCR. The results confirmed that in clinical samples sensitive to Herceptin, there were a large number of macrophages, and the protein expression levels and in situ expression of macrophage-related chemokines and inflammatory mediators are significantly higher than drug-resistant tumor samples. Further studies found that T cell function has a low correlation with tumor growth, and there are obvious obstacles in the process of peripheral blood immune cells entering the tumor microenvironment. In summary, this study provided clues for understanding the clinical drug resistance of HER2 monoclonal antibody and the clinical rational use of drugs and combination drugs.

Preparation of La-doped Ti/SnO2-Sb2O4 anode and its electrochemical oxidation performance of rhodamine B.

In this paper, La-doped Ti/SnO2-Sb2O4 electrode was prepared by electrodeposition and used for electrochemical degradation of rhodamine B. The optimum preparation conditions of the electrode were optimized as deposition time of 15 min and calcination at 500 ℃ for 2 h. The water treatment conditions were selected as initial pH 3.0, electrolyte Na2SO4 concentration 0.1 M, current density 30 mA cm-2, and initial rhodamine B concentration 20 mg L-1; the color and TOC removal of RhB reached 99.78% and 82.41% within 30 min. The FESEM, XRD, XPS, CV, LSV, and EIS characterization studies demonstrated that Ti/SnO2-Sb2O4-1%La electrode had a dense structure and the highest oxygen evolution potential (2.14 V) and lowest charge transfer resistance (0.198 Ω cm-2), indicating that doped La has lower energy consumption. Moreover, La doping can expand the specific surface area, active site, performance of pollutant degradation, and service life of the electrode. Especially, the service life of Ti/SnO2-Sb2O4-1%La is increased by three times, and the maximum life span reaches 90 min (1000 mA cm-2, 1 M H2SO4). Free radical quenching experiments show that ·OH plays a major role in the degradation of RhB. The Ti/SnO2-Sb2O4-1%La electrode prepared in this paper and its results will provide data support and reference for the design of efficient electrocatalytic electrode.

A marked elevation in serum creatinine/cystatin C ratio may indicate pseudo-acute kidney injury due to urinary ascites: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Urinary ascites represents a scarcely observed pseudo-acute kidney injury in clinical settings. Protracted or missed diagnosis may hold grave ramifications for patient outcomes. CASE PRESENTATION: We reported a case involving an elderly female patient experiencing pseudo-acute kidney injury accompanied by ascites, wherein her renal dysfunction persisted despite medical intervention and hemodialysis. Urinary ascites was identified via a methylene blue test and by contrasting creatinine levels in serum and ascites. This patient's kidney function was multiple typified by a marked elevation in serum creatinine/Cystatin C ratio (> 2 L/dL), potentially serving as a clue for the clinical diagnosis of pseudo-acute kidney injury engendered by urinary ascites. CONCLUSIONS: This case suggested the potential diagnostic value of an asynchronous increase in serum creatinine and serum CysC (or an increased ratio of blood creatinine to blood CysC) in patients with pseudo-acute kidney injury.

MicroRNA-338-3p helps regulate ovarian function by affecting granulosa cell function and early follicular development.

