The DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit promotes sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction through disrupting INF-2-dependent mitochondrial dynamics.

Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC) represents a severe complication of systemic infection, characterized by significant cardiac dysfunction. This study examines the role of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and Inverted Formin 2 (INF2) in the pathogenesis of SIC, focusing on their impact on mitochondrial homeostasis and dynamics. Our research demonstrates that silencing DNA-PKcs alleviates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiomyocyte death and dysfunction. Using HL-1 cardiomyocytes treated with LPS, we observed that DNA-PKcs knockdown notably reverses LPS-induced cytotoxicity, indicating a protective role against cellular damage. This effect is further substantiated by the reduction in caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation, key markers of apoptosis, upon DNA-PKcs knockdown. Besides, our data further reveal that DNA-PKcs knockdown attenuates LPS-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, evidenced by improved ATP production, enhanced activities of mitochondrial respiratory complexes, and preserved mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, DNA-PKcs deletion counteracts LPS-induced shifts towards mitochondrial fission, indicating its regulatory influence on mitochondrial dynamics. Conclusively, our research elucidates the intricate interplay between DNA-PKcs and INF2 in the modulation of mitochondrial function and dynamics during sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy. These findings offer new insights into the molecular mechanisms underpinning SIC and suggest potential therapeutic targets for mitigating mitochondrial dysfunction in this critical condition.

Low-Temperature Propane Activation and Mineralization over a Co3O4 Sub-nanometer Porous Sheet: Atomic-Level Insights.

Light alkanes make up a class of widespread volatile organic compounds (VOCs), bringing great environmental hazards and health concerns. However, the low-temperature catalytic destruction of light alkanes is still a great challenge to settle due to their high reaction inertness and weak polarity. Herein, a Co3O4 sub-nanometer porous sheet (Co3O4-SPS) was fabricated and comprehensively compared with its bulk counterparts in the catalytic oxidation of C3H8. Results demonstrated that abundant low-coordinated Co atoms on the Co3O4-SPS surface boost the activation of adsorbed oxygen and enhance the catalytic activity. Moreover, Co3O4-SPS has better surface metal properties, which is beneficial to electron transfer between the catalyst surface and the reactant molecules, promoting the interaction between C3H8 molecules and dissociated O atoms and facilitating the activation of C-H bonds. Due to these, Co3O4-SPS harvests a prominent performance for C3H8 destruction, 100% of which decomposed at 165 °C (apparent activation energy of 49.4 kJ mol-1), much better than the bulk Co3O4 (450 °C and 126.9 kJ mol-1) and typical noble metal catalysts. Moreover, Co3O4-SPS also has excellent thermal stability and water resistance. This study deepens the atomic-level insights into the catalytic capacity of Co3O4-SPS in light alkane purification and provides references for designing efficacious catalysts for thermocatalytic oxidation reactions.

Rationally Engineering a CuO/Pd@SiO2 Core-Shell Catalyst with Isolated Bifunctional Pd and Cu Active Sites for n-Butylamine Controllable Decomposition.

Volatile organic amines are a category of typical volatile organic compounds (VOCs) extensively presented in industrial exhausts causing serious harm to the atmospheric environment and human health. Monometallic Pd and Cu-based catalysts are commonly adopted for catalytic destruction of hazardous organic amines, but their applications are greatly limited by the inevitable production of toxic amide and NOx byproducts and inferior low-temperature activity. Here, a CuO/Pd@SiO2 core-shell-structured catalyst with diverse functionalized active sites was creatively developed, which realized the total decomposition of n-butylamine at 260 °C with a CO2 yield and N2 selectivity reaching up to 100% and 98.3%, respectively (obviously better than those of Pd@SiO2 and CuO/SiO2), owing to the synergy of isolated Pd and Cu sites in independent mineralization of n-butylamine and generation of N2, respectively. The formation of amide and short-chain aliphatic hydrocarbon intermediates via C-C bond cleavage tended to occur over Pd sites, while the C-N bond was prone to breakage over Cu sites, generating NH2· species and long free-N chain intermediates at low temperatures, avoiding the production of hazardous amide and NOx. The SiO2 channel collapse and H+ site production resulted in the formation of N2O via suppressing NH2· diffusion. This work provides critical guidance for a rational fabrication of catalysts with high activity and N2 selectivity for environmentally friendly destruction of nitrogen-containing VOCs.

Modulating the Electronic Metal-Support Interactions in Single-Atom Pt1 -CuO Catalyst for Boosting Acetone Oxidation.

