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Aims: To assess the prevalence of diabetes-associated autoantibodies in Chinese patients recently diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes and to evaluate the potential role of the autoantibody markers for characterization of disease phenotype in the patient population. Methods: The study included 1273 recent-onset adult patients with phenotypic type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Serum samples were tested using the 3-Screen ICA™ ELISA (3-Screen) designed for combined measurement of GADAb and/or IA-2Ab and/or ZnT8Ab. 3-Screen positive samples were then tested for individual diabetes-associated and other organ-specific autoantibodies. Clinical characteristics of patients positive and negative in 3-Screen were analysed. Results: Forty-four (3.5%) of the T2DM patients were positive in 3-Screen, and 38 (86%) of these were also positive for at least one of GADAb, IA-2Ab and ZnT8Ab in assays for the individual autoantibodies. 3-Screen positive patients had lower BMI, higher HbA1c, lower fasting insulin levels and lower fasting C-peptide levels compared to 3-Screen negative patients. Analysis using a homeostatic model assessment (HOMA2) indicated that HOMA2-β-cell function was significantly lower for the forty-four 3-Screen positive patients compared to 3-Screen negative patients. Twenty (45%) 3-Screen positive patients were also positive for at least one thyroid autoantibody. Conclusions: The 3-Screen ELISA has been used successfully for the first time in China to detect diabetes autoantibodies in patients with phenotypic T2DM. 3-Screen positive patients presented with poorer β cell function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Polygonum Multiflorum Radix Preparata (PMP), prepared from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (PM), is traditionally valued for its liver and kidney-tonifying effects. However, the previous studies showed that PMP was hepatotoxic, which limited its clinical use. Unfortunately, the potential hepatotoxic ingredients and the molecular mechanism are still uncertain. Objective. The aim of this study was to find out potential biomarkers of hepatotoxicity using metabolomics profile. Materials and Methods. 60% ethanol extract of PMP (PMPE) was prepared. Subsequently, an untargeted metabolomics technology in combination with ROC curve analysis method was applied to investigate the alteration of plasma metabolites in rats after oral administration of PMPE (40 g/kg/d) for 28 days. Results. Compared to the control group, the significant difference in metabolic profiling was observed in the PMPE-induced liver injury group, and sixteen highly specific biomarkers were identified. These metabolites were mainly enriched into bile acids, lipids, and energy metabolisms, indicating that PMPE-induced liver injury could be related to cholestasis and dysregulated lipid metabolism. Conclusions. This study is contributed to understand the potential pathogenesis of PMP-induced liver injury. The metabonomic method may be a valuable tool for the clinical diagnosis of PMP-induced liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, PtCo nanoparticles (NPs) on hierarchically ordered mesoporous carbon (PtCo/OMC) are synthesized for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) aiming to improve the activity and durability of the Pt-based catalyst towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Specifically, the OMC is prepared through a solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method by using a triblock copolymer PEO-PPO-PEO as the structure agent, followed by annealing in the nitrogen atmosphere to decompose the structure agent and to carbonize the carbon precursor. PtCo nanoparticles (NPs) are fabricated with an average diameter of 3.3 nm by H2 reduction and galvanic replacement in an acid solution, and then are uniformly dispersed onto the OMC via impregnation. The typical mesoporous structure of the OMC enhances the uniformly distribution and thermal stability of the small-sized PtCo NPs. The activity and the durability of the as-prepared PtCo/OMC catalyst are investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and single-cell test. In the electrochemical tests, PtCo/OMC exhibits a high ECSA value of 88.56 m2g−1, and a ECSA retention of 77.5% after 5000 CV cycles. The results show that the PtCo/OMC catalyst is more active and more stable than the commercial-carbon-supported PtCo catalyst (PtCo/XC-72). PtCo nanoparticles (NPs) on hierarchically ordered mesoporous carbon (PtCo/OMC) are synthesized aiming to improve the activity and stability of the Pt-based catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Due to the natural mesoporous and graphite-carbon nanostructure of the OMC, the as-prepared PtCo/OMC catalyst is more active and more stable than the PtCo NPs on the commercial Vulcan@ XC-72 support (PtCo/XC-72), showing great potential in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical applications of high capacity metallic Li