Dihydroartemisinin promotes tau O-GlcNAcylation and improves cognitive function in hTau transgenic mice.

Tauopathy is a collective term for several neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the intracellular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein Tau (P-tau). Our recent report has revealed the neuroprotective effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on mice overexpressing human Tau (hTau) in the hippocampus by enhancing O-linked-N-Acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) modification. However, whether DHA can improve synaptic and cognitive function in hTau transgenic mice by specifically promoting Tau O-GlcNAcylation is still unclear.

Anodal high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation reduces heart rate and modulates heart-rate variability in healthy young people: A randomized cross-controlled trial.

Objective: To investigate whether anodal high-definition transcranial current stimulation (HD-tDCS) over the left dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex (DLPFC) could modulate the heart rate (HR) and heart-rate variability (HRV) in healthy young people.

Methods: Forty healthy young people were enrolled in this randomized crossover trial. The participants were randomized to receive anodal HD-tDCS (n = 20) or sham HD-tDCS ( = 20) over the left DLPFC with a washout period of 1 week.

Mitral Valvular Coaptation-Zone Area Is Associated with the Severity of Atherosclerosis Assessed by Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index.

Preservation of the mitral valve (MV) size is essential for valve function, and a reduced MV coaptation-zone area increases the risk of developing functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). We aimed to determine if the MV leaflet and coaptation-zone areas were associated with the severity of atherosclerosis assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) in patients with normal left ventricle (LV) systolic function and size by real-time 3D echocardiography (RT3DE).We performed RT3DE analysis in 66 patients with normal LV size and ejection fraction who underwent 2D echocardiography and CAVI.

Relationship Between Mitral Leaflet Size and Coaptation and Their Associated Factors in Patients with Normal Left Ventricular Size and Systolic Function.

Enlargement of the mitral valve (MV) has gained attention as a compensatory mechanism for functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). We aimed to determine if MV leaflet area is associated with MV coaptation-zone area and identify the clinical factors associated with MV leaflet size and coaptation-zone area in patients with normal left ventricle (LV) systolic function and size using real-time 3D echocardiography (RT3DE).We performed RT3DE in 135 patients with normal LV size and ejection fraction.

Detection of Pulmonary Hypertension with Systolic Pressure Estimated by Doppler Echocardiography.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined as a mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) ≥ 25 mmHg at rest as assessed by right heart catheterization (RHC), and Doppler-derived systolic PAP (sPAP) or tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient (TRPG) is widely used to screen for PH. However, the cutoff value of sPAP or TRPG for detecting a mean PAP ≥ 25 mmHg that was determined invasively has not been well defined.We studied 189 patients who underwent RHC.

The Significance of the Effect of Visceral Adiposity on Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in the General Population.

We evaluated the association between visceral adiposity and left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in association with plasma adiponectin levels in 213 subjects without overt cardiac diseases. Abdominal visceral fat area was quantified by computed tomography. Excessive visceral fat was significantly associated with impaired diastolic parameters including E/A, E' and E/E'.

Nonpyrolyzed Fe-N Coordination-Based Iron Triazolate Framework: An Efficient and Stable Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Pyrolyzed base-metal-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with FeN coordination are emerging as nonprecious metal catalysts for electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, surprisingly, nonpyrolyzed MOFs involving Fe-N coordination have not been explored for the ORR. This study concerns the catalytic performance of a semiconducting nonpyrolyzed iron triazolate framework (FeTa ) for ORR in alkaline electrolyte.

Prognostic Value of a Simple Echocardiographic Parameter, the Right Ventricular Systolic to Diastolic Duration Ratio, in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure with Non-Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

The prognostic value of the right ventricular (RV) systolic to diastolic duration ratio (S/D ratio) in patients with advanced heart failure is not clear.We enrolled 45 patients with DCM (40 ± 13 years, 33 male) who were admitted to our hospital for evaluation or treatment of heart failure. The RV systolic and diastolic durations were measured using continuous Doppler imaging of tricuspid regurgitation, and the RV S/D ratio was calculated.

Cardiac aging phenomenon and its clinical features by echocardiography.

Even in healthy subjects, the heart ages along with other organs of the body. A prominent change is progressive left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction, even though LV mass increases slightly during aging. Accordingly, assessment of LV dysfunction can be employed as a surrogate marker of cardiac age.

3D Quantification of Low-Coordinate Surface Atom Density: Bridging Catalytic Activity to Concave Facets of Nanocatalysts in Fuel Cells.

A protocol to quantify the distribution of surface atoms of concave nanocatalysts according to their coordination number is proposed. The 3D surface of an Au@Pd concave nanocube is reconstructed and segmented. The crystallographic coordinates and low-coordinate surface atom densities of the concave facets are determined.

Is Ammonium Peroxydisulate Indispensable for Preparation of Aniline-Derived Iron-Nitrogen-Carbon Electrocatalysts?

Iron and nitrogen co-doped carbon (Fe-N-C) materials are among the most active non-precious metal catalysts that could replace Pt-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells and metal-air batteries. The synthesis of the Fe-N-C catalysts often involves the use of aniline as the precursor for both N and C and ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS) as an indispensable oxidative initiator for aniline polymerization. Herein, a detailed structure and catalytic ORR performance comparison of aniline-derived Fe-N-C catalysts synthesized with and without the use of APS is reported.

Pd-on-Si catalysts prepared via galvanic displacement for the selective hydrogenation of para-chloronitrobenzene.

