Boosted Sacrificial-Agent-Free Selective Photoreduction of CO2 to CH3OH by Rhenium Atomically Dispersed on Indium Oxide.

Solar-energy-driven photoreduction of CO2 is promising in alleviating environment burden, but suffers from low efficiency and over-reliance on sacrificial agents. Herein, rhenium (Re) is atomically dispersed in In2O3 to fabricate a 2Re-In2O3 photocatalyst. In sacrificial-agent-free photoreduction of CO2 with H2O, 2Re-In2O3 shows a long-term stable efficiency which is enhanced by 3.5 times than that of pure In2O3 and is also higher than those on Au-In2O3, Ag-In2O3, Cu-In2O3, Ir-In2O3, Ru-In2O3, Rh-In2O3 and Pt-In2O3 photocatalysts. Moreover, carbon-based product of the photoreduction overturns from CO on pure In2O3 to CH3OH on 2Re-In2O3. Re promotes charge separation, H2O dissociation and CO2 activation, thus enhancing photoreduction efficiency of CO2 on 2Re-In2O3. During the photoreduction, CO is a key intermediate. CO prefers to desorption rather than hydrogenation on pure In2O3, as CO binds to pure In2O3 very weakly. Re strengthens the interaction of CO with 2Re-In2O3 by 5.0 times, thus limiting CO desorption but enhancing CO hydrogenation to CH3OH. This could be the origin for photoreduction product overturn from CO on pure In2O3 to CH3OH on 2Re-In2O3. The present work opens a new way to boost sacrificial-agent-free photoreduction of CO2.

Density functional theoretical study of the tungsten-doped In2O3 catalyst for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.

Indium oxide is a promising catalyst for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol and has been extensively investigated in recent years. However, the studies on doped In2O3 for methanol synthesis are relatively few, and tungsten-doped In2O3 has not been reported yet. Herein, the mechanism of the methanol synthesis from CO2 hydrogenation on the defective W-doped In2O3 model (W-In2O3_D) has been investigated via density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The oxygen vacancy on the In2O3 catalyst is essential for the activation and conversion of CO2. The introduction of tungsten results in higher electron density and electron localization on the oxygen vacancy, thus facilitating the activation of CO2. The methanol synthesis on the W-In2O3_D model takes the formate route via the H3CO intermediate. Compared with the In2O3_D model, the cleavage of the C-O bond, the removal of H2O*, and the conversion of HCOO* are promoted by the addition of W. Based on the energetic span model, the turnover frequency (TOF) for the methanol synthesis from CO2 hydrogenation on the W-In2O3_D model is predicted as 9.0 × 10-3 s-1, which is much higher than the TOF of 4.5 × 10-6 s-1 on the In2O3_D model. Overall, the introduction of tungsten makes the CO2 hydrogenation to methanol kinetically more favorable.

In situ DRIFTS and DFT study of CO2 hydrogenation over the In2O3 catalyst.

The pressure dependent reaction mechanism of CO2 hydrogenation over In2O3 was investigated. CO2 hydrogenation on In2O3 can produce methanol only at high pressure, while the atmospheric pressure operation leads to the formation of CO. The conversion from HCOO* to H3CO* is accelerated at high pressure, leading to the formation of methanol with the formate route (CO2* → HCOO* → H3CO* → H3COH).

[Scientific basis of acupuncture on mesenchymal stem cells for treating ischemic stroke].

The scientific basis of acupuncture on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treating ischemic stroke (IS) is discussed. MSCs transplantation has great potential for the treatment of tissue damage caused by early stage inflammatory cascade reactions of IS, but its actual transformation is limited by various factors. How to improve the homing efficiency of MSCs is the primary issue to enhance its efficacy. As such, the possible mechanisms of acupuncture and MSCs transplantation in inhibiting inflammatory cascade reactions induced by IS are explored by reviewing literature, and a hypothesis that acupuncture could promote the secretion of stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) from ischemic foci to regulate SDF-1α/CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) axis, thereby improving the homing efficiency of MSCs transplantation, exerting its neuroprotective function, and improving the bed transformation ability, is proposed.

The efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with language training for motor aphasia after stroke: study protocol for a multicenter randomized sham-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Motor aphasia after stroke is a common and intractable complication of stroke. Acupuncture and language training may be an alternative and effective approach. However, the efficacy of acupuncture and language training for motor aphasia after stroke has not been confirmed. The main objectives of this trial are to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and low-intensity, low-dose language training in treating ischemic motor aphasia after stroke from 15 to 90 days. METHODS: This is a multicenter randomized sham-controlled clinical trial. We will allocate 252 subjects aged between 45 and 75 years diagnosed with motor aphasia after stroke with an onset time ranging from 15 to 90 days into two groups randomly in a 1:1 ratio. Patients in the experimental group will be treated with "Xing-Nao Kai-Qiao" acupuncture therapy plus language training, and those in the control group will be treated with sham-acupoint (1 cun next to the acupoints) acupuncture therapy plus language training. All the patients will be given acupuncture and language training for 6 weeks, with a follow-up evaluation 6 weeks after the end of the treatment and 6 months after the onset time. The patients will mainly be evaluated using the Western Aphasia Battery and Chinese Functional Communication Profile, and the incidence of treatment-related adverse events at the 2nd, 4th, and 6th weeks of treatment will be recorded. The baseline characteristics of the patients will be summarized by group, the chi-squared test will be used to compare categorical variables, and repeated measures of analysis of variance or a linear mixed model will be applied to analyze the changes measured at different time points. DISCUSSION: The present study is designed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of traditional acupuncture therapy and language training in ischemic motor aphasia after stroke and explore the correlation between the treatment time and clinical effect of acupuncture. We hope our results will help doctors understand and utilize acupuncture combined with language training. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR ChiCTR1900026740 . Registered on 20 October 2019.