electrodes is severely hindered by the uncontrollable Li nucleation and growth that lead to poor cycle life and growth of unsafe dendrites. Here we demonstrate the design of porous but robust sponges with Cu nanoparticles and graphene and their applications for enabling Li electrodes with stable cycling under high capacity and high current conditions. We discovered that the Cu nanoparticles decorated on graphene effectively direct the heterogeneous nucleation of Li whereas the graphene frameworks provide ample spaces for confining Li growth. These sponges are able to host at least 60 mAh cm−2 Li without forming dendrites and allow stable Li plating/stripping with low overpotentials for hundreds of cycles even at a high current of 7 mA cm−2. The sponges have remarkable mechanical strengths and exhibited minimal structural deformation after aggressive plating/stripping cycles. These superior properties enable Li metal batteries with substantially improved high current cyclic stability and rate performance, as demonstrated with both LiNi 0.4 Co 0.2 Mn 0.4 O 2 and LiFePO 4 cathodes. • Light weight but strong sponges were synthesized with simple and scalable methods. • The sponges directly controlled heterogeneous nucleation and confined growth of Li. • Cu NPs reduced the overpotential required to initiate heterogeneous nucleation of Li. • The sponges inhibited formation of dendrites after depositing of 60 mAh cm-2 Li. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Ni-modified Mo2C catalysts with La2O3-stabilized ZrO2 supports were synthesized via template method coupled with incipient wetness impregnation and temperature-programmed carbonization. The catalyst was tested in dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction at the temperature range from 973 to 1173 K in a fixed-bed quartz reactor under atmospheric pressure. XRD, Raman, BET, H2-TPD, SEM, EDS and TEM were conducted to characterize the phase constitution, the pore structure, the morphology and the crystal structure of the catalysts. Ni-Mo2C nanoparticles of ~ 3 nm diameter were obtained for these catalysts, and the La2O3-ZrO2 supports exhibited a cubic lattice structure with a sheet shape, which is believed to contain an abundant of oxygen vacancies. And the synergistic interaction between the oxygen vacancy in La-Zr-O solid solution and the Ni-Mo2C particles could decrease the apparent activation energy of CO2. Both of them are beneficial for accelerating DRM reaction. CH4 conversion of the best specimen catalyst reaches 94% at 1173 K, and the catalyst maintains its stability after 100-h reaction. The superior catalytic activity of NMLZ-7.5 is attributed to the improved BET surface area (33.2 m2/g), smaller crystallites, grain boundaries and oxidation-carbonization cycle of Ni-Mo2C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Mechanism of the morphological changes between toroidal and rod-like nanostructures of P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP amphiphilic triblock copolymer micelles has been investigated in aqueous solution. This transition is proved to be highly reversible and tunable upon changing temperature. The toroidal structure, evolving from fibers at 20 °C, can transform to rod-like morphology as the temperature either gradually or directly increases to 80 °C, and vice versa. However, the transition mechanisms are quite different in different temperature-changing processes. The structure and thickness of the micelles are dependent on the specific temperature, whereas the transition mechanism is related to the method of the temperature change. These morphological changes are considered as a result from the interaction parameter between the solvent and the copolymer blocks, especially the hydrophobic block. Our research complements the external control over the reversible morphological transition of block copolymer micelles without changing the composition of the system or introducing additional influencing factors. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 1450-1457 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reversible transition of self-assembly and disassembly for PS 720 -P2VP 200 -PEO 375 multicompartment micelles in aqueous solution induced solely by changing temperature has been investigated. The shuttle-like micelles, formed from a second self-assembly of nano-sized spheres at 20 °C, will disassemble to small spherical micelles as the temperature increases to 40 °C. Cooling the system back to 20 °C regenerates the large-sized micelles, while the regeneration at low temperature is much slower than the disassembly at high temperature. A critical temperature is found at the intermediate regime of 30 °C, at which the micelle reaches the maximum dimension. However, the critical temperature is observed to be varied with the variation of the molecular weights of triblock copolymers and shifts to lower region with the decrease of the fraction of hydrophilic blocks. This reversible transition is considered as a result from the combination of the second-assembly of