Revealing the Loss Mechanism of Chemically-Induced Hot Electron Transport.

Hot electrons are crucial for unraveling the intrinsic relationship between chemical reactions and charge transfer in heterogeneous catalysis. Significant research focused on real-time detection of reaction-driven hot electron flow (chemicurrent) to elucidate the energy conversion mechanisms, but it remains elusive because carrier generation contributes to only part of the entire process. Here, a theoretical model for quantifying the chemicurrent yield is presented by clarifying the contributions of hot carrier losses from the internal emission and multiple reflections. The experimental chemicurrent yield verifies our model with a reliable mean free path of hot electrons, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive consideration of the transport process besides hot electron generation. Moreover, Pt nanoparticles (NPs)-decorated Au/TiO2 is examined, showing the role of NPs-induced carrier losses in the performance of catalytic nanodiodes. These findings are expected to contribute to understanding the hot electron detection efficiency and designing nanodiodes with enhanced hot carrier flow and catalytic activity.

Exploring the Potential of Olive Flounder Processing By-Products as a Source of Functional Ingredients for Muscle Enhancement.

Olive flounder (OF) is a widely aqua-cultivated and recognized socioeconomic resource in Korea. However, more than 50% of by-products are generated when processing one OF, and there is no proper way to utilize them. With rising awareness and interest in eco-friendly bio-materialization recycling, this research investigates the potential of enzymatic hydrolysis of OF by-products (OFB) to produce functional ingredients. Various enzymatic hydrolysates of OFB (OFBEs) were generated using 11 commercial enzymes. Among them, Prozyme 2000P-assisted OFBE (OFBP) exhibited the highest protein content and yield, as well as low molecularization. The muscle regenerative potential of OFBEs was evaluated using C2C12 myoblasts, revealing that OFBP positively regulated myoblast differentiation. In an in vitro Dex-induced myotube atrophy model, OFBP protected against muscle atrophy and restored myotube differentiation and Dex-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Furthermore, zebrafish treated with OFBEs showed improved locomotor activity and body weight, with OFBP exhibiting outstanding restoration in the Dex-induced muscle atrophy zebrafish in vivo model. In conclusion, OFBEs, particularly OFBP, produce hydrolysates with enhanced physiological usability and muscle regenerative potential. Further research on its industrial application and mechanistic insights is needed to realize its potential as a high-quality protein food ingredient derived from OF processing by-products.

The initial effects of microclimate and invertebrate exclusion on multi-site variation in the mass loss of temperate pine and oak deadwoods.

Quantifying deadwood decomposition is prioritized by forest ecologists; nonetheless, uncertainties remain for its regional variation. This study tracked variations in deadwood decomposition of Korean red pine and sawtooth oak in three environmentally different regions of the Republic of Korea, namely western, eastern, and southern regions. After 24 months, dead pine and oak woods lost 47.3 ± 2.8% and 23.5 ± 1.6% in the southern region, 13.3 ± 2.6% and 20.2 ± 2.8% in the western region, and 11.9 ± 7.9% and 13.9 ± 2.3% in the eastern region, respectively. The regional variation in the decomposition rate was significant only for dead pine woods (P < 0.05). Invertebrate exclusion treatment reduced the decomposition rate in all region, and had the greatest effect in the southern region where warmer climate and concentrated termite colonization occurred. The strongest influential factor for the decomposition of dead pine woods was invertebrate exclusion (path coefficient: 0.63). Contrastingly, the decomposition of dead oak woods was highly controlled by air temperature (path coefficient: 0.88), without significant effect of invertebrate exclusion. These findings reflect the divergence in regional variation of deadwood decomposition between pine and oak, which might result from the different sensitivity to microclimate and decomposer invertebrates.

Effect of Diet Change on Gut Microbiota: Observational Pilot Study of Four Urban Couples.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have focused on changes in gut microbiota following a dietary change. We identified how the distribution of gut microbiota changed when the dietary habits of young city dwellers improved using an intervention in which married couples shared the same dietary habits. METHODS: Four married couples in their 30s with irregular eating habits and sedentary lifestyles were asked whether they had any uncomfortable symptoms. A nutritionist advised them to reduce their intake of processed meats, carbonated beverages, and late-night snacks. After a 6-week intervention, subjects were asked whether they observed any changes in their symptoms. Their stool samples were collected before and after the intervention and analyzed to determine whether the gut microbiota had changed. RESULTS: After the dietary intervention, some subjective symptoms of the participants improved. Specifically, a subject who complained of frequent abdominal pain/diarrhea and one who complained of fatigue showed improvement in those symptoms. In addition, some subjects showed improvements in symptoms such as skin disease or constipation. Intestinal microorganisms between spouses who share the same dietary habits were found to be similar. CONCLUSION: Improvements in eating habits can change the distribution of gut microbiota and alleviate various uncomfortable medical symptoms. Within married couples, the distribution of gut microbiota became similar when the spouses shared the same dietary habits. These results suggest a possible correlation between family-level changes in eating habits and the health of all family members.