A blood-based biomarker panel for non-invasive diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.

The current diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its severe form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), is suboptimal. Here, we recruited 700 individuals, including 184 from Hong Kong as a discovery cohort and 516 from San Diego, Wenzhou, and Hong Kong as three validation cohorts. A panel of 3 parameters (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 [CXCL10], cytokeratin 18 fragments M30 [CK-18], and adjusted body mass index [BMI]) was formulated (termed N3-MASH), which discriminated patients with MASLD from healthy controls with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of 0.

Oxygen Plasma Triggered Co-O-Fe Motif in Prussian Blue Analogue for Efficient and Robust Alkaline Water Oxidation.

In the context of oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the construction of high-valence transition metal sites to trigger the lattice oxygen oxidation mechanism is considered crucial for overcoming the performance limitations of traditional adsorbate evolution mechanism. However, the dynamic evolution of lattice oxygen during the reaction poses significant challenges for the stability of high-valence metal sites, particularly in high-current-density water-splitting systems. Here, we have successfully constructed Co-O-Fe catalytic active motifs in cobalt-iron Prussian blue analogs (CoFe-PBA) through oxygen plasma bombardment, effectively activating lattice oxygen reactivity while sustaining robust stability.

Associations between cuprotosis-related genes and the spectrum of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: An exploratory study.

Aims: To explore the associations between cuprotosis-related genes (CRGs) across different stages of liver disease in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials And Methods: We analysed several bulk RNA sequencing datasets from patients with MAFLD (n = 331) and MAFLD-related HCC (n = 271) and two MAFLD single-cell RNA sequencing datasets. To investigate the associations between CRGs and MAFLD, we performed differential correlation, logistic regression and functional enrichment analyses.

AI-based digital pathology provides newer insights into lifestyle intervention-induced fibrosis regression in MASLD: An exploratory study.

Background And Aims: Lifestyle intervention is the mainstay of therapy for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and liver fibrosis is a key consequence of MASH that predicts adverse clinical outcomes. The placebo response plays a pivotal role in the outcome of MASH clinical trials. Second harmonic generation/two-photon excitation fluorescence (SHG/TPEF) microscopy with artificial intelligence analyses can provide an automated quantitative assessment of fibrosis features on a continuous scale called qFibrosis.

Polar Aromatic Two-dimensional Dion-Jacobson Halide Perovskites for Efficient Photocatalytic H Evolution.

Polar materials with spontaneous polarization (P) have emerged as highly promising photocatalysts for efficient photocatalytic H evolution owing to the P-enhanced photogenerated carrier separation. However, traditional inorganic polar materials often suffer from limitations such as wide band gaps and poor carrier transport, which hinders their photocatalytic H evolution efficiency. Here, we rationally synthesized a series of isostructural two-dimensional (2D) aromatic Dion-Jacobson (DJ) perovskites, namely (2-(2-Aminoethyl)pyridinium)PbI (2-APDPI), (3-(2-Aminoethyl)pyridinium)PbI (3-APDPI), and (4-(2-Aminoethyl)pyridinium)PbI (4-APDPI), where 2-APDPI and 4-APDPI crystalize in polar space groups with piezoelectric constants (d) of approximately 40 pm V and 3-APDPI adopts a centrosymmetric structure.

Hepatocyte CHRNA4 mediates the MASH-promotive effects of immune cell-produced acetylcholine and smoking exposure in mice and humans.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a leading risk factor for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Here, we report that CHRNA4, a subunit of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), is an accelerator of MASH progression. CHRNA4 also mediates the MASH-promotive effects induced by smoking.

Direct OC-CHO coupling towards highly C products selective electroreduction over stable Cu/Cu interface.

Electroreduction of CO to valuable multicarbon (C) products is a highly attractive way to utilize and divert emitted CO. However, a major fraction of C selectivity is confined to less than 90% by the difficulty of coupling C-C bonds efficiently. Herein, we identify the stable Cu/Cu interfaces derived from copper phosphate-based (CuPO) electrocatalysts, which can facilitate C production with a low-energy pathway of OC-CHO coupling verified by in situ spectra studies and theoretical calculations.

