Electrochemical conversion of CO2 to valuable fuels is appealing for CO2 fixation and energy storage. The Cu‐based catalysts feature unique superiorities, but achieving high ethylene selectivity is ...still restricted. In this study, we propose the anchoring of an ionic liquid (IL) on a Cu electrocatalyst for improving the electrochemical CO2 reduction to ethylene. In a water‐based electrolyte and a commonly used H‐type cell, a high ethylene Faradaic efficiency of 77.3 % was achieved at −1.49 V (vs. RHE). Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that an IL can modify the electronic structure of a Cu catalyst through its interaction with Cu, making it more conducive to *CO dimerization for ethylene formation.
The ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium nitrate (BmimNO3) was anchored into Cu, through which the atomic coordination and electronic properties of Cu can be optimized to facilitate C−C coupling. This electrocatalyst can reduce CO2 to C2H4 with high selectivity. The Faradaic efficiency of C2H4 reaches 77.3 % at −1.49 V (vs. RHE) in KHCO3 aqueous solution using a H‐type cell, much higher than that over pure Cu catalyst (31.2 %).
Abstract
Background
With the population aging, multiple chronic diseases, depressive symptoms, and stroke are increasingly common among middle-aged and elderly adults worldwide. This study aimed to ...explore the independent associations of multiple chronic diseases and depressive symptoms as well as their combination with incident stroke in a prospective cohort of Chinese middle-aged and elderly adults, and to sensitively estimate the association between each type of chronic disease and incident stroke.
Methods
This study used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A total of 8389 participants meeting the inclusion criteria at baseline (between 2011 and 2012) survey were included, and 7108 eligible participants completed the follow-up survey over 8 years (Wave 4, in 2018). Questionnaire information, physical examination, and clinical and biochemical measurements were collected.
Results
The mean (SD) age at baseline was 58.5 (± 9.1) years. Multiple chronic disease and depressive symptoms were independently associated with incident stroke. After adjusting for control variables, patients having 1 type of chronic disease and depressive symptoms were at 1.943 (95% CI = 1.166–3.238) times higher risk of incident stroke than those without chronic disease and depressive symptoms, and patients having at least 2 types of chronic diseases and depressive symptoms were at 3.000 (95% CI = 1.846–4.877) times higher risk of incident stroke; the magnitudes of the associations increased by the numbers of having chronic diseases and depressive symptoms. Sensitivity analyses incorporating all five types of chronic disease (i.e., hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease) showed that the magnitude of the associations between hypertension and incident stroke was most significant.
Conclusions
We identified significant independent and combined longitudinal associations of multiple chronic diseases and depressive symptoms with incident stroke, and the combined associations reflected a dose–response relationship. The association between hypertension and incident stroke was strongest among the five chronic diseases.
Recently, two mitochondrial haplotypes, H4 and H8, of
sp. were found in two seizures in Hong Kong that do not correspond to
,
or
of Asian pangolin species or any African pangolin species. It was ...proposed that both haplotypes derived from
, an unknown lineage of
, or a thus far unidentified Asian pangolin species (
sp.). To further investigate these three hypotheses, we used two mitochondrial genes of all eight known extant pangolin species and conducted phylogenetic tree reconstructions, divergence time estimation, and species delimitation analyses. All analyses consistently confirmed that these two haplotypes of
sp. constitute a distinct lineage, potentially representing a fifth Asian pangolin species, which originated around the Late Miocene to Early Pliocene (6.95 4.64-9.85 million years ago). Our study provides genetic support for a potential fifth Asian pangolin species and helps to better understand species diversity of Asian pangolins, which is urgently needed for effective conservation work.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are currently recognized as potentially promising antibiotic substitutes. Fish are an important seawater/freshwater medicinal biological resource, and the antimicrobial ...peptides and proteins that are key components of their innate immune systems are potential candidates for the development of novel antibacterial agents. The rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss chemokine CK11 (omCK11), classified in the C-C motif chemokine ligand 27/28 (CCL27/28) family, is the only CC-type chemokine reported to play a direct antibacterial role in the immune response; however, its antibacterial domain remains unknown. In this study, we analyzed the structure-activity relationship of omCK11 and identified the antibacterial C-terminal domain. Additionally, we performed structure-function analyses of CCL27/28 proteins from different, representative freshwater and seawater fishes, revealing their shared C-terminal antibacterial domains. Surprisingly, a synthesized cationic peptide (named lcCCL28-25), derived from the large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea CCL28, exhibited broad-spectrum and the most acceptable bactericidal activity, as well as antibiofilm activity and negligible hemolytic and cytotoxic activity
. Additionally, lcCCL28-25 conferred a protective effect in the thighs of neutropenic mice infected with Staphylococcus aureus. SYTOX green fluorescence and electron microscopy experiments revealed that lcCCL28-25 was capable of rapidly destroying the integrity and permeability of the bacterial cell membrane. Overall, this study aided in the advancement of antibacterial CC-type chemokine research and also suggested a new strategy for exploring novel AMPs. Additionally, the efficacy of lcCCL28-25 in
antibacterial activity in a mammalian model revealed that this compound could be a promising agent for the development of peptide-based antibacterial therapeutics.
