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Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are a group of compounds widespread in the environment. To investigate the occurrence and accumulation characteristics of PAEs, surface water samples were collected from the Three Gorges Reservoir area, China. The total concentrations of 11 analyzed PAEs (∑11PAEs) in the collected water samples ranging from 197.7 to 1,409.3 ng/L (mean ± IQR: 583.1 ± 308.4 ng/L). While DEHP was the most frequently detected PAE, DnBP and DnNP were the most predominant PAEs in the analyzed water samples with a mean contribution of 63.3% of the ∑11PAEs. The concentrations of the ∑11PAEs in the water samples from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River were significantly higher than those from the middle reaches. To better understand the transport and fate of the PAEs, seven detected PAEs were modeled by Quantitative Water Air Sediment Interaction (QWASI). The simulated and measured values were close for most PAEs, and differences are within one order of magnitude even for the worst one. For all simulated PAEs, water and particle inflow were main sources in the reservoir, whereas water outflow and degradation in water were important removal pathways. The contribution ratios of different sources/losses varied from PAEs, depending on their properties. The calculated risk quotients of DnNP in the Three Gorges Reservoir area whether based on monitoring or simulating results were all far exceeded the safety threshold value, implying the occurrence of this PAE compound may cause potential adverse effects for the aquatic ecology of the Three Gorges Reservoir area.
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Monitoramento Ambiental , Ésteres , Ácidos Ftálicos , Poluentes Químicos da Água , Ácidos Ftálicos/análise , China , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Ésteres/análise , Rios/química , Modelos QuímicosRESUMO
Sweet sorghum can be used to produce a substantial quantity of biofuel due to its high biological yield and high carbohydrate content. In this study, we investigated the dynamic changes in fermentation characteristics, carbohydrate components, and the bacterial community during the ensiling of wilted and unwilted sweet sorghum. The results revealed a rapid fermentation pattern and high-quality fermentation quality in wilted and unwilted sweet sorghum, wherein lactic acid, and acetic acid accumulated and stabilized during the initial 9 days of ensiling, with the pH values less than 4.2, until 60 days of ensiling. We found that the ensiling of sweet sorghum involved the degradation (5% ~ 10%) of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and hemicellulose and that the degradation of NDF fit a first-order exponential decay model. A shift in dominance from Lactococcus to Lactobacillus occurred before the first 9 days of ensiling, and the abundance of Lactobacillus (r = -0.68, p < 0.001) was negatively correlated with the NDF content. The relative abundances of Lactobacillus in wilted and unwilted sweet sorghum after ensiling for 60 days were 76.30 and 93.49%, respectively, and relatively high fermentation quality was obtained. In summary, ensiling is proposed as a biological pretreatment for sweet sorghum for subsequent biofuel production, and unlike other materials, sweet sorghum quickly achieves good fermentation quality and has great potential for bioresource production.
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Objective: The research was carried out to determine and compare the efficiency of completely transradial access (cTRA) and transfemoral access (TFA) in retrograde chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background: The cases of retrograde chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention usually need the dual access. The transradial method is now used more frequently in CTO PCI, and improves the safety of CTO PCI. Methods: This retrospective, observational study was carried out in a single center. Participants were patients who underwent dual-access retrograde CTO PCI from January 2017 to October 2023, categorized into two groups: cTRA (biradial access) and TFA (bifemoral, or combined radial and femoral access). All patients in the cTRA group received conventional radial access. All punctures of the femoral artery were performed without fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance. None of the patients in the TFA group accepted any arterial closure devices. Clinical, angiographic and procedural characteristics and the occurrence of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) of the cTRA and TFA procedures were recorded. Results: This research involved 187 CTO PCI procedures with dual access, of which 88 were done using cTRA and the rest (99) were carried out through TFA. The J-CTO (Multicenter Chronic Total Occlusion Registry of Japan) score was lower in the cTRA group than TFA group (2.1± 0.6 vs 3.0± 0.8; P <0.001). The technical success (84.1% vs 82.8%; P= 0.817), procedural success (80.7% vs 79.8%; P= 0.906) and in-hospital MACE rates (5.7% vs 4.0%; P= 0.510) were the same for both groups. For a J-CTO score of 3 or higher, technical success rate was significantly lower in the cTRA group than the TFA group (58.1% vs 74.2%; P < 0.001). Conclusion: In the retrograde CTO PCI, the percentages of success and in-hospital MACE were similar for both cTRA and TFA. Meanwhile, cTRA may be used for simpler lesions (J-CTO score < 3) as compared to TFA.
