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Pregnane X receptor (PXR, NR1I2), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a crucial regulator of nutrient metabolism and metabolic detoxification such as metabolic syndrome, xenobiotic metabolism, inflammatory responses, glucose, cholesterol and lipid metabolism, and endocrine homeostasis. Notably, much experimental and clinical evidence show that PXR senses xenobiotics and triggers the detoxification response to prevent diseases such as diabetes, obesity, intestinal inflammatory diseases and liver fibrosis. In this review we summarize recent advances on remarkable metabolic and regulatory versatility of PXR, and we emphasizes its role and potential implication as an effective modulator of self-detoxification in animals and humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt sulfide counter electrodes for the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) were successfully prepared on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates by a facial one-step in situ solvothermal method. The influences of prepared temperature on the synthesized phase, surface morphology, electrocatalytic, and photovoltaic performances of the cobalt sulfide counter electrodes were investigated with X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), Tafel, and photocurrent density-voltage ( J- V) measurements. The results indicated that very thin CoS nanoparticle thin films grew on the FTO substrates and the CoS counter electrode prepared at 180 °C showed superior electrocatalytic activity, chemical stability, and photovoltaic performance. The DSSC based on the CoS counter electrode prepared at 180 °C exhibited an efficiency of 6.59 % which was comparable to the solar cell based on the sputtering Pt counter electrode (6.82 %). It indicated that CoS in situ growing on FTO glass substrate at 180 °C is a potential candidate to replace Pt as a low-cost and efficient counter electrode of DSSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexagonal single crystal CoS1.097 nanoplates with the size of 200~500 nm have successfully in situ grown on flexible graphite paper (GP) and FTO substrates with a one-step hydrothermal method, which are used as counter electrodes (CEs) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and show different microstructures and different electrocatalytic activities for I3− reduction. The DSSC based on CoS1.097/GP CE shows larger fill factor and higher short-circuit current density than the DSSCs with Pt/FTO CE and CoS1.097/FTO CE, which attribute to the excellent electrical conductivity of GP and predominant electrocatalytic activity of hexagonal single crystal CoS1.097 nanoplates with the addition of a small electrocatalytic contribution of GP. Therefore, the DSSC with the CoS1.097/GP CE shows the highest photoelectric conversion efficiency (6.99%) among these DSSCs. Furthermore, the CoS1.097/GP CE still shows excellent electrochemical and mechanical stability in the iodine-based electrolyte after enduring the S-type mechanical perturbation. This work indicates the flexible CoS1.097/GP electrode is a promising candidate to replace Pt/FTO CE as a Pt-free, FTO-free, low cost, exceptionally stable, and high-efficient CE of DSSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]