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Sulfur-free Ni/γ-Al 2 O 3 and Ni-based bimetallic Ni 5 X 5 /γ-Al 2 O 3 (X = Cu, Fe, Zn, Co, and Mn) catalysts prepared by impregnation method were characterized by H 2 -TPR, XRD, BET, NH 3 -TPD, Py-IR, TEM, ESEM, XPS, and H 2 -TPD. The effects of transition metal on the physicochemical properties and methyl laurate hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) performance of the studied Ni-based catalysts were also investigated. The results showed that all the prepared Ni-based catalysts have mesoporous structure and large specific surface area (>130 m2 g−1), the Ni, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Co species were dispersed highly over the Ni 5 X 5 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts. The introduction of transition metal has a remarkable influence on the reducibility of Ni species and obviously improve the low temperature "absorption-desorption" performance of the studied Ni-based catalysts to H 2 molecules. All the studied Ni-based catalysts can preferentially catalyze the methyl laurate to occur decarbonylation/carboxyl (DCO) reaction to produce C 11 alkanes, because of the synergy effects between metal centers and acid sites. The carbonyl and/or bridge oxygen atoms in methyl laurate can be activated by electrophilic acidic sites, the intermediate products can be attacked by the reactive H atoms formed on the metal centers. The selectivity of the hydrogenation products including C 11 , C 12 , and oxygenated compounds are obviously affected by transition metal additives. Methyl laurate conversion and C 11 alkanes selectivity can reach 99.8 and 87.3 % at 400°Ϲ, respectively. In addition, the Ni 5 Cu 5 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst possesses acceptable cycle and regeneration performances. The introduction of transition metal X into the Ni based catalyst can significantly improve the electronic and structural effects of the catalyst. The dispersion of the Ni species is also enormously improved. Meanwhile, the reducibility of Ni species and the low-temperature "absorption-desorption" performance of Ni-based catalysts to H 2 are promoted. All the prepared Ni 5 X 5 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts show superior hydrogenation DCO performance and the main deoxygenation products are C 11 alkanes. [Display omitted] • Electronic and structural effects can be significantly improved by additive metal. • Formed NiX alloy can effectively promote the electronic effect between Ni and X. • Highly dispersed Ni, X, and NiX species are beneficial for hydrodeoxygenation. • The main deoxygenation pathway of methyl laurate is DCO on the Ni-based catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The weight of the breasts affects women's center of gravity; thus, the loss of a unilateral breast directly causes a change in body posture when a patient undergoes unilateral modified radical mastectomy. This study examined the effects of an external prosthesis (EP), immediate breast reconstruction (IBR), and body shape training (BST) on body posture, body image, and quality of life in patients with breast cancer with unilateral mastectomy through an 18-month follow-up. Of 810 individuals screened for eligibility, 722 were enrolled and randomly assigned into three comparison groups (EP [n = 157] vs. IBR [n = 157]; EP [n = 143] vs. BST [n = 143]; IBR [n = 61] vs. BST [n = 61]). IBR was superior to EP and BST, with the smallest trend of changes in body posture, the least body image distress, and a higher quality of life. EP was superior to BST, with the smallest trend of changes in body posture, the least body image distress, and a higher quality of life. IBR can effectively maintain body posture and improve body image, thereby reducing body image distress and improving quality of life. It is the best choice for breast cancer patients with unilateral mastectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface active centers, which include metal Co, surface oxygen vacancies, and Co0–CeO 2-δ interface structures, can be constructed on the mesoporous Co/CeO 2-δ catalysts by wet impregnation method. And the surface active centers can be regulated by the Co species dosage. The interaction between the metal Co and CeO 2-δ can promote surface oxygen vacancies and Co0–CeO 2-δ interface structures to be formed and be conducive to inhibit the aggregation and sintering of Co species in high temperature environment. The prepared Co/CeO 2-δ catalysts have better catalytic performances for CO 2 hydrogenation than the single component Co and CeO 2-δ catalysts, which can be attributed to the synergistic effect between Co0 active centers, surface oxygen vacancies, and Co0–CeO 2-δ interface structures. Therefore, the Co/CeO 2-δ catalysts have strong adsorption and activation ability for reactant CO 2 and H 2 molecules to improve the CO 2 hydrogenation activity. At atmospheric pressure and 400 °C, the CO 2 conversion and CH 4 selectivity on the Co/CeO 2-δ catalyst with Co loading of 12% could reach 59.7% and 95.7%, respectively, and maintained good stability in 9 cycles for CO 2 hydrogenation reaction. • Co0–CeO 2-δ interface structure can be constructed by impregnation method. • Interaction between Co and Ce species promote oxygen vacancy and Co0 to form. • Co0 and oxygen vacancy are mainly active centers in CO 2 hydrogenation. • There is synergy effect among Co0–CeO 2-δ , pore structure, oxygen vacancy, and Co0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although HIV testing is helpful for early detection and treatment of HIV, its utilization rate is low among college students in China. Understanding the acceptance and associated factors of HIV testing is the key to improve the detection rate. The purpose of the systematic review was to examine the acceptance and associated factors of HIV testing (including HIV self-testing and HIV counseling and testing services) among college students in China. Methods: This systematic review was reported following PRISMA guidelines 2020. Electronic sources such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang Database and VIP Database were searched for relevant studies published before September 2022. The tool by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was used to assess quality for cross-sectional studies. The random-effects and fixed-effect model were employed to estimate the pooled proportions and associated factor of HIV testing acceptance. The Cochrane's Q statistic and I2 test were used to examine heterogeneity. All the quantitative meta analyses were conducted using STATA version 12 software. Results: A total of 21 eligible studies with 100, 821 participants were included in the systematic review. The pooled acceptance rate of HIV testing was 68% (95% CI = 60, 76), and varies between regions in China. Male, heterosexual and urban college students had higher HIV testing acceptance. Gender, medical specialty, sexual education, sexual behavior, HIV/AIDS knowledge, perception HIV risk, and previous HIV testing were the factors associated with HIV testing acceptance. Conclusion: The review revealed that most of the college students intend to accept HIV detection, and the proportion of acceptance influenced by different factors. Therefore, the government and universities should implement targeted measures, improve HIV testing services, and promote HIV testing behavior. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022367976. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of nitrogen doped porous carbons with enhanced adsorption performance for p-arsanilic acid (pASA) and roxarsone (ROX) were successfully prepared via urea assisted hydrothermal method and sodium oxalate activation process. Especially, the boosted BET surface area and nitrogen containing groups endow NC-750 activated at 750 °C with superior adsorption capacities for pASA (287.3 mg/g) and ROX (462.6 mg/g), thus resulting in appealing potential for phenylarsonic acids adsorption from effluent. [Display omitted] • N -doped carbon was prepared by urea-assisted hydrothermal method from peanut shell. • N -doped carbon possessed high surface area (1331.11 m2/g) with defective structure. • N -doped carbon had high adsorption capacities for p-arsanilic acid and roxarsone. • Both of the physical structure and N -doping contribute to the enhanced performance. Phenylarsonic acids are deemed as emerging contaminants, and their removal by carbonaceous materials has aroused wide attentions. However, the adsorption behaviors and mechanisms on nitrogen doped carbon still remain unclear. Herein, nitrogen doped porous carbons (NC-x) for adsorbing p -arsanilic acid and roxarsone were fabricated by hydrothermal and following activation treatment of peanut shell. The results revealed that NC-750 which was activated at 750 °C exhibited high BET surface area of 1331.11 m2/g, total pore volume of 0.97 cm3/g and average pore size of 2.91 nm, and its maximum equilibrium capacities based on Sips model for p -arsanilic acid and roxarsone