Amorphous Bismuth-Tin Oxide Nanosheets with Optimized C-N Coupling for Efficient Urea Synthesis.

Closing the carbon and nitrogen cycles by electrochemical methods using renewable energy to convert abundant or harmful feedstocks into high-value C- or N-containing chemicals has the potential to transform the global energy landscape. However, efficient conversion avenues have to date been mostly realized for the independent reduction of CO2 or NO3-. The synthesis of more complex C-N compounds still suffers from low conversion efficiency due to the inability to find effective catalysts. To this end, here we present amorphous bismuth-tin oxide nanosheets, which effectively reduce the energy barrier of the catalytic reaction, facilitating efficient and highly selective urea production. With enhanced CO2 adsorption and activation on the catalyst, a C-N coupling pathway based on *CO2 rather than traditional *CO is realized. The optimized orbital symmetry of the C- (*CO2) and N-containing (*NO2) intermediates promotes a significant increase in the Faraday efficiency of urea production to an outstanding value of 78.36% at -0.4 V vs RHE. In parallel, the nitrogen and carbon selectivity for urea formation is also enhanced to 90.41% and 95.39%, respectively. The present results and insights provide a valuable reference for the further development of new catalysts for efficient synthesis of high-value C-N compounds from CO2.

Niobium Boride/Graphene Directing High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries Derived from Favorable Surface Passivation.

Efficient catalysts are needed to accelerate the conversion and suppress the shuttling of polysulfides (LiPSs) to promote the further development of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Intermetallic niobium boride (NbB2) has indefinite potential due to superior catalytic activity. Nonetheless, the lack of a rational understanding of catalysis creates a challenge for the design of catalysts. Herein, a NbB2/reduced graphene oxide-modified PP separator (NbB2/rGO/PP) is rationally designed. Essential, an in-depth insight into the catalysis mechanism of NbB2 toward LiPSs is established based on experiments and multiperspective measurement characterization, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD), and density functional theory (DFT). It has been uncovered that the actual catalyst that interacts with LiPSs in NbB2 is the passivated surface with an oxide layer (O2-NbB2), which occurs through B-O-Li and Nb-O-Li bonds, rather than the clean NbB2 surface. And the decomposition barrier of Li2S is greatly reduced by a substantial margin, dropping from 3.390 to 0.93 and 0.85 eV on the Nb-O and B-O surfaces, respectively, with fast Li+ diffusivity. Consequently, the cell with NbB2/rGO/PP as a functional separator achieves a high discharge capacity of 873 mAh g-1 at 1C after 100 cycles. Moreover, the benefits of NbB2/rGO/PP can be effectively maintained even at a high sulfur loading of 7.06 mg cm-2 without significant reduction and with a low electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 8 µL mg-1s. This study enhances our understanding of the catalytic mechanism of Li-S systems and presents a promising approach for developing electrocatalysts that are resilient to poisoning.

Atomic Au3Cu Palisade Interlayer in Core@Shell Nanostructures for Efficient Kirkendall Effect Mediation.

Plasmonic Cu@semiconductor heteronanocrystals (HNCs) have many favorable properties, but the synthesis of solid structures is often hindered by the nanoscale Kirkendall effect. Herein, we present the use of an atomically thin Au3Cu palisade interlayer to reduce lattice mismatch and mediate the Kirkendall effect, enabling the successive topological synthesis of Cu@Au3Cu@Ag, Cu@Au3Cu@Ag2S, and further transformed solid Cu@Au3Cu@CdS core-shell HNCs via cation exchange. The atomically thin and intact Au3Cu palisade interlayer effectively modulates the diffusion kinetics of Cu atoms as demonstrated by experimental and theoretical investigations and simultaneously alleviates the lattice mismatch between Cu and Ag as well as Cu and CdS. The Cu@Au3Cu@CdS HNCs feature exceptional crystallinity and atomically organized heterointerfaces between the plasmonic metal and the semiconductor. This results in the efficient plasmon-induced injection of hot electrons from Cu@Au3Cu into the CdS shell, enabling the Cu@Au3Cu@CdS HNCs to achieve high activity and selectivity for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO.

