Silencing RGS7 attenuates atrial fibrillation progression by activating the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common diagnosed heart disease that needs novel managements. This study aimed to seek potential biomarkers and underlying regulatory pathways associated with AF.

Methods: Differential expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, followed by a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to discover hub genes.

Decrease in the internal quality control intermediate reproducibility imprecision of Cystatin C results in China in the years from 2014 to 2023.

Objectives: We evaluated the intermediate reproducibility imprecision of cystatin C results based on internal quality control (IQC) data.

Methods: Five performance specifications [1/3 total allowable error (TEa), 1/4TEa and three levels performance specifications based on biological variation] were used to calculate the proportion of laboratories with CVs less than or equal to the performance specifications, namely the pass rate. Based on the reference interval of Chinese adult serum cystatin C (0.

Ultrafine metal nanoparticles isolated on oxide nano-islands as exceptional sintering-resistant catalysts.

Ultrafine nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted extensive research interest, especially in heterogeneous catalysis. However, the inherent sintering propensity of NPs has been a major obstacle to their catalytic stability. Here we report an isolation strategy to preserve highly dispersed ultrafine NPs under extremely harsh conditions.

Endogenous gliadin/glutenin fractions regulate the short/long-term retrogradation behavior of starch-gluten gels.

This study explored composite gels' structural properties and short/long-term retrogradation behavior by varying ratios of wheat starch to gluten and gliadin to glutenin. The results showed that as the proportion of gluten increased, the degree of order and crystalline conformation was lost, manifested by an increase in the gel network's porosity and protein aggregation. The dilution effect of gluten on starch and the water competition significantly reduced the viscosity and elasticity of the system, and the ratio of glu75-gli25 had the most significant impact on the viscoelasticity.

Non-fullerene electron-transporting materials for high-performance and stable perovskite solar cells.

The electron-transporting material (ETM) is a key component of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) optimizing electron extraction from perovskite to cathode. Fullerenes, specifically C and [6,6]-phenyl-C-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), have been used as the benchmark ETMs for inverted PSCs. However, C is restricted to thermal evaporation, and PCBM suffers from poor photothermal stability and suboptimal electron transport, limiting their PSC applications.

Wide Bandgap Tellurium Oxide Semiconductor as A Back Contact Modifier for Efficient n-i-p SbSe Solar Cells.

The wide-bandgap and p-type semiconductor layer plays a crucial role in the antimony selenide (SbSe) solar cells, as it can provide carrier confinement and inhibit interface recombination. In this work, the tellurium (Te) thin layer is innovatively applied in superstrate SbSe solar cells, which is further in situ oxidized to wide-bandgap (3.67 eV) tellurium oxide (TeO).

Ion type-based formation rules and functional properties of polysaccharide-starch aerogels with chitooligosaccharide, xanthan gum, and locust bean gum: A comparative study.

Polysaccharide ion types may play a regulatory role in the functionalization development of starch-polysaccharide-based gels, although the relevant mechanisms remain to be elucidated. This study provides a simple and effective strategy for developing gels suitable for different adsorption scenarios by adding different ratios and ion types of polysaccharides. The addition of locust bean gum (LBG, neutral charge) and xanthan gum (XG, -/negative charge) increased the viscosity of wheat gels, with XG increasing more significantly at the same addition.

Appropriate amount of modified corn flour improves the structural and physicochemical properties of wheat dough.

This study investigated effects of superfine grinding modified corn flour (SG-CF) and hot blanching modified corn flour (HB-CF) on properties of wheat flour and dough to improve the suitability of corn flour in flour products. Results indicated that the addition of SG-CF or HB-CF reduced the moisture and protein content of the mixed flour, and increased the dietary fiber content and free water proportion. Compared with SG-CF, HB-CF was more helpful enhancing the thermal stability and anti-aging properties of the mixed flour.

Application of Transformers to Chemical Synthesis.