were 287.3 mg/g and 462.6 mg/g, respectively. The sufficient adsorption space, rich defect structure and high affinity of nitrogen-containing groups endow NC-750 with high adsorption capacities, and the adsorption mechanisms involve with pore-filling, hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation demonstrated that p -arsanilic acid was electron donor while roxarsone was electron acceptor, and graphitic nitrogen was conducive to the π-π interactions while pyrrolic nitrogen and pyridinic nitrogen were preferential for hydrogen bonding interactions. This work can provide reference for understanding the adsorption behaviors and interfacial mechanisms between phenylarsonic acid and nitrogen doped carbonaceous materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • N-rich polypyrrole-co-aniline hollow nanospheres serve as carbon precursors. • N, P and S co-doped optimize the electronic structure of carbonaceous catalyst. • Ultrathin MoP-MoS 2 heterojunction is in-situ constructed on N, P and S co-doped HCSs. • The strong interaction among MoP, MoS 2 and HCSs helps to charge and mass transfer. • The as designed catalyst displayed remarkable HER activity and long-term durability. Rational design hierarchical nano-heterojunction electrocatalysts with high activity and durability for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are attractive for sustainable energy conversion. Here, one-step and space-confine pyrolysis strategy is demonstrated to in-situ construct ultrathin MoP-MoS 2 heterostructure on N, P and S co-doped hollow carbon spheres (MoP-MoS 2 /HCSs) that present remarkable HER performance. The intimate contact among MoP outer-layer, MoS 2 intermediate layer and N, P and S co-doped HCSs inner-layer facilitates the formation of triple-shelled heterogeneous nanoreactor. Benefiting from abundant active sites, high specific surface area, heteroatomic doping, intimate catalyst-substrate contact and ultrathin active heterostructure, the resulting MoP-MoS 2 /HCSs not only displays significant electrocatalytic activity with low overpotentials (71 mV and 125 mV in 1.0 M KOH and 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , respectively) at current density of 10 mA cm−2, but exhibits outstanding stability toward HER process. This study offers a promising approach to design hierarchical nano-heterojunction with remarkable electrochemical properties for green energy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer (GC) remains one of the prevalent causes of cancer-related deaths globally. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been associated with different cancers. The polarization of macrophages towards the M2 (alternatively activated) phenotype promotes immunologic tolerance and can induce gastric tumorigenesis. Thus far, lncRNAs have been shown to modulate the differentiation of immune cells. Here, we investigated the biological effects of LINC00665 on the progression of GC and explored the mechanisms underlying its ability to mediate the polarization of macrophages towards the M2 phenotype. We report that the levels of LINC00665 were increased in GC tissues. Furthermore, this increase in LINC00665 expression could be associated with decreased overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and post-progression survival (PPS). Using cell-based macrophage polarization models, we demonstrated that LINC00665 upregulation in GC cells facilitated the polarization of macrophages towards the M2 but not M1 (classically activated) phenotype. Furthermore, the loss of LINC00665 prevented the M2 polarization of macrophages. Mechanically, we identified that Wnt1 was the downstream target of LINC00665. Additionally, LINC00665 could directly interact with the transcription factor BTB domain and CNC homology 1 (BACH1). The interaction between LINC00665 and BACH1 resulted in the activation and binding of BACH1 to the Wnt1 promoters. Furthermore, BACH1 silencing could inhibit GC progression, which highlighted a crucial role for BACH1 in LINC00665-mediated Wnt1 activation. In addition, genetic Wnt1 overexpression effectively abolished the repression of Wnt signaling after BACH1 depletion and mediated GC development by supporting M2 macrophage polarization. In conclusion, we report that LINC00665 modulates M2 macrophage polarization and suggest that it may facilitate macrophage-dependent GC progression. • LINC00665 level was increased in GC tissues. • M2 showed an increased expression of LINC00665 and LINC00665 contributed to M2-like polarization of macrophages. • LINC00665 binding to BACH1 increased its occupancy in Wnt1 promoter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deep utilization of green and renewable chemicals has laid the foundation for sustainable development. Recombining and modifying the long carbon chain structure and oxygen-containing functional groups in fats and oils can prepare important chemical products, such as high-quality second-generation biodiesel and oxygen-containing compounds (fatty alcohols, fatty acids, and esters). To improve the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) performances of Ni-based catalysts, the effect of surface composition was studied in detail. Acid-base centers of Ni/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts were finely regulated by adding metal oxides (ZrO 2 , CeO 2 , La 2 O 3 , and MgO). It was found that enhancing the basicity of the studied catalyst was conducive to the methyl laurate conversion, but was not conducive to the HDO of oxygen-containing intermediates. In other words, the strong basicity would promote the condensation reaction of oxygen-containing intermediates over Ni-based catalyst. Among the studied catalysts, Ni/La 2 O 3 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst showed the highest methyl laurate conversion (73%) and oxygen-containing product selectivity (64%) at 400 °C, LHSV = 1.5 h−1, H 2 /oil = 500 Nm3/m3, and P H2 = 2.0 MPa over the Ni/La 2 O 3 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst. The acidity was favorable to improve the conversion of oils and the yield of alkane products, and the basicity was favorable to obtain oxygen-containing compounds over the corresponding catalysts. [Display omitted] • Acidic sites are favorable to improve the yield of alkane products. • Alkaline sites are favorable to obtain oxygen-containing compounds. • Highly dispersed Ni sites are conducive to activating H 2. • HDO products distribution can be adjusted by the acidity and alkaline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hoabinhian phenomenon was long considered a late Paleolithic technocomplex in Southeast Asia. Recently, the discovery of several Hoabinhian sites in southwest China largely expanded its tempo-spatial distributions and enriched the toolkit of Hoabinhian hunter-gatherers. The Hoabinbian stone tools are often made with river cobbles of large to medium size and rarely reach over 150 mm and 1 kg. However, this perspective towards Hoabinhian cutting tools can be updated with recurring tools made on massive and even giant boulders discovered at Chinese Hoabinhian sites. Here we present the mega lithic tools (> 150 mm, 2 kg) from the first and also the currently known earliest Hoabinhian site – Xiaodong rockshelter in southwest China. These tools' productional and techno-functional characteristics were described and illustrated, and whether they have utilitarian purposes was discussed. Although these massive, giant, heavy-duty Hoabinhian tools are morpho-typologically similar to those large-medium ones found at the site, their original size may endow new aspects (cognitive, technical, symbolic, social, etc.) to these tools that are still poorly understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper rationally designs the morphology and phase structure of carbon nanotube/polyaniline@MoS 2 (CNT/PANI@MoS 2) composites, with MoS 2 conductive wrapping growing vertically on the outer layer of the composites via hydrothermal method. The crystalline nature and chemical properties are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Flourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy (Raman), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Morphology and microstructures are determined by Scanning electric microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The developed composites possess excellent electrochemical properties (the specific capacitance is substantially increased by ~119%, reaching 700.0 F g−1 after wrapping by MoS 2) and good cycling stability (after over 5000 cycles retains 80.8% capacitance) in three-electrode systems, which indicating that the unique morphology of MoS 2 shells endow the channels to composites for rapid charge transport and ionic diffusion. Furthermore, symmetric supercapacitors devices assembled with the CNT/PANI@MoS 2 composites achieve specific capacitance of 459.7 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, capacitance retention is 97.4% after 10,000 cycles and reach superior energy density of 40.9 