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Obtaining a high-performance nonprecious electrocatalyst for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER and HER) under mild conditions is highly desirable yet challenging. Transition metal nitrides are emerging as cost-effective substitutes for state-of-the-art noble metal based catalysts, but large OER overpotentials plague these nitrides. Herein, we developed the heterostructure of CoO-domain-anchored Co4N nanowhiskers as an effective bifunctional electrocatalyst for both OER and HER in neutral media. The exterior CoO targets OER, and the CO4N matrix is active for HER. The periodically-aligned {111} crystalline planes between Co4N and CoO provide good electron transport through their interface. The heterostructure performs dual functions of elevating activity and diminishing interior resistance of the catalyst. Moreover, the porous metallic Co4N nanowhiskers were integrated on a nickel foam, and this configuration contributes an arterial channel for collecting current as well as a spacious surface area for increasing the reaction cross section for heterocatalysis. These advantages actuate our bifunctional 3D catalytic electrode to achieve low OER and HER overpotentials in neutral systems. It finally provides an unprecedentedly low cell voltage (1.79 V for 10 mA cm−2) for catalyzing overall water splitting in neutral media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quenching and partitioning (Q&P) process was applied to vanadium carbide particle (VCp)-reinforced Fe-matrix composites (VC-Fe-MCs) to obtain a multiphase microstructure comprising VC, V8C7, M3C, α-Fe, and γ-Fe. The effects of the austenitizing temperature and the quenching temperature on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and wear resistance of the VC-Fe-MCs were studied. The results show that the size of the carbide became coarse and that the shape of some particles began to transform from diffused graininess into a chrysanthemum-shaped structure with increasing austenitizing temperature. The microhardness decreased with increasing austenitizing temperature but substantially increased after wear testing compared with the microhardness before wear testing; the microhardness values improved by 20.0% ± 2.5%. Retained austenite enhanced the impact toughness and promoted the transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect to improve wear resistance under certain load conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) refers to secondary damage caused by reperfusion of blood flow following ischemic stroke. Its mechanism is complex, involving mitochondrial energy metabolism disorders, Ca 2+ overload, oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammatory responses, excitatory amino acid toxicity, blood-brain barrier disruption, excessive NO synthesis, and cell necrosis etc. Mitochondrial-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs) are specialized regions of the endoplasmic reticulum that play crucial roles in various cellular processes, including regulation of mitochondrial morphology and activity, lipid metabolism, Ca 2+ homeostasis, and cell viability. Existing research has confirmed that mitochondrial homeostasis, cell apoptosis, and endoplasmic reticulum stress are closely related to MAMs. This article summarizes the research progress on MAMs in recent years, reviews the biological functions of MAMs and the localization of tethering proteins, analyzes the signaling between mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum, explores the impact of MAMs tethering proteins interaction on Ca 2+ signaling and cell viability during the pathophysiological process of CIRI, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of CIRI.

We report hierarchical CoS x /Ni(OH) 2 /NF heterostructure nanorod arrays, which manifest superior bifunctional catalytic activities for the HER and UOR due to amorphous Ni(OH) 2 , synergistic effect of multiple components and self-supported structure. The CoS x /Ni(OH) 2 /NF-based urea electrolyzer requires a low cell voltage of 1.485 V to deliver 10 mA cm -2 , which is obviously lower than that needed in water electrolysis.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of needle retaining after electroacupuncture combined with cognitive training and electroacupuncture combined with cognitive training in the treatment of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI)., Methods: A total of 206 patients with PSCI were randomized into a needle retaining group (103 cases, 9 cases dropped out) and an electroacupuncture group (103 cases, 6 cases dropped out). In addition to the conventional basic medical treatment and the rehabilitation treatment, in the needle retaining group, electroacupuncture at Shenting (GV 24) and Baihui (GV 20) was applied, with continuous wave of 50 Hz in the first 15 min and with disperse-dense wave of 2 Hz/50 Hz in the last 15 min, the needles were continuously retained for 1 h after electroacupuncture, during which cognitive training was adopted; in the electroacupuncture group, cognitive training was performed after the same electric stimulation exerted for 30 min, without additional needles retaining. The treatment was given once a day, 5 times a week for totally 8 weeks in the two groups. Before and after 8-week treatment, the TCM syndrome score was observed; before and after 4,8-week treatment, the scores of mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and ability of daily living were observed in the two groups. The clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated after 8-week treatment., Results: After 8-week treatment, the TCM syndrome scores were increased compared with those before treatment in both groups ( P <0.05); the TCM syndrome score in the needle retaining group was higher than that in the electroacupuncture group ( P <0.05).After 4,8-week treatment, the scores of MMSE, MoCA and ability of daily living were increased compared with those before treatment in both groups ( P <0.05); MMSE, MoCA scores after 4,8-week treatment and ability of daily living score after 8-week treatment in the needle retaining group were higher than those in the electroacupuncture group ( P <0.05). The total effective rate was 90.4% (85/94) in the needle retaining group, which was superior to 82.5% (80/97) in the electroacupuncture group ( P <0.05)., Conclusions: Both needle retaining after electroacupuncture combined with cognitive training and electroacupuncture combined with cognitive training can effectively treat PSCI, improve the clinical symptom, cognitive function and ability of daily living in PSCI patients. Needle retaining after electroacupuncture combined with cognitive training has a better therapeutic effect.