The development of highly active single-atom catalysts (SACs) and identifying their intrinsic active sites in oxidizing industrial hazardous hydrocarbons are challenging prospects. Tuning the electronic metal-support interactions (EMSIs) is valid for modulating the catalytic performance of SACs. We propose that the modulation of the EMSIs in a Pt1 -CuO SAC significantly promotes the activity of the catalyst in acetone oxidation. The EMSIs promote charge redistribution through the unified Pt-O-Cu moieties, which modulates the d-band structure of atomic Pt sites, and strengthens the adsorption and activation of reactants. The positively charged Pt atoms are superior for activating acetone at low temperatures, and the stretched Cu-O bonds facilitate the activation of lattice oxygen atoms to participate in subsequent oxidation. We believe that this work will guide researchers to engineer efficient SACs for application in hydrocarbon oxidation reactions.

Achieving acetone efficient deep decomposition by strengthening reactants adsorption and activation over difunctional Au(OH)Kx/hierarchical MFI catalyst.

Realizing the simultaneous adsorption and activation of O2 and reactants over supported noble metal catalysts is crucial for the oxidation of organic hydrocarbons. Herein, we report a facile one-step ethylene glycol reduction method to synthesize difunctional Au(OH)Kx sites, which were anchored on a hierarchical hollow MFI support and adopted for acetone decomposition. The alkali ion-associated adjacent surface hydroxyl groups were coordinated with Au nanoparticles, resulting in partially oxidized Au1+ sites with improved dispersion. The results obtained from exclusive ex situ and in situ experiments illustrated that the proper content of K and hydroxyl groups significantly enhanced the adsorption of surface O2 and acetone molecules around the Au sites simultaneously, whereas the excess K species inhibited the catalytic performance by blocking the pore structure and decreasing the acidity of catalysts. The Au(OH)K0.7/h-MFI catalyst exhibited the highest efficiency for acetone oxidation, over which 1500 ppm acetone can be completely oxidized at just 280 °C with an extremely low activation energy of 32.5 kJ mol-1. The carbonate species were detected as the main intermediates during acetone decomposition over the difunctional Au(OH)Kx sites through a Langmuir - Hinshelwood (L - H) mechanism. This finding paves the way for designing and constructing efficient functional active sites for the complete oxidation of hydrocarbons.

Realizing Toluene Deep Mineralization by Coupling Nonthermal Plasma and Nitrogen-Enriched Hollow Hybrid Carbon.

Achieving excellent efficiency to mineralize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under nonthermal plasma catalysis (NTP-catalysis) systems tremendously relies on the catalyst design. Herein, we report a dual-template strategy for synthesizing a core-shell structured nitrogen-enriched hollow hybrid carbon (N-HHC) by a facile pyrolysis of a Mn-ZIF-8@polydopamine core-shell precursor. N-HHC exhibits a remarkable plasma synergy effect and superior degradation efficiency for toluene (up to 90% with a specific input energy of 281 J/L), excellent CO2 selectivity (>45%), and byproduct-inhibiting capability. Such outstanding functionality of the developed N-HHC is uniquely attributed to its hollow multistage and channeling structure, high concentration of O3-decomposing species (pyrrolic and oxide pyridinic-N), and abundant ZnO active sites. Shedding light on an efficient synthetic strategy for designing an advanced nanocatalyst with enhanced VOC destruction in the NTP-catalysis system, the present results could be extended to design other N-doped metal/metal oxide-decorated hollow porous carbons for environment-related applications.

Mutual inhibition mechanism of simultaneous catalytic removal of NOx and toluene on Mn-based catalysts.

NOx and toluene have been identified as the dominant air pollutants in solid wasted combustion, and it is of great importance to remove these two pollutants simultaneously. Here, we found that Mn/CeO2 and Mn/TiO2 exhibited a bifunctional property in both NO reduction and toluene oxidation, and both of which could achieve 80% of conversion rate in NO reduction and toluene oxidation processes. However, the activity of both Mn/CeO2 and Mn/TiO2 decreased in simultaneous removal of NOx and toluene compared with separate NOx reduction and toluene oxidation. This indicates that there is a mutual inhibition between NOx reduction and toluene oxidation in simultaneous removal process over Mn-based catalysts, attributing to the competitive adsorption and utilization of active oxygen. In detail, the adsorption of toluene occupied the Lewis acid sites and restrained the NH3 adsorption. Meanwhile, the competitive utilization of active oxygen by NH3/NOx inhibited toluene oxidation to CO2 by active oxygen species as the reaction between NH3/NOx and active oxygen species would occur more easily.

Achieving toluene efficient mineralization over K/ɑ-MnO2via oxygen vacancy modulation.

