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The study of visualization of impact damage of fruit under different thicknesses of buffer materials can provide more efficient transportation and packaging solutions, and thus the economic losses caused by fruit damage can be reduced. Pearl cotton (EPE) is commonly used as a buffer material in the market, and the impact damage behavior of honey peaches under different thicknesses of EPE buffer material was studied by using the finite element method. Firstly, the damage area, maximum contact force and damage volume during the collision of honey peaches with EPE materials of different thicknesses (2, 4, and 6 mm) were obtained by the single pendulum device, and then the Modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio of peach flesh were obtained by compression test. Finally, the finite element model of honey peach was built and the collision simulations were performed. The results of the study showed that the values of mechanical parameters of honey peach decreased with the increase of the thickness of the buffer material. When the collision angle was below 60°, the honey peaches were not damaged in the collision with the EPE material with a thickness of 4 mm or more. By comparing the tested values with the simulated values, it was found that the errors of the damage area, damage volume and maximum contact force were less than 19.71%, 26.82%, and 25.88%, respectively. The study not only proves the possibility of the finite element method in the quantitative prediction of honey peaches damage but also provides rational support for the packaging design of honey peaches., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists.)

Interferons (IFNs) activate JAK-STAT pathways to induce downstream effector genes for host defense against invaded pathogens and tumors. Here both type I (β) and II (γ) IFNs are shown that can activate the transcription factor IRF3 in parallel with STAT1. IRF3-deficiency impairs transcription of a subset of downstream effector genes induced by IFN-β and IFN-γ. Mechanistically, IFN-induced activation of IRF3 is dependent on the cGAS-STING-TBK1 axis. Both IFN-β and IFN-γ cause mitochondrial DNA release into the cytosol. In addition, IFNs induce JAK1-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of cGAS at Y214/Y215, which is essential for its DNA binding activity and signaling. Furthermore, deficiency of cGAS, STING, or IRF3 impairs IFN-β- or IFN-γ-mediated antiviral and antitumor activities. The findings reveal a novel IRF3 activation pathway parallel with the canonical STAT1/2 activation pathways triggered by IFNs and provide an explanation for the pleiotropic roles of the cGAS-STING-IRF3 axis in host defense., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Efficient copper-catalyzed radical thiocyanosulfonylation of alkenes and alkynes with potassium thiocyanate and sodium phenylsulfinate is described. The reactions provide general and convenient methods toward the synthesis of β-thiocyanoalkyl sulfones and β-thiocyanoalkenyl sulfones, respectively, in satisfactory yields. Based on conducted mechanistic experiments, a mechanism involving oxidative generation of sulfonyl radicals and subsequent addition to alkenes followed by Cu-assisted thiocyanation is proposed. Moreover, the practicability of the reaction is successfully demonstrated by its successful application on a gram scale.

