Plasmonic Annular Nanotrenches with 1 nm Nanogaps for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Using SERS-Based Immunoassay.

This study represents the synthesis of a novel class of nanoparticles denoted as annular Au nanotrenches (AANTs). AANTs are engineered to possess embedded, narrow circular nanogaps with dimensions of approximately 1 nm, facilitating near-field focusing for detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) via a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based immunoassay. Notably, AANTs exhibited an exceedingly low limit of detection (LOD) of 1 fg/mL for SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins, surpassing the commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) by 6 orders of magnitude (1 ng/mL from ELISA). To assess the real-world applicability, a study was conducted on 50 clinical samples using an SERS-based immunoassay with AANTs. The results revealed a sensitivity of 96% and a selectivity of 100%, demonstrating the significantly enhanced sensing capabilities of the proposed approach in comparison to ELISA and commercial lateral flow assay kits.

The influence of crystal structures on the performance of CoMoO4 battery-type supercapacitor electrodes.

CoMoO4 is a promising battery-type supercapacitor electrode material that can offer relatively high storage capacity and cycle stability. In this work, we investigate the role of the crystalline phase of CoMoO4 in determining these performance parameters. The hydrate phase of CoMoO4 was synthesized on a nickel foam substrate via hydrothermal reaction with subsequent annealing under an inert atmosphere leading to the formation of the ß-phase CoMoO4. Similar nanoplate morphologies were observed in all of the samples. The hydrate-phase CoMoO4 demonstrates larger specific capacity than the annealed ß-phase CoMoO4. Besides, the samples synthesized at lower temperatures have better rate capability than the sample annealed at higher temperatures. However, the hydrate phase had worse long-term stability compared to the ß-phase samples.

In vitro broad-spectrum antiviral activity of MIT-001, a mitochondria-targeted reactive oxygen species scavenger, against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and multiple zoonotic viruses.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 becomes a serious threat to global health and requires the development of effective antiviral therapies. Current therapies that target viral proteins have limited efficacy with side effects. In this study, we investigated the antiviral activity of MIT-001, a small molecule reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger targeting mitochondria, against SARS-CoV-2 and other zoonotic viruses in vitro. The antiviral activity of MIT-001 was quantified by RT-qPCR and plaque assay. We also evaluated the functional analysis of MIT-001 by JC-1 staining to measure mitochondrial depolarization, total RNA sequencing to investigate gene expression changes, and immunoblot to quantify protein expression levels. The results showed that MIT-001 effectively inhibited the replication of B.1.617.2 and BA.1 strains, Zika virus, Seoul virus, and Vaccinia virus. Treatment with MIT-001 restored the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NqO1) genes, anti-oxidant enzymes reduced by SARS-CoV-2, to normal levels. The presence of MIT-001 also alleviated mitochondrial depolarization caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. These findings highlight the potential of MIT-001 as a broad-spectrum antiviral compound that targets for zoonotic RNA and DNA viruses, providing a promising therapeutic approach to combat viral infection.

Electrochemical Polarization of Disparate Catalytic Sites Drives Thermochemical Rate Enhancement.

Supported bimetallic catalysts commonly exhibit higher rates of reaction compared to their monometallic counterparts, but the origin of these enhancements is often poorly defined. The recent discovery that cooperative redox enhancement effects in Au-Pd systems promote bimetallic catalysis in thermochemical oxidation is an important development in this field. This effect aligns two important research fields, thermo- and electrocatalysis, but questions relating to the generality and origin of the effect remain. Here, we demonstrate that these effects can be observed in reactions over a range of bimetal combinations and reveal the origin using a combination of electrochemical and material characterization. We disclose that the observed activity enhancement in thermochemical systems is a result of the electrochemical polarization of two disparate catalytic sites. This forms an alternative operating potential for a given bimetallic system that increases the driving force of each of the composite half reactions in oxidative dehydrogenation. We therefore uncover the physicochemical descriptors that dictate whether these enhancement effects will be exhibited by a particular combination of supported metal catalysts and determine the magnitude of the effect.

VLDL-VLDLR axis facilitates brown fat thermogenesis through replenishment of lipid fuels and PPARß/δ activation.

In mammals, brown adipose tissue (BAT) is specialized to conduct non-shivering thermogenesis for survival under cold acclimation. Although emerging evidence suggests that lipid metabolites are essential for heat generation in cold-activated BAT, the underlying mechanisms of lipid uptake in BAT have not been thoroughly understood. Here, we show that very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) uptaken by VLDL receptor (VLDLR) plays important roles in thermogenic execution in BAT. Compared with wild-type mice, VLDLR knockout mice exhibit impaired thermogenic features. Mechanistically, VLDLR-mediated VLDL uptake provides energy sources for mitochondrial oxidation via lysosomal processing, subsequently enhancing thermogenic activity in brown adipocytes. Moreover, the VLDL-VLDLR axis potentiates peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)ß/δ activity with thermogenic gene expression in BAT. Accordingly, VLDL-induced thermogenic capacity is attenuated in brown-adipocyte-specific PPARß/δ knockout mice. Collectively, these data suggest that the VLDL-VLDLR axis in brown adipocytes is a key factor for thermogenic execution during cold exposure.

Mathematical modeling of dark fermentation of macroalgae for hydrogen and volatile fatty acids production.

