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Objective: Telomere length (TL) is a posited pathway through which chronic stress results in biological dysregulation and subsequent adverse health outcomes. Food insecurity is associated with shorter TL. Social support, which is defined by the size and function of an individual's social network, is associated with better health outcomes. The present study assesses whether social support modifies the relationship between food security and TL. Design: Cross-sectional study design. Linear regression was used to assess the association between food insecurity and TL, stratified by social support level. A multiplicative interacted model was used to formally test modification. Setting: Data come from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2000 and 2001–2002 waves. Participants: Adults aged 60 years and older who have measurements for TL. Results: Our sample comprised 2674 participants, and 63·5 % of the total sample had low social support, with 13·3 % being food insecure. In fully adjusted models, food insecurity was negatively though modestly associated (P = 0·13) with TL. Associations between food insecurity and TL were significantly modified by social support (interaction P = 0·026), whereby food insecurity had a stronger effect among individuals with high social support (coefficient = –0·099 (95 % CI: –0·161, –0·038)) compared to low social support (coefficient = –0·001, (95 % CI: –0·033, 0·032)). Conclusion: Food insecurity is modestly associated with shorter TL. Contrary to our hypothesis, food insecurity had more deleterious effects on TL among participants with high social support than low social support. Results may indicate that the food insecure population is a higher needs population, and increased social support reflects these needs rather than providing protective effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the current energy shortage, hydrogen energy is an attractive option as a renewable green energy source. Electrocatalytic hydrogen production is a promising and efficient method with great potential for renewable energy. However, the main limiting factor is developing low-cost and high-efficiency imprinted hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts. This study utilized theoretical calculations to address the challenge of designing Ni-based catalysts for efficient electrocatalytic HER. Firstly, Ni(111) and Ni(311) were subjected to Co doping, and the catalytic activity of Ni–Co catalysts for the electrocatalytic HER was evaluated using the ΔGH_ads and EH2O_ads indices. Moreover, Mo-doping modification was carried out on catalysts with more negative EH2O_ads and smaller absolute values of ΔGH_ads to determine the optimal catalysts for the electrocatalytic HER. Through quantum chemical calculations, the Ni(311)–2Ni–1Co-3,4Mo catalyst with optimal HER catalytic activity was determined. Additionally, the density of states (DOS) values before and after the adsorption of H* and H2O were calculated, and the reaction pathways before and after doping were explored. The Ni(311)–2Ni–1Co-3,4Mo catalyst can dissociate H2O and adsorb H* with higher performance, proving its excellent electrocatalytic HER catalytic performance. The findings of this study may provide theoretical guidance for the experimental development of HER catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PDLSCs under osteogenic induction secreting exosomes promoted osteoclastogenesis. • Exosomal circ_0000722 highly expressed in early PDLSCs osteogenic differentiation. • Exosomal circ_0000722 promoted osteoclastogenesis. • circ_0000722 upregulated TRAF6 and activated NF-kb and AKT signaling pathways. Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), which are considered promising stem cells for regeneration of periodontal bony tissue, can also manipulate alveolar bone remodeling by exosomes. In this study, we investigated interactions between PDLSCs under osteogenic differentiation and osteoclast precursors. The results showed that conditioned medium from PDLSCs under 5d osteogenic induction promoted osteoclastogenesis of RAW264.7 cells. The exosomes extracted from those conditioned media showed similar effects on osteoclastogenesis. Furthermore, exosomes from PDLSCs under 5d of osteogenic induction showed significantly high expression of circ_0000722, compared with exosomes from PDLSCs before osteogenic induction. Downregulation of circ_0000722 significantly attenuated the effect of PDLSC-derived exosomes on the osteoclastogenesis of RAW264.7 cells. Our findings suggested that exosomal circ_0000722 derived from periodontal ligament stem cells undergoing osteogenic differentiation might promote osteoclastogenesis by upregulating TRAF6 expression and activating downstream NF-κB and AKT signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through theoretical calculation and experimental research, the electrodeposition process of preparing a copper catalyst in an acid electrolyte using polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyethylene imine (PEI), and a PEG and PEI mixture as additives was studied. The cutting-edge molecular orbital information of PEG and PEI was studied through quantum chemical calculations. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the interface interaction between PEG and PEI and the metal surface. The microscopic morphology and crystal structure of the coating were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). It is found that adding composite additives to the studied acidic copper electroplating could obtain a copper coating with a spherical shape, small particle size, and good dispersion effect. This study proves that a PEI and PEG-based copper plating solution is a promising method for preparing high-performance copper-based catalysts in the acid copper electroplating process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of organic pollutants in the world is harmful to our existence and the environment. So efficient and energy-saving methods for the degradation of organic pollutants present in the environment are important and beneficial for humans and the environment. The use of emerging photocatalytic technology using semiconductor materials to degrade organic pollutants is an effective method with potential prospects for the future. In this work, quantum chemical calculations and classical molecular dynamics simulations are employed to investigate the performances and related reactivities of sulfide semiconductor materials for the photocatalytic degradation of several common organic compounds. The reactivity of the organics is studied using quantum chemical calculations. The adsorption behaviors of several types of organic compounds on the surfaces of sulfide semiconductors in the gas phase were investigated, then similar adsorption processes in the aqueous phase were studied, and then CdS semiconductors were used to explore the influence of different crystal planes on the adsorption behavior of organic matter. Based on adsorption energy calculations, the best adsorption performance for a specific type of organic matter on a sulfide semiconductor was explored, together with an adsorption comparison in the gas and water phases. The results of this study may provide theoretical guidance for sulfide semiconductor photocatalysis technology and give ideas for subsequent experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) can convert greenhouse gases into high value‐added carbon‐based fuels and chemicals, providing a sustainable way to solve the energy and environmental crisis. Currently, AuCu bimetallic alloys are attracting attention because of their potential to customize the catalytic activity. In this work, the stability of Au and AuCu bimetallic clusters are systematically studied by first principles calculation. On this basis, the AuCu cluster catalyst is simulated using the density functional theory (DFT) to detect its catalytic activity for the reduction of CO2 to CH3OH. The calculation results show that the AuCu clusters with symmetry have the best stability. Moreover, the doping of Cu atoms in the Au6 cluster can reduce the reaction barrier to a certain extent, thereby accelerating the reaction. Among them, Au1Cu5 