Schottky Interface Enabled Electrospun Rhodium Oxide Doped Gold for Both pH Sensing and Glucose Measurements in Neutral Buffer and Human Serum.

This study has focused on adjusting sensing environment from basic to neutral pH and improve sensing performance by doping electrodeposited gold (Au) with metal oxide for nonenzymatic glucose measurements in forming a Schottky interface for superior glucose sensing with detailed analysis for the sensing mechanism. The prepared sensor also holds the ability to measure pH with the identical electrospun metal oxide-electrodeposited Au, which composed a dual sensor (glucose and pH sensor) through applying chronoamperometry and open circuit potential methods. The rhodium oxide nanocoral structure was fabricated with an electrospinning precursor solution, followed by a calcination process, and it was mixed with electrodeposited nanocoral gold to form the Schottky interface by constructing a p-n type heterogeneous junction for improved sensitivity in glucose detection. The prepared materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), etc. The prepared materials were used for both pH responsive testing and amperometric glucose measurements. The rhodium oxide nanocoral doped gold demonstrated a sensitivity of 3.52 µA mM-1 cm-2 and limit of detection of 20 µM with linear range up to 3 mM glucose concentration compared to solely electrodeposited gold for a sensitivity of 0.46 µA mM-1 cm-2 and a limit of detection of 450 µM. The Mott-Schottky method was used for the analysis of an electron transfer process from noble metal to metal oxide to electrolyte in demonstrating the improved sensitivity at neutral pH for glucose measurements due to the Schottky barrier adjustment mechanism at an applied flat band potential of 0.3 V. This work opens a new venue in illustrating the metal oxide/metal materials in the glucose neutral response mechanism. In the end, human serum samples were tested against current commercial glucose meter to certify the accuracy of the proposed sensor.

Antihyperglycemic, Antiaging, and L. brevis Growth-Promoting Activities of an Exopolysaccharide from Agrobacterium sp. FN01 (Galacan) Evaluated in a Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Model.

Agrobacterium sp. are notable for their ability to produce substantial amounts of exopolysaccharides. Our study identified an exopolysaccharide (Galacan, 4982.327 kDa) from Agrobacterium sp. FN01. Galacan is a heteropolysaccharide primarily composed of glucose and galactose at a molar ratio of 25:1. The FT-IR results suggested that Galacan had typical absorption peaks of polysaccharide. The results of periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, and NMR confirmed the presence of structural units, such as ß-D-Galp(→, →3)ß-D-Galp(1→, →2,3)ß-D-Glcp(1→, ß-D-Glcp(1→, and →2)ß-D-Glcp(1→. Galacan demonstrated significant biological activities. In experiments conducted with zebrafish, it facilitated the proliferation of Lactobacillus brevis in the intestinal tract, suggesting potential prebiotic properties. Moreover, in vivo studies revealed its antihyperglycemic effects, as evidenced by significant reductions in blood glucose levels and enhanced fluorescence intensity of pancreatic ß cells in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperglycemic zebrafish model. Additionally, antiaging assays demonstrated Galacan's ability to inhibit ß-galactosidase activity and enhance telomerase activity in a hydrogen peroxide (HP)-induced aging zebrafish model. These findings emphasized the potential of Galacan as a natural prebiotic with promising applications in diabetes prevention and antiaging interventions.

