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Bisphenol S (BPS) is a typical endocrine disruptor associated with obesity. To observe BPS effects on lipid metabolism in HepG2 and SK-Hep-1 human HCC cells, a CCK-8 assay was used to assess cell proliferation in response to BPS, and the optimal concentration of BPS was selected. Biochemical indices such as triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (T-CHO), and oxidative stress indices such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase (CAT) were measured. ROS and MDA levels were significantly increased after BPS treatment for 24 h and 48 h ( p < 0.05), indicating an oxidative stress response. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), T-CHO, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels also increased significantly after 24 or 48 h BPS treatments ( p < 0.05). RT-PCR and Western blot analyses detected mRNA or protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP1C). The results indicated that BPS could inhibit the mRNA expression of PPARα and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1B (CPT1B), reduce lipid metabolism, promote mRNA or protein expression of SREBP1C and fatty acid synthase (FASN), and increase lipid synthesis. Increased lipid droplets were observed using morphological Oil Red O staining. Our study demonstrates that BPS may cause lipid accumulation by increasing oxidative stress and perturbing cellular lipid metabolism.

Objective: To analyze the association between air pollution, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: AF patients aged between 40-69 years old registered in the United Kingdom Biobank from 2006 to 2010 were included. After excluding those lost to follow-up or with incomplete data during follow-up, 5 814 subjects were analyzed. Long-term exposure to air pollution was estimated at the geocoded residential address of each participant. Genetic risk scores for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke were constructed separately for each object to assess the corresponding genetic susceptibility. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the association between air pollution, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in AF patients. Results: During a median follow-up of 12.4 years, there were 929 of all-cause mortality (15.98%) and 1 772 of cardiovascular events (30.48%). Multivariable-adjusted analyses revealed that higher exposure to PM 2.5 , PM 10 , NO x , and NO 2 was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke, with hazard ratios ( HR s) ranging from 1.26 to 1.48. Specifically, for each interquartile range ( IQR ) increase in PM 2.5 exposure, the HR s for the outcomes mentioned above were 1.33 (95% CI : 1.14-1.54), 1.42 (95% CI : 1.31-1.54), 1.46 (95% CI : 1.30-1.64), and 1.43 (95% CI : 1.27-1.61), respectively. Both NO x and NO 2 exposures were associated with a 9% increased risk of all-cause mortality per IQR increment, with corresponding HR s of 1.09 (95% CI : 1.02-1.17) and 1.09 (95% CI : 1.01-1.17), respectively. Individuals with high genetic susceptibility to AF had a higher risk of myocardial infarction and stroke compared to those with low genetic susceptibility, with corresponding HR s of 1.39 (95% CI : 1.04-1.87) and 1.46 (95% CI : 1.09-1.95), respectively. Compared to AF patients with low air pollution exposure, those with high air pollution exposure have adjusted population attributable fractions of up to 33.57% (95% CI : 17.87%-46.26%) for cardiovascular mortality, 28.61% (95% CI : 20.67%-35.75%) for heart failure, 33.35% (95% CI : 20.97%-43.79%) for myocardial infarction, and 42.29% (95% CI : 30.05%-52.71%) for stroke. Furthermore, there was an additive interaction between PM 2.5 , NO x , and NO 2 exposure and high genetic susceptibility on the incidence of myocardial infarction. An additive interaction was also observed between NO x , NO 2 exposure, and high genetic susceptibility on the incidence of heart failure (all P <0.05). Conclusions: Both air pollution and genetic susceptibility increase the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in AF patients.

Previous studies regarding the associations between perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have yielded inconsistent results, with the underlying mechanisms remaining unknown. In this study, we quantified 13 PFAS in cord serum samples from 396 neonates and followed the children at age 4 to assess ASD-related symptoms. Our findings revealed associations between certain PFAS and ASD-related symptoms, with a doubling of perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) concentrations associated with respective increases of 1.79, 1.62, and 1.45 units in language-related symptoms and PFDA exhibiting an association with higher score of sensory stimuli. Nonlinear associations were observed in the associations of 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (Cl-PFAES) and 8:2 Cl-PFAES with ASD-related symptoms. Employing weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, we observed significant mixture effects of multiple PFAS on all domains of ASD-related symptoms, with PFNA emerging as the most substantial contributor. Assuming causality, we found that 39-40% of the estimated effect of long-chain PFAS (PFUnDA and PFDoDA) exposure on sensory stimuli was mediated by androstenedione. This study provides novel epidemiological data about prenatal PFAS mixture exposure and ASD-related symptoms.

Objective: To investigate the association between gestational blood pressure and neurodevelopment in 2-year-old children. Methods: Based on the"Wuhan Healthy Baby Birth Cohort", 3 754 mother-infant pairs were enrolled in this study. Based on multiple blood pressure measurements during pregnancy, the mean, cumulative, and variability of blood pressure throughout the entire pregnancy and each trimester were calculated. Blood pressure variability was evaluated using standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variability (CV), and variability independent of mean (VIM). Follow-up testing of neurodevelopment in infants and young children at the age of two was conducted to obtain the Mental Development Index (MDI) and the Psychomotor Development Index (PDI). The multivariate linear regression and generalized estimation equation were used to analyze the association between gestational blood pressure data and neurodevelopmental index. Results: The age of 3 754 pregnant women was (29.1±3.6) years, with a pre-pregnancy BMI of (20.9±2.7) kg/m² and a gestational age of (39.3±1.2) weeks. The birth weight of 3 754 children was (3 330.9±397.7) grams, and the birth length was (50.3±1.6) centimeters. The results of the multivariate linear regression analysis showed that after adjusting for relevant confounding factors, the mean blood pressure, cumulative blood pressure, standard deviation of blood pressure, coefficient of variation of blood pressure, independent blood pressure variability of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure throughout pregnancy were negatively associated with the MDI and PDI scores of 2-year-old children. The analysis results of the generalized estimation equation showed that after adjusting for relevant confounding factors, the average systolic blood pressure in the first, second, and third trimesters was negatively associated with MDI/PDI. The negative association between cumulative blood pressure and MDI/PDI was only found in the first trimester. The negative association between blood pressure variation during pregnancy and MDI/PDI was mainly concentrated in the second and third trimesters. Conclusion: There is a negative association between gestational blood pressure and the neurodevelopmental index of 2-year-old children.

Acute carbon monoxide poisoning can cause hypoxic injury to multiple organs. Neurological impairment and cardiac dysfunction are common manifestations of severe poisoning patients, but hemorrhagic complications are rare in clinic. The clinical diagnosis and treatment of a case of massive intrathecal hematoma of the rectus abdominis secondary to acute severe carbon monoxide poisoning was reported. The pathophysiological mechanism and treatment strategy of rectus sheath hematoma secondary to acute severe carbon monoxide poisoning was analyzed, in order to improve the understanding of hemorrhagic complications of carbon monoxide poisoning. This case suggests that for patients with a history of cardiovascular disease and taking anticoagulants, clinicians should be alert for the risk of bleeding when making medical decisions.

The controlled creation, selective exposure, and activation of more basal planes while simultaneously minimizing the generation and exposure of edge sites are crucial for accelerating methanol synthesis from CO 2 hydrogenation over MoS 2 catalysts but remain a bottleneck. Here, we report a facile method to fabricate heteronanotube catalysts with single-layer MoS 2 coaxially encapsulating the carbon nanotubes (CNTs@MoS 2 ) through host-guest chemistry. Inheriting the long tubular structure of CNTs, the grown MoS 2 nanotubes exhibit significantly more basal planes than bulk MoS 2 crystals. More importantly, the tubular curvature not only promotes strain and sulfur vacancy (Sv) generation but also preferentially exposes more in-plane Sv while limiting edge Sv exposure, which is conducive to methanol synthesis. Both the strain and layer number of MoS 2 can be easily and finely adjusted by altering CNT diameter and quantity of precursors. Remarkably, CNTs@MoS 2 with monolayer MoS 2 and maximum strain displayed methanol selectivity of 78.1% and methanol space time yield of 1.6 g g MoS 2 -1 h -1 at 260 °C and GHSV of 24000 mL g cat. -1 h -1 , representing the best results to date among Mo-based catalysts. This study provides prospects for novel catalyst design by synthesizing coaxial tubular heterostructure to create additional catalytic sites and ultimately enhance conversion and selectivity.