and Au2Cu4 cluster catalysts have the most obvious catalytic effects. In the last step, the energy can be reduced by about 2.688 and 5.404 kcal·mol−1, respectively, which can realize the synergistic catalytic effect of Au and Cu on CO2RR. This work can be helpful for the design and preparation of high‐efficiency bimetallic cluster catalysts for CO2RR to CH3OH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: With industrial development and environmental deterioration, fuel cell catalysts have attracted the attention of scientists. Traditional platinum‐based catalysts have been unable to meet research and commercial needs due to their expensive and unstable characteristics; so, it is necessary to find a replacement for platinum‐based catalysts. Metal‐nitrogen‐carbon catalysts have gradually become popular due to their low cost and easy availability. In this paper, we designed 15 catalysts through ZIF‐8 and identified four catalysts through the calculation of EHOMO, ELUMO, ΔE,and Fukui index. By calculating the ORR path of these four catalysts, we found that (C3N2H3)2Ni and (C3N2H3)3Co were excellent ORR catalysts. For (C3N2H3)6Co2, we have designed four paths. However, we found that two of the four paths did not converge under set parameters. We speculated that the two nonconvergent paths may be suitable for ORR, hoping that our calculation will bring new possibilities to nonnoble metal catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Preparations, advantages and principles of bimetallic single atom catalysts (SACs) are summarized. • Bimetallic SACS in ORR, NRR and CO 2 RR, H 2 , H 2 O 2 are summarized. • Bi-metallic SACs in AOPs (EC/PC, Fenton /PZ/PMS) and sterilizations are investigated. Single-atom catalysts (SACs), have desired single metal atoms / active sites, that significantly enhanced kinetics for targeted reactions, such as environmental applications in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in Fenton-like/E-Fenton, photocatalysis and PEC (photo-electrochemical) systems for pollutants removal, and carbon emission reduction and carbon neutrality via Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), via oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cell and/or via CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) and Nitrogen/nitrate reduction reaction (NRR). The progress in the above research area is briefly summarized and investigated. The performances depend on the metal element, support substrate, and coordination status shaped in preparation. In fuel cells, the hydrogen production and the electrochemical reduction of O 2 and CO 2, SACs, especially bemetallic SACs, all demonstrated great potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We build CdSe quantum dots (QDs) sensitized TiO 2 NT solar cells (CdSe/TiO 2 solar cells) by successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR) method on free-standing translucent TiO 2 nanotube (NT) film. The best power conversion efficiency (PCE) 0.74% is obtained with CdSe/TiO 2 NT solar cells, however, it is very low. Hence, we introduced the CdS QDs layer located between CdSe QDs and TiO 2 NT to achieve an enhanced photovoltaic performance. The J - V test results indicated that the insert of CdS intermediate layer yield a significant improvement of PCE to 2.52%. Combining experimental and theoretical analysis, we find that the effects caused by a translucent TiO 2 nanotube film, a better lattices match between CdS and TiO 2 , and a new formed stepwise band edges structure not only improve the light harvesting efficiency but also increase the driving force of electrons, leading to the improvement of photovoltaic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of composite additives, 2,2′-bipyridine (BPY) and potassium antimonyl tartrate (PAT), on the electrochemical behavior of a 5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DMH)-based cyanide-free silver plating bath was investigated by experiments and quantum chemical calculations. The cathodic discharge process of the cyanide-free silver plating bath was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. CVs with different sweep rates and cathodic polarization measurements performed on a glassy carbon rotating disk electrode (GC-RDE) were employed to investigate the influence of composite additives on kinetic features of the discharge process of electroactive species. Without and with additives, the nucleation processes of silver deposition from these two electrolytes both exhibit three-dimensional progressive nucleation according to the chronoamperometry (I–t) measurements. In order to reveal the relevance between the inhibitive influence of additives and their molecular structures, the electronic properties of BPY and PAT were studied by quantum chemical calculations. The adsorption behaviors of BPY and PAT on the silver surface were further investigated by theoretical calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results are in good agreement with each other, which confirms that BPY and PAT are effective additives for DMH based silver plating baths due to their ability to strongly adsorb on silver surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many living organisms transform inorganic atoms into highly ordered crystalline materials. An elegant example of such biomineralization processes is the production of nano-scale magnetic crystals in magnetotactic bacteria. Previous studies implicated the involvement of two putative serine proteases, MamE and MamO, during the early stages of magnetite formation in Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1. Here, using genetic analysis and X-ray crystallography, we show that MamO has a degenerate active site, rendering it incapable of protease activity. Instead, MamO promotes magnetosome formation through two genetically distinct, noncatalytic activities: activation of MamE-dependent proteolysis of biomineralization factors and direct binding to transition metal ions. By solving the structure of the protease domain bound to a metal ion, we identify a surface-exposed di-histidine motif in MamO that contributes to metal binding and show that it is required to initiate biomineralization in vivo. Finally, we find that pseudoproteases are widespread in magnetotactic bacteria and that they have evolved independently in three separate taxa. Our results highlight the versatility of protein scaffolds in accommodating new biochemical activities and provide unprecedented insight into the earliest stages of biomineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a combined approach using density functional theory (DFT), molecular dynamic simulations, and electrochemical experiments was developed to study organic additives used for a cyanide-free gold electrodeposition process. When 5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DMH) is used as the complexing agent, organic additives with either imino groups or nitrogenous heterocyclic rings including polyethyleneimine (PEI), 2,2′-bipyridine, and nicotinic acid (NA) were systematically investigated. Electronic properties and orbital information of these studied additives were determined by quantum chemical calculations based on DFT. Compared to the other additives, PEI was predicted as the most promising one for the introduced DMH based gold electrodeposition. The theoretical prediction was further verified by using experimental results. In particular, the cathodic polarization of the gold electrodeposition was significantly improved in the presence of PEI. Also, the resulting gold electrodeposit shows obviously finer crystalline particles largely. In addition, molecular dynamic simulations determined that PEI molecules possess optimized adsorption behavior on the gold surface, suggesting its effectiveness to be additive in the studied cyanide-free Au-electrodeposition electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective composite additive used for an investigated cyanide-free silver plating bath was introduced. Mirror bright silver deposits with an excellent leveling capability as well as a smooth and compact morphology could be obtained from the investigated cyanide-free bath in the presence of the introduced composite additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic exposure is postulated to modify microRNA (miRNA) expression, leading to changes of gene expression and toxicities, but studies relating the responses of miRNAs to arsenic exposure are lacking, especially with respect to in vivo studies. We utilized high-throughput sequencing technology and generated miRNA expression profiles of liver tissues from Sprague Dawley (SD) rats exposed to various concentrations of sodium arsenite (0, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 mg/L) for 60 days. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis of the miRNA expression profiles clustered the SD rats into different groups based on the arsenic exposure status, indicating a highly significant association between arsenic exposure and cluster membership ( p -value of 0.0012). Multiple miRNA expressions were altered by arsenic in an exposure concentration-dependent manner. Among the identified arsenic-responsive miRNAs, several are predicted to target Nfe2l2-regulated antioxidant genes, including glutamate–cysteine ligase (GCL) catalytic subunit ( GCLC ) and modifier subunit ( GCLM ) which are involved in glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Exposure to low concentrations of arsenic increased mRNA expression for Gclc and Gclm , while high concentrations significantly reduced their expression, which were correlated to changes in hepatic GCL activity and GSH level. Moreover, our data suggested that other mechanisms, e.g. , miRNAs, rather than Nfe2l2-signaling pathway, could be involved in the regulation of mRNA expression of Gclc and Gclm post-arsenic exposure in vivo . Together, our findings show that arsenic exposure disrupts the genome-wide expression of miRNAs in vivo, which could lead to the biological consequence, such as an altered balance of antioxidant defense and oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The study sought to identify specific morphological characteristics of ruptured culprit plaques (RCP) responsible for acute events, and compare them with ruptured nonculprit plaques (RNCP) and nonruptured thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Background: Nonruptured TCFA and multiple ruptured plaques are detected in the same patients with ACS. It remains unknown whether certain morphological characteristics determine rupture of TCFA and subsequently result in ACS. Methods: We analyzed 126 plaques (RCP = 49, RNCP = 19, TCFA = 58) from 82 ACS patients using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Fibrous cap thickness was determined by OCT. Plaque burden and lumen area were measured with IVUS. Results: Fibrous cap was thinner in RCP (43 ± 11 μm) and RNCP (41 ± 10 μm) than in TCFA (56 ± 9 μm, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Plaque burden was greater in RCP (82 ± 7.2%), compared with RNCP (64 ± 7.2%, p < 0.001) and TCFA (62 ± 12.5%, p < 0.001). Lumen area was smaller in RCP (2.1 ± 0.9 mm2), compared with RNCP (4.6 ± 2.3 mm2, p = 0.001) and TCFA (5.1 ± 2.7 mm2, p < 0.001). The fibrous cap thickness <52 μm had good performance in discriminating ruptured plaque from TCFA (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.857, p < 0.001), and plaque burden >76% and lumen area <2.6 mm2 had good performance in discriminating RCP from RNCP and TCFA (AUC = 0.923, p < 0.001 and AUC = 0.881, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Fibrous cap thickness is a critical morphological discriminator between ruptured plaques and nonruptured TCFA, while plaque burden and lumen area appear to be important morphological features of RCP. These findings suggest that plaque rupture is determined by fibrous cap thickness, and a combination of large plaque burden and luminal narrowing result in ACS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rat strains differ dramatically in their susceptibility to mammary carcinogenesis. On the assumption that susceptibility genes are conserved across mammalian species and hence inform human carcinogenesis, numerous investigators have used genetic linkage studies in rats to identify genes responsible for differential susceptibility to carcinogenesis. Using a genetic backcross between the resistant Copenhagen (Cop) and susceptible Fischer 344 (F344) strains, we mapped a novel mammary carcinoma susceptibility (Mcs30) locus to the centromeric region on chromosome 12 (LOD score of ∼8.6 at the D12Rat59 marker). The Mcs30 locus comprises approximately 12 Mbp on the long arm of rat RNO12 whose synteny is conserved on human chromosome 13q12 to 13q13. After analyzing numerous genes comprising this locus, we identified Fry, the rat ortholog of the furry gene of Drosophila melanogaster, as a candidate Mcs gene. We cloned and determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the 13 kbp Fry mRNA. Sequence analysis indicated that the Fry gene was highly conserved across evolution, with 90% similarity of the predicted amino acid sequence among eutherian mammals. Comparison of the Fry sequence in the Cop and F344 strains identified two non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), one of which creates a putative, de novo phosphorylation site. Further analysis showed that the expression of the Fry gene is reduced in a majority of rat mammary tumors. Our results also suggested that FRY activity was reduced in human breast carcinoma cell lines as a result of reduced levels or mutation. This study is the first to identify the Fry gene as a candidate Mcs gene. Our data suggest that the SNPs within the Fry gene contribute to the genetic susceptibility of the F344 rat strain to mammary carcinogenesis. These results provide the foundation for analyzing the role of the human FRY gene in cancer susceptibility and progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: AP-1 is a clathrin adaptor complex that sorts cargo between the trans-Golgi network and endosomes. AP-1 recruitment to these compartments requires Arf1-GTP. The crystal structure of the tetrameric core of AP-1 in complex with Arf1-GTP, together with biochemical analyses, shows that Arf1 activates cargo binding by unlocking AP-1. Unlocking is driven by two molecules of Arf1 that bridge two copies of AP-1 at two interaction sites. The GTP-dependent switch I and II regions of Arf1 bind to the N terminus of the β1 subunit of one AP-1 complex, while the back side of Arf1 binds to the central part of the γ subunit trunk of a second AP-1 complex. A third Arf1 interaction site near the N terminus of the γ subunit is important for recruitment, but not activation. These observations lead to a model for the recruitment and activation of AP-1 by Arf1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formaldehyde (FA), a major industrial chemical and ubiquitous environmental pollutant, has recently been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a human leukemogen. The major mode of action of FA is thought to be the formation of DNA-protein cross-links (DPCs). Repair of DPCs may be mediated by the Fanconi anemia pathway; however, data supporting the involvement of this pathway are limited, particularly in human hematopoietic cells. Therefore, we assessed the role of FANCD2, a critical component of the Fanconi anemia pathway, in FA-induced toxicity in human lymphoblast cell models of FANCD2 deficiency (PD20 cells) and FANCD2 sufficiency (PD20-D2 cells). After treatment of the cells with 0-150 μM FA for 24 h, DPCs were increased in a dose-dependent manner in both cell lines, with greater increases in FANCD2-deficient PD20 cells. FA also induced cytotoxicity, micronuclei, chromosome aberrations, and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in both cell lines, with greater increases in cytotoxicity and apoptosis in PD20 cells. Increased levels of γ-ATR and γ-H2AX in both cell lines suggested the recognition of FA-induced DNA damage; however, the induction of BRCA2 was compromised in FANCD2-deficient PD20 cells, potentially reducing the capacity to repair DPCs. Together, these findings suggest that FANCD2 protein and the Fanconi anemia pathway are essential to protect human lymphoblastoid cells against FA toxicity. Future studies are needed to delineate the role of this pathway in mitigating FA-induced toxicity, particularly in hematopoietic