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Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have seen remarkable progress in recent years, largely attributed to various additives that enhance both efficiency and stability. Among these, fluorine-containing additives have garnered significant interest because of their unique hydrophobic properties, effective defect passivation, and regulation capability on the crystallization process. However, a targeted structural approach to design such additives is necessary to further enhance the performance of PSCs. Here, fluoroalkyl ethylene with different fluoroalkyl chain lengths (CH2CH(CF2)nCF3, n = 3, 5, and 7) as liquid additives is used to investigate influences of fluoroalkyl chain lengths on crystallization regulation and defect passivation. The findings indicate that optimizing the quantity of F groups plays a crucial role in regulating the electron cloud distribution within the additive molecules. This optimization fosters strong hydrogen bonds and coordination effects with FA+ and uncoordinated Pb2+, ultimately enhancing crystal quality and device performance. Notably, 1H,1H,2H-perfluoro-1-hexene (PF3) with the optimal number of F presents the most effective modulation effect. A PSC utilizing PF3 achieves an efficiency of 24.05%, and exhibits exceptional stability against humidity and thermal fluctuations. This work sheds light on the importance of tailored structure designs in additives for achieving high-performance PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Special attention was drawn to the heavy metals contained in coal, due to it will cause harm to the environment during coal processing and utilization. The sequential chemical extraction of Shanxi coal (SX coal) and Wulanchabu coal (WLCB coal) was carried out to investigate the distribution of arsenic (As) in coals. Two raw coals were pyrolyzed at 300–900 °C in horizontal tubular furnace to investigate release behavior of As during pyrolysis process. The results showed that As in SX coal mainly existed in aluminosilicate-bound state (40.25%) and disulfide-bound state (32.51%), followed by carbonate-bound state and organic-bound state. The As in WLCB coal mainly existed in aluminosilicate-bound state (62.50%), followed by disulfide-bound state (19.10%). The As contents of water-soluble, ion-exchange and residue states in the two coals were less than others. The modes of occurrence of As had great influence on its volatilization behavior. As in organic part was easy to volatilize at low temperature. Sulfide-bound state would escape with the decomposition of pyrite. Because SX coal contained higher organic state and sulfide-bound state, the volatilization rate of As was higher than WLCB coal at any temperature, and the difference was more obvious at low temperature. In addition, FactSage simulation value was basically consistent with the experimental value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recipient-area perifollicular erythema (RPE) may delay graft growth after hair transplantation. However, there is currently a lack of observational clinical studies of RPE. Objective: To study the clinical features and risk factors associated with RPE while analyzing its correlation with graft growth. Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study between June 2020 and January 2023. Results: A total of 1090 participants were included, 178 (16.33%) showed mild RPE, 56 (5.14%) showed moderate RPE, and 10 (0.92%) showed severe RPE. Patients with RPE had severe hair shaft shedding (P < 0.001) and a lower survival rate (P < 0.001) of grafts. Logistic regression analysis showed that folliculitis is a significant risk factor for mild RPE (OR 6.061, 95% CI 3.343–10.991, P < 0.001) and moderate RPE (OR 3.397, 95% CI 1.299–8.882, P = 0.013). Besides, untimely first postoperative hair washing was associated with the development of moderate RPE (OR 0.724, 95% CI 0.553–0.947, P = 0.018) and severe RPE (OR 1.553, 95% CI 1.156–2.086, P = 0.003). Conclusion: RPE is a postoperative complication closely related to high hair shaft shedding proportion and low graft survival rate. Both postoperative folliculitis and untimely first postoperative hair washing may induce the occurrence of RPE. Level of Evidence III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This research strived to construct a new signature utilizing disulfidptosis-related ferroptosis (SRF) genes to anticipate response to immunotherapy, prognosis, and drug sensitivity in individuals with colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: The data for RNA sequencing as well as corresponding clinical information of individuals with CRC, were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. SRF were constructed with the help of the random forest (RF), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and stepwise regression algorithms. To validate the SRF model, we applied it to an external cohort, GSE38832. Prognosis, immunotherapy response, drug sensitivity, molecular functions of genes, and somatic mutations of genes were compared across the high- and low-risk groups (categories). Following this, all statistical analyses were conducted with the aid of the R (version 4.23) software and various packages of the Cytoscape (version 3.8.0) tool. Results: SRF was developed based on five genes (ATG7, USP7, MMD, PLIN4, and THDC2). Both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses established SRF as an independent, prognosis-related risk factor. Individuals from the high-risk category had a more unfavorable prognosis, elevated tumor mutational burden (TMB), and significant immunosuppressive status. Hence, they might have better outcomes post-immunotherapy and might benefit from the administration of pazopanib, lapatinib, and sunitinib. Conclusion: In conclusion, SRF can act as a new biomarker for prognosis assessment. Moreover, it is also a good predictor of drug sensitivity and immunotherapy response in CRC but should undergo optimization before implementation in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macroscopic fibres assembled from two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets are new and impressing type of fibre materials besides those from one-dimensional (1D) polymers, such as graphene fibres. However, the preparation and property-enhancing technologies of these fibres follow those from 1D polymers by improving the orientation along the fibre axis, leading to non-optimized microstructures and low integrated performances. Here, we show a concept of bidirectionally promoting the assembly order, making graphene fibres achieve synergistically improved mechanical and thermal properties. Concentric arrangement of graphene oxide sheets in the cross-section and alignment along fibre axis are realized by multiple shear-flow fields, which bidirectionally promotes the sheet-order of graphene sheets in solid fibres, generates densified and crystalline graphitic structures, and produces graphene fibres with ultrahigh modulus (901 GPa) and thermal conductivity (1660 W m−1 K−1). We believe that the concept would enhance both scientific and technological cognition of the assembly process of 2D nanosheets. Aligned 2D assembled fibres have been developed by drawing like 1D polymers, yet with disorders in cross-section. Here, the authors bidirectionally promote assembly order of graphene fibres, achieving high modulus and highly thermal conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral two-dimensional (2D) perovskites offer