Search

Poor charge transfer and separation rate are the major bottlenecks for the activity and stability of BiVO4 photoanode. Here, we introduced oxygen vacancies into MoO3/BiVO4 heterojunction film by post-annealing the film in argon-saturated environment for improving its photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation activity and stability. In comparison with the normal MoO3/BiVO4 film, the MoO3/BiVO4 film with oxygen vacancies is of better PEC water oxidation performance. Specifically, a higher photocurrent density of 4.1 mA/cm2 in 0.1 M Na2SO4 at 1.1 V versus SCE was achieved on the MoO3/BiVO4 film with oxygen vacancies, which is about 200% improved over the normal MoO3/BiVO4 film (1.83 mA cm−2, at 1.1 V versus SCE). In addition, the MoO3/BiVO4 film with oxygen vacancies shows more stable activity and faster kinetics for water oxidation, without significant activity loss for 5 h reaction at 1.23 V versus RHE. The enhanced performance on such a MoO3/BiVO4 film photoanode can be attributed to that the oxygen vacancies accelerate the charge transfer and separation rate between film/electrolyte interface, and thus improve the water oxidation activity and restrain the anodic photocorrosion simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BiVO4 is a promising photoanode material for photoelectrochemical water splitting, but its actual activity is hindered by the high energy surface states. Here, we report that In3+ can be used as a dopant to substitute the partial sites of Bi3+ in BiVO4 for modifying the surface states and improving the water oxidation activity of a BiVO4 nanoflake film. Among the In3+-doped BiVO4 film photoanodes, the 7% In3+-doped BiVO4 film shows optimal photoelectrochemical water oxidation activity. At 1.23 V vs. RHE, the 7% In3+-doped BiVO4 photoanode exhibits a photocurrent density of 1.56 mA cm−2 in 0.1 M Na2SO4, which is over 200% greater than that of the undoped BiVO4 photoanode. In3+-doping did not change the morphology, phase and band gap of BiVO4 obviously, but resulted in a positive shift of the flat band position and higher surface charge separation efficiency for water oxidation. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the surface energy of BiVO4 decreased after In3+-doping that involved more unsaturated electrons of the Bi atom in the Bi–O bonds, thus reducing the amount of exposed unsaturated Bi atoms and broken Bi–O bonds. Therefore, the enhanced water oxidation activity on the In3+-doped BiVO4 photoanode can be ascribed to In3+-doping that passivated the surface states of BiVO4 and thus inhibited the surface charge recombination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rice gall midge (RGM, Orseolia oryzae, Wood-Mason), an important stem-feeding pest worldwide, has caused serious production losses over the past decades. Rice production practices indicate that the most reliable method for managing RGM is the deployment of cultivars that incorporate host resistance. However, the conventional phenotypic screening method of rice resistance to RGM suggested by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has been used for approximately 30 years, and only 12 rice varieties/lines (including controls) can be evaluated in one tray. It is not suitable for high-throughput phenotyping of rice germplasm. Moreover, a suitable method to prepare samples for molecular biological studies of rice resistance against RGM is imperative with the rapid development of modern molecular techniques. Results: The proper density of seedlings/RGM was determined for four seeding arrangements. A high-throughput phenotyping method (HTPM) for 60 lines/varieties infested with 36 female RGM adults in one tray, as described by method 4–3 (seeded 60 lines/varieties), was developed and verified using mutant screening. Furthermore, one RGM resistance gene flanked by markers 12RM28346 and 12RM28739 on chromosome 12 was simultaneously detected using method 2–2 (seeded 30 lines/varieties in one tray) treated with 24 RGM and analyzed using conventional and simplified grading systems. Genetic analysis of the RGM resistance gene was confirmed using a method identical to that suggested by IRRI. Finally, one bucket with 24 seedlings treated with at least five female RGM adults was efficacious and could offer adequate samples for insect development observation or molecular biological studies. Conclusion: A highly efficient and reliable procedure for evaluation of resistance in rice to RGM was developed and improved, and was verified through mutant screening, gene mapping, genetic analysis, and insect growth and development observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in deep learning methods have demonstrated remarkable development in diagnosing faults of rotating machinery. The currently popular deep neural networks suffer from design flaws in their network structure, leading to issues of long-term dependencies in fault diagnosis models built upon conventional deep neural networks. Consequently, such models exhibit insufficient global perceptual capabilities towards fault features. Furthermore, how accurately pre-trained models can diagnose faults is hugely impacted by changes in bearings' working conditions. To tackle the aforementioned issues, this study puts forth a multi-scale TransFusion (MSTF) model