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Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a common and aggressive type of cancer worldwide. Despite recent advancements in its treatment, the prognosis for patients with GC remains poor. Understanding the mechanisms of cell death in GC, particularly those related to mitochondrial function, is crucial for its development and progression. However, more research is needed to investigate the significance of the interaction between mitochondrial function and GC cell death. Methods: We employed a robust computational framework to investigate the role of mitochondria-associated proteins in the progression of GC in a cohort of 1,199 GC patients. Ten machine learning algorithms were utilized and combined into 101 unique combinations. Ultimately, we developed a Mitochondrial-related-Score (MitoScore) using the machine learning model that exhibited the best performance. We observed the upregulation of LEMT2 and further explored its function in tumor progression. Mitochondrial functions were assessed by measuring mitochondrial ATP, mitochondrial membrane potential, and levels of lactate, pyruvate, and glucose. Results: MitoScore showed significant correlations with GC immune and metabolic functions. The higher MitoScore subgroup exhibited enriched metabolic pathways and higher immune activity. Overexpression of LETM2 (leucine zipper and EF-hand containing transmembrane protein 2) significantly enhanced tumor proliferation and metastasis. LETM2 plays a role in promoting GC cell proliferation by activating the mTOR pathway, maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis, and promoting glycolysis. Conclusion: The powerful machine learning framework highlights the significant potential of MitoScore in providing valuable insights and accurate assessments for individuals with GC. This study also enhances our understanding of LETM2 as an oncogene signature in GC. LETM2 may promote tumor progression by maintaining mitochondrial health and activating glycolysis, offering potential targets for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs photoinduced absorption and electrochemical techniques to analyze the charge carrier dynamics that drive photoelectrochemical water oxidation on bismuth vanadate (BiVO4), both with and without cobalt phosphate (CoPi) co-catalyst. These results are correlated with spectroelectrochemical measurements of CoII oxidation to CoIII in a CoPi/FTO (fluorine doped tin oxide) electrode during dark electrocatalytic water oxidation. Electrocatalytic water oxidation exhibits a non-linear dependence on CoIII density, with a sharp onset at 1 × 1017 CoIII cm−2. These results are compared quantitatively with the degree of CoPi oxidation observed under conditions of photoinduced water oxidation on CoPi-BiVO4 photoanodes. For the CoPi-BiVO4 photoanodes studied herein, ≤5% of water oxidation proceeds from CoPi sites, making the BiVO4 surface the predominant water oxidation site. This study highlights two key factors that limit the ability of CoPi to improve the catalytic performance of BiVO4: 1) the kinetics of hole transfer from the BiVO4 to the CoPi layer are too slow to effectively compete with direct water oxidation from BiVO4; 2) the slow water oxidation kinetics of CoPi result in a large accumulation of CoIII states, causing an increase in recombination. Addressing these factors will be essential for improving the performance of CoPi on photoanodes for solar-driven water oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Accurate quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) models based on a large data set containing a total of 3483 organic compounds were developed to predict chemicals’ adsorption capability onto activated carbon in gas phrase. Both global multiple linear regression (MLR) method and local lazy regression (LLR) method were used to develop QSPR models. The results proved that LLR has prediction accuracy 10% higher than that of MLR model. By applying LLR method we can predict the test set (787 compounds) with Q 2 ext of 0.900 and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.129. The accurate model based on this large data set could be useful to predict adsorption property of new compounds since such model covers a highly diverse structural space. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Polyphosphazene derivatives are gaining popularity due to their eco-friendly character and high content of flame-retardant components. Herein, a polyphosphazene derivative (PZAF) microsphere was successfully synthesized utilizing an in-situ template approach, which was then employed as an additive flame retardant in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to improve the fire safety. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that PZAF promoted the pyrolysis of PET in advance to generate a stable char layer that protects the matrix from heat, consequently increasing char residues. With addition of 10 wt% PZAF, the PET nanocomposites obtained a V-0 grade in vertical combustion test and its LOI value increased from 24.2 vol% to 32.1 vol%. Moreover, the peak heat release and carbon monoxide production decreased by 46.6% and 50.6%, respectively. This was because the phosphonic acid fragments and pyridine ring compounds produced by the PZAF pyrolysis encouraged the development of a robust char layer. Meanwhile, the •PO radicals generated by the pyrolysis of PZAF could capture free radicals in the gas phase, ultimately ending the chain reaction of combustion. Also, mechanical properties of the PET nanocomposites were noticeably enhanced by the addition of 3 or 5 wt% PZAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoelectrochemical oxidation of methylene blue is investigated, with particular focus on the difference in kinetics and thermodynamics of decoloration and mineralization employing photoinduced absorption spectroscopy. Hematite and titania photoanodes are used for the comparison of both reactions, which is determined to be associated with the depth of the valence band (3.2 vs 2.5 V for titania and hematite, respectively). Methylene blue is mineralized by the titania photoanode, however