AutoFibroNet: A deep learning and multi-photon microscopy-derived automated network for liver fibrosis quantification in MAFLD.

Background: Liver fibrosis is the strongest histological risk factor for liver-related complications and mortality in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Second harmonic generation/two-photon excitation fluorescence (SHG/TPEF) is a powerful tool for label-free two-dimensional and three-dimensional tissue visualisation that shows promise in liver fibrosis assessment.

Aim: To investigate combining multi-photon microscopy (MPM) and deep learning techniques to develop and validate a new automated quantitative histological classification tool, named AutoFibroNet (Automated Liver Fibrosis Grading Network), for accurately staging liver fibrosis in MAFLD.

Scalable synthesis of coordinatively unsaturated metal-nitrogen sites for large-scale CO electrolysis.

Practical electrochemical CO-to-CO conversion requires a non-precious catalyst to react at high selectivity and high rate. Atomically dispersed, coordinatively unsaturated metal-nitrogen sites have shown great performance in CO electroreduction; however, their controllable and large-scale fabrication still remains a challenge. Herein, we report a general method to fabricate coordinatively unsaturated metal-nitrogen sites doped within carbon nanotubes, among which cobalt single-atom catalysts can mediate efficient CO-to-CO formation in a membrane flow configuration, achieving a current density of 200 mA cm with CO selectivity of 95.

Novel urinary protein panels for the non-invasive diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and fibrosis stages.

Background & Aims: There is an unmet clinical need for non-invasive tests to diagnose non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and individual fibrosis stages. We aimed to test whether urine protein panels could be used to identify NAFLD, NAFLD with fibrosis (stage F ≥ 1) and NAFLD with significant fibrosis (stage F ≥ 2).

Methods: We collected urine samples from 100 patients with biopsy-confirmed NAFLD and 40 healthy volunteers, and proteomics and bioinformatics analyses were performed in this derivation cohort.

Tuning the Microenvironment in Monolayer MgAl Layered Double Hydroxide for CO -to-Ethylene Electrocatalysis in Neutral Media.

The electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide provides a feasibility to achieve a carbon-neutral energy cycle. However, there are a number of bottleneck issues to be resolved before industrial application, such as the low conversion efficiency, selectivity and reaction rate, etc. Engineering local environment is a critical way to address these challenges.

Isolation of Highly Reactive Cobalt Phthalocyanine via Electrochemical Activation for Enhanced CO Reduction Reaction.

Electrochemical CO -to-CO conversion offers an attractive and efficient route to recycle CO greenhouse gas. Molecular catalysts, like CoPc, are proved to be possible replacement for precious metal-based catalysts. These molecules, a combination of metal center and organic ligand molecule, may evolve into single atom structure for enhanced performance; besides, the manipulation of molecules' behavior also plays an important role in mechanism research.

Positive Valent Metal Sites in Electrochemical CO Reduction Reaction.

The discovery of high-performance catalysts for the electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CO RR) has faced an enormous challenge for years. The lack of cognition about the surface active structures or centers of catalysts in complex conditions limits the development of advanced catalysts for CO RR. Recently, the positive valent metal sites (PVMS) are demonstrated as a kind of potential active sites, which can facilitate carbon dioxide (CO ) activation and conversation but are always unstable under reduction potentials.

Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts for the Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer: Challenges on Stability.

Hydrogen generated by proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer holds a promising potential to complement the traditional energy structure and achieve the global target of carbon neutrality for its efficient, clean, and sustainable nature. The acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), owing to its sluggish kinetic process, remains a bottleneck that dominates the efficiency of overall water splitting. Over the past few decades, tremendous efforts have been devoted to exploring OER activity, whereas most show unsatisfying stability to meet the demand for industrial application of PEM electrolyzer.

Activity Self-Optimization Steered by Dynamically Evolved Fe@Fe Double-Center on FeO Catalyst for NH-SCR.