During 25 surveys of global Phytophthora diversity, conducted between 1998 and 2020, 43 new species were detected in natural ecosystems and, occasionally, in nurseries and outplantings in Europe, Southeast and East Asia and the Americas. Based on a multigene phylogeny of nine nuclear and four mitochondrial gene regions they were assigned to five of the six known subclades, 2a-c, e and f, of Phytophthora major Clade 2 and the new subclade 2g. The evolutionary history of the Clade appears to have involved the pre-Gondwanan divergence of three extant subclades, 2c, 2e and 2f, all having disjunct natural distributions on separate continents and comprising species with a soilborne and aquatic lifestyle and, in addition, a few partially aerial species in Clade 2c; and the post-Gondwanan evolution of subclades 2a and 2g in Southeast/East Asia and 2b in South America, respectively, from their common ancestor. Species in Clade 2g are soilborne whereas Clade 2b comprises both soil-inhabiting and aerial species. Clade 2a has evolved further towards an aerial lifestyle comprising only species which are predominantly or partially airborne. Based on high nuclear heterozygosity levels ca . 38 % of the taxa in Clades 2a and 2b could be some form of hybrid, and the hybridity may be favoured by an A1/A2 breeding system and an aerial life style. Circumstantial evidence suggests the now 93 described species and informally designated taxa in Clade 2 result from both allopatric non-adaptive and sympatric adaptive radiations. They represent most morphological and physiological characters, breeding systems, lifestyles and forms of host specialism found across the Phytophthora clades as a whole, demonstrating the strong biological cohesiveness of the genus. The finding of 43 previously unknown species from a single Phytophthora clade highlight a critical lack of information on the scale of the unknown pathogen threats to forests and natural ecosystems, underlining the risk of basing plant biosecurity protocols mainly on lists of named organisms. More surveys in natural ecosystems of yet unsurveyed regions in Africa, Asia, Central and South America are needed to unveil the full diversity of the clade and the factors driving diversity, speciation and adaptation in Phytophthora . Taxonomic novelties: New species: Phytophthora amamensis T. Jung, K. Kageyama, H. Masuya & S. Uematsu, Phytophthora angustata T. Jung, L. Garcia, B. Mendieta-Araica, & Y. Balci, Phytophthora balkanensis I. Milenković, Ž. Tomić, T. Jung & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora borneensis T. Jung, A. Durán, M. Tarigan & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora calidophila T. Jung, Y. Balci, L. Garcia & B. Mendieta-Araica, Phytophthora catenulata T. Jung, T.-T. Chang, N.M. Chi & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora celeris T. Jung, L. Oliveira, M. Tarigan & I. Milenković, Phytophthora curvata T. Jung, A. Hieno, H. Masuya & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora distorta T. Jung, A. Durán, E. Sanfuentes von Stowasser & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora excentrica T. Jung, S. Uematsu, K. Kageyama & C.M. Brasier, Phytophthora falcata T. Jung, K. Kageyama, S. Uematsu & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora fansipanensis T. Jung, N.M. Chi, T. Corcobado & C.M. Brasier, Phytophthora frigidophila T. Jung, Y. Balci, K. Broders & I. Milenković, Phytophthora furcata T. Jung, N.M. Chi, I. Milenković & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora inclinata N.M. Chi, T. Jung, M. Horta Jung & I. Milenković, Phytophthora indonesiensis T. Jung, M. Tarigan, L. Oliveira & I. Milenković, Phytophthora japonensis T. Jung, A. Hieno, H. Masuya & J.F. Webber, Phytophthora limosa H.-C. Zeng, H.-H. Ho, F.-C. Zheng & T. Jung, Phytophthora macroglobulosa H.-C. Zeng, H.-H. Ho, F.-C. Zheng & T. Jung, Phytophthora montana T. Jung, Y. Balci, K. Broders & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora multipapillata T. Jung, M. Tarigan, I. Milenković & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora multiplex T. Jung, Y. Balci, K. Broders & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora nimia T. Jung, H. Masuya, A. Hieno & C.M. Brasier, Phytophthora oblonga T. Jung, S. Uematsu, K. Kageyama & C.M. Brasier, Phytophthora obovoidea T. Jung, Y. Balci, L. Garcia & B. Mendieta-Araica, Phytophthora obturata T. Jung, N.M. Chi, I. Milenković & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora penetrans T. Jung, Y. Balci, K. Broders & I. Milenković, Phytophthora platani T. Jung, A. Pérez-Sierra, S.O. Cacciola & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora proliferata T. Jung, N.M. Chi, I. Milenković & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora pseudocapensis T. Jung, T.-T. Chang, I. Milenković & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora pseudocitrophthora T. Jung, S.O. Cacciola, J. Bakonyi & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora pseudofrigida T. Jung, A. Durán, M. Tarigan & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora pseudoccultans T. Jung, T.-T. Chang, I. Milenković & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora pyriformis T. Jung, Y. Balci, K.D. Boders & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora sumatera T. Jung, M. Tarigan, M. Junaid & A. Durán, Phytophthora transposita T. Jung, K. Kageyama, C.M. Brasier & H. Masuya, Phytophthora vacuola T. Jung, H. Masuya, K. Kageyama & J.F. Webber, Phytophthora valdiviana T. Jung, E. Sanfuentes von Stowasser, A. Durán & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora variepedicellata T. Jung, Y. Balci, K. Broders & I. Milenković, Phytophthora vietnamensis T. Jung, N.M. Chi, I. Milenković & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora ×australasiatica T. Jung, N.M. Chi, M. Tarigan & M. Horta Jung, Phytophthora ×lusitanica T. Jung, M. Horta Jung, C. Maia & I. Milenković, Phytophthora ×taiwanensis Jung T, Milenković I, Balci Y, Janoušek J, Kudláček T, Nagy ZÁ, Baharuddin B, Bakonyi J, Broders KD, Cacciola SO, Chang T-T, Chi NM, Corcobado T, Cravador A, Đorđević B, Durán A, Ferreira M, Fu C-H, Garcia L, Hieno A, Ho H-H, Hong C, Junaid M, Kageyama K, Kuswinanti T, Maia C, Májek T, Masuya H, Magnano di San Lio G, Mendieta-Araica B, Nasri N, Oliveira LSS, Pane A, Pérez-Sierra A, Rosmana A, Sanfuentes von Stowasser E, Scanu B, Singh R, Stanivuković Z, Tarigan M, Thu PQ, Tomić Z, Tomšovský M, Uematsu S, Webber JF, Zeng H-C, Zheng F-C, Brasier CM, Horta Jung M (2024). Worldwide forest surveys reveal forty-three new species in Citation: Jung T, Milenković I, Balci Y, Janoušek J, Kudláček T, Nagy ZÁ, Baharuddin B, Bakonyi J, Broders KD, Cacciola SO, Chang T-T, Chi NM, Corcobado T, Cravador A, Đorđević B, Durán A, Ferreira M, Fu C-H, Garcia L, Hieno A, Ho H-H, Hong C, Junaid M, Kageyama K, Kuswinanti T, Maia C, Májek T, Masuya H, Magnano di San Lio G, Mendieta-Araica B, Nasri N, Oliveira LSS, Pane A, Pérez-Sierra A, Rosmana A, Sanfuentes von Stowasser E, Scanu B, Singh R, Stanivuković Z, Tarigan M, Thu PQ, Tomić Z, Tomšovský M, Uematsu S, Webber JF, Zeng H-C, Zheng F-C, Brasier CM, Horta Jung M (2024). Worldwide forest surveys reveal forty-three new species in Phytophthora major Clade 2 with fundamental implications for the evolution and biogeography of the genus and global plant biosecurity. Studies in Mycology 107 : 251-388. doi: 10.3114/sim.2024.107.04., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2023 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

