Targeting AhR suppresses hepatocyte ferroptosis in MASH by regulating the Pten/Akt/β catenin axis.

Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR), an essential host regulator, has been observed to be significantly upregulated in patients with Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The specific AhR antagonist CH223191 and siRNAs were employed to investigated the role of AhR and its potential as a therapeutic target for MASH in mice and hepatocytes model.

Understanding cellulose pyrolysis via ab initio deep learning potential field.

Comprehensive and dynamic studies of cellulose pyrolysis reaction mechanisms are crucial in designing experiments and processes with enhanced safety, efficiency, and sustainability. The details of the pyrolysis mechanism are not readily available from experiments but can be better described via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. However, the large size of cellulose molecules challenges accurate ab initio MD simulations, while existing reactive force field parameters lack precision.

Strategies for utilizing covalent organic frameworks as host materials for the integration and delivery of bioactives.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a new and developing class of porous framework materials, are considered a type of promising carrier for the integration and delivery of bioactives, which have diverse fascinating merits, such as a large specific surface area, designable and specific porosity, stable and orderly framework structure, and various active sites. However, owing to the significant differences among bioactives (including drugs, proteins, nucleic acid, and exosomes), such as size, structure, and physicochemical properties, the interaction between COFs and bioactives also varies. In this review, we firstly summarize three strategies for the construction of single or hybrid COF-based matrices for the delivery of cargos, including encapsulation, covalent binding, and coordination bonding.

Ce/Mn/Cr: (Re,Y)AlO Phosphor Ceramics (Re = Gd, Tb and Lu) for White LED Lighting Significant Spectral Redshift and Improved Color-Rendering Index.

In order to attain phosphor ceramics with a high Color-Rendering Index (CRI), samples with the composition of YReCe)(Al MnCr)O(Re = 0, Gd, Gd, Gd, Tb, Tb, Tb and Lu were prepared by solid-state reaction and vacuum sintering, and exhibited potential for high-quality, solid-state lighting. Doping with Cr and Mn effectively enhanced the red component of Ce spectra through the intense energy transfer from Ce ions to Mn/Cr ions. The crystal field splitting of [GdO] and [TbO] was more extensive than that of [YO], causing a massive redshift in the Ce emission peaks from 542 to 561 and 595 nm, while [LuO] had an opposite effect and caused a blueshift with a peak position at 512 nm.

An eco-friendly ultrasound approach to extracting yellow dye from Cassia alata flower petals: Characterization, dyeing, and antibacterial properties.

Using natural dyes in dyeing industries becomes an alternative to synthetic dyes, which are known to contain harmful chemicals that can pose risks to the environment and human health. This study involves the extraction of yellow dye from Cassia alata flower petals, optimization of the extraction process using an ultrasonic bath (40 KHz and an input power of 500), ultrasonic probe (390 W, 455 W, 520 W, 585 W, and 650 W), and conventional heating (heating mantle with 30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C), characterization of the dye, as well as dyeing (cotton, silk, and leather) without using a mordant. The extracted yellow dye was further evaluated to determine its antibacterial activity against skin bacteria.

Synthesis and Functionalization of Graphene Materials for Biomedical Applications: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Perspectives.

Since its discovery in 2004, graphene is increasingly applied in various fields owing to its unique properties. Graphene application in the biomedical domain is promising and intriguing as an emerging 2D material with a high surface area, good mechanical properties, and unrivalled electronic and physical properties. This review summarizes six typical synthesis methods to fabricate pristine graphene (p-G), graphene oxide (GO), and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), followed by characterization techniques to examine the obtained graphene materials.

Mineral metabolism and ferroptosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide. Minerals including iron, copper, zinc, and selenium, fulfil an essential role in various biochemical processes. Moreover, the identification of ferroptosis and cuproptosis further underscores the importance of intracellular mineral homeostasis.

Co-regulation of dispersion, exposure and defect sites on CeO (111) surface for catalytic oxidation of Hg.

The additional cost of Hg capture in coal-fired power plants has facilitated the demand for environmental pollutants mitigation material for Hg oxidation to Hg for an ultra-low Hg emission technology. Herein, a suite of CeO-based catalysts were investigated aiming at ultra-low gaseous Hg emission at coal-fired power stations. Gaseous elemental mercury is feasible to be catalytically oxidized to Hg.

Digestion and Swelling Kinetics of Thymoquinone-Loaded Pickering Emulsions Incorporated in Alginate-Chitosan Hydrogel Beads.

The present work aimed to investigate the swelling behavior, digestion, and release of a hydrophobic bioactive compound, thymoquinone (TQ), loaded in Pickering emulsion incorporated in alginate-chitosan hydrogel beads using a simulated gastrointestinal model. In this study, oil-in-water Pickering emulsions of uniform micron droplet sizes were formulated using 20% red palm olein and 0.5% (w/v) cellulose nanocrystals-soy protein isolate (CNC/SPI) complex followed by encapsulation within beads.

Catalytic pyrolysis of linear low-density polyethylene using recycled coal ash: Kinetic study and environmental evaluation.

