Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrate (NO
3
−
) reduction to ammonia (NRA) has emerged as an alternative strategy for effluent treatment and ammonia production. Despite significant advancements that have ...been achieved in this field, the efficient conversion of low-concentration nitrate to ammonia at low overpotential remains a formidable challenge. This challenge stems from the sluggish reaction kinetics caused by the limited distribution of negatively charged NO
3
−
in the vicinity of the working electrode and the competing side reactions. Here, a pulsed potential approach is introduced to overcome these issues. A good NRA performance (Faradaic efficiency: 97.6%, yield rate: 2.7 mmol
−1
h
−1
mg
Ru
−1
, conversion rate: 96.4%) is achieved for low-concentration (≤10 mM) nitrate reduction, obviously exceeding the potentiostatic test (Faradaic efficiency: 65.8%, yield rate: 1.1 mmol
−1
h
−1
mg
Ru
−1
, conversion rate: 54.1%). The combined results of in situ characterizations and finite element analysis unveil the performance enhancement mechanism that the periodic appearance of anodic potential can significantly optimize the adsorption configuration of the key *NO intermediate and increase the local NO
3
−
concentration. Furthermore, our research implies an effective approach for the rational design and precise manipulation of reaction processes, potentially extending its applicability to a broader range of catalytic applications.
Strong earthquakes can not only trigger many landslides in a short period of time but can also change the stability of slopes in the earthquake area, causing them to be active for a long time after ...the earthquake. Research on the variation of slow-motion slopes before and after earthquakes can help us to better understand the mechanism of earthquake-affected landslides, which is also crucial for assessing the long-term landslide risk in seismically active areas. Here, L-band ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 images are utilized with the SBAS-InSAR algorithm to monitor and assess the location and activity changes of slow-moving landslides in the Iburi region (Hokkaido, Japan) before and after an earthquake occurred on 6 September 2018. Unlike previous studies, which focused on single typical landslides, we tracked all the landslides within a 33 × 55 km region close to the epicenter. According to the results, the majority of the co-seismic landslides that quickly failed during the earthquake are now stable, and a few of them are still moving. In contrast, due to near-field seismic shaking, certain slopes that did not show substantial surface changes during the earthquake period continued to move and eventually developed into slow-moving landslides. In addition, it can be seen from the spatial distribution of slow-moving landslides after the earthquake that this distribution is not only dependent on strong earthquake seismic vibration or the hanging-wall effect. Far-field weak vibrations can also accelerate landslides. Additionally, we discovered that the earthquake made the unstable slopes move more quickly but also tended to stabilize the slopes that were already in motion before the earthquake. The various response modes of slow-moving landslides to seismic events are related not only to the intensity of seismic vibration but also to the geological conditions of the region and to the size of the landslide itself. These findings are extremely valuable for studying the mechanism of earthquake-affected landslides.
In order to make the sarcopenia screening more practical, we collected the routine healthy checkup items in China, including liver function (alanine aminotransferase ALT, aspartate aminotransferase, ...and cholinesterase); renal function (serum urea nitrogen, and creatinine); proteometabolism (total serum protein, albumin, and prealbumin); purine metabolism (uric acid UA); glycometabolism (glycated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, and fasting insulin), and lipid metabolism (high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, and cholesterol). Based on the primary analyses, the parameters with P < 0.05 were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis, and we found that BMI, age, UA, ALT, and gender were identified as independent diagnostic factors for sarcopenia Supplementary Table 2, http://links.lww.com/CM9/B323. ...these factors were used to formulate a nomogram by R software Figure 1A. People from different regions exhibited great differences in body size, eating habits, lifestyle, etc. ...the threshold value of sarcopenia definition developed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People was different from that of AWGS. 2 Therefore, the research results from European countries may not be applied to Asian countries. ...we developed a novel screening tool based on data from Zhejiang Province, China. Without relying on special measurement equipment, our screening tool could be used in all levels of hospitals, especially in primary hospitals or health care centers. ...the model did not contain subjective items; thus, accuracy would not be influenced by such factors.
