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It is of great significance to explore a bifunctional catalyst that can produce both hydrogen and oxygen to accelerate the development of water-splitting technology. In this work, Co@CoO/NG was obtained via calcinating ZIF-67 and in-situ preparation process, which exhibited excellent performance (water oxidation AQE 10.22% at λ = 450 nm and oxygen production rate 543198 μmol g−1 h−1 and hydrogen production rate 330 μmol−1 g−1 h−1). A comprehensive analysis of SEM, XRD, TEM, UV–vis, EIS, and PL showed that Co@CoO/NG-7 prepared has a perfect skeleton and more crystal defects, which can provide more reactive sites. The core-shell structure Co@CoO has a synergistic effect with graphene, which is beneficial to the light absorption, separation of photo-generated charges. Meanwhile, cyclic experiments of water oxidation and water reduction showed that the catalyst exhibited high stability during the reaction process. This study has provided a universal strategy to design efficient bifunctional catalyst for water-splitting. Image 1 • Co@CoO/NG was synthesized by pyrolysis of ZIF-67 and in situ preparation. • Co@CoO/NG has both water reduction/oxidation catalytic activities. • The synergy of Co@CoO and carbon reduce the recombination of electrons and holes. • Co@CoO/NG exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ru as a cocatalyst has attracted wide attention as a substitute for Pt precious metal. However, the strong interaction between Ru and H atoms reduces the efficiency of hydrogen (H2) desorption and slows the overall hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) efficiency. How to further improve the efficiency of Ru‐based cocatalyst is challenging. Herein, single‐atom Co‐ultrafine RuOx clusters codecorated TiO2 nanosheets for photocatalytic HER are synthesized using a simple hydrothermal–calcination method. Experiments and theoretical calculations demonstrate that Co atoms can serve as a specific electronic medium, promoting electron enrichment at RuOx, thereby enhancing the adsorption of H+. Moreover, the electronic state of the interaction between adjacent Co atoms and RuOx is conducive to the desorption of H2. As a result, the proposed photocatalyst system gives a classy photocatalytic HER performance. The hydrogen production rate at stationary point reaches up to 20.20 mmol g−1 h−1, and the apparent quantum yield at 365 nm is 86.5%. It is worth noting that the hydrogen production rate in seawater is as high as 9.83 mmol g−1 h−1. This work offers precise guidance to design catalysts for efficient photocatalytic H2 production from the in‐depth understanding of the electronic coupling effect of coupling active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context:The flowers ofTrollius chinensisBunge (Ranunculaceae), used for respiratory tract infections, mainly contain flavonoids, phenolic acids, and alkaloids; however, the effective components are debatable because of their unclearin vivoactivities. Objective:This study investigates the effective components from the perspectives of biotransformation and absorption. Materials and methods:Both single person derived- and multiple people-derived intestinal florae were used to investigate the biotransformation of aqueous extract of the flowers ofT. chinensis(AEOF) at the concentrations of 15.0, 30.0, and 60.0 mg/mL, respectively, for 72 h. Both human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (Caco-2) monolayers and everted gut sacs were employed to evaluate the intestinal absorption of the intestinal bacterial transformed AEOF at the concentrations of 10, 20, and 30 mg/mL, respectively, for 180 min. Results:2″-O-β-l-Galactopyranosylorientin, orientin, vitexin, quercetin, veratric acid, proglobeflowery acid, and trolline in AEOF were not transformed by intestinal bacteria, while isoquercetin and trollioside were completely transformed. ThePappvalues of 2″-O-β-l-galactopyranosylorientin, orientin, and vitexin calculated based on the experimental data of intestinal absorption were at the levels of 10−5, whereas those of veratric acid, proglobeflowery acid, and trolline were at 10−4. The mass ratio of flavonoids to phenolic acids to alkaloids changed from 16:10:7 to 9:12:8 before and after absorption. Discussion and conclusion:The dominant position of flavonoids was replaced by phenolic acids after absorption. In addition to flavonoids which are usually considered as the dominant effective ones, phenolic acids and alkaloids should be also very important for the efficacy of these flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cu 2 O@Cu-CN of oxygen vacancy–rich Cu 2 O@Cu symbiont is embedded in N -doped carbon skeleton, which stabilizes the active site and promotes the C C coupling. [Display omitted] • Oxygen vacancy-rich Cu 2 O@Cu