spherical micelles and the interaction parameter between the solvent and the hydrophobic block, and has great potential in application in drug delivery and release triggered by temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Block copolymer (BCP) is a promising precursor to design ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) materials for proton exchange membrane fuel cells due to its accessibility and controllability. However, enhancing the performance of OMCs through the integration of heteroatoms during the self-assembly process remains a challenging endeavor. Herein, an ammonia-assisted pyrolysis method is used to deposit N atoms in self-assembled OMC (N-OMC). The resulting N-OMC exhibits a well-ordered mesoporous structure with the N content up to 6.43 at.%. Upon PtCo nanoparticles loading (PtCo/N-OMC), the PtCo/N-OMC demonstrates exceptional electrocatalytic activity, evidenced by a half-wave potential of 0.876 V RHE and an electrochemical surface area of 98.19 m2·g−1. The single-cell test confirms the superiority of the N-OMC structure, revealing a current density of 1.53 A·cm−2 at 0.6 V and a peak power density of 1.17 W·cm−2. Theoretical calculations affirm that the pyridinic N-doping reduces oxygen binding energy, thereby enhancing oxygen reduction reaction activity. The confinement effect of the mesopores avoids aggregation of nanoparticles, while doping-N-induced defects further bolster their electrochemical activities. This work highlights the synergistic effect of N-doping defects and ordered mesoporous architectures, illustrating the exceptional potential of the BCP-derived OMC as an ideal support for electrocatalysis applications. [Display omitted] • Synthesis of efficient block copolymer-derived 3D ordered mesoporous carbon support for Pt-based electrocatalyst with synchronized ammonia-assisted pyrolysis. • Coordination environment and stability of N atoms in the block copolymer-derived carbon. • Synergistic enhancement of catalytic performance by N doping and confinement effect of ordered mesoporous structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control on the mesoporous nanostructures with uniform-sized and well-arranged mesopores can provide enhanced surface areas and mechanical properties, which are preferred for the development of energies, sensors, and electro-optical devices. Herein, Pt-containing ordered honeycomb (Pt/OHC) nanocomposites with regularly arranged mesopores were synthesized via self-assembly of polystyrene- block -poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS- b -P4VP) block copolymers (BCPs), following mechanism study of morphological evolution, concept of structural control, potential in catalyst application, and exploration of various metals. Particularly, it was found that the self-assembly of BCP directed the ordered arrangement of the mesopores, whereas the P4VP blocks incorporated Pt and precisely positioned it on the pore walls and on the outer surface of the honeycomb matrix. Mono- to multi-layered Pt/OHCs could be generated by controlling the thicknesses of the self-assembled pristine templates, and the average diameters of the mesopores could be varied from 12 nm to 40 nm by tuning the PS:P4VP block mass ratios. The obtained Pt/OHC demonstrated promising application as electrocatalysts in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), for which an overpotential of 39 mV at current density of 10 mA/cm2 (η 10) and a high half wave potential (E 1/2) of 0.87 V (vs. RHE), respectively, were observed in acidic media. In addition, the strategy developed here could be expanded for other metals, such as Au and Ir, to be incorporated into the ordered honeycomb matrix, providing a robust method to synthesize metal-containing mesoporous nanomaterials. With this work, we aim to offer an insight of designing ordered mesoporous nanocomposites, a concept of control over the mesoporous nanostructures, and a potential for their application in electrocatalysts. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work contributes to a new protocol of patterning gold nanoparticles (NPs) via secondary phase-separation of micelle template of PS- b -P2VP- b -PEO block copolymer. The immiscibility between hydrophobic PS and hydrophilic P2VP and PEO leads to a bulk phase-separation in large compound micelles (LCMs) when heated at the temperature of 130 °C. The bulk-separated template then constitutes an ideal precursor for Au NPs loading by an immersion in an aqueous solution bath of chloroauric acid such that the primed P2VP domains would coordinate to the charged [AuCl 4 ] − through electrostatic interactions. With the following treatment of air plasma, pseudo-hexagonal nanopatterns are created with Au NPs on P2VP matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction Diabetes can increase the risk of cancers at several sites, but the association between diabetes and lung cancer remains unclear. We aimed to provide the quantitative estimates for the association between diabetes or antidiabetic treatment and lung cancer risk in the present meta-analysis. Materials and Methods Cohort studies were identified by searching the PubMed database (January 1960 through October 2012) and manually assessing the cited references in the retrieved articles. Study-specific relative risks ( RRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were estimated using a random-effects model. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Results A total of 19 cohort studies were included in the present meta-analysis. Of these, 14 studies focused on the association between diabetes and lung cancer incidence, and seven studies focused on the association between antidiabetic treatment and lung cancer incidence. Compared with non-diabetic individuals, diabetic patients do not have an increased risk of lung cancer ( RR = 1.04, 95% CI 0.87-1.24). The association between diabetes and lung cancer remained not statistically significant in subgroup analysis stratified by study characteristics, study quality, diabetes ascertainment or important confounders. A null association between insulin or biguanides therapy and lung cancer risk was found. However, the diabetic patients receiving thiazolidinedione ( TZD) treatment had a 20% reduced risk of lung cancer than those without TZD treatment. Conclusions No association between diabetes and lung cancer risk was found. However, TZD treatment might reduce lung cancer risk in diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have studied the effect of shear flow on the self-assembly of ABC amphiphilic copolymers in dilute selective solutions by changing the stirring rate and the composition of the triblock copolymer. The results revealed that the self-assembled morphology strongly depends on the stirring rate and the composition of the copolymer. The self-assembled morphology formed by the ABC triblock copolymer in selective solvent is the result in a competition between the shear flow and the interfacial tension of the micelles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nickel selenide (NiSe) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) heterojunction structure water electrolysis catalyst was prepared by vapor deposition method, constructing a heterogeneous phase interface between NiSe and CNTs. The interface effect between NiSe and CNTs enhanced further π-electron delocalization of CNTs, increasing the local electron density at the Ni sites. Subsequent ionic liquids (ILs) treatment further resolved the aggregation issues of NiSe nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes, and facilitated further π-electron delocalization at the heterojunction. The imidazolium cations acted as "connectors," tightly linking the CNTs and NiSe nanoparticles. The NiSe/CNT-IL exhibited an HER overpotential of 82 mV at 10 mA cm⁻2 in 1 M KOH. Additionally, as a full water electrolysis catalyst in a water electrolyzer, it achieved a single-cell voltage of 1.965 V at a maximum current density of 500 mA cm⁻2 at 60 °C. This direct IL functionalization for CNTs facilitates the electron transfer process and ILs can serve as the electron acceptor with superior hydrogen adsorption. • The delocalization of electrons in the carbon nanotubes is enhanced, increasing the electron density near the Ni sites. • The ionic liquid improves the dispersion of carbon nanotubes. • The ionic liquid coats the catalyst surface, stabilizing catalyst particles and enhancing catalytic activity and selectivity. • The hydrophilicity of the catalyst is improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Purpose Methods Results Conclusions Accurate and automatic segmentation of pericardial adipose tissue (PEAT) in cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) images is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Precise segmentation is challenging due to high costs and the need for specialized knowledge, as a large amount of accurately annotated data is required, demanding significant time and medical resources.In order to reduce the burden of data annotation while maintaining the high accuracy of segmentation tasks, this paper introduces a semi‐supervised learning method to solve the limitations of current PEAT segmentation methods.In this paper, we propose a difference‐guided collaborative mean teacher (DCMT) semi‐supervised method, designed for the segmentation of PEAT from DCMT consists of two main components: a semi‐supervised framework with a difference fusion strategy and a backbone network MCM‐UNet using Mamba‐CNN mixture (MCM) blocks. The differential fusion strategy effectively utilizes the uncertain areas in unlabeled data, encouraging the model to reach a consensus in predictions across these difficult‐to‐segment yet information‐rich areas. In addition, considering the sparse and scattered distribution of PEAT in cardiac MR images, which makes it challenging to segment, we propose MCM‐UNet as the backbone network in our semi‐supervised framework. This not only enhances the processing ability of global information, but also accurately captures the detailed local features of the