The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a very efficient method for sustainable NH3 production, but it requires effective catalysts to expedite the NRR kinetics and inhibit the ...concomitant hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Two-dimensional (2D)/2D interface engineering is an effective method to design powerful catalysts due to intimate face-to-face contact of two 2D materials that facilitates the strong interfacial electronic interactions. Herein, we explored a 2D/2D MoS2/C3N4 heterostructure as an active and stable NRR catalyst. MoS2/C3N4 exhibited a conspicuously improved NRR performance with an NH3 yield of 18.5 μg h–1 mg–1 and a high Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 17.8% at −0.3 V, far better than those of the individual MoS2 or C3N4 component. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the interfacial charge transport from C3N4 to MoS2 could enhance the NRR activity of MoS2/C3N4 by promoting the stabilization of the key intermediate *N2H on Mo edge sites of MoS2 and concurrently decreasing the reaction energy barrier. Meanwhile, MoS2/C3N4 rendered a more favorable *H adsorption free energy on S edge sites than on Mo edge sites of MoS2, thereby protecting the NRR-active Mo edge sites from the competing HER and leading to a high FE.
Since December 2019, novel coronavirus infected pneumonia emerged in Wuhan city and rapidly spread throughout China. In severe novel coronavirus pneumonia cases, the number of platelets, their ...dynamic changes during the treatment, platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were a concern. We sought to describe the platelet feature of these cases. Single‐center case series of the 30 hospitalized patients with confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID)‐19 in Huizhou municipal central hospital from January 2020 to February 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic, clinical, blood routine results, other laboratory results, and treatment data were collected and analyzed. Outcomes of severe patients and nonsevere patients were compared. Univariate analysis showed that: age, platelet peaks, and PLR at peak platelet were the influencing factors in severe patients, multivariate analysis showed that the PLR value at peak platelet during treatment was an independent influencing factor in severe patients. The average hospitalization day of patients with platelet peaks during treatment was longer than those without platelet peaks (P < .05). The average age of patients with platelet peaks during treatment was older than those without platelet peaks (P < .05). The patients with significantly elevated platelets during treatment had longer average hospitalization days. And the higher PLR of patients during treatment had longer average hospitalization days. Single‐center case series of the 30 hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID‐19 in Huizhou Municipal Central Hospital, presumed that the number of platelets and their dynamic changes during the treatment may have a suggestion on the severity and prognosis of the disease. The patient with markedly elevated platelets and longer average hospitalization days may be related to the cytokine storm. The PLR of patients means the degree of cytokine storm, which might provide a new indicator in the monitoring in patients with COVID‐19.
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common type of lung cancer, characterized by a poor prognosis. In the last several years, more and more studies have demonstrated the significant roles played ...by circular RNAs (circRNAs) in different human tumors progression including NSCLC. The present study was to explore the mechanism of hsa_circ_101237 in regulating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Totally 303 NSCLC cases were enrolled. A549 and H1299 cells were transfected. Cells viability, migration and invasion were determined by CCK-8 assay and transwell experiment, respectively. Luciferase reporter gene assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were performed. hsa_circ_101237, miR-490-3p and MAPK1 expression in tissues/cells were detected by qRT-PCR. The study found an elevation in the expression of Hsa_circRNA_101237 in both NSCLC tissues and cell line. High Hsa_circRNA_101237 expression predicted poor survival in NSCLC. Meanwhile, we found that hsa_circRNA_101237 expression sponged miR-490-3p to enhance MAPK1 expression, thus significantly promoting NSCLC cell lines proliferation, migration, and invasion. MAPK1 restoration prevented NSCLC cells proliferation, migration, and invasion to be repressed due to hsa_circRNA_101237 knockdown. To sum up, as revealed by the study, hsa_circRNA_101237 promoted the expression of MAPK1 via miRNA-490-3p sponge, thus affecting the NSCLC as an important onco-circRNA.
