Well-Defined Co Dual-Atom Catalyst Breaks Scaling Relations of Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

The 4-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) under alkaline conditions is central to the development of non-noble metal-based hydrogen fuel cell technologies. However, the kinetics of ORR are constrained by scaling relations, where the adsorption free energy of *OOH is intrinsically linked to that of *OH with a nearly constant difference larger than the optimal value. In this study, a well-defined binuclear Co complex was synthesized and adsorbed onto carbon black, serving as a model dual-atom catalyst.

Oxygen-Binding Sites of Enriched Gold Nanoclusters for Capturing Mitochondrial Reverse Electrons.

Reverse electron transfer (RET), an abnormal backward flow of electrons from complexes III/IV to II/I of mitochondria, causes the overproduction of a reduced-type CoQ to boost downstream production of mitochondrial superoxide anions that leads to ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) to organs. Herein, we studied low-coordinated gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with abundant oxygen-binding sites to form an electron-demanding trapper that allowed rapid capture of electrons to compensate for the CoQ/CoQH imbalance during RET. The AuNCs were composed of only eight gold atoms that formed a Cs-symmetrical configuration with all gold atoms exposed on the edge site.

Crystal Phase Engineering of Ultrathin Alloy Nanostructures for Highly Efficient Electroreduction of Nitrate to Ammonia.

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NORR) toward ammonia synthesis is recognized as a sustainable strategy to balance the global nitrogen cycle. However, it still remains a great challenge to achieve highly efficient ammonia production due to the complex proton-coupled electron transfer process in NORR. Here, the controlled synthesis of RuMo alloy nanoflowers (NFs) with unconventional face-centered cubic (fcc) phase and hexagonal close-packed/fcc heterophase for highly efficient NORR is reported.

Characterization of a thermophilic and glucose-tolerant GH1 β-glucosidase from hot springs and its prospective application in corn stover degradation.

Introduction: β-Glucosidase serves as the pivotal rate-limiting enzyme in the cellulose degradation process, facilitating the hydrolysis of cellobiose and cellooligosaccharides into glucose. However, the widespread application of numerous β-glucosidases is hindered by their limited thermostability and low glucose tolerance, particularly in elevated-temperature and high-glucose environments.

Methods: This study presents an analysis of a β-glucosidase gene belonging to the GH1 family, denoted , which was isolated from the metagenomic repository of Hehua hot spring located in Tengchong, China.

Assessing the agreement between the partners at care transitions measure and the care transitions measure for elderly patients with chronic diseases.

Background: Elderly patients with chronic diseases are very vulnerable during the transition from hospital to home and have a high need for transitional care. The quality of transitional care is closely related to patient health outcomes. Using appropriate scales to evaluate the quality of transitional care is important for efforts aimed at improving it.

Mendelian randomization analysis suggests no associations of herpes simplex virus infections with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) characterized by immune dysfunction is possibly more vulnerable to herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. The infection has been intensively considered a common onset and exacerbation of SLE. This study is aimed at elucidating the causal association between SLE and HSV.

Blunt dopamine transmission due to decreased GDNF in the PFC evokes cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease.

Studies have found that the absence of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor may be the primary risk factor for Parkinson's disease. However, there have not been any studies conducted on the potential relationship between glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and cognitive performance in Parkinson's disease. We first performed a retrospective case-control study at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between September 2018 and January 2020 and found that a decreased serum level of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor was a risk factor for cognitive disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease.

[Pollution Characteristics and Driving Factors of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Dexing Copper Mine].

Environmental antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are a type of emerging pollutant that has been widely concerning. However, investigations into the contamination of ARGs in mining areas have been scarce. Here, the types, abundances, and influencing factors of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were investigated in soil/sediment of the Dexing copper mine area in June 2019 by using high-throughput quantitative polymerase chain reaction (HT-qPCR).

Novel genotypes and multilocus genotypes of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in two wild rat species in China: potential for zoonotic transmission.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an opportunistic pathogen in immunodeficient patients. Although this pathogen has been reported in many domestic animals, few data are available about the occurrence of E. bieneusi in wild rats.

Lingguizhugan decoction attenuates diet-induced obesity and hepatosteatosis gut microbiota.