Symmetry-Breaking p-Block Antimony Single Atoms Trigger N-Bridged Titanium Sites for Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction with High Efficiency.

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) under mild conditions emerges as a promising approach to produce ammonia (NH3) compared to the typical Haber-Bosch process. Herein, we design an asymmetrically coordinated p-block antimony single-atom catalyst immobilized on nitrogen-doped Ti3C2Tx (Sb SA/N-Ti3C2Tx) for eNRR, which exhibits ultrahigh NH3 yield (108.3 µg h-1 mgcat-1) and excellent Faradaic efficiency (41.2%) at -0.3 V vs RHE. Complementary in situ spectroscopies with theoretical calculations reveal that the nitrogen-bridged two titanium atoms triggered by an adjacent asymmetrical Sb-N1C2 moiety act as the active sites for facilitating the protonation of the rate-determining step from *N2 to *N2H and the kinetic conversion of key intermediates during eNRR. Moreover, the introduction of Sb-N1C2 promotes the formation of oxygen vacancies to expose more titanium sites. This work presents a strategy for single-atom-decorated ultrathin two-dimensional materials with the aim of simultaneously enhancing NH3 yield and Faradaic efficiency for electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction.

Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity of Zirconium-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks Through the Formation of Mixed-Valence Centers.

Despite the desirability of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as heterogeneous photocatalysts, current strategies available to enhance the performance of MOF photocatalysts are complicated and expensive. Herein, a simple strategy is presented for improving the activity of MOF photocatalysts by regulating the atomic interface structure of the metal active sites on the MOF. In this study, MOF (PCN-222) is hybridized with cellulose acetate (CA@PCN-222) through an optimized atomic interface strategy, which lowers the average valence state of Zr ions. The electronic metal-support interaction mechanism of CA@PCN-222 is revealed by evaluating the photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR). The experimental results suggested that the electron migration efficiency at the atomic interface of the MOFs strongly coupled with cellulose is significantly improved. In particular, the CO2 RR to formate activity of CA@PCN-222 photocatalyst greatly increased from 778.2 to 2816.0 µmol g-1 compared with pristine PCN-222 without cellulose acetate. The findings suggest that the strongly coupled metal-ligand moiety at the atomic interface of MOFs may play a synergistic role in heterogeneous catalysts.

Cu-based catalysts with the co-existence of single atoms and nanoparticles for basic electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction.

Developing efficient and stable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts to replace the precious Pt/C is very important for the industrial application of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Herein, using bismuth-based metal-organic frameworks as the substrate to disperse copper ions, we prepared a catalyst containing both Cu single atoms and Cu nanoparticles (CuSACuNP/BiCN) by a pyrolysis method. In 0.1 M KOH electrolyte, the electrocatalytic ORR performance of CuSACuNP/BiCN was superior to that of commercial Pt/C. With a hierarchical porous architecture, CuSACuNP/BiCN displayed a half-wave potential of 0.86 V vs. RHE and a diffusion-limiting current density of 5.82 mA cm-2 with a four-electron transfer process. In addition, it was stable during a 12-hour durability test. This study provides guidance for the synthesis of advanced Cu-based nano-single-atom catalytic materials for ORR applications.

Data, Big Tech, and the New Concept of Sovereignty.

Despite the massive amount of data and sophisticated computing capacity, Big Tech has evolved into the new data sovereigns that governments must accept in the data era. Data mining and application determine the true value of data; in this regard, Big Tech is tough to replace. The so-called "Fourth Industrial Revolution" is reshaping the emerging global order, and at its core are Big Tech firms. They not only express their concerns and spread their values and ideologies but also make their strong presence felt in international affairs, as Big Tech appears to be transforming into a new type of Leviathan. With access to significant amounts of data, the rise of Big Tech poses a challenge to sovereignty's exclusivity and superiority, assuming the position of de facto data sovereign. The article holds that the Big Tech firms, by virtue of their technical advantages, have not only deconstructed the traditional concept of sovereignty, but also formed a complex symbiotic relationship.

