N, P Dual-Doped Carbons as Metal-Free Catalysts for Hydrogenation.

The activation of molecule hydrogen (H) by metal-free catalysts is always a challenge in the field of catalysis. Herein, a series of N, P dual-doped carbon catalysts were constructed by the pyrolysis of chitosan and phytic acid and utilized as metal-free catalysts for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene. The characterization indicated that the doping of phosphorus atoms not only formed the species with catalytic activity for hydrogenation reaction but also promoted the doping of N.

Modified photoanode by growth of covalent organic frameworks on BiVO for oxygen evolution reaction.

The development of efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is of great significance because the water oxidation reaction at the photoanode is the rate-determining step in photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) water splitting. Herein, two hybrid photoanodes named BiVO/COF-Azo and BiVO/COF-Ben were prepared by solvothermal growth on a modified BiVO photoanode. Characterization results revealed that the Azo and Ben COFs could match with BiVO well to form heterojunctions, which could effectively enhance the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers.

The connexin hemichannel inhibitor D4 produces rapid antidepressant-like effects in mice.

Depression is a common mood disorder characterized by a range of clinical symptoms, including prolonged low mood and diminished interest. Although many clinical and animal studies have provided significant insights into the pathophysiology of depression, current treatment strategies are not sufficient to manage this disorder. It has been suggested that connexin (Cx)-based hemichannels are candidates for depression intervention by modifying the state of neuroinflammation.

Inhibition of connexin hemichannels alleviates neuroinflammation and hyperexcitability in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most common types of epilepsy, yet approximately one-third of patients are refractory to current anticonvulsive drugs, which target neurons and synapses. Astrocytic and microglial dysfunction is commonly found in epileptic foci and has been shown to contribute to neuroinflammation and hyperexcitability in chronic epilepsy. Accumulating evidence points to a key role for glial hemichannels in epilepsy, but inhibiting both connexin (Cx) gap junctions and hemichannels can lead to undesirable side effects because the former coordinate physiological functions of cell assemblies.

TNF-α Orchestrates Experience-Dependent Plasticity of Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapses in the Anterior Piriform Cortex.

Homeostatic synaptic plasticity, which induces compensatory modulation of synapses, plays a critical role in maintaining neuronal circuit function in response to changing activity patterns. Activity in the anterior piriform cortex (APC) is largely driven by ipsilateral neural activity from the olfactory bulb and is a suitable system for examining the effects of sensory experience on cortical circuits. Pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) can modulate excitatory and inhibitory synapses, but its role in APC is unexplored.

Target-specific control of piriform cortical output via distinct inhibitory circuits.

Information represented by principal neurons in anterior piriform cortex (APC) is regulated by local, recurrent excitation and inhibition, but the circuit mechanisms remain elusive. Two types of layer 2 (L2) principal neurons, semilunar (SL), and superficial pyramidal (SP) cells, are parallel output channels, and the control of their activity gates the output of APC. Here, we examined the hypothesis that recurrent inhibition differentially regulates SL and SP cells.