Background: Obesity is a major risk factor for a variety of diseases such as diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases. Restricting energy intake, or caloric restriction (CR), can reduce body weight and improve metabolic parameters in overweight or obese patients. We previously found that Lingguizhugan decoction (LZD) in combination with CR can effectively lower plasma lipid levels in patients with metabolic syndrome.

The Upregulation of Trophinin-Associated Protein (TROAP) Predicts a Poor Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

: Trophinin-associated protein (TROAP) is a cytoplasmic protein that plays a significant role in the processes of embryo transplantation and microtubule regulation. However, the relevant survival analysis and cancer progression analysis have not yet been reported. : Eighteen matched pairs of tumor and adjacent non-tumor samples were evaluated to detect the TROAP mRNA level.

Inhibition of MAPKs Signaling Pathways Prevents Acrolein-Induced Neurotoxicity in HT22 Mouse Hippocampal Cells.

Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in neurons may underlie the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Acrolein, a ubiquitous pollutant, has been reported to implicate in the etiology of AD. Our previous data showed that acrolein changed the levels of key AD-associated proteins, including advanced glycation end products (RAGE), A-disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM-10), and beta-site amyloid-beta peptide cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE-1).

Molecular Prevalence and Genetic Characterization of in Wild Birds in Hunan Province, China.

is a ubiquitous apicomplexan parasite of warm-blooded animals and humans. However, limited information is available about infection in wild birds. In this study, 239 wild birds were collected from Hunan province of China, including 38 chestnut bunting, 44 olive-backed pipit, 26 yellow-breasted bunting, and 131 tree sparrows.

Molecular Detection and Genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in Pigs for Human Consumption in Hunan Province, China.

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most important sources of foodborne diseases. In this study, the molecular prevalence and genotypes of T. gondii were investigated in pigs in Hunan province, China.

Platinum-cobalt alloyed nanosheet nanoassemblies as advanced bifunctional electrocatalysts for boosting ethylene glycol oxidation and oxygen reduction.

Pt-based bimetallic nanocrystals are feasible to dramatically improve the catalytic performances in fuel cells via morphology- and composition-engineering. Herein, bimetallic platinum-cobalt nanosheet nanoassemblies (PtCo NSNSs) were facilely synthesized through a one-pot co-reduction solvothermal strategy in oleylamine (OAm), using cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) and allantoin as the directing agents. The current synthesis highly depended on the critical concentrations of Pt and Co precursors, the combined use of allantoin to OAm as the co-reductant, and the use of proper allantoin concentration.

One-pot controlled synthesis of AuPd@Pd core-shell nanocrystals with enhanced electrocatalytic performances for formic acid oxidation and glycerol oxidation.

In this work, AuPd@Pd core-shell nanocrystals (AuPd@Pd NCs) were fabricated by a one-pot co-reduction approach, where theophylline-7-acetic acid (TAA) acted asa new structure-directing agent. The crystal structure and composition were mainly characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), together with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The growth mechanism of AuPd@Pd NCs was investigated in detail.

Ionic liquid-assisted synthesis of composition-tunable cross-linked AgPt aerogels with enhanced electrocatalysis.

A facile one-pot coreduction strategy was developed to synthesize composition-tunable cross-linked AgPt aerogels, where ionic liquid (1-aminopropyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, [APMIm]Br) played a significant role in controlling the morphology and structure. During the synthesis progress, Br easily reacted with Ag to form AgBr precipitate and consequently slowed down the reducing rate of Ag, as well as acting as a capping agent to promote the anisotropic growth of AgPt aerogels, as mainly demonstrated by the electronic microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The architectures showed superior catalytic activity and enhanced durability toward ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) and ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) in contrast with commercial Pt black, owing to the tailored composition, morphology and electronic structure of the prepared AgPt aerogels.

Theophylline-assisted, eco-friendly synthesis of PtAu nanospheres at reduced graphene oxide with enhanced catalytic activity towards Cr(VI) reduction.

Theophylline as a naturally alkaloid is commonly employed to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. Herein, a facile theophylline-assisted green approach was firstly developed for synthesis of PtAu nanospheres/reduced graphene oxide (PtAu NSs/rGO), without any surfactant, polymer, or seed involved. The obtained nanocomposites were applied for the catalytic reduction and removal of highly toxic chromium (VI) using formic acid as a model reductant at 50°C, showing the significantly enhanced catalytic activity and improved recyclability when compared with commercial Pt/C (50%) and home-made Au nanocrystals supported rGO (Au NCs/rGO).