Nitrogen, sulfur co-doped carbon coated zinc sulfide for efficient hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis.

Oxygen electroreduction (ORR) via a two-electron pathway is a promising alternative for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) synthesis in small-scale applications. In this work, nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon coated zinc sulfide nanoparticles (ZnS@C) are synthesized using facile high-temperature annealing. In an alkaline electrolyte, the presence of ZnS suppresses the reduction of H2O2 during the ORR and contributes to high H2O2 selectivity (∼90%) over a wide potential range (0.

Appropriate intraprocedural initial heparin dosing in patients undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation receiving uninterrupted non-vitamin-K antagonist oral anticoagulant treatment.

Background: To clarify the appropriate initial dosage of heparin during radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) receiving uninterrupted nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) treatment.

Methods: A total of 187 consecutive AF patients who underwent their first RFCA in our center were included. In the warfarin group (WG), an initial heparin dose of 100 U/kg was administered (control group: n = 38).

Four new phenanthrene derivatives from Bulbophyllum retusiusculum.

Three new dihydrophenanthrenes, retusiusine D (1), retusiusine E (2), retusiusine F (3), and a new phenanthrene retusiusine G (4), together with two known dihydrophenanthrenes 4,7-dihydroxy-2,3-methylenedioxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (5) and epemeranthol-A (6) were isolated from the tubers of Bulbophyllum retusiusculum. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited potent cytotoxic activities against SMMC-7721 and weak cytotoxic activities against HL-60.

Sensitive colorimetric assay for the determination of alkaline phosphatase activity utilizing nanozyme based on copper nanoparticle-modified Prussian blue.

Nanozyme based on Prussian blue nanocubes (PB NCs) loaded with copper nanoparticles (Cu@PB NCs) was synthesized. The peroxidase (POD)-like activity of Cu@PB NCs was studied and utilized for detecting the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The Cu@PB NCs possess higher POD-like activity compared with PB NCs and natural horseradish peroxidase (HRP) due to the loading of copper nanoparticles.

Photoelectrochemical detection of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) based on CoO-ascorbic acid oxidase as multiple signal amplifier.

A sensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor based on hexagonal carbon nitride tubes (HCNT) as photoactive material was prepared for the detection of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Magnetic FeO nanospheres (MNs) modified with anti-HER2 antibodies were employed for highly efficient capture of HER2 from serum sample, and CoO nanoparticles (CoO NPs) modified with ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO) as well as HER2 aptamer were used for signal amplification. When the aptamer-CoO-AAO probe was captured onto the electrode surface through the specific binding of the aptamer with HER2, the photocurrent intensity decreased.

Chinese midwives' perceptions on upright positions during the second stage of labour: A qualitative study.

Objective: Upright positions are recommended by many international organizations due to their positive effects on improving birth outcomes. The effects can only be achieved when upright positions are properly adopted by women under the guidance of midwives. However, whether midwives in China have a clear understanding of upright positions during the second stage of labour is an issue that has not been explored.

Utilizing an Animal Model to Identify Brain Neurodegeneration-Related Biomarkers in Aging.

Glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) regulates S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), a methyl donor in methylation. Over-expressed SAMe may cause neurogenic capacity reduction and memory impairment. GNMT knockout mice (GNMT-KO) was applied as an experimental model to evaluate its effect on neurons.

Melatonin promotes male reproductive performance and increases testosterone synthesis in mammalian Leydig cells†.

Leydig cells play a critical role in male reproductive physiology, and their dysfunction is usually associated with male infertility. Melatonin has an important protective and regulatory role in these cells. However, the lack of suitable animal models impedes us from addressing the impact of endogenous melatonin on these cells.

Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine: Efficacy in the Treatment of the COVID-19.

Chloroquine (CQ) and its derivative, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), have attracted wide attention for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, conflicting outcomes have been found in COVID-19 clinical trials after treatment with CQ or HCQ. To date, it remains uncertain whether CQ and HCQ are beneficial antiviral drugs for combating COVID-19.

Integrated sensing array of the perovskite-type LnFeO (Ln˭La, Pr, Nd, Sm) to discriminate detection of volatile sulfur compounds.

Distinguishing toxic gases among the various volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) is of significant practical value for atmospheric and environmental pollution monitoring, industrial monitoring, and even for medical diagnostics (where VSCs are indicators of diseases). The particular challenge lies in the detection and discrimination of sulfur-containing gases such as dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), methyl sulfide (DMS), hydrogen sulfide (HS), and carbon disulfide (CS) is of value. Herein, single-phase perovskite-type LnFeO nanoparticles were prepared by the citrate sol-gel method.

Mast cell activation, TLR4-NF-κB/TNF-α pathway variation in rats' intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury and Tongxinluo's therapeutic effect.

This study was designed to investigate mast cell activation and related TLR4-NF-κB/TNF-α pathway variation in 3 and 7 days' rats intestinal I/R injury, and TXL's intervention effect. Rat intestine I/R injury was carried out using superior mesenteric artery occlusion model with 30 min ischemia followed 3 or 7 days' reperfusion. Rats were administered TXL ultrafine power of 0.

Does Employee Care Trigger Innovation Under a Healthy and Safe Working Environment? Evidence from the Pharmaceutical Industry in China.

Sustainability of the workforce becomes a crucial issue, of which responsible care for employees can increase job satisfaction and human capital that impact corporate ability to absorb and generate new knowledge. Firms are obligated to provide a healthy and safe working environment for their employees, but it may in turn hinder innovation due to rigid and structured institutional regulations. Drawing on data of 308 China's pharmaceutical firms from 2010 to 2017, we investigated whether employee care can trigger innovation under corporate adoption of the occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS).

Titanium Nitride-Supported Platinum with Metal-Support Interaction for Boosting Photocatalytic H Evolution of Indium Sulfide.