image, which greatly improves the accuracy of PEAT segmentation.Our experiments conducted on the MRPEAT dataset show that our DCMT method outperforms existing state‐of‐the‐art semi‐supervised methods in terms of segmentation accuracy. These findings underscore the effectiveness of our approach in handling the specific challenges associated with PEAT segmentation.The DCMT method significantly improves the accuracy of PEAT segmentation in cardiac MR images. By effectively utilizing uncertain areas in the data and enhancing feature capture with the MCM‐UNet, our approach demonstrates superior performance and offers a promising solution for semi‐supervised learning in medical image segmentation. This method can alleviate the extensive annotation requirements typically necessary for training accurate segmentation models in medical imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-precious metal catalysts (NPMCs) doped with nitrogen were derived from MOFs. Appropriate ligand and framework order in the precursor ensured the presence of various nitrogenous species and high surface area in the NPC, Ni-NPC, Co-NPC, and Fe-NPC electrocatalysts. Electrochemical properties of the as-prepared electrocatalysts were examined in 0.1 M KOH solution to investigate the effects of metal and doped nitrogen on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The free metal electrocatalyst (NPC) displayed poor ORR activity with an onset potential of 0.87 V RHE. The presence of nickel in the Ni-NPC catalyst could not create more active sites in comparison with the NPC catalyst, while onset potential of the Co-NPC catalyst shifted to 21 mV more positive (Compare to NPC). The investigation of doping active transient metals indicated that Fe-doping could be effective. It was because of the improved ORR activity of the Fe-NPC electrocatalysts with an onset potential of 0.99 V RHE. Furthermore, in a long-term stability test, this optimum electrocatalyst could retain more than 92% of its initial current density and experienced just 57 mV loss in its half-wave potential in an accelerated degradation test. Direct ethanol fuel cell test reveals maximum power density of 19.2 mW cm−2 at ambient temperature. • New M-NPS electrocatalysts were synthesized by pyrolysis of effective MOF precursors. • The synthesized M-N-C electrocatalysts had high surface area and a variety in nitrogenous species. • The effect of the metal on the activity and stability of the M-N-C electrocatalysts was evaluated for ORR. • The sequence of the catalysts activity in ORR are: FeN x > CoN x > NiN x ∼ metal free-N x. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionIn light of the increasing importance of immunotherapy in bladder cancer treatment, this study is aim to investigate the expression and clinical significance of programmed cell surface death-1 (PD-1) in bladder cancer patients without lymph node metastasis, and to compare and analyze the difference of PD-1 in draining lymph nodes and tumor tissues.The expression of PD-1 on T cells and the proportion of positive PD-1 + T cells of IFN-γ and CD105a were detected by flow cytometry, and the correlation between PD-1 expression and clinical parameters was analyzed.The percentage of PD-1 positive cells in drainage lymph nodes was higher than that in tumor tissues (P < 0.001). PD-1 positive cells accounted for the highest proportion in CD3 + T cells. The proportion of IFN-γ-positive PD-1 + T cells in draining lymph nodes was significantly higher than that in tumor tissues (P < 0.001), while there was no significant difference in CD105a positive PD-1 + T cells between tumor tissues and draining lymph nodes. Pathological grade, tumor size and stage were positively correlated with PD-1 expression level in the lymph nodes.The high expression of PD-1 in patients with bladder cancer without lymph node metastasis, especially in draining lymph nodes, suggests that PD-1 may play a key role in the regulation of tumor immune microenvironment. The correlation between PD-1 and clinical parameters indicates its potential prognostic value. These findings provide important clinical implications for PD-1 targeted therapy, but further prospective studies are needed to determine the application value of PD-1 in therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Transition metal and nitrogen co-doped carbon electrocatalysts are promising candidates to replace the precious metal platinum (Pt) in oxygen reduction reactions (ORR). Unfortunately, the electrochemical performance of existing electrocatalysts is restricted due to limited accessibility of active sites. Inspired by jellyfish tentacles, we design an efficient ORR micro-reactor called Fe-N x /HC@NWs. It features abundant exposed Fe-N x active sites dispersed on nitrogen-doped cubic carbon cages, which have a hierarchically porous and hairy structure. The accessible, atomically dispersed Fe-N x sites and the elaborate substrate architecture synergize to provide the catalyst withremarkable ORR catalytic activity, extraordinary long-term stability, and