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Alpine tundra, covering 3% of the Earth's land surface, harbors approximately 4% of higher plant species. Changes in this vegetation significantly impact biodiversity and ecosystem services. Recent studies have primarily focused on large-scale and long-term vegetation changes in polar and high-latitude regions. However, the study of short-term vegetation changes and their primary drivers has received insufficient attention in alpine tundra. This study aimed to investigate vegetation changes and their dominant drivers in the alpine tundra of Changbai Mountains-located at the southern edge of the alpine tundra distribution in Eastern Eurasia-over a short period by re-surveying permanent plots in 2019 and comparing them with data from 2014. The results showed that significant changes were observed in alpine tundra vegetation during the study period. The importance values of typical alpine tundra plants such as Rhododendron chrysanthum, Vaccinium uliginosum, and Dryas octopetala decreased noticeably, while those of herbaceous species such as Deyeuxia angustifolia and Sanguisorba sitchensis increased significantly. Species richness, diversity, and evenness at different altitudinal gradients showed varying degrees of increase. A distinct expansion trend of herbaceous species was observed in the alpine tundra, contributing to a shift in plant community composition toward herbaceous dominance. This shift might result in the meadowization of the dwarf shrub tundra. Our findings further revealed that soil nutrients rather than climate factors, dominated the changes of plant communities over a short period. These findings provide scientific references for the conservation and management of biodiversity, as well as for projecting future vegetation dynamics in alpine tundra.
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BACKGROUND: Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) has brought significant physical, psychological and economic burdens on the patients and their families due to its early onset, diagnostic and therapeutic challenges and increased recurrence risk. AIM: To explore the current research status and emerging hotspots of PJS. METHODS: Studies on PJS published during 1994-2023 were gathered based on Web of Science Core Collection. Additionally, a case of PJS-induced intestinal intussusception, successfully treated with endoscopic methods despite three laparotomies, was highlighted. Comprehensive bibliometric and visual analysis were conducted with VOSviewer, R and CiteSpace. RESULTS: Altogether 1760 studies were identified, indicating a steady increase in the publication number. The United States had the highest influence, whereas the University of Helsinki emerged as the leading institution, and Aaltonen LA from the University of Helsinki was the most prolific author. Cancer Research, Oncogene and Endoscopy were the top three journals based on H-index. Keyword burst direction analysis revealed that "cancer risk", "management", "surveillance" and "familial pancreatic cancer" were the potential hotspots for investigation. Additionally, "early detection", "capsule endoscopy", "clinical management", "double-balloon endoscopy", "familial pancreatic cancer" and "molecular genetic basis" were identified as the key clusters of co-cited references. Endoscopic polypectomy remained effective on resolving intestinal intussusception in patients who underwent three previous laparotomies. CONCLUSION: In the last three decades, global publications related to PJS show a steadily increasing trend in number. Endoscopic management is currently a research hotspot.
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Flaxseed lignan macromolecules (FLMs) are important polyphenols present in flaxseeds with interfacial adsorption behavior. However, FLMs are easily degraded during thermal treatment in emulsions, which further influences their interfacial properties and application. In this work, the interfacial properties of FLMs between oil and water were evaluated using compression isotherms and interfacial tension to investigate the regulation mechanism of FLMs and their heat-treated products on the stability of O/W emulsions. Furthermore, the improvement mechanism of FLM heat-treated products on the physicochemical stability of flaxseed oil emulsions was clarified. Studies showed that thermal degradation occurred on terminal phenolic acids in FLMs when treated under 100 and 150 °C (FLM-100 and FLM-150) without any decrease in antioxidant activity. FLM-100 and FLM-150 improved the physicochemical stability of sunflower lecithin (S90)-stabilized flaxseed oil emulsions and reduced the concentration of hydroperoxides and TBARS by 26.7% and 80% (p < 0.05), respectively, during storage. This was due to the high interfacial anchoring of FLM-100 and FLM-150, which further strengthened the interface of oil droplets and improved the interfacial antioxidant effect of FLMs. This implies that FLM-100 and FLM-150 could act as new efficient antioxidants for application in food emulsions.