was achieved via ligand competition of MOF. • Schottky junction and hydrophobic microenvironment stabilized Cu 2 O. • Asymmetric interface of Cu 2 O@Cu is favorable for CRRs to C 2+ products. • C 2 H 4 yield reached 46.27 μmol g-1h−1 with a high selectivity of 40.3 % Cu 2 O is promising to catalytically convert CO 2 into C 2 products by overcoming the instability and slow multi-electron transfer. Regulating catalytic construction and interface microenvironment is challenging to stabilize Cu 2 O and selectively convert CO 2 to C 2+ hydrocarbons. A photocatalyst (Cu 2 O@Cu-CN) of oxygen vacancy–rich Cu 2 O@Cu symbiont embedded in N -doped carbon skeleton is achieved by ligand competition strategy. The Schottky junction and the hydrophobic microenvironment in the catalyst together stabilize the active site against the Cu 2 O redox reaction. The hydrophobic interface can make the catalyst favorable for trapping CO 2. The asymmetric interface with oxygen vacancy can enhance the adsorption and activation of CO 2 and *CO, thus reducing the energy barrier for the formation of *OCCO intermediates and promoting the coupling conversion of *OCCO to C 2 H 4. The C 2 H 4 evolution rate reaches 46.27 μmol C2H4 g cat -1h−1 with a high selectivity of 40.3 % using triethanolamine (TEOA) as a sacrificial agent, and the apparent quantum yield (AQY) is as high as 14.41 % (λ = 420 nm). The C 2 H 4 evolution rate is 2.10 μmol C2H4 g cat -1h−1 in water without TEOA. Moreover, the productive rate of C 2 H 4 still maintains 95.37 % after lasting 20 h, showing a robust long − term stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighteen Incompatible Medicaments (EIM) belongs to the category of incompatibility of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This theory forbids concomitant using any one of the eighteen herbal pairs such as Radix Glycyrrhizae (RG)-Radix Euphorbiae Pekinensis (REP), Radix Aconiti-Bulbus Fritiliariae Cirrhosae, and Radix et Rhizoma Veratri Nigri-Radix Ginseng. Concomitant using RG and REP could result in more serious adverse effects on major organs such as kidney, heart, and liver. To investigate the effects of RG-REP decoctions on gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) for the purpose of elucidating the mechanism of RG-REP incompatibility. Six groups of male SD rats were intragastrically administrated with distilled water, RG decoction, REP decoction, 1:1 RG-REP decoction, 2:1 RG-REP decoction and 3:1 RG-REP decoction, respectively, twice daily for 30 consecutive days, and the feces of each rat was separately sampled for gut microbiota analysis and SCFAs assay. 16S rDNA sequencing was employed to comparatively investigate the structure and abundance of intestinal bacteria in rat feces. Gas chromatography (GC) was used to quantitatively determine the contents of SCFAs in rat feces and in vitro samples. The correlation between bacteria and the production of SCFAs was analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis. An in vitro model of human intestinal bacteria was also constructed to simulate and validate the in vivo experiment. The contents of butyric acid in both rat feces and in vitro samples decreased in RG-REP groups. The general structure of gut microbiota in RG-REP groups was not significantly different from that in control group. However, RG alone increased the abundance of Lactobacillus while this effect was counteracted by concomitant using with REP. REP alone decreased the abundance of two interrelated species, Akkermansia and Butyricimonas , and this effect was strengthened by concomitant using REP with RG in the ratio of 1:1. In comparison with REP alone, RG-REP combination also significantly increased the abundance of Streptococcus and Prevotella. The incompatibility of RG-REP combination is associated with its negative effect against probiotic bacteria and positive effect on conditional pathogenic bacteria as well as its inhibition on butyric acid production. [Display omitted] • This is the first report that intestinal bacteria are involved in RG-REP incompatibility. • The influence of RG-REP combinations on microbiota was evaluated by both in vivo and in vitro experiments. • RG-REP incompatibility is associated with its disturbance on microbial composition and butyric acid production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a facile method to develop core-shell nanocomposite Cu/(Cu 2 O/CuO) through gradually oxidation on Cu nanocomposite precursors. As-prepared catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the reaction of water oxidation reaction (WOR). Comparing with the reported catalyst, Cu/(Cu 2 O/CuO) posed one of the highest O 2 evolution around 7700 μmol g-1·h-1. By analyzing the composition of catalysts in each reaction stages, the evolution pathway of Cu towards Cu 2 O/CuO and the