Electronic Metal-Support Interactions between Copper Nanoparticles and Nitrogen-Doped Ti3C2Tx MXene to Boost Peroxidase-like Activity for Detecting Astaxanthin.

Nanozymes with high activity and stability have emerged as a potential alternative to natural enzymes in the past years, but the relationship between the electronic metal-support interactions (EMSI) and catalytic performance in nanozymes still remains unclear. Herein, a copper nanoparticle nanozyme supported on N-doped Ti3C2Tx (Cu NPs@N-Ti3C2Tx) is successfully synthesized and the modulation of EMSI is achieved by introducing N species. The stronger EMSI between Cu NPs and Ti3C2Tx, involving electronic transfer and an interface effect, is revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and hard X-ray absorption fine spectroscopy at the atomic level. Consequently, Cu NPs@N-Ti3C2Tx nanozyme exhibits remarkable peroxidase-like activity, surpassing its counterpart (Cu NPs, Ti3C2Tx, Cu NPs-Ti3C2Tx), suggesting that EMSI significantly enhances catalytic performance. Benefiting from the excellent performance, the colorimetric platform based on Cu NPs@N-Ti3C2Tx nanozyme for detecting astaxanthin is constructed and shows a wide linear detection range of 0.01-50 µM and a limit of detection of 0.015 µM in the sunscreens. Density functional theory is further conducted to reveal that the excellent performance is ascribed to the stronger EMSI. This work opens an avenue for studying the influence of EMSI toward catalytic performance of nanozyme.

Visual Sensor Arrays for Distinction of Phenolic Acids Based on Two Single-Atom Nanozymes.

Although great achievements have been made in the study of artificial enzymes, the design of nanozymes with high catalytic activities of natural enzymes and the further establishment of sensitive biosensors still remain challenging. Here, two nanozymes, i.e., ZnCoFe three-atom nanozyme (TAzyme) and Sn single-atom nanozyme (SAzyme)/Ti3C2Tx, are developed, which show peroxidase-like catalytic activities by catalyzing the reaction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AAP), and phenolic acids to generate colorimetric reactions. The involvement of different phenolic acids leads to the generation of different color products. These subtle color-variation profiles between these phenolic acids prompt us to exploit an electronic tongue based on the two nanozymes to distinguish phenolic acids. Data interpretation by the pattern recognition method, such as linear discriminant analysis (LDA), displays good clustering separation of six different phenolic acids at concentrations of 0.1 µM to 1 mM, validating the effectiveness of the colorimetric nanozyme sensor array.

Atomically Strained Metal Sites for Highly Efficient and Selective Photooxidation.

Strain engineering is an attractive strategy for improving the intrinsic catalytic performance of heterogeneous catalysts. Manipulating strain on the short-range atomic scale to the local structure of the catalytic sites is still challenging. Herein, we successfully achieved atomic strain modulation on ultrathin layered vanadium oxide nanoribbons by an ingenious intercalation chemistry method. When trace sodium cations were introduced between the V2O5 layers (Na+-V2O5), the V-O bonds were stretched by the atomically strained vanadium sites, redistributing the local charges. The Na+-V2O5 demonstrated excellent photooxidation performance, which was approximately 12 and 14 times higher than that of pristine V2O5 and VO2, respectively. Complementary spectroscopy analysis and theoretical calculations confirmed that the atomically strained Na+-V2O5 had a high surficial charge density, improving the activation of oxygen molecules and contributing to the excellent photocatalytic property. This work provides a new approach for the rational design of strain-equipped catalysts for selective photooxidation reactions.

Heteroatom Doped Amorphous/Crystalline Ruthenium Oxide Nanocages as a Remarkable Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting.