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A novel and highly efficient Pd-catalyzed arylation of sulfenate anions with aryl thianthrenium salts is demonstrated. This procedure provides a practical protocol to synthesize various diaryl and alkyl aryl sulfoxides in moderate-to-good yields. The new approach shows mild reaction conditions, broad substrate scope, and good functional group tolerance.
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The coastal region of China is a typical area characterized by a developed economy, yet it faces prominent resource and environmental issues, and it is of great significance to quantitatively assess the ecological effects resulting from rapid urbanization and industrialization. Based on the land use data from 1985 to 2020, and the InVEST modeling and relevant spatial data sources, the paper analyzed the spatial and temporal changes in land use cover and habitat quality in the coastal China over the past 30â¯years. The results show that: 1) land use cover in the coastal China has changed significantly during the study period, with the area of cultivated land continuing to decrease and construction land expanding; 2) the trend of habitat quality degradation in was obvious, with the area of low-value habitat quality continuing to increase. Spatially, they were mainly located in the three major urban agglomerations undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization; 3) The average degradation of habitats increased significantly between 1990 and 2000 and 2010-2020. The rate of change in areas with different degradation levels from 1990 to 2000 was higher than in other periods. The low-value areas of habitat degradation are mainly located in hilly and mountainous regions. 4) The transfer of habitat grades was generally characterized by a shift from high grade to low grade. This trend of conversion was due to the large-scale occupation of cultivated land by construction land and the long-term encroachment of ecological land by cultivated land. For future development, it is recommended to improve the land use regulation system based on the principles of sustainable development, with a particular focus on habitat protection. Additionally, efforts should be made to strengthen the development of ecological agriculture, carry out ecological protection and restoration, and improve the mechanisms for coordinating land and sea management.
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Objective: Understansding the changing patterns of in vivo electrical properties for the target tissue is crucial for the accurate temperature monitoring and the treatment efficacy in thermal therapy. Our research aims to investigate the changing patterns and the reversibility of in vivo electrical properties for both healthy livers and liver tumors in a mouse model over a frequency range of 1 Hz to 1 MHz at temperatures between 30 °C to 90 °C.Methods and materials: The mice were anesthetized and the target organ was exposed. An 808-nm near-infrared laser was employed as the heating source to heat the organ in vivo. The four-needle electrode, connected to an impedance analyzer, was utilized to obtain the impedance at varying temperatures, which were monitored by a thermocouple.Results: The findings indicated a gradual decline in impedance with an increase in temperature. Furthermore, the impedance was normalized to that at 30 °C, and the real part of the normalized impedance was defined as the k-values, which range from 0 to 1. The results demonstrated a linear correlation between k-values and temperatures (R2 > 0.9 for livers and R2 > 0.8 for tumors). Significant differences were observed between livers and tumors at 1, 10 and 50 kHz (p < 0.05). Additionally, it was demonstrated that the electrical properties could be reversed when the temperature was below or equal to 45 °C.Conclusion: We believe that these results will contribute to the advancement of radiofrequency ablation systems and the development of techniques for temperature monitoring during liver thermal treatment.