for diagnosing faults in rolling bearings under multiple operating conditions. Firstly, a time-frequency symmetric dot pattern transformation technique is designed to transform the original vibration signals into two-dimensional representations. This method can effectively highlight the distinctions between different fault types. Secondly, a multi-scale feature fusion module is established, which fully extracts low-level features from the time-frequency signals and reduces the complexity of the subsequent attention calculations. Meanwhile, relying on the advantages of the Transformer model in capturing global dependencies, the long-range periodic fault information is deeply mined. Finally, multi-head and multi-layer attention are visualized to enhance the interpretability of the model. After analyzing two case studies with both public and experimental datasets, the examination demonstrated that the developed model outperformed other state-of-the-art models. The diagnostic model developed in this study exhibits the ability to accurately diagnose bearing faults across multiple operating conditions while maintaining high robustness to signals contaminated with noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The relationship between magnetic field intensity and frost suppression effect is not linear. • As the temperature of the cold surface decreases, the suppressing freezing ability of the magnetic field becomes worse. • The initial freezing time of the droplet decreases as its volume increases from 20 μL to 50 μL. In this study, the effect of magnetic field on droplet freezing was investigated based on a visualization system. Possible influencing factors on droplet freezing, such as magnetic field intensity, cold surface temperature, and droplet volume, were considered in this study. During the two stages of droplet supercooling and freezing process, the changes of the droplet internal temperature, the formation of initial crystal nucleus, and the freezing time were observed. Experimental results show that in comparison with the non-magnetic surface, the supercooling degree of droplets was increased in the range of 150–300 mT magnetic field intensity, thereby prolonging the freezing time of droplets. Particularly, the droplet was best suppressed on a cold surface with 250 mT magnetic field intensity. The freezing time of droplets was prolonged by 132.0 %. However, the droplets were accelerated to freeze on the cold surface with magnetic field intensities of 350 mT and 400 mT. Droplet freezing on cold surfaces was also affected by surface temperature and droplet volume. As the surface temperature of magnetic cooling dropped from −10 °C to −20 °C, the ability of the magnetic field to inhibit droplet freezing would be gradually weakened. With the increase of droplet volume from 20 μL to 50 μL, the initial freezing time of droplets was shortened. These results are related to the influence of magnetic field on the nucleation process and hydrogen bond in the water molecular cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model tests and real-time hybrid simulation tests of floating offshore wind turbines have recently been extensively conducted to explore the aero-hydro-servo-elastic coupling mechanism. The traditional thrust similarity criterion under the Froude scale cannot satisfy the dynamic aerodynamic similarity in the wave basin experiments. Meanwhile, the traditional model wind turbine in model tests shows huge differences in Reynolds number and significant deviations in the optimal tip speed ratio, and the dynamic performance is different from that of the prototype wind turbine. Therefore, a new criterion based on the mapping of the optimal tip speed ratio is proposed, and a new model wind turbine is designed to physically reproduce the dynamic aerodynamics of the prototype wind turbine accurately in wind tunnel experiments. Then the dynamic aerodynamic similarity in this criterion is numerically verified and compared with that in the traditional criterion. The simulation is performed in steady and unsteady inflows by the open-source OpenFAST. The platform motions of the prototype and model wind turbine are inflow-motivated and program-forced, respectively. The calculation results show that the dynamic thrust, power and their coefficients in the new criterion all maintain better similarity compared to those in the traditional criterion. This study is important for wind tunnel model tests and RTHS tests to accurately obtain unsteady aerodynamics, and it can guide the aero-hydro-structure load evaluations and turbine-floater-mooring integrated designs for large-scale floating offshore wind turbines. • A new similarity criterion is proposed for FOWT's wind tunnel model tests. • Dynamic aerodynamics under wind-wave inflows and coupled motions are simulated. • Motions of prototype and model are inflow-motivated and program-forced respectively. • Similarity of dynamic thrust, power and their coefficients are analyzed and verified. • The criterion is important for RTHS tests to accurately obtain unsteady aerodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling effects between rotor aerodynamics and platform motions are being focused for floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs). Ignoring these effects during the controller design