numerous attractive features for optoelectronics owing to their soft, deformable lattices and a high degree of chemical tunability. While tremendous advances have been made in perovskite-based direct circularly polarized light (CPL) detection, the low circular polarization anisotropy factor and sensitivity of those photodetectors arising from large lattice distortion still limit practical applications. Herein, chiral 2D perovskite-based single-crystalline microwire arrays with enhanced circular dichroism (CD) absorption are fabricated with the synergy of the capillary-bridge-confined assembly method and chlorine-substituted phenethylamine (Cl-MBA). Compared with phenethylamine (MBA)-inserted perovskites, the smaller lattice distortion and increased halogen–halogen interaction within Cl–MBA-inserted perovskites strengthen lattice rigidity and weaken electron-phonon coupling to improve carrier transport and thermal stability, resulting in high-performance CPL photodetectors with an anisotropy factor of 0.25, responsivity exceeding 95.7±9.3 A W−1 and detectivity exceeding (3.05±0.30)×1013 Jones. This work opens a new perspective to modulate circular polarization sensitivity and will be helpful to realize promising implementations in quantum computation and communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remanufacturing retired auto parts with high added value can save various resources and provide good environmental benefits. This paper uses GREET2021 software to analyze and calculate the energy consumption of the life cycle, the primary energy consumption in each stage, quantify the emission of greenhouse gas and standard pollutants of a small internal combustion engine (ICE) passenger car with remanufacturing starter, and conducts a comparison study with a small ICE passenger car equipped with a new starter based on life cycle assessment. Results show that a small ICE passenger car with a remanufacturing starter consumes 40 kJ less energy per 100 km, emits 0.2 g less CO2, and emits 0.005 g less PM2.5 and PM10 than a small ICE passenger car with a new starter. The uncertainty analysis shows the fuel production phase has the highest uncertainty of 67.6% for CO2 emissions over the life cycle of passenger cars. The sensitivity analysis shows that a small ICE passenger car with remanufacturing starter is less sensitive in terms of life cycle energy consumption, primary energy consumption, and major pollutant emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pyrotinib is a newly developed tyrosine kinase inhibitor whose in vivo clearance relies heavily on cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) activity. Clinical trials are ongoing to explore the effects of coadministration with CYP3A4 perpetrators on pyrotinib exposure. The present study aims to utilize physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling to predict CYP3A4-based drug interactions of pyrotinib. Methods: Pyrotinib PBPK model was developed in the PK-Sim® multicompartmental physiology structure. Physiochemical parameters were obtained from the literature, and clearance-related parameters were optimized by fitting clinical single-dose pharmacokinetic data. Pharmacokinetic parameters from the model output were compared with the observed data to validate the model predictive performance. Using validated CYP3A4 perpetrator models, we conducted PBPK simulations for drug interactions in a virtual population to explore the impacts of comedication with these perpetrators. Results: The PBPK model accurately describes pyrotinib single- and multi-dose pharmacokinetics. The model also predicts dramatic exposure change of pyrotinib in the presence of itraconazole and rifampicin, though the impact of rifampicin is somewhat underestimated. According to model predictions, coadministration with typical potent or moderate CYP3A4 perpetrators increases pyrotinib concentration by over sixfold, extinguishing the possibility of dose adjustment for pyrotinib. A weak CYP3A4 inhibitor has minimal influence on pyrotinib pharmacokinetics. Conclusion: PBPK modeling provides valuable information to avoid irrational medication when receiving pyrotinib chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Multidimensional detection of intensity, wavelength, polarization, and angle of the incidence light significantly accelerates the development of optical information technology and artificial intelligence fields. The first comprehensive overview of the advancement of multifunctional photodetectors for perovskite semiconductors ranging from polarized light detection, spectral detection, and angle-sensing detection to self-powered detection is summarized. The existing problems and perspectives are discussed which can inspire more researchers to rationally design new perovskite materials and micro/nano-structure for high-performance multifunctional photodetectors. Multifunctional photodetectors boost the development of traditional optical communication technology and emerging artificial intelligence fields, such as robotics and autonomous driving. However, the current implementation of multifunctional detectors is based on the physical combination of optical lenses, gratings, and multiple photodetectors, the large size and its complex structure hinder the miniaturization, lightweight, and integration of devices. In contrast, perovskite materials have achieved remarkable progress in the field of multifunctional photodetectors due to their diverse crystal structures, simple morphology manipulation, and excellent optoelectronic properties. In this review, we first overview the crystal structures and morphology manipulation techniques of perovskite materials and then summarize the working mechanism and performance parameters of multifunctional photodetectors. Furthermore, the fabrication strategies of multifunctional perovskite photodetectors and their advancements are highlighted, including polarized light detection, spectral detection, angle-sensing detection, and self-powered detection. Finally, the existing problems of multifunctional detectors and the perspectives of their future development are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved antibiotics have been a research subject due to their widespread presence and potential threats in drinking water treatment. To enhance the photocatalytic activity of Bi2MoO6 for the degradation of norfloxacin (NOR), the heterostructured Co3O4/Bi2MoO6 (CoBM) composites were synthesized by employing ZIF-67-derived Co3O4 on Bi2MoO6 microspheres. The as-synthesized resultant material 3-CoBM by 300 °C calcination was characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS, transient photocurrent techniques, and EIS. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated by monitoring different concentrations, NOR removal from aqueous solution. Compared with Bi2MoO6, 3-CoBM exhibited the better adsorption and elimination capacity of NOR due to the combined effect between peroxymonosulfate activation and photocatalytic reaction. The influences of catalyst dosage, PMS dosage, various interfering ions (Cl−, NO3−, HCO3−, and SO42−), pH value, and type of antibiotics for application removal were also invested. By activating PMS under visible-light irradiation, 84.95% of metronidazole (MNZ) can be degraded within 40 min, and NOR and tetracycline (TC) can be completely degraded using 3-CoBM. Degradation mechanism was elucidated by quenching tests in combination with EPR measurement, and the degree of activity of the active groups from strong to weak is h+, SO4-•, and •OH, respectively. The degradation products and conceivable degradation pathways of NOR were speculated by LC-MS. In combination of excellent peroxymonosulfate activation and highly enhanced photocatalytic performance, this newly Co3O4/Bi2MoO6 catalyst might be a promising candidate for degrading emerging antibiotic contamination in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atmospheric deposition of copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) was monitored in eight sites around a Cu smelter with similar distance to verify whether tree leaf and ring can be used as bio-indicators to track spatial pollution record. Results showed that total atmospheric deposition of Cu (103–1215 mg/m2/year) and Cd (3.57–11.2 mg/m2/year) were 4.73–66.6 and 3.15–12.2 times higher than those in background site (164 mg/m2/year and 0.93 mg/m2/year). The frequencies of wind directions significantly influenced the atmospheric deposition of Cu and Cd, and the highest atmospheric deposition of Cu and Cd were at the prevalent northeastern wind (JN), and low frequency south (WJ) and north (SW) winds for the lowest deposition fluxes. Since the bioavailability of Cd was higher than that of Cu, the atmospheric deposition of Cd was more easily adsorbed by tree leaf and ring, resulting in only significant relation between atmospheric Cd deposition and Cinnamomum camphora leaves and tree ring Cd. Although tree rings cannot correctly record the atmospheric Cu and Cd deposition, higher concentrations in the indigenous tree rings than the transplanted tree rings suggested that tree rings can reflect to some extent the variations of atmospheric deposition. Generally, spatial pollution of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals cannot reflect the distribution of soil total and available metals around the smelter, and only camphor leaf and tree ring can bio-indicate Cd deposition. A major implication of these findings is that leaf and tree ring can serve for biomonitoring purposes to assess the spatial distribution of atmospheric deposition metal with high bioavailability around a pollution source with similar distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergency logistics provider selection (ELPS) is an important part of emergency logistics management. In an increasingly complex and highly uncertain evaluation environment, how to effectively select emergency logistics providers has become a hot topic in the field of emergency logistics management. In this paper, by integrating the double hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set (DHHFLTS), the normalized projection measure and the improved ELECTRE II method, a practical integrated decision support model is proposed to handle the ELPS problem. First, DHHFLTSs are utilized to represent the complex and uncertain linguistic evaluation information provided by decision makers (DMs) to provide subjective judgments. Meanwhile, a distance measure for DHHFLTSs based on the proposed normalized projection is proposed to reflect both the included angle and the distance between evaluation objects, and a weight-determining method based on the proposed distance measure and the maximizing deviation method is constructed. Then a new decision support framework of double hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic ELECTRE II based on positive and negative ideal solutions is put forward, in which three kinds of preference relations of the concordance and discordance sets are set up to rank the alternatives more reasonably. Finally, a practical example of ELPS is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and detailed comparative analysis with other representative methods is also conducted to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common side effect after laparoscopic surgery. The aim of the study is to investigate the variables that could predict PONV in patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy. We divided patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy into PONV and No-PONV groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to adjust confounding factors for further validation, and ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors for PONV. In the ordinal logistic regression analysis, the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (odds ratio [OR]: 3.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38–7.38; p < 0.01) was identified as an independent risk factor for the presence of PONV and a predictor of the severity of PONV (OR: 3.44, 95% CI: 1.67–5.20; p < 0.01) in 94 PSM patients. Besides, NLR was positively correlated with the PONV score (r = 0.534, p < 0.001). In the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, an NLR with an optimal cutoff value of 1.59 predicted severe PONV with a sensitivity of 72% and specificity of 81%. The NLR was an independent risk factor for the presence of PONV, and a high NLR tends to be positively associated with the severity of PONV after laparoscopic gastrectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) had been confirmed to have immune dysfunction and were prone to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), which was directly related to the increased mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors for IPA in SFTS patients, and the results were expected to be helpful for early identification of IPA and initiation of anti-fungal therapy. The study was performed to review laboratory confirmed SFTS patients in two tertiary hospitals in Shandong province (Qilu Hospital of Shandong University and Shandong Public Health Clinical Center) from April 2021 to August 2022. The enrolled patients were further divided into IPA group and non-IPA group. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters between IPA group and non-IPA group patients were analyzed and compared to identify the independent predictors for IPA by univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Sensitivity and specificity of independent predictors were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. In total, 67 SFTS patients were enrolled with an average age of 64.7 (± 8.4) years old. The incidence of IPA was 32.8% (22/67). Mortality of patients in IPA group was 27.3% (6/22), which was significantly higher than that in non-IPA group. Results of univariate analysis showed that uncontrolled diabetes, central nervous system symptoms, platelet < 40 × 109/L, CD4+ T cell < 300/μL and CD8+ T cell < 400/μL were risk factors for development of IPA. These factors were further analyzed by multivariable logistic regression analysis and the results indicated that uncontrolled diabetes, platelet < 40 × 109/L, CD4+ T cell < 300/μL and CD8+ T cell < 400/μL could be recognized as independent predictors for IPA in SFTS patients. In conclusion, IPA is a serious complication for SFTS patients and increases mortality. It is necessary to early identify predictors of IPA for improving survival of SFTS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proven that intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can alleviate cartilage damage in osteoarthritis (OA) by differentiating into chondrocytes and protecting inherent cartilage. However, the mechanism by which the OA articular microenvironment affects MSCs' therapeutic efficiency is yet to be fully elucidated. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in various cellular processes, such as osteogenesis and immune regulation. Tryptophan (Trp) metabolites, most of which are endogenous ligand for AHR, are abnormally increased in synovial fluid (SF) of OA and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. In this study, the effects of kynurenine (KYN), one of the most important metabolites of Trp, were evaluated on the chondrogenic and chondroprotective effects of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hUC-MSCs). hUC-MSCs were cultured in conditioned medium containing different proportions of OA/RA SF, or stimulated with KYN directly, and then, AHR activation, proliferation, and chondrogenesis of hUC-MSCs were measured. Moreover, the chondroprotective efficiency of short hairpin-AHR-UC-MSC (shAHR-UC-MSC) was determined in a rat surgical OA model (right hind joint). OA SF could activate AHR signaling in hUC-MSCs in a concentration-dependent manner and inhibit the chondrogenic differentiation and proliferation ability of hUC-MSCs. Similar results were observed in hUC-MSCs stimulated with KYN in vitro. Notably, shAHR-UC-MSC exhibited superior therapeutic efficiency in OA rat upon intra-articular injection. Taken together, this study indicates that OA articular microenvironment is not conducive to the therapeutic effect of hUC-MSCs, which is related to the activation of the AHR pathway by tryptophan metabolites, and thus impairs the chondrogenic and chondroprotective effects of hUC-MSCs. AHR might be a promising modification target for further improving the therapeutic efficacy of hUC-MSCs on treatment of cartilage-related diseases such as OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote controlled soft actuators have attracted ever-increasing interest in industrial, medical, robotics, and engineering fields. Soft actuators are charming than normal tools in executing dedicate tasks due to small volume and flexible body they have. However, it remains a challenge to design soft actuator that can adapt to multi-environments under remote stimuli with promising nano materials. Herein, we have developed a kind of near-infrared laser driven soft actuators with multi locomotive modes based on WSe2 and graphene nanosheets heterojunction. Different locomotion modes are driven by photothermal effect induced deformation to adapt to different working conditions. Moreover, the specially designed gripper driven by pulsed laser can lift a heavy load which is four times of its weight. This work broadens the choice of advanced nanomaterials for photothermal conversion of soft actuators. It is promising to realize applications including photothermal therapy and complex environment detection through the combination of the intelligent robot design and optical fiber system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding new wheat varieties with salt resistance is one of the best ways to solve a constraint on the sustainability and expansion of wheat cultivation. Therefore, understanding the molecular components or genes related to salt tolerance must contribute to the cultivation of salt-tolerant varieties. The present study used a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population to genetically dissect the effects of different salt stress concentrations on wheat seed germination and seedling traits using two quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping methods. A total of 31 unconditional and 11 conditional QTLs for salt tolerance were identified on 11 chromosomes explaining phenotypic variation (PVE) ranging from 2.01 to 65.76%. Of these, 15 major QTLs were found accounting for more than 10% PVE. QTL clusters were detected on chromosomes 2A and 3B in the marker intervals 'wPt-8328 and wPt-2087' and 'wPt-666008 and wPt-3620', respectively, involving more than one salt tolerance trait. QRdw3B and QSfw3B.2 were most consistent in two or more salt stress treatments. 16 candidate genes associated with salt tolerance were predicted in wheat. These results could be useful to improve salt tolerance by marker-assisted selection (MAS) and shed new light on understanding the genetic basis of salt tolerance in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand the progression of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), identify early predictors of mortality, and improve the cure rate, the present study aimed to analyze the demographic feature, clinical characteristics, and laboratory parameters of patients with SFTS and to explore the risk factors associated with fatal outcome. We retrospectively analyzed demographic feature, clinical characteristics, and laboratory parameters of 216 laboratory-confirmed SFTS patients in Shandong province between January 2015 and December 2019. Univariate analysis was used to assess the relevance between these factors and fatal outcome. Factors with P < 0.05 in univariate analysis were further analyzed using multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify the independent risk factors for mortality of SFTS. Age, five complications (including CNS symptoms, pulmonary infection, heart failure, arrhythmia, and bleeding events), and ten abnormal laboratory parameters (including serum viral load, blood platelet, ALT, AST, LDH, CK, CK-MB, Cr, serum Ca2+, and APTT) were statistically significant by univariate analysis. These factors were further analyzed by multivariable logistic regression analysis, and the results indicated that coma, pulmonary infection, high viral load, and prolonged APTT were associated with fatal outcome in SFTS patients. Our study identified four independent risk factors associated with fatal outcome for SFTS patients. The results were hoped to provide help for active treatment of SFTS. However, the identification of risk factors is not absolutely associated with fatal outcome. Patients' risk should be assessed by dynamic observation of the changes in risk factor indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlocking of the extremely inert C=O bond during electrochemical CO2 reduction demands subtle regulation on a key "resource", protons, necessary for intermediate conversion but also readily trapped in water splitting, which is still challenging for developing efficient single-atom catalysts limited by their structural simplicity usually incompetent to handle this task. Incorporation of extra functional units should be viable. Herein, a proton deployment strategy is demonstrated via "atomic and nanostructured iron (A/N-Fe) pairs", comprising atomically dispersed iron active centers spin-polarized by nanostructured iron carbide ferromagnets, to boost the critical protonation steps. The as-designed catalyst displays a broad window (300 mV) for CO selectivity > 90% (98% maximum), even outperforming numerous cutting-edge M—N—C systems. The well-placed control of proton dynamics by A/N-Fe can promote *COOH/*CO formation and simultaneously suppress H2 evolution, benefiting from the magnetic-proximity-induced exchange splitting (spin polarization) that properly adjusts energy levels of the Fe sites' d-shells, and further those of the adsorbed intermediates' antibonding molecular orbitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel solid-state electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor for chlorpyrifos (CPF) detection was constructed based on zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 electrospinning nanofibers (ZIF-67 NFs). Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), ZIF-67 NFs, tris(2,2′-bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) [Ru(bpy)32+], and Nafion were successively deposited on the surface of the electrode. Ag NPs played a role in promoting electron transfer, and ZIF-67 NFs played a role in fixing Ru(bpy)32+ and promoting electron transfer due to its large specific surface area and porosity. Nafion formed a film on the outermost layer of the electrode to further improve the stability of the system. Therefore, the modified electrode showed stable and obvious ECL signal in PBS solution containing 10 μL 0.01 M TprA (pH 8.0). CPF quenched the ECL signal of the system, and the quenching value was linear with the logarithm of CPF concentration in the range 1.0 × 10−13 to 1.0 × 10−6 M. The detection limit was 3.3 × 10−14 M (S/N = 3). In this study, ZIF-67 NFs were used as an ECL promoter for the first time, broadening the application range of ZIF-67 NFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time it is demonstrated that zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 electrospun nanofibers (ZIF-8 NF) could serve as electrochemiluminescence (ECL) accelerator for the facile detection of terbutaline residual. A novel ECL sensor for the determination of terbutaline was fabricated based on ZIF-8 NF. The ZIF-8 NF were successfully prepared according to electrospinning and in-situ growth method. First, chitosan was modified on the surface of the electrode, and then the ZIF-8 NF was modified onto the upper layer of the chitosan. Taking advantages of chitosan and ZIF-8 NF in conductivity and electrocatalysis, the modified electrode presents obvious ECL phenomenon in 0.2 M PBS solution (pH 10.0) containing 0.025 M luminol. After the addition of terbutaline, ECL intensity decreased significantly, and the decreasing value showed a linear relationship with the logarithm of terbutaline concentration. The linear range was from 2.0 × 10−10 to 2.0 × 10−5 M, and the detection limit was 1.41 × 10−11 M (3σ/m). The method had high sensitivity, good stability, and good applicability to actual pork samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a facile strategy for the construction of vinylene-linked fully π-conjugated covalent organic frameworks (COFs) remains a huge challenge. Here, a versatile condition of Knoevenagel polycondensation for constructing vinylene-linked 2D COFs was explored. Three new examples of vinylene-linked 2D COFs (BTH-1, 2, 3) containing benzobisthiazoles units as functional groups were successfully prepared under this versatile and mild condition. The electron-deficient benzobisthiazole units and cyano-vinylene linkages were both integrated into the π conjugated COFs skeleton and acted as acceptor moieties. Interestingly, we found the construction of a highly ordered and conjugated D-A system is favorable for photocatalytic activity. BTH-3 with benzotrithiophene as the donor with a strong D-A effect exhibited an attractive photocatalytic HER of 15.1 mmol h−1g−1 under visible light irradiation. Synthesis of fully π-conjugated covalent organic frameworks (COFs) remains still challenging. Here, the authors propose a versatile synthesis method based on Knoevenagel polycondensation for the synthesis of vinylene-linked benzobisthiazole-based 2D COFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous graphene (PG) has a promising future for gas storage owing to its unique pore characteristics and large specific surface area. The adsorption properties of PG and Mn atoms decorated PG (Mn-PG) for methane (CH4) molecules have been studied based on the first-principles density functional theory. It is discovered that the optimum adsorption position of CH4 on PG is the carbon ring pore, and the adsorption energy is − 0.174 eV. The optimal position of the PG system decorated by single Mn atom is the central hole of the carbon ring, and the optimal position of the two Mn atoms is that Mn atoms are, respectively, located at different carbon ring holes on the opposite side of PG, with an average binding energy of − 4.101 eV. The modification of the Mn atom enhances the electronegativity of the PG substrate and forms a negative electrical center at the carbon ring, which facilitates the enhancement of the adsorption performance of the CH4 molecules that are positively charged with the surface. The CH4 molecule, close to Mn atom shows negative charge, and its strong electrostatic interaction with positively charged Mn atom is dominant, resulting in higher adsorption energy. The surface of CH4 molecule far away from the Mn atom is positively charged, the weak electrostatic interaction with the negatively charged PG substrate and the Van der Waals interaction between CH4 molecules are dominant, and the adsorption energy is low. The CH4 molecules are adsorbed on the PG surface through the electrostatic interaction with Mn atoms and PG substrate as well as the intermolecular force of CH4 molecules. The Mn-PG system is single-sided adsorption 6 CH4 molecules, and the average adsorption energy is − 0.345 eV. When two Mn atom modification PG, 12 CH4 molecules can be adsorbed on both sides, and the average adsorption energy is − 0.338 eV, the adsorption capacity is up to 38.43 wt.%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) was an initial rate-limiting enzyme of the kynurenine (Kyn) pathway in tryptophan (Trp) metabolism. We undertook this study to determine a comprehensive analysis of TDO2 expression in immune cells and assess the characterization of immune cell phenotype in TDO2 knockout mice. The expression of TDO2 in various tissues of DBA/1 mice was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry. Both flow cytometry and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the expression of TDO2 in immune cells. Furthermore, TDO2 knockout (KO) mice were generated by CRISPR/Cas9 technology to detect immune cell phenotype. TDO2 protein level in liver was tested by western blot. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to detect the level of Trp and Kyn. Flow cytometry was used to test the proportions of splenic lymphocyte subsets in wild-type (WT) and TDO2 KO mice. We found that TDO2 was expressed in various tissues and immune cells, and TDO2 staining was mainly observed in the cytoplasm of cells. There was no difference in the development of immune cells between TDO2 KO mice and WT mice, including T cells, B cells, memory B cells, plasma cells, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells. Interestingly, the reduced M1/M2 ratio was observed in the peritoneal macrophages of TDO2 KO mice. Taken together, these findings enriched the known expression profile of TDO2, especially its expression in immune cells. Our study suggested that TDO2-mediated Trp-Kyn metabolism pathway might be involved in the immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two charge-transfer single crystals induced by donor-acceptor interactions were obtained. The presence of different solvent molecules led to 1D (linear) or 2D self-assembly modes. More interestingly, the 2D organic framework, a layer-by-layer 2D organic framework single crystal, showed a stronger charge-transfer effect than the 1D cocrystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-doped graphdiyne (N-graphdiyne) is a new kind of alkynyl carbon material whose structure resembles graphdiyne. This study describes the Mn-modified N-graphdiyne (Mn-N-graphdiyne) system on methane (CH4) adsorption properties based on first principles. We found that the modifications of the Mn atom could significantly improve the adsorption of CH4 by N-graphdiyne. Two Mn atoms can adsorb 36 CH4 molecules upon double-sided modification, with average adsorption capacity and storage capacities of approximately − 0.158 eV and 0.585 g