High-Performance Self-Powered Photoelectrochemical Ultraviolet Photodetectors Based on an In2O3 Nanocube Film.

Ultraviolet photodetectors (UV PDs) have attracted significant attention due to their wide range of applications, such as underwater communication, biological analysis, and early fire warning systems. Indium oxide (In2O3) is a candidate for developing high-performance photoelectrochemical (PEC)-type UV PDs owing to its high UV absorption and good stability. However, the self-powered photoresponse of the previously reported In2O3-based PEC UV PDs is unsatisfactory. In this work, high-performance self-powered PEC UV PDs were constructed by using an In2O3 nanocube film (NCF) as a photoanode. In2O3 NCF photoanodes were synthesized on FTO by using hydrothermal methods with a calcining process. The influence of the electrolyte concentration, bias potential, and irradiation light on the photoresponse properties was systematically studied. In2O3 NCF PEC UV PDs exhibit outstanding self-powered photoresponses to 365 nm UV light with a high responsivity of 44.43 mA/W and fast response speed (20/30 ms) under zero bias potential, these results are superior to those of previously reported In2O3-based PEC UV PDs. The improved self-powered photoresponse is attributed to the higher photogenerated carrier separation efficiency and faster charge transport of the in-situ grown In2O3 NCF. In addition, these PDs exhibit excellent multicycle stability, maintaining the photocurrent at 98.69% of the initial value after 700 optical switching cycles. Therefore, our results prove the great promise of In2O3 in self-powered PEC UV PDs.

Transcriptomic Association Analysis of the Metabolic Mechanism of Sulfamethoxazole in Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).

Sulfamethoxazole is a widely used antimicrobial drug used to treat bacterial diseases in aquaculture. To understand the gene expression in channel catfish liver after treatment with sulfamethoxazole, in this study, the treatment group received sulfamethoxazole (100 mg/kg bw), which was administered orally once, and samples were taken at 5 h, 12 h, and 6 d after the administration of sulfamethoxazole, while the control group was orally administered sterile water. To further identify potentially significant genes, a transcriptome analysis using RNA-seq was carried out. More than 50 million high-quality reads were found. After filtering and quality analysis, these reads were identified as 54,169,682, 51,313,865, 51,608,845, and 49,333,491. After counting 23,707 of these transcripts for gene expression, it was discovered that 14,732 of them had genes with differential expression. Moreover, we found that the annotation with the most GO variation was "cellular process" (1616 genes), "metabolic process" (1268 genes), "binding" (1889 genes), and "catalytic activity" (1129 genes). KEGG pathways showed that the "metabolic pathway" was the pathway that was significantly enriched in both experimental groups when comparing the experimental groups: 5 h and 12 h (128 genes); 5 h and 6 d (332 genes); and 12 h and 6 d (348 genes). Also, UDP- glucuronosyltransferase (ugt), which is associated with glucuronidation, and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2C1-like (ugt2a1) showed significant upregulation. Carboxylesterase 5A-like (ces3), which promotes fatty acyl and cholesteryl ester metabolism, and the glutathione transferase family were upregulated in the expression of sulfamethoxazole metabolism in the liver, which significantly affected the metabolic effects of the drug. Meanwhile, dypd, uck2b, and rrm2, which are related to nucleotide synthesis and metabolism, were upregulated. Our study extends the knowledge of gene expression in drug metabolism in channel catfish and further provides insight into the molecular mechanism of sulfamethoxazole metabolism.

Enzymatic treatment to improve permeability and quality of cherry tomatoes for production of dried products.

BACKGROUND: Cherry tomatoes are nutritious and favored by consumers. Processing them into dried cherry tomatoes can prolong their storage life and improve their flavor. The pretreatment of tomato pericarp is crucial for the subsequent processing. However, the traditional physical and chemical treatments of tomato pericarp generally cause nutrient loss and environmental pollution. RESULTS: In this study, a novel enzymatic method for cherry tomatoes was performed using mixed enzymes containing cutinase, cellulase and pectinase. Results showed that the pericarp permeability of cherry tomatoes was effectively improved due to enzymatic treatment. Changes in the microscopic structure and composition of the cuticle were revealed. After treatment with different concentrations of enzymes, cherry tomatoes exhibited higher pericarp permeability and sensory quality to varying degrees. The lycopene content and total polyphenol content significantly increased 2.4- and 1.45-fold, respectively. In addition, the satisfactory effect of the six-time reuse of enzymes on cherry tomatoes could still reach the same level as the initial effect, which effectively reduced the cost of production. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed for the first time that a mixed enzymatic treatment consisting of cutinase, pectinase and cellulase could effectively degrade the cuticle, enhance the pericarp permeability and improve the quality of cherry tomatoes, with the advantages of being mildly controllable and environmentally friendly, providing a new strategy for the processing of dried cherry tomatoes. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