Developing robust and highly active bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting is critical for efficient sustainable energy conversion. Herein, heteroatom-doped amorphous/crystalline ruthenium oxide-based hollow nanocages (M-ZnRuOx (MCo, Ni, Fe)) through delicate control of composition and structure is reported. Among as-synthesized M-ZnRuOx nanocages, Co-ZnRuOx nanocages deliver an ultralow overpotential of 17 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a small Tafel slope of 21.61 mV dec-1 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), surpassing the commercial Pt/C catalyst, which benefits from the synergistic coupling effect between electron regulation induced by Co doping and amorphous/crystalline heterophase structure. Moreover, the incorporation of Co prevents Ru from over-oxidation under oxygen evolution reaction (OER) operation, realizing the leap from a monofunctional to multifunctional electrocatalyst and then Co-ZnRuOx nanocages exhibit remarkable OER catalytic activity as well as overall water splitting performance. Combining theory calculations with spectroscopy analysis reveal that Co is not only the optimal active site, increasing the number of exposed active sites while also boosting the long-term durability of catalyst by modulating the electronic structure of Ru atoms. This work opens a considerable avenue to design highly active and durable Ru-based electrocatalysts.

Peroxidase-Like FeCoZn Triple-Atom Catalyst-Based Electronic Tongue for Colorimetric Discrimination of Food Preservatives.

Recently, single-atom catalysts are attracting much attention in sensor field due to their remarkable peroxidase- or oxidase-like activities. Herein, peroxidase-like FeCoZn triple-atom catalyst supported on S- and N-doped carbon derived from ZIF-8 (FeCoZn-TAC/SNC) serves as a proof-of-concept nanozyme. In this paper, a dual-channel nanozyme-based colorimetric sensor array is presented for identifying seven preservatives in food. Further experiments reveal that the peroxidase-like activity of the FeCoZn TAzyme enables it to catalyze the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and o-phenylenediamine (OPD) in the presence of H2 O2 , yielding the blue oxTMB and yellow oxOPD, respectively. However, food preservatives are adsorbed on the nanozyme surface through π-π stacking interaction and hydrogen bond, and the reduction in catalytic activity of FeCoZn TAzyme causes differential colorimetric signal variations, which provide unique "fingerprints" for each food preservative.

Lattice Strain and Schottky Junction Dual Regulation Boosts Ultrafine Ruthenium Nanoparticles Anchored on a N-Modified Carbon Catalyst for H2 Production.

Ruthenium-based materials are considered great promising candidates to replace Pt-based catalysts for hydrogen production in alkaline conditions. Herein, we adopt a facile method to rationally design a neoteric Schottky catalyst in which uniform ultrafine ruthenium nanoparticles featuring lattice compressive stress are supported on nitrogen-modified carbon nanosheets (Ru NPs/NC) for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Lattice strain and Schottky junction dual regulation ensures that the Ru NPs/NC catalyst with an appropriate nitrogen content displays superb H2 evolution in alkaline media. Particularly, Ru NPs/NC-900 with 1.3% lattice compressive strain displays attractive activity and durability for the HER with a low overpotential of 19 mV at 10 mA cm-2 in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte. The in situ X-ray absorption fine structure measurements indicate that the low-valence Ru nanoparticle with shrinking Ru-Ru bond acts as catalytic active site during the HER process. Furthermore, multiple spectroscopy analysis and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the lattice strain and Schottky junction dual regulation tunes the electron density and hydrogen adsorption of the active center, thus enhancing the HER activity. This strategy provides a novel concept for the design of advanced electrocatalysts for H2 production.

Engineering the Coordination Interface of Isolated Co Atomic Sites Anchored on N-Doped Carbon for Effective Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The regulation of the coordination environment of the central metal atom is considered as an alternative way to enhance the performance of single-atom catalysts (SACs). Herein, we design an electrocatalyst with active sites of isolated Co atoms coordinated with four sulfur atoms supported on N-doped carbon frameworks (Co1-S4/NC), confirmed by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscope (HADDF-STEM) and synchrotron-radiation-based X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. The Co1-S4/NC possesses higher hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic activity than other Co species and exceptional stability, which exhibits a small Tafel slope of 60 mV dec-1 and a low overpotential of 114 mV at 10 mA cm-2 during the HER in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. Furthermore, through in situ X-ray absorption spectrum tests and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we reveal the catalytic mechanism of Co1-S4 moieties and find that the increasing number of sulfur atoms in the Co coordination environment leads to a substantial reduction of the theoretical HER overpotential. This work may point a new direction for the synthesis, performance regulation, and practical application of single-metal-atom catalysts.