Biofluid GPNMB/osteoactivin as a potential biomarker of ageing: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma B (GPNMB)/osteoactivin was first identified in the human melanoma cell lines. GPNMB plays a key role in the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative functions as well as osteoblast differentiation, cancer progression, and tissue regeneration. Recently, GPNMB was used as an anti-aging vaccine for mice. The present study aimed to investigate the potential of biofluid GPNMB as an aging biomarker in humans using serum and urine samples from an aging Chinese population. Methods: We analyzed RNA-sequencing data (GSE132040) from 17 murine organs across different ages to assess the gene expression of potential ageing biomarkers. Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the relationship between gene expression and age. Meanwhile, a cross-sectional population study was conducted, which included 473 participants (aged 25-91 years), a representative subset of participants from the Peng Zu Study on Healthy Ageing in China (Peng Zu Cohort). Biofluid GPNMB levels were measured by ELISA. The associations of serum and urine GPNMB levels with various clinical and anthropometrical indices were assessed using ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses. Results: In mice, the Gpnmb mRNA expression levels showed a significant positive association with age in multiple organs in mice (P < 0.05). In Peng Zu Cohort, biofluid (both serum and urine) GPNMB levels showed a positive correlation with age (P < 0.05). Univariate linear regression analysis revealed that serum GPNMB levels were negatively associated with skeletal muscle mass index (SMI, P < 0.05) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1, P < 0.05), and urine GPNMB levels showed a negative association with total bile acids (TBA, P < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis further indicated that serum GPNMB levels negatively correlated with the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII, P < 0.05), and the urine GPNMB levels maintained a negative association with TBA (P < 0.05), additionally, urine GPNMB levels in men were significantly lower than in women (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The biofluid GPNMB was a strong clinical biomarker candidate for estimating biological aging.

Hyphobacterium marinum sp. nov. and Hyphobacterium lacteum sp. nov., isolated from marine sediment.

Two bacterial strains, Y60-23T and HN-65T, were isolated from marine sediment samples collected from Xiaoshi Island, Weihai, and Dongzhai Harbour, Haikou, PR China, respectively. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain Y60-23T exhibited 96.0% similarity to its most related type strain Hyphobacterium vulgare KCTC 52487T, while strain HN-65T exhibited 97.3% similarity to its most related type strain Hyphobacterium indicum 2ED5T. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between the two strains was 95.8%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strains Y60-23T and HN-65T belonged to the genus Hyphobacterium. Cells of strains Y60-23T and HN-65T were rod-shaped, Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, prosthecate and multiplied by binary fission. The major cellular fatty acids (>10.0%) of strain Y60-23T were C18 : 1 ω7c and C17 : 0, while those of strain HN-65T were iso-C17 : 1 ω9c, iso-C17 : 0 and C18 : 1 ω7c. The major respiratory quinone in both strains was ubiquinone-10 (Q-10) and the major polar lipids were monoglycosyl diglyceride, sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol and glucuronopyranosyl diglyceride. The genomic DNA G+C contents of strains Y60-23T and HN-65T were 63.9 and 60.7 mol%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity value between the two strains was 72.1% and the DNA-DNA hybridization value was 18.4%, clearly distinguishing them from each other. According to the results of the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic and genomic analyses, the two strains represented two novel species within the genus Hyphobacterium, for which the names Hyphobacterium marinum sp. nov. and Hyphobacterium lacteum sp. nov. were proposed with the type strains Y60-23T (=MCCC 1H01433T=KCTC 8172T) and HN-65T (=MCCC 1H01434T=KCTC 8169T), respectively.

Exploring the Changes in IL-6 and Related Cytokines in Angiogenesis after Tibial Transverse Transplantation in Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

OBJECTIVE: The transverse tibial transfer technique is employed primarily to treat diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), aiming to enhance leg circulation and promote new blood vessel growth. This technique is also beneficial for various conditions associated with poor blood flow in the lower extremities. However, there is no clear molecular mechanism to explain the relationship between the transverse tibial transfer technique and angiogenesis in patients with diabetic foot. This study aims to preliminarily explore the change of IL-6 and related cytokines in promoting angiogenesis during transverse tibial transplantation, providing a direction for future research. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed a study from April 2022 to November 2023 on 76 patients with severe DFUs at Wagner stages 3-4. Flow cytometry was used to detect the levels of 12 cytokines in serum before the operation and 3, 7, 14, 21, and 35 days after the operation. Ankle-brachial index (ABI), transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2), and glycosylated hemoglobin (Hba1c) were recorded at admission and discharge. We examined the variations in cytokine levels, wound healing duration, amputation rates, infection incidence, and other key outcomes. RESULTS: In our investigation, a total of 76 individuals participated, comprising 49 males and 27 females. These subjects had an average age of 64.7 years, with a standard deviation of 13 years. The mean ulcer healing time was 74 ± 31 days, amputation occurred in 3 patients, pin tract infection occurred in one patient (1.3%), and incision infection occurred in one patient (1.3%). By day 35 following the surgery, both the ABI and TcPO2 values showed a significant increase from their preoperative levels. HbA1c significantly improved compared with presurgery (p < 0.001), IL-6 levels were significantly increased compared with presurgery (p < 0.05), and then decreased. CONCLUSION: The transverse tibial transfer (TTT) technique is safe and efficient for managing DFUs. The wound healing time in patients who smoke or consume alcohol is statistically significant compared with that of nonsmoking and nondrinking patients. IL-6 exhibited substantial changes at various postoperative time points. Future research could investigate the role of IL-6 in tibial transverse translation.

