In this study, we demonstrate that the initial morphology of nanoparticles can be transformed into small fragmented nanoparticles, which were densely contacted to each other, during electrochemical ...CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Cu-based nanoparticles were directly grown on a carbon support by using cysteamine immobilization agent, and the synthesized nanoparticle catalyst showed increasing activity during initial CO2RR, doubling Faradaic efficiency of C2H4 production from 27% to 57.3%. The increased C2H4 production activity was related to the morphological transformation over reaction time. Twenty nm cubic Cu2O crystalline particles gradually experienced in situ electrochemical fragmentation into 2–4 nm small particles under the negative potential, and the fragmentation was found to be initiated from the surface of the nanocrystal. Compared to Cu@CuO nanoparticle/C or bulk Cu foil, the fragmented Cu-based NP/C catalyst achieved enhanced C2+ production selectivity, accounting 87% of the total CO2RR products, and suppressed H2 production. In-situ X-ray absorption near edge structure studies showed metallic Cu0 state was observed under CO2RR, but the fragmented nanoparticles were more readily reoxidized at open circuit potential inside of the electrolyte, allowing labile Cu states. The unique morphology, small nanoparticles stacked upon on another, is proposed to promote C–C coupling reaction selectivity from CO2RR by suppressing HER.
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•Combined inoculated endophytic LHL10 and LHL06 exhibited significant resistance to combined abiotic stress.•LHL10 and LHL06 synergism significantly ameliorated impacts of metals, ...high temperature and PED induced stress in soybean.•Synergistic association of endophytes down-regulated endogenous hormones of soybean.•Co-inoculated soybean presented reduced metals accumulation and enhanced antioxidant level under combined abiotic stress.•Co-inoculation down-regulating heavy metal ATPase genes and enhanced heat shock protein 90 genes expression.
Recently, the use of endophytic fungi for promoting growth and alleviating abiotic stress has gained considerable attention. However, the association of compatible endophytic fungi with crop plants under simultaneous effects of abiotic stresses is less explored. The current study elucidated the interactive effects of hormone (gibberellins and indole-3-acetic acid)-producing and combined multi-abiotic stresses (heavy metals; Ni, Cd, and Al, drought resistant, high temperature) resistant Paecilomyces formosus LHL10 and Penicillium funiculosum LHL06 on Glycine max L. under heavy metals (Ni, Cd, and Al), high temperature and drought (HTD) stress. Results revealed that the co-inoculation of LHL10 and LHL06 promoted plant growth attributes and photosynthetic activity as well as glutathione, catalase, and SOD activities and decreased lipid peroxidation by enhancing macronutrient uptake under HTD stress. Additionally, the co-inoculation reduced metal accumulation and translocation in plants by down-regulating heavy metal ATPase gene (GmHMA13, GmHMA14, and GmHMA18) expression. Furthermore, the regulation of drought-related GmDREB2, GmDREB1B, GmERD1, GmRD20, and heat shock protein 90 (GmHsp90A2 and GmHsp90A1) gene expression in co-inoculated plants reduced endogenous abscisic acid and jasmonic acid levels and positively affected plant development under HTD stress. The duo of LHL10 and LHL06 proved to be a vital strategy for the development of G. max in metal-contaminated soil in semiarid and high-temperature conditions for sustainable agriculture.
Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have drawn much interest over the last decade owing to their absence of dangling bonds and their intriguing low‐dimensional properties. The emergence of 2D ...materials has enabled the achievement of significant progress in both the discovery of physical phenomena and the realization of superior devices. In this work, the group IV metal chalcogenide 2D‐layered Ge4Se9 is introduced as a new selection of insulating vdW material. 2D‐layered Ge4Se9 is synthesized with a rectangular shape using the metalcorganic chemical vapor deposition system using a liquid germanium precursor at 240 °C. By stacking the Ge4Se9 and MoS2, vdW heterostructure devices are fabricated with a giant memory window of 129 V by sweeping back gate range of ±80 V. The gate‐independent decay time reveals that the large hysteresis is induced by the interfacial charge transfer, which originates from the low band offset. Moreover, repeatable conductance changes are observed over the 2250 pulses with low non‐linearity values of 0.26 and 0.95 for potentiation and depression curves, respectively. The energy consumption of the MoS2/Ge4Se9 device is about 15 fJ for operating energy and the learning accuracy of image classification reaches 88.3%, which further proves the great potential of artificial synapses.
