The selective oxidation of toluene into valuable chemicals via photocatalytic C(sp)-H bond activation represents a significant, yet challenging process. Here, the in situ construction of bismuth oxybromide/bismuth molybdate (BiOBr/BiMoO) 2D/2D Z-scheme heterojunctions featuring interface-induced oxygen vacancies (OVs) is introduced. The optimized BiOBr/BiMoO sample has a remarkable yield rate of benzaldehyde at 2134.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlack phosphorus (BP) has been highly regarded as a favourable candidate for fast-charging anode applications owing to its high theoretical capacity and advantageous charge-discharge platform. However, BP faces challenges related to compromised electrochemical performance resulting from an unstable solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) and substantial volumetric expansion. This study proposes the engineering of an inorganic-dense SEI on the surface of BP-C through the strategic incorporation of lithium fluoride (LiF).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanotechnology
November 2024
In(Ga)As quantum dot (QD) with uniform size and controlled sites have great potential in optical communications and quantum computing. In this review, we focus on the site-controlled preparation of In(Ga)As quantum dot arrays based on patterned substrates, including the improvements made by the researchers to enhance the quantum dot site-control capability and optical quality. Based on the current research on site-controlled In(Ga)As QDs, it has been possible to grow uniformly ordered In(Ga)As QD arrays, in which the size, morphology, and nucleus location of each quantum dot can be precisely controlled.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe decomposition mechanisms of Fe(EDTA) and Fe(EDTMP) complexes, widely used in various industrial applications, were investigated through a theoretical approach. Despite their structural similarities, the phosphonic acid and carboxylic acid groups in these complexes lead to vastly different decomposition behaviors. Fe(EDTA), stabilized by delocalized π bonds in carboxylic acid groups, exhibited higher stability than that of Fe(EDTMP), which has only σ bonds in phosphonic acid groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Occup Saf Ergon
September 2024
In light of the profound influence of digital advancements on business management, digital leadership has emerged as an indispensable element for organizations to effectively navigate this transformative wave. While the influence of traditional leadership on safety performance has been extensively scrutinized, the impact of digital leadership on safety performance has regrettably been overlooked. Drawing from the job demand-resource model, this study analyzes the influence of digital leadership on safety performance, encompassing safety compliance and safety participation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFScanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is a powerful way to realize the recognition of self-assembled nanostructures on the atomic scale. In this article, dihexadecyl 6,9-bis((4-(hexadecyloxy)phenyl)ethynyl) phenanthro[9,10-]thiophene-1,3-dicarboxylate (D-PT) and dihexadecyl 6-bromo-9-((4-(hexadecyloxy) phenyl)ethynyl)phenanthrol[9,10-]thiophene-1,3-dicarboxylate (S-BrPT) with different substituents were chosen as the target system. D-PT with four side chains as the target molecule and S-BrPT with three side chains and a bromine substituent as the byproduct were mixed in a molar concentration ratio of 20:1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhilos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci
September 2024
People are spending more and more time interacting with virtual objects and environments. We argue that Roger Barker's concept of a 'behaviour setting' can be usefully applied to such experiences with relatively little modification if we recognize subjective aspects of such experiences such as presence and immersion. We define virtual behaviour settings as virtual environments where the partly or fully digital milieu is synomorphic with and circumjacent to embodied behaviour, as opposed to the fragmented behaviour settings of much-mediated interaction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong-term exposure to hyperglycemic conditions leads to β-cell dysfunction, particularly mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammatory and oxidative stress responses, which are considered the primary causes of β-cell death and the hallmarks of diabetes. Plant-active ingredients may play a key role in glycemic control. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a characteristic catechin derived from tea that possesses anti-diabetic properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTibial cortex transverse distraction is a surgical method for treating severe diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), but the underlying mechanism is unclear. We show that antioxidant proteins and small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) with multiple-tissue regenerative potential are released during bone transport (BT) in humans and rats. These vesicles accumulate in diabetic wounds and are enriched with microRNAs (miRNAs) (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHelicase POLQ-like (HELQ) is a DNA helicase essential for the maintenance of genome stability. A recent study identified two HELQ missense mutations in some cases of infertile men. However, the functions of HELQ in the process of germline specification are not well known and whether its function is conserved between mouse and human remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdvancements in two-dimensional materials, particularly MXenes, have spurred the development of innovative composites through their integration with natural polymers such as sodium alginate (SA). Mxenes exhibit a broad specific surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, and an abundance of surface terminations, which can be combined with SA to maximize the synergistic effect of the materials. This article provides a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art techniques in the fabrication of SA/MXene composites, analyzing the resulting structural and functional enhancements with a specific focus on advancing the design of these composites for practical applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReactive radicals are crucial for activating inert and low-polarity C(sp)-H bonds for the fabrication of high value-added products. Herein, novel single-crystal oxygen-rich bismuth oxybromide nanosheets (BiOBr SCNs) with more than 85 % {10-1} facets exposure and oxygen defects were synthesized via a facile solvothermal route. The BiOBr SCNs demonstrated excellent photocatalytic performance in the selective oxidation of toluene under blue light.