Design of the Synergistic Rectifying Interfaces in Mott-Schottky Catalysts.

The functions of interfacial synergy in heterojunction catalysts are diverse and powerful, providing a route to solve many difficulties in energy conversion and organic synthesis. Among heterojunction-based catalysts, the Mott-Schottky catalysts composed of a metal-semiconductor heterojunction with predictable and designable interfacial synergy are rising stars of next-generation catalysts. We review the concept of Mott-Schottky catalysts and discuss their applications in various realms of catalysis. In particular, the design of a Mott-Schottky catalyst provides a feasible strategy to boost energy conversion and chemical synthesis processes, even allowing realization of novel catalytic functions such as enhanced redox activity, Lewis acid-base pairs, and electron donor-acceptor couples for dealing with the current problems in catalysis for energy conversion and storage. This review focuses on the synthesis, assembly, and characterization of Schottky heterojunctions for photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and organic synthesis. The proposed design principles, including the importance of constructing stable and clean interfaces, tuning work function differences, and preparing exposable interfacial structures for designing electronic interfaces, will provide a reference for the development of all heterojunction-type catalysts, electrodes, energy conversion/storage devices, and even super absorbers, which are currently topics of interest in fields such as electrocatalysis, fuel cells, CO2 reduction, and wastewater treatment.

Electron Divergence of Cuδ- and Pdδ+ in Cu3Pd Alloy-Based Heterojunctions Boosts Concerted C≡C Bond Binding and the Volmer Step for Alkynol Semihydrogenation.

Electrocatalytic semihydrogenation of alkynols presents a sustainable alternative to conventional thermal methodologies for the high-value production of alkenols. The design of efficient catalysts with superior catalytic and energy efficiency for semihydrogenation poses a significant challenge. Here, we present the application of an electron-divergent Cu3Pd alloy-based heterojunction in promoting the electrocatalytic semihydrogenation of alkynols to alkenols using water as the proton source. The tunable electron divergence of Cuδ- and Pdδ+, modulated by rectifying contact with nitrogen-rich carbons, enables the concerted binding of active H species from the Volmer step of water dissociation and the C≡C bond of alkynols on Pdδ+ sites. Simultaneously, the pronounced electron divergence of Cu3Pd facilitates the universal adsorption of OH species from the Volmer step and alkynols on the Cuδ- sites. The electron-divergent dual-center substantially boosts water dissociation and inhibition of completing hydrogen evolution to give a turnover frequency of 2412 h-1, outperforming the reported electrocatalysts' value of 7.3. Moreover, the continuous production of alkenols at industrial-related current density (-200 mA cm-2) over the efficient and durable Cu3Pd-based electrolyzer could achieve a cathodic energy efficiency of 45 mol kW·h-1, 1.7 times the bench-marked reactors, promising great potential for sustainable industrial synthesis.

Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells-derived conditioned medium and exosomes alleviate oxidative stress-induced retinal degeneration by activating PI3K/Akt/FoxO3 pathway.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss among the elderly, which is primarily attributed to oxidative stress-induced damage to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSC) were considered to be one of the most promising stem cells for clinical application due to their low immunogenicity, tissue repair ability, pluripotent potential and potent paracrine effects. The conditional medium (hAMSC-CM) and exosomes (hAMSC-exo) derived from hAMSC, as mediators of intercellular communication, play an important role in the treatment of retinal diseases, but their effect and mechanism on oxidative stress-induced retinal degeneration are not explored. Here, we reported that hAMSC-CM alleviated H2O2-induced ARPE-19 cell death through inhibiting mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway in vitro. The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), alteration in mitochondrial morphology, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and elevation of Bax/Bcl2 ratio in ARPE-19 cells under oxidative stress were efficiently reversed by hAMSC-CM. Moreover, it was found that hAMSC-CM protected cells against oxidative injury via PI3K/Akt/FoxO3 signaling. Intriguingly, exosome inhibitor GW4869 alleviated the inhibitory effect of hAMSC-CM on H2O2-induced decrease in cell viability of ARPE-19 cells. We further demonstrated that hAMSC-exo exerted the similar protective effect on ARPE-19 cells against oxidative damage as hAMSC-CM. Additionally, both hAMSC-CM and hAMSC-exo ameliorated sodium iodate-induced deterioration of RPE and retinal damage in vivo. These results first indicate that hAMSC-CM and hAMSC-exo protect RPE cells from oxidative damage by regulating PI3K/Akt/FoxO3 pathway, suggesting hAMSC-CM and hAMSC-exo will be a promising cell-free therapy for the treatment of AMD in the future.