g−1, respectively. The adsorption of the first CH4 molecule by the Mn-N-graphdiyne system, which is mainly affected by the Mn atoms, involves a strong Coulomb interaction with Mn accompanied by the highest adsorption energy. Subsequently, an increase in the distance between CH4 molecules and Mn atoms increases leads to a weakened Coulomb interaction. The adsorption of CH4 molecules is then mainly affected by the van der Waals force between the substrate N-graphdiyne, and the adsorption energy decreases. The N-graphdiyne system has a larger acetylene chain macroporous position than GDY owing to the doping of N atoms, which provides sufficient adsorption space and adsorption sites for CH4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noroviruses have been recognized as the most important causative agents of acute gastroenteritis. The present study was carried out to investigate the molecular epidemiological features of genotype II (GII) norovirus in outpatients with acute gastroenteritis in Shandong province in China from July 2017 to June 2018. In total, 151 (10.30%) samples were positive for NoV GII strains by RT-PCR. Eight genotypes were detected: GII.2, GII.3, GII.4, GII.6, GII.7, GII.12, GII.13 and GII.17. GII.4 (43.71%) was the most prevalent genotype, and the dominant strains belonged to the group of Sydney-2012 strains. GII.17 (27.15%), which has become the main cause of outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis in China, also accounted for a high proportion. Meanwhile, three recombinant types (GII.P17-GII.7, GII.P3-GII.4 and GII.P12-GII.4) were observed and authenticated using Simplot software. The results showed that GII norovirus was the main cause of acute gastroenteritis in Shandong province. GII.4 and GII.17 were the dominant genotypes. Continuous observation and identification of emerging genotypes are necessary for understanding the evolution of the virus, control of infection, and development of vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) nanoprobe was fabricated for the determination of clenbuterol (CLB). A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) film was coated on the surface of the glassy carbon electrode modified with CdTe-doped multiwall carbon nanotubes. The MIP film with CLB as the template molecule improves the selectivity of the nanoprobe, CdTe is used as ECL signal amplifier, and MWCNT works as the carrier. The ECL intensity is altered by elution and reabsorption of CLB. The possible reaction mechanism and experimental parameters of the nanoprobe are discussed. Under optimized conditions, the quenched ECL intensity and the CLB concentration have a linear relationship in the range 2.3 × 10−9 to 1.5 × 10−5 mol·L−1, and the detection limit is 1.0 × 10−9 mol·L−1 (S/N = 3). The nanoprobe was successfully applied to the determination of CLB in pork samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To maintain national socio-economic development and maritime rights and interests, it is necessary to obtain the space location information of various ships. Therefore, it is important to detect the locations of ships accurately and rapidly. At present, ship detection is mainly carried out by combining satellite remote sensing imaging with constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection. However, with the rapid development of satellite remote sensing technology, remote sensing data have gradually begun to show the characteristics of “big data”; additionally, the accuracy and speed of ship detection can be improved by analysing big data, such as by deep learning. Thus, a ship detection algorithm that combines CFAR and CNN is proposed based on the CFAR global detection algorithm and image recognition with the CNN model. Compared with the multi-level CFAR algorithm that is based on multithreading, the algorithm in this paper is more suitable for application to ship detection systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to determine the diagnostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in patients with recurrent or residual prostate cancer (PCa) after radical prostatectomy. Studies were systematically searched in the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, SCI, CBM, CNKI, VIP, Wan Fang, and other databases. Additional studies were manually searched using the references of the retrieved articles. The retrieved deadline was Sep. 6th, 2014. Selection of eligible studies for inclusion was based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the quality of the studies was reviewed based on the QUADAS criteria. The Meta Disc 1.4 and Stata 12.1 software were used for meta-analysis, and a summary receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed. The patient-based pooled weighted estimates of the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and 95 % confidence interval were calculated. Seven articles (12 studies) were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimates of the sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the curve were 0.88 (95 % CI 0.84-0.91), 0.87 (95 % CI 0.81-0.92), and 0.9391, respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 50.4 (95 % CI 26.0-97.6) and Q* was 0.8764. DCE-MRI has high sensitivity and specificity in the evaluation of locally recurrent or residual PCa after radical prostatectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has emerged as a new modality for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the diagnostic value of F-FDG PET/CT in detecting local recurrence in patients with CRC. We searched PubMed, Medline, Embase, and ISI databases to collect articles in English that evaluated the diagnostic value of F-FDG PET/CT in patients with CRC. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of each study using the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies tool. The data were analyzed using Meta-Disc (Version 1.4) and Stata (Version 12.0) software. We estimated the sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC). A total of 26 studies were included. When all the eligible studies included, the pooled sensitivity and specificity for F-FDG PET/CT in detecting CRC were 0.94 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.92-0.96) and 0.94 (95 % CI 0.93-0.95), respectively. The pooled PLR and NLR were 14.39 (95 % CI 7.37-28.09) and 0.08 (95 % CI 0.06-0.12), respectively. The DOR was 208.67 (95 % CI 109.56-397.44) and the area under the SROC curve was 0.9776. The overall diagnostic accuracy ( Q* index) was 0.9329. F-FDG PET/CT has good diagnostic performance in detecting local recurrence in patients with CRC. Further larger prospective studies are needed to establish its value for detecting local recurrence of CRC cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key clinical features of cumulative trauma disorders include pain, muscle weakness, and tissue fibrosis, although the etiology is still under investigation. Here, we characterized the temporal pattern of altered sensorimotor behaviors and inflammatory and fibrogenic processes occurring in forearm muscles and serum of young adult, female rats performing an operant, high repetition high force (HRHF) reaching and grasping task for 6, 12, or 18 weeks. Palmar mechanical sensitivity, cold temperature avoidance and spontaneous behavioral changes increased, while grip strength declined, in 18-week HRHF rats, compared to controls. Flexor digitorum muscles had increased MCP-1 levels after training and increased TNFalpha in 6-week HRHF rats. Serum had increased IL-1beta, IL-10 and