Vacancy engineering and heteroatom doping are two effective approaches to tailor the electronic structures of catalysts for improved electrocatalytic activity. Herein, these two approaches were ...rationally combined to modulate the structure of SnS2 toward the N2 reduction reaction (NRR) by means of Mo-doping, which simultaneously induced the generation of enriched S-vacancies (Vs). The developed Mo-doped SnS2 nanosheets with enriched Vs presented a conspicuously enhanced NRR activity with an NH3 yield of 41.3 μg h−1 mg−1 (−0.5 V) and a faradaic efficiency of 20.8% (−0.4 V) and are among the best SnS2-based NRR catalysts to date. Mechanistic studies revealed that the co-presence of the Mo dopant and Vs enabled the creation of Mo–Sn–Sn trimer catalytic sites, capable of strongly activating N2 even for the cleavage of the N≡N triple bond to the N=N double bond at the N2 adsorption stage, consequently leading to a downhill process of the first hydrogenation step and a largely reduced energy barrier.
Two novel polyoxometalate (POM)-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), TBA3ε-PMoV 8MoVI 4O36(OH)4Zn4BTB4/3·xGuest (NENU-500, BTB = benzene tribenzoate, TBA+ = tetrabutylammonium ion) and TBA3ε-PMoV ...8MoVI 4O37(OH)3Zn4BPT (NENU-501, BPT = 1,1′-biphenyl-3,4′,5-tricarboxylate), were isolated. In these compounds, the POM fragments serving as nodes were directly connected with organic ligands giving rise to three-dimensional (3D) open frameworks. The two anionic frameworks were balanced by TBA+ ions residing inside the open channels. They exhibit not only good stability in air but also tolerance to acidic and basic media. Furthermore, they were employed as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) owing to the combination of the redox activity of a POM unit and the porosity of a MOF. Meanwhile, the HER activities of ε(trim) 4/3 , NENU-5, and HKUST-1 were also studied for comparison. Remarkably, as a 3D hydrogen-evolving cathode operating in acidic electrolytes, NENU-500 exhibits the highest activity among all MOF materials. It shows an onset overpotential of 180 mV and a Tafel slope of 96 mV·dec–1, and the catalytic current density can approach 10 mA·cm–2 at an overpotential of 237 mV. Moreover, NENU-500 and NENU-501 maintain their electrocatalytic activities after 2000 cycles.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Due to the growing economic burden of NAFLD on public health, it has become an emergent ...target for clinical intervention. DUSP12 is a member of the dual specificity phosphatase (DUSP) family, which plays important roles in brown adipocyte differentiation, microbial infection, and cardiac hypertrophy. However, the role of DUSP12 in NAFLD has yet to be clarified. Here, we reveal that DUSP12 protects against hepatic steatosis and inflammation in L02 cells after palmitic acid/oleic acid treatment. We demonstrate that hepatocyte specific DUSP12‐deficient mice exhibit high‐fat diet (HFD)–induced and high‐fat high‐cholesterol diet–induced hyperinsulinemia and liver steatosis and decreased insulin sensitivity. Consistently, DUSP12 overexpression in hepatocyte could reduce HFD‐induced hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, and inflammation. At the molecular level, steatosis in the absence of DUSP12 was characterized by elevated apoptosis signal‐regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), which mediates the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and hepatic metabolism. DUSP12 physically binds to ASK1, promotes its dephosphorylation, and inhibits its action on ASK1‐related proteins, JUN N‐terminal kinase, and p38 MAPK in order to inhibit lipogenesis under high‐fat conditions. Conclusion: DUSP12 acts as a positive regulator in hepatic steatosis and offers potential therapeutic opportunities for NAFLD.
Active and durable catalysts toward the N
2
reduction reaction (NRR) play a crucial role in electrocatalytic fixation of N
2
to NH
3
. Herein, we designed an efficient NiO-based NRR electrocatalyst ...by introducing oxygen vacancies (OVs) through a facile plasma technique. Although the pristine NiO nanosheets exhibited poor NRR activity, the plasma-engineered NiO nanosheets with enriched OVs delivered significantly enhanced NRR activity with an NH
3
yield of 29.1 μg h
−1
mg
−1
and a faradaic efficiency of 10.8% in 0.1 M Na
2
SO
4
at −0.5 V (RHE) under ambient conditions, comparable or superior to most reported NRR catalysts. Density functional theory calculations revealed that OV introduction could readily tailor the electronic structures of NiO to result in enhanced conductivity, improved N
2
adsorption, a reduced reaction energy barrier, and a less-promoted hydrogen evolution reaction.
Plasma technique can readily create the enriched oxygen vacancies which enable the NiO to be an active and durable catalyst for electrocatalytic fixation of N
2
to NH
3
.