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 400 W kg−1. This strategy of three-dimensional wrapping method may open up a new potential to relieve the dilemma of degraded performance of supercapacitor, while improving the capacitance and stability for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-CeO 2 supports, which have different structure from different preparation methods, were used to prepare nano-Pd/CeO 2 catalysts. The hydrogen storage capacity of prepared nano-Pd/CeO 2 catalysts were studied via vapor phase benzene hydrogenation and cyclohexane dehydrogenation reactions. Results show that the prepared Pd/CeO 2 catalysts exhibit excellent benzene hydrogenation and cyclohexane dehydrogenation performances. The catalytic performance of the Pd/CeO 2 catalysts is related to the dispersion of metallic Pd, hydrogen adsorption-desorption ability and structure of Pd/CeO 2 catalysts and so on. And those properties are also directly affected by the morphology and mesoporous structure of the prepared nano-Pd/CeO 2 catalysts that can be regulated by CeO 2 support preparation methods. The synergistic effect between metal Pd, CeO 2 support and their structures can effectively promote benzene hydrogenation and cyclohexane dehydrogenation, thus promoting hydrogen storage capacity. The prepared Pd/CeO 2 -HT catalyst, which has high specific surface area, developed pore structure and highly dispersed metal Pd species, exhibits superior catalytic performances. And, the Pd/CeO 2 -HT catalyst exhibits superior catalytic hydrogen storage performances. The benzene conversion over it at 200 °C reaches 99.5%. Whereas the cyclohexane conversion at 450 °C is 65.3%, and the H 2 production capacity is 73.77 g/h. • Structure of Pd/CeO 2 catalysts can be regulated by CeO 2 support preparation method. • Hydrogen storage between benzene and cyclohexane can be realized by Pd/CeO 2 catalyst. • Synergistic effect between metal Pd, CeO 2 support and their structures can promote hydrogen storage. • Pd/CeO 2 -HT catalyst with excellent structure exhibits superior catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Co/CeO 2-δ catalysts with different morphology structure were prepared for CO 2 catalytic hydrogenation reaction. The physical and chemical properties of these catalysts were characterized by H 2 -TPR, XRD, TEM, ICP and H 2 -TPD. The characterization results indicated that the different morphology structure of CeO 2 support obviously influence the exposed crystal plane, and then affect the concentration of oxygen vacancies, the metal-support interaction and the dispersion of Co0 active species on the CeO 2 support. In addition, the Co ions can be dissolved into the CeO 2 lattice to form Ce–O–Co solid solution, which promotes the formation of Co0 active species, oxygen vacancies, and the Ce3+-□-Co0 structure, thus significantly affects the CO 2 hydrogenation performance of Co/CeO 2-δ catalysts. The exposed {110} and {100} crystal plane of CoCe140 catalyst with nano-rods structure ensure the excellent CO 2 hydrogenation performance, including CO 2 conversion is 48.7%, the CH 4 and CO selectivity are 91.7% and 8.3%, respectively. The CO 2 molecules can be effectively hydrogenated to HCOO− intermediate species, which can form CO and be further hydrogenated to CH 4. The oxygen vacancies and high dispersed Co0 species on the Co/CeO 2-δ catalysts are the main active species to catalyze the CO 2 hydrogenation reaction. The studied catalysts with different morphology structure of the CeO 2 support will deeply affect the CO 2 hydrogenation reaction by affecting the concentration of oxygen vacancies, metal-support interaction and dispersion of Co0 species when the Co species contact with different crystal plane of CeO 2 support, which is critical to the formation of active centers. Image 1 • The properties of active Co can be affected by the morphology structure from CeO 2. • The CeO 2 {110} crystal plane can form abundant oxygen vacancies as active centers. • Enriched oxygen vacancies enhance the Co0 dispersion and metal-support interaction. • The CO 2 conversion reaches 48.7% although the amount of Co species is 1.0 wt %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu was introduced into Ni/γ-Al 2 O 3 to prepare mesoporous Ni x Cu y /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts with different Ni and Cu contents. H 2 -TPR, XRD, BET, H 2 -TPD, and in-situ XPS were used to study the physicochemical properties of the prepared Ni x Cu y /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts. The catalytic performances of Ni x Cu y /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts were evaluated by methyl laurate catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction. The Ni x Cu y O/γ-Al 2 O 3 precursors can be reduced to Ni0, Cu0, and NiCu alloy active species by H 2 at 420°C. Formed NiCu alloy can effectively promote the electronic effect between Ni and Cu, and enhance the adsorption and activation abilities of the corresponding catalyst for the reactant molecules. The Ni active sites preferentially catalyzes the decarbonylation/carboxyl (DCO) reaction in the deoxygenation of methyl laurate, while the HDO pathway is predominant on the Cu active sites. The deoxygenation pathway obviously changes from DCO to HDO at the mole ratio of Ni/Cu lower than 3/7, and the main deoxygenation products change from C 11 to C 12 alkane. At the H 2 /Oil ratio of 500N, the space velocity (SV) of 1.5 h−1, H 2 pressure(P) of 2 M Pa, and the reaction temperature of 380°C, the Ni 3 Cu 7 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst shows the best methyl laurate DCO properties. And methyl laurate conversion and the main deoxygenation products C 11 alkane selectivity can reach 98.3 and 87.4%, respectively. Moreover, Ni 3 Cu 7 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst also exhibits good stability. The introduction of Cu into the Ni based catalyst can enormously improve the dispersion of Ni0, Cu0, and NiCu alloy active components. Meanwhile, formed NiCu alloy can also effectively promote the electronic effect between Ni and Cu. The main deoxygenation pathway of methyl laurate and the product selectivity can be directly affected by the content of Ni and Cu active components in the prepared catalysts. The prepared Ni x Cu y /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts present superior catalytic hydrodeoxygenation performance and good use stability. Image 1 • The deoxygenation pathway of methyl laurate can be affected by the content of Ni and Cu active components. • Formed NiCu alloy can effectively promote the electronic effect between Ni and Cu. • Developed mesoporous structure and highly dispersed Ni, Cu, and NiCu alloy are beneficial for hydrodeoxygenation. • Ni x Cu y /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts present superior methyl laurate hydrodeoxygenation performance and good stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and development of a high performance hydrogenation catalyst is an important challenge in the utilization of CO 2 as resources. The catalytic performances of the supported catalyst can be effectively improved through the interaction between the active components and the support materials. The obtained results demonstrated that the oxygen vacancies and active Cu0 species as active sites can be formed in the Cu/CeO 2-δ catalysts by the H 2 reduction at 400 °C. The synergistic effect of the surface oxygen vacancies and active Cu0 species, and Cu0–CeO 2-δ interface structure enhanced catalytic activity of the supported xCu/CeO 2-δ catalysts. The electronic effect between Cu and Ce species boosted the adsorption and activation performances of the reactant CO 2 and H 2 molecules on the corresponding Cu/CeO 2-δ catalyst. The Cu/CeO 2-δ catalyst with the Cu loading of 8.0 wt% exhibited the highest CO 2 conversion rate in the RWGS reaction, reaching 1.38 mmol·g cat −1 min−1 at 400 °C. Its excellent catalytic performance in the RWGS reaction was related to the complete synergistic interaction between the active species via Ce3+-□-Cu0 (□: oxygen vacancy). The Cu/CeO 2-δ composite material is a superior catalyst for the RWGS reaction because of its high CO 2 conversion and 100% CO selectivity. • Cu0–CeO 2-δ interface structure can be formed on the supported Cu/CeO 2-δ catalyst. • Surface rich Cu0 species can improve the synergistic effect between oxygen vacancies and Cu0 species. • The synergistic effect between metal Cu and oxygen vacancies contributed to the high RWGS activity. • Cu0–CeO 2-δ interface structure contributed to the high CO 2 hydrogenation activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new type of carbon material, carbon dots (CDs) with exceptional properties are regarded as a type of potential water-based lubricant additive. In this study, it is first demonstrated that CDs perform excellently when used as lubricant additives for water-lubricated amorphous carbon (a-C) contacts. The results show that the introduction of CDs into water at a concentration of 0.1 wt% could reduce friction and wear in a-C contacts by 33% and 80%, respectively. Additionally, the lubricating performance of CDs is highly sensitive to its adding concentration. The excellent tribological performance of CDs results from the minimized CDs sediment particles (deposited in situ on worn a-C surfaces) and the reduced friction and wear via nano-bearing and nano-filling mechanisms. With high CDs concentrations, however, micron and submicron-sized sediment particles form when friction occurs and cause undesirable abrasive wear. For water-lubricated a-C contacts, therefore, the CDs concentration is the crucial determinant of lubrication performance that has to be appropriately controlled. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium (Se) can be absorbed by plants, thereby affects plant physiological activity, interferes gene expression, alters metabolite content and influences plant growth. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the plant response to Se remains unclear. In this study, apple plants were exposed to Se at concentrations of 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, and 48 μM. Low concentrations of Se promoted plant growth, while high Se concentrations (≥24 μM) reduced photosynthesis, disturbed carbon and nitrogen metabolism, damaged the antioxidant system, and ultimately inhibited plant growth. The transcriptome and metabolome revealed that Se mainly affected three pathways, namely the 'biosynthesis of amino acids', 'starch and sucrose metabolism', and 'phenylpropanoid biosynthesis' pathways. 9 μM Se improved the synthesis, catabolism and utilization of amino acids and sugars, ultimately promoted plant growth. However, 24 μM Se up-regulated the related genes expression of PK, GPT, P5CS, SUS, SPS and CYP98A, and accumulated a large number of osmoregulation substances, such as citric acid, L-proline, D-sucrose and chlorogenic acid in the roots, ultimately affected the balance between plant growth and defense. In conclusion, this study reveals new insights into the key metabolic pathway in apple plants responses to Se. [Display omitted] • Se dose-dependent promoted or inhibited photosynthesis. • Se dose-dependent affects carbon and nitrogen metabolism in plants. • Se interferes with starch and sucrose metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways. • Se toxicity increased proline, soluble sugar and secondary metabolites contents in roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and utilization of biomass "green carbon" is conducive to alleviating the energy crisis and environmental protection problems. We reported herein a novel and unique shell-style Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst. The shell Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst (Cu-CPA) with the Cu content of 3 wt% prepared by acetone as solvent has excellent hydrodeoxygenation performances, methyl laurate hydrogenation conversion and C 12 alkanes selectivity were 87.2 and 80.0 % at 400 °C, respectively, which were equivalent to the activities of 10 wt% Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst prepared by using water as solvent. That is to say, the Cu atoms availability can be greatly improved through solvent assistance. [Display omitted] • Shell Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts prepared by impregnation method with solvent assisted. • Shell Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts have service cycle-stable HDO performance. • Shell thickness, pore structure, and surface composition can be adjusted by solution. Using biomass "green carbon" can effectively alleviate the energy crisis and environmental protection problems. To achieve efficient removal of oxygen atoms, retain complete carbon chain structures, and maximize the economy of carbon atoms for the inedible or waste bio-oils, a novel and unique shell-style Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst with low Cu content was developed to solve the current problems including easy sintering and poor hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) activity of the studied catalysts. The shell Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst (Cu-CPA) with the Cu content of 3 wt% prepared by acetone as solvent has excellent cycle-stable HDO performances, the methyl laurate hydrogen conversion and C 12 alkanes selectivity were 87.2 and 80.0 % at 400 °C, respectively, which were equivalent to the activities of the ordinary 10 wt% Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst prepared by wet impregnation using water as a solvent. The polarity of the impregnating solution modulates the shell layer thickness of the Cu-based catalysts to improve the surface chemical composition and pore structure of the catalysts, which in turn affects the lipids HDO performances of the corresponding catalyst. Active heterogeneous shell Cu-CPA catalyst showed high activity, selectivity, and stability in HDO, which can be attributed to the unique structure with suitable active shell thickness and high utilization rate of the metal Cu active components. This study provides feasible ideas for the preparation of shell-type catalysts, the design of anti-sintering Cu-based catalysts, and the production of renewable biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CO 2 molecules can be effectively hydrogenated to CH 4 molecules and/or CO molecules on the prepared bimodal mesoporous CeO 2-δ and CeCo composite catalysts with the large specific area. There are synergistic effect from ordered bimodal mesoporous structure, surface oxygen vacancies, and metal Co species, which can effectively promote CO 2 hydrogenation reaction. The surface oxygen vacancies and the metal Co species are the main active species to catalyze the CO 2 hydrogenation reaction. The obtained bimodal mesoporous structure is closely related to the diffusion and migration of the reactant and product molecules, which in turn affect the CO 2 catalytic hydrogenation performances over the CeCo composite catalysts. When the reaction temperature is 400 °C, the CO 2 reaction rate and CH 4 selectivity over CeCo05 composite catalyst with Ce/Co molar ratio of 0.5 can reach 4.10 × 10−5 mol/g cat /s and 93.3%, respectively, which is due to its well-ordered bimodal mesoporous structure, the formed a large amount of surface oxygen vacancies and metal Co active species. • The CeCo composite catalysts possess ordered bimodal mesoporous structure. • The Co0 species and oxygen vacancies are active centers in CO 2 hydrogenation. • There is synergistic effect among bimodal mesopore, oxygen vacancies, and Co0 species. • Surface enriched Ce species favor to form oxygen vacancy and protect Co0 species. The CeO 2-δ and CeCo composite catalysts with different Ce/Co mole ratio were prepared by hard-template method for CO 2 catalytic hydrogenation. The physical and chemical properties of these catalysts were characterized by H 2 -TPR, XRD, BET, TEM, ICP, and in-situ XPS. The characterization results indicated that the Co ions can be dissolved into the CeO 2 lattice to form Ce-O-Co solid solution, which promotes the reduction of corresponding precursor to form Co active species, surface oxygen vacancies, and the Ce3+-□-Co0 structure. The pore structure of the CeCo composite catalysts can be affected by the Ce/Co mole ratio, and the bimodal mesoporous structure can be obtained at relative high Ce/Co mole ratio. The synergistic effect from ordered bimodal mesoporous structure, surface oxygen vacancies, and metallic Co active species can effectively promote CO 2 hydrogenation reaction. The CeCo05 composite catalyst with Ce/Co mole ratio of 0.5 exhibited superior CO 2 hydrogenation catalytic activity and high stability, the CO 2 catalytic hydrogenation reaction rate and CH 4 selectivity reached 4.10 × 10−5 mol/g cat /s and 93.3% at 400 °C, respectively. This work indicated that the CeCo composite catalyst is a promising candidate for CO 2 hydrogenation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CeO 2 , which were prepared by hard-template method, soft-template method, and precipitation method, were used as support to prepare Ni/CeO 2 catalysts (named as NCT, NCS, and NCP catalysts, respectively). The prepared catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). Hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR) was also used to study the reducibility of the support nickel precursors. Moreover, CO 2 catalytic hydrogenation methanation was used to investigate the catalytic properties of the prepared NCT, NCS, and NCP catalysts. H 2 -TPR and XRD results showed that the NiO can be reduced by H 2 to produce metal Ni species, and the surface oxygen species existing on the surface of the support CeO 2 can also be reduced by H 2 to form surface oxygen vacancies. Low-angle XRD, TEM, and BET results indicated that the NCT and NCS catalysts had developed mesoporous structure and high specific surface area of 104.7 m 2 g −1 and 53.6 m 2 g −1 , respectively. The NCT catalyst had the highest CO 2 methanation activity among the studied NCT, NCS, and