Improving the performance of kesterite solar cells by solution germanium alloying.

Cation substitution is an effective strategy to regulate the defects/electronic properties of kesterite Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) absorbers and improve the device photovoltaic performance. Here, we report Ge alloying kesterite Cu2Zn(Sn,Ge)(S,Se)4 (CZTGSSe) via a solution approach. The results demonstrate that the same chemical reaction of Ge4+ to Sn4+ ensures homogeneous Ge incorporation in the whole range of concentrations (from 0 to unit). Ge alloying promotes grain growth and linearly enlarges the absorber band gap by solely raising the conduction band minimum, which maintains a "spike" conduction band offset at the heterojunction interface until 15% alloying concentration and thus facilitates effective charge carrier collection. A promising efficiency of 11.57% has been achieved at 15% Ge alloying concentration with a significant enhancement in open-circuit voltage and fill factor. By further 10% Ag alloying to improve the absorber film morphology, a champion device with an efficiency of 12.25% has been achieved without an antireflective coating. This result emphasizes the feasibility of achieving homogeneous and controllable Ge alloying of kesterite semiconductors through the solution method, paving the way for further improvement and optimization of device performance.

Impaired synaptic plasticity and decreased glutamatergic neuron excitability induced by SIRT1/BDNF downregulation in the hippocampal CA1 region are involved in postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common complication after anesthesia/surgery, especially among elderly patients, and poses a significant threat to their postoperative quality of life and overall well-being. While it is widely accepted that elderly patients may experience POCD following anesthesia/surgery, the exact mechanism behind this phenomenon remains unclear. Several studies have indicated that the interaction between silent mating type information regulation 2 homologue 1 (SIRT1) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is crucial in controlling cognitive function and is strongly linked to neurodegenerative disorders. Hence, this research aims to explore how SIRT1/BDNF impacts cognitive decline caused by anesthesia/surgery in aged mice. METHODS: Open field test (OFT) was used to determine whether anesthesia/surgery affected the motor ability of mice, while the postoperative cognitive function of 18 months old mice was evaluated with Novel object recognition test (NORT), Object location test (OLT) and Fear condition test (FC). The expressions of SIRT1 and other molecules were analyzed by western blot and immunofluorescence staining. The hippocampal synaptic plasticity was detected by Golgi staining and Long-term potentiation (LTP). The effects of SIRT1 and BDNF overexpression as well as chemogenetic activation of glutamatergic neurons in hippocampal CA1 region of 18 months old vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1) mice on POCD were further investigated. RESULTS: The research results revealed that older mice exhibited cognitive impairment following intramedullary fixation of tibial fracture. Additionally, a notable decrease in the expression of SIRT1/BDNF and neuronal excitability in hippocampal CA1 glutamatergic neurons was observed. By increasing levels of SIRT1/BDNF or enhancing glutamatergic neuron excitability in the CA1 region, it was possible to effectively mitigate synaptic plasticity impairment and ameliorate postoperative cognitive dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: The decline in SIRT1/BDNF levels leading to changes in synaptic plasticity and neuronal excitability in older mice could be a significant factor contributing to cognitive impairment after anesthesia/surgery.

Development of a rapid visual detection technology for BmNPV based on CRISPR/Cas13a system.