can deteriorate some essential loads or lead to aero-elastic instabilities. Superimposed proportional model-free adaptive control (SP-MFAC) is proposed to cope with these effects by simultaneously optimizing blade root moments, rotor speed, platform-pitch and -yaw motions. Trailing edge flap (TEF) is used as the active flow control device. Actuators' saturation and energy consumption are considered by introducing penalty factors into control cost function. A typical semi-submersible FOWT is selected for simulation study. A comparison is made against proportional-integral-differential-based (PID-based) TEF control and baseline control in turbulent and extreme gust conditions. Numerical results reveal that SP-MFAC costs less in TEF deflection activity, but realizes better overall performance than PID-based TEF control. Further, the physical mechanisms of load reduction are analyzed with cross-wavelet transformation. The original in-phase aero-hydro-elastic mechanisms in the semi-submersible FOWT are crippled by the TEF deflection activity. • SP-MFAC is presented to reduce loads on floating wind turbines. • The main rotor-platform coupling effects are considered during controller design. • The potential of trailing edge flap for damping platform motions is explored. • SP-MFAC costs less TEF deflection activity but realizes better performances than PID. • The physical mechanisms of load reductions are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photochemical CO 2 reduction to CO, acting as a mild and feasible method, holds huge prospects for atmospheric CO 2 level diminution. Non-noble metal aerogel has been supposed to be an appealing material in the field of catalysis, yet suffering from low conductivity and poor activity. From the perspective of electronic structure modification, oxygen-incorporated Ni aerogel is prepared by a facile reduction-oxidation method. With the optimized electronic structure in Ni@NiO-2 aerogel by oxygen incorporation, brilliant photocatalytic activity with CO yield of 39.30 μmol/mg and CO selectivity of 94.4 % could be achieved, taking advantage of the electron-rich Ni and greatly increased conductivity as well as sufficient active sites exposure. This work sheds light on the design and development of high-performance non-noble metal-based systems for catalytic CO 2 utilization. [Display omitted] • Nickel metal aerogel with porous network morphology exhibited outstanding activity. • Oxygen incorporation tuning leads to the electronic structure modification of Ni. • Optimized Ni with high conductivity promotes charge separation and CO 2 adsorption. • In situ FTIR and Mott-Schotty analysis imply the CO 2 -CO photoconversion mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydromyricetin (DMY) is a natural dihydroflavonol compound known for its diverse pharmacological benefits. However, its limited stability and bioavailability posed significant challenges for further applications. To address these issues, in this study, an ion crosslinking method was utilized to prepare chitosan nanoparticles that were loaded with DMY. The synthesized chitosan nanoparticles (CS-DMY-NPs) were spherical in shape with particle size and ζ potential of 198.7 nm and 45.05 mV, respectively. Furthermore, in vitro release experiments demonstrated that CS-DMY-NPs had sustained release and protective effects in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. CS-DMY-NPs exhibited better antioxidant activity by ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activity than free DMY. In vivo study showed that CS-DMY-NPs alleviated cisplatin-induced kidney damage by inhibiting oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines, and had better activity compared to DMY (free). Immunofluorescence data showed that CS-DMY-NPs activated the Nrf2 signaling pathways in a dose-dependent manner to combat cisplatin-induced kidney damage. Our results demonstrate that CS-TPP has good compatibility with DMY, and CS-DMY-NPs exhibited better protective effects against cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) than free DMY. • Dihydromyricetin nanoparticles(CS-DMY-NPs) were prepared using the ion crosslinking method. • Compared with aqueous suspension, CS-DMY-NPs showed stronger anti-oxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals. • CS-DMY-NPs improved and enhanced the protection activity of dihydromycetin against cisplatin-induced kidney injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-022-00852-5. B Correction to: Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) (2023) 13:299-314 b https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-022-00852-5 The authors would like to emphasize that Minlie Yang is the corresponding author and Lihong Zhu is the co-corresponding author. [Extracted from the article]