A mathematical model of H2 and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production via dark fermentation of particulate macroalgal substrates is presented. Carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids in the particulate substrate are convert to H2, CO2, and VFAs via disintegration/solubilization, hydrolysis, and acidogenesis. Hydrolysis is modeled using a combined surface-limiting model combined with a first-order reaction model to describe both microbial hydrolysis and physical solubilization. Experimental and published data obtained using Saccharina japonica as the substrate are used to calibrate and validate the model. The model prediction featured a good accuracy, with high R2 of 0.912 - 0.976 for all end products. The physical solubilisation accounts for 28.4% of the total hydrolysis. By the model simulation, a H2 production of 103.2 mL/g-VS and VFA production of 0.41 g/g-VS are found at optimum conditions of 20 g-TS/L (13.2 g-VS/L) of substrate concentration and 7.0 of initial pH.

Ni-Fe phosphide deposited carbon felt as free-standing bifunctional catalyst electrode for urea electrolysis.

A free-standing catalyst electrode for the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in a urea electrolysis cell was synthesized by electroplating a Ni-Fe alloy onto carbon felt, followed by phosphidation (P-NiFe@CF). The prepared P-NiFe@CF catalyst consisted of Ni5P4, NiP2, and FeP with 3D flower-like P-NiFe architecture on CF. P-NiFe@CF exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for the UOR (demanding only 1.39 V (vs. RHE) to achieve 200 mA cm-2), and for the HER with a low overpotential of 0.023 V (vs. RHE) at 10 mA cm-2, indicating its feasibility as a bifunctional catalyst electrode for urea electrolysis. A urea electrolysis cell with P-NiFe@CF as both the free-standing anode and cathode generated a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at a cell potential of 1.37 V (vs. RHE), which is considerably lower than that of water electrolysis, and also lower than previously reported values. The results indicate that the P-NiFe@CF catalyst electrodes can be used as free-standing bifunctional electrodes for urea electrolyzers.

Ni-Co-B nanoparticle decorated carbon felt by electroless plating as a bi-functional catalyst for urea electrolysis.

A free-standing catalyst electrode for urea electrolysis was synthesized by electroless plating of NiCoB alloy onto a flexible carbon felt. The synthesized NiCoB@C catalyst exhibited porous and partially amorphous metallic structure depending on its composition, as analysed by XRD, XPS, and TEM; thus, NiCoB@C catalyst showed a high catalytic activity for urea oxidation reaction as well as hydrogen evolution reaction. The required cell voltage in the electrolysis cell with NiCoB@C as anode and cathode was as low as 1.34 V for the current densities 10 mA cm-2. Similar performance of the urea electrolysis for H2 production using 0.33 M urea and a fresh urine in 1 M KOH was observed. The result indicated that NiCoB could be incorporated on to carbon felt by electroless plating, and it could be used as free-standing bifunctional electrodes for urea electrolysis using urea as well as urine.

Personal, behavioral, and perceived environmental factors associated with late-life depression in older men and women.

INTRODUCTION: Previous investigations on factors associated with depression were highly focused on personal characteristics and health behaviors; however, few studies used an ecological perspective on the issue, much less on sex differences. This study examined the factors associated with depression, including any sex differences. METHODS: A total of 1025 Taiwanese adults older than 65 years were recruited. Their personal demographics, lifestyle behaviors, and perceived environmental factors were obtained through a telephone-based survey. The multiple factors associated with depression in older adults were examined using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Fully logistic regression analyses revealed that poor self-rated health (odds ratio =2.54) was correlated with a greater likelihood of depression. Aside from poor self-rated health, being older, sufficient leisure time spent in walking, and perceptions of a safe environment were associated with lower risks of depression in older men, whereas having hypertension and excessive TV viewing were associated with higher risks of depression in older women. CONCLUSION: Apart from self-rated health, sex differences in the associations of factors such as leisure-time walking, TV watching, and safe traffic environment with depression were observed among older adults. Strategies applied for geriatric depression prevention should take into consideration different sex group.

Walk Score® and Its Associations with Older Adults' Health Behaviors and Outcomes.

This study aimed to investigate the associations between Walk Score® and lifestyle behaviors and health outcomes in older Taiwanese adults. A nationwide survey was conducted through telephone-based interviews with older adults (65 years and older) in Taiwan. Data on Walk Score®, lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, healthy eating behavior, alcohol use, and smoking status), health outcomes (overweight/obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease), and personal characteristics were obtained from 1052 respondents. A binary logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders was employed. None of the Walk Score® categories were related to the recommended levels of total physical activity. The categories "very walkable" and "walker's paradise" were positively related to total sedentary time and TV viewing among older adults. No significant associations were found between Walk Score® and other lifestyle health behaviors or health outcomes. While Walk Score® was not associated with recommended levels of physical activity, it was positively related to prolonged sedentary time in the context of a non-Western country. The different associations between the walk score and health lifestyle behaviors and health outcomes in different contexts should be noted.

Loss of distal femur combined with popliteal artery occlusion: reconstructive arthroplasty using modular segmental endoprosthesis: a case report.

Severe injury to the knee and the surrounding area is frequently associated with injury to ligaments of the knee joint and structures in the popliteal fossa. This case involved a popliteal artery occlusion, severe bone loss of distal femur, loss of collateral ligaments, and extensor mechanism destruction of the knee. Initially, prompt recognition and correction of associated popliteal artery injury are important for good results after treatment. After successful revascularization, treatment for severe bone loss of distal femur and injury of the knee joint must be followed. We treated this case by delayed reconstruction using modular segmental endoprosthesis after revascularization of the popliteal artery. This allowed early ambulation. At 36 months after surgery, the patient had good circulation of the lower limb and was ambulating independently.