BACKGROUND: Follicular development in mammalian ovaries is a complex and dynamic process, and the interactions and regulatory-feedback loop between the follicular microenvironment, granulosa cells (GCs), and oocytes can affect follicular development and normal ovary functions. Abnormalities in any part of the process may cause abnormal follicular development, resulting in infertility. Hence, exploring the pathogenesis of abnormal follicular development is extremely important for diagnosing and treating infertile women. METHODS: RNA sequencing was performed with ovarian cortical tissues established in vitro. In situ-hybridization assays were performed to study microRNA-338-3p (miR-338-3p) expressed in GCs and oocytes. In vitro culture models were established with GCs and neonatal mouse ovaries to study the biological effects of miR-338-3p. We also performed in vivo experiments by injecting adeno-associated virus vectors that drive miR-338-3p overexpression into the mouse ovarian bursae. RESULTS: Sequencing analysis showed that miR-338-3p was expressed at significantly higher levels in ovarian cortical tissues derived from patients with ovarian insufficiency than in cortical tissues derived from patients with normal ovarian function; miR-338-3p was also significantly highly expressed in the GCs of patients with diminished ovarian reserve (P < 0.05). In situ-hybridization assays revealed that miR-338-3p was expressed in the cytoplasm of GCs and oocytes. Using in vitro culture models of granulosa cells, we found that miR-338-3p overexpression significantly suppressed the proliferation and oestradiol-production capacity of GCs (P < 0.05). In vitro culture models of neonatal mouse ovaries indicated that miR-338-3p overexpression suppressed the early follicular development in mouse ovaries. Further analysis revealed that miR-338-3p might be involved in transforming growth factor ß-dependent regulation of granulosa cell proliferation and, thus, early follicular development. Injecting miR-338-3p-overexpression vectors into the mouse ovarian bursae showed that miR-338-3p down-regulated the oocyte mitochondrial membrane potential in mice and disrupted mouse oestrous cycles. CONCLUSION: miR-338-3p can affect early follicular development and normal ovary functions by interfering with the proliferation and oestradiol production of GCs. We systematically elucidated the regulatory effect of miR-338-3p on follicular development and the underlying mechanism, which can inspire new studies on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases associated with follicular development abnormalities.

Effects of indented zona pellucida on oocyte growth and development explored from changes of gene expression in cumulus cells.

PURPOSE: Abnormal Zona Pellucida (ZP) of human oocytes is an extracellular oocyte abnormality leading to subfertility or infertility, among which indented ZP (iZP) is a common clinical case, and there is currently no effective clinical solution. The study aimed to find out the influence of this abnormal ZP on the growth and development of GC and further explore its influence on the growth and development of oocytes, hoping to provide new ideas for the etiology and treatment of such patients. METHODS: In this study, we collected granulosa cells GC from oocytes with iZP(four cases) and GC from oocytes with a normal appearance of the ZP(eight cases) during ICSI treatment cycles, and submitted them to transcriptomic analysis using next-generation RNA sequencing (RNAseq). RESULTS: 177 Differentially Expressed Genes (DEG) were identified by RNAseq analysis of Granulosa Cells (GC) from oocytes with a normal ZP morphological appearance and those with iZP. Correlation analysis of these DEGs showed that the expression levels of the immune factor CD274 and the inflammatory factors IL4R and IL-7R, which are positively associated with ovulation, were significantly down-regulated in the GC of oocytes with iZP. Hippo, PI3K-AKT, Ras and calcium signaling pathways related to oocyte growth and development, NTRK2 and its ligands (BDNF and NT5E) from the neurotrophin family that are trophic to the oocyte were also significantly down-regulated in the GC of oocytes with iZP. In addition, the expression of cadherin family members CDH6, CDH12 and CDH19 were significantly down-regulated in DEGs, and the down-regulation of these proteins may affect the gap junction between Granulosa cells and oocytes. CONCLUSION: IZP might cause obstacles to dialogue and material exchange between GC and oocytes and further affect the growth and development of oocytes.

Salinity changes the nitrification activity and community composition of comammox Nitrospira in intertidal sediments of Yangtze River estuary.