[Display omitted] • The concept of wind-to-heat system is studied. • A Matlab model is developed to simulate the system. • The simulation model is verified compared with the experimental data. • A suitable hot water flow rate and refrigerants for the system are selected. The growing demand for energy and the pressure of carbon emission increase the proportion of renewable energy in the global energy consumption. In the wind-to-heat system, the compressor is utilized to replace the generator in the wind turbine to allow the wind energy driving heat pump directly, which simplifies the energy conversion process. In this study, a dynamic simulation model of the wind-to-heat system is proposed, which consists of the following six parts: wind turbine, compressor, condenser, thermal expansion valve, evaporator, and controller. Validations of this model was conducted by comparing the simulation result with the experimental data from a 100 kW wind-to-heat system. Effects of different operational conditions, such as hot water flow rate, inlet water temperature and types of refrigerants, on the characteristics of the system are explored and analyzed. The conclusion is drawn that the hot water flow rate is optimized as 3 kg/s, lower inlet water temperature led to lower heating capacity and lower COP, R245fa and R717 have good performances in heating production, which is in favor of the further design and optimize of the system. After debugging the simulation model for different design alternatives, different performances will be acquired to improve the efficiency of the design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium metal anode is considered to be the most promising anode candidate for the next generation of high-specific-energy battery chemistry due to its extremely high theoretical specific capacity and the lowest redox potential. However, the employment of lithium metal anode has been plagued by the inevitable dendrite formation and the infinite volume change. This leads to the low coulomb efficiency and poor cycle stability of the corresponding lithium metal batteries. In this mini-review, for the first time we comprehensively explained the formation mechanism of lithium dendrites. After a brief discussion, we summarized a typical strategies for designing highly stable lithium metal anodes, including the design of a stable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer by regulating the electrolyte components and the construction of stable three-dimensional collectors. Based on summarizing the crucial literature, we further analyzed the drawbacks and challenges in the present review and put forth a prospect for further development of highly stable lithium metal anodes for practical Li metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skillful subseasonal forecasts are crucial for various sectors of society but pose a grand scientific challenge. Recently, machine learning-based weather forecasting models outperform the most successful numerical weather predictions generated by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), but have not yet surpassed conventional models at subseasonal timescales. This paper introduces FuXi Subseasonal-to-Seasonal (FuXi-S2S), a machine learning model that provides global daily mean forecasts up to 42 days, encompassing five upper-air atmospheric variables at 13 pressure levels and 11 surface variables. FuXi-S2S, trained on 72 years of daily statistics from ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis data, outperforms the ECMWF's state-of-the-art Subseasonal-to-Seasonal model in ensemble mean and ensemble forecasts for total precipitation and outgoing longwave radiation, notably enhancing global precipitation forecast. The improved performance of FuXi-S2S can be primarily attributed to its superior capability to capture forecast uncertainty and accurately predict the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), extending the skillful MJO prediction from 30 days to 36 days. Moreover, FuXi-S2S not only captures realistic teleconnections associated with the MJO but also emerges as a valuable tool for discovering precursor signals, offering researchers insights and potentially establishing a new paradigm in Earth system science research., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The timely detection and management of hemorrhagic shock hold paramount importance in clinical practice. This study was designed to establish a nomogram that may facilitate early identification of hemorrhagic shock in pediatric patients with multiple-trauma. A retrospective study was conducted utilizing a cohort comprising 325 pediatric patients diagnosed with multiple-trauma, who received treatment at the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, China. For external validation, an additional cohort of 144 patients from a children's hospital in Taizhou was included. The model's predictor selection was optimized through the application of the Least Absolute  Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression. Subsequently, a prediction nomogram was constructed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The performance and clinical utility of the developed model were comprehensively assessed utilizing various statistical metrics, including Harrell's Concordance Index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, calibration curve analysis, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified systolic blood pressure (ΔSBP), platelet count, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and injury severity score (ISS) as independent predictors for hemorrhagic shock. The nomogram constructed using these predictors demonstrated robust predictive capabilities, as evidenced by an impressive area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.963. The