Ferroptosis Induces gut microbiota and metabolic dysbiosis in Collagen-Induced arthritis mice via PAD4 enzyme.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation and joint destruction, with emerging evidence implicating gut microbiota dysbiosis in its pathogenesis. The current study explores the role of ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, in modulating gut microbiota and metabolic dysregulation through the enzyme peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model. Our findings demonstrate that ferroptosis exacerbates RA-related inflammatory responses and joint damage by upregulating PAD4 expression, which, in turn, influences the gut microbial composition and associated metabolite profiles.

Peierls Distortion Induced Giant Linear Dichroism, Second-Harmonic Generation, and In-Plane Ferroelectricity in NbOBr.

The Peierls distortion plays an essential role in governing the in-plane ferroelectricity and nonlinear optical characteristics of anisotropic niobium oxide dihalides, such as NbOCl and NbOI. Despite its significance, experimental investigation into the structural, optical, and ferroelectric properties of NbOBr has been lacking. Here, the successful fabrication of centimeter-sized, high-quality NbOBr single crystals, enabling direct observation of Peierls distortion using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, is reported.

Visualization of the Distance-Dependent Synergistic Interaction in Heterogeneous Dual-Site Catalysis.

Understanding the characteristics of interfacial hydroxyl (OH) at the solid/liquid electrochemical interface is crucial for deciphering synergistic catalysis. However, it remains challenging to elucidate the influences of spatial distance between interfacial OH and neighboring reactants on reaction kinetics at the atomic level. Herein, we visualize the distance-dependent synergistic interaction in heterogeneous dual-site catalysis by using ex-situ infrared nanospectroscopy and in situ infrared spectroscopy techniques.

Promising therapy for neuroendocrine prostate cancer: current status and future directions.

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a highly aggressive variant of castration-resistant prostate cancer. It is characterized by low or no expression of the androgen receptor (AR), activation of AR-independent signaling, and increased neuroendocrine phenotype. Most of NEPC is induced by treatment of androgen deprivation therapy and androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs).

Janus hydrogel loaded with a CO-generating chemical reaction system: Construction, characterization, and application in fruit and vegetable preservation.

In this study, we inserted a dynamic chemical reaction system that can generate CO into Janus hydrogel (JH) to develop a multidimensional preservation platform that integrates hygroscopicity, antibacterial activity, and modified atmospheric capacity. The double gel system developed using sodium alginate/trehalose at a 1:1 ratio effectively encapsulated 90% of citric acid. Furthermore, CO loss was avoided by separately embedding NaHCO/cinnamon essential oil and citric acid microcapsules into a gelatin pad to develop JH.

Insights into Chitin-Degradation Potential of JW44 with Emphasis on Characterization and Function of a Chitinase Gene .

Chitin, a polymer of β-1,4-linked -acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), can be degraded into valuable oligosaccharides by various chitinases. In this study, the genome of JW44, displaying remarkable chitinolytic activity, was investigated to understand its chitin-degradation potential. A chitinase gene from this strain was then cloned, expressed, and purified to characterize its enzymatic properties and substrate hydrolysis.

Pathway of Room-Temperature Formation of CdSeS Magic-Size Clusters from Mixtures of CdSe and CdS Samples.

The synthetic application of prenucleation-stage samples of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) is in its infancy. It is shown that when two prenucleation-stage samples of binary CdSe and CdS are mixed, ternary CdSeS magic-size clusters (MSCs) grow at room temperature in dispersion. As the amount of the CdS sample increases, the optical absorption of the CdSeS MSCs blueshifts from ≈380 to ≈360 nm.

Charge Trapping in Semiconductor Photocatalysts: A Time- and Space-Domain Perspective.

Harnessing solar energy to produce value-added fuels and chemicals through photocatalysis techniques holds promise for establishing a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy economy. The intricate dynamics of photogenerated charge carriers lies at the core of the photocatalysis. The balance between charge trapping and band-edge recombination has a crucial influence on the activity of semiconductor photocatalysts.

Promoting Photocatalytic H Evolution through Retarded Charge Trapping and Recombination by Continuously Distributed Defects in Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite.

Inspired by its great success in the photovoltaic field, methylammonium lead iodide perovskite (MAPbI ) has recently been actively explored as photocatalysts in H evolution reactions. However, the practical application of MAPbI photocatalysts remains hampered by the intrinsically fast trapping and recombination of photogenerated charges. Herein, we propose a novel strategy of regulating the distribution of defective areas to promote charge-transfer dynamics of MAPbI photocatalysts.

Remote Synergy between Heterogeneous Single Atoms and Clusters for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution.

Integrating single atoms and clusters into one system is a novel strategy to achieve desired catalytic performances. Compared with homogeneous single-atom cluster catalysts, heterogeneous ones combine the merits of different species and therefore show greater potential. However, it is still challenging to construct single-atom cluster systems of heterogeneous species, and the underlying mechanism for activity improvement remains unclear.

Efficient Exciton Dissociation through the Edge Interfacial State in Metal Halide Perovskite-Based Photocatalysts.