different roles of each component in catalytic water oxidation reactions were deeply studied. In presence of high conductive Cu element and excellent light absorption Cu 2 O, the photo generated electron and holes can be effectively separated and greatly improve the efficiency of the catalyst. The evolution process and synergistic effects of the three components play a crucial role in improving photocatalytic efficiency, which promoting the nanocomposite to be a highly efficient core-shell catalyst for WOR. This paper presents the evolution of a highly active photocatalytic water oxidation catalyst with no photosensitizers. [Display omitted] • Cu/(Cu 2 O/CuO) core-shell nanocomposite exhibits a a high oxygen production rate of 7700 μmol·g-1·h-1. • The relationship between the evolution of Cu to Cu 2 O/CuO and the photocatalytic efficiency was explored. • Cu/Cu 2 O core-shell plays a crucial role in charge separation and dramatically increasing the catalytic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuronal apoptosis acts as the pivotal pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury after ischemic stroke. PAQR3 (progestin and adipoQ receptor family member 3) is a crucial player who participates in the regulation of cell death. We aim to explore the specific function and the underlying mechanism of PAQR3 in cerebral I/R induced neuronal injury. We established a mouse middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) model and rat adrenal pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model to detect the expression and of PAQR3 after I/R treatment in vivo and in vitro. We used lentivirus to knockdown PAQR3 and investigated the function of PAQR3 in I/R induced neuronal apoptosis. PAQR3 expression is markedly increased in the ischemic hemisphere of C57BL/6 mice and PC12 cells after I/R stimulation. Knockdown PAQR3 can attenuate neuronal apoptosis induced by I/R in PC12 cells and exerts neuroprotective effects. PAQR3 deficiency can significantly raise cell viability and suppress LDH leakage under I/R treatment. Silencing PAQR3 attenuates neuronal apoptosis remarkably with fewer TUNEL-positive cells and lower apoptosis rate under I/R treatment. Mechanistically, knockdown of PAQR3 can inhibit the apoptosis pathway through inducing anti-apoptotic proteins and inhibiting pro-apoptotic proteins. Besides, PI3K/AKT signaling suppression with LY294002 abolished the neuroprotective functions induced by silencing PAQR3. Our results elucidate that silencing PAQR3 can protect PC12 from OGD/R injury via activating PI3K/AKT pathway. And therefore, provide a novel therapeutic target for the prevention of cerebral I/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ni@NiO-CdS has both water reduction/oxidation catalytic activities. • Ni@NiO makes the S vacancy in CdS an effective electron trap. • Schottky junction acts as a pump for transfer of photo-generated carriers. • p-n junction of the catalyst reduce the recombination of electrons and holes. • The structure of catalyst extends the life of the photogenerated electrons and holes. The exploration of bifunctional catalysts to produce both hydrogen and oxygen will accelerate the progress of overall water-splitting. This paper introduces a facile method to fabricate bifunctional photocatalysts toward the water splitting by doping nano CdS with S vacancies on Ni@NiO nano-spheres. A serious of photocatalytic catalysts were developed and subsequently characterized, the two half-reactions of photocatalytic water splitting were studied in detail by using sacrificial agents, the hydrogen output at 41699 μmol g−1 h−1 (AQE 28.5%, λ = 420 nm) while the evolution of O 2 is as high as 55120 μmol g−1 h−1 (AQE 35.7%, λ = 450 nm). It is a strategy that the presence of Ni@NiO can trigger the S vacancy in CdS to act as an effective electron trap, the p-n junction of NiO-CdS, as well as the Schottky barrier between NiO and Ni, can change the dynamic characteristics of photogenerated electrons and prolong their life. These prolonged photogenerated electrons can initiate stable and effective photocatalytic redox reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