stem cells, the target cells in leukemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most membrane-enveloped viruses bud from infected cells by hijacking the host ESCRT machinery. The ESCRTs are recruited to the budding sites by viral proteins that contain short proline (Pro)-rich motifs (PRMs) known as late domains. The late domains probably evolved by co-opting host PRMs involved in the normal functions of ESCRTs in endosomal sorting and cytokinesis. The solution and crystal structures of PRMs bound to their interaction partners explain the conserved roles of Pro and other residues that predominate in these sequences. PRMs are often grouped together in much larger Pro-rich regions (PRRs) of as many as 150 residues. The PRR of the ESCRT-associated protein, ALIX, autoregulates its conformation and activity. The robustness of different viral budding and host pathways to impairments in Pro-based interactions varies considerably. The known biology of PRM recognition in the ESCRT pathway seems, in principle, compatible with antiviral development, given our increasingly nuanced understanding of the relative weakness and robustness of the host and viral processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent studies reveal that posttranslational modifications on chromatin proteins, especially histones, organize genomic DNA and mediate various cellular responses to environmental influences. Quantitative mass spectrometric analysis is a powerful approach to reveal these dynamic events on chromatin in a systematic manner. Here, the effects of arsenic exposure on histone epigenetic state were investigated in human UROtsa cells, and a reduction in acetylation level on several histone H3 and H4 lysine residues was detected. Furthermore, MYST1 was shown to be the major histone acetyltransferase for H4 Lys16 and protect UROtsa cells from arsenic toxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ESCRT-0 and ESCRT-I complexes coordinate the clustering of ubiquitinated cargo with intralumenal budding of the endosomal membrane, two essential steps in vacuolar/lysosomal protein sorting from yeast to humans. The 1.85-Å crystal structure of interacting regions of the yeast ESCRT-0 and ESCRT-I complexes reveals that PSDP motifs of the Vps27 ESCRT-0 subunit bind to a novel electropositive N-terminal site on the UEV domain of the ESCRT-I subunit Vps23 centred on Trp16. This novel site is completely different from the C-terminal part of the human UEV domain that binds to P(S/T)AP motifs of human ESCRT-0 and HIV-1 Gag. Disruption of the novel PSDP-binding site eliminates the interaction in vitro and blocks enrichment of Vps23 in endosome-related class E compartments in yeast cells. However, this site is non-essential for sorting of the ESCRT cargo Cps1. Taken together, these results show how a conserved motif/domain pair can evolve to use strikingly different binding modes in different organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In humans, inorganic arsenic (iAs) is metabolized to methylated arsenical species in a multistep process mainly mediated by arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT). Among these metabolites is monomethylarsonous acid (MMAIII), the most toxic arsenic species. A recent study in As3mt-knockout mice suggests that unidentified methyltransferases could be involved in alternative iAs methylation pathways. We found that yeast deletion mutants lacking MTQ2 were highly resistant to iAs exposure. The human ortholog of the yeast MTQ2 is N-6 adenine-specific DNA methyltransferase 1 (N6AMT1), encoding a putative methyltransferase. oBjective: We investigated the potential role of N6AMT1 in arsenic-induced toxicity. Methods: We measured and compared the cytotoxicity induced by arsenicals and their metabolic profiles using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry in UROtsa human urothelial cells with enhanced N6AMT1 expression and UROtsa vector control cells treated with different concentra­tions of either iAsIII or MMAIII. results: N6AMT1 was able to convert MMAIII to the less toxic dimethylarsonic acid (DMA) when overexpressed in UROtsa cells. The enhanced expression of N6AMT1 in UROtsa cells decreased cytotoxicity of both iAsIII and MMAIII. Moreover, N6AMT1 is expressed in many human tissues at variable levels, although at levels lower than those of AS3MT, supporting a potential participation in arsenic metabolism in vivo. conclusions: Considering that MMAIII is the most toxic arsenical, our data suggest that N6AMT1 has a significant role in determining susceptibility to arsenic toxicity and carcinogenicity because of its specific activity in methylating MMAIII to DMA and other unknown mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Arsenic, a human carcinogen that is associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, is commonly found in drinking water. An important mechanism by which arsenic is thought to be carcinogenic is through the induction of epigenetic changes that lead to aberrant gene expression. Previously, we reported that the SAS2 gene is required for optimal growth of yeast in the presence of arsenite (AsIII). Yeast Sas2p is orthologous to human MYST1, a histone 4 lysine 16 (H4K16) acetyltransferase. Here, we show that H4K16 acetylation is necessary for the resistance of yeast to AsIII through the modulation of chromatin state. We further explored the role of MYST1 and H4K16 acetylation in arsenic toxicity and carcinogenesis in human bladder epithelial cells. The expression of MYST1 was knocked down in UROtsa cells, a model of bladder epithelium that has been used to study arsenic-induced carcinogenesis. Silencing of MYST1 reduced acetylation of H4K16 and induced sensitivity to AsIII and to its more toxic metabolite monomethylarsonous acid (MMAIII) at doses relevant to high environmental human exposures. In addition, both AsIII and MMAIII treatments decreased global H4K16 acetylation levels in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This indicates that acetylated H4K16 is required for resistance to arsenic and that a reduction in its levels as a consequence of arsenic exposure may contribute to toxicity in UROtsa cells. Based on these findings, we propose a novel role for the MYST1 gene in human sensitivity to arsenic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A novel series of conjugated fluorene-based polymers containing a 2-pyran-4-ylidene-malononitrile (PM) moiety show great potential for application in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In this contribution, we investigate the electronic structures and optical properties of these copolymers: poly{(2,7-fluorene)-alt-(2-{2,6-bi-[2-(4-phenylene)vinyl] pyran-4-ylidene}-malononitrile)} and poly{(2,7-fluorene)-alt-(2-{2,6-bi-[2-(2-methoxyl-5-phenylene)vinyl]pyran-4-ylidene}-malononitrile)}, namely (FPM) n and (FOPM) n (n =1,2,3,4), respectively. The geometric structures in the ground-state and lowest singlet excited-state are optimized by B3LYP and ab initio CIS methods, respectively. The absorption and emission spectra are calculated by employing time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). The results show that the HOMOs, energy gaps (ΔE HOMO–LUMO), ionization potentials (IPs) of (FPM) n and (FOPM) n (n =1–4) are affected by PM units, especially for the LUMOs and electron affinities (EAs). Thus the abilities of electron injection of them are significantly improved. Furthermore, the hole and electron reorganization energies (λ) of (FPM) n (n =1–4) close with each other, which means (FPM) n (n =1–4) have a good charge-carrier transport balance. Thus, we infer that (FPM) n can be used as a single-layer electroluminescent material with high efficient luminescence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: The human Hrs and STAM proteins comprise the ESCRT-0 complex, which sorts ubiquitinated cell surface receptors to lysosomes for degradation. Here we report a model for the complete ESCRT-0 complex based on the crystal structure of the Hrs-STAM core complex, previously solved domain structures, hydrodynamic measurements, and Monte Carlo simulations. ESCRT-0 expressed in insect cells has a hydrodynamic radius of RH = 7.9 nm and is a 1:1 heterodimer. The 2.3 Å crystal