Pathogenic microorganism of silkworm are important factors that threaten the high-quality development of sericulture. Among them, Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) caused diseases often lead to frequent outbreaks and high mortality, resulting in huge losses to sericultural industry. Current molecular detection methods for BmNPV require expensive equipment and sikilled technical personnel. As a result, the most commonly detection method for silkworm egg production enterprises involves observing the presence of polyhedra under a microscope. However, this method has low accuracy and sensitivity. There is an urgent need to develop a new detection technology with high sensitivity, high specificity, and applicability for silkworm farms, silkworm egg production enterprises and quarantine departments. In this study, we successfully established the CRISPR/Cas13a BmNPV visualized detection technology by combining Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) technology and CRISPR/Cas13a system. This technology is based on microplate lateral, flow test strips and portable fluorescence detector. The detection sensitivity can reach up to 1 copies/µL for positive standard plasmid and 1 fg/µL for BmNPV genome in 30-45 min, demonstrating high sensitivity. By detecting silkworm tissues infected with different pathogens, we determined that CRISPR/Cas13a detection technology has good specificity. In summary, the newly established nucleic acid detection technology for BmNPV is characterized by high sensitivity, high specificity, low cost and convenience for visualization. It can be applied in field detection and silkworm egg quality monitory system.

Cambium Reactivation Is Closely Related to the Cell-Cycle Gene Configuration in Larix kaempferi.

Dormancy release and reactivation in temperate trees are mainly controlled by temperature and are affected by age, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we explored the effects of low temperatures in winter and warm temperatures in spring on dormancy release and reactivation in Larix kaempferi. Further, we established the relationships between cell-cycle genes and cambium cell division. The results showed that chilling accelerated L. kaempferi bud break overall, and the longer the duration of chilling is, the shorter the bud break time is. After dormancy release, warm temperatures induced cell-cycle gene expression; when the configuration value of the cell-cycle genes reached 4.97, the cambium cells divided and L. kaempferi reactivated. This study helps to predict the impact of climate change on wood production and provides technical support for seedling cultivation in greenhouses.

[Application of discrete element method (DEM) in pharmaceutical process of solid traditional Chinese medicine preparations].

In recent years, the application of numerical simulation in the research and development(R&D) as well as the pharmaceutical processes of new drugs has expanded considerably. The discrete element method(DEM), an important approach among numerical simulation methods, offers an effective tool for the simulation of discontinuous media. Referring to the research progress of DEM and the formulation of solid traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) preparations in recent years, this paper summarizes and analyzes the application of DEM in the pharmaceutical processes of solid TCM preparations, and discusses the challenges of its application in these processes, in order to provide new methods and ideas for promoting the high-quality production of TCM preparations.

[Critical influencing factors on quality of traditional Chinese medicine preparations from perspective of process and equipment].

The quality of traditional Chinese medicine preparations is directly related to the safety of patients. Among the various factors, the process and corresponding critical equipment are critical factors influencing the quality of the preparations. To improve the quality of traditional Chinese medicine preparations, this article summarizes and analyzes the problems in the process links and corresponding critical equipment in the manufacturing process of traditional Chinese medicine preparations. Furthermore, a critical quality attribute evaluation system is established based on safety and effectiveness combined with the drug properties, preparation process, and preparation characteristics, providing a basis for the process and equipment improvements aimed at quality enhancement.

[Exploration of cancer biological characteristics in people with different five movements and six climates constitution based on pan-cancer Bulk RNA-Seq].

