Understanding the dynamic structural reconstruction/transformation of catalysts during electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is highly desired for developing more efficient and selective ...catalysts, yet still lacks in-depth realization. Herein, we study a model system of copper nanowires with various degrees of silver modifications as electrocatalysts for CO2RR. Among them, the Cu68Ag32 nanowire catalyst achieves the highest activity and selectivity toward methane with an extremely high faradaic efficiency of ∼60%, about 3 times higher than that of primitive Cu nanowires, and even surpasses the most efficient catalysts for producing methane. By using in situ grazing-angle X-ray scattering/diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and Raman techniques, we found that the Cu68Ag32 nanowires underwent an irreversible structural reconstruction and well-stabilized chemical state of Cu on the catalyst surface under the working CO2RR conditions, which greatly facilitates the CO2 to methane conversion. Further analysis reveals that the restructuring phenomenon can be ascribed to a reoxidation/reduction-driven atomic interdiffusion between Cu and Ag. This work reveals the first empirical demonstration by deploying comprehensive in situ techniques to track the dynamic structural reconstruction/transformation in a model bimetallic system, which not only establishes a good understanding of the correlation between catalyst surface structure and catalytic selectivity but also provides deep insights into designing more developed electrocatalysts for CO2RR and beyond.
•The Very High level of ES occupied 69% of the GBA in 2020.•Urban expansion occupied 78.48% of areas provided a Very High level of ES.•There was an increasing trend of ES in old urban areas.
...Ecosystem services (ESs) have been changed significantly due to human and natural interference, especially in urban megaregions. Numerous studies have revealed the impact of urbanization on regional ecosystem service(ES). However, the research on whether urban expansion has sacrificed the areas providing high ESs, which played a crucial role in sustainable development, was poorly understood. This study analyzed the spatial variation of ES supply from 2000 to 2020 under the influence of urban expansion in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The result showed that GBA has witnessed high-seeped urban development, and nearly 50% of urban expansion encroached on cropland, 25% on forestland, and 25% on waterbody from 2000 to 2020. Secondly, The ESs changed significantly due to urban expansion. Importantly, nearly 74.48% and 59.74% of areas that urban expansion encroached on were the ecological lands that provided a very high level of ESs from 2000 to 2010 and from 2010 to 2020, respectively. However, the direct impact of urban expansion on the ecological lands providing a very high level of ESs has been decreased. Additionally, the increase in ESs in old urban areas also has a positive role in the regional ES. This study expects to systematically assess the direct impact of urbanization on regional ES and provide scientific information on land use planning for sustainable development.
Ecosystem service flows have increasingly been a hot topic in recent years, as it serves as an important bridge connecting ecosystem services supply and human demand. Research on ecosystem service ...flows contributes to our understanding of the completed delivery processes of ecosystem services and analyzes the relationship between ecosystem services supply and demand. It has great significance for achieving regional sustainable development and improving human well-being. Based on the comprehensive analysis of relevant studies, this paper described the concept of ecosystem service flows and summarized the approaches for quantifying ecosystem service flows. Following that, the research progress from both theoretical and applied aspects was systematically reviewed. In addition, the shortcomings of recent studies were summarized. These include: 1) the ecosystem serveries delivery process from supply areas to demand areas has not been fully explored; 2) the method of quantitative assessment of ecosystem service flo
Lupus nephritis (LN) is a representative manifestation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Some studies have shown that myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a vital role in the regulation ...of the SLE process. MDSC infiltration in the kidney as well as inflammation and oxidative stress provokes the acceleration and deterioration of LN. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is thought to be a major regulator of the antioxidant response. Baicalein is a flavonoid with known anti-inflammatory effects and antioxidant response. However, the effects of baicalein on MDSCs, inflammation, and oxidative stress are not evaluated in the development of pristane-induced LN in mice.
The renoprotective effect of baicalein was detected in a pristane-induced lupus mice model. NLRP3 inflammasome activation and NF-κB phosphorylation as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and Nrf2 activation were examined. The percentages and function changes of MDSCs were measured. The possible mechanisms of the underlying effects of baicalein on ROS production and signaling pathways of Nrf2/heme-oxygenase (HO)-1, NLRP3 inflammasome, and NF-κB phosphorylation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-primed MDSCs were analyzed.
Baicalein reduced proteinuria and attenuated renal function impairment and renal histopathology including intrinsic cell proliferation, cellular crescents, and podocyte injury as well as glomerulonephritis activity in lupus mice. Moreover, baicalein downregulated the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and levels of ROS or NF-κB phosphorylation, and it enhanced Nrf2 activation. Of note, baicalein inhibited the expansion of MDSCs and improved the function of MDSCs in lupus mice. Through analyzing LPS-primed MDSCs in vitro, baicalein was found to exhibit cytoprotective effects coincident with the induction of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling and the suppression of the NLRP3 inflammasome.
The data show that baicalein alleviates the symptoms of pristane-induced LN and suggest that the alleviation may be attributed to inhibition of MDSC expansion and regulation of the balance of the Nrf2/HO-1 signal and NLRP3 expression in MDSCs.
Emerging evidence suggests that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays pivotal roles in regulating various biological process in human cancers. Titin-antisense RNA1 (TTN-AS1) has been regarded as a tumor ...promoting lncRNA in numerous cancers. However, the clinical significance and biological function of TTN-AS1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain unclear. In the present study, we revealed that the expression of TTN-AS1 was upregulated in LUAD tissues and cell lines. High TTN-AS1 expression was associated with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis of LUAD patients. In addition, high expression of TTN-AS1 was correlated with poor postoperative prognosis of LUAD patients. Knockdown of TTN-AS1 significantly inhibited the growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of LUAD cells in vitro. Then, by using bioinformation analysis and luciferase reporter experiment, we identified that TTN-AS1 could function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-142-5p to regulate the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) in LUAD. Since CDK5 is a key regulator in the process of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), we detected the expression of EMT-related proteins, consequently, EMT was suppressed by knockdown of TTN-AS1 while this phenomenon was rescued by miR-142-5p inhibitor. Taken above, our study revealed that TTN-AS1 played an important role in LUAD progression. TTN-AS1/miR-142-5p/CDK5 regulatory axis may serve as a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of LUAD.