It is still a challenge to construct single-atom level reduction and oxidation sites in single-component photocatalyst by manipulating coordination configuration for photocatalytic water splitting. Herein, the atomically dispersed asymmetric configuration of six-coordinated Co-S 2 O 4 (two exposed S atoms, two OH groups, and two Co─O─Zn bonds) suspending on ZnIn 2 S 4 nanosheets verified by combining experimental analysis with theoretical calculation, is applied into photocatalytic water splitting. The Co-S 2 O 4 site immobilized by Vs acts as oxidation sites to guide electrons transferring to neighboring independent S atom, achieving efficient separation of reduction and oxidation sites. It is worth mentioning that stabilized Co-S 2 O 4 configuration show dynamic structure evolution to highly active Co-S 1 O 4 configuration (one exposed S atom, one OH group, and three Co─O─Zn bonds) in reaction, which lowers energy barrier of transition state for H 2 O activization. Ultimately, the optimized photocatalyst exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity for water splitting (H 2 : 80.13 µmol g -1 h -1 , O 2 : 37.81 µmol g -1 h -1 ) and outstanding stability than that of multicomponent photocatalysts due to dynamic and reversible evolution between stable Co-S 2 O 4 configuration and active Co-S 1 O 4 configuration. This work demonstrates new cognitions on immobilized strategy through vacancy inducing, manipulating coordination configuration, and dynamic evolution mechanism of single-atom level catalytic site in photocatalytic water splitting., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Population-normalized indicators (e.g., GDP per capita), under the assumption of the indicators scaling linearly with population, are ubiquitously used in national development performance comparison. This assumption, however, is not valid because it may ignore agglomeration effect resulting from nonlinear interactions in socioeconomic systems. Here, we present extensive empirical evidence showing the sub-linear scaling rather than the presumed linear scaling between population and multiple indicators of national development performance. We then develop a theoretical framework based on the scaling rule observed in cities to explore the origin of scaling in countries. Finally, we demonstrate that urbanization plays a pivotal role in transforming national development from limited sub-linear growth to unlimited super-linear growth. This underscores the significance of urbanization in achieving sustained growth and elevating human living standards at the national level. Our findings have the potential to inform policies aimed at promoting equitable inter-country comparison and achieving sustainable development in countries., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Traditional H 2 O 2 cleavage mediated by macroscopic electron transfer (MET) not only has low utilization of H 2 O 2 , but also sacrifices the stability of catalysts. We present a non-redox hydroxyl-enriched spinel (CuFe 2 O 4 ) catalyst with dual Lewis acid sites to realize the homolytic cleavage of H 2 O 2 . The results of systematic experiments, in situ characterizations, and theoretical calculations confirm that tetrahedral Cu sites with optimal Lewis acidity and strong electron delocalization can synergistically elongate the O-O bonds (1.47 Å → 1.87 Å) in collaboration with adjacent bridging hydroxyl (another Lewis acid site). As a result, the free energy of H 2 O 2 homolytic cleavage is decreased (1.28 eV → 0.98 eV). H 2 O 2 can be efficiently split into ⋅OH induced by hydroxyl-enriched CuFe 2 O 4 without MET, which greatly improves the catalyst stability and the H 2 O 2 utilization (65.2 %, nearly 2 times than traditional catalysts). The system assembled with hydroxyl-enriched CuFe 2 O 4 and H 2 O 2 affords exceptional performance for organic pollutant elimination. The scale-up experiment using a continuous flow reactor realizes long-term stability (up to 600 mL), confirming the tremendous potential of hydroxyl-enriched CuFe 2 O 4 for practical applications., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The concept of multi-target-directed ligands offers fresh perspectives for the creation of brand-new Alzheimer's disease medications. To explore their potential as multi-targeted anti-Alzheimer's drugs, eighteen new bakuchiol derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by IR, NMR, and HRMS. Eighteen compounds were assayed for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in vitro using Ellman's method. It was shown that most of the compounds inhibited AChE and BuChE to varying degrees, but the inhibitory effect on AChE was relatively strong, with fourteen compounds showing inhibition of >50% at the concentration of 200 μM. Among them, compound 3g (IC 50  = 32.07 ± 2.00 μM) and compound 3n (IC 50  = 34.78 ± 0.34 μM) showed potent AChE inhibitory activities. Molecular docking studies and molecular dynamics simulation showed that compound 3g interacts with key amino acids at the catalytically active site (CAS) and peripheral anionic site (PAS) of acetylcholinesterase and binds stably to acetylcholinesterase. On the other hand, compounds 3n and 3q significantly reduced the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 released from LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. Compound 3n possessed both anti-acetylcholinesterase activity and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, an in-depth study of compound 3n is expected to be a multi-targeted anti-AD drug., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Conventional microalgal-bacterial consortia have limited capacity to treat low-C/N wastewater due to carbon limitation and single nitrogen (N) removal mode. In this work, indigenous synergetic microalgal-bacterial consortia with high N removal performance and bidirectional interaction were successful in treating rare earth tailing wastewaters with low-C/N. Ammonia removal reached 0.89 mg N L -1 h -1 , 1.84-fold more efficient than a common microalgal-bacterial system. Metagenomics-based metabolic reconstruction revealed bidirectional microalgal-bacterial interactions. The presence of microalgae increased the abundance of bacterial N-related genes by 1.5- to 57-fold. Similarly, the presence of bacteria increased the abundance of microalgal N assimilation by 2.5- to 15.8-fold. Furthermore, nine bacterial species were isolated, and the bidirectional promotion of N removal by the microalgal-bacterial system was verified. The mechanism of microalgal N assimilation enhanced by indole-3-acetic acid was revealed. In addition, the bidirectional mode of the system ensured the scavenging of toxic byproducts from nitrate metabolism to maintain the stability of the system. Collectively, the bidirectional enhancement system of synergetic microalgae-bacteria was established as an effective N removal strategy to broaden the stable application of this system for the effective treatment of low C/N ratio wastewater.

The efficient and stable production of hydrogen (H 2 ) through Pt-containing photocatalysts remains a great challenge. Herein, we develop an effective strategy to selectively and uniformly anchor Pt NPs (∼1.2 nm) on a covalent triazine-based framework photocatalyst via in situ derived bridging ligands. Compared to Pt/CTF-1, the obtained Pt/AT-CTF-1 exhibits a considerable photocatalytic H 2 evolution rate of 562.9 μmol g -1 h -1 under visible light irradiation. Additionally, the strong interaction between the Pt NPs and in situ derived bridging ligands provides remarkable stability to Pt/AT-CTF-1. Experimental investigations and photo/chemical characterization reveal the synergy of the in situ derived bridging ligands in Pt/AT-CTF-1, which can selectively anchor the Pt NPs with homogeneous sizes and efficiently improve the transmission of charge carriers. This work provides a new perspective toward stabilizing ultrasmall nanoclusters and facilitating electron transfer in photocatalytic H 2 evolution materials.

Dechlorination of chloropyridines can eliminate their detrimental environmental effects. However, traditional dechlorination technology cannot efficiently break the C-Cl bond of chloropyridines, which is restricted by the uncontrollable nonselective species. Hence, we propose the carbonate species-activated hydrogen peroxide (carbonate species/H 2 O 2 ) process wherein the selective oxidant (peroxymonocarbonate ion, HCO 4 - ) and selective reductant (hydroperoxide anion, HO 2 - ) controllably coexist by manipulation of reaction pH. Taking 2-chloropyridine (Cl-Py) as an example, HCO 4 - first induces Cl-Py into pyridine N-oxidation intermediates, which then suffer from the nucleophilic dechlorination by HO 2 - . The obtained dechlorination efficiencies in the carbonate species/H 2 O 2 process (32.5-84.5%) based on the cooperation of HCO 4 - and HO 2 - are significantly higher than those in the HO 2 - -mediated sodium hydroxide/hydrogen peroxide process (0-43.8%). Theoretical calculations confirm that pyridine N-oxidation of Cl-Py can effectively lower the energy barrier of the dechlorination process. Moreover, the carbonate species/H 2 O 2 process exhibits superior anti-interference performance and low electric energy consumption. Furthermore, Cl-Py is completely detoxified via the carbonate species/H 2 O 2 process. More importantly, the carbonate species/H 2 O 2 process is applicable for efficient dehalogenation of halogenated pyridines and pyrazines. This work offers a simple and useful strategy to enhance the dehalogenation efficiency of halogenated organics and sheds new insights into the application of the carbonate species/H 2 O 2 process in practical environmental remediation.

