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Although cobalt pyrophosphate (Co2P2O7) has shown promise as a potential electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), its electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has rarely been explored. In this work, a novel composite catalyst with in situ grown Co2P2O7 on nitrogen-doped graphene nanosheets (Co2P2O7/N-rGO) was fabricated by a facile one-step pyrolysis method. Pyrolysis temperature was found to have a significant effect on the morphology, structure and ORR performance of the composites. The catalyst fabricated at 800 °C (Co2P2O7/N-rGO-800) presented ultrasmall Co2P2O7 nanocrystals (below 5 nm) anchored on N-rGO and the highest pyridinic-N proportion. Benefiting from the full exposure of active sites on the ultrasmall Co2P2O7 nanocrystals, abundant pyridinic-N species and the synergistic effect of Co2P2O7 and N-doped graphene, optimized Co2P2O7/N-rGO-800 not only demonstrates excellent ORR catalytic activity with a positive cathodic peak potential (0.823 V vs. 0.833 V of the commercial Pt/C catalyst), but also shows superior durability and methanol crossover resistance to Pt/C in alkaline solution. In addition, the composite catalyst also exhibits reasonable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance and impressive OER stability in KOH solution. These findings suggest that the Co2P2O7/N-rGO catalysts may be promising candidates as oxygen electrocatalysts for future energy conversion applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of sheet-shaped Co2P grown on carbon cloth (sheet-shaped Co2P-CC) through a facile route. Electrochemical measurements indicated that sheet-shaped Co2P-CC with a loading of 0.6 mg cm−2 Co2P (denoted Co2P-CC-0.6) exhibits exceptional electrocatalytic activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), with an overpotential of 94 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 80 mV decade−1 in 1 M KOH. Similarly, sheet-shaped Co2P-CC-0.6 was also found to be an excellent electrocatalyst for the HER in 0.5 M H2SO4 and in 0.5 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS), with overpotentials of 95 and 231 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, respectively. Sheet-shaped Co2P has a large surface area, meaning that it can provide a relatively large number of active sites on its surface, and CC is an highly conductive substrate that, when used in conjunction with Co2P, can enhance the conductivity of the electrocatalyst. These outstanding results show that sheet-shaped Co2P-CC could be an excellent candidate for a highly efficient electrocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, the lamellar-shaped Bi2S3 grown on a porous TiO2 monolith was obtained by a two-step method including a sol–gel route and hydrothermal treatment. The photocatalytic activity of the as-synthesized Bi2S3/TiO2 composites was evaluated for photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in aqueous solution under the visible-light irradiation. Based on our experimental results, 5% (molar ratio of Bi2S3 to TiO 2) Bi2S3/TiO2 photocatalysts exhibited a maximum photodegradation rate of MB up to 96.9% under visible-light irradiation for 120 min. Our findings indicated that the lamellar-shaped Bi2S3 can extend the light absorption up to visible areas, and porous TiO2 can provide enhanced specific surface area and more mass transfer pathway to enhance the photodegradation efficiency. Furthermore, porous TiO2 can accept the electrons from the Bi2S3 conduction band due to the relatively positive electrode potential to impede the photoproduced electron and hole combination to result in advanced photocatalytic performance. In this work, the lamellar-shaped Bi2S3 grown on a porous TiO2 monolith was successfully synthesized by a sol–gel method using PS hard templates, followed by in-situ sulfuration of Bi2O3 via a hydrothermal method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous NiCo2S4 networks have been successfully synthesized by a facile one-pot solvothermal method without the use of any surfactant or template. Crystal structure, morphology, composition and surface area of the as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller techniques. Owing to their porous nature and small crystalline size, the as-prepared NiCo2S4 networks based supercapacitor electrodes showed a high specific capacitance of 1250Fg at 1Ag, and excellent cycling stability with the retention capacity of 70.3% after 5000 cycles in the KOH aqueous solution electrolyte. Porous NiCo2S4 networks have been successfully synthesized by a facile one-pot solvothermal method, without the use of any surfactant or template. Owing to their porous nature and small crystalline size, the as-prepared NiCo2S4 networks-based supercapacitor electrodes showed a high specific capacitance of 1250Fg at 1Ag, and excellent cycling stability with the retention capacity of 70.3% after 5000 cycles in the KOH aqueous solution electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microscopic deformation behavior is always been of significant interest in revealing the mechanism of the dwell fatigue effect. This study systematically characterized the deformation system activation in Ti–6Al–3Nb–2Zr–1Mo (Ti6321) alloy using in situ tensile and quasi-in situ dwell fatigue tests. The critical resolved shear stresses of the basal and prismatic slip systems in the Ti6321alloy were first calculated using the slip trace analysis method. The study demonstrated that, under dwell fatigue, basal and prismatic slips consist of major microscopic deformation modes. Most of the slip deformation occurred rapidly during the early stage of dwell fatigue and was independent of the dwell loading. The basal slip was found to be the predominant slip mode regardless of the dwell conditions. The results suggested that the elastic anisotropy of the hexagonal-closed-packed (HCP) structure could lead to heterogeneous microscopic stress, thus activating more basal slip activities. Such activities were found to participate in the crack initiation through two unique cracking modes: basal plane crack and (0001) twist boundary crack. [Display omitted] • The critical resolved shear stress was quantitatively