The primary function of chemokines has been described as recruiting and activating leukocytes to participate in the immune response. Some chemokines are also broad-spectrum antibacterial proteins in mammals. The Oncorhynchus mykiss chemokine CK11 (omCK11) is the first reported and currently the only CC-type antibacterial chemokine. The present study identified the antibacterial domain of omCK11. Structure-function analysis of various fish CCL27/28 proteins identified a novel antibacterial peptide (lcCCL28-25) from Larimichthys crocea CCL28 that exhibited broad-spectrum and the most acceptable bactericidal activity
, as well as a protective effect in a Staphylococcus aureus infection mouse model. The antibacterial mechanisms included membrane disruption and permeation. This study advanced the field of antibacterial chemokine research in fish and also suggested a new strategy for exploring novel AMPs. The novel peptide lcCCL28-25 may prove to be an effective antibacterial agent.
Although Danhong injection (DHI) is one of the most prescribed cardiovascular medicines in China, its therapeutic indications and mechanisms remain partially defined. We now identify molecular ...targets of DHI in resistance vasculatures and demonstrate its role in vascular function and blood pressure (BP) regulation. BP was determined in DHI, Losartan, and placebo- treated Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR) by both noninvasive and invasive measurements. Vasorelaxation was examined both in conduit and resistance vasculature by ex vivo aortic rings. Microarray analysis was performed and gene expression changes were verified by RT-qPCR and ELISA. Diastolic, systolic and mean BPs were significantly lower in DHI-treated SHR than controls by both tail-cuff and invasive BP measurements. In ex vivo rings, aortic and mesenteric vessels from SHR treated with DHI exhibited significantly greater acetylcholine-mediated relaxation. Among the 282 genes that are differentially expressed in microarray analysis, DHI treatment up-regulated the expression of kallikrein and plasma kallikrein B genes. DHI also significantly increased serum kallikrein content in SHR. Treatment with DHI significantly increased the ratio of aortic lumen to outer diameter. Therefore, the reduction of vascular remodeling and the up-regulation of Kallikrein-kinin system contribute, at least in part, to the antihypertensive effect of DHI in SHR.
The snub-nosed monkey genus (
) comprises five closely related species (
, and
). All are among the world's rarest and most endangered primates. However, the genomic impact associated with their ...population decline remains unknown. We analyzed population genomic data of all five snub-nosed monkey species to assess their genetic diversity, inbreeding level, and genetic load. For
, and
, population size is positively correlated with genetic diversity and negatively correlated with levels of inbreeding. Other species, however, which possess small population sizes, such as
and
, show high levels of genetic diversity and low levels of genomic inbreeding. Similarly, in the three populations of
, the Shennongjia population, which possesses the lowest population size, displays a higher level of genetic diversity and lower level of genomic inbreeding. These findings suggest that although
and
and the Shennongjia population might be at risk, it possess significant genetic diversity and could thus help strengthen their long-term survival potential. Intriguingly,
with large population size possess high genetic diversity and low level of genetic load, but they show the highest recent inbreeding level compared with the other snub-nosed monkeys. This suggests that, despite its large population size,
has likely been experiencing recent inbreeding, which has not yet affected its mutational load and fitness. Analyses of homozygous-derived deleterious mutations identified in all snub-nosed monkey species indicate that these mutations are affecting immune, especially in smaller population sizes, indicating that the long-term consequences of inbreeding may be resulting in an overall reduction of immune capability in the snub-nosed monkeys, which could provide a dramatic effect on their long-term survival prospects. Altogether, our study provides valuable information concerning the genomic impact of population decline of the snub-nosed monkeys. We revealed multiple counterintuitive and unexpected patterns of genetic diversity in small and large population, which will be essential for conservation management of these endangered species.