NCP catalysts. The CO 2 conversion and CH 4 selectivity of the NCT catalyst can reach 91.1% and 100% at 360 °C and atmospheric pressure. The NCP catalyst, which had low specific surface area and low porosity, performed less CO 2 conversion and higher CH 4 selectivity than the NCT and NCS catalysts till 400 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste biomass is used as raw material to prepare activated carbons for the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) adsorption elimination, which is an effective way to solve the waste biomass resource utilization and air pollution problems. Zanthoxylum bungeanum branches activated carbons with rich micropore structures were prepared by adopting H 3 PO 4 low-temperature hydrothermal pretreatment activation method. The prepared activated carbons were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The toluene adsorption/desorption performances and reusability were also tested to evaluate the application value of the prepared activated carbons. The toluene adsorption capacity increased with the rising of hydrothermal pretreatment temperature. When hydrothermal pretreatment temperature increased from 100 °C to 180 °C, the specific surface area of the prepared activated carbons increased from 956.0 to 1290.9 m2/g. And the micropore ratio of the prepared activated carbons markedly increased from 30.55 % to 63.35 %. Interestingly, the linear fitting results of toluene adsorption capacity and pore structures showed that the micropore volume and toluene adsorption capacity had maximum correlation. The micropore volume increased from 0.40 to 0.56 cm3/g, and the toluene adsorption capacity increased from 309.80 to 532.89 mg/g with the increase of hydrothermal pretreatment temperature. Toluene adsorption results were fitted by quasi-first, quasi-second, and Bangham models to analyze the toluene diffusion mechanism. The toluene adsorption process of all studied samples conformed to the Bangham kinetic model, which indicated that the diffusion mechanism of toluene adsorption process mainly followed intra-particle diffusion. Besides, the toluene adsorption capacity of the prepared biomass activated carbons could be regenerated at relatively low thermal desorption temperature (≤150 °C). [Display omitted] • The activated carbon pore structures are obviously affected by the hydrothermal pretreatment temperature. • H 3 PO 4 hydrothermal pretreatment activation can prepare activated carbons with high micropore ratio. • Toluene adsorption capacity of the biomass activated carbons could be regenerated at low temperature. • The toluene adsorption process mainly was intra-particle diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, energy conversion devices have gradually gained attention while vigorously developing clean energy. Carbon materials are promising candidates for supercapacitors, but two issues have plagued the researchers. 1) Does the cation radius in the neutral electrolyte significantly impact the electrochemical performance of carbon materials? 2) How to introduce heteroatoms while constructing hollow structures in carbon spheres. This work proposes a facile template free strategy that uses aniline and pyrrole as nitrogen sources to synthesize carbon sphere precursors. High-temperature carbonization combined with alkali treatment leads to the formation of N-doped hollow porous carbon spheres. Robust wall structure (thickness is about 60–80 nm) and ideal surface structure (the specific surface area is 1079.9 m2 g−1) endow the carbon spheres with excellent electrochemical performance and outstanding cycle stability. The specific capacitance of the carbon spheres in Li 2 SO 4 and Na 2 SO 4 electrolytes under negative working potential (−0.8–0 V) are 378.4 and 367.6 F g−1, respectively, at a current density of 1 A g−1. After 5000 cycles, the capacitance retentions are 87.1% and 94.8% in Li 2 SO 4 and Na 2 SO 4 electrolytes. We inferred that the cation radius has a negligible effect on the specific capacitance of carbon materials, but has a more significant effect on the cycling stability and capacitance rate performance. It is hoped that this work can provide a reference for the subsequent construction of N-doped hollow carbon spheres and reasonable selection of electrolytes. • N-doped hollow structure carbon sphere for highly stable supercapacitor. • Template-free strategy to construct N-doped hollow carbon sphere. • Carbon sphere electrode possess excellent cycling stability and capacitance rate performance in Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of ram speed ranging from 1 mm/s to 10 mm/s on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a Mg-11Gd-3Y-0.5Nd-Zr (wt%) alloy was investigated using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, hardness testing and uniaxial tensile testing. The results indicate that a bimodal-grained structure composed of elongated deformed grains and fine recrystallized grains is formed in the 1 mm/s extruded sample. Then, the microstructure completely transformed into equiaxed grains when extruded at a speed higher than 5 mm/s, and the recrystallized grains become coarser as the ram speed increasing. Compared with the 5 mm/s and 10 mm/s extruded samples, the 1 mm/s extruded sample exhibits the best strength and ductility. After T5 treatment, the ultimate tensile strength, tensile yield strength and elongation are 456 MPa, 333 MPa and 8.9%, respectively. The excellent mechanical properties are attributed to grain refinement strengthening, texture weakening, bimodal-grained structure and age hardening. The key to form a bimodal-grained structure is to restrict the temperature rise by controlling the extrusion speed. • A simple method to form bimodal-grained structure in Mg-Gd-based alloy is proposed. • The mechanism to form bimodal-grained structure relies on the limited temperature rise by controlling the extrusion speed. • The mechanism for bimodal-grained structure to improve the mechanical properties is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Ordered mesoporous CeCu oxide catalysts were synthesized by hard-template method. [•] Effect of Ce/Cu molar ratio on the physicochemical properties of CeCu oxide catalyst was investated. [•] Benzene, toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene were used as the air pollutants to be studied. [•] Catalytic activity is related to the surface active oxygen species and reducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to achieve an effective coupling of inorganic materials and highly efficient electron transfer inside a composite material is a crucial issue in the application of multiple-inorganic composite materials for supercapacitors. Herein, a facile strategy of using a thin-layer polyaniline for the construction of electron transfer channels within the multiple-inorganic composites is proposed. Benefiting from the polyaniline acting as a "bridge" for electron transfer and proper interaction between components of composites, CuS/PANI@MoS 2 (CSPM) composites electrode is equipped with excellent specific capacitance (759.2 F g−1 at 1 A g−1) and cycle stability (92.1% capacitance retention after 6000 cycles) in the three-electrode systems. Asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) devices assembled by the CSPM composites achieve a specific capacitance of 166.7 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, and the capacitance and coulombic efficiency drop by 14.5% and 4.0% after 5000 cycles, respectively. Impressively, the ASC devices achieve an energy density of 39.1 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 659.9 W kg−1. Furthermore, the theoretical calculations verify that the surface-capacitive contribution of CSPM composites is improved with thin-layer polyaniline channeling (24% higher than CuS@MoS2 (CSM) composites at 100 mV s-1). This strategy will provide a new potential way towards the effective coupling of inorganic materials. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass-derived N-doped carbon as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst has captured great attention, for its low-cost, environment-friendly and high-activity. However, most preparations of biomass-derived N-doped carbon expend a lot of fossil nitrogen compounds and corrosivity chemical activators. Herein, this paper proposes a green strategy using spermacoce latifolia leaf as precursor without any additive by direct pyrolyzing to N-doped porous carbon. The as-synthesized spermacoce latifolia -derived carbon (SL-C-800) make a feature of high specific surface area (274.12 m2 g−1), abundant mesoporous, and rich doped nitrogen. The optimal SL-C-800 exhibits high four-electron ORR selectivity with high half-wave potential of 0.75 V, and long-term stability in alkaline medium, which is same to N-doped carbon nanotube. The experiments indicate that graphitic-N is the main active sites, while abundant mesoporous facilitates the O 2 diffusion. Additionally, other porous carbons were synthesized by the same method, also exhibited excellent ORR performance. This work offers a new approach to design and synthesize carbon catalysts for ORR. [Display omitted] • N-doped porous carbons were prepared by direct pyrolyzing spermacoce latifolia. • The optimal SL-C-800 is featured by high surface area, abundant pores, rich doped-N. • The SL-C-800 exhibits a 4e- ORR route with long-term stability in alkaline medium. • Graphitic-N is the main active site, while abundant pores facilitate O 2 diffusion. • Other porous carbons were synthesized by the same method from other grass-blade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the morphology and phase structure of MoS 2 /PANI (MP) composites are rational designed, with PANI interwoven into the gap of MoS 2 to form a three-dimensional heterostructure via one-step hydrothermal method. The strong interaction between two components results in an increase of the interlayer spacing of MoS 2 by about 0.32 nm, which provides more channels for rapid charge transport and ionic diffusion. Consequently, the MP composites deliver high specific capacitance (756.2 F g −1 at 1 A g −1) and long cycling stability (78.1% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles) in three-electrode systems. When assembled into asymmetric supercapacitor devices, the resultant devices also have high specific capacitance (521.7 F g −1 at 1 A g −1), remarkable cycling stability (94.7% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles), high coulombic efficiency (97.7%) and superior energy density (46.4 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 400 W kg−1). Furthermore, theoretical calculation verifies that the contribution of each component to the electrochemical performance of MP composites, which provides a new idea for the design of active components proportion. We hope that this study will spark extensive interests in the exploration of novel practical energy-storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been widely used for improving psychological symptoms and sleep quality in breast cancer patients and has a positive impact on posttraumatic growth and immunology. Moreover, MBSR is increasingly being used in cancer-related fatigue (CRF) intervention studies for breast cancer patients, but conflicting results also exist., Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of MBSR on CRF in patients with breast cancer., Methods: A comprehensive computer search of the Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, China Biomedical Document Service System, China Knowledge Infrastructure Engineering, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and VIP databases was performed. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before April 10, 2023, were identified. The primary outcome was cancer-related fatigue associated with breast cancer. Two researchers independently screened the studies, extracted the data, and evaluated the methodological quality of the studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Meta-analysis of the outcome indicators was performed using STATA 16.0 software., Results: A total of 13 studies were included, including 1992 patients (997 patients in the MBSR group and 1015 patients in the control group). Compared with conventional care, MBSR significantly alleviated the symptoms of CRF in breast cancer patients (SMD=-0.32, 95% CI [-0.42, -0.22], z=6.54, p<.01). Under the supervision of experts, the 8-week MBSR had a great influence on CRF, especially in the Asian population., Conclusions: MBSR is effective in the treatment of CRF induced by breast cancer, and no obvious adverse effects occur; thus, MBSR can be recommended as a beneficial adjuvant therapy for treating CRF in breast cancer patients., Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42021245365., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Lan, Xie, Fu and Peng.)

In apples, a bottleneck effect in calcium (Ca) transport within fruit stalk has been observed. To elucidate that how auxin affects Ca forms and distribution in the apple fruit stalk, we investigated the effects of different concentrations of auxin treatment (0, 10, 20, and 30 mg·L -1 ) on Ca content, forms, distribution, and fruit quality during later stages of fruit expansion. The results showed that auxin treatment led to a dramatic reduction in total Ca content in stalk, while an approximately 30 % increase in fruit. Furthermore, auxin treatment effectively enhanced the functionality of xylem vessels in vascular bundles of the stalk in bagged apples. Finally, TOPSIS method was used to assess fruit quality, with treatments ranked as follows: IAA20 > NAA20 > IAA30 > IAA10 > CK > NPA. The findings lay a foundation for further studies on the bottleneck in Ca transport within stalk, uneven distribution of Ca in fruit, and provide insights into Ca utilization efficiency in bagged apples., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Two-dimensional (2D) Janus transition metal dichalcogenides MXY manifest novel physical properties owing to the breaking of out-of-plane mirror symmetry. Recently, the 2H phase of MoSH has been demonstrated to possess intrinsic superconductivity, whereas the 1T phase exhibits a charge density waves state. In this paper, we have systematically studied the stability and electron-phonon interaction characteristics of MoSLi. Our results have shown that both the 2H and 1T phases of MoSLi are stable, as indicated by the phonon spectrum and the ab initio molecular dynamics. However, the 1T phase exhibits an electron-phonon coupling constant that is twice as large as that of the 2H phase. In contrast to MoSH, the 1T phase of MoSLi exhibits intrinsic superconductivity. By employing the ab initio anisotropic Migdal-Eliashberg formalism, we have revealed the two-gap superconducting nature of 1T-MoSLi, with a transition temperature (Tc) of 14.8 K. The detailed analysis indicates that the superconductivity in 1T-MoSLi primarily originates from the interplay between the vibration of the phonon modes in the low-frequency region and the dz2 orbital. These findings provide a fresh perspective on superconductivity within Janus structures., (© 2024 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.)

In this paper, the MnO x catalysts with excellent toluene oxidation performance were prepared by a simple precipitation method. The physicochemical properties of the prepared MnO x catalysts were investigated by XRD, BET, H 2 -TPR, O 2 -TPD and XPS. The obtained results revealed that the crystallinity of the prepared MnO x catalysts could be effectively regulated by changing the (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 /Mn(NO 3 ) 2 molar ratio, and thus affecting the oxygen vacancy concentration of the prepared MnO x catalysts. The prepared MnO x -4 catalyst with the (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 /Mn(NO 3 ) 2 molar ratio of 4.0 had the poor crystallinity and small grain size, which effectively promoted the oxygen defects in the MnO x catalyst to be formed. At the same time, the MnO x -4 catalyst had a large specific surface area, the highest low temperature reducibility and the largest number of oxygen vacancies and surface adsorbed oxygen species, which allowed more surface oxygen species to participate in the redox reaction, and promoted the toluene deep oxidation. Therefore, when the (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 /Mn(NO 3 ) 2 molar ratio was 4.0, the prepared MnO x -4 catalyst exhibited an excellent toluene catalytic oxidation performance and robust catalytic stability. What's more, the toluene oxidation conversion on the MnO x -4 catalyst reached 99% at 230°C, and the MnO x -4 catalyst showed excellent resistance to water vapour.

Electronic Heath Records (EHRs) play vital roles in facilitating streamlined service provision and governance across the Australian health system. Given the recent challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an ageing population, health workforce silos, and growing inefficiencies in traditional systems, a detailed historical analysis of the use of EHR research in Australia is necessary. The aim of this study is to examine the trends and patterns in EHR research in Australia over the past three decades by employing bibliometric methods. A total of 951 articles published in 443 sources were included in the bibliometric analysis. The annual growth rate of EHR research in Australia was about 17.1%. Since 2022, the main trending topics in EHR research were COVID-19, opioid usage, and natural language processing. A thematic analysis indicated aged care, clinical decision support systems, cardiovascular disease, drug allergy, and adverse drug reaction as the "hot" themes in EHR research in Australia. This study reveals a significant uptrend in EHR research in Australia, highlighting the evolving intellectual and collaborative landscape of this interdisciplinary field. The data also provide guidance for policymakers and funding institutions in terms of the most significant contributions and key fields of research while also holding public interest.