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Hipertermia Induzida , Neoplasias Hepáticas , Fígado , Animais , Camundongos , Neoplasias Hepáticas/terapia , Hipertermia Induzida/métodos , Modelos Animais de Doenças , MasculinoRESUMO
Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising candidates for grid-scale energy-storage applications, but uneven Zn2+ flux distribution and undesirable water-related interfacial side reactions seriously hinder their practical application. Herein, a strategy of regulating the coordination interaction between Zn2+ and artificial interphase layers (AILs) to modulate the interfacial Zn2+ desolvation/transport behaviors and relieve side reactions for building stable Zn anodes is proposed. By selectively choosing appropriate polymers with different functional groups, it is shown that compared with the strong interaction offered by aryl groups in polystyrene-based AILs, cyano groups in polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based AILs provide a moderate coordination interaction with Zn2+, which not only accelerates interfacial Zn2+desolvation kinetics but also enables efficient Zn2+ transport within AILs. Moreover, the Zn2+ transport kinetics of PAN-based AILs can be further enhanced with the incorporation of an ionic conductor, zinc phosphate (ZP). Because of these advantages, the Zn anodes decorated with the hybrid AILs composed of PAN and ZP can steadily operate for >2000 h at 0.2 mA cm-2 and >350 h at a high current density of 10 mA cm-2. This work provides a valuable guideline for selective design of AILs at the molecular level for durable AZIBs.
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In this study, we developed a flexible cathode for fabricating high-performance ternary organic solar cells (OSCs). With solvent engineering and acid treatment, the conductivity of the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) electrode was significantly enhanced with the sheet resistance reduced from 1081 to 83 Ω sq-1. After being coated with polyethylenimine, work function of the PEDOT:PSS electrode was tuned from -5.07 to -4.12 eV, which is beneficial for electron collection in OSCs. With this technique, the OSCs (on glass) showed an average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.3%, which is comparable to that of conventional inverted OSCs with commonly used indium-tin oxide and sol-gel-processed zinc oxide. However, the processing temperature of the inverted OSCs was dramatically lowered from 200 to 120 °C. The flexible OSCs (on polyethylene naphthalate/PEDOT:PSS/PEIE) exhibited a high PCE of 14.1%. After being bended for 300 cycles, the PCE was only degraded by 8.5%, indicating the excellent bendability of the flexible OSCs with the organic cathode.
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Ti3C2Tx (MXene) is widely acknowledged as an excellent substrate for constructing heterogeneous structures with transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) for boosting the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion storage. However, conventional synthesis strategies inevitably lead to poor electrochemical charge transfer due to Ti3C2Tx-derived TiO2 at the heterogeneous interface between Ti3C2Tx and TMCs. Here, an innovative in situ selenization strategy is proposed to replace the originally generated TiO2 on Ti3C2Tx with metallic TiSe2 interphase, clearing the bottleneck of slow charge transfer barrier caused by MXene oxidation. The construction of bimetallic selenide formed by CoSe2 and TiSe2 generates intrinsic electric fields to guide the fast ion diffusion kinetics in a heterogeneous interface. Additionally, the CoSe2/TiSe2/Ti3C2Tx heterogeneous structure with enhanced structural stability and improved rate performance is confirmed by both experiments and theoretical calculations. The engineered heterogeneous structure exhibits an ultra-high pseudocapacitance contribution (73.1% at 0.1 mV s-1), rendering it well-suited to offset the kinetics differences between double-layer materials. The assembled lithium-ion capacitor based on CoSe2/TiSe2/Ti3C2Tx possesses a high energy density and an ultralong life span (89.5% after 10 000 times at 2 A g-1). This devised strategy provides a feasible solution for utilizing the performance advantages of MXene substrates in lithium storage with ultrafast charge transfer kinetics.