favorable methanol tolerance in an alkaline electrolyte; overall, its performance is comparable to that of commercial carbon-supported Pt. Our synthesis is facile and controllable, paving a new avenue toward advanced non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts for energy storage and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sodium-dependent glucose transporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) has the advantages of effectively lowering blood glucose levels and improving renal outcomes in diabetic patients. This study evaluated the effect of canagliflozin on intrarenal lipid content and oxygenation in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Methods: A total of 64 newly diagnosed T2DM patients with normal renal function were randomly divided into canagliflozin (n = 33) and glimepiride control (n = 31) groups. All patients underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning to assay patients' intrarenal lipid content and oxygenation level before and after 24 weeks of treatment. Furthermore, the relationship between body mass index and intrarenal lipid content in T2DM patients was analyzed and the correlation between changes in intrarenal lipid content and improvements in renal hypoxia was further assessed. Results: The canagliflozin group had a greater decrease in body weight and blood uric acid level than the glimepiride group (all P < 0.05). The intrarenal lipid content could be significantly reduced after canagliflozin treatment for 24 weeks. The R2* values, a parameter for quantifying the oxygen content in tissues and is inversely related to the oxygen content, of the renal cortex and medulla in the canagliflozin group decreased from the baseline by 6.40% (P < 0.01) and 12.09% (P = 0.000007), respectively. In addition, the degree of reduction of fat fraction (ΔFF) in the kidneys of the canagliflozin group was correlated with the degree of improvement of oxygenation level (ΔR2*) in the renal cortex (r = 0.422, P = 0.014). Conclusions: The early renal protective effect of SGLT2i in newly diagnosed T2DM patients may be partly attributed to the amelioration of renal hypoxia via the alleviation of ectopic lipid deposition in the kidneys. Trial Registration: Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital of Tianjin Medical University (ChiCTR2000037951). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bimetallic CuAg nanoparticles were synthesized using uric acid as a stabilizer, Fe3O4 loaded CuAg nanoparticles (Fe3O4–CuAg NPs) were also fabricated, and the morphology and content of both CuAg NPs and Fe3O4–CuAg NPs were investigated. The bimetallic CuAg NPs can be used as a catalyst and exhibited superior catalytic performance in the hydrogenation of nitrophenols and potassium ferricyanide(III). Notably, the bimetallic CuAg NPs and Fe3O4–CuAg NPs showed better catalytic activity compared with the same amount of Ag NPs in the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol, with rate constants k of 20.02 × 10−3 s−1 and 20.19 × 10−3 s−1, respectively. The magnetic Fe3O4–CuAg NPs can be re-used as a catalyst at least five times, promoting the concept of recycling by improving the deficiency in the disposable use of colloidal nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Knockdown of MYC expression increased PD-L1 protein expression induced by IFN-γ in HCC cells. • MYC inhibited the inducible PD-L1 expression in HCC cells at transcription level. • Knockdown of MYC expression enhances the STAT1 signaling by increasing STAT1 expression in HCC cells. Abstract The effectiveness of immunotherapy targeting the immune checkpoint PD-L1/PD-1 pathway highlights importance of elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of PD-L1 expression in cancer cells. Previous studies demonstrate that oncogene MYC up-regulates PD-L1 expression in lymphomas. In the present study, we investigated the regulatory role of MYC in the PD-L1 expression induced by IFN-γ in HCC cells. Unexpectedly, knockdown of MYC expression using siRNA assay increased the inducible expression of PD-L1 both at mRNA and protein levels. Mechanistically, the inhibition of MYC elevated expression of STAT1, a critical component of IFN-γ signaling pathway, leading to the elevation of PD-L1 expression in HCC cells exposed to IFN-γ. These results suggest that MYC may down-regulate PD-L1 expression in the context of HCC. This study implicates that a combination therapy targeting MYC function and PD-L1/PD-1 pathway might be effective for treatment of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fabricate effective and stable OER electrode in water electrolysis, self-doped TiO 2 nanotube arrays which has a higher electrical conductivity than pristine TiO 2 nanotube arrays was used as the support for loading IrO 2 . The self-doped TNTA was fabricated by a simple electrochemical reduction of TNTA in neutral electrolyte solution, and then IrO 2 nano particles were deposited by pulse electro-deposition method. The cyclic voltammetric behavior, electrical conductivity