F-Mn-MOF-74, a adenine-assisted synthesis of functionalized heterogeneous catalyst, which efficiently can catalyze cycloaddition reaction. Under relatively moderate and solvent-free conditions, the yield of cyclic carbonate reached 99 %. The development of a highly efficient renewable heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates by the cyclic esterification of epoxides and carbon dioxide under relatively mild reaction conditions is of great significance in the territory of chemical fixation of carbon dioxide (CO 2). This work comprises on a functional catalytic material F-Mn-MOF-74 using an effective competitive coordination strategy, adenine (Ad) as alkali source and competitive ligand, introduced onto the synthetic Mn-MOF-74. An F-Mn-MOF-74 crystal having a spherical structure and being functionalized is obtained, and lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom in the adenine can compete with 2,5-hydroxyterephthalic acid for coordination. The alkalinity exhibited by adenine is beneficial to enhance the catalytic properties of the crystal in the cycloaddition reaction of epoxide with carbon dioxide. Further catalytic experiments showed that the functionalized F-Mn-MOF-74 crystal combined with tetrabutylammonium bromide in the lacking of solvent showed excellent catalytic activity in the cycloaddition reaction of styrene oxide and carbon dioxide. Under the optimal reaction conditions after screening (100 °C and 10 bar CO 2 pressure), the yield of cyclic carbonate was as high as 99 %. The excellent catalytic performance for other epoxides also confirmed that F-Mn-MOF-74 catalytic material is universal in its application. The catalytic performance of the catalyst was not significantly decreased after being recycled seven times, attributed to its excellent stability. The possible mechanism for the synergistic effect of Lewis acid-base properties of functionalized F-Mn-MOF-74 catalytic material with cocatalyst is also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combine vapor deposition method and MOFs encapsulation strategy to synthesize MoWN/MoWC@N C nano-octahedrons, the unique Mo 2 N/MoC/W 2 N/WC multi-active components with excellent synergistic effects. Multifunctional electrocatalytic activity can be used for zinc-air batteries to drive water-splitting. [Display omitted] • Combine vapor deposition method and MOFs encapsulation strategy to synthesize MoWN/MoWC@N C nano-octahedrons. • The unique Mo 2 N/MoC/W 2 N/WC multi-active components with excellent synergistic effects. • Encapsulation and in-situ carbonization can effectively prevent the agglomeration and loss of active components. • MoWN/MoWC@N C 800 has excellent trifunctional electrocatalytic properties in the 0.1 M KOH. We used a simple MOFs-assisted synthesis strategy based on the encapsulation and in-situ carburizing reaction of Cu-based metallic organic frameworks (NENU-5) to synthesize porous nano-octahedral materials, MoWN/MoWC@N C Ts (T = 700, 800, and 900). Together with the vapor deposition strategy, the volatile nitrogen species from the pyrolysis of dicyandiamide were captured by the nano-octahedral materials, and formed tungsten-molybdenum-based carbonitride nanocrystals encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon. The porous nano-octahedron has a unique heterostructure composed of Mo 2 N/MoC/W 2 N/WC. The representative MoWN/MoWC@N C 800 showed trifunctional electrocatalytic activity in oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen evolution reaction/hydrogen evolution reaction (ORR/OER/HER) in an alkaline medium (0.1 M KOH). The total oxygen electrode activity index ΔE = 0.795 V (vs. RHE) was found in OER/ORR, and the material also exhibits excellent HER performance. The minimum potential of −0.17 V (vs. RHE) was provided at a current density of −10 mA cm−2. MoWN/MoWC@N C 800 showed excellent cycle stability and durability in ORR/OER/HER with the same electrolyte (0.1 M KOH). More importantly, MoWN/MoWC@N C 800 could be used to construct high-performance zinc-air batteries and sued for driving electrocatalytic water splitting in a self-powered manner. The successful preparation of the materials indicate that the synthetic strategy provides new reference ideas for developing functional materials with high catalytic properties for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Challenges in rational designing dual‐atom catalysts (DACs) give a strong motivation to construct coordination‐activity correlations. Here, thorough coordination‐activity correlations of DACs based on how the changes in coordination shells (CSs) of dual‐atom Cu,Co centers influence their electrocatalytic activity in oxygen reduction reaction(ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is constructed. First, Cu,Co DACs with different CSs modifications are fabricated by using a controlled "precursors‐preselection" approach. Three DACs with unique coordination environments are characterized as secondary S atoms that directly bond to Cu,Co‐N6 in lower CSs, indirectly bond in neighboring CSs, and are doped in higher CSs, respectively. Then, experimentally and theoretically, a coordination correlation resembling a planet‐satellite system, where satellite coordinated atoms (heteroatom N, S) surround Cu‐Co dual‐atom entity in various orbitals CSs. By evaluating electrocatalytic activity indicators, differences are identified in electronic structure and electrocatalytic performance of Cu and Co centers in ORR, OER, and