The impact of digital transformation on green total factor productivity of heavily polluting enterprises.

Introduction: Digital transformation has become an important engine for economic high-quality development and environment high-level protection. However, green total factor productivity (GTFP), as an indicator that comprehensively reflects economic and environmental benefits, there is a lack of studies that analyze the effect of digital transformation on heavily polluting enterprises' GTFP from a micro perspective, and its impact mechanism is still unclear. Therefore, we aim to study the impact of digital transformation on heavily polluting enterprises' GTFP and its mechanism, and explore the heterogeneity of its impact. Methods: We use Chinese A-share listed enterprises in the heavily polluting industry data from 2007 to 2019, measure enterprise digital transformation indicator using text analysis, and measure enterprise GTFP indicator using the GML index based on SBM directional distance function, to investigate the impact of digital transformation on heavily polluting enterprises' GTFP. Results: Digital transformation can significantly enhance heavily polluting enterprises' GTFP, and this finding still holds after considering the endogenous problem and conducting robustness tests. Digital transformation can enhance heavily polluting enterprises' GTFP by promoting green innovation, improving management efficiency, and reducing external transaction costs. The improvement role of digital transformation on heavily polluting enterprises' GTFP is more obvious in the samples of non-state-owned enterprises, non-high-tech industries, and the eastern region. Compared with blockchain technology, artificial intelligence technology, cloud computing technology, big data technology, and digital technology application can significantly improve heavily polluting enterprises' GTFP. Discussion: Our paper breaks through the limitations of existing research, which not only theoretically enriches the literature related to digital transformation and GTFP, but also practically provides policy implications for continuously promoting heavily polluting enterprises' digital transformation and facilitating their high-quality development.

Effects of emamectin benzoate on pharmacokinetic profiles, bioavailability, and serum biochemical indices in crucian carp (Carassius carassius) following oral administration with multiple dosage levels.

The aim of this investigation was to explore the effect of three different dose levels of emamectin benzoate (EMB) (50, 200, and 500 µg/kg bw) on pharmacokinetic characterizations, tissue distribution patterns, absolute bioavailability, and serum biochemical indices in crucian carp following oral administration at 22 ± 2°C, respectively. We further calculated the relevant parameters by detecting the concentration of EMB in the crucian carp by the ultra-HPLC detection method. The results showed that C max , AUC, and T 1/2z after oral administration showed a dose-dependent increase in plasma. Secondly, EMB has a long mean flow time (MRT) (51.88, 67.04, and 78.00 h, respectively). In conclusion, the elimination of the drug is slow, and the higher dose used, the slower elimination is. The distribution in various tissues of crucian carp was analyzed. The order of EMB levels in tissues of crucian carp was liver > gill > kidney > muscle plus skin > plasma. As for pharmacokinetic parameters in tissues, C max , AUC, and T 1/2z in tissues had a similar pattern as that in plasma. The absolute oral bioavailability of EMB (F%) in crucian carp was calculated to be approximately 52.70%. The serum biochemical indices including ALT and AST in experimental groups exhibited significant differences (P < 0.05) compared with the control group while ALB, ALP, TP, T-CHO, BUN, GRE, and GLU were not significantly different to the control group (P > 0.05). Briefly, EMB has the characteristic of quick absorption and slow elimination in crucian carp with a high bioavailability by PO route in crucian carp.

Association between serum ferritin level and the various stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review.

