Crystal-phase engineering of PdCu nanoalloys facilitates selective hydrodeoxygenation at room temperature.

Selective hydrodeoxygenation of biomass-derived aromatic alcohols to value-added chemical or fuel is of great importance for sustainable biomass upgrading, and hydrodeoxygenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) is one of the most attractive reactions. Achieving the conversion of HMF to DMF using H at ambient temperature is challenging. In this work, we used PdCu nanoalloys to catalyze the selective hydrodeoxygenation reaction of HMF to DMF using H as the reducing agent.

Highly efficient catalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid using bimetallic Pt-Cu alloy nanoparticles as catalysts.

Bimetallic platinum-copper alloy nanoparticles are highly active catalysts for the oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) under base-free conditions, with a high turnover frequency of up to 135 h in aqueous solution. The Pt-Cu/AC alloyed catalyst promoted the rate-determining step in the tandem oxidation compared with the monometallic Pt/AC catalyst, thus improving the catalytic performance.

Organic amine mediated cleavage of C-C bonds in lignin and its platform molecules.

The activation and cleavage of C-C bonds remains a critical scientific issue in many organic reactions and is an unmet challenge due to their intrinsic inertness and ubiquity. Meanwhile, it is crucial for the valorization of lignin into high-value chemicals. Here, we proposed a novel strategy to enhance the C-C bond cleavage by pre-functionalization with amine sources, in which an active amine intermediate is first formed through Markovnikov hydroamination to reduce the dissociation energy of the C-C bond which is then cleaved to form target chemicals.

Copper/Carbon Heterogenous Interfaces for Enhanced Selective Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO to Formate.

Electrochemical reduction of CO (CO RR) to formate is a promising route to prepare value-added chemical. Developing low-cost and efficient electrocatalysts with high product selectivity is still a grand challenge. Herein, a novel Cu anchored on hollow carbon spheres catalysts (HCS/Cu-x, x represents the mass of CuCl added in the system) is designed with controllable copper/carbon heterogenous interfaces.

Production of Piperidine and δ-Lactam Chemicals from Biomass-Derived Triacetic Acid Lactone.

Piperidine and δ-Lactam chemicals have wide application, which are currently produced from fossil resource in industry. Production of this kind of chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass is of great importance, but is challenging and the reported routes give low yield. Herein, we demonstrate the strategy to synthesize 2-methyl piperidine (MP) and 6-methylpiperidin-2-one (MPO) from biomass-derived triacetic acid lactone (TAL) that is produced microbially from glucose.

Selective hydrogenation of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural to 5-methylfurfural over single atomic metals anchored on NbO.

5-Methylfurfural (MF) is a very useful chemical. Selective hydrogenation of biomass platform molecule 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) to MF using H as the reducing agent is very attractive, but challenging because hydrogenation of C=O bond in HMF is more favourable than C-OH both kinetically and thermodynamically, and this route has not been realized. In this work, we prepare isolated single atomic catalysts (SACs) Pt/NbO-Ov, Pd/NbO-Ov, and Au/NbO-Ov, in which single metal atoms are supported on oxygen defective NbO (NbO-Ov).

MicroRNA-1297 contributes to the progression of human cervical carcinoma through PTEN.

Background: The human cervical carcinoma oncogenic mechanisms still remain elusive. Thus, we proposed to understand the biological role of a newly discovered therapeutic miRNA.

Methods: MiR-1297 related to human cervical carcinoma was selected for this study.

Structure-function analysis of DNA helicase HELQ: A new diagnostic marker in ovarian cancer.

It has been previously reported that a deficiency of the helicase, POLQ-like (HELQ) gene increases the risk of ovarian cancer. The present study aimed to explore the structure-function association of HELQ and discuss the effect of molecular structure on the occurrence of tumors. ExPASy tools were employed to analyze the physicochemical properties and secondary structure of the genes.

Effects of letrozole in combination with low-dose intramuscular injection of human menopausal gonadotropin on ovulation and pregnancy of 156 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: To explore the effects of letrozole (LE) in combination with low-dose intramuscular injection of human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) on the ovulation induction and pregnancy of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: A total of 156 patients with PCOS infertility were randomly divided into an LE group, a clomiphene citrate (CC) group and an LE + HMG group (n= 52). LE and CC were orally taken according to the prescribed dosage on the 3rd-5th days of menstruation respectively, and 75 IU HMG was given through intramuscular injection.

[Effect of the treatment acceptance on the perinatal outcomes in women with subclinical hypothyroidism, positive thyroid gland peroxidase antibody in early pregnancy].

Objective: To investigate if women with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH), positive thyroid gland peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) in early pregnancy accepted treatment or not had effect on perinatal outcomes.

Methods: 15 000 pregnant women who delivered in Women and Infants Hospital of Zhengzhou from January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 were recruited retrospectively. Among them, 2 042 women had SCH in early pregnancy.