it is only oxidized to small fragments by hematite. Such difference is related to the valence band potential that provides the thermodynamic driving force for photogenerated holes in both materials. In addition, the kinetic competition of water oxidation is found to occur on titania by controlling the pH of the electrolyte. In the pH 14 electrolyte, mineralization of methylene blue is suppressed due to the faster and dominant kinetics of water oxidation, in contrast to the complete mineralization in the near neutral electrolyte where water oxidation kinetics are modest. These results clearly address the importance considering both thermodynamic and kinetic challenges of methylene blue oxidation, which has been thought to be an easy molecule to oxidize, as the model reaction in the application of photo(electro)catalysis using metal oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The selectivity of ethanol oxidation is dependent on the valence band potential. • The rate-limiting step involves α-C–H bond breaking and rehybridization of α-C. • The oxidation process is proceeded by photogenerated holes rather than·OH. • Alcohol oxidation occurs on a single reaction site of the photocatalysts. • No cooperativity of multiple sites involves the alcohol oxidation. Operando spectroelectrochemical spectroscopy is employed to investigate the selectivity of ethanol oxidation on hematite and titania photoanodes. High selectivity of acetaldehyde formation from ethanol oxidation has been identified using the hematite photoanode, whilst modest selectivity and over-oxidation of acetaldehyde are observed using titania photoanodes. This difference in the acetaldehyde selectivity is correlated with the valence band potential. The valence band potential is also associated with the activation energy required for the over-oxidation of acetaldehyde. The activation energy of acetaldehyde oxidation by the photogenerated holes in hematite is 427 meV whilst only 45 meV is required for titania. Kinetic isotope effect shows that the rate-limiting step of ethanol oxidation on hematite and titania involves α-C–H bond breaking, and solvent molecules are important to assist the rehybridization of this α-C. The spectral analyses emphasize the importance of considering the band potential upon the selectivity of alcohol oxidation on a broad scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common malignancy of the digestive tract, and to date, morbidity and mortality rates remain high. While existing therapeutic methods have achieved certain effective outcomes, there are still many problems in treating this disease. Therefore, it is still urgent to constantly find new therapeutic targets in CRC that could lead to new therapeutics. Immunohistochemistry, Real-time PCR and Western Blot were employed to measure mRNA and protein levels of the target protein, respectively. The proliferation ability of CRC cells was evaluated using ATP assay, Soft agar assay, and nude mouse subcutaneous tumorigenesis assay. Protein Degradation Assay was conducted to determine protein degradation rate, while Ubiquitination assay was used to assess the ubiquitination modification level of target proteins. Immunoprecipitation assay was used to study protein interactions, and pull-down assay was employed to investigate direct interactions between proteins. TRIM40 was significantly down-regulated in CRC tissues, with its expression levels positively correlating with disease prognosis. Using both in vitro and in vivo approaches, it was demonstrated that TRIM40 could significantly inhibit the proliferation of CRC cells. Molecular mechanism studies showed that TRIM40 directly binds to and ubiquitinates ROCK1 protein, accelerating its degradation and subsequently reducing the stability of c-Myc protein. This cascade of events results in the release of transcriptional inhibition of p21 by c-Myc, leading to increased p21 expression and G0/G1 phase arrest in CRC cells. This research suggests that TRIM40 could be a valuable therapeutic target for the treatment of CRC. • The important role of TRIM40 in the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells was discovered for the first time. • TRIM40 inhibits CRC cell proliferation through ROCK1/c-Myc/p21 axis. • TRIM40 interacts with ROCK1 kinase domain through its B-box domain and N-terminal, mediating the degradation of ROCK1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common flame retardants, such as halogen-based materials, are being phased-out owing to their harmful environmental and health effects. We prepared poly-(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphenol) (PZS) microspheres, nanotubes, capsicum-like nanotubes, and branched nanotubes as flame retardants. An increase in reaction temperature changed the morphology from nanotubes to microspheres. A PZS shape had a positive effect on the flame retardancy of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The PZS with a capsicum-like nanotube morphology had the best flame retardancy, and the PET limiting oxygen index increased from 25.2% to 34.4%. The flame retardancy capability was followed by PZS microspheres (33.1%), branched nanotubes (32.8%), and nanotubes (32.5%). The capsicum-like nanotubes promote the formation of highly dense and continuous carbon layers, and they release a non-combustible gas (CO2). This study confirms polyphosphazene-based flame retardants as viable and environmentally-friendly alternatives to common flame retardants. It also presents a novel and facile design and synthesis of morphology-controlled nanomaterials with enhanced flame retardant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban life is associated with a range of health risks. However, urban green spaces have been found to promote health recovery and reduce mental stress. This study sought to assess the influence of the spatial and environmental characteristics of urban green space on environmental restoration. We measured physiological and psychological changes among 60 participants to evaluate the restorative benefits of 12 green spaces in Shenyang. The Perceived Restorativeness Scale and two physiological measures (heart rate variation