The newly discovered complete ammonia-oxidizing (comammox) Nitrospira has been identified in different environments, including coastal environments, where salinity is one of the most important factors for the abundance and activity of nitrifiers. Here, we demonstrate the effect of salinity on comammox Nitrospira, canonical ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in the intertidal sediments of the Yangtze River estuary based on microcosm experiments, DNA stable-isotope probing (DNA-SIP), and potential ammonium-oxidation rate (PAR) tests for different groups of ammonia oxidizers with selective inhibitors. During microcosm incubations, the abundance of comammox Nitrospira was more sensitive to increased salinity than that of other ammonia oxidizers. The results obtained with DNA-SIP heavy fractions showed that the dominant phylotype in clade A.2 (containing genes involved in the adaptation to haloalkaline environments) had high proportions in comammox Nitrospira community under both freshwater (0.06% salinity) and highly saline water (3% salinity) conditions. In contrast, another phylotype of clade A.2 (which lacks these genes) was dominant only under freshwater conditions. The PARs confirmed that comammox Nitrospira presented greater contributions to nitrification under freshwater conditions with a PAR of 4.37 ± 0.53 mg N·day-1·kg soil-1 (54%) than under saline water conditions with a PAR of 0.60 ± 0.94 mg N·day-1·kg soil-1 (18%). Moreover, AOA were specific to saline water conditions, whereas AOB were common under both freshwater and saline water conditions (44% and 52%, respectively). The present study provided evidence that salinity markedly affects the activity of comammox Nitrospira, and that the salt sensitivity of different phylotypes varies. IMPORTANCE Complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) is a newly discovered type of nitrification through which ammonia is oxidized to nitrate in an organism. Comammox Nitrospira were abundantly found in coastal ecosystems and demonstrated high community diversity. Changes in salinity are considered one of the most important factors to comammox Nitrospira in coastal ecosystems; however, reports on the correlation between them remain inconsistent. Therefore, it is critical to experimentally determine the influence of salinity on comammox Nitrospira in the coastal ecosystem. This study demonstrated a clear effect of salinity on the abundance, activity, and relative contribution of different ammonia oxidizers, especially for comammox Nitrospira. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating comammox Nitrospira activity at seawater salinities, implying the existence of a salt-tolerant type comammox Nitrospira, despite its activity being much lower than in freshwater conditions. The indicated correlation between the activity of specific comammox Nitrospira and salinity is anticipated to provide insights into the distribution of comammox Nitrospira and their potential contributions in estuaries and coastal ecosystems.

NF-κB-Inducing Kinase Provokes Insulin Resistance in Skeletal Muscle of Obese Mice.

Skeletal muscle is crucial for preserving glucose homeostasis. Insulin resistance and abnormalities in glucose metabolism result from a range of pathogenic factors attacking skeletal muscle in obese individuals. To relieve insulin resistance and restore glucose homeostasis, blocking the cell signaling pathways induced by those pathogenic factors seems an attractive strategy. It has been discovered that insulin sensitivity in obese people is inversely linked with the activity of NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK) in skeletal muscle. In order to evaluate NIK's pathological consequences, mechanism of action, and therapeutic values, an obese mouse model reproduced by feeding a high-fat diet was treated with a NIK inhibitor, B022. C2C12 myoblasts overexpressing NIK were utilized to assess insulin signaling and glucose uptake. B022 thus prevented high-fat diet-induced NIK activation and insulin desensitization in skeletal muscle. The insulin signaling in C2C12 myoblasts was compromised by the upregulation of NIK brought on by oxidative stress, lipid deposition, inflammation, or adenoviral vector. This inhibition of insulin action is mostly due to an inhibitory serine phosphorylation of IRS1 caused by ERK, JNK, and PKC that were activated by NIK. In summary, NIK integrates signals from several pathogenic factors to impair insulin signaling by igniting a number of IRS1-inhibiting kinases, and it also has significant therapeutic potential for treating insulin resistance.

Interactive responses of root and shoot of camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora L.) to asymmetric disturbance treatments.

Plant root and shoot growth are closely interrelated, though the connotation of root-shoot balance should not be limited to their connectivity in biomass and physiological indicators. Their directional distribution of mass in architecture and the resulting root-shoot interactions are the keys to understanding the dynamic balance of the below- and above-ground organs related to tree anchorage. This study focuses on the 4-year-old camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora L.) as a system to observe the biomass distribution in response to the asymmetric disturbance treatments of biased root (BRT), inclined trunk (ITT), and half-crown (HCT) in a controlled cultivation experiment using the minirhizotron technique. We found an inverse relationship of biomass distribution of crowns to roots in BRT and opposite asymmetries of roots with crowns in response to the ITT and HCT treatments. We also observed higher net photosynthesis rate (Pn ), water use efficiency, and chlorophyll content in the leaves on the side opposite the lean in ITT, and higher Pn , transpiration rate, and chlorophyll content on the root-bias side in BRT, which is consistent with the nutrient allocation strategies of allocating nutrients across plant organs in an optimal way to obtain 'functional equilibrium' and adapt to the stressed environment. Furthermore, the asymmetrical growth transformation of first-level branch length from the root-bias side to the opposite side in BRT, and a similar transformation of root length from the crown-bias side to the opposite side in HCT, imbues further theoretical support of the nutrient allocation strategy and the biomechanical stability principle, respectively. In summary, this study is the first to identify opposite interaction between below- and above-ground biomass distributions of the camphor tree. The findings enrich the connotation of root-shoot interactions and help to realize root design for the silviculture management of urban forests.