We developed an efficient MoS 2 nanosheet electrode coupled with CeO 2 via a hydrothermal process to facilitate water adsorption and dissociation, which displayed good HER activity and stability at a large current density of 500 mA cm -2 . In situ Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of hydroxide ions based on the strengthening of the Ce-O bond during the HER.

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of Governor Vessel on chloridion (Cl - ) homeostasis and the expression of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and Na + -K + -Cl - cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) in the cerebral cortex of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) model rats, so as to explore its mechanism underl-ying alleviating limb spasm after stroke., Methods: Forty-five male SD rats were randomly divided into normal, sham-operation, model, EA and baclofen groups, with 9 rats in each group. The CIRI model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and reperfusion. EA(100 Hz) was applied to "Dazhui" (GV14), "Jizhong"(GV6) and "Houhui" for 30 min. Rats of the baclofen group received gavage of baclofen solution (0.4 mg/kg, 1 mL/100 g), once daily for 7 consecutive days. Neurological deficit score was assessed according to Zea Longa's method. The muscular tone of quadriceps femoris of the limb was evaluated by modified Ashworth scale and electrophysiological recor-ding methods, separately. TTC staining was used to detect cerebral infarction volume, and the brain water content of rats in each group was determined by wet and dry weight method. The contents of Cl - and GABA in the cerebral cortex were detected by colorimetric method, and the expression levels of NKCC1 mRNA and protein in the cerebral cortex were detected by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot, separately., Results: No significant differences were found between the normal and sham-operation groups in all the indexes. Compared with the normal and sham-operation groups, the neurological deficit score, modified Ashworth muscle tone score, brain water content, cerebral infarct volu-me percent, Cl - content and expression levels of NKCC1 mRNA and protein were all evidently increased ( P <0.01), and muscle tone of electrophyiological electromyogram (EMG) signal and GABA content were strikingly decreased ( P <0.01) in the model group. Compared with the model group, both EA and baclofen groups had an obvious increase in EMG signal displayed muscle tone, and GABA content ( P <0.05, P <0.01), and a marked decrease in the neurological deficit score, modified Ashworth score, brain water content, cerebral infarct percent, Cl - content and expression levels of NKCC1 mRNA and protein ( P <0.05, P <0.01)., Conclusion: EA stimulation of acupoints of the Governor Vessel can improve the degree of limb spasm and reduce the degree of cerebral edema and infarction in rats with stroke, which may be related to its functions in protecting Cl - homeostasis, up-regulating GABA concentration, and down-regulating the expression of NKCC1 protein and mRNA in the cerebral cortex.

Hierarchical Mn-Ni 2 P/NiFe LDH arrays were developed as a self-supported electrode. Because of the synergistic effect and self-supported structure, it presents brilliant bifunctional catalytic activities for the HER and UOR. Surprisingly, the voltage of a urea electrolytic cell coupling the HER with the UOR was as low as 1.494 V at 10 mA cm -2 .

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of Governor Vessel (GV) on the expressions of glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) and γ-aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABA-T) in the cerebral cortex of rats with post-stroke limb spasticity, so as to explore its mechanism underlying improvement of limb spasticity., Methods: Twenty four male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into control, sham operation, model, and EA groups. The cerebral ischemia model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO). EA (100 Hz, 1-3 mA) was applied to "Dazhui"(GV14), "Jizhong"(GV6) and "Houhui"( anteromedial of transverse process of the sixth lumbar vertebra) for 30 min, once daily for 7 consecutive days. The neurologic deficit score (0-5 points) was evaluated according to Zea Longa's method, and the muscular tension severity (0-5 points) was assessed according to the modified Ashworth muscle tone rating scale, and the tension signals of the quadriceps ferroris of the affected limb were recorded using tonotransducer and BL-420F electrophysiological recorder. The expression levels of GAD67 and GABA-T proteins and mRNAs in the cerebral cortex were detected by immunohistochemistry, fluorescence quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot, separately., Results: After modeling, the neurological deficit score, muscle tone score, and the expression levels of GABA-T mRNA and protein in cerebral cortex were significantly increased ( P <0.01, P <0.05), tension signal value and the expression levels of GAD67 mRNA and protein in cerebral cortex were significantly decreased ( P <0.01) in the model group relevant to the control and sham operation groups. Following the intervention, the neurological deficit score, muscle tone score, and expression levels of GABA-T mRNA and protein in cerebral cortex were significantly decreased ( P <0.01), tension signal value and the expression levels of GAD67 mRNA and protein in cerebral cortex were significantly increased ( P <0.01, P <0.05) in the EA group in contrast to the model group., Conclusion: EA stimulation of Governor Vessel can ameliorate the limb spasticity symptom in MCAO rats, which may be associated with its functions in increasing the expressions of GAD67 protein and mRNA and inhibiting the expressions of GABA-T protein and mRNA, thereby playing the inhibitory role of GABA.

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy between wrist-ankle acupuncture and conventional acupuncture on shoulder-hand syndrome (SHS) phaseⅠafter stroke., Methods: A total of 64 patients with SHS phaseