Heteroatom Engineering in Earth-Abundant Cobalt Electrocatalyst for Energy-Saving Hydrogen Evolution Coupling with Urea Oxidation.

The development of multifunctional electrocatalysts with high performance for electrocatalyzing urea oxidation-assisted water splitting is of great significance for energy-saving hydrogen production. In this work, we demonstrate a novel heteroatom engineering strategy for development of B-doped Co as a multifunctional electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and urea oxidation reaction (UOR). Density functional theory (DFT) results suggest that a B dopant can efficiently adjust the electron reconstruction of the exposure of Co sites nearby and facilitate electron transfer, resulting in an optimal d-band center along with a lower Gibbs free energy barrier.

Involvement of Porcine β-Defensin 129 in Sperm Capacitation and Rescue of Poor Sperm in Genital Tract Infection.

In mammals, β-defensins have been reported to play pivotal roles in sperm protection and fertilization. However, the function and mechanism of porcine β-defensin 129 (pBD129) in the sperm remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that pBD129 is a glycosylated protein and broadly exists in accessory sex glands and coats the sperm surface.