Lithographic Multicolor Patterning on Hybrid Perovskites for Nano-Optoelectronic Applications.

Ultrathin hybrid perovskites, with exotic properties and two-dimensional geometry, exhibit great potential in nanoscale optical and optoelectronic devices. However, it is still challenging for them to be compatible with high-resolution patterning technology toward miniaturization and integration applications, as they can be readily damaged by the organic solvents used in standard lithography processes. Here, a flexible three-step method is developed to make high-resolution multicolor patterning on hybrid perovskite, particularly achieved on a single nanosheet. The process includes first synthesis of precursor PbI2 , then e-beam lithography and final conversion to target perovskite. The patterns with linewidth around 150 nm can be achieved, which can be applied in miniature optoelectronic devices and high-resolution displays. As an example, the channel length of perovskite photodetectors can be down to 126 nm. Through deterministic vapor-phase anion exchange, a perovskite nanosheet can not only gradually alter the color of the same pattern in a wide wavelength range, but also display different colors simultaneously. The authors are optimistic that the method can be applied for unlimited perovskite types and device configurations for their high-integrated miniature applications.

Converting Chrysotile Nanotubes into Magnesium Oxide and Hydroxide Using Lanthanum Oxycarbonate Hybridization and Alkaline Treatment for Efficient Phosphate Adsorption.

Magnesium oxide and hydroxide nanomaterials comprise a class of promising advanced functional metal nanomaterials whose use in environmental and material applications is increasing. Several strategies to synthesize these nanomaterials have been described but are unsustainable and uneconomic. This work reports on a processing strategy that turns natural magnesium-rich chrysotile into magnesium oxide and hydroxide nanoparticles via nanoparticle hybridization and an alkaline process while enabling La-based nanoparticles to coat the chrysotile nanotube surfaces. The adsorbent's resulting hybrid nanostructure had an outstanding capacity for phosphate uptake (135.2 mg P g-1) and enhanced regeneration performance. Furthermore, the adsorbent featured wide applicability with respect to the coexistence of competitive anions and a broad range of pH conditions, and its high-performance phosphate removal from sewage effluent was also demonstrated. Spectroscopic and microscopic analyses revealed the scavenging ability of phosphate by the La-based and Mg-based nanoparticles and the multiple capture mechanisms involved, including surface complexation and ion exchange. This proposed approach expands chrysotile's potential use as a magnesium-rich nanomaterial and harbors great promise for the removal of pollutants in a variety of real-world settings.

Semi-supervised vision transformer with adaptive token sampling for breast cancer classification.

Various imaging techniques combined with machine learning (ML) models have been used to build computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems for breast cancer (BC) detection and classification. The rise of deep learning models in recent years, represented by convolutional neural network (CNN) models, has pushed the accuracy of ML-based CAD systems to a new level that is comparable to human experts. Existing studies have explored the usage of a wide spectrum of CNN models for BC detection, and supervised learning has been the mainstream. In this study, we propose a semi-supervised learning framework based on the Vision Transformer (ViT). The ViT is a model that has been validated to outperform CNN models on numerous classification benchmarks but its application in BC detection has been rare. The proposed method offers a custom semi-supervised learning procedure that unifies both supervised and consistency training to enhance the robustness of the model. In addition, the method uses an adaptive token sampling technique that can strategically sample the most significant tokens from the input image, leading to an effective performance gain. We validate our method on two datasets with ultrasound and histopathology images. Results demonstrate that our method can consistently outperform the CNN baselines for both learning tasks. The code repository of the project is available at https://github.com/FeiYee/Breast-area-TWO.