IP-10 after training. Yet both muscle and serum inflammation resolved by week 18. In contrast, IFNγ increased at week 18 in both muscle and serum. Given the anti-fibrotic role of IFNγ, and to identify a mechanism for the continued grip strength losses and behavioral sensitivities, we evaluated the fibrogenic proteins CCN2, collagen type I and TGFB1, as well as the nociceptive/fibrogenic peptide substance P. Each increased in and around flexor digitorum muscles and extracellular matrix in the mid-forearm, and in nerves of the forepaw at 18 weeks. CCN2 was also increased in serum at week 18. At a time when inflammation had subsided, increases in fibrogenic proteins correlated with sensorimotor declines. Thus, muscle and nerve fibrosis may be critical components of chronic work-related musculoskeletal disorders. CCN2 and substance P may serve as potential targets for therapeutic intervention, and CCN2 as a serum biomarker of fibrosis progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is one of the most common and lethal brain tumors. N-myc (and STAT) interactor ( NMI) gene has been reported in tumorigenesis, and our previous study further showed its implication in glioma progression. To elucidate its involvement in the etiology of glioma, we conducted a case-control study of 875 patients and 1040 controls in a Chinese Han population by genotyping 7 representative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NMI. Allele and genotype frequency distribution of five loci (rs2278089, rs2194492, rs6734376, rs3854012, and rs11730) were significantly different between the cases and controls. Unconditional logistic regression showed that the variant genotypes of rs2278089 [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.57, P = 4.23 × 10], rs2194492 (adjusted OR = 1.49, P = 1.20 × 10), and rs6734376 (adjusted OR = 0.06, P = 8.65 × 10) significantly affected glioma risk compared with the major homozygotes, while the minor homozygotes of rs3854012 (adjusted OR = 0.54, P = 4.64 × 10) and rs11730 (adjusted OR = 0.60, P = 1.50 × 10) showed significant protective effects. Further stratified analyses indicated that these associations remained significant in subgroups of low-grade glioma (LGG) and high-grade glioma (HGG). Additionally, haplotype and diplotype analyses showed consistent results. The Bonferroni correction was applied for all these analyses. Moreover, luciferase reporter gene assays revealed enhanced promoter activity of the C risk allele of rs2194492 in several cell lines compared with the G major allele, suggesting its potential function in transcriptional activation of NMI. Taken together, these results revealed that NMI polymorphisms may contribute to genetic susceptibility to glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A variety of studies have been performed to elucidate the polymorphisms in promoter regions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) associated with the risk of digestive cancers, and yet, results remain conflicting and heterogeneous. Thus, we undertook a systematic meta-analysis to determine the genetic susceptibility of MMPs to digestive cancers. Methods: A computerized literature search was conducted in databases of PubMed, Embase, and ISI Web of Knowledge till October 2012 for any MMP genetic association study in oral squamous, gastric, esophageal, and colorectal carcinomas. Odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were estimated for each gene under dominant and recessive models, and the heterogeneity between studies was assessed using Q test and I value. Overall and subgroup analysis according to anatomical sites and ethnicity was carried out. Statistical analysis was performed with Review Manager 5.0. Results: A total of 40 eligible publications with 68 comparisons were included in this study. For MMP1 nt-1607, individuals with 2G state could increase risk of digestive cancers in total analysis (dominant: OR = 1.31, 95 % CI = 1.16-1.48, P < 0.00001; recessive: OR = 1.29, 95 % CI = 1.11-1.50, P = 0.0009). In the subgroup of tumor sites, significant associations were also observed in esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer under both genetic models. For MMP2 nt-1306, CT or TT carriers performed significant protection against digestive cancer in the dominant model (OR = 0.69, 95 % CI = 0.55-0.85, P = 0.0007) of the overall. In the subgroup analysis, significant association was found in esophageal cancer, with borderline effects in gastric cancer and oral squamous cell carcinoma. For MMP7 −181 A/G, significant association was observed under two genetic models in the overall (dominant: OR = 1.26, 95 % CI = 1.10-1.43, P = 0.0009; recessive: OR = 1.33, 95 % CI = 1.11-1.60, P = 0.002) and in the individual cancer subgroup of esophageal cancer and gastric cancer. For MMP9 −1,562 C/T, a borderline effect was found with digestive cancers in the total and stratified analysis of the colorectal cancer under dominant model. No association was observed in either the overall or subgroup analysis for MMP3 −1,171 5A/6A. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis demonstrated the fact that polymorphisms in promoter regions of MMP genes might be related to the susceptibility of digestive cancers, with cancer development for MMP1 and MMP7, and a protection against cancer for MMP2 and MMP9. Further evidences with adequate sample sizes need to be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a novel amperometric glassy carbon biosensing electrode for glucose. It is based on the immobilization of a highly sensitive glucose oxidase (GOx) by affinity interaction on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) functionalized with iminodiacetic acid and metal chelates. The new technique for immobilization is exploiting the affinity of Co(II) ions to the histidine and cysteine moieties on the surface of GOx. The direct electrochemistry of immobilized GOx revealed that the functionalized CNTs greatly improve the direct electron transfer between GOx and the surface of the electrode to give a pair of well-defined and almost reversible redox peaks and undergoes fast heterogeneous electron transfer with a rate constant ( k) of 0.59 s. The GOx immobilized in this way fully retained its activity for the oxidation of glucose. The resulting biosensor is capable of detecting glucose at levels as low as 0.01 mM, and has excellent operational stability (with no decrease in the activity of enzyme over a 10 days period). The method of immobilizing GOx is easy and also provides a model technique for potential use with other redox enzymes and proteins. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caching is one of the most effective and commonly used mechanisms to improve performance of storage servers. Replacement policies play a critical role in the cache design due to the limited cache capacity. Recent researchers devote themselves to achieve high hit ratios, but rarely pay attention to reducing miss penalty during the design of a replacement policy. To address the issue, this paper presents a novel algorithm, called dual queues cache replacement algorithm based on sequentiality detection, which prefers to drop sequential blocks and protect random blocks. The buffer cache can serve more subsequent random read requests, so the cache miss penalty could be decreased significantly. Moreover, the algorithm makes use of two queues separately maintaining new blocks and old blocks to avoid the degradation of hit ratios. Our trace-driven simulation results show that it performs better than LRU and ARC for a wide range of cache sizes and workloads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