In-plane sulfur vacancies (Sv) in molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) were newly unveiled for CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol, whereas edge Sv were found to facilitate methane formation. Thus, selective exposure and activation of basal plane is crucial for methanol synthesis. Here, we report a mesoporous silica-encapsulated MoS 2 catalysts with fullerene-like structure and atomic copper (Cu/MoS 2 @SiO 2 ). The main approach is based on a physically constrained topologic conversion of molybdenum dioxide (MoO 2 ) to MoS 2 within silica. The spherical curvature enables the generation of strain and Sv in inert basal plane. More importantly, fullerene-like structure of few-layer MoS 2 can selectively expose in-plane Sv and reduce the exposure of edge Sv. After promotion by atomic copper, the resultant Cu/MoS 2 @SiO 2 exhibits stable specific methanol yield of 6.11 mol MeOH  mol Mo -1  h -1 with methanol selectivity of 72.5% at 260 °C, much superior to its counterparts lacking the fullerene-like structure and copper decoration. The reaction mechanism and promoting role of copper are investigated by in-situ DRIFTS and in-situ XAS. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the compressive strain facilitates Sv formation and CO 2 hydrogenation, while tensile strain accelerates the regeneration of active sites, rationalizing the critical role of strain., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Bimetallic nanoparticle (NP) catalysts are widely used in many heterogeneous gas-based reactions because they often outperform their monometallic counterparts. During these reactions, NPs often undergo structural changes, which impact their catalytic activity. Despite the important role of the structure in the catalytic activity, many aspects of how a reactive gaseous environment affects the structure of bimetallic nanocatalysts are still lacking. Here, using gas-cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM), it is shown that during a CO oxidation reaction over PdCu alloy NPs, the selective oxidation of Cu causes the segregation of Cu and transforms the NPs into Pd-CuO NPs. The segregated NPs are very stable and have high activity for the conversion of CO into CO 2 . Based on the observations, the segregation of Cu from Cu-based alloys during a redox reaction is likely to be general and may have a positive impact on the catalytic activity. Hence, it is believed that similar insights based on direct observation of the reactions under relevant reactive conditions are critical both for understanding and designing high-performance catalysts., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Bisphenol S (BPS) is an environmental pollutant that can accumulate in the human body and cause harm. Puerarin (PUE) is a flavonoid with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In this study, we used 50 mg/kg/d BPS as a poison and PUE as an intervention for model mice for 42 d. BPS exposure significantly increased the levels of the impairment of the mice's liver function, T-CHO, TG, LDL-C, ALT, and AST in the BPS group were significantly increased ( p < 0.05). Additionally, BPS exposure caused inflammatory cell infiltration in the mice liver tissue and enhanced oxidative stress response, the level of MDA was significantly increased ( p < 0.05). The expression of CD36 and pparγ was stimulated after BPS exposure. Moreover, the expression of cpt1a and cpt1b, which promote fatty acid oxidation, was downregulated. After PUE intervention, the levels of genes and proteins involved in lipid synthesis (PPARγ, SREBP1C, and FASN) and metabolism (Cpt1a, Cpt1b, and PPARα) in mice returned to those of the control group, or much higher than those in the BPS group. Therefore, we hypothesized that BPS causes lipid accumulation in the liver by promoting lipid synthesis and reducing lipid metabolism, whereas PUE reduces lipid synthesis and promotes lipid metabolism. Conclusively, our results imply that long-term exposure to BPS in mice affects liver lipid metabolism and that PUE intervention could maintain the liver function of mice at normal metabolic levels.

The impact of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and mitral regurgitation (MR) on physical performance has not been examined. Of 1,808 physically fit Asian military males, we compared the physical fitness between 62 subjects with MVP (MVP(+)) and 1,311 age- and anthropometrics-matched controls from the 1,746 participants without MVP (MVP(-)). MVP and MR grade were defined based on the American Society of Echocardiography criteria. Aerobic endurance capacity was evaluated by a 3000-m run and muscular endurance capacity was separately evaluated by 2-min sit-ups and 2-min push-ups. Analysis of covariance was used to determine the difference between groups. As compared to the MVP(-), the MVP(+) completed the 3000-m run test faster (839.2 ± 65.3 sec vs. 866.6 ± 86.8 sec, p  = 0.019), but did fewer push-ups (41.3 ± 3.92 vs. 48.0 ± 10.1, p  = 0.02) and similar sit-ups within 2 min. Of the MVP(+), those with any MR (trivial, mild or moderate) completed the 3000-m run test faster than those without MR (830.6 ± 61.7 sec vs. 877.2 ± 61.7 sec, p  = 0.02). Our findings suggest that in physically active Asian military males, the MVP(+) may have greater aerobic endurance capacity but lower muscular endurance capacity than the MVP(-). The presence of MR may play a role for the MVP(+) to have greater aerobic endurance capacity.

Bisphenol S (BPS) is an environmental endocrine disruptor widely used in industrial production. BPS induces oxidative stress and exhibits male reproductive toxicity in mice, but the mechanisms by which BPS impairs steroid hormone synthesis are not fully understood. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/HO-1 signaling is a key pathway in improving cellular antioxidant defense capacities. Therefore, this study explored the effects of exposure to BPS on testosterone synthesis in adult male mice and its mechanisms with regard to the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were orally exposed to BPS (2, 20, and 200 mg/kg BW) with sesame oil as a vehicle (0.1 ml/10 g BW) per day for 28 consecutive days. The results showed that compared with the control group, serum testosterone levels were substantially reduced in the 20 and 200 mg/kg BPS treatment groups, and testicular testosterone levels were reduced in all BPS treatment groups. These changes were accompanied by a prominent decrease in the expression levels of testosterone synthesis-related enzymes (STAR, CYP11A1, CYP17A1, HSD3B1, and HSD17B3) in the mouse testis. In addition, BPS induced oxidative stress in the testis by upregulating the messenger RNA and protein levels of Keap1 and downregulating the levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and downstream antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD1, and Gpx4). In summary, our results indicate that exposure of adult male mice to BPS can inhibit Nrf2/HO-1 signaling and antioxidant enzyme activity, which induces oxidative stress and thereby may impair testosterone synthesis in testicular tissues, leading to reproductive damage., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Bisphenol S (BPS), the most common substitute for bisphenol A in manufacturing, is associated with neurotoxicity, but its molecular mechanisms are unclear. Here, we studied the role of the BDNF-TrkB-CREB (brain-derived neurotrophic factor-tropomyosin-related kinase B-CAMP response element-binding protein) signalling pathway in bisphenol S-induced neurotoxicity via methylation regulation in male C57BL/6 mice. The mice were treated with sesame oil or 2, 20 and 200 mg/kg body weight BPS for 28 consecutive days, and the hippocampus was extracted. We recorded the body weight, organ index, and hippocampal pathology and ultrastructure of the mice. The BDNF, TrkB, CREB, phosphorylated (p)-CREB, DNMTs (DNA methyltransferases) levels were determined by qRT-PCR and/or Western blotting. BDNF promoter IV methylation level was detected by bisulfite sequencing PCR. BPS damaged the mouse hippocampus ultrastructure and reduced the number of synapses. Further, it increased the methylation rate of BDNF promoter IV; downregulated BDNF, CREB, p-CREB/CREB and DNMT1 expression; and upregulated DNMT3a and DNMT3b expression. Therefore, we speculate that the BDNF-TrkB-CREB pathway may be involved in BPS-induced neurotoxicity in male mice by regulating methylation.

The expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is dysregulated in many types of cancers including osteosarcoma (OS) due to genetic and epigenetic alterations. Among these, miR-34c , an effector of tumor suppressor P53 and an upstream negative regulator of Notch signaling in osteoblast differentiation, is dysregulated in OS. Here, we demonstrated a tumor suppressive role of miR-34c in OS progression using in vitro assays and in vivo genetic mouse models. We found that miR-34c inhibits the proliferation and the invasion of metastatic OS cells, which resulted in reduction of the tumor burden and increased overall survival in an orthotopic xenograft model. Moreover, the osteoblast-specific overexpression of miR-34c increased survival in the osteoblast specific p53 mutant OS mouse model. We found that miR-34c regulates the transcription of several genes in Notch signaling ( NOTCH1 , JAG1 , and HEY2 ) and in p53-mediated cell cycle and apoptosis ( CCNE2 , E2F5 , E2F2 , and HDAC1 ). More interestingly, we found that the metastatic-free survival probability was increased among a patient cohort from Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) OS, which has lower expression of direct targets of miR-34c that was identified in our transcriptome analysis, such as E2F5 and NOTCH1 . In conclusion, we demonstrate that miR-34c is a tumor suppressive miRNA in OS progression in vivo . In addition, we highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting miR-34c in OS. © 2022 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests., (© 2022 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.)