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) with superior optoelectronic properties have recently been actively pursued as catalysts in heterogeneous photocatalysis. Dissociating excitons into charge carriers holds the key to enhancing the photocatalytic performance of MHP-based photocatalysts, especially for those with strong quantum-confinement effects. However, attaining efficient exciton dissociation has been rather challenging.

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 presenting with dyspnea: A case report.

Background: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a genetic neuromuscular disease involving multiple systems, especially the cardiopulmonary system. The clinical phenotype of DM1 patients is highly variable, which limits early diagnosis and treatment. In the present study, we reported a 35-year-old female DM1 patient with dyspnea as the primary onset clinical manifestation, analyzed her family's medical history, and reviewed related literature.

Unpaired Electron Engineering Enables Efficient and Selective Photocatalytic CO Reduction to CH.

The photocatalytic CO reduction to CH reaction is a long process of proton-coupled charge transfer accompanied by various reaction intermediates. Achieving high CH selectivity with satisfactory conversion efficiency therefore remains rather challenging. Herein, we propose a novel strategy of unpaired electron engineering to break through such a demanding bottleneck.

Comparative Genomic Analysis of Seven Strains Isolated From Shrimp Larviculture Water With Emphasis on Chitin Utilization.

The opportunistic pathogen is gaining attention because of its disease-causing risks to aquatic animals and humans. In this study, seven strains isolated from different shrimp hatcheries in Southeast China were subjected to genome sequencing and subsequent comparative analysis to explore their intricate relationships with shrimp aquaculture. The seven isolates had an average nucleotide identity of ≥ 98.

Defect-mediated electron transfer in photocatalysts.

Photocatalysis holds great potential in alleviating the growing energy crisis and environmental issues. Defect engineering has been demonstrated as an effective method to modulate the electronic structure of semiconductor photocatalysts for enhanced visible light absorption. However, the effect of defects on photocatalytic activity is still under debate because of the elusive charge transfer process mediated by defects.

Shallow trap state-enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over thermal-decomposed polymeric carbon nitride.

We investigate the photogenerated electron kinetics of a thermal-decomposed polymeric carbon nitride (TCN) synthesized in air using femtosecond time-resolved diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. We find that the oxygen functional groups in TCN contribute to the formation of reactive shallow trap states for photogenerated electrons, leading to an enhanced activity for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Near Bandgap Excitation Inhibits the Interfacial Electron Transfer of Semiconductor/Cocatalyst.

Understanding the ultrafast interfacial electron transfer (IET) process is essential for establishing the structure-property relationship of the semiconductor/cocatalyst system for photocatalytic H evolution. However, the IET kinetics for the near bandgap excitation has not been reported. Herein, we investigate the IET kinetics of g-CN/Pt as a semiconductor/cocatalyst prototype by femtosecond time-resolved diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

Shallow Trap State-Induced Efficient Electron Transfer at the Interface of Heterojunction Photocatalysts: The Crucial Role of Vacancy Defects.

Constructing vacancies has been demonstrated to be an effective way to modulate charge flow in semiconductor photocatalysts. However, the role of vacancies in the interfacial electron transfer (IET) of heterojunction photocatalysts remains poorly understood, which hinders the general design of heterojunction photocatalysts. Herein, by taking g-CN/MoS as a heterojunction photocatalyst prototype, we unravel that vacancies play a critical role in the IET of heterojunction photocatalysts.

Ultrafast spectroscopic study of plasmon-induced hot electron transfer under NIR excitation in Au triangular nanoprism/g-CN for photocatalytic H production.

Au TNP/g-CN as a plasmonic photocatalyst for H production under NIR light irradiation was investigated by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations and time-resolved transient absorption measurements, revealing enhanced H production owing to a stronger electromagnetic field in Au TNP/g-CN and plasmon-induced hot electron transfer from Au TNPs to g-CN.

The role of nitrogen defects in graphitic carbon nitride for visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution.

The introduction of nitrogen (N) defects (N vacancies labeled as Vns and cyano groups) has been demonstrated as one of the promising strategies to extend the light absorption range of graphitic carbon nitride (CN), thus improving the photocatalytic activity for hydrogen (H2) evolution. However, the photocatalysis mechanism of such N-deficient CN (DCN) has not been fully understood. In this study, N defects are introduced into CN by a KOH-assisted thermal polymerization method.

Defect state-induced efficient hot electron transfer in Au nanoparticles/reduced TiO mesocrystal photocatalysts.

We investigated Au/TiO2 mesocrystals as plasmonic photocatalyst prototypes using single-particle photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy combined with finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations, and found that introduction of defect states builds up a channel for hot electrons with energies lower than the Schottky barrier height to transfer to the semiconductor.

Statistical study of ductility-dip cracking induced plastic deformation in polycrystalline laser 3D printed Ni-based superalloy.

Ductility-dip cracking in Ni-based superalloy, resulting from heat treatment, is known to cause disastrous failure, but its mechanism is still not completely clear. A statistical study of the cracking behavior as a function of crystal orientation in a laser 3D-printed DL125L Ni-based superalloy polycrystal is investigated here using the synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction. The dislocation slip system in each of the forty crystal grains adjacent to the 300 μm long crack has been analyzed through Laue diffraction peak shapes.