Atomic-Level Pt Electrocatalyst Synthesized via Iced Photochemical Method for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction with High Efficiency.

In heterogeneous catalysis, metal particle morphology and size can influence markedly the activity. It is of great significance to rationally design and control the synthesis of Pt at the atomic level to demonstrate the structure-activity relationship toward electrocatalysis. Herein, a powerful strategy is reported to synthesize graphene-supported platinum-based electrocatalyst, that is, nanocatalysts with controllable size can be prepared by iced photochemical method, including single atoms (Pt-SA@HG), nanoclusters (Pt-Clu@HG), and nanocrystalline (Pt-Nc@HG). The Pt-SA@HG exhibits unexpected electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performances with 13 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm-2 current densities which surpass Pt-Clu@HG and Pt-Nc@HG. The in situ X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations determine the Pt-C3 active site is linchpin to the excellent HER performance of Pt-SA@HG. Compared with the traditional Pt-Nx coordination structure, the pure carbon coordinated Pt-C3 site is more favorable for HER. This work opens up a new way to adjust the metal particle size and catalytic performance of graphene at a multiscale level.

Theoretical Predictions, Experimental Modulation Strategies, and Applications of MXene-Supported Atomically Dispersed Metal Sites.

Atomically dispersed metal sites (ADMSs) attract immense attention because they can be used in the fields of energy and environmental protection as they are characterized by high atomic utilization efficiency and exhibit high activity. Various supports for anchoring isolated metal atoms are developed to construct ADMSs characterized by highly stable and well-defined structures. This can be achieved by increasing the number of anchoring sites and reinforcing metal-support interactions. MXenes, a new series of 2D nanomaterials, exhibit promising potential in stabilizing isolated metal atoms because of their large specific surface areas and unique surface properties. The high conductivity and hydrophilicity of MXenes can be attributed to the nature of surface functionalization and the properties of tunable structures of the materials. Benefiting from these excellent properties, MXenes can find their applications in various fields. Herein, the precise characterization methods that can be followed to study ADMSs, the construction of MXene-supported ADMSs using theoretical predictions, and experimental modulation strategies are summarized, and their corresponding applications in electrocatalysis, organocatalysis, and advanced battery systems are systematically illustrated. It is hoped that this review will provide insights that can be used for the further development of MXene-supported ADMSs.

Impact of stopping therapy during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in persons with lymphoma.

INTRODUCTION: The severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic disrupted medical care for persons with cancer including those with lymphoma. Many professional societies recommend postponing, decreasing, or stopping anti-cancer therapy in selected persons during the pandemic. Although seemingly sensible, these recommendations are not evidence-based and their impact on anxiety and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) is unknown. METHODS: We surveyed 2532 subjects including 1060 persons with lymphoma, 948 caregivers, and 524 normals using a purposed-designed questionnaire on a patient organization website. Respondents also completed the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety and patient respondents, the EORTC QLQ-C30 instruments to quantify anxiety, and HRQoL. We also evaluated caregiver support and an online education programme of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO). Data of HRQoL from a 2019 pre-pandemic online survey of 1106 persons with lymphoma were a control. RESULTS: 33% (95% confidence interval [CI] 30, 36%) of lymphoma patients and 31% (28, 34%) of caregivers but only 21% (17, 24%) of normals had any level of anxiety (both pair-wise P < 0.001). Among lymphoma respondents, physical exercise and better caregiver support were associated with less anxiety, whereas female sex, receiving therapy, and reduced therapy intensity were associated with more anxiety. Paradoxically, lymphoma respondents during the pandemic had better HRQoL than pre-pandemic controls. Reduced therapy intensity was associated with worse HRQoL, whereas respondents who scored caregiver support and the online patient education programme high had better HRQoL. CONCLUSION: During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, lymphoma patients and their caregivers had significantly higher incidences of anxiety compared with normals. Lymphoma respondents reported better HRQoL compared with pre-pandemic controls. Reduced therapy intensity in persons with cancer may have unanticipated adverse effects on anxiety and HRQoL. Regular and intense support by caregivers and online education programmes alleviate anxiety and improve HRQoL.