Tailoring the Superatomic Characteristics and Optical Behavior of Metal-Free Boron Clusters via Ligand Engineering.

It is of great importance to understand how the number and type of ligands influence the properties of clusters through ligand engineering, as this knowledge is crucial for the rational design and optimization of functional materials. Herein, the geometrical structures, binding energies, and electronic properties of nonmetallic Bn (n = 20 and 40) clusters with CO, PEt3, F, NO2, and CN ligands are systematically explored based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our findings demonstrate that the CO ligand acts as an electron donor when attached to these two boron clusters, in contrast to their role as electron acceptors in interactions with metal oxide and metal chalcogenide clusters. This emphasizes the necessity of considering the intrinsic properties of the host cluster when modifying with ligands. Moreover, it was observed that substituting PEt3 with F, NO2, or CN converted the B20 cluster from an electron acceptor to an electron donor, thereby demonstrating the versatility in tuning the redox characteristics of boron clusters by selecting appropriate ligands. Intriguingly, the attachment of the PEt3, F, NO2, and CN ligands to B20 can significantly modulate the electronic properties of B20 to realize the formation of metal-free superalkali (B20(PEt3)n, n = 3-5) and superhalogen (B20F, B20NO2, and B20CN) clusters. Furthermore, the structure, stability, and optical absorption of the charge transfer complex B20(PEt3)3+B20F were analyzed. This complex has been identified as an efficient material for harvesting visible light. Our findings provide insights into the effects of ligand variations on boron cluster functionalities, offering a new perspective for the design of advanced materials with tailored cluster properties through ligand engineering.

Splicing Hollow-Core Fiber with Standard Glass-Core Fiber with Ultralow Back-Reflection and Low Coupling Loss.

A main, yet-unsolved challenge in splicing hollow-core fiber (HCF) into standard single-mode fiber (SMF) systems lies in managing the strong Fresnel back-reflection that occurs when the light travels from the empty core of the HCF into the glass core of the SMF or vice versa. This impacts the performance of fiber systems that combine SMFs and HCFs due to effects such as multipath interference. Here, we demonstrate a new technique that combines angle-cleaving the HCF, which reduces the back-reflection, with offset-splicing the mode-field adapter to the SMF, which compensates for the refraction at the glass-air interface, enabling us to achieve low coupling loss. We first analyze this novel configuration via simulations and show that it is possible to achieve a coupling loss that is comparable to a conventional flat-cleaved splice. Subsequently, we fabricate an SMF-HCF connection with a loss of 0.6 dB prior to arcing (1.2 dB after splicing) and ultralow back-reflection (-64 dB) by applying an optimized 4.5° angle and 5 µm offset. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first low-insertion-loss spliced SMF-HCF connection where a widely acceptable level of back-reflection of <-60 dB is achieved.

Hematological indicator-based machine learning models for preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer.