The deactivation of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts caused by alkali metal poisoning remains an insurmountable challenge. In this study, we examined the impact of Na poisoning on the performance of Fe and Mo co-doped TiO 2 (Fe a Mo b TiO x ) catalysts in the SCR reaction and revealed the related alkali resistance mechanism. On the obtained Fe 1 Mo 2.6 TiO x catalyst, the synergistic catalytic effect of uniformly dispersed FeO x and MoO x species leads to remarkable catalytic activity, with over 90% NO conversion achieved in a wide temperature range of 210-410 °C. During the Na poisoning process, Na ions predominantly adsorb on the MoO x species, which exhibit stronger alkali resistance, effectively safeguarding the FeO x species. This preferential adsorption minimizes the negative effect of Na poisoning on Fe 1 Mo 2.6 TiO x . Moreover, Na poisoning has little influence on the Eley-Rideal reaction pathway involving adsorbed NH x reacting with gaseous NO x . After Na poisoning, the Lewis acid sites were deteriorated, while the abundant Brønsted acid sites ensured sufficient NH x adsorption. As a benefit from the self-defense effects of active MoO x species for alkali capture, Fe a Mo b TiO x exhibits exceptional alkali resistance in the SCR reaction. This research provides valuable insights for the design of highly efficient and alkali-resistant SCR catalysts.

Liver micro-proteomics based on the routinely used formaldehyde-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples is valuable for innovative research, but the technical approach for sample preparation is often challenging. In this study, we aimed to develop a method for sample preparation for micro-proteomics on using the FFPE liver samples. We collected 2000 individual cells per batch from FFPE liver slices with laser capture microdissection and used them as test samples. We used the microscale fresh-frozen liver samples or HepG2 cells as control samples. For the FFPE samples, we first established a procedure for protein extraction. 2 h incubation at 95 °C in alkaline amine buffer supplemented with 4% sodium dodecyl sulfate allows improved production, efficiency, and quality of protein extraction. Then, we developed a dedicated protocol HDMSP for the micro-concentrated (<0.05 μg/μL) protein preparation for mass spectrometry (MS) based analysis, in which 2 μg/μL carboxyl magnetic beads and 70% acetonitrile are used to induce protein precipitation. For the 0.01 μg/μL protein control samples, protein recovery rate (PRR) by HDMSP is 72.1%, while the PRR is 5.9% if using a standard method solid phase-enhanced sample preparation. For the FFPE samples, the HDMSP PRR is 88.8%, and the subsequent MS analysis demonstrates increased depth, robustness, and quantitation accuracy for HDMSP relative to the control of in-gel digestion. Moreover, the physicochemical properties and subcellular location of the FFPE liver micro-proteome are comparable to those of the fresh-frozen control samples processed with filter-aided sample preparation (FASP). HDMSP is also comparable to FASP in terms of reproducibility and physicochemical properties in liver subcellular proteomes, and meanwhile reduces the sample preparation time by 15.9% and the experimental cost by 30.8%. Overall, the new method is simple and highly effective for preparing the microscale FFPE liver protein samples for MS analysis. This study provides a useful solution for FFPE liver micro-proteomics., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective To develop a kit for detecting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) in the human body. Methods The HER-2 kit was evaluated based on an automated magnetic particle chemiluminescence platform. The kit was developed using the double antibody sandwich-complexation method. Results The kit showed a linear range of 0.01-800 ng/mL, with a linear R 2 of >0.999. The limit of the blank was 0.0039 ng/mL, and the precision at 1.00 ng/mL was 9.4%. The recovery rate at 10.00 ng/mL was 97.81-101.81%. The negative serum reference range was 0-8.23 ng/mL. Conclusions The kit had a wide linear range, high accuracy, good precision, and high sensitivity, indicating that it has good application prospects., Competing Interests: Declaration of interest statement Thank everyone for their hard work, thanks to the Chinese Academy of Sciences for providing experimental cells, and thank JianpingJiuxing Company for its technical and instrument support. We declare that any author has no conflict of interest and take responsibility for the results of the experiment., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Traditional methods cannot efficiently recover Cu from Cu(II)-EDTA wastewater and encounter the formation of secondary contaminants. In this study, an ozone/percarbonate (O 3 /SPC) process was proposed to efficiently decomplex Cu(II)-EDTA and simultaneously recover Cu. The results demonstrate that the O 3 /SPC process achieves 100% recovery of Cu with the corresponding k obs value of 0.103 min -1 compared with the typical • OH-based O 3 /H 2 O 2 process (81.2%, 0.042 min -1 ). The carbonate radical anion (CO 3 •- ) is generated from the O 3 /SPC process and carries out the targeted attack of amino groups of Cu(II)-EDTA for decarboxylation and deamination processes, resulting in successive cleavage of Cu-O and Cu-N bonds. In comparison, the • OH-based O 3 /H 2 O 2 process is predominantly responsible for the breakage of Cu-O bonds via decarboxylation and formic acid removal. Moreover, the released Cu(II) can be transformed into stable copper precipitates by employing an endogenous precipitant (CO 3 2- ), accompanied by toxic-free byproducts in the O 3 /SPC process. More importantly, the O 3 /SPC process exhibits excellent metal recovery in the treatment of real copper electroplating wastewater and other metal-EDTA complexes. This study provides a promising technology and opens a new avenue for the efficient decomplexation of metal-organic complexes with simultaneous recovery of valuable metal resources.