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Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum), an anaerobic resident of the oral cavity, is increasingly recognized as a contributing factor to ulcerative colitis (UC). The adhesive properties of F. nucleatum are mediated by its key virulence protein, FadA adhesin. However, further investigations are needed to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of this oral pathogen in UC. The present study aimed to explore the role of the FadA adhesin in the colonization and invasion of oral F. nucleatum in dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mice via molecular techniques. In this study, we found that oral inoculation of F. nucleatum strain carrying the FadA adhesin further exacerbated DSS-induced colitis, leading to elevated alveolar bone loss, disease severity, and mortality. Additionally, CDH1 gene knockout mice treated with DSS presented increases in body weight and alveolar bone density, as well as a reduction in disease severity. Furthermore, FadA adhesin adhered to its mucosal receptor E-cadherin, leading to the phosphorylation of ß-catenin and the degradation of IκBα, the activation of the NF-κB signalling pathway and the upregulation of downstream cytokines. In conclusion, this research revealed that oral inoculation with F. nucleatum facilitates experimental colitis via the secretion of the virulence adhesin FadA. Targeting the oral pathogen F. nucleatum and its virulence factor FadA may represent a promising therapeutic approach for a portion of UC patients.
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Cobalt phthalocyanine immobilized on carbon nanotube has demonstrated appreciable selectivity and activity for methanol synthesis in electrocatalytic CO2/CO reduction. However, discrepancies in methanol production selectivity and activity between CO2 and CO reduction have been observed, leading to inconclusive mechanisms for methanol production in this system. Here, we discover that the interaction between cobalt phthalocyanine molecules and defects on carbon nanotube substrate plays a key role in methanol production during CO2/CO electroreduction. Through detailed operando X-ray absorption and infrared spectroscopies, we find that upon application of cathodic potential, this interaction induces the transformation of the planar CoN4 center in cobalt phthalocyanine to an out-of-plane distorted configuration. Consequently, this potential induced structural change promotes the transformation of linearly bonded *CO at the CoN4 center to bridge *CO, thereby facilitating methanol production. Overall, these comprehensive mechanistic investigations and the outstanding performance (methanol partial current density over 150 mA cm-2) provide valuable insights in guiding the activity and selectivity of immobilized cobalt phthalocyanine for methanol production in CO2/CO reduction.
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Ionizing radiation (IR)-induced intestinal injury remains a major limiting factor in abdominal radiation therapy, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. In this study, mouse models of IR-induced intestinal injury were established, and the effect of IR on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2) was determined. More severe IR-induced intestinal damage was observed in Nrf2 knockout (KO) mice than in wild-type mice. Then, the negative regulation of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase/stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS/STING) signaling by Nrf2 was examined both in vivo and in vitro during IR. This was accompanied by alterations in the intestinal neutrophil and macrophage populations in mice. Subsequently, the effect of the cGAS/STING pathway on the intestinal toxicity of IR was also investigated. Moreover, the downregulation of cGAS/STING by Nrf2 via its target gene, Pirin, was confirmed using transfection assays. A rescue experiment with Pirin was also conducted using adeno-associated virus in Nrf2 KO mice. Finally, the protective effect of calcitriol against IR-induced intestinal injury, along with increased Nrf2 and Pirin levels and decreased cGAS, pSTING, and interferon-beta (IFNß) levels, were observed. Taken together, our results suggest that Nrf2 alleviates IR-induced intestinal injury through Pirin-mediated inhibition of the innate immunity-related cGAS/STING pathway.
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Starch serves as a crucial energy source for both plants and humans, predominantly synthesized and stored in endosperms, tubers, rhizomes, and cotyledons. Given the significant role of amylose in determining the quality of starchy crops, optimizing its content has become a key objective in current crop breeding efforts. Tartary buckwheat, a dicotyledonous plant, notably accumulates high levels of amylose in its endosperm, surpassing common cereals like rice and maize. However, the mechanisms underlying amylose accumulation, distribution, and regulation in Tartary buckwheat remain unclear. Here, amylose content was determined across various tissues and organs of Tartary buckwheat, identifying with the endosperm as the primary site for its biosynthesis and accumulation. RNA sequencing analysis of endosperms from different developmental stages identified 35 genes potentially involved in starch biosynthesis, with 13 genes showing high endosperm-specific expression, suggesting crucial roles in starch biosynthesis. Additionally, the transcription factor FtNF-YB2, which was specifically highly expressed in the endosperm, was discovered to enhance amylose synthesis. Moreover, promoters with potential endosperm-specific activity were identified, advancing our understanding of amylose regulation. Additionally, this study also demonstrates that brassinosteroids (BR) positively influence amylose biosynthesis in Tartary buckwheat endosperm. These findings provide essential insights into the mechanisms of understanding amylose biosynthesis, accumulation and regulation in Tartary buckwheat, offering significant implications for future breeding strategies.