Background: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is an important prognostic factor for cervical cancer (CC) and determines the treatment strategy. Hematological indicators have been reported as being useful biomarkers for the prognosis of a variety of cancers. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of machine learning models characterized by preoperative hematological indicators to predict the LNM status of CC patients before surgery. Methods: The clinical data of 236 patients with pathologically confirmed CC were retrospectively analyzed at the Gynecology Oncology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University from November 2020 to August 2022. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to select 21 features from 35 hematological indicators and for the construction of 6 machine learning predictive models, including Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB), and Logistic Regression (LR), as well as Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). Evaluation metrics of predictive models included the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, and F1-score. Results: RF has the best overall predictive performance for ten-fold cross-validation in the training set. The specific performance indicators of RF were AUC (0.910, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.820-1.000), accuracy (0.831, 95% CI: 0.702-0.960), specificity (0.835, 95% CI: 0.708-0.962), sensitivity (0.831, 95% CI: 0.702-0.960), and F1-score (0.829, 95% CI: 0.696-0.962). RF had the highest AUC in the testing set (AUC = 0.854). Conclusion: RF based on preoperative hematological indicators that are easily available in clinical practice showed superior performance in the preoperative prediction of CC LNM. However, investigations on larger external cohorts of patients are required for further validation of our findings.

Using heart rate variability to evaluate the association between the autonomic nervous system and coagulation function in patients with endometrial cancer.

The incidence of endometrial cancer (EC) is increasing worldwide, but the specific mechanism of coagulation dysfunction in EC is not fully understood. The objective of the present study was to explore the relationship between autonomic nervous system function and coagulation function in patients with EC using heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. The study included 100 patients with EC who were treated at the Department of Gynecological Oncology of The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University (Bengbu, China) from December 2021 to March 2023. A 5-min resting electrocardiogram was collected from each patient to analyze HRV parameters, including the time domain parameters standard deviation of the normal-normal intervals (SDNN) and root mean square of successive interval differences (RMSSD), and the frequency domain parameters low-frequency power and high-frequency power (HF). Blood samples were submitted to biochemistry tests to measure coagulation markers, namely prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio of PT (PT-INR), prothrombin activity (PTA), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and fibrinogen. Bivariate Spearman correlation analyses revealed that PT, PT-INR and APTT were significantly positively correlated with SDNN, RMSSD and HF, while PTA was significantly negatively correlated with RMSSD. Following adjustments for confounding factors, namely age, body mass index, menopause, ligation of the fallopian tubes, diabetes, hypertension, adjuvant chemotherapy and mean heart rate, linear regression analysis demonstrated that SDNN, RMSSD and HF were independent factors influencing PT and PT-INR in patients with EC. The findings of the present study indicate that certain HRV parameters correlate with coagulation markers in EC and provide new insight into the occurrence of cancer-associated coagulation dysfunction.

Epidemiology and genotypic diversity of feline bocavirus identified from cats in Harbin, China.

Feline bocavirus (FBoV) is a globally distributed linear, single-stranded DNA virus infect cats, currently classified into three distinct genotypes. Although FBoV can lead to systemic infections, its complete pathogenic potential remains unclear. In this study, 289 blood samples were collected from healthy cats in Harbin, revealing an overall FBoV prevalence of 12.1%. Notably, genotypes 1 and 3 of FBoV were found co-circulating among the cat population in Harbin. Additionally, recombination events were detected, particularly in the newly discovered NG/104 and DL/102 strains. Furthermore, negative selection sites were predominantly observed across the protein coding genes of FBoV. These findings suggest a co-circulation of genetically diverse FBoV strains among cats in Harbin, indicate that purifying selection is the primary driving force shaping the genomic evolution of FBoV, and also underscore the importance of comprehensive surveillance efforts to enhance our understanding of the epidemiology and evolutionary characteristics of FBoV.

Beyond Shell-Filling: Strong Enhancement of Electron Affinity of Metal Clusters through a Noninvasive Oriented External Electric Field.

Traditional electron counting rules, like the Jellium model, have long been successfully utilized in designing superhalogens by modifying clusters to have one electron less than a filled electronic shell. However, this shell-filling approach, which involves altering the intrinsic properties of the clusters, can be complex and challenging to control, especially in experiments. In this letter, we theoretically establish that the oriented external electric field (OEEF) can substantially enhance the electron affinity (EA) of diverse aluminum-based metal clusters with varying valence electron configurations, leading to the creation of superhalogen species without altering their shell arrangements. This OEEF approach offers a noninvasive alternative to traditional superatom design strategies, as it does not disrupt the clusters' geometrical structures and superatomic states. These findings contribute a vital piece to the puzzle of constructing superalkalis and superhalogens, extending beyond conventional shell-filling strategies and potentially expanding the range of applications for functional clusters.