Non-noble materials with high efficiency and stability are essential for renewable energy applications. Herein, cobalt phosphide nanoparticles-decorated covalent organic frameworks (CTF-CoP) are synthesized via an in situ self-assembly method combined with the calcination process. In such a configuration, an intimate interaction between CoP and CTF matrix is gained through the Co-N chemical bonds, which not only significantly enhance the recyclability of CoP nanoparticles but also significantly improve the charge separation efficiency. Besides, the synergistically interactive P δ - -Co δ + -N δ - states induced by the polarization effect of N-anchoring sites benefit for the adsorption and dissociation of water molecules in CTF-CoP. Consequently, CTF-CoP exhibits a higher photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (261.7 μmol g -1 h -1 ) and better durability as compared with the physically fixed CTF/CoP composite (64.8 μmol g -1 h -1 ) and even the noble metal-based CTF-Pt (191.3 μmol g -1 h -1 ). This work provides an avenue to construct highly stable non-noble photocatalyst for energy conversion and also emphasizes the potential of CTFs in constructing efficient heterojunctions.

Limited by the electrostatic interaction, the oxidation reaction of cations at the anode and the reduction reaction of anions at the cathode in the electrocatalytic system nearly cannot be achieved. This study proposes a novel strategy to overcome electrostatic interaction via strong complexation, realizing the electrocatalytic reduction of cyanide (CN - ) at the cathode and then converting the generated reduction products into nitrogen (N 2 ) at the anode. Theoretical calculations and experimental results confirm that the polarization of the transition metal oxide cathodes under the electric field causes the strong chemisorption between CN - and cathode, inducing the preferential enrichment of CN - to the cathode. CN - is hydrogenated by atomic hydrogen at the cathode to methylamine/ammonia, which are further oxidized into N 2 by free chlorine derived from the anode. This paper provides a new idea for realizing the unconventional and unrealizable reactions in the electrocatalytic system., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

An efficient copper-catalyzed radical hydrazono-phosphorylation of alkenes with hydrazine derivatives and diarylphosphine oxides is described. The reaction provides a general and convenient method toward the synthesis of diverse β-hydrazonophosphine oxides in satisfactory yields. Based on conducted mechanistic experiments, a mechanism involving Ag-catalyzed oxidative generation of phosphinoyl radicals and subsequent addition to alkenes followed by Cu-assisted hydrazonation is proposed. Moreover, the practicability of the reaction is successfully demonstrated by its successful application on a gram scale.

A copper-catalyzed stereoselective phosphono-hydrazonation of terminal alkynes with alkyl carbazates and diarylphosphine oxides is described. This methodology provides facile access to a variety of β-hydrazonophosphine oxides in satisfactory yields. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions and exhibits good functional group tolerance. A mechanism featuring persulfate-mediated oxidative generation of phosphinoyl radicals and copper-assisted hydrazonation is proposed.

Globally, root-knot nematodes (RKNs) cause massive production losses in all major crops. E3 ubiquitin ligases are involved in plant growth, development and immune response. But their roles in plant defense against RKNs are largely unclear. Here, we show that tomato E3 ubiquitin ligase RING1 interacts with COP9 Signalosome Subunit 4 (CSN4) which is essential for jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent basal defense against RKNs. Tissue-specific expression analysis showed that RING1 expression was the highest in tomato roots and the expression was significantly increased with RKN (Meloidogyne incognita) infection. Compared with the wild-type plants, the number of egg masses in roots significantly increased in the ring1 mutants, while RING1 overexpression conferred resistance against RKNs. Furthermore, RKN infection increased the accumulation of CSN4 protein in the roots of wild-type plants, which was largely compromised in the ring1 mutants but was enhanced in the RING1 overexpressing plants. The RKN-induced transcripts of JA biosynthetic and signaling genes as well as the accumulation of JA and JA-isoleucine were compromised in ring1 mutants but were increased in RING1 overexpressing plants. These results suggest that RING1 positively regulates JA-dependent basal defense against RKNs by interacting with CSN4 proteins., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A Cu I -catalyzed cross-coupling of alkyl- and phosphorus-centered radicals for C(sp 3 )-P bond formation is introduced. Diacyl peroxides, generated in situ from aliphatic acids and H 2 O 2 , serve as a source for alkyl radicals and also an initiator for the generation of phosphorus radicals from H-P(O) compounds.

The effective treatment of pesticide wastewater with high organic content, complex composition and high-toxicity has attracted enormous attention of researchers. This work proposes a new idea for removing the pesticide wastewater with simultaneous resource recovery, which is different from the traditional view of mineralization of pesticide wastewater via composite technology. This novel strategy involved a sequential three-step treatment: (a) acidic Ozonation process, to remove the venomous aromatic heterocyclic compounds; (b) hydrolysis and ozonation in alkaline conditions, enhancing the biodegradability of pesticide wastewater, mainly due to the dehalogenation, elimination of C=C bonds and production of low molecular-weight carboxylate anions; (c) the final step is anaerobic biological reactions. Based on the characterizations, this two-stage acidic-alkaline ozonation can efficiently degraded the virulence of pesticide wastewater and enhance its biodegradability from 0.08 to 0.32. The final anaerobic biochemical treatment can stably remove the residuals and convert the low molecular-weight organics into CH 4 , achieving the resource recovery. This work explored the pH-dependent of ozonized degradation of pesticide wastewater and gives a new perspective of wastewater treatment., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Indirect electrochemical oxidation by hydroxyl radicals is the predominant degradation mechanism in electrolysis with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode. However, this electrochemical method exhibits low reactivity in removal of hydrophilic aromatic pollutants owing to mass transfer limitation. In this study, the combination of ultraviolet light and BDD electrolysis could increase the degradation rate of hydrophilic aromatic pollutants by approximately 8-10 times relative to electrolysis alone. According to the results of the scavenging experiments and identification of benzoic acid oxidation products, surface-bound hydroxyl radical (•OH (surface) ) was the primary reactive species degrading aromatic pollutants in the BDD electrolysis process, whereas freely-diffusing homogeneous hydroxyl radical (•OH (free) ) was the major reactive species in the UV-assisted BDD electrolysis process. Cyclic voltammetry revealed that UV light decomposed H 2 O 2 formed on the BDD anode surface, thus retarding O 2 evolution and facilitating •OH (free) generation. This work also explored the potential application of UV-assisted BDD electrolysis in removing COD from bio-pretreated landfill leachate containing high concentrations of hydrophilic aromatic pollutants. This study shed light on the importance of the existing state of •OH on removal of pollutants during BDD electrolysis, and provided a facile and efficient UV-assisted strategy for promoting degradation of hydrophilic aromatic pollutants., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies in aged males, ranking the second in the incidence of malignant tumors in men. Early diagnosis is essential, as advanced PCa is quite difficult to be managed, especially when it becomes castration-resistant or neuroendocrine PCa. Currently, the diagnosis of PCa is often based on pathology by prostate biopsy. Many recent studies focus on the impact of different biopsy methods on the diagnosis of the malignancy, but no consensus has been reached hitherto. This review summarizes various prostate biopsy methods and their latest studies.