According to the theory of five movements and six climates, the innate constitution plays a crucial role in determining the underlyingpa thological mechanisms of diseases later in life. Previous studies have demonstrated a close association between the constitution, as defined by the theory of five movements and six climates, and the development of various types of tumors. Furt hermore,the tumorsubtype determined by the constitution has prognostic implications. This highlights the potential of utilizing the fivemovements and six climates theory to guide the implementation of precision medicine strategies in thefield of oncology. However, no resear ch has yet been conducted to investigate the use of this theory in guiding the development of tumor molecular classification and precisi onmedicine strategies. The objective of this research is to uncover the biological characteristics of each constitution within a pancanc ercohort and identify potential anti-tumor drugs that are applicable to patients with different constitutional types. By doing so, we aimto c ontribute to the establishment of a precision medicine strategy for tumors derived from the original concepts of traditional Chi nesemedicine(TCM). In this study, we obtainedpan-cancer Bulk RNA-Seq data from UCSC Xena, GWAS cohort data from the UKBiobank, and cis-eQTLs data from eQ TLGen and GTEx V8. We employed machine learning methods to screen for hub genes associated with each constitution. Subsequently, we utilized informatics tools to explore the biological characteristics of each constitut iondefined by the theory of five movements and six bioclimates. Further, potential anti-tumor drugs suitable for patients with differen tconstitutional types were identified through mendelian randomization, molecular docking, and drug-like prediction techniques. Withinthe pan-cancer cohort, significant differences were observed among different constitutions in terms of progression-free interval, biological f unctions, immune cell abundance, tumor drug sensitivity, and immunotherapy response. These findings suggest that the five movements and six climates theory can guide tumor molecular classification and the development of precision medicine strategies. Moreover,the biological characteristics inherent to each constitution partially shed light on the scientific implications of Chinese medicinetheories, offering a fresh perspective towards clinical cancer treatment. Through molecular docking and drug-like prediction, several po tential anti-tumor drugs such as 17-beta-estradiol, serotonin, trans-resveratrol, and linoleic acid were identified. Overall, the util izationof multi-omics approaches pro vides a powerful tool to unravel the scientific foundations of TCM theories. The elucidation of themu lti-omics features associated witheach constitution in tumors serves as the basis for applying the five movements and six climates theoryto tumor molecular classification and the development of precision medicine strategies.

Genomic evolution and the impact of SLIT2 mutation in relapsed intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is aggressive and has high rates of relapse, conferring poor long-term survival after curative resection. Little is known about the genomic evolution that occurs during ICC relapse. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We conducted whole-exome sequencing of 30 paired primary and relapsed tumors from 10 patients with ICC who received curative resection. We sought to identify frequently altered genes, infer tumor subclonal architectures, and track genomic evolution from primary to relapsed tumors. We examined functional effects and the mechanism of action of SLIT2, a gene specifically mutated in relapsed tumors, on tumor growth and metastasis and the tumor microenvironment. Our results indicated that relapsed ICCs were genetically derived from intrahepatic dissemination of primary tumors. However, they acquired additional mutations while maintaining most drivers, such as TP53 and IDH1. Multiregion sequencing suggested polyclonal seeding of ICC dissemination. Four of 10 relapsed ICCs acquired SLIT2 mutations that were not present in the corresponding primary tumors. Validation in an expanded sample revealed SLIT2 mutations in 2.3% (1/44) of primary ICCs and 29.5% (13/44) of relapsed ICCs. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of SLIT2 resulted in activation of PI3K-Akt signaling in ICC cells, directly enhanced neutrophil chemotaxis, mediated tumor-associated neutrophil infiltration, and contributed to ICC growth and metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: We characterized genomic evolution during ICC relapse and identified SLIT2 as a driver of tumor dissemination and tumor-associated neutrophil infiltration.

Critical power is a key threshold determining the magnitude of post-exercise hypotension in non-hypertensive young males.

The effect of different exercise intensities on the magnitude of post-exercise hypotension has not been rigorously clarified with respect to the metabolic thresholds that partition discrete exercise intensity domains (i.e., critical power and the gas exchange threshold (GET)). We hypothesized that the magnitude of post-exercise hypotension would be greater following isocaloric exercise performed above versus below critical power. Twelve non-hypertensive men completed a ramp incremental exercise test to determine maximal oxygen uptake and the GET, followed by five exhaustive constant load trials to determine critical power and W' (work available above critical power). Subsequently, criterion trials were performed at four discrete intensities matched for total work performed (i.e., isocaloric) to determine the impact of exercise intensity on post-exercise hypotension: 10% above critical power (10% > CP), 10% below critical power (10% < CP), 10% above GET (10% > GET) and 10% below GET (10% < GET). The post-exercise decrease (i.e., the minimum post-exercise values) in mean arterial (10% > CP: -12.7 ± 8.3 vs. 10% < CP: v3.5 ± 2.9 mmHg), diastolic (10% > CP: -9.6 ± 9.8 vs. 10% < CP: -1.4 ± 5.0 mmHg) and systolic (10% > CP: -23.8 ± 7.0 vs. 10% < CP: -9.9 ± 4.3 mmHg) blood pressures were greater following exercise performed 10% > CP compared to all other trials (all P < 0.01). No effects of exercise intensity on the magnitude of post-exercise hypotension were observed during exercise performed below critical power (all P > 0.05). Critical power represents a threshold above which the magnitude of post-exercise hypotension is greatly augmented. NEW FINDINGS: What is the central questions of this study? What is the influence of exercise intensity on the magnitude of post-exercise hypotension with respect to metabolic thresholds? What is the main finding and its importance? The magnitude of post-exercise hypotension is greatly increased following exercise performed above critical power. However, below critical power, there was no clear effect of exercise intensity on the magnitude of post-exercise hypotension.