model's goodness-of-fit was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test (χ 2  = 10.023, P = 0.209). Furthermore, decision curve analysis revealed significantly improved net benefits with the model. External validation further confirmed the reliability of the proposed predictive nomogram. This study successfully developed a nomogram for predicting the occurrence of hemorrhagic shock in pediatric patients with multiple trauma. This nomogram may serve as an accurate and effective tool for timely and efficient management of children with multiple trauma., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most prevalent and severe intestinal emergencies in newborns. The inflammatory activation of macrophages is associated with the intestinal injury of NEC. The neuroimmune regulation mediated by α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) plays an important role in regulating macrophage activation and inflammation progression, but in NEC remains unclear. This study aims to explore the effect of macrophage α7nAChR on NEC., Methods: Mice NEC model were conducted with high-osmolarity formula feeding, hypoxia, and cold stimulation. The α7nAChR agonist PNU-282987 and mTOR inhibitor rapamycin were treated by intraperitoneal injections in mice. The expression and distribution of macrophages, α7nAChR, and phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) in the intestines of NEC patients and mice was assessed using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. The expression of NLRP3, activated caspase-1 and IL-1β in mice intestines was detected by flow cytometry, western blot or ELISA. In vitro, the mouse RAW264.7 macrophage cell line was also cultured followed by various treatments. Expression of p-mTOR, NLRP3, activated caspase-1, and IL-1β in macrophages was determined., Results: Macrophages accumulated in the intestines and the expression of α7nAChR in the mucosal and submucosal layers of the intestines was increased in both the NEC patients and mice. The p-mTOR and CD68 were increased and co-localized in intestines of NEC patients. In vitro, α7nAChR agonist PNU-282987 significantly reduced the increase of NLRP3, activated caspase-1, and IL-1β in macrophages. PNU-282987 also significantly reduced the increase of p-mTOR. The effect was blocked by AMPK inhibitor compound C. The expression of NLRP3, activated caspase-1, and IL-1β was inhibited after mTOR inhibitor rapamycin treatment. In NEC model mice, PNU-282987 reduced the expression of p-mTOR, NLRP3, activated caspase-1, and IL-1β in the intestine. Meanwhile, rapamycin significantly attenuated NLRP3 activation and the release of IL-1β. Moreover, the proportion of intestinal macrophages and intestinal injury decreased after PNU-282987 treatment., Conclusion: Macrophage α7nAChR activation mitigates NLRP3 inflammasome activation by modulating mTOR phosphorylation, and subsequently alleviates intestinal inflammation and injury in NEC., 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of intestine inflammatory disease, and macrophage is significantly activated during NEC development. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, particularly ubiquitination, play critical roles in immune response. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ubiquitin-modified proteins on macrophage activation and NEC, and discover novel NEC-related inflammatory proteins., Materials and Methods: Proteomic and ubiquitin proteomic analyses of intestinal macrophages in NEC/healthy mouse pups were carried out. In vitro macrophage inflammation model and in vivo NEC mouse model, as well as clinical human samples were used for further verification the inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB kinase α (IKKα) ubiquitination on NEC development through Western blot, immunofluorescence, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and flow cytometry., Key Findings: We report here that IKKα was a new ubiquitin-modified protein during NEC through ubiquitin proteomics, and RING finger protein 31 (RNF31) acted as an E3 ligase to be involved in IKKα degradation. Inhibition of IKKα ubiquitination and degradation with siRNF31 or proteasome inhibitor decreased nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation, thereby decreasing the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and M1 macrophage polarization, resulting in reliving the severity of NEC., Significance: Our study suggests the activation of RNF31-IKKα-NF-κB axis triggering NEC development and suppressing RNF31-mediated IKKα degradation may be therapeutic strategies to be developed for NEC treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Sn-based electrocatalysts have great economic potential in the reduction of CO 2 to HCOOH, while they still suffer from low current density, dissatisfactory selectivity, and poor stability. Inspired by electronic modification engineering, boron-doped SnO 2 nanospheres (B-SnO 2 ) are successfully synthesized to achieve high-efficiency CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). It is found that the introduction of boron dopants can increase the number of active sites and facilitate the formation of the electron-rich Sn sites in its structure, thus enhancing the activation of CO 2 molecules and reducing the energy barrier of *OCHO intermediates on the