H2AFX, a histone H2A gene family member X, is a key component in the detection of and response to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) caused by ionizing radiation (IR), a known risk factor for glioma. Thus, genetic variants in the H2AFX promoter region that may result in abnormal protein expression could confer susceptibility to glioma. In this case-control study, we genotyped three common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs643788, rs8551, and rs2509851) in the H2AFX promoter region in 669 adult glioma patients and 638 cancer-free controls. The associations between each SNP or haplotype and glioma risk were estimated by calculating odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) using unconditional logistic regression models, with adjustment for age and sex. The H2AFX rs643788 A variant genotypes were significantly associated with reduced risk of glioma (GA versus GG: adjusted OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.56-0.94; GA/AA versus GG: adjusted OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.59-0.94), compared with the common GG genotype. Furthermore, this decreased risk was more evident among those aged ≥45 years (adjusted OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.45-0.90), male subjects (adjusted OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.50-0.96), and patients with glioblastoma (adjusted OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.46-0.94). These results suggest that a common variant in the H2AFX promoter region may modulate risk of glioma, particularly for adult glioma. However, our findings need to be replicated in other independent populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports a novel amperometric biosensor for catechol based on immobilization of a highly sensitive horseradish peroxidase by affinity interactions on metal chelate-functionalized agarose/carbon nanotubes composites. Metal chelate affinity takes advantage of the affinity of Ni ions to bind strongly and reversibly to histidine or cysteine tails found on the surface of the horseradish peroxidase. Thus, enzymes with such residues in their molecules can be easily attached to functionalized agarose/carbon nanotubes composites support containing a nickel chelate. Linear sweep voltammograms and amperometry are used to study the proposed electrochemical biosensor. Catechol is determined by direct reduction of biocatalytically liberated quinone species at −0.05 V (vs. SCE). The effect of pH, applied electrode potential and the concentration of HO on the sensitivity of the biosensor has been investigated. The performance of the proposed biosensor is tested using four different phenolic compounds, showing very high sensitivity, in particular, the linearity of catechol is observed from 2.0 × 10 to 1.05 × 10 M with a detection limit of 5.0 × 10 M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human immunoglobulin G (IgG) agonistic antibodies targeting costimulatory immunoreceptors represent promising cancer immunotherapies yet to be developed. Whether, and how, human IgG hinge and Fc impact on their agonistic functions have been disputed. Here, we show that different natural human IgGs confer divergent agonistic anti-CD40 immunostimulatory and antitumour activities in FcγR-humanized mice, including inactive IgG3 and superior IgG2. This divergence is primarily due to their CH1-hinges despite all human IgGs requiring Fc-FcγR binding for optimal agonistic activities. Unexpectedly, biophysical flexibility of these CH1-hinges inversely correlates with, and can modulate, their agonistic potency. Furthermore, IgG Fcs optimized for selective FcγR binding synergize with and still require IgG hinge, selected for rigidity, to confer improved anti-CD40 immunostimulatory and antitumour activities. These findings highlight the importance of both hinge rigidity and selective FcγR binding in antibody agonistic function, and the need for newer strategies to modulate antibody agonism for improved clinical application. Conserved regions of the antibody molecule impact its downstream biological effects. Here the authors show that a rigid hinge conformation increases the agonistic activity of CD40 and DR5 antibodies, distinctly from FcγR-binding, suggesting that the hinge and FcR binding regions can be separately modified to optimize therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atomic-level understanding of the electrocatalytic activity is pivotal for developing new metal-free carbon electrocatalysts towards efficient renewable energy conversion. Here, by utilizing the amidated-carbon fibers, we demonstrate a rational surface modulation strategy on both structural and electronic properties, which will significantly boost the hydrogen evolution reaction activity of electrocatalysts. Theoretical calculations reveal the amidation decorated surface will promote significantly more 2D electrons towards the localization at the C=O branch. The modified surface displays a self-activated electron-extraction characteristic that was actualized by a fast reversible bond-switching between HO-C=Ccatalyst and O=C-Ccatalyst. Experimentally, this metal-free electrode exhibits outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction activities and long-term stabilities in both acidic and alkaline media, even surpassing the commercial 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst. Thus, this strategy can extend to a general blueprint for achieving precise tuning on highly efficient electron-transfer of hydrogen evolution reaction for broad applications under universal pH conditions. While hydrogen as a renewable fuel can be produced from water, there is a scarcity of metal-free materials that serve as effective electrocatalysts. Here, authors functionalize carbon fiber cloth with amides to improve hydrogen evolution activities in both acid and alkaline water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of great urgency to develop efficient, cost-effective, stable and industrially applicable electrocatalysts for renewable energy systems. But there are still few candidate materials. Here we show a bifunctional electrocatalyst, comprising graphdiyne-exfoliated and -sandwiched iron/cobalt layered double-hydroxide nanosheet arrays grown on nickel foam, for the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions. Theoretical and experimental data revealed that the charge transport kinetics of the structure were superior to iron/cobalt layered double-hydroxide, a prerequisite for improved electrocatalytic performance. The incorporation with graphdiyne increased the number of catalytically active sites and prevented corrosion, leading to greatly enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability for oxygen evolution reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction, as well as overall water splitting. Our results suggest that the use of graphdiyne might open up new pathways for the design and fabrication of earth-abundant, efficient, functional, and smart electrode materials with practical applications. The need for cheap water-splitting materials in order to scale-up and commercialize solar-to-fuel technologies is urgent, but there are still few candidate materials. Here, authors integrate layered double hydroxides with graphdiyne as high-performance overall water-splitting electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]