Trends in the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of diabetes in rural areas of northern China from 1992 to 2011.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: The worldwide prevalence of diabetes mellitus has been increasing over the past decades, particularly in developing countries. Because of the lack of information regarding changes in diabetes mellitus prevalence, awareness, treatment and control in rural China, we assessed these trends - overall and in the context of related health conditions - to explore the impact of these primary health issues on these rates in a poorly educated, rural population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diabetes mellitus prevalence, awareness, treatment and control rates were compared between two surveys carried out in 1992 and 2011. The residents of three villages, aged 35-64 years, were recruited for this study. RESULTS: In 1992, 1,091 individuals were interviewed and, in 2011, 2,338 individuals were interviewed. Between the two surveys, the overall diabetes mellitus prevalence in the study population was lower in 1992 than that in 2011 (P < 0.001); among men, the prevalence was 5.2-fold higher in 2011 than in 1992 (10.5 vs 1.7%) and nearly 4.3-fold higher (11.2 vs 2.1%) among women. Men aged 35-44 years, with >6 years of education, stage I hypertension and being overweight, had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus in 2011 than in 1992. Similarly, for the same time periods, there was also a higher diabetes mellitus prevalence among women aged 55-64 years, with 1-6 years of education, stage III hypertension and who were overweight. However, there were no significant changes in diabetes mellitus awareness, treatment or control in this population. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that particular efforts must be made to enhance diabetes mellitus prevention, control and public awareness in rural communities in China.

Strict target blood pressure management for reducing the stroke risk according to 2017 ACC/AHA blood pressure guideline.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We explored the new BP thresholds and their impact on first-ever stroke risk determinations. RESULTS: During a mean following-up period of 21.85 years, 638 first-ever strokes occurred among 3906 participants. After adjusting for covariates, the hazard ratios for ischemic stroke (IS) in men aged <60 years were significant higher in participants with elevated BP, stage 1 hypertension, and stage 2 hypertension than normal BP (all P<0.05); an increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) was also observed for those with stage 2 hypertension. Similarly, in women aged, the risk of stroke increased for those with stage 2 hypertension both in <60 years and in ≥60 years. Moreover, more than 60% of incident strokes were attributed to systolic BP (SBP) ≥120mmHg and diastolic BP (DBP) <80mmHg in men aged <60 years. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated BP increases the risk of developing stroke, particularly in the absence of routine BP measurements and hypertension treatment. A strict BP management target (SBP, <120 mmHg; DBP, <80 mmHg) should be adopted for young and middle-aged men. METHODS: This population-based cohort study was conducted between October 1991 and January 2018. The association of BP categories, defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA BP guideline, with first-ever stroke risk was assessed using Cox regression models.

Association between blood pressure components and the presence of carotid plaque among adults aged 45 years and older: a population-based cross-sectional study in rural China.

OBJECTIVE: Pulse pressure is strongly associated with the early development of large-vessel atherosclerotic disease. However, the relationship between pulse pressure and carotid plaque in China is unknown. Thus, we investigated the associations of pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure with the presence of carotid plaques in a low-income population in rural China. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Residents, aged ≥45 years, without histories of stroke or cardiovascular disease were enrolled. Participant demographics, previous medical histories, and lifestyle information were collected; anthropometric measures, serum profiles, and B-mode ultrasonographic investigations were also performed. RESULTS: The mean age of participants (n = 3789) was 59.9 years overall (men 61.1 years; women, 59.1 years). The mean SBP (146.42 mmHg) and DBP (86.81 mmHg), pulse pressures (59.61 mmHg), and mean arterial pressures (106.68 mmHg) were high in this population. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for the association of pulse pressure with the presence of carotid plaques was 1.028 (1.023-1.033), in the univariate analysis. After gradual adjustment for demographic features, risk factors, and serum profile measurements, this positive association remained statistically significant (all, P < 0.001). However, there was no significant relationship between mean arterial pressure and the presence of carotid plaques. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that an elevated pulse pressure is an independent risk factor for the presence of carotid plaque. These results suggest that enhanced monitoring of blood pressure components, among low-income residents, is crucial for decreasing the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular disease in China.