SnO 2 surface. Thus, the B-doped SnO 2 electrocatalyst exhibits a remarkable FE HCOOH above 90% within a broad potential window of -0.7 to -1.3 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) (600 mV) and obtains the maximum value of 95.1% (the partial current density of HCOOH is 42.35 mA cm -2 ) at -1 V versus RHE. In conclusion, this work provides a novel strategy for optimizing the intrinsic properties of electrocatalysts for CO 2 RR by the method of tuning the electronic structure., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Wilms tumor (WT) is the most common pediatric renal malignant tumor in the world. Overall, the prognosis of Wilms tumor is very good. However, the prognosis of patients with anaplastic tumor histology or disease relapse is still poor, and their recurrence rate, metastasis rate and mortality are significantly increased compared with others. Currently, the combination of histopathological examination and molecular biology is essential to predict prognosis and guide the treatment. However, the molecular mechanism has not been well studied. Genetic profiling may be helpful in some way. Hence, we sought to identify novel promising biomarkers of WT by integrating bioinformatics analysis and to identify genes associated with the pathogenesis of WT. In the presented study, the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus was used to download two datasets of gene expression profiles related to WT patients for the purpose of detecting overlapped differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The DEGs were then uploaded to DAVID database for enrichment analysis. In addition, the functional interactions between proteins were evaluated by simulating the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs. The impact of selected hub genes on survival in WT patients was analyzed by using the online tool R2: Genomics Analysis and Visualization Platform. The correlation between gene expression and the degree of immune infiltration was assessed by the Estimation of Stromal and Immune cells in Malignant Tumor tissues using the Expression (ESTIMATE) algorithm and the single sample GSEA. Top 12 genes were identified for further study after constructing a PPI network and screening hub gene modules. Kinesin family member 2C (KIF2C) was identified as the most significant gene predicting the overall survival of WT patients. The expression of KIF2C in WT was further verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, we found that KIF2C was significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration in WT. Our present study demonstrated that altered expression of KIF2C may be involved in WT and serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for WT patients., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: To investigate the ameliorative effects of glucosamine (GS), chondroitin sulphate (CS) and glucosamine plus chondroitin sulphate (GC) on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in rats, and to explore the mechanism of GS, CS and GC in improving RA based on the gut microbiota., Methods: RA rat models were effectively developed 14 days after CFA injection, and then garaged with GS, CS and GC. Body weight and paw volume of rats were monitored at multiple time points at the beginning of CFA injection. Until D 36 , serum and ankle tissue specimens were used to measure levels of circulating inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, MMP-3, NO and PGE 2 ) and local inflammatory indicators (TLR-4 and NF-κB). On D 18 , D 25 , and D 36 , intergroup gut microbiota was compared using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. We also performed the correlation analysis of gut bacteria, joint swelling and inflammatory indicators., Results: GC, rather than GS and CS, could reduce right paw volumes, levels of TLR-4 and NF-κB in synovial tissues. In addition, enriched genera in RA model rats screened out by LEfSe analysis could be inhibited by GC intervention, including potential LPS-producing bacteria (Enterobacter, Bacteroides, Erysipelotrichaceae_unclassified and Erysipelotrichaceae_uncultured) and some other opportunistic pathogens (Esherichia_Shigella, Nosocomiicoccus, NK4A214_group, Odoribacter, Corynebacterium and Candidatus_Saccharimonas.etc.) that positively correlated with pro-inflammatory cytokines, right paw volume, and pathology scores. Furthermore, the gut microbiota dysbiosis was observed to recover before alleviating joint swelling after interventions., Conclusions: GC could inhibit potential LPS-producing bacteria and the activation of TLR-4/NF-κB pathway in RA rats, thus alleviating RA-induced joint injury., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Given the new ideas on wound care offered by the eCASH (early Comfort using Analgesia, minimal Sedatives, and maximal Humane care) and the substantial differences in clinical treatment between acute and chronic wounds, we aimed to investigate the effect of comfort therapy under the eCASH concept on analgesic sedation and accelerated wound healing in patients with acute or chronic wounds., Methods: This randomized clinical study was conducted in two parts: acute wounds and chronic wounds. Patients with acute wounds were allocated into the acute wound control group (AWCG) and the acute wound experimental