Search

The shape of nanochannels plays a crucial role in the ion selectivity and overall performance of reverse electrodialysis (RED) systems. However, current research on two-dimensional nanochannel shapes is largely limited to a few fixed asymmetric forms. This study explores the impact of randomly shaped nanochannels using dimensionless methods, controlling their randomness by varying their length and shape amplitude. The research systematically compares how alterations in the nanochannel length and shape amplitude influence various system performance parameters. Our findings indicate that increasing the nanochannel length can significantly enhance the system performance. While drastic changes in the nanochannel shape amplitude positively affect the system performance, the most significant improvements arise from the interplay between the nanochannel length and shape amplitude. This compounding effect creates a local optimum, resulting in peak system performance. Within the range of dimensionless lengths from 0 to 30, the system reaches its optimal performance at a dimensionless length of approximately 25. Additionally, we explored two other influencing factors: the nanochannel surface charge density and the concentration gradient of the solution across the nanochannel. Optimal performance is observed when the nanochannel has a high surface charge density and a low concentration gradient, particularly with random shapes. This study advances the theoretical understanding of RED systems in two-dimensional nanochannels, guiding research towards practical operational conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Emerging evidence has raised an obesity paradox in observational studies of body mass index (BMI) and health among the oldest-old (aged ≥80 years), as an inverse relationship of BMI with mortality was reported. This study was to investigate the causal associations of BMI, waist circumference (WC), or both with mortality in the oldest-old people in China. Methods A total of 5306 community-based oldest-old (mean age 90.6 years) were enrolled in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) between 1998 and 2018. Genetic risk scores were constructed from 58 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with BMI and 49 SNPs associated with WC to subsequently derive causal estimates for Mendelian randomization (MR) models. One-sample linear MR along with non-linear MR analyses were performed to explore the associations of genetically predicted BMI, WC, and their joint effect with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and non-CVD mortality. Results During 24 337 person-years of follow-up, 3766 deaths were documented. In observational analyses, higher BMI and WC were both associated with decreased mortality risk [hazard ratio (HR) 0.963, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.955–0.971 for a 1-kg/m2 increment of BMI and HR 0.971 (95% CI 0.950–0.993) for each 5 cm increase of WC]. Linear MR models indicated that each 1 kg/m2 increase in genetically predicted BMI was monotonically associated with a 4.5% decrease in all-cause mortality risk [HR 0.955 (95% CI 0.928–0.983)]. Non-linear curves showed the lowest mortality risk at the BMI of around 28.0 kg/m2, suggesting that optimal BMI for the oldest-old may be around overweight or mild obesity. Positive monotonic causal associations were observed between WC and all-cause mortality [HR 1.108 (95% CI 1.036–1.185) per 5 cm increase], CVD mortality [HR 1.193 (95% CI 1.064–1.337)], and non-CVD mortality [HR 1.110 (95% CI 1.016–1.212)]. The joint effect analyses indicated that the lowest risk was observed among those with higher BMI and lower WC. Conclusions Among the oldest-old, opposite causal associations of BMI and WC with mortality were observed, and a body figure with higher BMI and lower WC could substantially decrease the mortality risk. Guidelines for the weight management should be cautiously designed and implemented among the oldest-old people, considering distinct roles of BMI and WC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescent suicidal ideation are associated with factors including psychological abuse/neglect, sleep problems, and depressed mood, but the systematic effects of these factors on suicidal ideation remain unclear, which is a research gap this work aims to fill. Methods: A multi-center, the cluster sampling method was employed to collect general demographic data, such as age, gender, the experience of being left behind, and parents' marital status, from 12,192 students across 17 secondary schools in China. The Child Psychological Abuse and Neglect Scale (CPANS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Chinese version of the Depressed mood, Anxiety and Stress Scale − 21 Items (DASS-21) and Chinese version of Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation Inventory (PANSI) were utilized. Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square tests, correlation analyses, and structural equation modeling mediation analyses. Results: The prevalence of psychological abuse/neglect and adolescent suicidal ideation was 34.8% and 13%, respectively. This mediation analysis suggests that, in the relationship between psychological abuse/neglect and suicidal ideation, sleep problems and depressed mood play both parallel and sequential mediating roles. Conclusion: Sleep problems and depressed mood play a mediating role in the development of suicidal ideation in adolescents. Good sleep habits and depressed mood interventions help reduce the risk of suicidal ideation in adolescents who experience psychological neglect/abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The associations between plasma vitamin B12 level and anemia under different dietary patterns in elderly Chinese people are poorly understood. We aimed to examine the associations between plasma vitamin B12 levels and anemia under different dietary patterns in adults aged 65 years and older in nine longevity areas in China. Methods: A total of 2405 older adults completed a food frequency questionnaire at the same time as a face-to-face interview. The dietary diversity score (DDS) was assessed based on the food frequency questionnaire, with the low DDS group referring to participants with a DDS score ≤ 4 