HER. Interestingly, initial CSs modifications for DACs may not always be advantageous for electrocatalysis. This work offers valuable insight for designing DACs for diverse applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracerebral hemorrhage is the most dangerous complication in tPA thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke, which occurs as a consequence of endothelial cell death at the blood–brain barrier (BBB) during thrombolytic reperfusion. We have previously shown that cerebral ischemia‐induced rapid occludin degradation and BBB disruption. Here we demonstrated an important role of occludin degradation in facilitating the evolution of ischemic endothelial cells toward death. Cultured brain microvascular endothelial cells (bEnd.3 cells) were exposed to oxygen‐glucose deprivation (OGD) or incubated with occludin siRNA or occludin AAV to achieve an occludin deficiency or over‐expression status before exposing to reoxygenation (R) or TNF‐α treatment. Cell death was assessed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase release, TUNEL staining, and flow cytometry analysis. Inhibition of OGD‐induced occludin degradation with SB‐3CT or over‐expression of occludin with occludin AAV both significantly attenuated OGD/R‐induced apoptosis and pyroptosis in bEnd.3 cells. Consistently, knockdown of occludin with siRNA potentiated TNF‐α‐induced apoptosis, supporting an important role of occludin integrity in endothelial cell survival. Similar results were observed for pyroptosis, in which occludin knockdown with siRNA led to a significant augmentation of cytokines secretion, inflammasome activation, and pyroptosis occurrence in TNF‐α‐treated bEnd.3 cells. Lastly, up‐regulation of c‐Yes, PI3K/AKT, and ERK concurrently occurred with occludin degradation after OGD/R or TNF‐α treatment, and the level of these proteins were further increased when inhibition of occludin degradation or over‐expression of occludin. These data indicate that occludin degradation inflicted during ischemia makes BBB endothelial cells more vulnerable to reperfusion‐associated stress stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen is of key importance to sustain modern agriculture but how to accurately quantify the loss forms of fertilizer-derived nitrogen has been a challenge for bare loessial soil. We employ 30 simulated rainfalls to evaluate effects of rainfall intensity (45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 mm/h) and slope gradient (5°, 10°, 15°, 20° and 25°) on dissolved and adsorbed nitrogen loss. Here, we show that there was an overall increasing trend of runoff yield with increased rainfall intensity and also an overall increasing trend of sediment yield with increased slope gradient. TN loss at different slopes was more concentrated under rainfall intensities of 45 mm/h and 60 mm/h and more dispersed under rainfall intensities of 75–120 mm/h. t -Test results showed that there were no significant differences for 6 TN samples at each slope ( p  > 0.05) and 5 TN samples at each rainfall intensity ( p  > 0.05). All NO 3 − -N concentration had a slight declining trend at the beginning of runoff yield and then gradually tended to be gentle with the prolongation of rainfall duration. All NH 4 + -N concentration first showed a sharp decreasing trend and then relatively levelled off with the prolongation of rainfall duration, but it was different and unstable for different rainfall intensities, especially in the first 10 min. Adsorbed TN under bare loess soil occupied 7.0–82.0% of TN loss with an average of 58.6%, while dissolved TN accounted for 18.0–93.0% with an average of 41.4%. NO 3 − -N and NH 4 + -N concentrations respectively accounted for 11.8–73.2% and 1.5–13.3% of TN loss under all combinations of rainfall intensity and slope. There were significant differences in variation trends among NO 3 − -N, NH 4 + -N and TN loss load under various rainfall intensities and slopes, but they all presented an overall upward trend with increased rainfall intensity. Our results provide the underlying insights needed to guide nitrogen loss control in sloping land of the loess hilly region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subphthalocyanines (SubPcs) are a kind of tripyrrolic macrocycle with a boron atom at their core. Incorporating different units onto the SubPc periphery can endow them with various unique properties. Herein, a series of novel fluorinated low-symmetry SubPc derivatives containing chlorine groups (F8-Cl4-SubPc, F4-Cl8-SubPc) and methoxy groups (F8-(OCH3)2-SubPc) were synthesized and characterized by spectral methods (MS, FT-IR, 1H, 13C, 11B, and 19F NMR spectroscopy), and the effect of the peripheral substituents on their electronic structure of low-symmetry macrocycle was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, theoretical