Ge4Se9, a new insulating 2D‐layered material, is synthesized using metal–organic chemical vapor deposition at 240 °C with low‐reactive precursors. The 2D‐layered Ge4Se9 forms a low band offset with MoS2, exhibiting a large memory window with linear gate‐tunability. As an artificial synapse, the MoS2/Ge4Se9 heterostructure exhibits synaptic updates with low non‐linearity of 0.26 and low energy consumption of 15 fJ.
To investigate the efficacy and safety of pioglitazone compared to placebo when added to metformin plus dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, for patients with type 2 ...diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
In a multicentre study, with a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 249 Korean patients with T2DM suboptimally managed on metformin and dapagliflozin were assigned to receive either pioglitazone (15 mg daily) or placebo for 24 weeks, followed by a 24-week pioglitazone extension. Primary outcomes included changes in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), with secondary outcomes assessing insulin resistance, adiponectin levels, lipid profiles, liver enzymes, body weight and waist circumference.
Pioglitazone administration resulted in a significant reduction in HbA1c levels (from 7.80% ± 0.72% to 7.27% ± 0.82%) compared with placebo (from 7.79% ± 0.76% to 7.69% ± 0.86%, corrected mean difference: -0.42% ± 0.08%; p < 0.01) at 24 weeks. Additional benefits from pioglitazone treatment included enhanced insulin sensitivity, increased adiponectin levels, raised high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and reduced liver enzyme levels, resulting in improvement in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease liver fat score. Despite no serious adverse events in either group, pioglitazone therapy was modestly but significantly associated with weight gain and increased waist circumference.
Adjunctive pioglitazone treatment in T2DM inadequately controlled with metformin and dapagliflozin demonstrates considerable glycaemic improvement, metabolic benefits, and a low risk of hypoglycaemia. These advantages must be weighed against the potential for weight gain and increased waist circumference.
Salmonella has been recognized as a major and important foodborne pathogen for humans and animals over more than a century, causing human foodborne illness as well as high medical and economical ...cost. Accordingly, the effort to develop efficient and reliable Salmonella detection methods continues. This paper reviews and describes the development and application of commercially available Salmonella detection methods. These are categorized into several groups based on the principle applied: conventional culture methods, immunology-based assays, nucleic acid-based assays, miniaturized biochemical assays, and biosensors. Conventional culture methods serve as the basis in food testing laboratories despite rather laborious and time-consuming protocols. Considerable progress in rapid methods using emerging technologies yield faster answers and higher throughput of samples. This paper also shows and analyzes Salmonella test results and summarizes the features and limitations of the studies involving Salmonella detection methods developed for emergency response, mainly by food emergency response laboratories participating during recent fiscal years. The emergency response laboratories utilize Salmonella detection methods possessing properties that include simplicity, versatility, high sensitivity, good specificity, and cost efficiency. Collaboration of the food emergency response laboratories in the development of these technologies is important essentially to compare for the purpose of continually improving Salmonella detection methods.
•Salmonella detection methods mainly for rapid response were reviewed and characterized.•Data and methodology issues from food emergency response laboratories were discussed.•Parameters for selection of Salmonella methods for rapid response were suggested.•Key issues to improve the efficiency of food emergency response were discussed.
Recently, the most bothersome symptom has been recommended as a co-primary endpoint in clinical trials on the acute treatment of migraine. Probable migraine is a subtype of migraine that fulfills all ...but one criterion for migraine diagnosis. We aimed to compare the most bothersome symptom between probable migraine and migraine. This study analyzed data from a nationwide study conducted in Korea, and the most bothersome symptom was assessed by requesting the participants to select one of the four typical accompanying symptoms of migraine. Responses to acute treatment were evaluated using the migraine Treatment Optimization Questionnaire-6. Nausea was the most bothersome symptom, followed by phonophobia and vomiting in the migraine group (nausea, 61.8%; phonophobia, 25.3%; vomiting, 10.0%; and photophobia, 2.9%) and the probable migraine group (nausea, 82.2%; phonophobia, 9.5%; vomiting, 5.6%; and photophobia, 2.7%). In participants with migraine, vomiting (adjusted odds ratio = 6.513; 95% confidence interval, 1.763-24.057) and phonophobia (adjusted odds ratio = 0.437; 95% confidence interval, 0.206-0.929) were significantly associated with severe headache intensity and nausea was significantly associated with >3 headache days per 30 days (adjusted odds ratio = 0.441; 95% confidence, 0.210-0.927). Different patterns of associations were observed in probable migraine.