Traditional methods of cyanides' (CN - ) mineralization cannot overcome the contradiction between the high alkalinity required for the inhibition of hydrogen cyanide evolution and the low alkalinity required for the efficient hydrolysis of cyanate (CNO - ) intermediates. Thus, in this study, a novel Electro-Fenton system was constructed, in which the free cyanides released from ferricyanide photolysis can be efficiently mineralized by the synergy of •OH and •O 2 - . The complex bonds in ferricyanide (100 mL, 0.25 mM) were completely broken within 80 min under ultraviolet radiation, releasing free cyanides. Subsequently, in combination with the heterogeneous Electro-Fenton process, • OH and • O 2 - were simultaneously generated and 92.9% of free cyanides were transformed into NO 3 - within 120 min. No low-toxic CNO - intermediates were accumulated during the Electro-Fenton process. A new conversion mechanism was proposed that CN - was activated into electron-deficient cyanide radical ( • CN) by • OH, and then the • CN intermediates reacted with • O 2 - via nucleophilic addition to quickly form NO 3 - , preventing the formation of CNO - and promoting the mineralization of cyanide. Furthermore, this new strategy was used to treat the actual cyanide residue eluent, achieving rapid recovery of irons and efficient mineralization of cyanides. In conclusion, this study proposes a new approach for the mineralization treatment of cyanide-containing wastewater., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: After peripheral nerve injury, Schwann cells proliferate and migrate to the injured site, thereby promoting peripheral nerve regeneration. The process is regulated by various factors. Endothelial cells participate in the process via angiogenesis. However, the effects of endothelial cells on Schwann cells are not yet known. The present study sought to evaluate whether endothelial cells accelerate Schwann cell proliferation and migration., Methods: We established a co-culture model of rat Schwann cells (RSC96s) and rat aortic endothelial cells (RAOECs), and studied the effects of endothelial cells on Schwann cells by evaluating changes in Schwann cell proliferation and migration and related multiple genes and their protein expressions in the co-culture model., Results: The results showed that increasing the proportion of endothelial cells in the co-culture model enhanced the proliferation. At days 1 and 3 following the co-culturing, the relative growth rates of the co-cultured cells were 122.87% and 127.37%, respectively, which showed a significant increase in the viability compared to that of the RSC96s (P<0.05). In this process, the expression of Ki67 increased. The migration ability of Schwann cells was also enhanced. The migration capacity of Schwann cells was detected by wound-healing and Transwell assays. The results of the group with 15% of endothelial cells was significantly higher than the results of the other groups (P<0.0001 and P<0.05, respectively). Further, neuregulin 1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein increased the process of Schwann cell migration., Conclusions: The results showed that endothelial cells can promote the proliferation and migration of Schwann cells and participate in peripheral nerve regeneration., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://atm.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/atm-22-81/coif). All authors report that the research was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (No. 81870965). The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Microplastics (MPs) are the significant environmental factor for bioavailability of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in aquatic environments. Nevertheless, the bioavailability of microplastic-associated HOCs remains unclear. In this research, the freely dissolved pyrene concentrations were kept stable with passive dosing devices, and the pyrene content in D. magna tissues as well as D. magna immobilization were analyzed to quantify bioavailability of pyrene (a representative HOC) associated with naturally-aged polystyrene (PS) MPs. Furthermore, the uptake mechanisms of pyrene associated with MPs of different sizes were explored by investigating the distribution of MPs in D. magna tissues with scanning electron microscopy. Especially, a new schematic model of bioavailability process was established. The results demonstrated that a part of pyrene associated with 0-1.5 μm MPs could directly cross cell membrane through endocytosis from intestine and exposure solutions to D. magna tissues except the 10-60 and 60-230 μm MPs. The bioavailability of microplastic-associated pyrene was ordered as 0-1.5 μm (20.0-21.6%) > 10-60 μm (10.7-13.8%) > 60-230 μm MPs (6.0-9.8%), which were essentially resulted from the difference in uptake mechanisms of pyrene associated with MPs of different sizes. This work suggests that the bioavailability of microplastic-associated HOCs should be considered when assessing water quality and environmental risk of HOCs in natural waters., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) is an excellent active species for the selective degradation of organic pollutions. However, it is difficult to achieve high efficiency and selectivity for the generation of 1 O 2 . In this work, we develop a graphitic carbon nitride supported Fe single-atoms catalyst (Fe 1 /CN) containing highly uniform Fe-N 4 active sites with a high Fe loading of 11.2 wt %. The Fe 1 /CN achieves generation of 100 % 1 O 2 by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS), which shows an ultrahigh p-chlorophenol degradation efficiency. Density functional theory calculations results demonstrate that in contrast to Co and Ni single-atom sites, the Fe-N 4 sites in Fe 1 /CN adsorb the terminal O of PMS, which can facilitate the oxidization of PMS to form SO 5 .- , and thereafter efficiently generate 1 O 2 with 100 % selectivity. In addition, the Fe 1 /CN exhibits strong resistance to inorganic ions, natural organic matter, and pH value during the degradation of organic pollutants in the presence of PMS. This work develops a novel catalyst for the 100 % selective production of 1 O 2 for highly selective and efficient degradation of pollutants., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objective: To explore the correlates of sexual dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in male patients with urinary bladder stones and to determine the effect of stone extraction on recovery of sexual function. Materials and Methods: A total of 87 male patients with primary bladder stones were studied from January 2015 to May 2016. All patients underwent pneumatic lithotripsy for bladder stones. Sexual dysfunction was assessed based on sexual function assessment scales. The relationship of bladder stones with sexual dysfunction or LUTS was assessed using a two-sample t -test. Postoperative improvement of sexual function was assessed by repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results: Forty-one patients had primary bladder stones and 46 had secondary stones from the kidneys. Eighty-three of 87 patients (95%) had sexual dysfunction; 79 patients (91%) had both sexual dysfunction and LUTS. There was a significant association between bladder stones and sexual dysfunction, between sexual dysfunction and LUTS, and between bladder stone and LUTS ( p < 0.05). There was no significant association between the course of illness, size and number of bladder stones, or urinary tract infection with sexual function ( p > 0.05). In addition, among 83 patients with both bladder stone and sexual dysfunction, 61 patients (73%) had benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 22 patients (27%) had no BPH. On postoperative evaluation at 3 months, sexual dysfunction scores were significantly improved in 77 patients (88.5%) Conclusion: Patients with bladder stones have a high incidence of sexual dysfunction, particularly those with co-existing LUTS and BPH. About 1/3 patients without BPH had sexual dysfunction and surgical removal of bladder stones significantly improved sexual function and LUTS., 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 Gong, Wu, Wen, Zou, Wang, Leng, Bleyer, Deng, Feloney, Zhang and Zhao.)

Background: Ubiquitin-specific protease 15 (USP15) is an important member of the ubiquitin-specific protease family, the largest deubiquitinase subfamily, whose expression is dysregulated in many types of cancer. However, the biological function and the underlying mechanisms of USP15 in gastric cancer (GC) progression have not been elucidated., Aim: To explore the biological role and underlying mechanisms of USP15 in GC progression., Methods: Bioinformatics databases and western blot analysis were utilized to determine the expression of USP15 in GC. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the correlation between USP15 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of patients with GC. A loss- and gain-of-function experiment was used to investigate the biological effects of USP15 on GC carcinogenesis. RNA sequencing, immunofluorescence, and western blotting were performed to explore the potential mechanism by which USP15 exerts its oncogenic functions., Results: USP15 was up-regulated in GC tissue and cell lines. The expression level of USP15 was positively correlated with clinical characteristics (tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node involvement, tumor-node-metastasis stage, perineural invasion, and vascular invasion), and was related to poor prognosis. USP15 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of GC in vitro , while overexpression of USP15 promoted these processes. Knockdown of USP15 inhibited tumor growth in vivo . Mechanistically, RNA sequencing analysis showed that USP15 regulated the Wnt signaling pathway in GC. Western blotting confirmed that USP15 silencing led to significant down-regulation of β-catenin and Wnt/β-catenin downstream genes (c-myc and cyclin D1), while overexpression of USP15 yielded an opposite result and USP15 mutation had no change. Immunofluorescence indicated that USP15 promoted nuclear translocation of β-catenin, suggesting activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which may be the critical mechanism promoting GC progression. Finally, rescue experiments showed that the effect of USP15 on gastric cancer progression was dependent on Wnt/β-catenin pathway., Conclusion: USP15 promotes cell proliferation, invasion and EMT progression of GC via regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which suggests that USP15 is a novel potential therapeutic target for GC., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest, (©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

A new approach for the preparation of carbamates via the copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of amines with alkoxycarbonyl radicals generated from carbazates is described. This environmentally friendly protocol takes place under mild conditions and is compatible with a wide range of amines, including aromatic/aliphatic and primary/secondary substrates.

A copper-catalyzed difunctional cyano-, thiocyano-, and chlorophosphorylation reaction of alkynes with P(O)-H compounds and coupling partners (TBACN, TMSNCS, TMSCl) is described. The reaction introduces versatile groups (-P(O)R 2 and -CN, -SCN, or -Cl) to form tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenyl phosphine oxides/phosphonates regio- and stereoselectively.