calculation, electronic absorption, and emission spectroscopy. In contrast to perfluorinated SubPcs, these low-symmetry SubPcs revealed non-degenerate LUMO and LUMO + 1 orbitals, especially F8-(OCH3)2-SubPc, which was consistent with the split Q-band absorptions. The cyclic voltammetry revealed that these SubPcs exhibited two or three reduction waves and one oxidation wave, which is consistent with the reported SubPcs. Finally, an intracellular fluorescence imaging study of these compounds revealed that these compounds could enter cancer cells and be entrapped in the lysosomes, which provides a possibility of future applications in lysosome fluorescence imaging and targeting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut fungi is known to play many important roles in human health regulations. Herein, we investigate the anti-obesity efficacy of the antifungal antibiotics (amphotericin B, fluconazole and 5-fluorocytosine) in the high fat diet-fed (HFD) mice. Supplementation of amphotericin B or fluconazole in water can effectively inhibit obesity and its related disorders, whereas 5-fluorocytosine exhibit little effects. The gut fungus Candida parapsilosis is identified as a key commensal fungus related to the diet-induced obesity by the culture-dependent method and the inoculation assay with C. parapsilosis in the fungi-free mice. In addition, the increase of free fatty acids in the gut due to the production of fungal lipases from C. parapsilosis is confirmed as one mechanism by which C. parapsilosis promotes obesity. The current study demonstrates the gut C. parapsilosis as a causal fungus for the development of diet-induced obesity in mice and highlights the therapeutic strategy targeting the gut fungi. Shanshan Sun, Li Sun, Kai Wang, et al. report that the gut commensal Candida parapsilosis is a causative fungus for the development of high fat-diet induced obesity in mice. Their results suggest that fungi could represent possible targets for combating obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urea (NH 2 CONH 2) is an essential fertilizer for humanity. Nevertheless, industrial urea production and its feedstock NH 3 production are energy-extensive and involve largely carbon footprints. Currently, urea production via electro/photochemical routes have shown a significant appeal and potential because only water, environmentally CO 2 and nitrogenous small molecules, and solar energy/electricity are involved during the whole process. In the past few years, considerable efforts have been devoted to revealing the mechanism of the C−N coupling processes and the development of advanced electro/photocatalysts for the selective synthesis of urea. In this review, we compare and contrast the two distinct yet inherently closely linked catalytic C−N processes, before we detail recent advanced in the catalytic active sites construction of different urea catalyst systems from the viewpoint of electrochemical and photochemical approaches. We close with a balanced outlook on the current challenges and promising opportunities. [Display omitted] • Based on the chemical bond type of nitrogen source, the C−N coupling mechanisms are summarized for urea photo/electrosynthesis. • The recent advanced in the active sites construction of different urea photo/electrocatalyst systems is detailed. • Several problems, current challenges, and priority research opportunities are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel complex Fe/FeN@N-C nano-electrocatalyst was constructed by adopting a strategy of competitive coordination of nitrogen sources (2-methylimidazole). The competitive coordination of 2-methylimidazole promoted the generation of FeN active sites and greatly improved its ORR electrocatalytic performance. • The electrocatalyst synthesized with MOF as precursor, even distribution of active sites of the electrocatalysts. • Adopt a strategy of competitive coordination to synthesize a novel complex Fe/FeN@N-C electrocatalyst. • 2-methylimidazole promoted the generation of FeN active sites. • 2-methylimidazole acts as both a competitive ligand and a nitrogen source. • Excellent electrocatalytic properties and long-term stability. The development of controllable doping strategies is essential to obtain highly active electrocatalytic materials. Transition metal atoms with corresponding nitrogen coordination have been widely proposed as active centers for electrocatalytic oxygen reduction (ORR) in metal@nitrogen-carbon (M@N-C) electrocatalysts. In this paper, an effective competitive coordination strategy and high-temperature calcination were used to construct a novel complex Fe/FeN@N-C electrocatalyst. The synthesized catalyst, Fe-MIL-101-2-MI, was using 2-methylimidazole as a nitrogen source and a competitive ligand, which affects the nucleation and growth of the crystal. The morphology of the Fe-MIL-101-2-MI is nanorod, which is conducive to electron transport. Moreover, the competitive coordination of 2-methylimidazole promoted the generation of FeN active sites and greatly improved its ORR electrocatalytic performance. A series of Fe/FeN@N-C-X-Ts electrocatalytic samples was synthesized by controlling the doping amount of 2-methylimidazole and different calcining temperatures. Fe/FeN@N-C-2-800 composites exhibit high levels of doped N, even-distribution of Fe nanoparticles, and abundant FeN active sites. It is noteworthy that the half-wave potential of Fe/FeN@N-C-2-800 in the electrocatalytic ORR reaction is 0.813 V (vs. RHE), the initial potential is 0.873 V (vs. RHE), and the limit current density impressively reached 6.04 mA/cm2. In comparison to commercial Pt/C, the synthesized catalyst showed superior electrocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing cheap, stable, and efficient overall water-splitting catalysts for practical applications is desirable. At present, most reported bifunctional catalysts are unsatisfactory in terms of their complicated synthetic procedures. Herein, a low-cost superior water-splitting catalyst, Fe doped nickel phosphide (Fe-Ni 2 P) nanoflower array has been constructed by a novel and facile synthetic approach that using Fe2+ oxidize into Fe3+ in air to slowly etch Ni foam (NF) and then phosphatizing. The optimized Fe-Ni 2 P @ NF exhibited a uniform chrysanthemum-like morphology to achieve high exposure active sites, and the amorphous/crystalline homogeneous structure and Fe species doping can modulate the active-site electron state to enhance the intrinsic activity of catalyst. Eventually, this catalyst shows excellent bifunctional catalytic activity, requiring small overpotentials of 71 mV to reach 10 mA cm–2 for hydrogen evolution reaction and 254 mV to reach 50 mA cm–2 for oxygen evolution reaction in 1.0 M KOH. An electrolyzer employed Fe-Ni 2 P @ NF as both cathode and anode deliver 10 mA cm–2 at a low cell voltage of 1.44 V for overall water splitting. The Fe-Ni 2 P @ NF also exhibits excellent stability in long-time alkaline water splitting. Additionally, Fe-Ni 2 P @ NF expanded sample with a 25 × 20 cm2 area was prepared and showed good uniformity of electrocatalytic performance, the assembled two-electrode cell achieves an industrially relevant current density of 500 mA cm−2 requires only 2.7 V voltage. • A facile and scalable synthetic strategy for etching Ni foam is proposed. • An expanded sample with 25 × 20 cm2 area was successfully prepared. • Fe species into Ni 2 P lattice promoted electrocatalytic performance. • Fe-Ni 2 P @ NF only needs 1.44 V to acquire 10 mA cm–2 for overall water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharides are known to confer protection against obesity via modulation of gut microbiota. To expand our knowledge of mushroom-derived prebiotics, we investigated the structural characteristics and anti-obesity effects of Lyophyllum decastes polysaccharides. Two heteroglycans were purified and characterized. The isolated polysaccharides effectively reduced obesity and the related disorders in the diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. An altered gut microbiota with enrichments of Bacteroides intestinalis and Lactobacillus johnsonii and an increase of secondary bile acids were detected in the polysaccharide-treated mice. Supplementation of B. intestinalis and L. johnsonii prevented the obesity and hyperlipidemia in DIO mice, demonstrating their causal linkage to the efficacy of polysaccharides. An enhancement of energy expenditure in the brown adipose tissues due to up-regulation of the secondary bile acids-activated TGR5 pathway was deduced to be one of the mechanisms underlying the effect of polysaccharides. These results confirmed Lyophyllum decastes -derived polysaccharides as new prebiotics for preventing and treating obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 300 missense mutations in PSEN1 gene have been correlated to the early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD), but given the high diversity of PS1 (the PSEN1 gene product) substrates and the involvement of PS1 in multiple biological functions, different mutants may represent different EOAD etiologies, and how each mutant contributes to the EOAD remains to be further investigated. Here we report the identification of a novel PSEN1 p.Tyr159Ser in a family with multiple EOAD cases. The mutant PS1 protein (PS1 Y159S) was analyzed for its activity in producing amyloid-β (Aβ) and for the efficiency in maturation in vitro. We also screened other mutations and SNPs that may modify the effect of PSEN1 p.Tyr159Ser on AD pathogenesis. The blood samples of the family were collected for whole-exome gene sequencing and