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common liver disorder across the world, and non-invasive evaluation approaches are in need to assess NAFLD disease progression. Serum ferritin has been proposed as one of the biomarkers for NAFLD diagnosis in previous studies. This systematic review aims to identify, report, and synthesize studies that investigated the association of serum ferritin level with the various stages of NAFLD among the adult population. Methods: Three databases - MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus - were systematically searched to obtain potentially relevant publications before July 2022. No restrictions were applied to geographical region, study design, publication type and language. The association between serum ferritin level or different ferritin categories and the various stages of NAFLD was the primary outcome of interest. Title and abstract screenings, data extraction and coding, and quality assessment were independently completed by two authors with discrepancies resolved through discussion with a third author. Results: Thirty-two studies were included and heterogeneity was considerable. The associations between serum ferritin level and the stages of hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, inflammation and ballooning and the occurrence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) were investigated but inconsistent associations were reported. Most studies identified serum ferritin to be a predictor of advanced NAFLD, while several revealed the opposite end. Conclusions: Serum ferritin could be considered to act as a non-invasive biomarker for assessing various stages of NAFLD. Nevertheless, further studies are still in need to confirm its predictive value since this study reported inconsistent associations based on the qualitative synthesis. Systematic Review Registration: http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42021275630.

Residue, biotransformation, risk assessment and withdrawal time of enrofloxacin in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii).

Crayfish is a very popular aquatic food in many countries, and enrofloxacin (ENR) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) was the most frequently detected in aquatic products. However, limited information is available on the residue characterization, biotransformation rate and withdrawal period (WT) of ENR and CIP in crayfish and health risk via consumption of ENR and CIP remained crayfish. Herein, a comprehensive investigation was conducted to study residue depletion, biotransformation, ingestion risk, and WT of ENR and its predominate metabolite CIP in crayfish following different routes with repeated doses. The results showed that the elimination half-life (T1/2) of target compounds in crayfish were all in order of hepatopancreas > muscle > gill, and the order of T1/2 in different crayfish tissues were intramuscular (IM) route > oral (PO) treatment > immersion (IMMR) administration. The biotransformation rates from ENR to CIP varied from 0.75% to 3.45% in crayfish tissues following different exposure routes. The high dietary risk (RQ > 1) consuming muscle and hepatopancreas of ENR and CIP remained crayfish occurred at early after different administrations. WT is the key to control the drug residue risk, and the longest WT of marker residue of ENR in crayfish was calculated to be 51 d (1275 °C-day).

Exploring the Effects of the Interaction of Carbon and MoS2 Catalyst on CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol.

Hydrogenation of CO2 to form methanol utilizing green hydrogen is a promising route to realizing carbon neutrality. However, the development of catalyst with high activity and selectivity to methanol from the CO2 hydrogenation is still a challenge due to the chemical inertness of CO2 and its characteristics of multi-path conversion. Herein, a series of highly active carbon-confining molybdenum sulfide (MoS2@C) catalysts were prepared by the in-situ pyrolysis method. In comparison with the bulk MoS2 and MoS2/C, the stronger interaction between MoS2 and the carbon layer was clearly generated. Under the optimized reaction conditions, MoS2@C showed better catalytic performance and long-term stability. The MoS2@C catalyst could sustain around 32.4% conversion of CO2 with 94.8% selectivity of MeOH for at least 150 h.

Non-biomedical factors affecting antibiotic use in the community: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: In the past two decades, human antibiotic consumption has increased globally, contributing to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance and needing urgent effective actions. Our objectives were to systematically identify and collate studies exploring non-biomedical factors influencing healthcare consumers' antibiotic use globally, in order to inform future interventions to improve practices in antibiotic use. METHODS: Data sources were PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Cochrane. Study eligibility criteria were original and empirical studies that identified factors for healthcare consumers' antibiotic use. Participants were healthcare consumers. Assessment of risk of bias used adapted BMJ survey appraisal tools, the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist, and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for quality assessment. Methods of data synthesis employed the Social Ecological Framework and Health Belief Model for data synthesis. We did random-effects meta-analyses to pool the odds ratios of risk factors for antibiotic use. RESULTS: We included 71 articles for systematic review and analysis; 54 were quantitative, nine were qualitative, and eight were mixed-methods studies. Prevalent non-prescription antibiotic use and irresponsible prescriptions were reported globally, especially in low-to-middle-income countries. Barriers to healthcare-wait time, transportation, stigmatization-influenced people's practices in antibiotic use. Further, lack of oversight and regulation in the drug manufacturing and a weak supply chain have led to the use of substandard or falsified antibiotics. Knowledge had mixed effects on antibiotic use behaviours. Meta-analyses identified pro-attitudes towards self-medication with antibiotics, relatives having medical backgrounds, older age, living in rural areas, and storing antibiotics at home to be risk factors for self-medication with antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Non-prescription antibiotic use and irresponsible prescriptions in the community are prevalent in all WHO regions and are driven largely by a mixed collection of non-biomedical factors specific to the respective setting. Future antimicrobial resistance strategies should incorporate an implementation science approach for community-based complex interventions that address drivers of the target behaviours tailored to local contexts.