Single atom catalysts (SACs) with the maximized metal atom efficiency have sparked great attention. However, it is challenging to obtain SACs with high metal loading, high catalytic activity, and good stability. Herein, we demonstrate a new strategy to develop a highly active and stable Ag single atom in carbon nitride (Ag-N 2 C 2 /CN) catalyst with a unique coordination. The Ag atomic dispersion and Ag-N 2 C 2 configuration have been identified by aberration-correction high-angle-annular-dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-HAADF-STEM) and extended X-ray absorption. Experiments and DFT calculations further verify that Ag-N 2 C 2 can reduce the H 2 evolution barrier, expand the light absorption range, and improve the charge transfer of CN. As a result, the Ag-N 2 C 2 /CN catalyst exhibits much better H 2 evolution activity than the N-coordinated Ag single atom in CN (Ag-N 4 /CN), and is even superior to the Pt nanoparticle-loaded CN (Pt NP /CN). This work provides a new idea for the design and synthesis of SACs with novel configurations and excellent catalytic activity and durability., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Our present study investigated whether exosome secretion of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) is regulated by autophagy. Different autophagic states of NPCs were induced by rapamycin (Rap), bafilomycin A1 (Baf) and other agents, and it was found that exosomes were secreted in an autophagy-dependent manner. Activation or inhibition of autophagy increased or decreased, respectively, the amount of exosomes that were released into the extracellular space. In addition, in order to confirm that Rap-promoted release of exosomes was mediated by autophagy rather than other pathways, we used autophagy associated gene 5 (ATG5) small-interfering RNA (siRNA) to silence the expression of ATG5 gene, which is indispensable for autophagy. The results showed that siRNA against ATG5 (siATG5) induced an accumulation of intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) in NPCs and a concomitant decrease in the amount of exosomes isolated from supernatant. Ras homolog gene (Rho) and Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase (ROCK) family molecules are capable of cytoskeletal remodeling and affecting vesicle transport. Therefore, we carried out targeted interventions and evaluated the effects of the RhoC/ROCK2 pathway on the secretion of exosomes within autophagic environment. Knockdown of RhoC and ROCK2 with corresponding siRNA significantly inhibited the secretion of exosomes originating from ILVs in NPCs, even when NPCs were subsequently treated with Rap. Taken together, our findings suggest that autophagy positively regulates expression levels of RhoC and ROCK2, and that the RhoC/ROCK2 pathway exerts a key function on NPCs-derived exosome secretion., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We demonstrate the impact of the optics roughness in Öffner stretchers used in chirped pulse amplification laser chains and how it is possible to improve the temporal contrast ratio in the temporal range of 10-100 ps by adequately choosing the optical quality of the key components. Experimental demonstration has been realized in the front-end source of the multi-petawatt (PW) laser facility Apollon, resulting in an enhancement of the contrast ratio by two to three orders of magnitude.

Accurate accounting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions considering interregional trade are important for developing regional-specific strategies for climate mitigation in countries like China where vast heterogeneity exists among regions. Trade-related provincial CO 2 emission accounts have been reported and analyzed for China using three independently developed multiregional input-output (MRIO) models which have been widely used. Here we show that significant divergence exists in both consumption-based and income-based CO 2 emission accounts for Chinese provinces in 2012 using different MRIO models. For example, the difference of CO 2 emissions for Shandong Province calculated from two MRIO models can reach 208Mt, more than the terrestrial emissions of Argentina, United Arab Emirates, or The Netherlands. Reducing such divergence, however, requires only the agreement among various MRIO models on a small number of critical data elements. Our results demonstrate the need of careful interpretation of previous studies on trade-related provincial GHG emission accounts in China, and prioritize future efforts to harmonize GHG emission accounting within China.

A facile and effective impregnation combined with photo-deposition approach was adopted to deposit cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles on CTF-1, a covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs). In this system, CTF-1 not only acted as supporter but also served as photocatalyst and electron donor. The performance of the obtained CdS deposited CTF-1 (CdS-CTF-1) nanocomposite was evaluated by H 2 evolution reaction under visible light irradiation. As a result, CdS-CTF-1 exhibited high H 2 production from water, far surpassing the CdS/CTF-1 nanocomposite, in which CdS was deposited via solvothermal method. The high activity of CdS-CTF-1 was attributed to the confined CdS nanoparticles with small size, leading to expose more active sites. In addition, time-resolved spectroscopy indicated that the superior performance of CdS-CTF-1 also can be ascribed to the fast electron transfer rate and injection efficiency (K ET  = 0.18 × 10 9  s -1 , η inj  = 39.38%) between CdS and CTF-1 layers, which are 3.83 times faster and 4.84 times higher than that of CdS/CTF-1 nanocomposite. This work represents the first example on using covalent organic frameworks (COFs) as a support and electron-donor for fabricating novel CdS-COF nanocomposite system and its potential application in solar energy transformations., (Copyright © 2019 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we develop a new composite material of Fe-Cu/D407 composite via using nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) with copper deposited on chelating resin (D407) to remove nitrate from the water. The experimental results show that a remarkable nitrate removal and the selectivity of N 2 are 99.9% and 89.7%, respectively, under the anaerobic conditions of Cu/Fe molar ratio of 1:2, pH = 3.0. Even without of inert gas and adjusting the initial pH of the solution, the removal rate of nitrate by Fe-Cu/D407 reached to 85% and the selectivity of nitrogen reached to 55%. Meanwhile, the Fe-Cu/D407 maintained preferable removal efficiency of nitrate (100% - 92%) over a wide pH range of 3-11. In addition, the removal rate of the drinking water, lake water and wastewater from the Fe-Cu/D407 is still very high and the reactivity of Fe-Cu/D407 was relatively unaffected by the presence of dissolved ions in the waters tested. Moreover, the synergetic effect of Fe, Cu and D407 in the composite Fe-Cu/D407 were well investigated for the first time according to the analyses of TPR, XPS and EIS. The catalytic mechanism and denitrification routes were also proposed., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A general strategy via chemically covalent combination was reported to fabricate heterostructured catalysts of carbon nitride/covalent organic frameworks (CNFs), which show superior photocatalytic activity and higher stability as compared to the conventional heterostructures of CN and COFs connected via van der Waals forces.