and skin conductance response) were used to analyze the effects of spatial characteristics on restorative benefits. In addition, eye-tracking was used to explore the influence of environmental components on restorative benefits. The results revealed that, although there were slight differences between physiological and psychological findings, both confirmed that urban green space had a restorative benefit. Partially-open green spaces with a high degree of naturalness had more positive effects than open green spaces with a high degree of hard paved spaces. Eye movement analysis results revealed that trees and shrubs, as well as water, had a positive effect on the environmental restoration benefits, whereas buildings and paving had a negative effect. Among environmental features, trees and shrubs, water, and buildings exerted the strongest effects on environment restoration. In the future, combining spatial characteristics and environmental components will aid improvement of the restorative qualities of urban green space. • Partially-open green spaces with higher naturalness had more restorative benefit. • Trees, shrubs, and water, had positive effect on environmental restoration benefits. • Buildings and paving had a negative effect on environmental restoration benefits. • Trees, shrubs, water, buildings exerted the strongest effect on restoration benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Ultra-thin alumina coatings are grown on the surface of bismuth vanadate photoanodes using atomic layer deposition. • These coatings favourably shift the onset potential for water oxidation by ∼200 mV and increase photocatalytic currents. • The simulated solar photocurrent increased from ∼0.47 mA cm−2 in uncoated BiVO 4 to ∼3.0 mA cm−2 in Al 2 O 3 -coated BiVO 4. • The charge carrier dynamics are studied for the first time using transient photocurrent and transient absorption spectroscopy. Abstract Bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4) has emerged as one of the most promising photoanode materials for oxidising water due to its visible light activity and low cost. Recent studies have shown that the performance of BiVO 4 photoanodes can be remarkably improved when coated with ultra-thin passivation layers. In this article we investigate the use of ultra-thin Al 2 O 3 layers grown using atomic layer deposition (ALD). At an optimum thickness (∼0.33 nm, 3 ALD cycles), the Al 2 O 3 layer favourably shifted the onset potential by ∼200 mV and increased photocatalytic currents for the water oxidation reaction. When held at 1.23 V RHE , we observe a remarkable increase in the theoretical solar photocurrent; from ∼0.47 mAcm−2 in uncoated BiVO 4 to ∼3.0 mAcm−2 in Al 2 O 3 -coated BiVO 4. Using transient photocurrent (TPC) and transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) the charge carrier dynamics in Al 2 O 3 -coated BiVO 4 photoanodes were examined for the first time. TPC showed that photogenerated electrons in the BiVO 4 layer were extracted within ∼1 ms. TAS showed that the remaining holes oxidised water from ∼100 ms to 1 s. Ultra-thin Al 2 O 3 coatings did not improve the reaction kinetics towards water oxidation, but rather, suppressed bi-molecular recombination on the μs-ms timescale in BiVO 4 , and increased the yield of long-lived holes on the ms-s timescale required to oxidise water. This is attributed to an inhibition of surface recombination on BiVO 4 by Al 2 O 3 , which inhibited the early timescale recombination of charge carriers formed within the space charge layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel amino-containing hybrid inorganic–organic flame retardant is synthesized. • H-bonds and π–π interactions of PET/PZS and PET/PDS are compared by molecular simulations. • PDS containing amino groups has better flame retardancy than PZS containing hydroxyl group. To study the effect of polyphosphazene nanocomposites with different functional groups on the flame retardancy of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), poly-(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldianiline) (PDS) and poly-(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphenol) (PZS) containing amino and hydroxyl groups, respectively, were synthesized. Molecular simulation and experimental results showed that the hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions between PDS and PET were lower than those between PZS and PET. The weaker interactions caused the cross-linking network between PDS and PET to collapse readily, leading to a more significant dripping phenomenon; however, they did not cause secondary combustion. After adding 5 wt% PDS, the limiting oxygen index value of PET composites increased to 33.1%, and they passed the UL-94 V-0 test. PDS exhibited better flame retardancy than PZS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The few layers g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets are exfoliated by green wet ball milling process. • The dispersion of g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets is enhanced by ball milling. • The photodegradation of g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets is impacted by the ball milling speed. • Target pollutants in practical lake water was photodegraded by g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets. In this study, ultra-thin and easily dispersible g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets were obtained by a simple wet ball-milling process. Morphological and structural analysis showed that increasing ball-milling speed resulted in a decrease in both particle size and the number of stacked layers in g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets, hence improving their dispersion stability. Thinner nanosheets obtained by ball milling at 150 rpm also had higher photocatalytic capacity, with up to 2.2 times enhancement comparing with untreated g-C 3 N 4. The feasibility of the g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets for photodegradation of aqueous organic contaminants was demonstrated using polluted water sampled from Jingyue Lake in Donghua University, a local lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]