analysis. The identified mutant PS1 and several other PS1 mutants were co-expressed with the APP Swedish mutant to compare the effects on APP processing and PS1 maturation.1. The proband and her siblings over 50 years old showed typical AD or MCI symptoms. Exon sequencing identified the p.Tyr159Ser mutation in the PSEN1 gene. As not until the age of 78 did the proband's mother who carried this mutation displayed the symptoms of uncharacterized neuropsychiatry instead of AD, but all the mutation bearing lower generation developed AD or MCI after the age of 50, we also analyzed mutations/SNPs that are different between the mother and the lower generation. By in vitro assays, we found that the Y159S substitution strongly increased Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio and significantly affected PS1 maturation. The newly discovered PSEN1 p.Tyr159Ser is an AD-causing mutation, yet, the carriers are not obligated AD patients. Mutations/SNPs in other gene may modify the effects of this mutation, and the identification of these mutations/SNPs may facilitate the discovery of AD-preventing mechanisms and methods. [Display omitted] • The PSEN1 gene mutations are the most common disease-causing gene of familial Alzheimer's disease. • The PS1 Y159S substitution due to the p. Tyr159Ser mutation in PSEN1 alters the Aβ 42/ Aβ 40 ratio in APP metabolism. • Clinical characteristics of carriers of the mutation within the same family can be different and atypical. • The proband's mother carrying this mutation showed psychotic symptoms but not demetia at the age of 78. • The pathogenic effects of PSEN1 mutations could be modified by special gene SNP polymorphic interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A synthesis strategy for regulating both steric and electronic properties of ZIFs. • Vanillin can create ligand vacancy and mesoporous via competition coordination. • Aldehyde group can partially reduce the oxidized Co3+ on the surface of ZIF-67. • Defective ZIF-67 exhibits favorable modified properties for photocatalysis. • The AQE can be improved from 7.2% to 12.2% after regulating via vanillin. This manuscript presents a synthesis strategy for regulating both the steric property (ligand vacancy) and electronic property (metal valence) of coordinatively unsaturated sites (CUS) in the Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIFs) via vanillin (VAN). VAN molecule involved in the construction of ZIF-67 crystal structure can replace some of the original ligands via competition coordination, and create defect structure and mesopores in ZIF-67 structure. Meanwhile, the aldehyde group in VAN can reduce part of the trivalent cobalt on the surface to divalent cobalt, which is conducive to the adsorption of reactive species in the photocatalytic water splitting process. Moreover, the defective ZIF-67 exhibits favorable modified properties for photocatalysis, including improved porosity, narrow band gaps, enhanced light absorption and carrier separation ability. Compared with other methods using monobasic acid as a regulator, VAN can simultaneously create ligand vacancy, mesopore and more Co2+ sites in MOFs, which may be a more promising method for preparing photocatalysts with excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A synthesis strategy for regulating both steric and electronic properties of ZIFs. • Vanillin can create ligand vacancy and mesoporous via competition coordination. • Aldehyde group can partially reduce the oxidized Co3+ on the surface of ZIF-67. • Defective ZIF-67 exhibits favorable modified properties for photocatalysis. • The AQE can be improved from 7.2% to 12.2% after regulating via vanillin. This manuscript presents a synthesis strategy for regulating both the steric property (ligand vacancy) and electronic property (metal valence) of coordinatively unsaturated sites (CUS) in the Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIFs) via vanillin (VAN). VAN molecule involved in the construction of ZIF-67 crystal structure can replace some of the original ligands via competition coordination, and create defect structure and mesopores in ZIF-67 structure. Meanwhile, the aldehyde group in VAN can reduce part of the trivalent cobalt on the surface to divalent cobalt, which is conducive to the adsorption of reactive species in the photocatalytic water splitting process. Moreover, the defective ZIF-67 exhibits favorable modified properties for photocatalysis, including improved porosity, narrow band gaps, enhanced light absorption and carrier separation ability. Compared with other methods using monobasic acid as a regulator, VAN can simultaneously create ligand vacancy, mesopore and more Co2+ sites in MOFs, which may be a more promising method for preparing photocatalysts with excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]