Unraveling the Solvent Regulation in the Heteroatom-Doped Endohedral Gold Clusters: A Theoretical Study on the Electronic Properties and O2 Activation.

Liquid-phase synthesis of atomically precise nanoclusters has experienced rapid development recently, where polar solvents are indispensable in such a process. However, the regulation effect of solvents on the structural and electronic properties of different metal clusters and cluster assembly materials is still not well understood. Herein, a comprehensive density functional theory calculation has been performed to explore the solvation effect on heteroatom-doped endohedral gold clusters that always have remarkable stabilities and tunable electronic structures. The solvation free energy of the M@Au12 clusters (M = Cr, Mo, W, Co, Rh, Ir, Cu, Ag, and Au) was found to be related to the charge distribution of the central doped-atom M and the outer Au12 cage. Moreover, the aqueous solvent was observed to be able to increase the adsorption capacity of M@Au12 to O2 following the activation of O2 through the charge transfer from M@Au12 to O2, in which the transferred electrons occupy the π antibonding orbital of O2. In addition, the water solvent can also improve the hydrogenation reaction of O2 to form OOH over M@Au12, where the activation energy barrier for this process is very low with the participation of the solvent. Considering the importance of solvents in the liquid-phase synthesis of atomically precise clusters, these findings highlighted here could provide valuable theoretical guidance in potential applications of functional gold nanoclusters, especially in the liquid-phase cluster catalysis.

Which one is the best in treating deep venous thrombosis -- percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy, catheter-directed thrombolysis or combination of them?

OBJECTIVE: To compare the treatment outcomes among percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) with AngioJet, Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT), and a combination of both. METHODS: One hundred forty nine patients with acute or sub-acute iliac-femoral vein thrombosis accepting CDT and/or PMT were divided into three groups respectively: PMT group, CDT group, PMT + CDT group (PMT followed by CDT). The severity of thrombosis was evaluated by venographic scoring system. Technical success was defined as restored patent deep venous blood flow after CDT and/or PMT. Clinical follow-up were assessed by ultrasound or venography imaging. The primary endpoints were recurrence of DVT, and severity level of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) during the follow-up. RESULTS: Technical success and immediate clinical improvements were achieved on all patients. The proportion of sub-acute DVT and the venographic scoring in PMT + CDT group were significantly higher than that in CDT group and PMT group (proportion of sub-acute DVT: p = 0.032 and p = 0.005, respectively; venographic scoring: p < 0.001, respectively). The proportion of May-Thurner Syndrome was lower in PMT group than that in CDT and PMT + CDT group (p = 0.026 and p = 0.005, respectively). The proportion of DVT recurrence/stent thrombosis was significantly higher in CDT group than that in PMT + CDT group (p = 0.04). The severity of PTS was the highest in CDT group ( χ2 = 14.459, p = 0.006) compared to PMT group (p = 0.029) and PMT + CDT group (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Patients with sub-acute DVT, high SVS scoring and combined May-Thurner Syndrome were recommended to take PMT + CDT treatment and might have lower rate of DVT recurrence/stent thrombosis and severe PTS. Our study provided evidence detailing of PMT + CDT therapy.

Molecular Identification and Survey of Cyclospora spp. in Cattle in Shanxi Province, North China.

