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With the popularization of the concept of green development, hydrogen energy as an ideal energy carrier has been paid more and more attention. Electrochemical water splitting as one of the most effective means of hydrogen production has aroused wide interest. The development of high-activity and low-cost bifunctional electrocatalysts for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a key role in hydrogen production via water splitting. Herein, hierarchical tube brush-like Co3S4@NiCo-LDH nanoarrays in situ grown on Ni foam were successfully synthesized via a three-step hydrothermal strategy. The as-fabricated catalyst exhibits simultaneously outstanding electrocatalytic performances for both the HER (overpotentials of 210 and 251 mV at 50 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively) and the OER (overpotentials of 262 and 320 mV at 100 and 300 mA cm−2, respectively) in 1 M KOH electrolyte. Impressively, the Co3S4@NiCo-LDH electrode presents a remarkable stability up to 100 h for the OER and HER at a high current density of 100 mA cm−2. Furthermore, by employing the Co3S4@NiCo-LDH as both the cathode and anode for overall water splitting (OWS), a low cell voltage of 1.59 V is required to deliver the current density of 10 mA cm−2, along with a remarkable durability. The superior electrocatalytic activity may be attributed to the following: (1) the in situ growth on the Ni foam substrate can not only improve structural stability and conductivity but also endow faster charge transfer as well as bubble release; (2) its peculiar structure provides large active surface areas, more accessible surface active sites and fast charge/mass transport; (3) the prominent synergistic effect between Co3S4 and NiCo-LDH justifies the excellent electrocatalytic activity for the HER and OER. This work will provide a novel idea for constructing effective bifunctional catalysts for hydrogen production via OWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sand casting explosion accidents seriously threaten employees' lives and the harmony and stability of society, such as casualties, equipment trouble and environmental pollution. The main purpose of this study was to determine the water requirement for sand casting explosion accidents, and then corresponding safety measures were proposed to prevent such accidents. First, the relationship between the water condition and temperature for such accidents was achieved based on an energy release equation in compressed gas expansion and the ideal gas state equation. The volume of vapor expanded rapidly as the temperature rises, which was also the immediate cause of sand casting expansion accidents. Also, the water requirement for the sand casting expansion accidents decreased rapidly as the temperature rises. Then, a bow-tie model was adopted for preventing the causes and consequences of sand casting explosion accidents. Three main causes were identified, namely molten metal meeting ponding, failure of cavity exhaust and low strength sand of sand mold, and 11 prevention safety measures were adopted to prevent the causes of such accidents. In addition, three consequences were identified, namely casualties, equipment trouble and environment pollution, and ten mitigation safety measures were adopted to mitigate the consequences of such accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is known to be a leading cariogenic pathogen in the oral cavity. Antimicrobial peptides possess excellent properties to combat such pathogens. In this study, we compared the antimicrobial activity of novel linear reutericin 6‐ and/or gassericin A‐inspired peptides and identified LR‐10 as the leading peptide. Antibacterial assays demonstrate that LR‐10 is more active against S. mutans (3.3 μM) than many peptide‐based agents without resistance selection, capable of killing many oral pathogens, and tolerant of physiological conditions. LR‐10 also presented a faster killing rate than chlorhexidine and erythromycin, and appeared to display selective activity against S. mutans within 10 s. S. mutans is usually encased in plaque biofilms. Biofilm inhibitory assays indicated that LR‐10 had excellent inhibitory effect on the biofilm formation of S. mutans and biofilm‐encased cells in vitro at low concentrations (6.5 μM). Consistent with most peptides, LR‐10 kills S. mutans mainly by disrupting the cell membranes. Notably, both hemolytic activity assays and cytotoxicity tests indicated that LR‐10 could keep biocompatible at the effective concentrations. Hence, LR‐10 could be a good candidate for clinical treatment of dental caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Welcome to this Special Issue of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, featuring selected papers from the International Symposium on Recent Advances in Molecular, Clinical, and Social Medicine. The Symposium was held [...]

Welcome to this Special Issue of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, featuring selected papers from the International Symposium on Recent Advances in Molecular, Clinical, and Social Medicine. The Symposium was held [...]