Multi-center validation of an artificial intelligence system for detection of COVID-19 on chest radiographs in symptomatic patients.

OBJECTIVES: While chest radiograph (CXR) is the first-line imaging investigation in patients with respiratory symptoms, differentiating COVID-19 from other respiratory infections on CXR remains challenging. We developed and validated an AI system for COVID-19 detection on presenting CXR. METHODS: A deep learning model (RadGenX), trained on 168,850 CXRs, was validated on a large international test set of presenting CXRs of symptomatic patients from 9 study sites (US, Italy, and Hong Kong SAR) and 2 public datasets from the US and Europe. Performance was measured by area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC). Bootstrapped simulations were performed to assess performance across a range of potential COVID-19 disease prevalence values (3.33 to 33.3%). Comparison against international radiologists was performed on an independent test set of 852 cases. RESULTS: RadGenX achieved an AUC of 0.89 on 4-fold cross-validation and an AUC of 0.79 (95%CI 0.78-0.80) on an independent test cohort of 5,894 patients. Delong's test showed statistical differences in model performance across patients from different regions (p < 0.01), disease severity (p < 0.001), gender (p < 0.001), and age (p = 0.03). Prevalence simulations showed the negative predictive value increases from 86.1% at 33.3% prevalence, to greater than 98.5% at any prevalence below 4.5%. Compared with radiologists, McNemar's test showed the model has higher sensitivity (p < 0.001) but lower specificity (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: An AI model that predicts COVID-19 infection on CXR in symptomatic patients was validated on a large international cohort providing valuable context on testing and performance expectations for AI systems that perform COVID-19 prediction on CXR. KEY POINTS: • An AI model developed using CXRs to detect COVID-19 was validated in a large multi-center cohort of 5,894 patients from 9 prospectively recruited sites and 2 public datasets. • Differences in AI model performance were seen across region, disease severity, gender, and age. • Prevalence simulations on the international test set demonstrate the model's NPV is greater than 98.5% at any prevalence below 4.5%.

Benzothiazole-Propanamide Linker Pyrrolidine (Morpholine) as Monoamine Oxidase-B and Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitors.

According to the fusion technique create effective multi-target-directed ligands, in this study, we designed and synthesized a series of benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-3-(pyrrolidin-1-yl) or 3-(morph- olino-1-yl)propanamide derivatives, and evaluated their inhibitory potency against MAOs, AChE, BuChE by in vitro enzyme effect assays. Based on activity results, we found that derivatives N-(5-methylbenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-3-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)propanamide (2 c) and N-(6-bromobenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-3-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)propanamide (2 h) showed good inhibitory potency against BuChE with IC50 values of 15.12 µM and 12.33 µM, respectively. Besides, 2 c and 2 h also exhibited selective MAO-B inhibitory effects with inhibition rates of 60.10 % and 66.30 % at 100 µM, respectively. In contrast, all designed derivatives were poor active against AChE and MAO-A at a concentration of 100 µM. The toxicity analysis in vitro by MTT and AO/EB fluorescence staining confirmed that 2 c and 2 h were nontoxic up to 100 µM. Molecular modeling studies showed that 2 c and 2 h could bind to the active site of BuChE. This research paves the way for further study aimed at designing MAO-B and BuChE inhibitors for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