To date, more than 20 species in the genus Cyclospora have been reported. Among them, Cyclospora cayetanensis has been recognized as the causative agent of human cyclosporiasis, which is characterized by severe intestinal injury and prolonged diarrhea in patients with immune dysfunction. The presence of C. cayetanensis in cattle has been confirmed. To date, however, no surveillance data are available on the occurrence and prevalence of Cyclospora spp. in cattle in Shanxi Province, North China. In the present study, a total of 761 fecal samples collected from cattle in three representative counties (Qi, Jishan, and Shanyin) in this Province were examined for Cyclospora spp. by using a polymerase-chain-reaction-restriction-fragment-length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) test based on the nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene. The prevalence of Cyclospora spp. in cattle was 2.1%, and region, age, sex, and breed were not identified to be risk factors. Molecular evolutionary analysis based on the SSU rRNA sequences revealed that all 12 of the isolates were relatively distant from the human pathogen C. cayetanensis; seven isolates were grouped with Cyclospora colobi, whereas the others were grouped with cattle Cyclospora spp. reported previously. Though C. cayetanensis was not detected in cattle in the present study, more investigations should be performed in human populations, other animal species, or cattle from other regions of Shanxi Province and other environmental sources from the One Health perspective.

RNF31-mediated IKKα ubiquitination aggravates inflammation and intestinal injury through regulating NF-κB activation in human and mouse neonates.

AIMS: Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of intestine inflammatory disease, and macrophage is significantly activated during NEC development. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, particularly ubiquitination, play critical roles in immune response. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ubiquitin-modified proteins on macrophage activation and NEC, and discover novel NEC-related inflammatory proteins. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Proteomic and ubiquitin proteomic analyses of intestinal macrophages in NEC/healthy mouse pups were carried out. In vitro macrophage inflammation model and in vivo NEC mouse model, as well as clinical human samples were used for further verification the inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB kinase α (IKKα) ubiquitination on NEC development through Western blot, immunofluorescence, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and flow cytometry. KEY FINDINGS: We report here that IKKα was a new ubiquitin-modified protein during NEC through ubiquitin proteomics, and RING finger protein 31 (RNF31) acted as an E3 ligase to be involved in IKKα degradation. Inhibition of IKKα ubiquitination and degradation with siRNF31 or proteasome inhibitor decreased nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation, thereby decreasing the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and M1 macrophage polarization, resulting in reliving the severity of NEC. SIGNIFICANCE: Our study suggests the activation of RNF31-IKKα-NF-κB axis triggering NEC development and suppressing RNF31-mediated IKKα degradation may be therapeutic strategies to be developed for NEC treatment.

Oxygen vacancy-mediated Mn2O3 catalyst with high efficiency and stability for toluene oxidation.

Oxygen vacancy engineering in transition metal oxides is an effective strategy for improving catalytic performance. Herein, defect-enriched Mn2O3 catalysts were constructed by controlling the calcination temperature. The high content of oxygen vacancies and accompanying Mn4+ ions were generated in Mn2O3 catalysts calcined at low temperature, which could greatly improve the low-temperature reducibility and migration of surface oxygen species. DFT theoretical calculations further confirmed that molecular oxygen and toluene were easily adsorbed over defective α-Mn2O3 (222) facets with an energy of -0.29 and -0.48 eV, respectively, and corresponding OO bond length is stretched to 1.43 Å, resulting in the highly reactive oxygen species. Mn2O3-300 catalyst with abundant oxygen vacancies exhibited the highest specific reaction rate and lowest activation energy. Furthermore, the optimized catalyst possessed the outstanding stability, water tolerance and CO2 yield. In comparison with the fresh Mn2O3-300 catalyst, the physical structure and surface property of the used catalyst remained almost unchanged regardless of whether undergoing the stability test at consecutive catalytic runs as well as high temperature, and water resistance test. In situ DRIFTS spectra further elucidated that introducing the water vapor had little effect on the reaction intermediates, indicating the excellent durability of the defect-enriched catalyst.