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFungal linear polyketides, such as α-pyrones with a 6-alkenyl chain, have been a rich source of biologically active compounds. Two new ( and ) and four known (-) 6-alkenylpyrone polyketides were isolated from a marine-derived strain of the fungus . Their structures were determined based on extensive spectroscopic analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBone secretory proteins, termed osteokines, regulate bone metabolism and whole-body homeostasis. However, fundamental questions as to what the bona fide osteokines and their cellular sources are and how they are regulated remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed bone and extraskeletal tissues, osteoblast (OB) conditioned media, bone marrow supernatant (BMS), and serum, for basal osteokines and those responsive to aging and mechanical loading/unloading.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSurface-supported metal-organic frameworks (SMOFs) are long-range ordered periodic 2D lattice layers formed by inorganic metal nodes and organic ligands via coordination bonds on substrate surfaces. The atomic resolution STM lays a solid foundation for the conception and construction of SMOFs with large area, stable structure, and special function. In this review, the cutting-edge research of SMOFs from design strategy, preparation process, and how to accurately achieve structural and functional diversity are reviewed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe self-assembly behaviors of aromatic carboxylic acids are commonly investigated at the liquid/solid interfaces because of their rigid skeletons and both hydrogen-bond donors and receptors. However, self-assemblies of aromatic carboxylic acids with low symmetry and interactions between carboxylic acid and pyridine derivatives are worth exploring. In this work, the self-assembled structural transitions of a kind of low-symmetric aromatic carboxylic acid (HQDA) are regulated by the coadsorption of two pyridine derivatives (DPE and T4PT) with different symmetry, which are investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy under ambient conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2024
Leptin protein was thought to be unique to leptin receptor (LepR), but the phenotypes of mice with mutation in LepR [ (diabetes)] and leptin [ (obese)] are not identical, and the cause remains unclear. Here, we show that , but not , mice had defect in tenotomy-induced heterotopic ossification (HO), implicating alternative ligand(s) for LepR might be involved. Ligand screening revealed that ANGPTL4 (angiopoietin-like protein 4), a stress and fasting-induced factor, was elicited from brown adipose tissue after tenotomy, bound to LepR on PRRX1 mesenchymal cells at the HO site, thus promotes chondrogenesis and HO development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Chem Chem Phys
November 2023
The shortage of freshwater is a critical concern for contemporary society, and reverse osmosis desalination technology has gathered considerable attention as a potential solution to this problem. It has been recognized that the desalination process involving water flow through angstrom-sized pores has tremendous potential. However, it is challenging to obtain angstrom-sized pore structures with internal mass transfer and surface/interface properties matching the application conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToday, the commercial application of silicon oxides (SiO, 1 < < 2) in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) still faces the challenge of rapid performance degradation. In this work, by integrating hydrothermal and physicomechanical processes, water-soluble locust bean gum (LBG) and xanthan gum (XG) are utilized to in situ form an LBG@XG binder network to improve the performance of SiO/C anodes. As a synergy of LBG and XG polysaccharides in hydrogel polymerization, LBG@XG can tightly wrap around SiO/C particles to prevent plate damage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman spermatogenesis is a highly ordered process; however, the roles of DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility in this process remain largely unknown. Here by simultaneously investigating the chromatin accessibility, DNA methylome and transcriptome landscapes using the modified single-cell chromatin overall omic-scale landscape sequencing approach, we revealed that the transcriptional changes throughout human spermatogenesis were correlated with chromatin accessibility changes. In particular, we identified a set of transcription factors and cis elements with potential functions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Chem Chem Phys
September 2023
Using the molecular metadynamics method, the adsorption of the structure of 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) on the FeO surface and subsequent detachment of Fe atoms from the surface were simulated, and the dissolution mechanism by which HEDP dissolves FeO scale at room temperature while other organic acids cannot was elucidated. The adsorbed hydroxyl groups, water and HEDP on the FeO surface play a synergistic role in detaching the Fe ions, which increases the coordination number of the Fe atoms and weakens the original Fe-O bond strength. In addition, the strong coordination ability and flexible molecular structure of HEDP also facilitate dissolution of FeO scale by breaking down the chemical bonds and forming Fe-HEDP complexes.
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