Safety and efficacy of ultrasonography of tension after zone II flexor tendon repair: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Primary flexor tendon repairs of lacerations in zone II of the hand are fraught with problems. Traditionally, exercise (active and passive), orthoses, and physical agents are common interventions for the rehabilitation of patients experiencing these issues. One area of focus in this field is how to safely utilize tension to lengthen gliding distance following zone II injury. Finding effective solutions in this area is a key priority for improving patient outcomes and quality of life. PURPOSE: To identify the optimal immobilization position that meets safety standards for tension and is the most efficient, and consequently, to validate our clinical effectiveness. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was adopted for the first part of the research (Research 1). A prospective, parallel, 2-group, randomized trial was conducted with concealed allocation and single blinding in the second part of the research (Research 2). METHODS: A total of 60 healthy adults were recruited to select the best-fit protective immobilization position in Research 1, which was confirmed by tendon tension (via Young's modulus) and excursion (via gliding distance). We then randomly assigned 45 patients after zone II flexor tendon repair into two groups in Research 2 to compare functional outcomes. The control group underwent the conventional modified Duran protocol with early passive motion, while the experimental group received the protocol (optimized by Research 1) with early active motion. Ultrasonography was used to measure the tension and excursion of the flexor tendons. The outcomes measured at 16 weeks post-repair included total active motion, strength, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand, and Strickland scores. RESULTS: Three participants were unable to participate in Research 2 due to medical issues and poor attendance. The investigation found that the safe tendon threshold was 345.09 ± 87.74 kPa for partial active digital motion among the 60 participants. The optimal immobilization position requires the wrist to be neutral with a flexion angle of 30° at the metacarpophalangeal joint. The grip strengths (p = 0.012), ratio of grip strength (p = 0.015), the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (p = 0.036), and total active motion (p = 0.023) differed significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Protective immobilization of the wrist in a neutral flexion position and with the metacarpophalangeal joint flexed at 30° can secure the repaired flexor tendon safely and efficiently. The effects of an early active motion protocol may improve the grip strength and upper limb mobility of individuals after zone II flexor tendon repair. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2000030592.

N-glycan profiles of acute myocardial infarction patients reveal potential biomarkers for diagnosis, severity assessment and treatment monitoring.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Diagnostic challenges remain in this highly time-sensitive condition. Using capillary electrophoresis-laser-induced fluorescence, we analyzed the blood plasma N-glycan profile in a cohort study comprising 103 patients with AMI and 69 controls. Subsequently, the data generated was subjected to classification modeling to identify potential AMI biomarkers. An area under the Receiving Operating Characteristic curve (AUCROC) of 0.81 was obtained when discriminating AMI vs. non-MI patients. We postulate that the glycan profile involves a switch from a pro- to an anti-inflammatory state in the AMI pathophysiology. This was supported by significantly decreased levels in galactosylation, alongside increased levels in sialylation, afucosylation and GlcNAc bisection levels in the blood plasma of AMI patients. By substantiating the glycomics analysis with immunoglobulin G (IgG) protein measurements, robustness of the glycan-based classifiers was demonstrated. Changes in AMI-related IgG activities were also confirmed to be associated with alterations at the glycosylation level. Additionally, a glycan-biomarker panel derived from glycan features and current clinical biomarkers performed remarkably (AUCROC = 0.90, sensitivity = 0.579 at 5% false positive rate) when discriminating between patients with ST-segment elevation MI (n = 84) and non-ST-segment elevation MI (n = 19). Moreover, by applying the model trained using glycomics information, AMI and controls can still be discriminated at 1 and 6 months after baseline. Thus, glycomics biomarkers could potentially serve as a valuable complementary test to current diagnostic biomarkers. Additional research on their utility and associated biomechanisms via a large-scale study is recommended.

Boosting Mass Exchange between Pd/NC and MoC/NC Dual Junctions via Electron Exchange for Cascade CO2 Fixation.

Merging existing catalysts together as a cascade catalyst may achieve "one-pot" synthesis of complex but functional molecules by simplifying multistep reactions, which is the blueprint of sustainable chemistry with low pollutant emission and consumption of energy and materials only when the smooth mass exchange between different catalysts is ensured. Effective strategies to facilitate the mass exchange between different active centers, which may dominate the final activity of various cascade catalysts, have not been reached until now, even though charged interfaces due to work function driven electron exchange have been widely observed. Here, we successfully constructed mass (reactants and intermediates) exchange paths between Pd/N-doped carbon and MoC/N-doped carbon induced by interfacial electron exchange to trigger the mild and cascade methylation of amines using CO2 and H2. Theoretical and experimental results have demonstrated that the mass exchange between electron-rich MoC and electron-deficient Pd could prominently improve the production of N,N-dimethyl tertiary amine, which results in a remarkably high turnover frequency value under mild conditions, outperforming the state-of-the-art catalysts in the literature by a factor of 5.9.