A novel electrocatalytic system was developed to realize one-pot conversion of organic pollutants into liquid fuels such as methanol (CH 3 OH) and ethanol (C 2 H 5 OH). The process combines the catalytic oxidation of organic pollutants with electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 . We first coupled the electrocatalytic process with SO 4 •- -based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the degradation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) using a 3D-hexagonal Co 3 O 4 anode. In this step, 4-NP was mineralized to CO 2 , and then the CO 2 was converted to CH 3 OH and C 2 H 5 OH by electrocatalytic reduction using a flower-like CuO cathode. The experimental results show the destruction of 4-NP (60 mL, 10 mg/L) can be as high as 99%. In addition, the yields of CH 3 OH and C 2 H 5 OH were 98.29 μmol/L and 40.95 μmol/L, respectively, which represents a conversion of 41.8% of 4-NP into liquid fuels; the electron efficiency was 73.1%. In addition, we found that 3D-hexagonal arrays of Co 3 O 4 with different morphologies can be obtained by adding different amounts of urea. We also investigated the formation mechanism of novel 3D-hexagonal Co 3 O 4 arrays for the first time. A mechanism was proposed to explain the electrocatalytic steps involved in the conversion of 4-NP to CH 3 OH and C 2 H 5 OH and the synergetic effects between AOPs and electrocatalysis., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A copper-catalyzed radical C sp 3 -H/P(OR) 3 cross-coupling reaction for the formation of C sp 3 -P bonds is described. A range of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and trialkylphosphites were coupled in this fashion to give the corresponding products in moderate to good yields. This protocol provides direct access to α-phosphonyl 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds.

CdS nanoparticle-decorated covalent triazine-based frameworks (CdS NPs/CTF-1) were controllably synthesized via a facile one-pot solvothermal method. Due to the Lewis basic nature of well-defined nitrogen sites in triazine units of CTF-1, highly dispersed and size-controlled CdS NPs were obtained and stabilized on the surface of CTF-1 layers. The as-prepared CdS NPs/CTF-1 assembly showed higher photocatalytic activity in a hydrogen evolution reaction under visible light irradiation as compared with pure CdS and CTF-1 and their physical mixture. The superior photocatalytic performance observed over CdS NPs/CTF-1 was ascribed to the highly dispersed CdS NPs with strong interaction to CTF-1 layers. The strong NP-on-layer interactions between CdS and CTF-1 in the CdS NPs/CTF-1 assembly can not only facilitate the photogenerated charge separation rates, but can also shape CdS with a nanosized structure and high stability. This study develops a new strategy to improve the photocatalytic performance and conquer the photocorrosion of CdS, and also provides some guidance for us in the development of other CTF-incorporated nanocomposite photocatalysts.

A new visible light-mediated photocatalytic decarboxylative oxyphosphorylation of cinnamic acids with diarylphosphine oxides is described. This reaction is performed under mild conditions to afford the corresponding β-ketophosphine oxides.

Amanita exitialis Zhu L. Yang & T. H. Li is the species responsible for the largest number of mushroom-associated human poisonings and fatalities in South China due to its lethal cyclic peptide toxins. Prolyl oligopeptidase B (POPB) is considered a key enzyme in the production of the highly toxic cyclic peptide α-amanitin. However, the POPB gene of A. exitialis has not been studied. In the present study we cloned and sequenced the full-length A. exitialis POPB (AePOPB) gene. The aim was to verify the gene structure and functions of AePOPB. The full-length sequence of AePOPB is 3144 bp, including 18 exons encoding 730 aa, and the advanced structure is very similar to that of the previously reported POPB in Galerina marginata (GmPOPB). The amino acid sequence of AePOPB is highly homologous with those from other amanitin-producing lethal mushrooms, implying that AePOPB may have a similar role in the biosynthesis of cyclic peptide toxins. Expression levels of AePOPB were detectable in all parts and developmental stages of the fruiting bodies, and AePOPB was expressed more strongly at early development stages (early and late elongation stages). At early and late elongation stages, the expression peaks occurred in the stipe, whereas at early and late mature stages, the expression peaks occurred in the pileus. The expression patterns of AePOPB in different stages and different parts of the fruiting bodies were highly consistent with those of Aeα-AMA, which is required for α-amanitin accumulation. These results indicate that AePOPB should be involved in the α-amanitin biosynthesis in A. exitialis., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

1,2-Bifuctional thiocyanodiphenylphosphinoylation of alkenes is established through the phosphinoyl radical addition followed by Cu-catalyzed thiocyanation. This one-pot reaction is applicable to a range of aromatic, aliphatic, and cyclic alkenes to afford thiocyanodiphenylphosphinoylated compounds in satisfactory yields.

A double-functionalization reaction of alkenes through Mn(OAc) 3 -mediated phosphinoyl radical addition followed by CuCN-catalyzed cyanation is introduced. This one-pot reaction is performed under mild conditions to afford vicinal cyanophosphinoylation products.

A tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)-mediated coupling of sulfonylhydrazides with thiols catalyzed by CuBr 2 to afford thiosulfonates via a radical process is described.

Applications using multi-PW lasers necessitate high temporal pulse quality with a tremendous contrast ratio (CR). The first crucial prerequisite to achieve multi-PW peak power is the generation of ultrashort pulses with good spectral phase quality. Second, to avoid any deleterious pre-ionization effect on targets, nanosecond contrast better than 10 12 is also targeted. In the framework of the Apollon 10 PW French laser program, we present a high-contrast 10 fs front-end design study to inject highly energetic Ti:sapphire PW lasers. The CR has been measured and analyzed in different time ranges highlighting the different major contributions for each scale.

A new double functionalization reaction of alkenes through AgNO 3 -mediated phosphinoyl radical addition followed by Cu(II)-catalyzed amination is introduced. This one-pot, three-component reaction is performed under mild conditions to afford α,β-aminophosphinoylation products.

A copper-catalyzed efficient and practical method has been developed for the synthesis of 1,2-diketones and α-keto esters. TEMPO was used as a radical initiator and scavenger, oxidizing the cleavage of α-methylene of 1,3-diketones and β-keto esters to form 1,2-diketones and α-keto esters. This method provided a general way for the formation of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds.