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Abstract The sluggish kinetics of Volmer step in the alkaline hydrogen evolution results in large energy consumption. The challenge that has yet well resolved is to control the water adsorption and dissociation. Here, we develop biaxially strained MoSe2 three dimensional nanoshells that exhibit enhanced catalytic performance with a low overpotential of 58.2 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in base, and long-term stable activity in membrane-electrode-assembly based electrolyser at 1 A cm−2. Compared to the flat and uniaxial-strained MoSe2, we establish that the stably adsorbed OH engineer on biaxially strained MoSe2 changes the water adsorption configuration from O-down on Mo to O-horizontal on OH* via stronger hydrogen bonds. The favorable water dissociation on 3-coordinated Mo sites and hydrogen adsorption on 4-coordinated Mo sites constitute a tandem electrolysis, resulting in thermodynamically favorable hydrogen evolution. This work deepens our understanding to the impact of strain dimensions on water dissociation and inspires the design of nanostructured catalysts for accelerating the rate-determining step in multi-electron reactions.

Abstract Background Following spinal cord injury (SCI), the inflammatory storm initiated by microglia/macrophages poses a significant impediment to the recovery process. Exosomes play a crucial role in the transport of miRNAs, facilitating essential cellular communication through the transfer of genetic material. However, the miRNAs from iPSC-NSCs-Exos and their potential mechanisms leading to repair after SCI remain unclear. This study aims to explore the role of iPSC-NSCs-Exos in microglia/macrophage pyroptosis and reveal their potential mechanisms. Methods iPSC-NSCs-Exos were characterized and identified using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and Western blot. A mouse SCI model and a series of in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the therapeutic effects of iPSC-NSCs-Exos. Subsequently, miRNA microarray analysis and rescue experiments were performed to confirm the role of miRNAs in iPSC-NSCs-Exos in SCI. Mechanistic studies were carried out using Western blot, luciferase activity assays, and RNA-ChIP. Results Our findings revealed that iPSC-NSCs-derived exosomes inhibited microglia/macrophage pyroptosis at 7 days post-SCI, maintaining myelin integrity and promoting axonal growth, ultimately improving mice motor function. The miRNA microarray showed let-7b-5p to be highly enriched in iPSC-NSCs-Exos, and LRIG3 was identified as the target gene of let-7b-5p. Through a series of rescue experiments, we uncovered the connection between iPSC-NSCs and microglia/macrophages, revealing a novel target for treating SCI. Conclusion In conclusion, we discovered that iPSC-NSCs-derived exosomes can package and deliver let-7b-5p, regulating the expression of LRIG3 to ameliorate microglia/macrophage pyroptosis and enhance motor function in mice after SCI. This highlights the potential of combined therapy with iPSC-NSCs-Exos and let-7b-5p in promoting functional recovery and limiting inflammation following SCI.

ABSTRACT Aim This cross‐sectional study aims to identify the characteristic changes of prefrontal and motor areas during a tai chi chuan task in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and major depressive disorder (MDD) using wearable functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Methods Three parallel groups (T2DM with DD group, T2DM group, and healthy group) were recruited from December 10, 2022, to May 31, 2023. Participants in three groups conducted a motor task of tai chi chuan designed by Eprime 3.0, and fNIRS was used to monitor the brain activation, functional connectivity (FC), and lateralization of prefrontal and motor areas. Correlation analyses were performed to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and the function of prefrontal and motor areas. Results Ninety elder adults (aged ≥ 60), including 30 patients with T2DM and MDD, 30 patients with T2DM, and 30 healthy subjects, were enrolled. In contrast with the patients with T2DM and healthy subjects, the patients with T2DM and MDD had decreased activation and abnormal lateralization in prefrontal and motor areas and decreased FC among supplementary motor area, motor area, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Furthermore, the oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) concentration value of DLPFC in patients with T2DM and MDD was negatively associated with scores of Hamilton Depression Scale‐24 (HAMD‐24). Conclusions Patients with T2DM and MDD had characteristic functional changes in prefrontal and motor areas. DLPFC may be a potential target of diagnosis and intervention for patients with T2DM and MDD.

The treatment time window for acute cerebral infarction in global guidelines is within 24 h. We report a patient who was admitted to the hospital and underwent endovascular treatment reaching 40 h. During vascular examination, the thrombus moved to distant segment, and then the surgeon quickly performed endovascular treatment. The patient ultimately achieved a good outcome. This case indicates that thrombus is moveable at any time, we expected to provide advice to clinical doctors that vascular examination should also be arranged as soon as possible to clarify the etiology in stroke patients especially with low NIHSS scores.

In order to regulate the directional transfer and collection of heat in pavements, a novel solution has been proposed, named Umbrella-Shaped Heat-induced Channels (UHC). This UHC is composed of carbon fibers with high axial thermal conductivity and a heat-induced layer. A finite element heat transfer model is employed to analyze the heat transfer behaviors of asphalt mixtures. And an indoor irradiation experiment is conducted for feasibility verification. The results indicate that enhancing the thickness of the heat-induced layer or increasing the disparity in thermal conductivity between the heat-induced layer and asphalt mixtures can enhance the oriented heat transfer effect of UHC. The heat-induced layer boosts the horizontal heat flux of the UHC by 60.3% compared to the side without the heat-induced layer. This enhancement is attributed to the secondary thermal convergence effect of the heat-induced layer, which further amplifies the thermal induction and heat collection capabilities of UHC. This phenomenon is crucial for achieving directed heat conduction. The designed UHC can enhance the heat transfer efficiency of the asphalt pavement in the designated direction. Furthermore, it can alleviate the heat island effect, address permafrost thawing and high-temperature rutting issues, and enhance the efficiency of solar energy harvesting on pavements.

One of the major issues in the food sector is the lack of resource utilization and the contamination of the environment caused by by-products. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Ganoderma lucidum (GL) fermentation on the nutritional components, structural characterization, metabolites, and antioxidant activity of soybean residue (SR), sweet potato residue (SPR), and zanthoxylum pericarpium residue (ZPR). The results showed that the nutrient contents of SR, SPR and ZPR increased. The active substances, amino acids (umami, aromatic and basic), metabolites and antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP) (SR and SPR increased by 11.43, 32.64, 40.19 μmol Trolox/100 g and 19.29, 17.7, 32.35 μmol Trolox/100 g, respectively) of SR and SPR were increased. However, the results of ZPR showed a decrease in the content of bioactive substances, amino acids, and antioxidant activity. The results show that using GL fermentation can provide novel ideas and theoretical basis for improving SR and SPR to obtain new raw materials for antioxidant products.

Abstract Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) are gaining popularity for their cost‐effectiveness, safety, and utilization of abundant resources. MXenes, which possess outstanding conductivity, controllable surface chemistry, and structural adaptability, are widely recognized as a highly versatile platform for AZIBs. MXenes offer a unique set of functions for AZIBs, yet their significance has not been systematically recognized and summarized. This review article provides an up‐to‐date overview of MXenes‐based electrode materials for AZIBs, with a focus on the unique functions of MXenes in these materials. The discussion starts with MXenes and their derivatives on the cathode side, where they serve as a 2D conductive substrate, 3D framework, flexible support, and coating layer. MXenes can act as both the active material and a precursor to the active material in the cathode. On the anode side, the functions of MXenes include active material host, zinc metal surface protection, electrolyte additive, and separator modification. The review also highlights technical challenges and key hurdles that MXenes currently face in AZIBs.

The transition region is a very thin but most peculiar layer in the solar atmosphere located between the solar chromosphere and the corona. It is a key region for understanding coronal heating, solar eruption triggers, and the origin of solar winds. Here, almost all physical parameters (density, temperature, and magnetic fields) have the maximum gradient. Therefore, this region should be highly dynamic, including fast energy releasing and transporting, plasma heating, and particle accelerating. The physical processes can be categorized into two classes: thermal and non-thermal processes. Thermal processes can be observed at ultraviolet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths via multi-wavelength images. Non-thermal processes accelerate non-thermal electrons and produce radio emissions via the gyrosynchrotron mechanism resulting from the interaction between the non-thermal electrons and magnetic fields. The frequency range spans from several GHz to beyond 100 GHz, in great number of bursts with narrowband, millisecond lifetime, rapid frequency drifting rates, and being referred to as transition region small-scale microwave bursts (TR-SMBs). This work proposes a new type of Solar Ultra-wide Broadband Millimeter-wave Spectrometer (SUBMS) that can be used to observe TR-SMBs. From SUBMS observations, we can derive rich dynamic information about the transition region, such as information about non-thermal energy release and propagation, the flows of plasma and energetic particles, the magnetic fields and their variations, the generation and transportation of various waves, and the formation and evolution of the source regions of solar eruptions. Such an instrument can actually detect the non-thermal signals in the transition region during no flare as well as the eruptive high-energy processes during solar flares.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of deleterious mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 and in 13 genes involved in homologous recombination repair (HRR), the prevalence of genomic loss of heterozygosity and the allelic and hereditary status of BRCA1, BRCA2 and other HRR gene mutations in multiple solid tumor types. Patients & methods: This was a retrospective observational study of patients with an advanced/metastatic diagnosis in one of 15 solid tumor types, who were identified in a real-world clinico-genomic database. Results: Tumor tissue samples from 9457 patients were analyzed, among which 4.7% had known or suspected deleterious BRCA1/2 mutations. The prevalence (range) of mutations in HRR genes was 13.6% (2.4%–26.0%) and genomic loss of heterozygosity ≥16% was 20.6% (2.6–34.4%) across all tumor types. Conclusion: The prevalence of mutations varied significantly depending on the type of tumor. Plain Language Summary The integrity of the human genome is maintained via multiple pathways of DNA repair, one of the most important of which is homologous recombination repair (HRR), which uses a sister chromatid as a template for high-fidelity restoration of altered DNA sequences. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of deleterious mutations, i.e., changes in the genetic code that interfere with proper cellular function, in the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 and in 13 other genes involved in HRR in various types of solid tumors in patients with advanced or metastatic cancer. The researchers found that 4.7% of tumor samples had BRCA1/2 mutations, 13.6% had mutations in any of the HRR genes and 20.6% had genomic loss of heterozygosity (gLOH) of at least 16% i.e., loss of sections of chromosomes affecting 16% or more of the genome. BRCA1/2 mutations were most common in ovarian cancer (13.1%), prostate cancer (9.3%), breast cancer (8.2%) and pancreatic cancer (4.9%). Prevalence for mutations in HRR genes ranges from 2.4 to 26.0% and gLOH ≥16% ranged from 2.6 to 34.4% depending on the tumor type. In conclusion, the prevalence of mutations in the BRCA1/2 genes, HRR genes and gLOH ≥16% varied widely across 15 tumor types. Tweetable Abstract Among 9457 patients across 15 solid tumor types, we found that 4.7% had BRCA1/2 mutations, 13.6% had mutations in homologous recombination repair genes and 20.6% had gLOH ≥16%. The prevalence of mutations varied by tumor type. The prevalence of mutations in homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes and of genomic loss of heterozygosity (gLOH) and the allelic and hereditary status of these mutations across solid tumor types are not well described. This study reports the prevalence of mutations in BRCA1/2 and in 13 other HRR genes and of gLOH across 15 tumor types, including tumor types beyond those more commonly associated with these biomarkers. Almost 5% of tumor samples had BRCA1/2 mutations, 14% had mutations in any of the HRR genes and 21% had a high prevalence of gLOH (gLOH ≥16%). The highest prevalences of were BRCA1/2 mutations in ovarian (13.1%), prostate (9.3%), breast (8.2%) and pancreatic (4.9%) cancers. The prevalence of BRCA1/2 mutations in mesothelioma, bladder cancer, endometrial cancer and gastric cancer were not negligible. Among tumors where biallelic status was determined, the biallelic proportions of BRCA1/2 mutations were 95% in prostate, 86% in ovarian, 83% in breast, 77% in pancreatic cancer and from 23% (gastric cancer) to 38% (bladder cancer) in other tumor types. Among tumors where heritable status was determined, germline BRCA1/2 mutations predominated in pancreatic and breast cancers, whereas somatic mutations were the majority in ovarian and most of the other tumor types. Across all tumor types, the proportion of gLOH ≥16% was highest in those with biallelic mutations of BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2. The prevalence of mutations in HRR genes varied considerably across tumor types. Evaluation of HRR gene alterations and gLOH may enable identification of tumors that are susceptible to drugs that act by causing double-strand DNA breaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Novel treatments are needed for patients with advanced, triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) that progresses or recurs after first‐line treatment with chemotherapy. The authors report results from the TNBC cohort of the multicohort, open‐label, single‐arm, phase 2 LEAP‐005 study of lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03797326). Methods: Eligible patients had metastatic or unresectable TNBC with disease progression after one or two lines of therapy. Patients received lenvatinib (20 mg daily) plus pembrolizumab (200 mg every 3 weeks; up to 35 cycles). The primary end points were the objective response rate according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1, and safety (adverse events graded by the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0). Duration of response, progression‐free survival, and overall survival were secondary end points. Results: Thirty‐one patients were enrolled. The objective response rate by investigator assessment was 23% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10%–41%). Overall, the objective response rate by blinded independent central review (BICR) was 32% (95% CI, 17%–51%); and, in patients who had programmed cell death ligand 1 combined positive scores ≥10 (n = 8) and <10 (n = 22), the objective response rate was 50% (95% CI, 16%–84%) and 27% (95% CI, 11%–50%), respectively. The median duration of response by BICR was 12.1 months (range, from 3.0+ to 37.9+ months). The median progression‐free survival by BICR was 5.1 months (95% CI, 1.9–11.8 months) and the median overall survival was 11.4 months (95% CI, 4.1–21.7 months). Treatment‐related adverse events occurred in 94% of patients (grade 3, 52%; grade 4, 0%). One patient died due to a treatment‐related adverse event of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Conclusions: The combination of lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab demonstrated antitumor activity with a manageable safety profile in patients with previously treated, advanced TNBC. Lenvatinib, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, plus pembrolizumab, an antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 inhibitor, demonstrated an objective response rate of 23% by investigator assessment and 32% by blinded independent central review, with a manageable safety profile, among 31 patients with previously treated, advanced, triple‐negative breast cancer. These results contribute to the growing body of evidence on immunotherapy combinations for patients with triple‐negative breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]