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As one of the most promising medical metal implants, magnesium (Mg) or its alloys have shown significant advantages over other candidates attributed to not only their excellent ...biodegradability and suitable mechanical properties but also their osteopromotive effects for bone applications. Prior to approval mandated by the governmental regulatory body, the access to the medical market for Mg-based implants requires a series of testing for assurance of their safety and efficacy via preclinical evaluations and clinical tests including phase 1 and 2 evaluations, and phase 3 of multi-center randomized double blind and placebo-controlled clinical trials. However, as the most widely used protocols for biosafety evaluation of medical devices, current ISO 10993 standards should be carefully reevaluated when directly applying them to predict potential health risks of degradable Mg based biomaterials via cytotoxicity tests due to the huge gap between in vitro and in vivo conditions. Therefore, instead of a direct adoption, modification of current ISO standards for in vitro cytotoxicity test is desirable and justified. The differences in sensitivities of cells to in vitro and in vivo Mg ions and the capability of in vivo circulation system to dilute local degradation products were fully considered to propose modification of current ISO standards. This paper recommended a minimal 6 times to a maximal 10 times dilution of extracts for in vitro cytotoxicity test specified in ISO 10993 part 5 for pure Mg developed as potential orthopedic implants based on literature review and our specifically designed in vitro and in vivo tests presented in the study. Our work may contribute to the progress of biodegradable metals involved translational work.
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are highly conserved signal transduction modules, which transmit environmental signals in plant cells through stepwise phosphorylation and play ...indispensable roles in a wide range of physiological and biochemical processes. Here, we isolated and characterized a gene encoding MKK2 protein from poplar through the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length PeMKK2a gene was 1571 bp, including a 1068 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 355 amino acids, and the putative PeMKK2a protein belongs to the PKc_like (protein kinase domain) family (70–336 amino acids) in the PKc_MAPKK_plant subfamily and contains 62 sites of possible phosphorylation and two conserved domains, DLK and S/T-xxxxx-S/T. Detailed information about its gene structure, sequence similarities, subcellular localization, and transcript profiles under salt-stress conditions was revealed. Transgenic poplar lines overexpressing PeMKK2a exhibited higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) than non-transgenic poplar under salt stress conditions. These results will provide insight into the roles of MAPK signaling cascades in poplar response to salt stress.
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•Completely alloyed RuCu/CNFs nanoparticles are for the first time designed for Li-CO2 batteries.•Li-CO2 batteries with i-Ru4Cu1/CNFs cathode show record-high rate capability.•Li-CO2 ...batteries with i-Ru4Cu1/CNFs cathode deliver superb Coulombic efficiency of 99.3%.•This work demonstrates the exceptional activity of RuCu bimetallic nanoalloys for high-performance Li-CO2 batteries.
Rechargeable Li-CO2 batteries are attracting increasing attention due to their high energy density and ability to capture greenhouse gas CO2. However, the difficulty in decomposing electronically insulating and electrochemically sluggish Li2CO3 discharge products under low charge voltages is still a major challenge. Herein, for the first time, a composite of intermixed ruthenium-copper alloy nanoparticles uniformly anchored on carbon nanofibers (i-RuCu/CNFs) as efficient cathode electrocatalysts for Li-CO2 batteries is well designed. Remarkably, the Li-CO2 batteries with i-Ru4Cu1/CNFs cathodes can be steadily cycled for over 110 cycles without capacity decay. And they show record-high rate capability along with much decreased overpotentials of 1.45 and 1.56 V even at current densities of 1000 and 2000 mA g−1, respectively. Moreover, a high discharge capacity of 15,753 mAh g−1 is obtained for Li-CO2 batteries based on i-Ru4Cu1/CNFs, and 99.3% of discharged capacity could be reversibly charged, giving the significant Coulombic efficiency. This work demonstrates the powerfully catalytic activity of intermixed RuCu nanoalloys for easily decomposing discharge products in Li-CO2 batteries and provides more insights to design more highly efficient cathode electrocatalysts for Li-CO2 batteries and beyond.
Lung cancer causes significant morbidity and mortality in China and worldwide. In China, lung cancer accounts for nearly one-fourth of all cancer deaths. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the ...predominant type of lung cancer, accounting for approximately 80%-85% of all lung cancer cases. Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is revolutionizing the treatment of NSCLC. Immune checkpoint molecules, including PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4, can suppress immune responses by delivering negative signals to T cells. By interfering with these immunosuppressive axes, ICIs unleash antitumor immune responses, ultimately eliminating cancer cells. ICIs have demonstrated promising antitumor efficacy in NSCLC, and mounting evidence supports the use of ICIs in treatment-naïve patients with advanced NSCLC. A comprehensive overview of current and emerging ICIs for the first-line treatment of NSCLC in China will facilitate a better understanding of NSCLC immunotherapy using ICIs and optimize the clinical use of ICIs in previously untreated Chinese patients with NSCLC. Herein, we review the efficacy and safety of currently approved and investigational ICIs as the first-line treatment of NSCLC in China. We also discuss the challenges limiting more widespread use of ICIs and future directions in the first-line treatment of NSCLC using ICIs.
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