group (AWEG). Patients with chronic wounds were allocated into the chronic wound control group (CWCG) and two experimental groups, in which they received intermittent negative pressure therapy (IPTEG) and continuous negative pressure therapy (CPTEG). On the basis of the standard treatment for patients in the control group, eCASH therapy was used in the experimental groups. In addition, pain intensity and procedural anxiety were evaluated using the visual analogue score (VAS) and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A). In addition, clinical effects were assessed on the basis of the size of the surface area, rate of healing, and concentration of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α) and growth factors (VEGF, bFGF, TGF-β1)., Results: Compared with the control group, the VAS score and HAM-A score in the experimental groups were significantly decreased after intervention (P < 0.05). After intervention, the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in AWEG, IPTEG, and CPTEG were significantly lower than those in AWCG. In addition, the levels of VEGF, bFGF, and TGF-β1 in IPTEG and CPTEG were significantly higher than those in CWCG (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: These results indicated that comfort therapy under the eCASH concept has a significant effect on ameliorating the pain and anxiety of patients, reducing the inflammatory reaction during the period of wound healing in the treatment of acute and chronic wounds., Clinical Trial Registry: The trial has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200057981)., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Using the electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) with Cu-based electrocatalysts to achieve carbon-neutral cycles remains a significant challenge because of its low selectivity and poor stability. Modulating the surface electron distribution by defects engineering or doping can effectively improve CO 2 RR performance. Herein, we synthesize the electrocatalyst of V o -CuO(Sn) nanosheets containing oxygen vacancies and Sn dopants for application in CO 2 RR-to-CO. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the incorporation of oxygen vacancies and Sn atoms substantially reduces the energy barrier for *COOH and *CO intermediate formation, which results in the high efficiency, low overpotential, and superior stability of the CO 2 RR to CO conversion. This electrocatalyst possesses a high Faraday efficiency (FE) of 99.9% for CO at a low overpotential of 420 mV and a partial current density of up to 35.22 mA cm -2 at -1.03 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The FE CO of V o -CuO(Sn) could retain over 95% within a wide potential area from -0.48 to -0.93 V versus RHE. Moreover, we obtain long-term stability for more than 180 h with only a slight decay in its activity. Therefore, this work provides an effective route for designing environmentally friendly electrocatalysts to improve the selectivity and stability of the CO 2 RR to CO conversion.

Objective: To investigate serum levels of vitamin A and E in pregnant women in Huai&apos;an and evaluate their nutritional status., Methods: Totally 2824 cases of pregnant women were chosen from the Huai&apos;an Maternal and Child Health-Care Center during January 2017 to May 2018. The serum level of vitamin A and vitamin E in the blood was detected by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)., Results: The serum level of vitamin A was(0. 39±0. 08) mg/L, the overall abnormal rate was 12. 3%. The serum level of vitamin E was(13. 28±4. 67) mg/L, the overall abnormal rate was 3. 7%. Vitamin A level were positively correlated with age and dysarteriotony. Vitamin E level were also positively correlated age, dysarteriotony and appetite., Conclusion: The abnormal of vitamin A is mainly lack, the abnormal of vitamin E is mainly excessive.

Manipulation of interfacial charge separation and transfer is one of the primary breakthroughs to improve the water oxidation activity and stability of BiVO 4 photoanode. In the present work, a CoMoO 4 -coupled BiVO 4 (BiVO 4 /CoMoO 4 ) film was designed and prepared as the photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. Compared with the bare BiVO 4 film, obviously improved PEC water oxidation performance was observed on the BiVO 4 /CoMoO 4 film. Specifically, a higher water oxidation photocurrent density of 3.04 mA/cm 2 at 1.23 V versus RHE was achieved on the BiVO 4 /CoMoO 4 photoanode, which is of about 220% improvement over bare BiVO 4 photoanode (1.34 mA/cm 2 at 1.23 V vs RHE). In addition, the BiVO 4 /CoMoO 4 film photoanode was of better stability and faster hole-to-oxygen kinetics for water oxidation, without significant activity attenuation for 6 h of reaction at 0.65 V versus RHE. The enhanced water oxidation performance on the BiVO 4 /CoMoO 4 film photoanode can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of the following factors: (i) thermodynamically, the photogenerated holes of BiVO 4 are directionally transferred to CoMoO 4 through their physical coupling interface and valance band potential matching; and (ii) kinetically, the transferred holes induce the formation of Co 3+ -active sites on CoMoO 4 that could synergistically oxidize H 2 O to molecular O 2 with stable activity.