evaluated through in situ tensile tests. • Dwell fatigue deformation modes were revealed by the crystallographic characteristics. • Basal slip deformation was proved to be the predominant slip mode and highly participated in the crack initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Porous Sn/Nd-codoped TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized. [•] The dopant can narrow band gap of TiO2 photocatalyst. [•] The dopant can prevent recombination of photogenerated carriers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this research was to examine the correlation between the exposure to bisphenol analogues (BPs), such as bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol F (BPF), and bisphenol S (BPS), and the risk of developing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Ultra performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was utilized to measure the levels of BPA, BPF, and BPS in the urine of 168 female participants diagnosed with SLE and 175 female participants who were deemed healthy controls. Logistic regression models were utilized to assess the connections between levels of bisphenol and the risk of SLE. The findings indicated that levels of BPA and BPF in the urine of individuals with SLE were markedly elevated compared to those in the control group. Higher exposure to BPA and BPF exhibited positive dose-response relationships with increased SLE risk. No significant associations were identified between BPS and the risk of SLE. These findings suggest exposure to BPA and BPF may be implicated as novel environmental triggers in the development of autoimmunity such as SLE. The significantly increased levels of these bisphenol analogues detected in SLE patients versus healthy controls, along with the associations between higher exposures and elevated SLE risk, which offers crucial hints for comprehending how endocrine-disrupting substances contribute to the genesis of autoimmune illnesses. Further research using robust longitudinal assessments of bisphenol analogue exposures is warranted to corroborate these epidemiological findings. Overall, this study highlights potential environmental risk factors for SLE while calling for additional investigation into the impact of bisphenol exposures on autoimmunity development., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Exposure to pesticides has been proposed to be a positive association in suicide and suicidality. Many studies have explored this topic, but have reported inconsistent findings. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of the now existing evidence on the association between pesticide exposure and the risk of suicide and suicidality. We searched PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases for studies published up to February 1, 2023. For studies that provided detailed data, we applied quantitative meta-analysis to calculate Odds ratio (OR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) to evaluate the results. Heterogeneity among the included studies was assessed using Cochran's Q test, I 2 statistic and tau-squared (τ 2 ). Publication bias was evaluated by funnel plots, Egger's test, and Begg's test. In addition, subgroup analyses according to pesticides category and geographical area were performed. 2906 studies were initially identified, and 20 studies were eventually included. Fifteen of the studies were on suicide deaths and suicide attempts, and five were on suicidal ideation. Pesticide exposure was positively related to suicide deaths and suicide attempts (pooled OR = 1.31; 95%CI: 1.04-1.64, p < 0.001) and suicidal ideation (pooled OR = 2.43; 95%CI: 1.51-3.91, p = 0.015). In the subgroup analysis, mixed pesticide type (pooled OR = 1.55; 95%CI: 1.39-1.74) increased the risk of suicide deaths and suicide attempts. The results of the analysis by geographic area showed that the risk of suicide deaths and suicide attempts with pesticide exposure was 2.27 (95%CI = 1.36-3.78), and 1.33 (95%CI = 1.14-1.56) in Asia and Europe, respectively. The risk of suicidal ideation caused by pesticide exposure in Asia and America were 2.19 (95%CI = 1.08-4.42) and 2.99 (95%CI = 1.76-5.06). In conclusion, pesticide exposure may increase the risk of suicide and suicidality based on the current evidence., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: We assessed whether perioperative circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) could be a biomarker for early detection of molecular residual disease (MRD) and prediction of postoperative relapse in resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Experimental Design: Based on our prospective, multicenter cohort on dynamic monitoring of ctDNA in lung cancer surgery patients (LUNGCA), we enrolled 950 plasma samples obtained at three perioperative time points (before surgery, 3 days and 1 month after surgery) of 330 stage I-III NSCLC patients (LUNGCA-1), as a part of the LUNGCA cohort. Using a customized 769-gene panel, somatic mutations in tumor tissues and plasma samples were identified with next-generation sequencing and utilized for ctDNA-based MRD analysis., Results: Preoperative ctDNA positivity was associated with lower recurrence-free survival (RFS; HR = 4.2; P < 0.001). The presence of MRD (ctDNA positivity at postoperative 3 days and/or 1 month) was a strong predictor for disease relapse (HR = 11.1; P < 0.001). ctDNA-based MRD had a higher relative contribution to RFS prediction than all clinicopathologic variables such as the TNM stage. Furthermore, MRD-positive patients who received adjuvant therapies had improved RFS over those not receiving adjuvant therapy (HR = 0.3; P = 0.008), whereas MRD-negative patients receiving adjuvant therapies had lower RFS than their counterparts without adjuvant therapy (HR = 3.1; P < 0.001). After adjusting for clinicopathologic variables, whether receiving adjuvant therapies remained an independent factor for RFS in the MRD-positive population (P = 0.002) but not in the MRD-negative population (P = 0.283)., Conclusions: Perioperative ctDNA analysis is effective in early detection of MRD and relapse risk stratification of NSCLC, and hence could benefit NSCLC patient management., (©2021 American Association for Cancer Research.)