Tongue coating is an important health indicator in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The tongue coating microbiome can distinguish disease patients from healthy controls. To study the relationship ...between different types of tongue coatings and health, we analyzed the species composition of different types of tongue coatings and the co-occurrence relationships between microorganisms in Chinese adults. The microbial composition was similar among the different tongue coatings; however, the abundance of microorganisms differed. TWF had a higher abundance of Fusobacterium periodonticum and Neisseria mucosa, the highest alpha-diversity, and a highly connected community (average degree = 3.59, average closeness centrality = 0.33). TYF had the lowest alpha-diversity, but the most species in the co-occurrence network diagram (number of nodes = 88). The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was associated with tongue coating (P = 0.035), and the YGF and TYF groups had higher PLR values. In the co-occurrence network, Aggregatibacter segnis was the "driver species" of the TWF and TYF groups and correlated with C-reactive protein (P < 0.05). Streptococcus anginosus was the "driver species" in the YGF and TWF groups and was positively correlated with body mass index and weight (P < 0.05). Different tongue coatings have similar microbial compositions but different abundances of certain bacteria. The co-occurrence of microorganisms in the different tongue coatings also varies. The significance of different tongue coatings in TCM theory is consistent with the characteristics and roles of the corresponding tongue-coating microbes. This further supports considering tongue coating as a risk factor for disease.
IntroductionSchizophrenia, a chronic mental problem, significantly impacts cognition, emotion and social functioning. Conventional pharmacotherapy faces challenges including numerous side effects, ...low adherence to medication and substantial costs. In this context, group arts therapies (GATs) emerge as a promising complementary approach for symptom alleviation in schizophrenia patients. Nonetheless, the effectiveness and safety of GATs are yet to be firmly established. This study aims to systematically assess the therapeutic impact of all group-based artistic interventions as complementary treatments for schizophrenia, focusing on their potential benefits.Methods and analysisThis study will search four English-language databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Embase), two Chinese databases (Wanfang Data and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) and three Korean databases (RISS, Korean Citation Index and DBpia) from their inception until October 2023. It will include all randomised controlled trials that compare GATs for schizophrenia with standard rehabilitation methods. The primary outcome is the improvement in patients’ positive and negative symptoms. Methodologies such as bias risk assessment, data synthesis, sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis will be implemented using Review Manager V.5.4. Study results with high heterogeneity will be merged using a random-effects model (I 2>50% or p<0.1). In cases where meta-analysis is not viable due to significant clinical and methodological heterogeneity, a qualitative summary of the findings will be provided.Ethics and disseminationThe data used in this systematic review are anonymised, devoid of any private information, eliminating the requirement for ethical approval. Dissemination of the research findings will be conducted via peer-reviewed publications.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42023471583.
Background
In the majority of cases, trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a unilateral condition with ultra-short stabbing pain located along one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve. Although ...prophylactic pharmacological treatment is first choise, considering of insufficient effect or unacceptable side effects, neurosurgical treatment or lesion treatment should be considered. In addition to all these procedures mentioned above, one approach has been based on local intradermal and/or submucosal injections of Botulinum Toxin Type A (BTX-A).
Methods
We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled since November 2012, and adopted local multi-point injection in 84 cases of classical TN with different doses of BTX-A. Eighty four patients were randomized into following groups: placebo (n = 28); BTX-A 25U (n = 27); BTX-A 75U (n = 29). Follow-up visits were conducted every week after the injection, and the overall duration of the study for each patient were 8 weeks to observe the pain severity, efficacy and adverse reactions at endpoint.
Results
The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of 25U and 75U groups reduced significantly compared to placebo as early as week 1, and sustained until week 8 throughout the study. There was no significant difference in VAS between 25U and 75U groups throughout the study. The response rates of 25U group (70.4%) and 75U group (86.2%) were significantly higher than placebo group (32.1%) at week 8, and there was no significant difference between 25U and 75U groups. Evaluation of the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) demonstrated that 66.7% (25U group) and 75.9% (75U group) of the patients reported that their pain symptoms were ‘much improved’ or ‘very much improved’ versus 32.1% of the placebo group, and there was also no significant difference between 25U and 75U groups. All adverse reactions were graded as mild or moderate.
Conclusions
BTX-A injection in TN is safe and efficient. It is a useful treatment for refractory TN. Lower dose (25U) and high dose (75U) were similar in efficacy in short-term.