Oxygen vacancy plays an important role in adsorption and activation of oxygen species and therefore promotes the catalytic performance of materials in heterogeneous oxidation reactions. Here, a series of K-doped ɑ-MnO2 materials with different K loadings were synthesized by a reproducible post processing process. Results show that the presence of K+ enhances the reducibility and oxygen vacancy concentration of ɑ-MnO2 due to the break of charge balance and the formation of low valence Mn species. 4-K/MnO2 material exhibits the highest toluene oxidation activity and satisfied long-term stability and water resistance owing to its superior reducibility and abundant surface absorbed oxygen (Oads). In situ DRIFTS demonstrate that Oads greatly accelerates toluene dehydrogenation rate and promotes benzoate formation, enhancing the activation and decomposition of toluene molecules. Moreover, the CC cleavage of benzene ring (forming maleic anhydride) is the rate-determining step of toluene oxidation, which can be easily occurred over 4-K/MnO2.

Unraveling the effects of potassium incorporation routes and positions on toluene oxidation over α-MnO2 nanorods: Based on experimental and density functional theory (DFT) studies.

Alkali metal potassium is conducive to structure promotion and electronic modulation in metal oxides. Here, K species was successfully introduced into α-MnO2via in situ synthesis (Pre-K/MnO2) and hydrothermal impregnation method (Post-K/MnO2) with target to boost the low-temperature reactivity and deep destruction efficiency for toluene oxidation. Results reveal that Post-K/MnO2 possesses the highest catalytic activity with toluene (1000 ppm) totally mineralized at just 258 °C, achieving over 70 °C of temperature reduction than that of Pre-K/MnO2. K specie shows obvious charge transfer balance ability in MnO2, forming MnO6-K-MnO6 bridging bond and leading to more uniform energy of Mn-O bonds. High electron density of K+ can promote the activation of oxygen molecules, resulting in a better catalytic performance of toluene. Abundant Brønsted acid sites are beneficial for toluene adsorption and regeneration of hydroxyl on the surface, which promote the degradation of intermediates during toluene oxidation. Moreover, Post-K/MnO2 shows satisfied catalytic performance under different space velocities and initial concentrations and humid condition. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation revealed the situation of oxygen vacancy and toluene/oxygen adsorption energy in catalysts with different K doping locations. Results showed that the adsorption energy is stronger when K located in large tunnel (0.46 × 0.46 nm), and it is easier to form oxygen vacancy while K entered the small tunnel (0.33 × 0.33 nm). The present work paves new insights into the designing of efficient transition metal oxide catalyst for VOC deep purification.

Pd-based catalysts promoted by hierarchical porous Al2O3 and ZnO microsphere supports/coatings for ethyl acetate highly active and stable destruction.

Developing economical and active materials is of great significance for VOC purification. Here, hierarchical porous Al2O3 and ZnO microspheres (Al2O3-pm and ZnO-pm) were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal strategy. The urchin-like Al2O3-pm and flower-like ZnO-pm possess high specific surface area (especially; external surface area) obviously boost the dispersion of Pd with 29.3 % and 30.1 % over Pd/Al2O3-pm and Pd/ZnO-pm, respectively, over 3.4 times higher than those of commercial Al2O3- and ZnO-supported counterparts. Pd/Al2O3-pm possesses excellent activity and CO2 yield in ethyl acetate (EA) degradation, with TOF reaches 7.76 × 10-3 s-1 at 160 °C under GHSV of 50,000 h-1. Moreover, Pd/Al2O3-pm exhibits satisfied performance in EA-contained binary VOCs oxidation and has high long-term stability under both dry and humid conditions. Both Pd sites and Brønsted acid sites participated in reaction process and initially react with EA to form ethylene and ethanol, respectively. Larger amount Brønsted acid sites over Pd/Al2O3-pm promote ethanol formation and C-C cleavage, resulting in different CO2 yields and EA activation mechanisms. The coating greatly enhances Pd dispersion over Pd supported monolithic catalyst, endowing its desired activity and stability even with a much lower Pd loading. This work promotes the potential application of noble-metal-based monolithic materials in VOC degradation.

Development and Validation of a Preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Radiomics-Based Signature to Predict Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis and Disease-Free Survival in Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer.