and micro structure of self-doped TNTA prepared at different reduction potential were characterized to obtain an optimal performance, and self-doped TNTA prepared under −1.9 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) shows the best electrochemical performance. After depositing IrO 2 , the OER activity and stability of new electrodes were also determined. Due to the enhanced electrical conductivity of support, the mass activity of IrO 2 /self-doped TNTA are 50 times higher than IrO 2 /TNTA. The OER stability of new electrode was evaluated under constant current of 5 mA/cm 2 , IrO 2 /TNTA and IrO 2 /Ti were also tested for comparison. A higher stability of IrO 2 /self-doped TNTA electrode is observed than the other two electrodes, and XPS studies indicate a lower oxidation state of Ir in IrO 2 /self-doped TNTA, this shows a possible interactions between IrO 2 and the new support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly efficient non-noble metal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts are of particular importance for cost-effective proton exchange membrane water electrolyser (PEMWE). Here, hierarchical WMoC nano arrays (NAs) with superhydrophilic surface and optimal crystal facet is synthesized. Mo plays a crucial role in preferred growth of active crystal facet and the formation of NA. Thanks to the optimal crystal facet and unique structure, WMoC NA exhibits an enhanced HER activity and stability under high current density. PEMWE single cell based on WMoC cathode shows an outstanding performance, which obtains a current density of 1 A cm−2 at voltage of 1.888 V with N117 at 80 °C, making it one of the best PEMWEs using non-noble metal cathode. The single cell also shows a stable operation under 1A cm−2 at 80 °C over 700 h, demonstrating WMoC cathode's great potential for application use. • Superhydrophilic WMoC nanoarray with a pine-like morphology was fabricated. • Mo plays a crucial role in preferred growth of active crystal facet. • PEM electrolyzer achieved 1.888 V at 1 A cm−2 and 700 h stable operation with N117. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NiCoP-BDC/NF was prepared via solvothermal and phosphorization methods. • NiCoP-BDC-4/NF shows better performance than reported MOF-derived bimetallic TMPs. • MOF incorporation modulated the electronic structures of the bimetallic TMPs. • Electrocatalyst requires 1.57 V to attain 10 mAcm−2 in an alkaline electrolyzer. Recent research has focused on preparing excellent and inexpensive bifunctional transition metal electrocatalysts, which is challenging. Herein, a facile synthesis strategy for preparing self-supported nickel-cobalt phosphides using terephthalic acid (H 2 BDC) as metal-organic framework (MOF) precursor is reported. The incorporation of the MOF precursors modulated the electronic structures and improved the performance of the bimetallic transition metal phosphides with the as-prepared electrocatalyst requiring low overpotentials of 170 mV and 323 mV to reach 50 mAcm−2 for HER and OER, respectively. Moreover, the electrocatalyst is employed in an alkaline water electrolyzer and requires 1.57 V to attain a current density of 10 mAcm−2 with long-term stability, surpassing many reported MOF-derived bimetallic transition metal phosphide (TMPs) electrocatalysts. This work explores the incorporation of a rarely studied MOF precursor into self-supported bimetallic TMPs and opens the prospects of designing efficient MOF-derived electrocatalysts for overall water splitting. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• IrO x /W-TiO 2 was prepared via surface modification and controlled hydrolysis method • The catalyst showed an improvement in Ir mass activity compared with unsupported Ir oxides • MEA using supported catalyst showed lower HFR than unsupported catalyst • Electrolyzer achieved 1.602V@1Acm−2 with only 0.2 mg cm−2 noble metal loading and Nafion 212 membrane. A multistep synthesis method is introduced to fabricate high performance IrO x /W-TiO 2 catalyst for noble metal reduction in PEM water electrolyzers. The performances of the IrO x /W-TiO 2 catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are measured in half-cells and single-cells and compared with unsupported IrO x and commercial IrO 2. In half-cell tests, IrO x /W-TiO 2 displays an improved Ir mass activity compared with the unsupported IrO x , demonstrating a positive effect of the support material. In single-cell tests, the performance of IrO x /W-TiO 2 also exceeds both the unsupported and commercial IrO 2. The cell voltage reaches 1.602V at 1 A cm−2 (Nafion 212) with total noble metal loading less than 0.2 mg cm−2, suggesting that significant Ir reductions are possible by using IrO x /W-TiO 2 without sacrificing the cell performance. It also shows improved durability than other unsupported catalysts at reduced Ir loading. In-situ electrochemical test reveals that the performance is associated with the enhanced conductivity of the catalyst layer. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]