points. Vitamin B12 levels were divided into two groups of high (>295 pg/mL) and low (≤ 295 pg/mL) with the median used as the cut-off point. Sub-analyses were also performed on older adults divided into tertiles of vitamin B12 levels: low (< 277 pg/mL), medium (277–375 pg/mL) and high (> 375 pg/mL) to study the association of these levels with anemia. Results: Six hundred ninety-five (28.89%) of these people were diagnosed with anemia and had a mean age of 89.3 years. Higher vitamin B12 levels were associated with a decreased risk of anemia (multi-adjusted OR, 0.59, [95% CI, 0.45 ~ 0.77] P < 0.001) in older adults with a low DDS, whereas no significant association between vitamin B12 levels and anemia was found in older adults with a high DDS in a full-model after adjustment for various confounding factors (multi-adjusted OR, 0.88, [95% CI, 0.65 ~ 1.19], P = 0.41). Conclusion: The relationship between vitamin B12 levels and the prevalence of anemia was significant only when the level of dietary diversity in the older adults was relatively low. The dietary structure of the population should be taken into consideration in combination in order to effectively improve anemia status by supplementing vitamin B12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Physical function deterioration is always accompanied by a cognitive decline in older adults. However, evidence is lacking for the long-term simultaneous changing patterns of cognition and physical frailty and their associations with mortality among older adults. Research Design and Methods This study included 8,231 adults aged ≥65 with a baseline and at least one follow-up assessment of both cognition and physical frailty from the 2007–2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Physical frailty (FRAIL phenotype) and cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination) were applied. Group-based joint trajectory modeling was used to fit the joint trajectories of cognition and physical frailty. Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the trajectory-mortality associations. Results Three distinct joint trajectories were identified: no joint progression (34.4%), moderate joint progression (47.0%), and rapid joint progression (18.6%). During a median follow-up of 8.3 years, the rapid joint progression group, compared to the no joint progression , had the highest risk for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR), 3.37 [95% CI: 2.99–3.81]), cardiovascular (CVD) mortality (3.21 [2.08–4.96]) and non-CVD mortality (2.99 [2.28–3.92]), respectively. Joint trajectory was found to be more predictive of mortality as compared to baseline measures of cognition and/or frailty (C -statistic ranged from 0.774 to 0.798). Higher changing rates of cognition and frailty were observed among all-cause decedents compared to CVD and non-CVD decedents over a 45-year span (aged 65–110) before death. Discussion and Implications Our study suggested that subjects with the worst cognitive decline and severest physical frailty progression were at the highest risk for all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Our findings expand the limited prior knowledge on the dynamic course of cognition and frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1.55 μm waveband integrated external cavity tunable diode lasers have excellent merits such as their small volume, low cost, low power consumption, wide tuning range, narrow linewidth, large side mode suppression ratio, and high output power. These merits have attracted many applications for the lasers, such as in wavelength division multiplexing, passive optical networks, mobile backhaul, and spectral sensing technology. In this paper, firstly, the basic structure and principle of integrated external cavity tunable diode lasers are introduced, and then two main integrated structures of 1.55 μm waveband external cavity tunable diode lasers are reviewed and compared in detail, namely the hybrid integrated structure and monolithic integrated structure of 1.55 μm waveband integrated external cavity tunable diode lasers. Finally, the research progress in 1.55 μm waveband integrated external cavity tunable diode lasers in the last decade are summarised, and the advantages and disadvantages of 1.55 μm waveband integrated external cavity tunable diode lasers are analysed. The results show that, with the transformation of optical communication into more complex modulation formats, it is necessary to integrate miniature 1.55 μm waveband external cavity tunable diode lasers. Low-cost integrated 1.55 μm waveband external cavity tunable diode lasers are expected to be used in the next generation of optical transceivers in small-factor modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to examine the impact of greenness and fine particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) on overweight/obesity among older adults in China. Methods: A total of 21,355 participants aged ≥65 years were included from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey between 2000 and 2018. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with a radius of 250 m and PM2.5 in a 1 × 1‐km grid resolution were calculated around each participant's residence. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the effects of NDVI and PM2.5 on overweight/obesity. Interaction and mediation analyses were conducted to explore combined effects. Results: The study observed 1895 incident cases of overweight/obesity over 109,566 person‐years. For every 0.1‐unit increase in NDVI the hazard ratio of overweight/obesity was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.88–0.95), and for every 10‐μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 the hazard ratio was 1.11 (95% CI: 1.07–1.14). The effect of NDVI on overweight/obesity was partially mediated by PM2.5, with a relative mediation proportion of 20.10% (95% CI: 1.63%‐38.57%). Conclusions: Greenness exposure appears to lower the risk of overweight/obesity in older adults in China, whereas PM2.5, acting as a mediator, partly mediated this protective effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: About half of adults aged ≥80 years suffer from frailty. Exercise is considered effective in preventing frailty but may be inapplicable to adults aged ≥80 years due to physical limitations. As an alternative, we aimed to explore the association of leisure activities with frailty and identify potential interaction with established polygenic risk score (PRS) among adults aged ≥80 years. Methods: Analyses were performed in a prospective cohort study of 7,471 community-living older adults aged ≥80 years who were recruited between 2002 and 2014 from 23 provinces in China. Leisure activity was assessed using a seven-question leisure activity index and frailty was defined as a frailty index ≥0.25 using a validated 39-item health-related scale. The PRS was constructed using 59 single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with frailty in a subsample of 2,541 older adults. Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore the associations of leisure activities, PRS with frailty. Results: The mean age of participants was 89.4 ± 6.6 years (range: 80–116). In total, 2,930 cases of frailty were identified during 42,216 person-years of follow-up. Each 1 unit increase in the leisure activity index was associated with 12% lower risk of frailty (hazard ratio: 0.88 [95% confidence interval, 0.85–0.91]). Participants with high genetic risk (PRS >2.47 × 10−4) suffered from 26% higher risk of frailty. Interaction between leisure activity and genetic risk was not observed. Conclusion: Evidence is presented for the independent association of leisure activities and genetic risk with frailty. Engagement in leisure activities is suggested to be associated with lower risk of frailty across all levels of genetic risk among adults aged ≥80 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: DPP4 is thought to be involved in certain immune processes and plays an important role in allergic reactions in the lungs. The effect of the DPP4 inhibitor sitagliptin on the effector phase of allergic rhinitis (AR) in ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mice and on mast cell degranulation in vitro was assessed. Methods: The AR mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection combined with OVA intranasal method. OVA was injected intraperitoneally 3 times for the first 2 weeks, and the mice were subsequently given DPP4 inhibitors by oral gavage, accompanied by an OVA intranasal challenge. The impacts of DPP4 inhibitors on DPP4 levels in mouse model were determined. Nasal mucosa tissue was collected for H&E staining and toluidine blue staining. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels and histamine levels were analyzed, and IL-4, IL-5, and IL-12 as well as IFN-γ levels were assessed. Following the treatment of dinitrophenol (DNP)-IgE or DNP-IgE plus sitagliptin in RBL-2H3 cells, β-hexosaminidase activity was analyzed and toluidine blue staining was performed. Results: DPP4 level was reduced in AR patients, as well as in AR mouse models. Nasal allergic symptoms such as sneezing and nose-scratching showed high frequency in OVA-induced mice. Sitagliptin treatment during the intranasal challenge of OVA decreased DPP4 levels, suppressed allergic symptoms, eosinophil infiltration, IgE levels, mast cell infiltration, as well as the levels of inflammatory cytokines. We further found that sitagliptin inhibited mast cell activation and histamine levels in vitro. Conclusion: Sitagliptin suppresses the effector phase of AR, and this mechanism is partly attributed to the suppression of inflammatory response and mast cell degranulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The association between fine particular matter (PM2.5) and frailty is less studied, and the national burden of PM2.5-related frailty in China is unknown. Objective To explore the association between PM2.5 exposure and incident frailty in older adults, and estimate the corresponding disease burden. Design Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey from 1998 to 2014. Setting Twenty-three provinces in China. Subjects A total of 25,047 participants aged ≥65-year-old. Methods Cox proportional hazards models were performed to evaluate the association between PM2.5 and frailty in older adults. A method adapted from the Global Burden of Disease Study was used to calculate the PM2.5-related frailty disease burden. Results A total of 5,733 incidents of frailty were observed during 107,814.8 person-years follow-up. A 10 μg/m3 increment of PM2.5 was associated with a 5.0% increase in the risk of frailty (Hazard Ratio = 1.05, 95% confidence interval = [1.03–1.07]). Monotonic, but non-linear exposure-response, relationships of PM2.5 with risk of frailty were observed, and slopes were steeper at concentrations >50 μg/m³. Considering the interaction between population ageing and mitigation of PM2.5, the PM2.5-related frailty cases were almost unchanged in 2010, 2020 and 2030, with estimations of 664,097, 730,858 and 665,169, respectively. Conclusions This nation-wide prospective cohort study showed a positive association between long-term PM2.5 exposure and frailty incidence. The estimated disease burden indicated that implementing clean air actions may prevent frailty and substantially offset the burden of population ageing worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey, a natural healthy liquid bee product, is rich in amino acids, vitamins, and other essential nutrients. Different origin honeys also varied in organic acids. The objective of this study is to establish an efficient solid-phase extraction-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPE-GC–MS) method to eliminate interference of sugar and other impurities for accurately estimating 22 organic acids in honey by optimizing extraction, purification, derivatization, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analytical conditions. After being extracted, purified and derivatized, organic acids in honey were qualified and quantified by GC–MS. This method was evaluated experimentally, and the results showed that, within a certain concentration range, the standard curve linear relationship was satisfactory (R2 > 0.9942), and the target organic acid recovery rate was 86.74% ~ 118.68%. Besides, precision (relative standard deviation, RSD = 2.98% ~ 13.42%), detection limit (LOD = 0.002 ~ 0.2 mg kg−1), and quantification limit (LOQ = 0.008 ~ 0.5 mg kg−1) met the target requirements. Also, based