A Nomogram to Predict Noninflammatory Skin Involvement of Invasive Breast Cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and assess a nomogram to predict noninflammatory skin involvement of invasive breast cancer. Methods: We developed a prediction model based on SEER database, a training dataset of 89202 patients from January 2010 to December 2016. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to build a predicting model incorporating the feature selected in the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model. Discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness of the predicting model were assessed using the C-index, calibration plot, and decision curve analysis. Internal validation was assessed using the bootstrapping validation. Results: Predictors contained in the prediction nomogram included use of age, race, grade, tumor size, stage-N, ER status, PR status, and Her-2 status. The model shows good discrimination with a C-index of 0.857 (95% confidence interval: 0.807-0.907) and good calibration. High C-index value of 0.847 could still be reached in the internal validation. Conclusion: This study constructed a novel nomogram with accuracy to help clinicians access the risk of noninflammatory skin involvement by tumor. The assessment of clinicopathologic factors can predict the individual probability of skin involvement and provide assistance to the clinical decision-making.

Berberine Improves TNF-α-Induced Hepatic Insulin Resistance by Targeting MEKK1/MEK Pathway.

Berberine (BBR), a natural isoquinoline alkaloid exhibiting insulin sensitizing activity, has been applicated in the treatment of diabetes. However, until now, the exact target of BBR has not been well investigated. Here, primary hepatocytes pre-treated with TNF-α were used to evaluate the role of BBR on hepatic insulin sensitivity. Western blot and immunoprecipitation were used to investigate the effect of BBR on the crosstalk between TNF-α pathway and insulin signaling pathway. Molecular docking was used to verify the interactions between BBR and its potential targets. BBR inhibits the MEKK1 and MEK1/2, and thus suppresses the activation of their downstream ERK1/2. It attenuates the ERK1/2-induced serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and thus enhances IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation and Akt activation. By molecular docking, BBR is proved to efficiently bind MEK1/2. MEKK1 is also considered as BBR target for its similarity in primary structure with MEK1/2. In conclusion, BBR ameliorates TNF-α-induced hepatic insulin resistance by targeting MEKK1 and MEK1/2.

Regulating the work function of silver catalysts via surface engineering for enhanced CO2 electroreduction.

The work function can serve as a characteristic quantity to evaluate the catalytic activity due to its relationship with the surface structure of a material. However, what factors determine the influence of the work function on the electrochemical performance are still unclear. Herein, we elucidate the effect of the work function of Ag on the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO by controlling the ratio of exposed crystalline planes. To this end, the exposed surface of Ag powder was regulated by high-energy ball milling and its influence on CO2 reduction was investigated. The surface structure with more Ag(110) surface achieves higher activity and selectivity for CO production, resulting from the lower work function of Ag(110), which dramatically enhances the electron tunnelling probability during CO2 electroreduction. We found that a higher ratio of Ag(110) to Ag(100) leads to a lower work function and thus better electrochemical activity and selectivity. This study demonstrates a promising strategy to enhance the electrochemical performance of metal catalysts through tuning their work functions via regulating exposed crystalline planes.

A simple new method for the determination of ammonium isotopes by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

We report a new method for the determination of naturally abundant 15N (concentration of 15N) in ammonium (NH4+) in water samples, including drinking water, surface water, groundwater, and seawater, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based on the isotopic analysis of hexamethylenetetramine. The resulting product was obtained by the reaction between ammonium ions and formaldehyde under the given conditions (pH = 6.0, 40 °C, 30 min). Then, the species was extracted (with chloroform) and concentrated at pH = 8.5 and measured by GC-MS. The results showed that the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the δ15N measurements was less than 10% and the recoveries were in the range of 71-118% (n = 5). The limit of detection was 20 µmol l-1. Compared to the previous method, the present method is simple and highly suitable to be used as a routine method for the 15N/14N analysis of NH4+.