The direct redox reaction (galvanic displacement) between Pd(2+) and substrate Si was used to deposit Pd on Si, and the Pd-Si catalysts enabled a chemoselective hydrogenation of para-chloronitrobenzene with the selectivity for para-chloroaniline higher than 99.9% at complete conversion of para-chloronitrobenzene.

Sustainable production of acrylic acid: alkali-ion exchanged beta zeolite for gas-phase dehydration of lactic acid.

Gas-phase dehydration of lactic acid (LA) to acrylic acid (AA) was investigated over alkali-exchanged β zeolite (M(x)Na(1-x)β, M=Li(+), K(+), Rb(+), or Cs(+)) of different exchange degrees (x). The reaction was conducted under varying conditions to understand the catalyst selectivity for AA production and trends of byproduct formation. The nature and exchange degree of M(+) were found to be critical for the acid-base properties and catalytic performance of the exchanged zeolite.

Direct synthesis of high-valent aryl-Cu(II) and aryl-Cu(III) compounds: mechanistic insight into arene C-H bond metalation.

Copper and its salts are abundant, inexpensive, and eco-friendly and have been used as the surrogates of noble metals to effect arene C-H bond activation and transformations. Despite of the recent significant progress of the study, syntheses of high-valent arylcopper(II-III) compounds are still very rare and mechanisms of copper(II)-catalyzed reactions remain elusive. With the use of azacalix[1]arene[3]pyridines as a platform, a number of arylcopper(II) compounds were synthesized efficiently from the reaction of Cu(ClO4)2 under ambient conditions.

High quality gold nanorods and nanospheres for surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

Nearly monodisperse Au nanorods (NRs) with different aspect ratios were separated from home-synthesized polydisperse samples using a gradient centrifugation method. The morphology, size and its distribution, and photo-absorption property were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. Subsequently, using colloidal Au NRs (36.

Catalytic Pt-on-Au nanostructures: why Pt becomes more active on smaller Au particles.

Platinum is a widely used precious metal in many catalytic nanostructures. Engineering the surface electronic structure of Pt-containing bi- or multimetallic nanostructure to enhance both the intrinsic activity and dispersion of Pt has remained a challenge. By constructing Pt-on-Au (Pt^Au) nanostructures using a series of monodisperse Au nanoparticles in the size range of 2-14 nm, we disclose herein a new approach to steadily change both properties of Pt in electrocatalysis with downsizing of the Au nanoparticles.

The effect of zinc addition on the oxidation state of cobalt in Co/ZrO2 catalysts.

The effect of zinc promotion on the oxidation state of cobalt in Co/ZrO(2) catalysts was investigated and correlated with the activity and selectivity for ethanol steam reforming (ESR). Catalysts were synthesized by applying incipient wetness impregnation and characterized by using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Higher ethanol conversion and lower CH(4) selectivity are observed for the Co/ZrO(2) catalyst promoted with Zn as compared to the Co/ZrO(2) catalyst alone.

Carbon-supported Pt^Ag nanostructures as cathode catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction.

Pt(m)^Ag nanostructures (m being the atomic Pt/Ag ratio, m = 0.1-0.6) were prepared by reflux citrate reduction of PtCl(6)(2-) ions in aqueous solution containing colloidal Ag (6.

One-dimensional TiO2 nanomaterials: preparation and catalytic applications.

This work reports on the syntheses of one-dimensional (1D) H2Ti3O7 materials (nanotubes, nanowires and their mixtures) by autoclaving anatase titania (Raw-TiO2) in NaOH-containing ethanol-water solutions, followed by washing with acid solution. The synthesized nanosized materials were characterized using XRD, TEM/HRTEM, BET and TG techniques. The autoclaving temperature (120-180 degrees C) and ethanol-to-water ratio (V(EtOH)/V(H2O) = 0/60 approximately 30/30) were shown to be critical to the morphology of H2Ti3O7 product.

Fully dispersed Pt entities on nano-Au dramatically enhance the activity of gold for chemoselective hydrogenation catalysis.

Adding a small amount of fully dispersed Pt entities onto the Au surface in Au/SiO(2) catalyst is found to be an efficient approach to improve the catalytic activity of Au (up to 70-fold) for the hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, without alternating its selectivity towards C=O or C=C bond hydrogenation.

Surprisingly strong effect of stabilizer on the properties of Au nanoparticles and Pt^Au nanostructures in electrocatalysis.

We show that the electrocatalytic properties of nearly monodispersed Au nanoparticles (NPs) and their derived Pt-on-Au (Pt^Au) nanostructures with similarly dispersed Pt entities are dependent on the nature of stabilizers involved in the colloidal syntheses of the Au particles. The effect of stabilizer on the activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of Au NPs significantly outweighed the Au nano-size effect and thus would raise an alert to those reported size-dependent properties of metal NPs carrying various stabilizers in earlier studies. It is also demonstrated that the stabilizer effect on the property of Au NPs can further induce changes in the catalytic properties of their carried Pt.

A key to the storage stability of Au/TiO(2) catalyst.

The effect of Au(3+) percentage in Au/TiO(2) on its storage stability at room temperature was studied by varying the drying temperature and storage duration of a deposition-precipitation prepared Au/TiO(2) sample. Carefully-designed room temperature storage in a desiccator, in the dark to exclude any interference of light irradiation, was referenced to the freezing storage (255 K) in a refrigerator. The samples were characterized by well-calibrated H(2)-TPR, TEM and TG measurements.