on this analytical method, the organic acids in five types of honey (acacia, jujube, vitex, canola and linden honey) were estimated. Notably, they all contained 22 different kinds of organic acids, and significant differences (p < 0.05) in the organic acid content and composition among different honey varieties were observed. PCA analysis showed that the five honeys could be differentiated based on the content of 22 organic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is primarily regulated by type I hypersensitivity, with Th2 and immunoglobulin E (IgE) playing essential roles. This study aimed to determine whether angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)2 could participate in the regulation of AR. Methods: Nasal mucosal tissues of AR patients were collected to determine ACE2 levels. Following AR mouse models were established, ACE2 levels in nasal mucosa were determined. Then the influences of diminazene aceturate (ACE2 agonist) on AR symptoms, pathology, specific antibodies, histamine, and interleukins (ILs) release in vivo were evaluated. Afterward, human nasal mucosa epithelial cells were exposed to IL‐13, and the impacts of ACE2 overexpression on the secretion of pro‐inflammatory factors in vitro were assessed. Results: ACE2 levels significantly declined in nasal mucosa both in patients and mouse models (p < .001). Diminazene aceturate treatment elevated the ACE2 level in mice (p < .01), accompanied by reduced frequency of nasal spray and nasal friction, decreased eosinophils and goblet cells (p < .001) according to histopathological staining. Furthermore, lgE, lgG1, histamine, and IL levels in mice were also decreased (p < .05). In vitro experiments revealed that ACE2 overexpression suppressed the secretion of pro‐inflammatory factors (p < .001). Conclusion: Together, ACE2 activation can alleviate the symptoms of AR in mice and inhibit the release of Th2 cytokines. Activating ACE2 is a promising therapeutic approach for AR.This study found that angiotensin converting enzyme 2 activation can alleviate the symptoms of allergic rhinitis in mice and inhibit the release of Th2 cytokines. Activating angiotensin converting enzyme 2 is a promising therapeutic approach for allergic rhinitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) show great potential as anodes for potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs) due to their high theoretical capacity and relatively low working potential. However, usually the conversion mechanism seriously hinders the long‐term cycle stability for PIBs due to the huge structural change. Herein, the synthesis of a class of ultrathin metallic 2H‐phase NbS2 nanosheets with large expanded interlayer spacing of 0.65 nm and high conductivity for boosting the potassium ion storage is reported. It is demonstrated that the as‐prepared NbS2 nanosheets show an unexpected intercalation mechanism for potassium ion storage, which is conceptually different from the well‐known intercalation‐conversion mechanism of typical TMDs. As a consequence, the ultrathin NbS2 nanosheets deliver superior rate capability (205.5 mAh g−1 at ultrahigh current density of 10 A g−1) and outstanding long‐term cycling performance (169.5 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1 after 4000 cycles with a very low decay rate of 0.005% per cycle), representing the most stable TMD‐based anode materials for PIBs. Ex situ measurements and first‐principles calculations disclose and interpret that NbS2 nanosheets store potassium ions through only the intercalation mechanism without any conversion reaction taking place in the potassiation/depotassiation process, which highly improves the structural stability of electrode materials, hence promoting the long‐term cycle performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several guidelines have suggested alternative glycemic markers for hemoglobin A1c among older adults with limited life expectancy or multiple coexisting chronic illnesses. We evaluated associations between fructosamine, albumin-corrected fructosamine (AlbF), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and mortality in the diabetic and nondiabetic subpopulations, and compared which marker better predicts mortality among participants aged 80 and older.Methods: Included were 2 238 subjects from the Healthy Ageing and Biomarkers Cohort Study (2012-2018) and 207 participants had diabetes at baseline. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models investigated the associations of fructosamine, AlbF, FPG, and all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and non-CVD mortality in the diabetic and nondiabetic subpopulations. Restricted cubic splines explored potential nonlinear relations. C-statistic, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and net reclassification improvement (NRI) evaluated the additive value of different glycemic markers to predict mortality.Results: Overall, 1 191 deaths were documented during 6 793 person-years of follow-up. In the linear model, per unit increases of fructosamine, AlbF, and FPG were associated with a higher risk of mortality in nondiabetic participants, with hazard ratios of 1.02 (1.00, 1.05), 1.27 (1.14, 1.42), and 1.04 (0.98, 1.11) for all-cause mortality, and 1.04 (1.00, 1.07), 1.38 (1.19, 1.59), and 1.10 (1.01, 1.19) for non-CVD mortality, respectively. Comparisons indicated that AlbF better predicts all-cause and non-CVD mortality in nondiabetic participants with significant improvement in IDI and NRI.Conclusions: Higher concentrations of fructosamine, AlbF, and FPG were associated with a higher risk of all-cause or non-CVD mortality among the very elderly where AlbF may constitute an alternative prospective glycemic predictor of mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive nitrogen (N) use in agriculture, industry, and household waste leads to widespread N release throughout the environment, causing eutrophication in both freshwater and coastal areas. To better understand N‐induced eutrophication and other N‐use‐related environmental impacts at the local scale, improvements in the spatial resolution of life cycle impact assessment measures are required. Here, we present a method to estimate gridded fate factors (FFs) at a half‐degree resolution based on the Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment‐Global Nutrient Model to provide eutrophication indicators for global N‐related manufacture, trade, and consumption in life cycle assessment. Across global freshwater systems, our cumulative FFs have a 5th percentile of 0.9 days and a 95th percentile of 184.0 days. Aggregated FFs for administrative units range from 0.3 days to 211.9 days. The hotspots of cumulative FFs are mainly distributed upstream of large reservoirs or lakes. On a global level, advection is the dominant process controlling the FF (69.7% of areas), followed by retention (29.0%), and water consumption (1.3%). N retention dominates in advection‐favoring, high‐discharge regions due to the high residence times, while water consumption tends to dominate water‐scarce zones. The results demonstrate the importance of gridded information to assess eutrophication impacts, as it characterizes N emissions from anthropogenic sources at high spatial resolution in comparison to basin‐ or country‐level assessments. Introducing soil–freshwater N fate complements existing P‐related fates to improve global assessments of eutrophication. This article met the requirements for a Gold–Gold Badge JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor caused by an infection of the epithelial cells of the nasopharynx, which is highly metastatic and aggressive. Due to the deep anatomical site and atypical early symptoms, the majority of NPC patients are diagnosed at terminal stages. There is growing evidence that microRNAs offer options for early detection, accurate diagnosis, and prediction of malignancy treatment response. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to identify microRNAs that predict the prognosis of patients with NPC by integrating biological information analysis. In this study, we utilized the GSE36682 dataset rooted in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data bank, including 62 cases of NPC tissues and six cases of non-cancerous tissues. The miRNAs were subjected to weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and hub miRNAs were screened for differentially upregulated miRNAs from modules highly correlated with tumor progression. We took a lot of time to calculate the risk scores of miRNA markers for 62 NPC patients, and incidentally combined the clinical survival information of patients to finally identify the three key miRNAs, and then divided the patients into low- and high-risk groups. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis revealed that the overall survival of patients in the high-risk group was obviously shorter than that of the low-risk group. Subsequently, the target genes of the three miRNAs were predicted and analyzed for functional enrichment. In summary, a prognostic predictive risk model based on three miRNA profiles may increase prognostic predictive value and provide reference information for the precise treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sluggish oxygen reaction kinetics concomitant with the high overpotentials and parasitic reactions from cathodes and solvents is the major challenge in aprotic lithium‐oxygen (Li–O2) batteries. Herein, PtIr multipods with a low Lewis acidity of the Pt atoms are reported as an advanced cathode for improving overpotentials and stabilities. DFT calculations disclose that electrons have a strong disposition to transfer from Ir to Pt, since Pt has a higher electronegativity than Ir, resulting in a lower Lewis acidity of the Pt atoms than that on the pure Pt surface. The low Lewis acidity of Pt atoms on the PtIr surface entails a high electron density and a down‐shifting of the d‐band center, thereby weakening the binding energy towards intermediates (LiO2), which is the key in achieving low oxygen‐reduction‐reaction (ORR) and oxygen‐evolution‐reaction (OER) overpotentials. The Li–O2 cell based on PtIr electrodes exhibits a very low overall discharge/charge overpotential (0.44 V) and an excellent cycle life (180 cycles), outperforming the bulk of reported noble‐metal‐based cathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sluggish oxygen reaction kinetics concomitant with the high overpotentials and parasitic reactions from cathodes and solvents is the major challenge in aprotic lithium‐oxygen (Li–O2) batteries. Herein, PtIr multipods with a low Lewis acidity of the Pt atoms are reported as an advanced cathode for improving overpotentials and stabilities. DFT calculations disclose that electrons have a strong disposition to transfer from Ir to Pt, since Pt has a higher electronegativity than Ir, resulting in a lower Lewis acidity of the Pt atoms than that on the pure Pt surface. The low Lewis acidity of Pt atoms on the PtIr surface entails a high electron density and a down‐shifting of the d‐band center, thereby weakening the binding energy towards intermediates (LiO2), which is the key in achieving low oxygen‐reduction‐reaction (ORR) and oxygen‐evolution‐reaction (OER) overpotentials. The Li–O2 cell based on PtIr electrodes exhibits a very low overall discharge/charge overpotential (0.44 V) and an excellent cycle life (180 cycles), outperforming the bulk of reported noble‐metal‐based cathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It remains unsolved that whether blood uric acid (UA) is a neuroprotective or neurotoxic agent. This study aimed to evaluate the longitudinal association of blood UA with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older adults in China. Methods: A total of 3,103 older adults (aged 65+ years) free of MCI at baseline were included from the Healthy Aging and Biomarkers Cohort Study (HABCS). Blood UA level was determined by the uricase colorimetry assay and analyzed as both continuous and categorical (by quartile) variables. Global cognition was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination four times between 2008 and 2017, with a score below 24 being considered as MCI. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the associations. Results: During a 9-year follow-up, 486 (15.7%) participants developed MCI. After adjustment for all covariates, higher UA had a dose-response association with a lower risk of MCI (all P for trend < 0.05). Participants in the highest UA quartile group had a reduced risk [hazard ratio (HR), 0.73; 95% (CI): 0.55–0.96] of MCI, compared with those in the lowest quartile group. The associations were still robust even when considering death as a competing risk. Subgroup analyses revealed that these associations were statistically significant in younger older adults (65–79 years) and those without hyperuricemia. Similar significant associations were observed when treating UA as a continuous variable. Conclusions: High blood UA level is associated with reduced risks of MCI among Chinese older adults, highlighting the potential of managing UA in daily life for maintaining late-life cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-metallene with an ultrahigh surface area has great potential in precise tuning of surface heterogeneous d-electronic correlation by surface strain effect for the distinctive surface electronic structure, which is a brand new class of promising 2D electrocatalyst for sustainable energy device application. However, achieving such an atomically thin multi-metallene still presents a great challenge. Herein, we present a new synthetic method for an atomic-level palladium-iridium (PdIr) bimetallene with an average thickness of only ∼1.0 nm for achieving superior catalysis in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). The curved PdIr bimetallene presents a top-ranked high electrochemical active area of 127.5 ± 10.8 m2 gPd+Ir−1 in the reported noble alloy materials, and exhibits a very low overpotential, ultrahigh activity and improved stability for HER and FAOR. DFT calculation reveals that the PdIr bimetallene herein has a unique lattice tangential strain, which can induce surface distortion while concurrently creating a variety of concave-convex featured micro-active regions formed by variously coordinated Pd sites agglomeration. Such a strong strain effect correlates the abnormal on-site active 4d10-t2g-orbital Coulomb correlation potential and directly elevates orbital-electronegativity exposure within these active regions, resulting in a preeminent barrier-free energetic path for significant enhancement of FAOR and HER catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective we aimed to investigate the association of smoking cessation with risk of all-cause mortality amongst oldest old people (aged ≥ 80 years). Design this was a prospective cohort study. Setting the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, implemented in 23 provinces of China. Participants a total of 28,643 community-dwelling oldest old people (mean age, 92.9 ± 7.5 years) were included. Methods in this community-based cohort study, Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association of smoking cessation with risk of all-cause mortality. Results during 136,585 person-years of follow-up from baseline to 1 September 2014, compared with never smokers, hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for all-cause mortality were 1.06 (1.02–1.10) for current smokers, 1.23 (1.09–1.39) for transient quitters (≤1 consecutive years since smoking cessation), 1.22 (1.12–1.32) for recent quitters (2–6 consecutive years since smoking cessation) and 1.11 (1.02–1.22) for long-term quitters (>6 consecutive years since smoking cessation). Cox models with penalised splines revealed an increased risk of all-cause mortality after smoking cessation; the highest mortality risk was observed within 2–4 years after smoking cessation and the risk gradually decreased with duration of smoking cessation. We further conducted subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses to reduce the impact of reverse causation. Conclusions smoking is harmful to health in all populations. Our study findings indicated smoking cessation in late life to be associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality amongst oldest old people who have smoked for a long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs) show great potential in the application of large‐scale energy storage devices due to the comparable high operating voltage with lithium‐ion batteries and lower cost. Carbon‐based materials are promising candidates as anodes for PIBs, for their low cost, high abundance, nontoxicity, environmental benignity, and sustainability. In this review, we will first discuss the potassium storage mechanisms of graphitic and defective carbon materials and carbon‐based composites with various compositions and microstructures to comprehensively understand the potassium storage behavior. Then, several strategies based on heteroatoms doping, unique nanostructure design, and introduction of the conductive matrix to form composites are proposed to optimize the carbon‐based materials and achieve high performance for PIBs. Finally, we conclude the existing challenges and perspectives for further development of carbon‐based materials, which is believed to promote the practical application of PIBs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a pivotal element of electrochemical water splitting which is able to produce clean hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuel. Developing efficient Pt‐based electrocatalysts for the HER to work at all pHs is highly desirable, however, still a significant challenge, especially in alkaline conditions due to sluggish water dissociation and OHad transfer. Here, a new strategy for making a class of amorphous WOx‐surface decorated PtNi@Pt dendritic nanowires (WOx‐PtNi@Pt DNWs) to achieve highly efficient pH‐universal HER electrocatalysis is reported. The as‐made WOx‐PtNi@Pt DNWs display superior HER performance with the overpotentials of 24, 5, and 22 mV in 0.1 m KOH, 0.1 m HClO4, and 0.5 m phosphate‐buffered saline, respectively, at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The mass activity of WOx‐PtNi@Pt DNWs in alkaline conditions is 3.3 mA μgPt−1 at an overpotential of 70 mV, among the best in all the reported materials. Theoretical calculations confirm the introduction of WOx to the PtNi DNWs plays a pivotal role in promoting the efficient electron transfer for the alkaline and acidic HER. The activation of the PtNi region within the PtNiWO interface is achieved by the WOx induced strain effect, which guarantees the superior performance in the HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pre-administration