Acupuncture for breathlessness in COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: At present, accumulative attention has been paid to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to its global prevalence. Acupuncture may play a beneficial role in patients with breathlessness in COVID-19. This study is designed to determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for breathlessness in COVID-19. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) will be searched from 7 electronic databases, with the last search update being 30 June 2020. Studies by registers of clinical trials will be additionally searched. Two investigators will independently select studies, extract data and evaluate study quality. Finally, a meta-analysis will be used to evaluate the pooled intervention effect if possible. RESULTS: Our present findings will indicate the application of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for dyspnea in COVID-19, which will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: Our study will provide a reference foundation for clinical optimization of treatment. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020182323.

Acupuncture and related interventions for anxiety in coronavirus disease 2019: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine plays an irreplaceable role in the treatment and prevention of epidemic diseases in China. Acupuncture is an important part of Chinese medicine. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, acupuncture and related interventions are used to treat COVID-19 patients in China. The systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and relevant interventions for anxiety in COVID-19. METHODS: We will search for randomized control and observational studies of acupuncture and related interventions for anxiety in COVID-19 in the 6 databases from inception to 31 October 2020. There is no language restriction. Two independent reviewers will screen and collect all trials, data extraction and evaluate the risk of bias of the researches. We will perform a meta-analysis if appropriate. RESULTS: Our findings will evaluate the feasibility of acupuncture and related interventions as adjunctive therapy for anxiety in COVID-19 patients, which will be disseminated in a relevant conference and published in a peer-reviewed publication. CONCLUSION: Our research will appraise the overall quality and evidence of whether acupuncture and related interventions are effective therapies for anxiety in COVID-19.

One-stage partial nitritation and anammox in membrane bioreactor.

Partial nitritation and anammox (PN/A) was applied in a lab-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) to investigate its technical feasibility for treating ammonium-rich wastewater with low C/N ratio. The bacterial community was analyzed by molecular cloning and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Partial nitritation (PN) was first realized in MBR by seeding aerobic activated sludge. With dissolved oxygen control, a steady effluent mixture with NO2 (-)-N/NH4 (+)-N ratio of 1.13 ± 0.08 was generated from the PN process. Subsequently, the MBR was seeded with anammox biomass on day 59. After running 300 days, the one-stage PN/A achieved a maximum nitrogen removal rate of 1.45 kg N/m(3)/day at the nitrogen removal efficiency of 89.5 %. Microbial community analysis revealed that Nitrosomonas sp. HKU and Nitrosospira sp. YKU corresponded to nitritation; meanwhile, Candidatus Brocadia TKU sp. accounted for nitrogen removal of the PN/A system. Specifically, Nitrosomonas sp. were enriched in the reactor at the PN/A phase and then conquered Nitrosospira sp. to be the predominant ammonia oxidizers. Nitrite oxidizers and denitrifiers were detected in symbiosis with aforementioned microbes. Denitrification promised potential plus nitrogen depletion. The present one-stage PN/A process allows a significant decrease in operational costs compared with classical nitrification/denitrification.

Three-dimensional printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene framework coated with Cu-BTC metal-organic frameworks for the removal of methylene blue.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing was applied for the fabrication of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) framework. Functionalization of the ABS framework was then performed by coating of porous Cu-BTC (BTC = benzene tricarboxylic acid) metal-organic frameworks on it using a step-by-step in-situ growth. The size of the Cu-BTC particles on ABS was ranged from 200 nm to 900 nm. The Cu-BTC/ABS framework can take up most of the space of the tubular reactor that makes the adsorption effective with no need of stirring. Methylene blue (MB) can be readily removed from aqueous solution by this Cu-BTC/ABS framework. The MB removal efficiency for solutions with concentrations of 10 and 5 mg/L was 93.3% and 98.3%, respectively, within 10 min. After MB adsorption, the Cu-BTC/ABS composite can easily be recovered without the need for centrifugation or filtration and the composite is reusable. In addition the ABS framework can be recovered for subsequent reuse. A significant advantage of 3D-printed frameworks is that different frameworks can be easily fabricated to meet the needs of different applications. This is a promising strategy to synthesize new frameworks using MOFs and polymers to develop materials for applications beyond adsorption.

Pt-Ru atomic alloys confined in mesoporous carbon hollow spheres for accelerating methanol oxidation.

Active and durable electrocatalysts are essential for commercializing direct methanol fuel cells. However, Pt-based catalysts, extensively utilized in the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), are suffered from resource scarcity and CO poisoning, which degrade MOR activity severely. Herein, Pt1Rux bimetallic catalysts were synthesized by confining Pt1Rux alloys within the shells of mesoporous carbon hollow spheres (MCHS) via a vacuum-assisted impregnation method (Pt1Rux@MCHS). The confinement effect induced by mesoporous carbon hollow spheres resulted in a robust structure of Pt1Ru3@MCHS with an ultrafine dispersion of alloy nanoparticles. The experimental and theoretical results confirmed that the boosting electrocatalytic activity and stability of the MOR over Pt1Ru3@MCHS were contributed to the regulated electronic structure as well as the superior CO tolerance of atomic Pt site caused by the electronic interaction between single Pt atoms and Ru nanoparticles. This strategy is versatile for the rational design of Pt-based bimetallic catalysts and has a positive impact on MOR performance.