Importance: Axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) status, typically estimated using an invasive procedure with a high false-negative rate, strongly affects the prognosis of recurrence in breast cancer. However, preoperative noninvasive tools to accurately predict ALNM status and disease-free survival (DFS) are lacking. Objective: To develop and validate dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) radiomic signatures for preoperative identification of ALNM and to assess individual DFS in patients with early-stage breast cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective prognostic study included patients with histologically confirmed early-stage breast cancer diagnosed at 4 hospitals in China from July 3, 2007, to September 21, 2019, randomly divided (7:3) into development and vaidation cohorts. All patients underwent preoperative MRI scans, were treated with surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy or ALN dissection, and were pathologically examined to determine the ALNM status. Data analysis was conducted from February 15, 2019, to March 20, 2020. Exposure: Clinical and DCE-MRI radiomic signatures. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end points were ALNM and DFS. Results: This study included 1214 women (median [IQR] age, 47 [42-55] years), split into development (849 [69.9%]) and validation (365 [30.1%]) cohorts. The radiomic signature identified ALNM in the development and validation cohorts with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.88 and 0.85, respectively, and the clinical-radiomic nomogram accurately predicted ALNM in the development and validation cohorts (AUC, 0.92 and 0.90, respectively) based on a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-logistic regression model. The radiomic signature predicted 3-year DFS in the development and validation cohorts (AUC, 0.81 and 0.73, respectively), and the clinical-radiomic nomogram could discriminate high-risk from low-risk patients in the development cohort (hazard ratio [HR], 0.04; 95% CI, 0.01-0.11; P < .001) and the validation cohort (HR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.004-0.32; P < .001) based on a random forest-Cox regression model. The clinical-radiomic nomogram was associated with 3-year DFS in the development and validation cohorts (AUC, 0.89 and 0.90, respectively). The decision curve analysis demonstrated that the clinical-radiomic nomogram displayed better clinical predictive usefulness than the clinical or radiomic signature alone. Conclusions and Relevance: This study described the application of MRI-based machine learning in patients with breast cancer, presenting novel individualized clinical decision nomograms that could be used to predict ALNM status and DFS. The clinical-radiomic nomograms were useful in clinical decision-making associated with personalized selection of surgical interventions and therapeutic regimens for patients with early-stage breast cancer.

Combined pre-conditioning with salidroside and hypoxia improves proliferation, migration and stress tolerance of adipose-derived stem cells.

Oxidative stress after ischaemia impairs the function of transplanted stem cells. Increasing evidence has suggested that either salidroside (SAL) or hypoxia regulates growth of stem cells. However, the role of SAL in regulating function of hypoxia-pre-conditioned stem cells remains elusive. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effect of SAL and hypoxia pre-conditionings on the proliferation, migration and tolerance against oxidative stress in rat adipose-derived stem cells (rASCs). rASCs treated with SAL under normoxia (20% O2 ) or hypoxia (5% O2 ) were analysed for the cell viability, proliferation, migration and resistance against H2 O2 -induced oxidative stress. In addition, the activation of Akt, Erk1/2, LC3, NF-κB and apoptosis-associated pathways was assayed by Western blot. The results showed that SAL and hypoxia treatments synergistically enhanced the viability (fold) and proliferation of rASCs under non-stressed conditions in association with increased autophagic flux and activation of Akt, Erk1/2 and LC3. H2 O2 -induced oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, autophagic cell death and NF-κB activation were inhibited by SAL or hypoxia, and further attenuated by the combined SAL and hypoxia pre-treatment. The SAL and hypoxia pre-treatment also enhanced the proliferation and migration of rASCs under oxidative stress in association with Akt and Erk1/2 activation; however, the combined pre-treatment exhibited a more profound enhancement in the migration than proliferation. Our data suggest that SAL combined with hypoxia pre-conditioning may enhance the therapeutic capacity of ASCs in post-ischaemic repair.

MicroRNA-1 Regulates the Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells into Cardiomyocyte-Like Cells.

Stem cell transplantation is one of most valuable methods in the treatment of myocardial infarction, and adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are becoming a hot topic in medical research. Previous studies have shown that ASCs can be differentiated into cardiomyocyte-like cells, but the efficiency and survival rates are low. We investigated the role and mechanism of microRNA-1 (miR-1) in the differentiation of ASCs into cardiomyocyte-like cells. ASCs and cardiomyocytes were isolated from neonatal rats. We constructed lentivirus for overexpressing miR-1 and used DAPT, an antagonist of the Notch1 pathway, for in vitro analyses. We performed cocultures with ASCs and cardiomyocytes. The differentiation efficiency of ASCs was detected by cell-specific surface antigens. Our results showed that miR-1 can promote the expression of Notch1 and reduce the expression of Hes1, a Notch pathway factor, and overexpression of miR-1 can promote the differentiation of ASCs into cardiomyocyte-like cells, which may occur by regulating Notch1 and Hes1.