of probiotic Lactobacilli attenuates ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury (GMI). The underpinning mechanisms remain to be elucidated. We speculated that lactate, the main metabolite of Lactobacillus that can be safely used as a common food additive, mediated the gastroprotective effect. This study aimed to gain experimental evidence to support our hypothesis and to shed lights on its underlying mechanisms. Methods: Lactate was orally administrated to mice at different doses 30 min prior to the induction of GMI. Gastric tissue samples were collected and underwent histopathological and immunohistochemical assessments, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot analyses. Results: Pretreatment with lactate at 1–3 g/kg significantly curtailed the severity of ethanol-induced GMI, as shown by morphological and histopathological examinations of gastric tissue samples. Significantly lower level of cytokines indicative of local inflammation were found in mice receiving lactate treatment prior to ethanol administration. Western-blot, immunohistochemical analysis and qPCR suggested that gastroprotective properties of lactate were mediated by its modulatory effects on the expression of the apoptosis regulator gene Bax, the apoptotic executive protein gene Casp3, and genes critical for gastric mucosal integrity, including those encoding tight junction proteins Occludin, Claudin-1, Claudin-5, and that for lactate receptor GPR81. Conclusion: Lactate mitigates ethanol-induced GMI by curtailing local gastric inflammatory response, down-regulating the expression of the apoptosis regulator and executor genes Bax and Casp3, and up-regulating the expression of genes encoding tight junction proteins Occludin, Claudin-1, and Claudin-5 and the lactate receptor GPR81. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of prime importance in the development of highly efficient electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies such as water splitting and zinc air batteries. Ru-based nanocatalysts are still the best catalytic system for the OER; however, one of the greatest challenges is their relatively poor stability for the OER. Here, we report a novel architecture of ultrathin RuRh@(RuRh)O2 core/shell nanosheets with a core of ultrathin metallic RuRh nanosheets and a shell of RuO2/RhO2 oxides as superb electrocatalysts toward the OER. The RuRh@(RuRh)O2 core/shell nanosheets can achieve a high electrocatalytic activity toward the OER, with a low 245 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 51.2 mV dec−1, better than most state-of-the-art Ru-based or Ir-based electrocatalysts for the OER. Moreover, the RuO2/RhO2 oxides shell protect the normally labile RuRh NSs core against dissolution during the OER process, revealed by detailed rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) measurements for simultaneously recording the dissolution of Ru on the ring electrode and the ex situ measurement of Ru dissolution using the galvanostatic method. Therefore, the RuRh@(RuRh)O2 core/shell nanosheets exhibit much better OER stability in acid media compared with RuRh nanosheets and commercial RuO2. Theoretical calculations reveal that once the formation of the surface oxidation layers is achieved, the O-sites evidentially crossover the Fermi level which could guarantee the high electroactivity towards adsorbates while the RuRh core serves as an electron reservoir with high electrical conductivity. The synergistic effect between the core and shell structure leads to the superior OER performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen production through proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWE) requires more active and stable electrocatalysts in acidic media. Herein, a class of Ir‐based alloys is reported with flower‐like structure as excellent electrocatalysts both for hydrogen and oxygen generation in acid. Specially, the IrNi alloy nanoflowers (IrNi NFs) present the best hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance, revealed by a low Tafel slope and overpotential at current density of 10 mA cm−2, exceeding the commercial Pt/C. It is discovered that alloying Ir with Ni can decrease the hydrogen binding energy (HBE) of Ir metal, resulting in almost 2.5 times increase in the HER intrinsic activity of IrNi NFs than Ir NFs. The IrNi NFs catalyst is also highly efficient in oxygen evolution reaction with mass activity of 379 A g−1 Ir at 1.51 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Furthermore, the overall water‐splitting devices using the IrNi NFs as catalysts for both cathode and anode show a low cell voltage of 1.60 V at 10 mA cm−2 and long‐term stability within 1000 cycles. This work uncovers that HBE optimization is the key of enhancing HER activity on Ir‐based alloys and these Ir‐based NFs hold great promise in future application in the PEMWE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apocynum venetum has a long history as a Chinese traditional tea. As one of the major components, polysaccharides from Apocynum venetum leaves were extracted with acid (HCl), distilled water and alkaline (NaOH) to study the effect of the extraction solvents on their chemical composition and biological activities in this work. Monosaccharide composition revealed that polysaccharides from acidic and distilled water extraction were pectic polysaccharides, while those from alkaline extraction consisted of pectin and hemicellulose. Chemical analysis and FT-IR spectra indicated the co-extraction of protein and polyphenol contents in alkaline extracted polysaccharides, which exhibited strongest antioxidant and digestive enzyme inhibition activities. The antioxidant capacities were 185.26–286.30 mg TE/g for DPPH radical scavenging, 409.06–502.00 mg TE/g for ABTS radical scavenging, and 152.12–260.70 mg TE/g sample for reducing power assay, respectively. The lowest IC50 for α-glucosidase and lipase inhibition activities were 16.75 μg/mL and 820 μg/mL, respectively. Further purification of alkaline extracts was carried out and characterized. The results showed that acid hydrolysis could successfully reduce polyphenol and protein contents, and purified polysaccharides showed even higher antioxidant activities and α-glucosidase inhibition activity. These