Catalytic pyrolysis offers a sustainable route to convert plastic wastes into fuel. We investigated the catalytic performance of coal ash (fly and bottom ash) at blending ratio of 5 wt%, and 15 wt% during pyrolysis of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). The influence on activation energy and oil was characterized via thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Polygenic Scores and Parental Predictors: An Adult Height Study Based on the United Kingdom Biobank and the Framingham Heart Study.

Human height is a polygenic trait, influenced by a large number of genomic loci. In the pre-genomic era, height prediction was based largely on parental height. More recent predictions of human height have made great strides by integrating genotypic data from large biobanks with improved statistical techniques.

The COVID-19 Vaccines: Recent Development, Challenges and Prospects.

The highly infectious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated with the pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread to become a global pandemic. At present, the world is relying mainly on containment and hygiene-related measures, as well as repurposed drugs to control the outbreak. The development of COVID-19 vaccines is crucial for the world to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, and a collective global effort has been invested into protection against SARS-CoV-2.

Synthesis of graphene oxide and graphene quantum dots from miscanthus via ultrasound-assisted mechano-chemical cracking method.

Whilst graphene materials have become increasingly popular in recent years, the followed synthesis strategies face sustainability, environmental and quality challenges. This study proposes an effective, sustainable and scalable ultrasound-assisted mechano-chemical cracking method to produce graphene oxide (GO). A typical energy crop, miscanthus, was used as a carbon precursor and pyrolysed at 1200 °C before subjecting to edge-carboxylation via ball-milling in a CO-induced environment.

Miscanthus as a carbon precursor for graphene oxide: A possibility influenced by pyrolysis temperature.

This study investigates the potential of producing graphene oxide (GO) from biomass via green (comparatively) processing and the impact of graphitization temperature on GO quality. Our findings show that it is possible to convert biomass into highly pyrolytic biochar, followed by shear exfoliation to produce few-layer GO. However, pyrolysis temperature is key in ensuring that the biochar is suited for effective exfoliation.

Fish pond water treatment using ultrasonic cavitation and advanced oxidation processes.

This investigation explores the efficacy of employing ultrasonic cavitation and coupling it with advanced oxidation processes (hydrogen peroxide and Fenton's reagent) for reducing the levels of total ammonia nitrogen in fish pond water containing Tilapia fishes. Ultrasonic cavitation is a phenomenon where the formation, growth and collapse of vaporous bubbles occur in a liquid medium producing highly reactive free radicals. Ultrasonic probe system (20 kHz with 750 W and 1000 W) was used to induce cavitation.

Investigations on the generation of oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions through the combination of ultrasound and microchannel.

O/W nanoemulsions are isotropic colloidal systems constituted of oil droplets dispersed in continuous aqueous media and stabilised by surfactant molecules. Nanoemulsions hold applications in more widespread technological domains, more crucially in the pharmaceutical industry. Innovative nanoemulsion-based drug delivery system has been suggested as a powerful alternative strategy through the useful means of encapsulating, protecting, and delivering the poorly water-soluble bioactive components.

Estimation of the time-varying reproduction number of COVID-19 outbreak in China.

Background: The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, China has attracted world-wide attention. As of March 31, 2020, a total of 82,631 cases of COVID-19 in China were confirmed by the National Health Commission (NHC) of China.

Methods: Three approaches, namely Poisson likelihood-based method (ML), exponential growth rate-based method (EGR) and stochastic Susceptible-Infected-Removed dynamic model-based method (SIR), were implemented to estimate the basic and controlled reproduction numbers.

The First 75 Days of Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Outbreak: Recent Advances, Prevention, and Treatment.

The recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, previously known as 2019-nCoV) outbreak has engulfed an unprepared world amidst a festive season. The zoonotic SARS-CoV-2, believed to have originated from infected bats, is the seventh member of enveloped RNA coronavirus. Specifically, the overall genome sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 is 96.

Hg(0) Capture over CoMoS/γ-Al2O3 with MoS2 Nanosheets at Low Temperatures.

CoMoS/γ-Al2O3 sorbent was prepared via incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) and sulfur-chemical vapor reaction (S-CVR) methods and tested in terms of its potential for Hg(0) capture. It was observed that the CoMoO/γ-Al2O3 showed a Hg(0) capture efficiency around 75% at a temperature between 175 and 325 °C while CoMoS/γ-Al2O3 achieved almost 100% Hg(0) removal efficiency at 50 °C. The high removal efficiency for CoMoS/γ-Al2O3 remained unchanged for 2000 min in the test.

Relationship between thermal behaviour of lignocellulosic components and properties of biomass.

Five different biomass samples were selected for this study, including miscanthus, distillers dried grain (DDG), wheat shorts, wheat straw and UK wood. These samples were thermochemically treated to alter the lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose composition. Thermogravimetric tests were carried out on these samples to determine thermal behaviours of biomass and its individual lignocellulosic components.

Morphology and reactivity characteristics of char biomass particles.

In this work, 10 different biomasses were selected which included directly grown energy crops, industrial waste material and different wood types. Each biomass was sieved into six different size fractions and pyrolysed in a fixed bed furnace preheated to 1000 °C to produce a char residue. Intrinsic reactivity during burnout was measured using a non-isothermal thermogravimetric method.