Heterostructured bimetal nanocrystals with a component having localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property are promising photocatalysts for a series of reactions. In this work, kinetic ...products of Pd-Ag with a screwdriver-like heterostructure have been successfully fabricated via the selective epitaxial growth of Ag on Pd nanowires (NWs). It was confirmed that the deposition rate (
V
deposition
) of Ag is much more sensitive to the temperature, compared to the surface diffusion rate (
V
diffusion
) which can be effectively reduced by the binding of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) molecules. Then the magnitude of
V
deposition
/
V
diffusion
has been well tailored for the formation of a kinetic growth environment. The interactions between the components of the as-prepared Pd-Ag heterostructures resulted in intensified LSPR effects. As a result, they gained better photocatalytic performance toward solvent free aerobic oxidation of toluene than Pd NWs, Ag NWs and the mixture of them. Additionally, the Pd-Ag heterostructured nanocrystals exhibited excellent catalytic stability for recycling. This work not only presents an idea for realizing kinetic growth but also supports that LSPR effect is a good tool for improving the photocatalytic activity.
Developing non-precious metal catalysts with high activity and stability for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of great significance in both science and technology. In this work, ...N-doped CMK-3, which was prepared with a casting method using SBA-15 as the hard template and ammonia as the nitrogen source, has been utilized to hold MoS
2
and restrict its growth to form MoS
2
@N-CMK-3 composite. As a result, MoS
2
was found to have poorly crystallized and the limited space of porous N-CMK-3 made its size much small. Then there are more active sites in MoS
2
. Accordingly, MoS
2
@N-CMK-3 has exhibited good electrocatalytic performance toward HER in acids with a quite small Tafel slope of 32 mVdec”
1
. And more importantly, compared to MoS
2
@CMK-3, its stability has been greatly improved, which can be attributed to the interaction between MoS
2
and nitrogen atoms avoiding aggregation and mass loss. This work provides an idea that doping a porous carbon support with nitrogen is an effective way to enhance the stability of the catalyst.
Developing high-performance electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is crucial since it is beneficial for environmental protection and the resulting value-add chemical products can act as ...an alternative to fossil feedstocks. Nonetheless, the direct reduction of CO2 into long-chain hydrocarbons and oxygenated hydrocarbons with high selectivity remains challenging. Copper (Cu) shows a distinctive advantage that it is the only pure metal catalyst for reducing CO2 into multi-carbon (C2+) products and the certain facets (e.g., (100), (111), (111)) of Cu nanocrystals exhibit relatively low energy barriers for the formation of specific products (e.g., CO, HCOOH, CH4, C2H4, C2H5OH, and other C2+ products). Therefore, extensive studies have been carried out to explore the relationship between the facets of Cu nanocrystals and corresponding catalytic products. In this review, we will discuss the crystal facet-dependent electrocatalytic CO2RR performance in metallic Cu catalysts, meanwhile, the detailed reaction mechanisms will be systematically summarized. In addition, we will provide a personal perspective for the future research directions in this emerging field. We believe this review is helpful to guide the design of high-selectivity Cu-based electrocatalysts for CO2RR.
In this review, we discuss the crystal facet-dependent electrocatalytic CO2 reduction performance in metallic Cu catalysts, meanwhile, the detailed reaction mechanisms are systematically summarized. Display omitted
There were limited studies specifically evaluating whether the difference of the prevalence of sarcopenia exists in men and women in older adults from rural areas in China. The aim of this study was ...to compare the prevalence of sarcopenia between men and women in a rural area in eastern China and to explore the underlying causes.
This study included 1,105 participants aged 60-89 years. Muscle mass was measured by bio-electrical impedance analysis. Hand grip strength was measured by Jamar Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia-2019 Consensus. Data were analyzed using log-binomial and linear regression.
The prevalence of sarcopenia was 21.7% in women and 12.9% in men among the study cohort. After adjusting for age, education level, number of diseases, income level, smoking, drinking, and eating habits, proportion of people with sarcopenia was 1.49-fold greater in women than in men (PR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.01-2.26,
= 0.055).
The prevalence of sarcopenia in elderly women in this rural area of eastern China is higher than in men, suggesting that women in rural areas in China seem to be more vulnerable for sarcopenia, thus early screening and prevention need to be provided for them to address such gender disparity in health.
PDF