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Rodent-infested bald spots are crucial indicators of rodent infestation in grasslands. Leveraging Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing technology for discerning detrimental bald spots among plateau pikas has significant implications for assessing associated ecological hazards. Based on UAV-visible light imagery, we classified and recognized the characteristics of plateau pika habitats with five supervised classification algorithms, i.e., minimum distance classification (MinD), maximum likelihood classification (ML), support vector machine classification (SVM), Mahalanobis distance classification (MD), and neural network classification (NN) . The accuracy of the five methods was evaluated using a confusion matrix. Results showed that NN and SVM exhibited superior performance than other methods in identifying and classifying features indicative of plateau pika habitats. The mapping accuracy of NN for grassland and bald spots was 98.1% and 98.5%, respectively, with corresponding user accuracy was 98.8% and 97.7%. The overall model accuracy was 98.3%, with a Kappa coefficient of 0.97, reflecting minimal misclassification and omission errors. Through practical verification, NN exhibited good stability. In conclusion, the neural network method was suitable for identifying rodent-damaged bald spots within alpine meadows.
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Algoritmos , Ecossistema , Pradaria , Tecnologia de Sensoriamento Remoto , Roedores , Dispositivos Aéreos não Tripulados , Animais , Tecnologia de Sensoriamento Remoto/métodos , Lagomorpha , Redes Neurais de Computação , Monitoramento Ambiental/métodos , Máquina de Vetores de Suporte , ChinaRESUMO
Bacterial keratitis is a common form of inflammation caused by the bacterial invasion of the corneal stroma after trauma. In extreme cases, it can lead to severe visual impairment or even blindness; therefore, timely medical intervention is imperative. Unfortunately, widespread misuse of antibiotics has led to the development of drug resistance. In recent years, organ-on-chips that integrate multiple cell co-cultures have extensive applications in fundamental research and drug screening. In this study, immortalized human corneal epithelial cells and primary human corneal fibroblasts were co-cultured on a porous polydimethylsiloxane membrane to create a cornea-on-a-chip model. The developed multilayer epithelium closely mimicked clinical conditions, demonstrating high structural resemblance and repeatability. By introducing a consistently defective epithelium and bacterial infection using the space-occupying method, we successfully established an in vitro model of bacterial keratitis using S. aureus. We validate this model by evaluating the efficacy of antibiotics, such as levofloxacin, tobramycin, and chloramphenicol, through simultaneously observing the reactions of bacteria and the two cell types to these antibiotics. Our study has revealed the barrier function of epithelium of the model and differentiated efficacy of three drugs in terms of bactericidal activity, reducing cellular apoptosis, and mitigating scar formation. Altogether, the cornea on chip enables the assessment of ocular antibiotics, distinguishing the impact on corneal cells and structural integrity. This study introduced a biomimetic in vitro disease model to evaluate drug efficacy and provided significant insights into the extensive effects of antibiotics on diverse cell populations within the cornea.
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Stable anchoring of dispersed metal atoms through either surface adsorption or lattice substitution on support surfaces is a prerequisite for highly efficient catalytic performance. Atomic-level insights into these processes are necessary to understand the metal-support interactions. Here, we identify multiple Fe single-atom configurations on the rutile-TiO2(110) surface using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT). Our results show that an Fe atom can either adsorb on a surface O site (configuration I) or stably substitute a surface lattice Ti atom (configuration II). A transformation from configuration I to configuration II can be induced by STM manipulation. Furthermore, the substitutional Fe atom can capture an additional Fe atom to form a dual Fe-Fe complex (configuration III). DFT calculations reveal that these Fe species contribute different states in either the bandgap or the conduction band. These atomistic insights pave the way for interrogating the integrated performance of nonprecious, TiO2-supported Fe single-atom catalysts.