Facilitating Hot Electron Injection from Graphene to Semiconductor by Rectifying Contact for Vis-NIR-Driven H2 O2 Production.

Solar-driven production of hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), as an important industrial chemical oxidant with an extensive range of applications, from oxygen reduction is a sustainable alternative to mainstream anthraquinone oxidation and direct hydrogenation of dioxygen methods. The efficiency of solar to hydrogen peroxide over semiconductor-based photocatalysts is still largely limited by the narrow light absorption to visible light. Here, the authors proposed and demonstrate the proof-of-concept application of light-generated hot electrons in a graphene/semiconductor (exemplified with widely used TiO2 ) dyad to largely extend visible light spectra up to 800 nm for efficient H2 O2 production. The well-designed graphene/semiconductor heterojunction has a rectifying interface with a zero barrier for the hot electron injection, largely boosting excited hot electrons with an average lifetime of ≈0.5 ps into charge carriers with a long fluorescent lifetime (4.0 ns) for subsequent H2 O2 production. The optimized dyadic photocatalyst can provide an H2 O2 yield of 0.67 mm g-1  h-1 under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 400 nm), which is 20 times of the state-of-the-art noble-metal-free titanium oxide-based photocatalyst, and even achieves an H2 O2 yield of 0.14 mm g-1  h-1 upon photoexcitation by near-infrared-region light (≈800 nm).

Tunable Surface Electric Field of Electrocatalysts via Constructing Schottky Heterojunctions for Selective Conversion of Trash Ions to Treasures.

Surface electric field of catalyst is widely recognized as one of the key points to boost catalytic activity. However, there is still a lack of convenient ways to tune the surface electric field to selectively boost the catalytic conversions of different types of reactants in specific catalytic reactions. Here, we introduce a conceptually new method to tune the surface electric field of electrode materials by adjusting the number and density of heterojunctions inside. Both theoretical and experimental results prove that the well-designed surface electric field of an electrocatalyst plays a key role in facilitating pre-adsorption and/or activation of reactants for selective conversion of trash ions to useful products in hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions as well as NOx - reduction reactions.

Effect of vitamin D on oxidative stress and serum inflammatory factors in the patients with type 2 diabetes.

The type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an urgent global health problem. T2DM patients are in a state of high oxidative stress and inflammation. Vitamin D and glutathione (GSH) play crucial roles in antioxidation and anti-inflammation. However, T2DM patients have lower vitamin D and GSH levels than healthy persons. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to see the effect of the vitamin D supplementation on oxidative stress and inflammatory factors in T2DM patients. In this study, a total of 178 T2DM patients were randomly enrolled, 92 patients received regular treatment (T2DM group) and 86 patients in Vitamin D group received extra vitamin D 400 IU per day in addition to regular treatment. Serum vitamin D, GSH, GSH metabolic enzyme GCLC and GR, inflammatory factor MCP-1, and IL-8 levels were investigated. We found that the T2DM group has significantly higher concentrations of MCP-1 and IL-8 than those in the healthy donor group. After vitamin D supplementation for 90 days, T2DM patients had a 2-fold increase of GSH levels, from 2.72 ± 0.84 to 5.76 ± 3.19 µmol/ml, the concentration of MCP-1 decreased from 51.11 ± 20.86 to 25.42 ± 13.06 pg/ml, and IL-8 also decreased from 38.21 ± 21.76 to 16.05 ± 8.99 pg/ml. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that vitamin D could regulate the production of GSH, thereby reducing the serum levels of MCP-1 and IL-8, alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation, providing evidence of the necessity and feasibility of adjuvant vitamin D treatment among patients with T2DM. On the other hand, vitamin D and GSH levels have important diagnostic and prognostic values in T2DM patients.