The sustainable production of catechol derivatives is a challenging task. Catechyl (C) and guaiacyl (G) lignins coexisting in waste tung nutshells are promising feedstocks to form valuable catechol derivatives, but the depolymerization of C/G lignin typically involves a catalytic reductive process that cannot produce these oxidized aromatic chemicals. Herein, we demonstrated that the sustainable production of catechol derivative aldehydes and acids from C/G lignin could be achieved through a heterogeneous copper-catalyzed oxidative process. Under optimized conditions, the Cu-NC-800 catalyst affords a 43.5 mg g -1 yield (8.9 wt%, based on Klason lignin) of aromatic aldehydes (protocatechuic aldehyde, vanillin) and acids (protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid). XRD and XPS analyses showed that CuO and Cu 2 O may be the active species during the heterogeneous oxidation of the Cu-NC-800 catalyst. This study opens new opportunities for the sustainable production of catechol derivatives from C/G-type lignin., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Objective: This study aims to assess the global and regional prevalence and the potential risk factors for depression among COPD patients., Methods: Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, and PsycINFO databases were searched for the literature related to the prevalence and risk factors of depression in COPD. Random-effect models were performed to pool the global prevalence. Sub-group analysis and meta-regression were conducted to investigate the potential heterogeneity. Meta-analysis was performed only on the risk factors that have been reported in a minimum of three studies., Results: A total of 79 studies from 25 countries were included. The pooled global prevalence of variably defined depression among COPD patients was 34.5% (95% CI: 30.9-38.1). The odds of depression in COPD patients were 3.53 times higher than in non-COPD participants (95% CI: 2.35-5.29). Meta-regression results showed that region, income level, and research setting are the main sources of heterogeneity. Female sex (OR=1.92), living alone (OR=2.29), BODE index (OR=1.48), dyspnea (OR=3.02), impaired quality of life (OR=1.26), and GOLD stage III∼IV (OR=1.96) were found to be significant risk factors for depression in meta-analyses., Conclusions: More than one-third of COPD patients experience depression, with marked variations in prevalence across countries and regions. This study further highlights the need for the consolidation of mental health considerations into COPD treatments. High-quality, longitudinal studies and further research are needed to gain a better understanding of risk and protective factors., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Unilateral mastectomy is known to induce postural alterations, yet the temporal development pattern of these changes remains elusive. This study aimed to explore the impact of unilateral mastectomy on body posture., Methods: A prospective, longitudinal, observational study with a one-group repeated-measures design was conducted. Patients undergoing unilateral mastectomy were recruited from a university-affiliated hospital in Western China and monitored for 12 months post-surgery. A trained nurse assessed seven postural baseline parameters on the day of suture removal and at 3, 6, and 12 months after unilateral mastectomy. Two parameters were in the sagittal plane (forward head posture and trunk rotation angle), and five were in the coronal plane (neck tilt, shoulder asymmetry, scapular asymmetry, scapular asymmetry relative to the spine, and pelvic tilt)., Results: The final analysis included 159 patients. Baseline prevalence of most postural abnormalities ranged from 50.94% to 59.75%, with mean deviations between 2.74 and 4.51 mm. At 12 months post-mastectomy, prevalence and mean deviations increased by more than 30% and 3.50 mm, respectively, compared to baseline. Postural abnormalities increased gradually in the first 3 months, notably between the 3rd and 6th months, and slowed between the 6th and 12th months. On the mastectomy side, coronal plane abnormalities significantly increased within 12 months: earlobe to acromion distance (Wald χ 2 = 45.283, P < 0.001), depressed shoulder height (Wald χ 2 = 42.253, P < 0.001), depressed scapula height (Wald χ 2 = 31.587, P < 0.001), scapula to spine distance (Wald χ 2 = 45.283, P < 0.001), and elevated pelvic height (Wald χ 2 = 48.924, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Postural changes are common post-unilateral mastectomy, with prevalence and deviation increasing gradually, particularly between 3 and 6 months post-mastectomy. Early rehabilitation initiation is recommended to mitigate postural changes., Trial Registration: ChiCTR2000040897., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Asian Oncology Nursing Society.)

Waste Zanthoxylum bungeanum branches were used to prepare activated carbon adsorbents with high mesopore ratio by H 3 PO 4 staged activation method with adding KNO 3 additive. The prepared activated carbon adsorbents were characterized by SEM, BET, FT-IR, and XRD. The adsorption properties of the prepared activated carbon adsorbents were evaluated by the toluene adsorption/desorption in air. The quasi-first-order, quasi-second-order, and Bangham models were used to fit the obtained toluene adsorption results. The oxidative etching of KNO 3 additive improved the pore-forming ability of the H 3 PO 4 activator to enhance the activation pore-forming effects of the selected biomass raw material. The secondary pore-forming effects of K atoms promoted the effective expansion of the pore diameter in the activated carbon preparation process to prepare activated carbon adsorbents with high mesopore proportion. The specific surface area and mesopore proportion of the activated carbon adsorbents prepared by adding KNO 3 additive exceeded 1100 m 2 /g and 71.00%, respectively, and the toluene adsorption capacity exceeded 370.00 mg/g. The rich mesopore structures can effectively reduce the toluene mass transfer resistance, which can promote the corresponding activated carbon adsorbent to be regenerated by low-temperature (40 °C) thermal desorption. The toluene adsorption on the prepared activated carbon adsorbents includes surface adsorption and diffusion in pore structures, and the toluene adsorption mechanism is more consistent with the Bangham kinetic model., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The Co x O y /AC catalysts were prepared by wet impregnation method for toluene oxidation removal from air. The thermal stability of cobalt nitrate and Co oxide on the activated carbon (AC) support surface was analysed by thermal analysis. The physicochemical properties of the prepared catalysts were characterised by XRD, SEM, H 2 -TPR, and XPS. AC support with high specific surface area and developed pore structure can promote the dispersion of Co species on its surface to form highly dispersed Co oxide species. The participation of AC supports can promote the partial reduction of Co 3 O 4 species to CoO species to coexist in the prepared Co x O y /AC catalyst. The Co 2+ /Co 3+ ratio was significantly affected by the calcination temperature, and the appropriate Co 2+ /Co 3+ ion pairs in the studied Co x O y /AC catalyst is helpful to the activity of O 2 molecules to form reactive oxygen species. The oxygen species composition on the catalyst surface is obviously affected by the calcination temperature, which plays an important role in toluene oxidation reaction. The studied Co x O y /AC catalysts exhibited excellent toluene oxidation removal performances. The conversion of toluene exceeded 97% and 99% at 240°C and 250°C, respectively, and maintained good stability within 700 min. That is to say, the concentration of toluene in the air can be reduced from 10,000 ppm to less than 40 ppm by using the Co x O y /AC catalyst.

Activated carbon adsorbents were prepared by chemical activation with waste Zanthoxylum bungeanum branches as raw materials and H 3 PO 4 /H 2 SO 4 as composite activator under different dosages of the auxiliary activator H 2 SO 4 . The prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The adsorption/desorption performances of low concentration toluene in the air were evaluated, and its reusability was evaluated by the adsorption/desorption cycle. Adsorption results were fitted using the quasi-first, quasi-second, and Bangham models. The adsorption properties of activated carbon adsorbent for toluene in the air show a "volcanic-type change trend" with the increase of H 2 SO 4 dosage. The toluene adsorption properties of the prepared activated carbon adsorbents from high to low are as follows: BAC02 > BAC05 > BAC01 > BAC10 > BAC00. When the mass fraction of auxiliary activator H 2 SO 4 was 2.0%, the adsorption amount of toluene on the prepared BAC02 activated carbon adsorbent increased by 51%, reaching 511 mg/g. After thermal desorption at 200℃, the adsorption performance of toluene was regenerated. The adsorption process of toluene conforms to the quasi-first-order model and Bangham model. The whole adsorption process can be divided into three stages: outer surface adsorption, intra-channel diffusion, and adsorption equilibrium. The addition amount of H 2 SO 4 significantly affected the specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution of the prepared activated carbon adsorbent., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Inulin is a soluble dietary fiber that has been implicated in regulating the intestinal health. Here, we describe a synergetic response of intestinal microbiota and epithelial functions to increased intake of inulin in a porcine model., Methods: Twenty growing-pigs were randomly allocated to two groups (n = 10) and fed with a basal diet (BD) or BD containing 0.5% inulin (INU) for 21 days., Results: We show that INU supplementation not only elevated villus height and the abundance of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), but also increased acetate and butyrate concentrations in cecum (P < 0.05). Moreover, INU decreased IL-6 and TNFα secretion, and reduced intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis in ileum and cecum (P < 0.05). Interestingly, we observed an elevated 16S rRNA gene copies in cecum after INU ingestion (P < 0.05). INU had no influence on overall diversity, but acutely altered the abundance of specific bacteria. INU decreased the abundance of phylum Proteobacteria in ileum, but increased the phylum Bacteroidetes in the ileum and cecum (P < 0.05). INU significantly elevated the Lactobacillus spp. and Bacteroides spp. in the ileum and cecum, respectively. Importantly, INU elevated the expression levels of GPR43, GLP-2, and ZO-1, but decreased the expression levels of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and TNFα in the ileum and cecum mucosa (P < 0.05). Moreover, INU also elevated the expression levels of GPR109A and angiopoietin-4 (ANG-4) in the cecum mucosa (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: This study indicated how the intestinal microbiome and epithelium adapt to inulin ingestion, and furthered our understanding of the mechanisms behind the dietary fiber-modulated intestinal microbiota and health.

Activated carbon adsorption has been considered the most efficient technology toward VOC removal. The waste biomass as alternates solved the problems of high price and nonrenewable of traditional raw materials. The waste Zanthoxylum bungeanum branches were firstly selected as raw materials to prepare activated carbons. Interestingly, the pore structure and surface chemistry can be successfully controlled by adjusting the heating rate. The hierarchical porous carbons exhibited great potential for toluene adsorption. The micro-mesopore structure possessed unique spatial effect; micropores played a dominant role in adsorption process, especially narrow micropores (pore size ≤ 1.0 nm) emerged stronger adsorptive force toward toluene molecules due to overlapping attractive forces from neighboring pore walls. And mesopores not only displayed excellent transport diffusion but also provided adsorption sites. Additionally, the high graphitization degree enhanced the interaction between graphene layer equipped electron-rich regions and π-electrons on the aromatic ring by the π-π conjugated effect. The hydroxyl and carbonyl functional groups served as chemisorption sites and led to higher adsorption amounts. Fortunately, the regeneration can be achieved by thermal treatment at the low temperature (≤ 150 °C) or even gas purging at room temperature (20 °C), which avoided an explosion accident in the process of high-temperature regeneration.

CeCu solid solution oxide catalysts were prepared by the complex method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). And its activity in the catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in water was investigated. The results showed that the Cu 2+ ions dissolved into the CeO 2 lattice to form CeCu solid solution oxide with a coarse, interconnected, porous, and cotton-like morphology. The metal-oxygen bonds were weakened by the formation of solid solution in the CeCu oxide catalyst. This weakening facilitated the activation and decomposition of the H 2 O 2 to form highly oxidative HO· species that can lead to significant chlorophenol mineralization. The formation of CeCu solid solution oxide can effectively inhibit the Cu ions to be leached from the used CeCu oxide catalysts, which can ensure the CeCu oxide catalysts to adapt to a wide pH range of 2.1-7.9 and exhibit good reusability. CWPO reaction of 4-CP and 2,4-DCP molecules on CeCu oxide catalysts conforms to the first-order kinetic equation: y = 6959.3x - 17.2 and y = 9725x - 25.4, respectively. And the reaction activation energies are 57.8 and 80.8 kJ/mol, respectively. The TOC removals of 4-CP and 2,4-DCP can exceed 88 and 82%, and the dechlorination rates of 4-CP and 2,4-DCP are higher than 95 and 99.5%, respectively.

Background: Activation of the nuclear factor-kappa β (NF-κB) signaling results in releasing of a variety of inflammatory cytokines that can induce skeletal muscle wasting (MW) in mammals. Curcumin is a natural product from spice turmeric that can block biological events in which NF-κB plays a critical role., Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate the beneficial effects of curcumin on the NF-κB-dependent MW in rats., Methods: The MW rats were induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection and rats were fed 15 g curcumin per kg diet for 16 d., Results: LPS not only decreased the growth performance of rat, but significantly elevated its serum IL-1 concentration and muscle proteolysis rate. Interestingly, curcumin significantly prevented the muscle proteolysis rate and down-regulated expression levels of two critical muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases (Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1). When muscles from MW rats were incubated with curcumin in vitro, the calpain-, cathepsin L-, and proteasome-dependent muscle proteolysis were significantly decreased. Moreover, the nuclear NF-κB/p65 protein abundance were also decreased by curcumin., Conclusion: The results not only suggest a molecular mechanism by which curcumin modulates the inflammatory responses, but also offer a feasible avenue to ameliorate the NF-κB-dependent muscle proteolysis., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Objective: To describe the profile of patients with infective endocarditis (IE) and assess prognostic factors of IE., Methods: Clinical and etiology data of 218 patients with IE were collected retrospectively from January 2011 to January 2013. The distribution and antimicrobial susceptibilities of pathogens causing IE were evaluated. Prognostic factors associated with IE were determined by univariate and multivariate regression analysis., Results: There were 148 men and 70 women with age of (46.0 ± 14.6) years. Ninety-five (43.6%) of them had heart diseases, including 72 cases (33.0%) of congenital heart disease and 23 cases (10.6%) of chronic rheumatic heart disease. Vegetations were detected by echocardiography in 171 (78.4%) patients. Microorganisms causing IE were identified in 84 cases (38.5%) cases. Streptococcus viridans was the dominant pathogen, accounted for 63.1% of all the pathogens, followed by Staphylococcus (13.1%) and Enterococcus (4.8%). Totally 7/11 Streptococcus viridans was susceptible to penicillin, while 100% susceptible to the third and fourth generation cephalosporins, vancomycin and linezolid. One hundred and eighty cases underwent operations. The in-hospital mortality rate of IE was 3.2%. In univariate regression, health care-associated infection, prosthetic valve, anemia and chest symptoms (distress or pain) were related to the increased risk of mortality in patients with IE, while surgery appeared to be a protective factor. In the logistic regression model, the variables significantly associated with IE prognosis were health care-associated infection (OR = 17.03, 95%CI 1.76-164.75, P = 0.014) and anemia (Hb < 90 g/L) (OR = 13.47, 95%CI 2.46-73.60, P = 0.003) and surgery treatment (OR = 0.17, 95%CI 0.03-0.97, P = 0.047)., Conclusions: Although Streptococcus viridans is the most common pathogen causing IE, the pathogens of IE become versatile. The antibacterial activity of penicillin against Streptococcus viridans is low. Health care-associated infection and anemia are risk factors of IE prognosis, while surgery treatment is a protective factor of severe IE.