Efficient chemical synthesis is critical for the production of organic chemicals, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. Leveraging machine learning to predict chemical synthesis and improve the development efficiency has become a significant research focus in modern chemistry. Among various machine learning models, the Transformer, a leading model in natural language processing, has revolutionized numerous fields due to its powerful feature-extraction and representation-learning capabilities.

Crystallinity of Cerium Oxide Dictates Reactivity of Platinum Catalysts.

The reactivity of supported metal catalysts can be influenced by the nature of supports, which synergistically activate reactant molecules with metal sites. The investigation of the crystalline effect of CeO remains unclear because of the easy formation of fluorite-structure CeO. Here, we successfully synthesized CeO clusters with distinct crystallinity and established that the crystalline nature of CeO clusters dictates the reactivity of the Pt/CeO catalysts for CO oxidation.

Influence of sewage effluent discharge on putative pathogen community in drinking water sources: insights from full-length 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.

The discharge of sewage effluent is a major source of microbial contamination in drinking water sources, necessitating a comprehensive investigation of its impact on pathogenic bacterial communities. This study utilized full-length 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to identify putative pathogenic bacteria and analyze their community structures in drinking water sources subjected to different levels of fecal pollution: urban rivers with low, moderate, and high sewage effluent mixing ratios, and mountain streams with minimal human impact. The sewage effluent itself was also analyzed.

Cu-Mn nanocomposite for enhanced tumor cuproptosis achieved by remodeling the tumor microenvironment and activating the antitumor immunogenic responses.

Cuproptosis is a newly discovered mode of cell death, which is caused by excess copper and results in cell death via the mitochondrial pathway. However, the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by many factors, including high levels of glutathione and lack O, limit the application of traditional cuproptosis agents in antitumor therapy. Herein, we report a hyaluronic acid modified copper-manganese composite nanomedicine (CMCNs@HA) to remodel the TME and facilitate efficient cuproptosis in tumor.

Dimensional Regulation of Organic n-Type Dopants for Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells and Modules.

A strong n-type perovskite layer is crucial in achieving high open-circuit voltage (V) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) in the p-i-n solar cells, as the weak n-type perovskites result in a loss of V, and the p-type perovskites contain numerous electron traps that cause the severe carrier recombination. Here, three types of perylene diimide (PDI) based small molecule dopants with different dimensions, including 1D-PDI, 2D-PDI, and 3D-PDI are designed, to produce heavier n-type perovskites. The PDI-based molecules with Selenium atoms have a strong electron-donating ability, effectively enlarging the quasi-Fermi level splitting within the perovskites.

Glutaric anhydride esterification promotes wheat starch/glutein composite gel interaction: Formation, characterization, and oleogel applications.

This study constructed a composite system with different ratios (100:0, 95:5, 90:10, and 80:20) of glutein compounded with various esterified starch (3 % and 6 %). The results demonstrated that the esterification process enhanced the viscosity of the starch gel system. Furthermore, the optimal esterification level (3 %) facilitated the formation of a dense composite gel network, as observed through microstructure observation.

Predicting online shopping addiction: a decision tree model analysis.

Background: Online shopping addiction has been identified as a detrimental behavioral pattern, necessitating the development of effective mitigation strategies.

Objective: This study aims to elucidate the psychological mechanisms underlying online shopping addiction through constructing and analyzing a C5.0 decision tree model, with the ultimate goal of facilitating more efficient intervention methods.

Integrated quantitative tracing for Karst groundwater contamination: A case study of landfill in Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China.

Sudden groundwater pollution in karst areas poses a serious threat to drinking water safety. Tracing contamination sources is crucial for managing and remediating groundwater pollution. Traditional tracing methods often lack accuracy, so this study combined multiple techniques to trace and quantify pollution sources near the municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, China.

Copper-Catalysed Electrochemical CO Methanation via the Alloying of Single Cobalt Atoms.

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO) to methane (CH) presents a promising solution for mitigating CO emissions while producing valuable chemical feedstocks. Although single-atom catalysts have shown potential in selectively converting CO to CH, their limited active sites often hinder the realization of high current densities, posing a selectivity-activity dilemma. In this study, we developed a single-atom cobalt (Co) doped copper catalyst (CoCu) that achieved a CH Faradaic efficiency exceeding 60 % with a partial current density of -482.

Engineering an Mn(II)-oxidizing Pseudomonas whole-cell catalyst chassis to efficiently biosynthesize 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid from hydroxymethylfurfural.

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a high-value chemical extensively used in the production of bio-based polymers, but bioconversion of furan derivatives like 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into FDCA remains challenging owing to substrate cytotoxicity. Here, we engineered an Mn(II)-oxidizing Pseudomonas sp. MB04B for efficient FDCA biosynthesis from HMF.

General synthesis of neighboring dual-atomic sites with a specific pre-designed distance via an interfacial-fixing strategy.

A potential non-precious metal catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction should contain metal-N moieties. However, most of the current strategies to regulate the distances between neighboring metal sites are not pre-designed but depend on the probability by tuning the metal loading or the support. Herein, we report a general method for the synthesis of neighboring metal-N moieties (metal = Fe, Cu, Co, Ni, Zn, and Mn) via an interfacial-fixing strategy.

Recycled calcium polypeptides modulate microbial dynamics and enhance bioconversion in kitchen waste-garden waste co-composting system.

The kitchen waste and garden waste (KW-GW) co-composting system provides an effective method for recycling these two types of municipal solid waste; however, further improvements are needed to enhance bioconversion performance. This study investigates a novel composting additive, calcium polypeptides (CPPs), derived from waste animal and plant proteins, which can enhance the bioconversion capacity of biomass in the KW-GW co-composting system. As a pH regulator and an available nitrogen source, CPPs significantly increase the compost matrix pH, prolong the thermophilic phase, and reduce emissions of exhaust gases such as CH, NO, NH, and HS by 52.

Black phosphorus nanomaterials mediate size-dependent acute lung injury by promoting macrophage polarization.

Black phosphorus nanomaterials (BPNM) exhibit excellent properties and potential applications in electronics, but workers may face inhalation exposure during BPNM production. In addition, there is a lack of biosafety assessments regarding respiratory exposure to BPNM of different sizes. In this study, we investigated the lung toxicity in mice exposed to 5, 50, 500 μg/kg of black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) and black phosphorus nanosheet (BPNS) via single tracheal instillation.

Coupling active and inactive transition metals to boost calcium storage cycle stability for Prussian blue cathodes.

Due to the advantages of resource abundance and low reduction potential of calcium, calcium-ion battery (CIB) becomes one of the potential candidates for energy storage devices. Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) are promising cathode materials for CIB, but they suffer from limited capacity and poor cyclability. Herein, a new PBA cathode NiCoHCF is designed with electrochemical active Co and inactive Ni.

Assessment of trace elements contamination and human health risk based on Monte Carlo simulation in a karst groundwater system affected by industrial activities.

Groundwater in karst regions is a vital drinking water source, but it is highly susceptible to contamination from industrial activities, which exacerbate pollution and pose health risks. This study investigated the concentration, spatial distribution, quality, health risks and sources of trace elements (TEs) in groundwater within a newly established industrial park in Guiyang, a representative city with a karst landscape. The results indicated that the trace element concentrations followed the order: Ti > Fe > Al > Ni > Cr > Mn > V > Cu > As > Co.

Small-Molecule Hole Transport Materials for >26% Efficient Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Chemically modifiable small-molecule hole transport materials (HTMs) hold promise for achieving efficient and scalable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Compared to emerging self-assembled monolayers, small-molecule HTMs are more reliable in terms of large-area deposition and long-term operational stability. However, current small-molecule HTMs in inverted PSCs lack efficient molecular designs that balance both the charge transport capability and interface compatibility, resulting in a long-standing stagnation of power conversion efficiency (PCE) below 24.