The development of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) negatively impacts both quality of life and survival in a high percentage of patients. Here, we show that RING finger protein 208 (RNF208) ...decreases the stability of soluble Vimentin protein through a polyubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation pathway, thereby suppressing metastasis of TNBC cells. RNF208 was significantly lower in TNBC than the luminal type, and low expression of RNF208 was strongly associated with poor clinical outcomes. Furthermore, RNF208 was induced by 17β-estradiol (E2) treatment in an estrogen receptor alpha (ΕRα)-dependent manner. Overexpression of RNF208 suppresses tumor formation and lung metastasis of TNBC cells. Mechanistically, RNF208 specifically polyubiquitinated the Lys97 residue within the head domain of Vimentin through interaction with the Ser39 residue of phosphorylated Vimentin, which exists as a soluble form, eventually facilitating proteasomal degradation of Vimentin. Collectively, our findings define RNF208 as a negative regulator of soluble Vimentin and a prognostic biomarker for TNBC cells.
Most patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) develop drug resistance. MYC and MCL1 are frequently co-amplified in drug-resistant TNBC after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Herein, we ...demonstrate that MYC and MCL1 cooperate in the maintenance of chemotherapy-resistant cancer stem cells (CSCs) in TNBC. MYC and MCL1 increased mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (mtOXPHOS) and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), processes involved in maintenance of CSCs. A mutant of MCL1 that cannot localize in mitochondria reduced mtOXPHOS, ROS levels, and drug-resistant CSCs without affecting the anti-apoptotic function of MCL1. Increased levels of ROS, a by-product of activated mtOXPHOS, led to the accumulation of HIF-1α. Pharmacological inhibition of HIF-1α attenuated CSC enrichment and tumor initiation in vivo. These data suggest that (1) MYC and MCL1 confer resistance to chemotherapy by expanding CSCs via mtOXPHOS and (2) targeting mitochondrial respiration and HIF-1α may reverse chemotherapy resistance in TNBC.
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•MYC and MCL1 increase cancer stem cells in chemotherapy-resistant TNBC•MYC and MCL1 cooperatively promote mtOXPHOS, which in turn induces HIF-1α•MCL1 induces CSCs independent of its BH3-dependent, anti-apoptotic function•Inhibition of HIF1-α abolishes CSC enrichment in chemotherapy-resistant TNBC
MYC and MCL1 are co-amplified in drug-resistant breast cancer. Lee et al. reveal that MYC and MCL1 cooperate to maintain cancer stem cells (CSCs) resistant to chemotherapy by increasing mitochondrial OXPHOS, ROS production, and HIF-1α expression. Inhibition of HIF-1α blocks CSC expansion and restores chemotherapy sensitivity.
The potential and limitation of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method was investigated to develop an accelerated spectroscopic method as an alternative analytical technique to commonly ...used wet chemical methods for fumonisin analysis in maize. SERS spectral difference among groups of ground maize samples with different concentrations of fumonisins more clearly reflected the level of fumonisin contamination and its effect on physicochemical properties of ground maize samples than conventional Raman spectral difference. In general, chemometric classification models exhibited moderately acceptable correct classification rates (68.0–100.0 % for training dataset and 58.8–85.3 % for validation dataset) and no or little false–negative error. The k-nearest neighbor models applied to validation dataset slightly outperformed over other classification models, showing correct classification rates of 70.6–79.4 %. Chemometric quantification models using validation dataset also yielded a good predictive power and ability, showing satisfactory regression quality (slope = 0.902–1.096), high coefficient of determination (r ² = 0.825–0.940), and low root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP = 11.162–19.954 mg/kg), with no statistical significant difference with the reference value. The multiple linear regression models showed better quality of linear regression (slope = 0.902–1.076), stronger correlation coefficient (r = 0.948–0.969), and higher predictive accuracy (r ² = 0.900–0.940) than other quantification models. The proposed SERS method would be a suitable and convenient analytical tool with a great potential for improvement in qualitative and quantitative characterization of fumonisins in maize, serving as a valuable screening tool for maize samples contaminated with fumonisins at a point of sampling.
This paper proposes a new active cellbalancing method for Li-ion batteries. It uses an LC series resonant circuit as an energy carrier, which transfers the balancing energy directly from the highest ...charged cell to the lowest charged cell. The method requires N + 5 bilateral switches and one LC resonant circuit, where N is the number of cells in the string of batteries. The balancing speed is improved by allowing energy transfer between any two cells in the battery string, and power consumption for balancing is reduced by operating all switches in the circuit at a zero-current switching condition. An experimental cellbalancing circuit for a 12-cell Li-ion battery string shows that fast and transformerless balancing is possible using the proposed method. Measured power transfer efficiencies were 93.2% and 78.9% at balancing powers of 0.56 and 1.94 W, respectively.
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