The reproductive toxicity of bisphenol S (BPS) in male mammals and its possible mechanism are not clear. We investigated the effects and possible mechanism of action of BPS on adult male C57BL/6 mice. We found that exposure to 200-mg/kg BPS resulted in a significant decrease in the sperm count in the caput/corpus and cauda epididymis, significantly decreased sperm motility, and significantly increased the sperm deformity. Histological evaluation revealed that BPS exposure caused a decrease of spermatozoa in the lumen of seminiferous tubules and a reduction in the proportion of Stage VII or VIII seminiferous tubules in the BPS-treated groups. Furthermore, ultrastructure analysis revealed BPS-induced mitochondrial damage and apoptosis in spermatogenic cells. Moreover, BPS exposure-induced oxidative stress in testicular tissues. Further, dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay showed that BPS induced the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells in a dose-dependent manner. BPS also significantly upregulated cleaved caspase-8, cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, Fas, and FasL and significantly downregulated the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. These results suggest that BPS-induced oxidative stress in the testis and spermatogenic cell apoptosis potentially impairs spermatogenesis and sperm function, which may be the mechanism of the reproductive toxicity of BPS. The Fas/FasL and mitochondrial signal pathways may be involved in BPS-induced oxidative stress-related apoptosis. These results suggest that BPS-induced oxidative stress in the testis and spermatogenic cell apoptosis potentially impairs spermatogenesis and sperm function, which may be the mechanism of the reproductive toxicity of BPS. The Fas/FasL and mitochondrial signal pathways may be involved in BPS-induced oxidative stress-related apoptosis., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Purpose: The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor (bHLH) transcription factor Twist1 plays a key role in embryonic development and tumorigenesis. p53 is a frequently mutated tumor suppressor in cancer. Both proteins play a key and significant role in breast cancer tumorigenesis. However, the regulatory mechanism and clinical significance of their co-expression in this disease remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to analyze the expression patterns of p53 and Twist1 and determine their association with patient prognosis in breast cancer. We also investigated whether their co-expression could be a potential marker for predicting patient prognosis in this disease., Methods: Twist1 and mutant p53 expression in 408 breast cancer patient samples were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier Plotter was used to analyze the correlation between co-expression of Twist1 and wild-type or mutant p53 and prognosis for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Univariate analysis, multivariate analysis, and nomograms were used to explore the independent prognostic factors in disease-free survival (DFS) and OS in this cohort., Results: Of the 408 patients enrolled, 237 (58%) had high mutant p53 expression. Two-hundred twenty patients (53.9%) stained positive for Twist1, and 188 cases were Twist1-negative. Furthermore, patients that co-expressed Twist1 and mutant p53 (T+P+) had significantly advanced-stage breast cancer [stage III, 61/89 T+P+ (68.5%) vs. 28/89 T-P- (31.5%); stage II, 63/104 T+P+ (60.6%) vs. 41/104 T-P- (39.4%)]. Co-expression was negatively related to early clinical stage (i.e., stages 0 and I; P = 0.039). T+P+ breast cancer patients also had worse DFS (95% CI = 1.217-7.499, P = 0.017) and OS ( 95% CI = 1.009-9.272, P = 0.048). Elevated Twist1 and mutant p53 expression predicted shorter RFS in basal-like patients. Univariate and multivariate analysis identified three variables (i.e., lymph node involvement, larger tumor, and T+P+) as independent prognostic factors for DFS. Lymph node involvement and T+P+ were also independent factors for OS in this cohort. The total risk scores and nomograms were reliable for predicting DFS and OS in breast cancer patients., Conclusions: Our results revealed that co-expression of mutant p53 and Twist1 was associated with advanced clinical stage, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype, distant metastasis, and shorter DFS and OS in breast cancer patients. Furthermore, lymph nodes status and co-expression of Twist1 and mutant p53 were classified as independent factors for DFS and OS in this cohort. Co-evaluation of mutant p53 and Twist1 might be an appropriate tool for predicting breast cancer patient outcome., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Zhang, Zhang, Zeng, Chen, Huang, Wu, Chen, Gao, Bai, Yang, Zeng, Wei and Zhang.)

Bisphenol S (BPS) is associated with neurotoxicity, but its molecular mechanisms are unclear. Our aim was to investigate the role of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/tyrosine kinase B (TrkB)/cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway in BPS-induced cytotoxicity in SK-N-SH cells. The cells were treated with various concentrations of BPS, and cell viability, apoptosis rate, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and the BDNF, cleaved-caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), TrkB, CREB, and phospho-CREB (p-CREB) levels were determined. The effects of pretreatment with the TrkB activator 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) were also explored. BPS decreased SK-N-SH cell viability and altered their morphology. Their apoptosis rate was increased, as were the levels of the proapoptotic proteins Bax and cleaved-caspase-3, but MMP was decreased. Thus, BPS may induce mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathways. BPS also reduced the BDNF, TrkB, and p-CREB levels, and pretreatment with 7,8-DHF alleviated its cytotoxic effects. Thus, BPS-induced cytotoxicity might be mediated by the BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Cerium(IV) oxide (CeO 2 ), or ceria, is one of the most abundant rare-earth materials that has been extensively investigated for its catalytic properties over the past two decades. However, due to the global scarcity and increasing cost of rare-earth materials, efficient utilization of this class of materials poses a challenging issue for the materials research community. Thus, this work is directed toward an exploration of making ultrathin hollow ceria or other rare-earth metal oxides and mixed rare-earth oxides in general. Such a hollow morphology appears to be attractive, especially when the thickness is trimmed to its limit, so that it can be viewed as a two-dimensional sheet of organized nanoscale crystallites, while remaining three-dimensional spatially. This ensures that both inner and outer shell surfaces can be better utilized in catalytic reactions if the polycrystalline sphere is further endowed with mesoporosity. Herein, we have devised our novel synthetic protocol for making ultrathin mesoporous hollow spheres of ceria or other desired rare-earth oxides with a tunable shell thickness in the region of 10 to 40 nm. Our ceria ultrathin hollow spheres are catalytically active and outperform other reported similar nanostructured ceria for the oxidation reaction of carbon monoxide in terms of fuller utilization of cerium. The versatility of this approach has also been extended to fabricating singular or multicomponent rare-earth metal oxides with the same ultrathin hollow morphology and structural uniformity. Therefore, this approach holds good promise for better utilization of rare-earth metal elements across their various technological applications, not ignoring nano-safety considerations.

Zeolites are one of the most commonly used materials in the chemical industry, acting as catalysts or catalyst supports in different applications. Recently, the synthesis and functionalization of hollow zeolites have attracted many research interests, owing to the unique advantages of their hollow morphology. In the development of more sustainable processes, the hollow zeolites are often endowed with additional stability, selectivity, and activity. Herein, we present a stepwise synthetic protocol to prepare a range of complex hollow ZSM-5 catalysts with catalytic nanoparticles. Solid ZSM-5 crystals were first synthesized from Stöber silica spheres. This solid ZSM-5 sample was then loaded with transition metals via the impregnation method. A subsequent hollowing process was carried out in hydrothermal conditions in which hollow ZSM-5 crystals with confined transition metals inside were synthesized. More specifically, after the encapsulation of transition metals inside hollow ZSM-5, two different approaches have been further devised to allow the deposition of noble metals into the interior cavities or onto the exterior surfaces of the hollow ZSM-5. The deposition of Pt on the exterior surface was carried out by mixing the hollow ZSM-5 sample with presynthesized Pt nanoparticles. Loading of Pd in the interior was achieved by the galvanic replacement reaction between the Pd ions and embedded transition metals inside the hollow ZSM-5 sample. The catalytic performance of these reactor-like nanocatalysts has been evaluated with hydrogenation reactions in both liquid and gas phases, and their compositional and structural merits have been illustrated. For the hollow ZSM-5 sample with Pd loaded inside, liquid-phase selective hydrogenation of styrene over 4-vinylbiphenyl has been achieved with the ZSM-5 shell acting as a molecular sieve. The deposition of Pt on the exterior has improved the C 2 -C 4 product yield when tested for the gas-phase CO 2 hydrogenation reaction.

The liver is the primary target organ for perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS), a recently discovered persistent organic pollutant. However, the mechanisms mediating hepatotoxicity remain unclear. Herein, we explored the relationship between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and autophagy and apoptosis induced by PFOS in L-02 cells, which are incubated with different concentrations of PFOS (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, or 250  μ mol/L) for 24 or 48 hrs at 37°C. The results indicated that PFOS exposure decreased cell activities, enhanced ROS levels in a concentration-dependent manner, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and induced autophagy and apoptosis. Compared with the control, 200  μ mol/L PFOS increased ROS levels; enhanced the expression of Bax, cleaved-caspase-3, and LC3-II; induced autophagy; decreased MMP; and lowered Bcl-2, p62, and Bcl-2/Bax ratio. The antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) protected MMP against PFOS-induced changes and diminished apoptosis and autophagy. Compared with 200  μ mol/L PFOS treatment, NAC pretreatment reversed the increase in ROS, Bax, and cleaved-caspase-3 protein caused by PFOS, lowered the apoptosis rate increased by PFOS, and increased the levels of MMP and Bcl-2/Bax ratio decreased by PFOS. The autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine and chloroquine decreased apoptosis and cleaved-caspase-3 protein level and increased the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. In summary, our results suggest that ROS-triggered autophagy is involved in PFOS-induced apoptosis in L-02 cells., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interests to declare regarding the publication of this work., (Copyright © 2021 Huai-cai Zeng et al.)

The prevalence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) among middle- and older-aged individuals is estimated to be 2-4% in Western countries. However, few studies have been conducted among Asian individuals and young adults. This study included a sample of 2442 consecutive military adults aged 18-39 years in Hualien, Taiwan. MVP was defined as displacement of the anterior or posterior leaflet of the mitral valve to the mid portion of the annular hinge point > 2 mm in the parasternal long-axis view of echocardiography. Cardiac chamber size and wall thickness were measured based on the latest criteria of the American Society of Echocardiography. The clinical features of participants with MVP and those without MVP were compared using a two-sample t test, and the cardiac structures were compared using analysis of covariance with adjustment for body surface area (BSA). Eighty-two participants were diagnosed with MVP, and the prevalence was 3.36% in the overall population. Compared with those without MVP, participants with MVP had a lower body mass index (kg/m 2 ) (24.89 ± 3.70 vs. 23.91 ± 3.45, p = 0.02) and higher prevalence of somatic symptoms related to exercise (11.0% vs. 4.9%, p = 0.02) and systolic click in auscultation (18.3% vs. 0.6%, p < 0.01). In addition, participants with MVP had greater left ventricular mass (gm) and smaller right ventricular wall thickness (mm) and dimensions (mm) indexed by BSA than those without MVP (149.12 ± 35.76 vs. 155.38 ± 36.26; 4.66 ± 0.63 vs. 4.40 ± 0.68; 26.57 ± 3.99 vs. 25.41 ± 4.35, respectively, all p-values < 0.01). In conclusion, the prevalence and clinical features of MVP in military young adults in Taiwan were in line with those in Western countries. Whether the novel MVP phenotype found in this study has any pathological meaning needs further investigation.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is the most common inflammatory bowel disease, and its incidence has increased in recent years. Recent clinical and experimental data indicate that gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of UC. Chlamydia establishes a stable and persistent colonization in the gastrointestinal tract without apparent pathogenicity to gastrointestinal or extragastrointestinal tissues. However, the detailed effects of Chlamydia on the gastrointestinal tissue remain unknown. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Chlamydia muridarum ( C. muridarum ) on development of colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and the underlying molecular mechanism. The results suggested that C. muridarum significantly improved colitis symptoms-including weight loss, disease activity index, colon length, and histopathological changes in the colon caused by DSS-and alleviated the reduced expression of interleukin-22 and occludin in the colonic tissue due to DSS administration. Furthermore, the absence of IL-22 completely prevented C. muridarum from alleviating colitis and significantly decreased the levels of occludin, an important downstream effector protein of IL-22. These findings suggest that C. muridarum ameliorates ulcerative colitis induced by DSS via the IL-22/occludin signal pathway., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interests to declare regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Xin Wang et al.)

A heterostructure combining mesoporous hollow spheres of N, P-doped carbon (meso-NPC) with ultrafine Co 2 NiO x nanoparticles has been synthesized as a highly active electrocatalyst, named meso-NPC/Co 2 NiO x . The meso-NPC hollow spheres were first fabricated via a novel nanocasting method using mesoporous SiO 2 as the "mold" and the atomic ratio of P in the meso-NPC can be tuned by controlling the amount of one of the filling organics, etidronic acid. Because of the large surface area and abundant surface hydroxyls, the meso-NPC formed strong bonding with the Co 2 NiO x nanoparticles (<2 nm in size) loaded on it. Serving as an OER electrocatalyst, the heterogeneous meso-NPC/Co 2 NiO x shows great working enhancement compared to its single-component counterparts. Through further mechanism study by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, a strong effect of electron transfer is found from the Co 2 NiO x to the meso-NPC, which leads to increases in the oxidation state of transition metals (TMs). Most importantly, we also reveal that the increase in the amount of the P dopant in the meso-NPC/Co 2 NiO x system can efficiently facilitate this metal-to-support charge transfer, which also implies that the biphasic interaction between the Co 2 NiO x nanoparticles and the meso-NPC hollow spheres generates active catalytic sites of both TM-N-C and TM-P-C surface species.

As an organophosphorus ester, tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) has been widely used in agriculture and industry. It is reported that TOCP can induce organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) in sensitive animal and human species. However, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying TOCP-induced neurotoxicity are still unknown. In this study, we found that TOCP could induce autophagy by activating protein kinase C alpha (PKCα) signaling in neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells. PKCα activators could positively regulate TOCP-induced autophagy by increasing the expression levels of neighbor BRCA1 gene protein 1 (NBR1), LC3 and P62 autophagic receptor protein. Furthermore, PKCα activation impaired the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), resulting in inhibition of proteasome activity and accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. UPS dysfunction could stimulate autophagy to serve as a compensatory pathway, which contributed to the accumulation of the abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau proteins and degradation of impaired proteins of the MAP 2 and NF-H families in neurodegenerative disorders., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Axillary reverse mapping (ARM) is a technique to identify arm lymphatic drainage during axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). This study compared the feasibility of ARM using indocyanine green (ICG) or methylene blue (MB), and accessed the oncologic safety of the procedure. Overall, 158 patients qualified for ALND were enrolled. The characteristics of ARM-identified nodes were recorded with ICG (n = 78) or MB (n = 80) visualization. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the nodes were performed and validated by histologic analysis. The nodal identification rate in the ICG group significantly surpassed that of the MB group (87.2% vs 52.5%, P  < .05) with fewer complications. Note that 10.9% of the patients had metastatic involvement of the ARM-identified nodes. Also 80% of the positive nodes were found in areas B and D, while the ARM-identified nodes mainly located in area A. All the 51 nodes diagnosed as negative of malignancy by FNAC were free of metastasis. Nodal metastasis was significantly correlated with extensive nodel involvement, advanced disease, and the characteristics of identified nodes. In conclusion, ICG appears superior to MB for ARM nodes identification. FNAC, together with the features of primary tumors and ARM nodes, can delineate which nodes could be preserved during ALND., Competing Interests: The authors declared no conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Authors. MedComm published by Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association (SCIMEA) and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Despite widespread use of heterogeneous Pd catalysts in Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions, detailed roles of Pd, especially the nature of its active species, are still a topic of controversial debate. While some studies showed an active surface of Pd nanoparticles or nanoclusters acting heterogeneously, others claimed soluble Pd species leached from the metallic Pd to be active species which are homogeneous in nature. Besides, within the homogeneous mechanism, how the Pd leaches and promotes the cross-coupling reaction is then another question that needs to be addressed. It could be envisioned that if the soluble Pd species and solid-phase Pd are physically separated, the mechanism of Suzuki-Miyaura coupling could then be confirmed through examining the catalytic activity in different reaction regions. Herein we use microporous Stöber silica as a membrane to separate the soluble Pd species from solid Pd and conduct size-selective reactions which allow the passage of leaching Pd species, but not of reactants or products larger than the membrane aperture. With this strategy, we have been able to differentiate the surface reaction from the solution cross-coupling. We find that the leached Pd species are the only genuine catalytic intermediate in the cross-coupling reactions. We also confirm that oxidative addition of aryl halides to the solid Pd leads to leaching of the soluble Pd species which is necessary to promote Suzuki-Miyaura reactions.

Suzuki reaction usually uses palladium (Pd) complexes to accommodate a wide range of substrates. In pursuing greener synthesis, immobilization of Pd complexes with various support materials has shown promising potential. Although this approach can give stable conversion, initially immobilized Pd ions are largely reduced to Pd 0 aggregates and turned essentially into supported nanoparticles after use, which departs from its original intention of complex immobilization and thus hampers its activity. Herein, we immobilize noble metal ions into a spherical thiolated organosilica. This new type of catalysts can catalyze Suzuki reaction homogeneously via leaching out Pd ions and shuttling them back after the reaction. The excellent reusability attained can be attributed to minimalization of forming metallic palladium. Thus, the developed catalysts can be viewed as a two-way device to release and to restore metal ions for homogeneous catalysis.

Hollow functional metal silicate materials have received the most interest due to their large inner space, permeable and functional shell, lighter density, and better use of material compared to their solid counterparts. While tremendous success has been made in the synthesis of individual metal silicates with uniform morphology, the synthesis of multiphase hollow silicates has not been explored yet, although their direct applications could be promising. In this study, mesoporous aluminosilicate spheres (MASS) are transformed to submicrometer copper aluminosilicate hollow spheres (CASHS) via a one-pot hydrothermal process. CASHS has a hollow interior with Cu-Al-Si thorn-like moieties in a lamellar structure on its outer shell. The structure and morphology of CASHS are unique and different from the previously reported tubular copper silicates that are emanated from Stöber silica spheres. Herein, we also demonstrate that the extent of hollowing in CASHS can be attained by controlling the aluminum content of pristine MASS, highlighting the existence of parameters for in situ controlling the shell thickness of hollow materials. The application of CASHS as a potential heterogeneous catalyst has been directed to important oxidation processes such as olefin oxidation and the advanced oxidation process (AOP). In cyclohexene oxidation, for instance, high selectivity to cyclohex-2-en-1-one is achieved under moderate conditions using tert -butyl hydroperoxide as the oxidant. CASHS is a robust heterogeneous catalyst and recyclable for this reaction. CASHS-derived catalysts also favor AOP and enhance the removal of cationic dyes together with H 2 O 2 through an adsorption-degradation process.

Background: Earlier studies have suggested that microtia is a genetic disease with a worldwide incidence of microtia is between 0.83/10,000 and 17.40/10,000. For microtia, auricle morphology is the most crucial characteristic. However, no studies have been performed to characterize the genetic similarity of microtia and auricle morphology similarity. For the sporadic patients, the relationship between the gestational age of parents and the incidence of microtia is unclear. To obtain the characteristics of auricular deformity multiple case family (AD-MCF) and clarify the relationship between genetic similarity and auricle morphology similarity in AD-MCF., Methods: This study included 463 AD patients who were diagnosed by Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, from 2013 to 2019. Among these patients, 116 are from 43 MCF and the other 347 patients are sporadic. For the patients from families, the disease status of the four generations of immediate family members and the family tree map were collected to analyze the similarity of auricle shape in family members. A score evaluated the similarity of auricle shape according to the structure of the residual ear and the similarity in the morphology of each auricle. Moreover, the population distribution of AD and the gestational age of patients were further analyzed., Results: From 2013 to 2019, a total of 463 patients were diagnosed as microtia in our hospital. There were 427 patients with unilateral disease and 36 patients with bilateral disease. Among them, 116 patients were from 34 families and 9 de novo families. The total scores of patients in different genetic difference levels were compared and were found significantly different (P<0.001). Moreover, 58.14% of families were consistent with the law of chromosomal recessive genetic diseases. Importantly, we found that the gestational age of father in microtia de novo families is 30.94±0.75, and mother in de novo is 28.39±0.73 that is significantly higher than the gestational ages of parents from microtia families with P value =0.0001., Conclusions: The auricle similarity between family members is positively related to the genetic distance between family members. The microtia patients are potentially associated with the gestational ages of parents., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/atm.2020.03.212). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2020 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Exploring noble-metal-free advanced electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of great significance for development of sustainable energy systems. Rationally engineering chemical composition, electronic structure, and micro/nanoarchitecture of these catalysts represent a promising way to achieve their desired performance. Herein, we propose a general synthetic approach to prepare a series of porous nanosheets of bi- and tritransition-metal phosphides with homogeneous compositions supported by reduced graphene oxide (the resultant samples are termed as rGO/M a M b -P for simplicity, including rGO/CoFe-P, rGO/NiFe-P, rGO/CoNi-P, and rGO/CoNiFe-P). The resultant sheet-on-sheet hierarchical nanocomposites exhibit outstanding OER performance with low overpotentials, small Tafel slopes, and long durability in alkaline electrolyte, which compete favorably with the state-of-the-art OER catalysts reported to date. The remarkable electrocatalytic performances originate from their hierarchical structures and tailorable compositions with optimized electronic structure modulation and synergistically electroactive sites, together with large active surface area and smooth mass/charge transports. This synthetic route could serve as a facile and controllable process to simultaneously realize the architectural manipulation, compositional regulation, and electronic modulation for low-cost OER electrocatalysts based on earth-abundant metal elements in practical water electrolysis and other energy applications.

Since pioneering work done in the late 1990s, synthesis of functional hollow materials has experienced a rapid growth over the past two decades while their applications have been proven to be advantageous across many technological fields. In the field of heterogeneous catalysis, the development of micro- and nanoscale hollow materials as catalytic devices has also yielded promising results, because of their higher activity, stability, and selectivity. Herein, the architecture and preparation of these catalysts with tailorable composition and morphology are reviewed. First, synthesis of hollow materials is introduced according to the classification of template mediated, template free, and combined approaches. Second, different architectural designs of hollow catalytic devices, such as those without functionalization, with active components supported onto hollow materials, with active components incorporated within porous shells, and with active components confined within interior cavities, are evaluated respectively. The observed catalytic performances of this new class of catalysts are correlated to structural merits of individual configuration. Examples that demonstrate synthetic approaches and architected configurations are provided. Lastly, possible future directions are proposed to advance this type of hollow catalytic devices on the basis of our personal perspectives., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: Angiogenesis is an indispensable step in the growth and invasiveness of breast cancers involving a series of exquisite molecular steps. Pro-angiogenic factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), have been recognized as pivotal therapeutic targets in the treatment of breast cancer. More recently, a highly conserved transcription factor Twist has been reported to be involved in tumor angiogenesis and metastasis., Methods: The expression of VEGF-C and Twist was immunohistochemically determined in tissue samples of primary tumors from 408 patients undergoing curative surgical resection for breast cancer. The correlations of VEGF-C and Twist expressions with clinicopathologic parameters as well as survival outcomes were evaluated., Results: Of the 408 patients evaluated, approximately 70% had high expression of VEGF-C which was significantly associated with advanced tumor stages (P = 0.019). Similarly, VEGF-C expression was associated with the proliferation index Ki67, N3 lymph node metastasis, and D2-40-positive lymphatic vessel invasion (LVI) in a univariate analysis. Furthermore, patients with high expressions of VEGF-C and Twist (V + T+) had significantly increased lymph node metastasis, higher clinical stage, and worse disease-free survival, DFS (P = 0.001) and overall survival, OS (P = 0.011)., Conclusions: Our results suggested that co-expression of VEGF-C and Twist was associated with larger tumor size, higher numbers of lymph node involvement, D2-40-positive LVI, higher risk of distant metastasis, and worse DFS or OS in breast cancer patients.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a promising class of materials. However, their insulating nature has limited their application as electrocatalysts. Herein, we report a heterogeneous nanostructure of a Ni-based MOF-modified Ni 3 S 2 /NiS hollow nanoparticle. The Ni 3 S 2 /NiS hollow core is prepared by a sulfuration process from a colloidal nickel nanoparticle using dodecanethiol followed by a low-temperature heat treatment in air to remove the adsorbed organic ligands. The thin shell of the Ni-based MOF (Ni-BDC) is synthesized using an in situ method in which the nickel sulfides supply the metal source and the additional terephthalic acid serves as the linker. Serving as an oxygen evolution reaction catalyst, this hybrid nanocomposite shows superior electrocatalytic performance with a low overpotential of 298 mV at 10 mA·cm -2 without carbon addition and a long-time endurability with no detectable activity deterioration, which can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the advantageous heterogeneous structure, combining the good hydrophilicity and coordinative unsaturation of the Ni-BDC shell and the high conductivity and porosity of the Ni 3 S 2 /NiS core as well as the strongly coupled interface between them.

The activity of zeolite-supported nanocatalysts is dependent on both the dispersion, size, and location of metal nanoparticles around the zeolite and the size and pore structure of the zeolite. In this study, a synthetic approach was developed to encapsulate metal catalysts within hollow interiors of single-crystal ZSM-5. Briefly, Stöber silica spheres were synthesized and then transformed to single-crystal nano-ZSM-5 (Si/Al = 60), followed by growth of embedded metal nanoparticles and subsequently creation of a nanosized (30-50 nm shell thickness) hollow hierarchical zeolite structure. Metal nanoparticles such as Co, Cu, Cu-Zn, Fe, and Ni can be supported on the inner wall of the hollow zeolite and the surrounding satellite mesopores, without any particles present on the external zeolite surface. When evaluated as a catalyst for the Fischer-Trøpsch reaction, the Fe@h-ZSM5 catalyst shows high activity, sintering and coking resistance (50% longer stability than Fe@ZSM5), and secondary cracking reactions in the acid sites in the ZSM-5 shell, which reduce C 5+ hydrocarbon selectivity and increase smaller-chain hydrocarbon selectivity. In addition, when Pt was further deposited inside the hollow structure, shape-selective alkene hydrogenation was demonstrated. These configured nanoscale zeolite catalysts have potential applications for reactions that involve supported metal nanoparticle catalysis, shape selectivity, or secondary cracking reactions.

Optical molecular imaging, a highly sensitive and noninvasive technique which is simple to operate, inexpensive, and has the real-time capability, is increasingly being used in the diagnosis and treatment of carcinomas. The near-infrared fluorescence dye indocyanine green (ICG) is widely used in optical imaging for the dynamic detection of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in real time improving the detection rate and accuracy. ICG has the advantages of low scattering in tissue absorbance, low auto-fluorescence, and high signal-to-background ratio. The detection rate of axillary sentinel lymph nodes biopsy (SLNB) in breast cancers with ICG was more than 95 %, the false-negative rate was lower than 10 %, and the average detected number ranged from 1.75 to 3.8. The combined use of ICG with nuclein or blue dye resulted in a lower false-negative rate. ICG is also being used for the sentinel node detection in other malignant cancers such as head and neck, gastrointestinal, and gynecological carcinomas. In this article, we provide an overview of numerous studies that used the near-infrared fluorescence imaging to detect the sentinel lymph nodes in breast carcinoma and other malignant cancers. It is expected that with improvements in the optical imaging systems together with the use of a combination of multiple dyes and verification in large clinical trials, optical molecular imaging will become an essential tool for SLN detection and image-guided precise resection.

Objective: To construct 3β-HSD gene shRNA lentivirus interference vecto, then transfect into human MCF-7 cells, and construct cell line with 3β-HSD gene silencing, finally to study the effects of 3β-HSD on apoptosis induced by di- (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) . Methods: According to the mRNA sequence of 3β-HSD gene provided by GenBank, three interference sequences were designed and connected to PLVX-shRNA2-puro after annealing. The recombinant lentivirus vector was transfected into 293FT cells, the virus supernatants were collected and infected with MCF-7 cells. After puromycin screening, MCF-7 cells with 3β-HSD gene silencing were constructed. The cells with 3β-HSD gene silencing were identified by real-time quantitative PCR and western blot. Then the 3β-HSD gene silencing cells and MCF-7 cells were treated at various doses of DEHP for 24 hours to detect the gene expression and protein expression of apoptosis genes including Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-8. Results: The interference sequence of 3β-HSD gene inserted into lentivirus vector PLVX-shRNA2-puro is consistent with the designed sequence. 3β-HSD gene expression level in MCF-7 cells with 3β-HSD gene silencing was 77% lower than than that of control MCF-7 cells. 3β-HSD protein level in MCF-7 cells with 3β-HSD gene silencing was 74% lower than that of control MCF-7 cells. After DEHP treatment in MCF-7 cells with 3β-HSD gene silencing and control MCF-7 cells, qRT-PCR results showed that Bax gene expression levels increased by 28%-54%, Caspase-3 gene increased by 13%-49%, Caspase-8 gene increased by 21%-70% in MCF-7 cells when compared with the control group. Additionally, in the 3β-HSD gene silencing cells, Bax gene expression level decreased by 11%-28%, Caspase-3 gene expression decreased by 12%-23%, Caspase-8 gene expression decreased by 11%-34%, compared with the same treatment group of MCF-7 cells. Western blot results showed that Bax protein expression level increased by 28%-61%, Caspase-3 protein expression level increased by 40%-48%, Caspase-8 protein increased by 31%-84% in MCF-7 cells when compared with the control group. In 3β-HSD gene silencing cells, Bax protein expression level increased by 11%-27%, Caspase-3 protein increased by 21%-40%, Caspase-8 protein increased by 12%-25%, compared with the same treatment group of MCF-7 cells. Conclusion: The stable 3β-HSD gene silencing cell line are successfully constructed in this study. DEHP can induce increased expression of apoptotic gene and protein. Silencing of 3β-HSD gene can inhibit the activation of apoptotic gene by DEHP in a certain degree.

Formation mechanisms of two-dimensional nanostructures in wet syntheses are poorly understood. Even more enigmatic is the influence of hydrodynamic forces. Here we use liquid flow cell transmission electron microscopy to show that layered double hydroxide, as a model material, may form via the oriented attachment of hexagonal nanoparticles; under hydrodynamic shear, oriented attachment is accelerated. To hydrodynamically manipulate the kinetics of particle growth and oriented attachment, we develop a microreactor with high and tunable shear rates, enabling control over particle size, crystallinity and aspect ratio. This work offers new insights in the formation of two-dimensional materials, provides a scalable yet precise synthesis method, and proposes new avenues for the rational engineering and scalable production of highly anisotropic nanostructures.

Advanced nanocatalysts with high compositional and structural tailorability have emerged as a new class of heterogeneous catalysts exhibiting many new technical merits over their conventional counterparts. Generally, preparation of such catalysts involves the integration of catalyst components with compositional, size, and shape controls into a larger material system in order to bring along collective and synergetic effects of individual components. Herein, a brief review of architectural designs and synthetic strategies for making these nanocatalysts is presented. Due to length constraints, only four major types of them are highlighted together with some general rules of design and synthesis. Finally, a critical outline of future perspective in this field is proposed., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Interactions between metal nanoparticles (NPs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in their composite forms have proven to exhibit beneficial properties, such as enhanced catalytic performance through synergistic effects. Herein, we show that Lewis basic sites can be created within an anionic defective MOF by engineering the electronic state of the pendant carboxylate groups situated at the defect sites. This is achieved from the concerted interactions between the pendant carboxylate groups, embedded Pd NPs and charge-balancing cations (M n+  = Ce 3+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ , Mg 2+ , Li + , Na + or K + ). This work is the first example of generating a new collective property, i.e. Lewis basicity, in metal-carboxylate MOFs. Importantly, the choice of M n+ , used during cation exchange, acts as a convenient parameter to tune the Lewis basicity of the MOF-based nanocomposites. It also provides a facile way to incorporate active metal sites and basic sites within carboxylate-based MOFs to engineer multifunctional nanocatalysts.

Hydrogen spillover phenomenon is well-documented in hydrogenation catalysis but still highly disputed in hydrogen storage. Until now, the existence of hydrogen spillover through metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) remains a topic of ongoing debate and how far the split hydrogen atoms diffuse in such materials is unknown. Herein we provide experimental evidence of the occurrence of hydrogen spillover in microporous MOFs at elevated temperatures, and the penetration depths of atomic hydrogen were measured quantitatively. We have made Matryoshka-type (ZIFs@) n-1 ZIFs (where ZIFs = ZIF-8 or ZIF-67) nanocubes, together with Pt nanoparticles loaded on their external surfaces to produce atomic hydrogen. Within the (ZIFs@) n-1 ZIFs, the ZIF-8 shell served as a ruler to measure the travelling distance of H atoms while the ZIF-67 core as a terminator of H atoms. In addition to the hydrogenolysis at normal pressure, CO 2 hydrogenation can also trace the migration of H atoms over the ZIF-8 at high pressure.

Intercalation of silica-supported nickel nanoparticles within mesoporous silica has been achieved through chemical reduction of nickel silicate with mesoporous silica ( mSiO 2 ) coated on inner and outer surfaces. Formation of nickel nanoparticles was controlled at nickel silicate-silica interface and was well-confined by mSiO 2 coating. Doping of other transition metals has been accomplished at the stage of nickel silicate formation, because of similarity in critical stability constants of respective metal salts. Doped nickel silicates were able to produce nickel-based bimetallic and trimetallic alloy nanoparticles within the final dual-shell configuration. This type of catalyst has been tested for both liquid- and gas-phase reactions, all showing good activity and selectivity. Ni nanoparticles could serve as the active catalyst or activity enhancer to other alloyed metals for different reactions. Especially for selective hydrogenation of trans-cinnamaldehyde, 100% selectivity toward hydrocinnamaldehyde at full conversion has been achieved without using noble metals. Spent catalysts in all cases showed no changes in terms of morphology and crystal structure, indicating this type of catalyst was robust under such reaction conditions, including gas-solid reaction systems.

Noble metal nanoparticles smaller than 2 nm were immobilized inside the channels of mesoporous silica via a self-assembly method using cetyltrimethylammonium chloride as a structural directing agent. This general approach can be used for integration of various precious metals into mesoporous silica matrixes of ∼30 nm to achieve better matter utilisation and higher catalytic activity.

Purpose: This study aimed to validate and update a model for predicting the risk of axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis for assisting clinical decision-making., Methods: We included breast cancer patients diagnosed at six Dutch hospitals between 2011 and 2015 to validate the original model which includes six variables: clinical tumor size, tumor grade, estrogen receptor status, lymph node longest axis, cortical thickness and hilum status as detected by ultrasonography. Subsequently, we updated the original model using generalized linear model (GLM) tree analysis and by adjusting its intercept and slope. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration curve were used to assess the original and updated models. Clinical usefulness of the model was evaluated by false-negative rates (FNRs) at different cut-off points for the predictive probability., Results: Data from 1416 patients were analyzed. The AUC for the original model was 0.774. Patients were classified into four risk groups by GLM analysis, for which four updated models were created. The AUC for the updated models was 0.812. The calibration curves showed that the updated model predictions were better in agreement with actual observations than the original model predictions. FNRs of the updated models were lower than the preset 10% at all cut-off points when the predictive probability was less than 12.0%., Conclusions: The original model showed good performance in the Dutch validation population. The updated models resulted in more accurate ALN metastasis prediction and could be useful preoperative tools in selecting low-risk patients for omission of axillary surgery., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

A series of amorphous 3D Co-based phosphate networks with hierarchical porosity, including the CoPi, the binary CoM 1 Pi and the trinary CoM 1 M 2 Pi (M i  = Ni II , Fe III , Ce III ) are produced via a novel bitemplate coprecipitation approach at room temperature. Interestingly, the integration of Fe III and Co II in the same network is found to significantly influence both the porosity and the electronic state of Co II . The CoFePi with a Fe III to Co II mole ratio of 0.91 has a specific surface area of 170 m 2 g -1 and average pore size of 12.3 nm, larger than those of the CoPi network; furthermore, the Co II within such CoFePi exhibits a higher oxidation state than that in the CoPi. Due to such structural and compositional merits, the binary CoFePi network shows superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalytic activity, which gives an overpotential as low as 0.315 V at 10 mA cm -2 and a Tafel slope of 33 mV dec -1 in 0.10 m KOH. Additionally, the trinary CoFeNiPi demonstrates similar OER catalytic performance. The two phosphate networks also exhibit remarkable catalytic stability. In view of their easy preparation, superior activity, high stability, and low cost, such transition metal phosphate networks are promising catalysts for practical OER processes., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Electrochemical splitting of water to produce hydrogen and oxygen is an important process for many energy storage and conversion devices. Developing efficient, robust, low-cost, and earth-abundant electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is therefore of great importance. Herein, we report a novel method to prepare two-dimensional cobalt hydrogen phosphate (CoHPi) through chemical conversion of α-Co(OH) 2 precursor at room temperature. The CoHPi nanoflakes with the thickness of 3 nm contain HPO 4 2- anions, which have been demonstrated to serve as a proton acceptor in proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) process of OER. Due to their ultrathin structure and the PCET merit of anions, the CoHPi nanoflakes show enhanced OER activity as well as excellent stability in prolonged OER operation. Through further mechanism study, the observed performances can be ascribed to enriched active sites, surface superhydrophilicity, and rapid electron/proton and mass transfers.

Exploring efficient and low-cost solid sorbents is essential for carbon capture and storage. Herein, a novel class of high-performance CO 2 adsorbent (rGO@MgO/C) is engineered based on the controllable integration of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), amorphous carbon, and MgO nanocrystallites. The optimized rGO@MgO/C nanocomposite exhibits remarkable CO 2 capture capacity (up to 31.5 wt % at 27 °C, 1 bar CO 2 , and 22.5 wt % under the simulated flue gas), fast sorption rate, and strong process durability. The enhanced capture capability of CO 2 is the best among all of the MgO-based sorbents reported so far. The high performance of rGO@MgO/C nanocomposite can be ascribed to the hierarchical architecture and special physicochemical features, including the sheet-on-sheet sandwich-like structure, ultrathin nanosheets with abundant nanopores, large surface area, and highly dispersed ultrafine MgO nanocrystallites (ca. 3 nm in size), together with the rGO sheets and in situ generated amorphous carbon that serve as a dual carbon support and protectant system with which to prevent MgO nanocrystallites from agglomeration. In addition, the CO 2 -uptake capacity at intermediate temperature (e.g., 350 °C) can be further improved threefold through alkali metal salt promotion treatment. This work provides a facile and effective strategy with which to engineer advanced graphene-based functional nanocomposites with rationally designed compositions and architectures for potential applications in the field of gas storage and separation.

Functional hollow materials have attracted extensive research attention due to their promising prospects for catalysis. Herein, we report an alternative synthesis of hierarchically hollow structured materials directly from core-shell structured templates, based on confined chemical reactions between the solid matter of a core and shell under hydrothermal conditions. More specifically, we have developed a novel and facile strategy to transform core-shell structured Cu 2 O@mSiO 2 (m = mesoporous) to tubular copper silicate assemblages (TCSA). Depending on the original shapes of Cu 2 O, TCSA can be tailored as spherical or cubic assemblages with stacking copper silicate nanotubes (inner diameter: 4.5 nm, thickness: 0.8 nm, length: ca. 96 nm) in the shell. Moreover, by utilizing the residual reductive Cu(I) (ca. 10 at% of total surface copper) on TCSA support, in situ generations of Pd nanoparticles (∼4.5 nm) and Au nanoparticles (∼5.8 nm) were successfully achieved based on the spontaneous galvanic replacement reactions. Two integrated nanocatalysts (viz., Pd/TCSA and Au/TCSA) have been prepared with this approach. As an example, Pd/TCSA exhibits excellent activity and recyclability for Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions.

Particulate catalysts with streamline shapes have important impacts on fluid-related reactions, and they need to be properly characterized. However, utilization of streamline-shaped catalysts for heterogeneous catalysis has remained an unexplored area due to the lack of easy-to-use techniques to produce such shaped catalysts, especially at the small length scale of the submicron to micron regime. Herein, we report our recent development of a class of prototype nanocatalysts with streamline shapes. In this research, the kinetic control is adapted to obtain streamline-shaped supports, followed by functionalizing such supports with catalytically active metal nanoclusters (e.g., Au, Pd, Pt, and Ag or their combinations) in a stepwise manner. Advantages related to the streamline morphology of catalysts have been demonstrated with a number of solid-solution systems such as alcohol oxidation, olefin hydrogenation, and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. We believe these findings will promote new research on the design and synthesis of functional materials with additional fluid-advanced features.