results provide a scientific support for functional application and extraction of polysaccharides from Apocynum venetum leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the feasibility was demonstrated to turn Liesegang patterned gelatin hydrogel into the multi-pulsed drug release system. Calcium hydrogen phosphate (CaHPO4) crystals were selected as the Liesegang rings (LRs) materials. The structure of CaHPO4/gelatin was well tailored by adding the sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) micelles or SDBS/cholesterol microcapsules. As a result, the completely isometric CaHPO4/gelatin LRs were prepared. The enzymolysis of gelatin with isometric LRs and cholesterol/SDBS microcapsules was carried out by using typsin. A stepwise kinetic curve of enzymolysis was obtained due to the obstacles of CaHPO4 rings. This result indicated that CaHPO4/gelatin LRs were potentially a versatile platform for the multi-pulsed release of various drugs. Highlights: Liesegang pattern of CaHPO4 in gelatin is modified by adding sodium dodecyl benzene sulfate (SDBS) surfactant. Additional to the increase of ring number with the increase of SDBS concentration, the isometric (equal spacing) Liesegang pattern is prepared with 16 mmol/L SDBS. It is proved that the isometric Liesegang pattern is a potential device in the application of multi-pulse drug release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Casing wear has become an increasingly urgent research topic alongside advancements in extended-reach drilling (ERD) engineering. The drill string in an ERD operation is likely to undergo whirling motion, which is known to impact casing wear prediction accuracy; there have not yet been long-term studies on the related mechanisms, however. In this study, we develop a new prediction model called circumferential casing wear model (CCWD) based on the energy principle and the geometric properties, which accounts for the effects of drill string whirling motion on casing wear. Besides, composite casing wear models considering with the CCWD and casing wear groove model (CWGD) are also discussed. The results via case study to find that the proposed CCWD model of whirling motion can contribute to the accuracy of casing wear prediction. If the whirling motion is ignored, a large prediction error could occurred when only CWGD model is used. In the sensitivity analysis, the worn casing depth may increase alongside increases in whirling motion angular velocity, rotary table angular velocity, sliding and rolling friction coefficient, outer tool joint radius, and drill string weight. Slight variations in whirling motion angular velocity and rolling friction coefficient can cause substantial casing wear. Thus whirling motion must be strictly controlled during the drilling process to prevent engineering failure. To this effect, the model presented in this paper has both theoretical and practical applications for enhancing the accuracy of casing wear prediction to develop oil and gas reservoirs in ERD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zearalenone-14-glucoside (ZEN-14G), the modified mycotoxin of zearalenone (ZEN), has attracted considerable attention due to its high potential to be hydrolyzed into ZEN, which would exert toxicity. It has been confirmed that the microflora could metabolize ZEN-14G to ZEN. However, the metabolic profile of ZEN-14G and whether it could be deglucosidated in the liver are unknown. To thoroughly investigate the metabolism of ZEN-14G, in vitro metabolism including phase I and phase II metabolism was studied using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. Additionally, in vivo metabolism of ZEN-14G was conducted in model animals, rats, by oral administration. As a result, 29 phase I metabolites and 6 phase II metabolites were identified and significant inter-species metabolic differences were observed as well. What is more, ZEN-14G could be considerably deglucosidated into its free form of ZEN after the incubation with animals and human liver microsomes in the absence of NADPH, which was mainly metabolized by human carboxylesterase CES-I and II. Furthermore, results showed that the major metabolic pathways of ZEN-14G were deglucosylation, hydroxylation, hydrogenation and glucuronidation. Although interspecies differences in the biotransformation of ZEN-14G were observed, ZEN, α-ZEL-14G, β-ZEL-14G, α-ZEL, ZEN-14G-16GlcA and ZEN-14GlcA were the major metabolites of ZEN-14G. Additionally, a larger yield of 6-OH-ZEN-14G and 8-OH-ZEN-14G was also observed in human liver microsomes. The obtained data would be of great importance for the safety assessment of modified mycotoxin, ZEN-14G, and provide another perspective for risk assessment of mycotoxin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon (Si) is a promising anode candidate for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to its unprecedented theoretical capacity of 4200 mA h g−1 and earth-abundant supply (26.2 wt%). Nevertheless, the huge volume expansion and unstable solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) of Si in multiple cycles make it very hard to simultaneously achieve high-energy and long-term cycle life for applications in large-scale renewable energy storage. Herein, we demonstrate a new class of Si/SiOx@void@nitrogen-doped carbon double-shelled hollow superstructure (Si/SiOx-DSHS) electrodes that are capable of accommodating huge volume changes without pulverization during cycling. Benefiting from the unique double-shelled hollow superstructure, Si/SiOx-DSHSs can facilitate the formation of a highly stable SEI layer and provide superior kinetics toward Li+-ion storage. The diffusion-controlled process and the capacitance-type reaction can work together to endow Si/SiOx-DSHSs with remarkable electrochemical characteristics, especially at high current density. These important characteristics make Si/SiOx-DSHSs deliver a large reversible capacity (1290 mA h g−1 at 0.1C), high first-cycle coulombic efficiency (71.7%), superior rate capability (360 mA h g−1 at 10C), and excellent cycling behavior up to 1000 cycles with a small capacity decay of 10.2%. The Si/SiOx-DSHSs are among the best Si-based anode materials for LIBs reported to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]