The impact of negative emotional reactions on parental vaccine hesitancy after the 2018 vaccine event in China: A cross-sectional survey.

Vaccination programs are cost-effective for preventing communicable diseases, yet vaccine events caused vaccine crises among parents nationwide, which has created challenges for current and future vaccination programs. This study aimed to investigate parents' emotional reactions (i.e., anger and anxiety) toward the 2018 vaccine event in China and explore the associations between parental emotional reactions and vaccine decision-making. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,135 parents in 2018. Five-point Likert scales were provided for respondents to rank their anger and anxiety toward the event, and their vaccine-related trust and intentions before and after the event. Multiple logistic regression analyses were employed to explore the associations. Regarding the vaccine event, 576 (50.8%) and 402 (35.4%) respondents felt very angry and angry, and 310 (27.4%) and 516 (45.5%) respondents felt very anxious and anxious, respectively. Altogether, 797 (70.3%) respondents reported a lower trust in domestically produced vaccines after the event, and 704 (62.3%) respondents reported declines in intention to choose domestically produced vaccines for their children. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that anxiety was a predictor of lower trust and intention after the event (p < .001), anger was a predictor of lower trust (p = .005), and both were risk factors for declines in trust and intention (p < .01). This study confirmed that negative emotional reactions toward a vaccine event were important contributors for parental vaccine decisions. Health authorities and facilities are encouraged to act in a timely manner to reduce the public's negative emotions by providing rapid crisis responses.

HDAC6 Is Involved in the Histone Deacetylation of In Vitro Maturation Oocytes and the Reprogramming of Nuclear Transplantation in Pig.

It remained unknown whether HDAC6 affected the histone deacetylation of in vitro maturation oocytes and the reprogramming of nuclear transplantation in pig. Our results indicated that HDAC6 specific inhibition did not affect overall HDAC activity and meiosis process, which increased histone H3K9/K14 and H4K8 acetylation of porcine in vitro maturation oocytes and pseudo-pronucleus embryos. HDAC6 inhibition also significantly enhanced the cleavage and blastocyst of nuclear transfer embryos (0.81 ± 0.12 vs. 0.68 ± 0.12 and 0.46 ± 0.19; 0.73 ± 0.13 vs. 0.63 ± 0.18 and 0.40 ± 0.16, P<0.05). The inhibition of HDAC6 significantly enhanced histone H3K9/K14 and H4K8 acetylation, and upregulated the OCT4 and CDX2 expressions (1.83 ± 0.16 vs. 1.00 ± 0.00 %; 2.07 ± 0.09 vs. 1.00 ± 0.00; P<0.05) in porcine SCNT blastocysts. Interestingly, HDAC6 inhibition significantly increased the pseudo-pronucleus volume during somatic cell reprogramming. Thus, HDAC6 was required for porcine histone deacetylation during the in vitro maturation and pseudo-pronucleus stages. HDAC6 inhibition improved the in vitro development of nuclear transfer embryos. HDAC6 may restrict the reprogramming of somatic nuclear transfer by regulating pseudo-pronucleus expansion. We need further research to confirm this in the future.

Factors influencing inappropriate use of antibiotics in outpatient and community settings in China: a mixed-methods systematic review.