To externally validate the Ovarian-adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) and evaluate its performance in differentiating benign from malignant adnexal masses (AMs) compared with the Gynecologic ...Imaging Reporting and Data System (GI-RADS) and Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa (ADNEX).
A retrospective analysis was performed on 734 cases from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. All patients underwent transvaginal or transabdominal ultrasound examination. Pathological diagnoses were obtained for all the included AMs. O-RADS, GI-RADS, and ADNEX were used to evaluate AMs by two sonologists, and the diagnostic efficacy of the three systems was analyzed and compared using pathology as the gold standard. We used the kappa index to evaluate the inter-reviewer agreement (IRA).
A total of 734 AMs, including 564 benign masses, 69 borderline masses, and 101 malignant masses were included in this study. O-RADS (0.88) and GI-RADS (0.90) had lower sensitivity than ADNEX (0.95) (P < .05), and the PPV of O-RADS (0.98) was higher than that of ADNEX (0.96) (P < .05). These three systems showed good IRA.
O-RADS, GI-RADS, and ADNEX showed little difference in diagnostic performance among resident sonologists. These three systems have their own characteristics and can be selected according to the type of center, access to patients' clinical data, or personal comfort.
Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) causes central nervous system damage and neurobehavioral disorders, and sevoflurane protects the brain from ischemic injury. We investigated the effects of sevoflurane on ...EMP-induced brain injury. Rats were exposed to EMP and immediately treated with sevoflurane. The protective effects of sevoflurane were assessed by Nissl staining, Fluoro-Jade C staining and electron microscopy. The neurobehavioral effects were assessed using the open-field test and the Morris water maze. Finally, primary cerebral cortical neurons were exposed to EMP and incubated with different concentration of sevoflurane. The cellular viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were assayed. TUNEL staining was performed, and the expression of apoptotic markers was determined. The cerebral cortexes of EMP-exposed rats presented neuronal abnormalities. Sevoflurane alleviated these effects, as well as the learning and memory deficits caused by EMP exposure. In vitro, cell viability was reduced and LDH release was increased after EMP exposure; treatment with sevoflurane ameliorated these effects. Additionally, sevoflurane increased SOD activity, decreased MDA levels and alleviated neuronal apoptosis by regulating the expression of cleaved caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2. These findings demonstrate that Sevoflurane conferred neuroprotective effects against EMP radiation-induced brain damage by inhibiting neuronal oxidative stress and apoptosis.
G protein‐coupled receptor 83 (GPR83) is primarily expressed in the brain and is implicated in the regulation of energy metabolism and some anxiety‐related behaviours. Recently, the ...PCSK1N/proSAAS‐derived peptide PEN, the procholecystokinin‐derived peptide proCCK56‐63, and family with sequence similarity 237 member A (FAM237A) were all reported as efficient agonists of GPR83. However, these results have not yet been reproduced by other laboratories and thus GPR83 is still officially an orphan receptor. The peptide PEN and proCCK56‐63 share sequence similarity; however, they are completely different from FAM237A. To identify its actual ligand(s), in the present study we developed NanoLuc Binary Technology (NanoBiT)‐based ligand‐binding assay, fluorescent ligand‐based visualization, and NanoBiT‐based β‐arrestin recruitment assay for human GPR83. Using these assays, we demonstrated that mature human FAM237A could bind to GPR83 with nanomolar range affinity, and could activate this receptor and induce its internalization with nanomolar range efficiency in transfected human embryonic kidney 293T cells. However, we did not detect any interaction of PEN and proCCK56‐63 with GPR83 using these assays. Thus, our results confirmed that FAM237A is an efficient agonist of GPR83, but did not support PEN and proCCK56‐63 as ligands of this receptor. Clarification of their pairing paves the way for further functional studies of the brain‐specific receptor GPR83 and the so far rarely studied neuropeptide FAM237A in the future.
Using NanoBiT‐based ligand‐binding assay, fluorescent ligand‐based visualization, and NanoBiT‐based β‐arrestin recruitment assay, we demonstrated that mature neuropeptide FAM237A, rather than the PCSK1N/proSAAS‐derived peptide PEN and the procholecystokinin‐derived peptide proCCK56‐63, is an efficient agonist for the orphan receptor GPR83. Clarification of their pairing paves the way for further functional studies of the brain‐specific receptor GPR83 and the rarely studied neuropeptide FAM237A.
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