structure of the ESCRT-0 core complex reveals two domain-swapped GAT domains and an antiparallel two-stranded coiled-coil, similar to yeast ESCRT-0. ESCRT-0 typifies a class of biomolecular assemblies that combine structured and unstructured elements, and have dynamic and open conformations to ensure versatility in target recognition. Coarse-grained Monte Carlo simulations constrained by experimental RH values for ESCRT-0 reveal a dynamic ensemble of conformations well suited for diverse functions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Apolipoprotein AI (apoAI), the major protein component of HDL, is one of the best predictors of coronary artery disease (CAD), with high apoAI and HDL levels being correlated with low occurrences of CAD. The primary function of apoAI is to recruit phospholipid and cholesterol for assembly of HDL particles. Like other exchangeable apolipoproteins, lipid-free apoAI forms a mixture of different oligomers even at 1.0 mg/mL. This self-association property of the exchangeable apolipoproteins is closely associated with the lipoprotein-binding activity of this protein family. It is unclear if the self-association property of apolipoprotein is required for its lipoprotein-binding activity. We developed a novel method for engineering an oligomeric protein to a monomeric, biologicaIly active protein. Using this method, we generated a monomeric mouse apoAI mutant that is active. This mutant contains the first 216 residues of mouse apoAI and replaces six hydrophobic residues with either polar or smAIler hydrophobic residues at the defined positions (V118A/A119S/L121Q/T191S/T195S/T199S). Cross-linking results show that this mutant is greater than 90% monomeric at 8 mg/nt. CD, DSC, and NMR results indicate that the mutant maintains an identicaI secondary, tertiary structure and stability as those of the wild-type mouse apoAI. Lipid-binding assays suggest that the mutant shares an equaI lipoprotein-binding activity as that of the wild- type apoAI. In addition, both the monomeric mutant and the wild-type protein make nearly identicaI rHDL particles. With this monomeric mouse apoAI, high-quality NMR data has been collected, AIlowing for the NMR structural determination of lipid-free apoAI. On the basis of these results, we conclude that this apoAI mutant is a monomeric, active apoAI useful for structural determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• UV/chlorine needed half the time of in-situ chlorination to reach 90% CBZ removal. • LP UV/chlorine was the most energy efficient among the tested processes. • RCS were the dominant reactive species contributing to more than 70% of CBZ removal in all three processes. • Compared to •OH, RCS had lower energy barrier and higher reactivity in main CBZ degradation pathways. • UV/chlorine processes produced 15 times higher ClO 3 − than in-situ chlorination. Chlorine has been widely used in different advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for micropollutants removal. In this study, different chlorine-based AOPs, namely medium pressure (MP) UV/chlorine, low pressure (LP) UV/chlorine, and in-situ chlorination, were compared for carbamazepine (CBZ) removal efficiency, energy consumption, and disinfection by-products (DBPs) formation. All three processes could achieve nearly 100% CBZ removal, while the reaction time needed by in-situ chlorination was double the time required by UV/chlorine processes. The energy consumed per magnitude of CBZ removed (EE/O) of MP UV/chlorine was 13 times higher than that of LP UV/chlorine, and relative to that of in-situ chlorination process. Accordingly, MP and LP UV/chlorine processes generated one to two orders of magnitude more hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and reactive chlorine species (RCS) than in-situ chlorination. Besides, RCS were the dominant reactive species, contributing to 78.3%, 75.6%, and 71.6% of CBZ removal in MP, LP UV/chlorine, and in-situ chlorination, respectively. According to the Gibbs free energy barriers between CBZ and RCS/•OH calculated based on density functional theory (DFT), RCS had more reaction routes with CBZ and showed lower energy barrier in the main CBZ degradation pathways like epoxidation and formation of iminostilbene. When applied to secondary wastewater effluent, UV/chlorine and in-situ chlorination produced overall DBPs ranging from 104.77 to 135.41 µg/L. However, the production of chlorate during UV/chlorine processes was 15 times higher than that during in-situ chlorination. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PtNi/CNTs was synthesized through facile chemical reduction reaction for MOR. • Incorporation of Ni make PtNi/CNTs a promising catalyst for MOR. • PtNi/CNTs exhibit outstanding stability and durability at room temperature in acidic medium. Pt-based alloy electrocatalysts, PtNi/CNTs and PtNi, were synthesized through facile chemical reduction reaction for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). Morphology, structure and composition of the PtNi/CNTs and PtNi electrocatalysts were physical characterized by the means of SEM, EDS, XRD and XPS. The catalytic activity, stability and durability of the obtained electrocatalysts were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperrometric i-t cueves (i-t). The PtNi catalysts nanoparticles (NPs) obtained around 20 nm were homogenous distribution of two metal elements, and PtNi were well doped on the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for PtNi/CNTs catalysts. The incorporation of Ni and high surface area of CNTs make the PtNi/CNTs and PtNi catalysts showing high eletrocatalytic activity for MOR. Furthermore, both PtNi/CNTs and PtNi electrocatalysts exhibit outstanding stability and durability at room temperature in acidic medium. This research provides positive guidance to prepare high performance and excellent stability electrocatalysts for MOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To detect the expression levels of miR-498 in the hepatoma cells and to clarify the biological roles of miR-498 in hepatoma by investigating CREB1, which is the target of miR-498. This study provides a new biomarker for the early diagnosis and targeted therapies for hepatoma. Methods. The expression of miR-498 between hepatoma cells and hepatocytes was detected by qRT-PCR. miR-498 was overexpressed in hepatoma cells, and then, flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell apoptosis rate. Cell migration and invasion ability were evaluated by Transwell migration assay and Matrigel invasion assay. The downstream targets of miR-498 were searched in the biological database or related software, and the result can be verified by luciferase reporter assay. The knockdown of the downstream target using RNA interference detected its biological functions in hepatoma cells and was confirmed by cotransfection experiments. Results. miR-498 was downregulated in hepatoma cell lines compared with hepatocytes. The overexpression of miR-498 significantly promoted apoptosis. Luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-498 could target CREB1 3 ′ UTR and CREB1 was one of the targets of miR-498. Knockdown of CREB1 also inhibited hepatoma cells' malignant potential and increased the apoptosis rate of hepatoma cells. CREB1 was able to alleviate the changes caused by miR-498 overexpression. Conclusions. miR-498 is downregulated in hepatoma cell lines. Therefore, miR-498 can be one of the potential molecular markers for hepatoma diagnosis. miR-498 plays a role in tumor suppression through regulating CREB1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries crucially hinges on the sulfur immobilization process, representing a pivotal avenue for bolstering their operational efficiency and durability. This dissertation primarily tackles the formidable challenge posed by the high solubility of polysulfides in electrolyte solutions. Quantum chemical computations were leveraged to scrutinize the interactions of MXene materials, graphene (Gr) oxide, and ionic liquids with polysulfides, yielding pivotal binding energy metrics. Comparative assessments were conducted with the objective of pinpointing MXene materials, with a specific focus on d-Ti3C2 materials, evincing augmented binding energies with polysulfides and ionic liquids demonstrating diminished binding energies. Moreover, a diverse array of Gr oxide materials was evaluated for their adsorption capabilities. Scrutiny of the computational outcomes unveiled an augmentation in the solubility of selectively screened d-Ti3C2 MXene and ionic liquids—vis à vis one or more of the five polysulfides. Therefore, the analysis encompasses an in-depth comparative assessment of the stability of polysulfide adsorption by d-Ti3C2 MXene materials, Gr oxide materials, and ionic liquids across diverse ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Converting superfluous CO2 into value-added chemicals is regarded as a practical approach for alleviating the global warming problem. Powered by renewable electricity, CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR) have attracted intense interest owing to their favorable efficiency. Metal catalysts exhibit high catalytic efficiency for CO2 reduction. However, the reaction mechanisms have yet to be investigated. In this study, CO2RR to CH3OH catalyzed by CuAg bimetal is theoretically investigated. The configurations and stability of the catalysts and the reaction pathway are studied. The results unveil the mechanisms of the catalysis process and prove the feasibility of CuAg clusters as efficient CO2RR catalysts, serving as guidance for further experimental exploration. This study provides guidance and a reference for future work in the design of mixed-metal catalysts with high CO2RR performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional Haber‐Bosch method for the ammonia synthesis process requires high temperature and pressure. Electrochemical synthesis of ammonia, an emerging ammonia synthesis technology, is a promising approach for sustainable ammonia production that is energy‐efficient and free of greenhouse gas emissions. The design and development of high‐performance catalysts are the keys to promoting the sustainable ammonia production process. This work synthesized a PdCu alloy catalyst loaded on a graphene oxide carrier through a simple liquid phase reduction method. Which greatly enhanced the catalytic performance with an ammonia yield of 1.62 mg h−1cm−2 and Faradaic efficiency of 38.2 % under the nitrate reduction ammonia synthesis (NO3RR) reaction at an overpotential of −0.4 V. For the nitrogen reduction ammonia (NRR), the ammonia yield was 20.83 μg h−1 cm−2 with a Faradaic efficiency of 3.8 %. This study may provide a new idea for material design and promote ammonia synthesis development under ambient conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family of transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides (collectively called MXenes) has been a thriving field since the first invention of Ti3C2Tx (MXene) in 2011. MXene is a new type of nanometer 2D sheet material, which exhibits great application potentials in various fields due to its multiple advantages such as high specific surface area, good electrical conductivity, and high mechanical strength. Electrocatalysis is regarded as the core of future clean energy conversion technologies, and MXene‐based materials provide inspiration for the design and preparation of electrocatalysts with high activity, high selectivity, and long loading life time. The applications of MXene‐based materials in electrocatalysis, including hydrogen evolution reaction, nitrogen reduction reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, carbon dioxide reduction reaction, and methanol oxidation reaction are summarized in this review. As a crucial session regarding experiments, the current safer and more environmentally friendly preparation methods of MXene are also discussed. Focusing on the materials design and enhancement methods, the key challenges and opportunities for MXene‐based materials as a next‐generation platform in both fundamental research and practical electrocatalysis applications are presented. This account serves to promote future efforts toward the development of MXenes and related materials in the electrocatalysis applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti 3 C 2 , produced by selective etching of Al from MAX-phase Ti 3 AlC 2 , is the most widely studied two-dimensional MXene material in many research fields. However, the synthesis of highly pure Ti 3 AlC 2 typically requires high temperatures, resulting in high-energy demands and high production costs. To reduce the synthesis temperature, we present a new NaCl-assisted approach for synthesizing Ti 3 AlC 2. Ti 3 AlC 2 was synthesized from a Ti 2 AlC–TiC mixture at 1150 °C under an argon atmosphere in a tube furnace. The successful synthesis of highly pure Ti 3 AlC 2 with an ideal crystal structure and the subsequent preparation of Ti 3 C 2 were confirmed by material characterization and simulation results. This molten-salt-assisted method is more efficient in terms of energy and cost because it lowers the synthesis temperature of MAX-phase Ti 3 AlC 2 by 200 °C. When assisted by appropriate kind or quantity of molten-salt, the synthesis temperature and synthesis time may be further reduced. These findings may provide a new approach for lower-temperature synthesis of other MAX-phase materials and greatly widen the applications of MAX and MXene materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment-friendly electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is considered to be a promising alternative to the traditional Haber–Bosch process for ammonia production. However, the stability of nitrogen and competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) lead to low faradaic efficiency (FE) and ammonia selectivity for the NRR. Compared with the NRR, the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR), with no process of N2 adsorption, exhibits a higher NH3 yield and FE. In this work, the MIL-101(Fe) is synthesized and composited with Nb2C MXene, which exhibited excellent NRR and NO3RR performance. For the NRR, the MIL-101(Fe)@Nb2C achieved an ammonia yield of 8.92 μg h−1 cm−2 and a high FE of 20.77%. Meanwhile, for the NO3RR, it achieved a large NH3 yield of 199.68 μg h−1 cm−2 and a high FE of 89.9%. In addition, MIL-101(Fe)@Nb2C exhibits excellent stability for the NRR and NO3RR. DFT calculations proved that the interfacial interaction between Nb2C and MIL-101(Fe) acquired a significant synergistic mechanism to improve the catalytic performance. Since the NH3 yield and FE of the NO3RR are much higher than those of the NRR, it is vital to design NRR catalysts that can easily adsorb and activate nitrogen as well as inhibit the HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutional neural networks (CNN) have a strong feature extraction ability for images and present a high level of efficiency and accuracy in object detection and image recognition. When CNN is used to model microwave devices, the existing literature generally uses its size parameters as one‐dimensional (1‐D) input, which does not give full play to the image‐processing ability of CNN. In order to make full use of the characteristics of CNN, this letter converts the 1‐D input of microwave devices into the form of an image model, that is, the 1‐D input is transformed into a two‐dimensional (2‐D) matrix composed of 0 and 1 as the input. The image model is combined with CNN, called image‐based CNN (ICNN), which establishes a deep learning surrogate model between the physical parameters and electrical properties of microwave devices and improves the accuracy and generalization ability of the model. Taking the resonant frequency of the microstrip antenna as a simulation example, modelling was carried out by the proposed ICNN and compared with the mainstream machine learning methods. The results show that the proposed method has high convergence and fitting accuracy.A new data processing technique‐image model, which transforms the original 1‐D data into 2‐D data to enhance the powerful feature extraction ability of CNN modelling is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supports of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21908017 and 21902021), the Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Dalian University of Technology (20211014110934), the Foundation of State Key Laboratory of High‐efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering (2022‐K70), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (DUT22LK09), the Open Foundation of Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, MOE (KLIEEE‐20‐01, KLIEEE‐21‐02), and the Hefei Advanced Computing Center for this work are gratefully acknowledged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three small molecule organic compounds based on conjugated acetylene-linked methoxy triphenylamine terminal groups with different substituted thiophene cores were synthesized and firstly applied as hole-transporting materials (HTMs). The electron-deficient acetylene linkers can tune the energy levels of frontier molecular orbitals. The physical property measurements show that the HTMs (CJ-05, CJ-06, and CJ-07) possess good stability, hydrophobicity, and film-forming ability. Further, the HTMs were applied in the MAPbI3-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs), and the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.04%, 6.77%, and 6.48% was achieved, respectively, which implies that they exhibit great potential in photovoltaic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is a physiological process for the recycling and degradation of cellular materials. Forming the autophagosome from the phagophore, a cup-shaped double-membrane vesicle, is a critical step in autophagy. The origin of the cup shape of the phagophore is poorly understood. In yeast, fusion of a small number of Atg9-containing vesicles is considered a key step in autophagosome biogenesis, aided by Atg1 complexes (ULK1 in mammals) localized at the preautophagosomal structure (PAS). In particular, the S-shaped Atg17-Atg31-Atg29 subcomplex of Atg1 is critical for phagophore nucleation at the PAS. To study this process, we simulated membrane remodeling processes in the presence and absence of membrane associated Atg17. We show that at least three vesicles need to fuse to induce the phagophore shape, consistent with experimental observations. However, fusion alone is not sufficient. Interactions with 34-nm long, S-shaped Atg17 complexes are required to overcome a substantial kinetic barrier in the transition to the cup-shaped phagophore. Our finding rationalizes the recruitment of Atg17 complexes to the yeast PAS, and their unusual shape. In control simulations without Atg17, with weakly binding Atg17, or with straight instead of S-shaped Atg17, the membrane shape transition did not occur. We confirm the critical role of Atg17-membrane interactions experimentally by showing that mutations of putative membrane interaction sites result in reduction or loss of autophagic activity in yeast. Fusion of a small number of vesicles followed by Atg17-guided membrane shape-remodeling thus emerges as a viable route to phagophore formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fusion of Pc4CL1 and VvSTS facilitated the accumulation of resveratrol. • Redirecting metabolic flux of the precursor increased resveratrol production. • Multi-copy integration of key genes and knockout of DGA1 facilitated the process. • Y. lipolytica performed best for resveratrol production in the yeast morphology. • The highest titer for microbially produced resveratrol (22.5 g/L) reported to date. Resveratrol is a polyphenol with numerous applications in food, pharma, and cosmetics. Lack of precursors and low titer are the main problems hindering industrial scale resveratrol production. Based on previous prescreening, expressing the combination of FjTAL , Pc4CL1 and VvSTS achieved the best resveratrol titer. This was further improved to 235.1 mg/L through engineering the shikimic acid pathway, applying a modular enzyme assembly of Pc4CL1 and VvSTS , enhancing p -coumaric acid supply and diverting glycolytic flux toward erythrose-4-phosphate. The titer was increased to 819.1 mg/L following two rounds of multicopy integration of resveratrol biosynthesis and malonyl-CoA supply, respectively. The titer reached 22.5 g/L with a yield on glucose of 65.5 mg/g using an optimum fed-batch strategy in a 5 L bioreactor with morphology control. This research is the highest report on the de novo production of resveratrol in Yarrowia lipolytica and the findings lay a solid foundation for other producing polyphenols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent progress of DFT in MXene based materials used for electrocatalysis and energy storage is summarized. Combined with machine learning, the electronic properties of MXene materials can be analyzed and new MXene materials will be designed and screened by interpreting the physicochemical properties and revealing the intrinsic mechanism of MXene materials. In electrocatalysis, preferring the reaction paths by high throughput screening, and establishing new catalyst design strategies that can greatly promote the development of MXene materials as catalysts. For energy storage, MXene-based materials with high energy storage density, small diffusion barriers, and considerable stability are preferentially selected by DFT calculations. Focusing on the mechanism study and materials design, the key challenges and opportunities for the DFT application in MXene materials are presented. This work promotes the development of DFT calculations in MXene materials for electrocatalysis and energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cerebral edema (CE) at admission is a surrogate marker of 'early brain injury' (EBI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Only recently has the focus on the changes in CE after SAH such as delayed resolution or newly developed CE been examined. Among several factors, an early systemic inflammatory response has been shown to be associated with CE. We investigate inflammatory markers in subjects with early CE which does not resolve, i.e., persistent CE after SAH.Methods: Computed tomography scans of SAH patients were graded at admission and at 7 days after SAH for CE using the 0-4 'subarachnoid hemorrhage early brain edema score' (SEBES). SEBES ≤ 2 and SEBES ≥ 3 were considered good and poor grade, respectively. Serum samples from the same subject cohort were collected at 4 time periods (at < 24 h [T1], at 24 to 48 h [T2]. 3-5 days [T3] and 6-8 days [T4] post-admission) and concentration levels of 17 cytokines (implicated in peripheral inflammatory processes) were measured by multiplex immunoassay. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were step-wisely performed to identify cytokines independently associated with persistent CE adjusting for covariables including age, sex and past medical history (model 1), and additional inclusion of clinical and radiographic severity of SAH and treatment modality (model 2).Results: Of the 135 patients enrolled in the study, 21 of 135 subjects (15.6%) showed a persistently poor SEBES grade. In multivariate model 1, higher Eotaxin (at T1 and T4), sCD40L (at T4), IL-6 (at T1 and T3) and TNF-α (at T4) were independently associated with persistent CE. In multivariate model 2, Eotaxin (at T4: odds ratio [OR] = 1.019, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.002-1.035) and possibly PDGF-AA (at T4), sCD40L (at T4), and TNF-α (at T4) was associated with persistent CE.Conclusions: We identified serum cytokines at different time points that were independently associated with persistent CE. Specifically, persistent elevations of Eotaxin is associated with persistent CE after SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is widely regarded as a green and environmentally sustainable strategy with the promise for industrial-scale ammonia synthesis under ambient conditions. To promote its industrialization, we synthesized an economical, efficient and stable Ni-decorated Nb 2 C (Ni@Nb 2 C) MXene-based catalyst. The Ni@Nb 2 C MXene displays excellent electrocatalytic NRR performance with NH 3 yield of 26.16 μg cm−2 h−1 and Faradaic efficiency of 7.3%. Remarkably, the general methodology reported here paves the way to effectively synthesize various other metals-decorated MXenes, which not only enrich the MXene-based catalysts but also significantly promote their practical utilization in a wide range of environment- and energy-related fields. It is of great significance