Abstract Recent studies have showed inhibiting ROCK promoted axonal regeneration and suppressing ROCK-II decreased Aβ formation, suggesting ROCK is a potential target for the treatment of Alzheimer's ...disease. Because ROCK-II mRNA is abundantly expressed in brain, we targeted ROCK-II mRNA using a siRNA approach. To suppress ROCK-II mRNA expression, we synthesized PEG–PEI/ROCK-II-siRNA complexes and transfected C17.2 neural stem cells in vitro. The characteristics of the complexes were tested using a gel retardation assay. Particle size and zeta potential were examined using dynamic light scattering and the morphology of the complexes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The toxicity was detected by an MTT assay and transfection efficiency was determined by flow cytometry. Laser confocal microscopy was employed to investigate the cell uptake of the complexes. RT-PCR and western blotting were used to verify the effect of gene silencing. Our results indicated that the characteristics of the complexes depended on the N / P ratios. At a high N / P ratio, PEG–PEI could completely condense the siRNA into small-sized uniform particles. However, high N / P ratios are accompanied with high cytotoxicity. Because of high transfection efficiency and low cytotoxicity, N / P =50 was chosen to transfect C17.2 cells in vitro. Laser confocal microscopy showed that ROCK-II-siRNA with green fluorescence was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm and synapses. Moreover, ROCK-II-siRNA was successfully released from the lysosome. RT-PCR and western blotting demonstrated effective gene silencing. These results indicated that PEG–PEI/ROCK-II-siRNA complexes effectively suppressed ROCK-II mRNA expression, providing the basis for future research in vivo.
Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase 2 (ROCK2) is an attractive therapeutic target because it is overexpressed in many malignancies, including glioma. Therefore, we designed the current study to ...determine whether the downregulation of ROCK2 would sensitize the cytotoxic effect of temozolomide (TMZ) in U251 cells.
Glycol-polyethyleneimine (PEG-PEI) was used to deliver siROCK2 to U251 cells, and the physical characteristics of the PEG-PEI/siROCK2 complex (referred to as the siROCK2 complex) were investigated. The transfection efficiency and cell uptake were determined by flow cytometry (FCM) and confocal laser microscopy (CLSM), respectively. U251 cells were then treated with 100 μM TMZ, siROCK2 complexes or their combination. The apoptosis rate and cell migration were measured by FCM and wound-healing assay, respectively. The levels of Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were detected to analyze the degrees of apoptosis and migration.
Our results revealed that the characteristics of the siROCK2 complexes depended closely on the N/P ratios. PEG-PEI served as a good vector for siROCK2 and exhibited low cytotoxicity toward U251 cells. The CLSM assay showed that the siROCK2 complexes were successfully uptaken and that both the protein and mRNA levels of ROCK2 were significantly suppressed. Furthermore, the combination treatment induced a higher apoptosis rate and markedly increased the gap distance of U251 cells in the wound-healing assay. Levels of the proapoptotic proteins Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were significantly increased, whereas levels of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and the migration-related proteins MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly reduced by the combination treatment compared with either treatment alone.
In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the combination of TMZ and siROCK2 effectively induces apoptosis and inhibits the migration of U251 cells. Therefore, the combination of TMZ and siROCK2 complex is a potential therapeutic approach for human glioma.
Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to multicarbon (C2+) products using renewable energy sources is an important route to storing sustainable energy and achieving carbon neutrality. It remains a ...challenge to achieve high C2+ product faraday efficiency (FE) at ampere-level current densities. Herein, we propose the immobilization of an alkaline ionic liquid on copper for promoting the deep reduction of CO2. By this strategy, a C2+ FE of 81.4% can be achieved under a current density of 0.9 A·cm–2 with a half-cell energy conversion efficiency of 47.4% at −0.76 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). Particularly, when the current density is as high as 1.8 A·cm–2, the C2+ FE reaches 71.6% at an applied potential of −1.31 V vs RHE. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that the alkaline ionic liquid plays multiple roles of improving the accumulation of CO2 molecules on the copper surface, promoting the activation of the adsorbed CO2, reducing the energy barrier of CO dimerization, stabilizing intermediates, and facilitating the C2+ product formation.
Wi-Fi signals contain information about the surrounding propagation environment and have been widely used in various sensing applications such as gesture recognition, respiratory monitoring, and ...indoor position. Nevertheless, this information can also be easily stolen by eavesdroppers to obtain private information. In this paper, we propose WiShield, a new framework that protects legitimate users using Wi-Fi sensing applications while preventing unauthorized privacy attacks. The implementation of WiShield is based on a simple principle of physically encrypting Wi-Fi channel status information (CSI) to prevent eavesdroppers from inferring sensitive information through stolen CSI. To achieve a balance between encryption strength, sensing accuracy, and communication quality, we design an efficient multi-objective optimization framework that can safely deliver decryption keys to legitimate users and prevent illegal eavesdropping by eavesdroppers. We implemented the WiShield prototype on an SDR platform and conducted extensive experiments to verify its effectiveness in common Wi-Fi sensing applications. We believe that the implementation of WiShield can improve the privacy standards of Wi-Fi sensing applications, and it is also an important step towards making the integration of Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC).
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