Metal-support interaction strongly influences the catalytic properties of metal-based catalysts. Here, titanium nitride (TiN) nanospheres are shown to be an outstanding support, for tuning the electronic property of platinum (Pt) nanoparticles and adjusting the morphology of indium sulfide (InS) active components, forming flower-like core-shell nanostructures (TiN-Pt@InS). The strong metal-support interaction between Pt and TiN through the formation of Pt-Ti bonds favors the migration of charge carriers and leads to the easy reducibility of TiN-Pt, thus improving the photocatalytic atom efficiency of Pt.

Molecular characterization and functional analysis of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) in palmitic acid-induced apoptosis in Ctenopharyngodon idellus kidney (CIK) cells.

Palmitic acid (PA), the most common saturated free fatty acid, may cause apoptosis when overloaded in non-fat cells. Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is known to translocate from the mitochondria into the nucleus to induce apoptosis. However, it remains to be investigated whether AIF involved in palmitic acid-induced lipoapoptosis in fish.

Effects of bending excitation on the reaction dynamics of fluorine atoms with ammonia.

Vibrational excitation has been established as an efficient way to control the chemical reaction outcome. Stretching vibration of polyatomic molecules is believed to be efficient to promote abstraction reactions since energy is placed directly into the breaking bond. In this work, we report on a counterexample showing that exciting the low-frequency umbrella bending mode of ammonia enhances its reaction with fluorine atoms much more than exciting the high-frequency symmetric or asymmetric stretching mode over a wide range of collision energy, validated using both quasiclassical trajectory simulations and full-dimensional quantum dynamics calculations under the centrifugal-sudden approximation.

B-Doped core-shell Fe@BC nanozymes: active site identification and bacterial inhibition.

The rational design of nanozymes as new "antibiotics" for bacterial therapy is a promising area in healthcare. Herein, B-doped core-shell Fe@BC nanozymes functioned with peroxidase-like activity for bacterial inhibition were studied. Experimental and theoretical results show that the BCO site enables a much lower energy barrier than the BCO site, with a positive correlation between the density and activity of BCO.

Cartilage intermediate layer protein affects the progression of intervertebral disc degeneration by regulating the extracellular microenvironment (Review).

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), which is caused by multiple factors, affects the health of individuals and contributes to low back pain. The pathology of IDD is complicated, and changes in the extracellular microenvironment play an important role in promoting the process of degeneration. Cartilage intermediate layer protein (CILP) is a matrix protein that resides in the middle of human articular cartilage and is involved in numerous diseases that affect cartilage.

Gold nanocluster-europium(III) ratiometric fluorescence assay for dipicolinic acid.

A ratiometric fluorescence assay was designed for determination of dipicolinic acid (DPA), a spore-specific compound which is used as a biomarker for Bacillus anthracis spores for food and medical product safety analysis. The dual-channel fluorescence probe integrates two fluorescent materials, Eu ion and gold nanocluster (Au NC). The Au NC is used as a reference channel to measure background noise and the Eu ion as the DPA-specific response signal channel.

DNAzyme-Au nanoprobe coupled with graphene-oxide-loaded hybridization chain reaction signal amplification for fluorometric determination of alkaline phosphatase.

A sensing platform is presented for the determination of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity based on the cooperation of DNAzyme-Au spherical nucleic acid nanoprobe with the graphene-oxide-loaded hybridization chain reaction (HCR/GO) system to achieve good detection sensitivity and specificity. This assay takes advantage of the strong affinity of pyrophosphate (PPi) to Cu ions and the fact that ALP can hydrolyze pyrophosphate (PPi) to release free Cu ions. In the presence of ALP, the released Cu can promote the Cu-dependent DNAzyme to cleave the substrate that generates a shorter DNA fragment, which is responsible for further triggering the HCR/GO system to form a long fluorescence dsDNA and thereby giving an amplified fluorescence signal.

Oxygen Coordination on Fe-N-C to Boost Oxygen Reduction Catalysis.

The coordination environments of iron (Fe) in Fe-N-C catalysts determine their intrinsic activities toward oxygen reduction reactions (ORR). The precise atomic-level regulation of the local coordination environments is thus of critical importance yet quite challenging to achieve. Here, atomically dispersed Fe-N-C catalyst with O-Fe-NC moieties is thoroughly studied for ORR catalysis.

A "switch-on" fluorescence assay based on silicon quantum dots for determination of ascorbic acid.

Water dispersible silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) showing blue fluorescence were synthesized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as silicon source. Based on the synthesized SiQDs as the photoluminescence unit, MnO nanosheets (NS) as the quencher, a "switch-on" fluorescence assay for the determination of ascorbic acid (AA) was designed. The fluorescence of SiQDs can be effectively quenched by MnO NS because of the internal filtration effect.

Surface Functionalized Sensors for Humidity-Independent Gas Detection.

Semiconducting metal oxides (SMOXs) are used widely for gas sensors. However, the effect of ambient humidity on the baseline and sensitivity of the chemiresistors is still a largely unsolved problem, reducing sensor accuracy and causing complications for sensor calibrations. Presented here is a general strategy to overcome water-sensitivity issues by coating SMOXs with a hydrophobic polymer separated by a metal-organic framework (MOF) layer that preserves the SMOX surface and serves a gas-selective function.

Mesoporous WO modified by Au nanoparticles for enhanced trimethylamine gas sensing properties.

In this paper, KIT-6 is used as a template to prepare ordered mesoporous materials WO and Au-loaded WO (Au-WO). The pristine WO sensor and the Au-WO sensor are fabricated for the detection of 19 important gases, such as trimethylamine, formaldehyde and CS. The results show that the Au-WO sensor has better selectivity and higher response to TMA.