for the harmonious development of humans and nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuel cell is an emerging technology for energy conservation and environmental protection, with simple structure and high energy conversion efficiency. However, the kinetics of cathode ORR is slow. Therefore, high-performance, highly selective catalysts are urgently needed. This work aims to use the DFT to conduct structural design and performance optimization of Ni/CNTs and Ni/X-CNTs (X=B, N, O) catalysts. Studies showed that the number of Ni atom loading, the number and types of doping of heteroatoms all affected the activity of catalysts to some extent. The adsorption energy of O2 was calculated to determine that O2 was adsorbed on Ni(6)/B(2)-CNTs in the Bridge mode. Meanwhile, the comparative analysis of 2 e− path and 4 e− path indicated that ORR occurred in Ni(6)/B(2)-CNTs in acidic medium was more inclined to follow the 4 e− path. The present work has some reference and value for specific experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with the energy‐intensive Haber‐Bosch process, the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a promising approach for sustainable ammonia production. However, the design and development of electrocatalysts with high activity and selectivity is currently a major challenge. In this work, we successfully constructed RuFe bimetallic nanoparticles on a two‐dimensional MXene support (RuFe@MXene) through a simple liquid phase reduction method. Benefiting from the rich surface chemistry and high electronic conductivity of MXene, as well as the synergistic effect between RuFe bimetals, the composite can efficiently synthesize ammonia under environmental conditions. Specifically, the NH3 yield and Faraday efficiency of the prepared Ru0.3Fe0.7@MXene composite catalyst reaches 40.79 μg h−1 cm−2 and 15.25 % at −0.4 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M KOH, which are significantly higher than that of the previously reported Ru@MXene. Moreover, the Ru0.3Fe0.7@MXene catalyst also exhibits outstanding electrochemical stability. The density of state (DOS) and the partial density of state (PDOS) of MXene, Fe@MXene, Ru@MXene, and RuFe@MXene were calculated by DFT to explore the synergistic effect of RuFe on the nitrogen reduction performance of MXene‐based catalysts. This work guides the design of high‐performance NRR electrocatalysts in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), as a green and sustainable ammonia (NH3) synthesis process, is considered to be the most promising alternative to the traditional Haber‐Bosch method for NH3 synthesis. However, this process requires a highly active electrocatalyst to overcome the problems of low NRR activity and selectivity. Herein, we deposited metallic bismuth nanoparticles on two‐dimensional Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets by a simple liquid phase reduction method to synthesize Bi@Ti3C2 nanocomposites. This composite material is a promising electrocatalyst for environmental electrocatalytic N2 fixation to NH3. Unexpectedly, the Bi@Ti3C2 composite obtains an excellent NH3 yield and Faraday efficiency as high as 28.3 μg h−1 cm−2 and 27.2 % at −0.4 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in 0.1 M KOH. The high NRR activity can be attributed to the unique N‐philic and H‐phobic characteristics of Bi atoms and the outstanding electronic conductivity of MXene. Moreover, the Bi@Ti3C2 composite catalyst also exhibited good cycling stability and durability of up to 24 h. This work highlights the potential importance of material design and will also expand the research and exploration of high‐efficiency NRR electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: An outstanding question in protein sorting is why polarized epithelial cells express two isoforms of the μ1 subunit of the AP-1 clathrin adaptor complex: the ubiquitous μ1A and the epithelial-specific μ1B. Previous studies led to the notion that μ1A and μ1B mediate basolateral sorting predominantly from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and recycling endosomes, respectively. Using improved analytical tools, however, we find that μ1A and μ1B largely colocalize with each other. They also colocalize to similar extents with TGN and recycling endosome markers, as well as with basolateral cargoes transiting biosynthetic and endocytic-recycling routes. Instead, the two isoforms differ in their signal-recognition specificity. In particular, μ1B preferentially binds a subset of signals from cargoes that are sorted basolaterally in a μ1B-dependent manner. We conclude that expression of distinct μ1 isoforms in epithelial cells expands the repertoire of signals recognized by AP-1 for sorting of a broader range of cargoes to the basolateral surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Presenting anchor point alignment technique for strawberry ripeness detection. • Incorporating the Swin-B attention mechanism into the strawberry feature extraction model. • Employing the CARAFE module to upsample the detailed strawberry feature maps at the neck region. • Proposing the multi-scale training approach to improve the accuracy of identifying mini strawberry objects. • Proposed model surpasses the current models in terms of accuracy, while exhibiting reasonable parameter range and FLOPs. With the wave of agricultural modernization, deep learning technology has brought revolutionary changes to the vision system of strawberry picking robots. Yet, the morphological diversity of strawberries, small and dense targets, and high overlap scenes make the detection and ripeness classification of strawberries a great challenge. To solve these problems, we introduce a new task-aligned one-stage object detection (TOOD) mechanism. Firstly, we incorporate the Swin-B (Swin-Base) transformer module to enhance the feature extraction performance in the backbone network. Secondly, we replace the original feature pyramid network (FPN) with CARAFE-FPN, which utilizes advanced upsampling methods to enhance detection at different scales. A multi-scale training (MST) approach is applied to capture the small targets effectively. Additionally, the Augmentations library is utilized for dataset augmentation to enhance the model's generalization. Lastly, we refine the task alignment learning head and propose simple anchor alignment metric (S-aam) to reduce the impact of parameters on network performance for finding the optimal solutions. We collected a complex strawberry image dataset of more than 90,000 instances to test the method effectiveness in detecting strawberry ripeness. The results show that our model achieves 74.1% average precision (AP), 93.9% AP 50 , and 84.1% AP 75 , respectively. Our model shows the superior detection performance compared to most of models with fewer parameters and lower FLOPs. In addition, our model obtained the highest accuracy in detecting small strawberry targets. To prove the generalization of the model, we also verify it on COCO dataset, and the results show that the performance has been enhanced by 0.7% compared to the baseline. In summary, our proposed methods can be used to accurately identify ripe strawberries, which has the potential to be applied in strawberry picking robot system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Budding of HIV-1 requires the binding of the PTAP late domain of the Gag p6 protein to the UEV domain of the TSG101 subunit of ESCRT-I. The normal function of this motif in cells is in receptor downregulation. Here, we report the 1.4–1.6 Å structures of the human TSG101 UEV domain alone and with wild-type and mutant HIV-1 PTAP and Hrs PSAP nonapeptides. The hydroxyl of the Thr or Ser residue in the P(S/T)AP motif hydrogen bonds with the main chain of Asn69. Mutation of the Asn to Pro, blocking the main-chain amide, abrogates PTAP motif binding in vitro and blocks budding of HIV-1 from cells. N69P and other PTAP binding-deficient alleles of TSG101 did not rescue HIV-1 budding. However, the mutant alleles did rescue downregulation of endogenous EGF receptor. This demonstrates that the PSAP motif is not rate determining in EGF receptor downregulation under normal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]