Identification of the active centers dynamically stable under the reaction condition is of paramount importance but challenging because of the limited knowledge of steady-state chemistry on catalysts at the atomic level. Herein, focusing on the FeO catalyst for the selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH (NH-SCR) as a model system, we reveal quantitatively the self-evolving Fe@Fe (∼1:1) double-centers under the in-situ condition by the first-principles microkinetic simulations, which enables the accurate prediction of the optimal industry operating temperature (590 K). The cooperation of this double-center achieves the self-optimization of catalytic activity and rationalizes the intrinsic origin of FeO catalyzing NH-SCR at middle-high temperatures instead of high temperatures.

N-terminal propeptide of type 3 collagen-based sequential algorithm can identify high-risk steatohepatitis and fibrosis in MAFLD.

Background And Aims: With metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) incidence and prevalence sharply increasing globally, there is an urgent need for non-invasive diagnostic tests to accurately screen high-risk MAFLD patients for liver inflammation and fibrosis. We aimed to develop a novel sequential algorithm based on N-terminal propeptide of type 3 collagen (PRO-C3) for disease risk stratification in patients with MAFLD.

Methods: A derivation and independent validation cohort of 327 and 142 patients with biopsy-confirmed MAFLD were studied.

Molecularly Distorted Local Structure in Bi CuO Oxide to Stabilize Lattice Oxygen for Efficient Formate Electrosynthesis.

The electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CO RR) provides an economically feasible way for converting green energy into valuable chemical feedstocks and fuels. Great progress has been achieved in the understanding and synthesis of oxidized-based precatalysts; however, their dynamical changes of local structure under operando conditions still hinder their further applications. Here a molecularly distorted Bi CuO precatalyst for efficient CO -to-formate conversion is reported.

Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with more severe histological features of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in male.

Background/purpose Of The Study: Although low skeletal muscle mass is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), it is currently uncertain whether there are associations between weight-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM%), severity of histological features of NAFLD, and the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 polymorphism. Our aim was to test for a possible influence of the PNPLA3 rs738409 variant on the association between ASM% and severity of NAFLD histological features.

Methods: We enrolled 401 Chinese male with biopsy-proven NAFLD.

In Operando Identification of In Situ Formed Metalloid Zinc Active Sites for Highly Efficient Electrocatalyzed Carbon Dioxide Reduction.

Electrochemical CO -to-CO conversion provides a possible way to address problems associated with the greenhouse effect; however, developing low-cost electrocatalysts to mediate high-efficiency CO reduction remains a challenge on account of the limited understanding of the nature of the real active sites. Herein, we reveal the Zn metalloid sites as the real active sites of stable nonstoichiometric ZnO structure derived from Zn P O through operando X-ray absorption fine structure analysis in conjunction with evolutionary-algorithm-based global optimization. Furthermore, theoretical and experimental results demonstrated that Zn metalloid active sites could facilitate the activation of CO and the hydrogenation of *CO , thus accelerating the CO -to-CO conversion.

Operando High-Valence Cr-Modified NiFe Hydroxides for Water Oxidation.

High-valence metal-doped multimetal (oxy)hydroxides outperform noble metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) owing to the modified energetics between 3d metals and high-valence dopants. However, the rational design of sufficient and subtle modulators is still challenging. With a multimetal layered double hydroxide (LDH) as the OER catalyst, this study introduces a series of operando high-valence dopants (Cr, Ru, Ce, and V), which can restrict the 3+ valence states in the LDH template to prevent phase separation and operando transfer to the >3+ valence states for sufficient electronic interaction during the OER process.

Boosting Photocatalytic Water Oxidation Over Bifunctional Rh -Rh Sites.

Photocatalytic water splitting provides an economically feasible way for converting solar energy into hydrogen. Great efforts have been devoted to developing efficient photocatalysts; however, the surface catalytic reactions, especially for the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER), still remain a challenge, which limits the overall photocatalytic energy efficiency. Herein, we design a Rh cluster cocatalyst, with Rh -Rh sites anchoring the Mo-doped BiVO model photocatalytic system.

Graphite carbon nitride doped with a benzene ring for enhanced photocatalytic H evolution.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) has been identified as a promising material for photocatalytic hydrogen (H) production, but it shows a low activity. Herein, g-CN doped with a benzene ring (B-CN) was synthesized via a simple thermal polycondensation method, exhibits 5.4 times higher H evolution rate than the pristine one, and achieves a high apparent quantum yield of 4.