Machine learning is an effective method to predict the 3-month prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Background and objectives: Upwards of 50% of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) survivors endure varying degrees of disability, with a recurrence rate of 17.7%. Thus, the prediction of outcomes in AIS may be useful for treatment decisions. This study aimed to determine the applicability of a machine learning approach for forecasting early outcomes in AIS patients. Methods: A total of 659 patients with new-onset AIS admitted to the Department of Neurology of both the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals of Bengbu Medical University from January 2020 to October 2022 included in the study. The patient' demographic information, medical history, Trial of Org 10,172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST), National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and laboratory indicators at 24 h of admission data were collected. The Modified Rankine Scale (mRS) was used to assess the 3-mouth outcome of participants' prognosis. We constructed nine machine learning models based on 18 parameters and compared their accuracies for outcome variables. Results: Feature selection through the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator cross-validation (Lasso CV) method identified the most critical predictors for early prognosis in AIS patients as white blood cell (WBC), homocysteine (HCY), D-Dimer, baseline NIHSS, fibrinogen degradation product (FDP), and glucose (GLU). Among the nine machine learning models evaluated, the Random Forest model exhibited superior performance in the test set, achieving an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.852, an accuracy rate of 0.818, a sensitivity of 0.654, a specificity of 0.945, and a recall rate of 0.900. Conclusion: These findings indicate that RF models utilizing general clinical and laboratory data from the initial 24 h of admission can effectively predict the early prognosis of AIS patients.

Hypervalent Chalcogen Bonds Catalysis on the Intramolecular Aza-Michael Reaction of Aminochalcone: Catalytic Performance and Chalcogen Bond Properties.

Chalcogen bond (ChB) catalysis, as a new type in the field of non-covalent bond catalysis, has become a hot research topic in the field of organocatalysis in recent years. In the present work, we investigated the catalytic performance of a series of hypervalent ChB catalysis based on the intramolecular Aza-Michael reaction of aminochalcone. The reaction includes the carbon-nitrogen bond coupling step (key step) and the proton transfer step. The catalytic performance of mono-dentate pentafluorophenyl chalcogen bond donor ChB1 was comparable to that of bis-dentate chalcogen bond donor ChB4, and stronger than that of mono-dentate chalcogen bond donors ChB2 and ChB3. The formation of the chalcogen bond between the catalyst and the carbonyl oxygen atom of the reactant, causing the charge rearrangement of the reactant and C(1) charge of the -C-Ph group to become more positive, thereby the ChB catalysis promoted the nucleophile reaction. The electron density of the chalcogen bond of the pre-complex, the most positive electrostatic potentials of the catalyst, and the NPA charge of the key atom are proportional to the Gibbs energy barrier of the C-N bond coupling process, which provides an idea to predict the catalytic activity of the ChB catalysis.

Clathrin mediates membrane fission and budding by constricting membrane pores.

Membrane budding, which underlies fundamental processes like endocytosis, intracellular trafficking, and viral infection, is thought to involve membrane coat-forming proteins, including the most observed clathrin, to form Ω-shape profiles and helix-forming proteins like dynamin to constrict Ω-profiles' pores and thus mediate fission. Challenging this fundamental concept, we report that polymerized clathrin is required for Ω-profiles' pore closure and that clathrin around Ω-profiles' base/pore region mediates pore constriction/closure in neuroendocrine chromaffin cells. Mathematical modeling suggests that clathrin polymerization at Ω-profiles' base/pore region generates forces from its intrinsically curved shape to constrict/close the pore. This new fission function may exert broader impacts than clathrin's well-known coat-forming function during clathrin (coat)-dependent endocytosis, because it underlies not only clathrin (coat)-dependent endocytosis, but also diverse endocytic modes, including ultrafast, fast, slow, bulk, and overshoot endocytosis previously considered clathrin (coat)-independent in chromaffin cells. It mediates kiss-and-run fusion (fusion pore closure) previously considered bona fide clathrin-independent, and limits the vesicular content release rate. Furthermore, analogous to results in chromaffin cells, we found that clathrin is essential for fast and slow endocytosis at hippocampal synapses where clathrin was previously considered dispensable, suggesting clathrin in mediating synaptic vesicle endocytosis and fission. These results suggest that clathrin and likely other intrinsically curved coat proteins are a new class of fission proteins underlying vesicle budding and fusion. The half-a-century concept and studies that attribute vesicle-coat contents' function to Ω-profile formation and classify budding as coat-protein (e.g., clathrin)-dependent or -independent may need to be re-defined and re-examined by considering clathrin's pivotal role in pore constriction/closure.