BACKGROUND: For decades, antibiotics have been excessively consumed around the world, contributing to increased antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and negatively impacting health outcomes and expenditures. Antibiotic use in China accounts for half of worldwide antibiotic consumption, which mainly takes place in outpatient and community settings, and often unnecessarily for self-limiting community-acquired infections. This study aimed to identify and assess factors of inappropriate use of antibiotics in the Chinese context to inform the development of interventions to mitigate inappropriate consumption in the absence of clinical indications. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review and included empirical studies with original data conducted in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan that investigated factors of antibiotic use in the community including outpatient care among patients, caregivers and prescribers. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Google Scholar and one Chinese database CNKI (China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database), using a combination of the key terms 'antibiotic', 'antimicrobial', 'use', 'consumption', 'behaviour', 'prescribe' and related syntax for all peer-reviewed publications published before June 2020. Health Belief Model was employed for data synthesis. FINDINGS: Fifty-four studies were included in the full-text review: 44 quantitative, 5 qualitative and 5 mixed-methods studies. Despite a high AMR awareness, public perception/misconception of antibiotic efficacy and easy access to antibiotics for self-limiting conditions drive inappropriate demand and use in the community including primary care setting. Providers' prescribing behaviours are influenced by financial incentives, lack of diagnostic capacity and concerns over complications. CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate outpatient and community antibiotic use is influenced by non-biomedical factors at the individual, community, health system and societal levels in mainland China, contributing to a high antibiotic use rate. This study calls for context-tailored One Health interventions, restrictive antibiotic drug policy and multifaceted antibiotic stewardship programmes that simultaneously address drivers of inappropriate use from both the supply-side and demand-side within and beyond clinical settings. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019139591.

BAF45D knockdown decreases cell viability, inhibits colony formation, induces cell apoptosis and S-phase arrest in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Pancreatic cancer, an extremely aggressive malignancy, is resistant to chemo- or radiotherapy. The rapid progression of pancreatic cancer without distinctive clinical sign makes early diagnosing and/or treating very difficult. BAF45D, a member of the d4 domain family, is involved in oncogenic processes. However, the role of BAF45D in pancreatic tumorigenesis is largely unclear. Our goal is to examine BAF45D protein expression after lentivirus-mediated Baf45d RNAi and explore the effects of BAF45D knockdown on cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, and cell cycle of human pancreatic cancer cells. Here our results showed that Baf45d RNAi downregulated BAF45D protein levels and decreased cell viability, increased cell apoptosis, and decreased colony formation in BxPC-3 cells. Moreover, BAF45D knockdown induced S-phase arrest in BxPC-3 cells. Our results here suggest that BAF45D may play a crucial role in tumorigenic properties of human pancreatic cancer cells.

The NLRP3 inflammasome: Role in metabolic disorders and regulation by metabolic pathways.

Inflammasomes are large multimolecular complexes present in the cytosol of stimulated immune cells; they mediate the activation of caspase-1, leading to cellular pyroptosis. So far, a variety of studies on inflammasomes have emerged, and the best-studied is the NLRP3 inflammasome that is involved in many inflammatory responses. Furthermore, its relationship with metabolism is gaining increasing attention in this field. In this review, we discuss the importance of the NLRP3 inflammasome in metabolic disorders and its close association with metabolic pathways.

The BAF45D Protein Is Preferentially Expressed in Adult Neurogenic Zones and in Neurons and May Be Required for Retinoid Acid Induced PAX6 Expression.

Adult neurogenesis is important for the development of regenerative therapies for human diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) through the recruitment of adult neural stem cells (NSCs). NSCs are characterized by the capacity to generate neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. To identify key factors involved in manipulating the adult NSC neurogenic fate thus has crucial implications for the clinical application. Here, we report that BAF45D is expressed in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus, the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle, and the central canal (CC) of the adult spinal cord. Coexpression of BAF45D with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a radial glial like cell marker protein, was identified in the SGZ, the SVZ and the adult spinal cord CC. Quantitative analysis data indicate that BAF45D is preferentially expressed in the neurogenic zone of the LV and the neurons of the adult CNS. Furthermore, during the neuroectoderm differentiation of H9 cells, BAF45D is required for the expression of PAX6, a neuroectoderm determinant that is also known to regulate the self-renewal and neuronal fate specification of adult neural stem/progenitor cells. Together, our results may shed new light on the expression of BAF45D in the adult neurogenic zones and the contribution of BAF45D to early neural development.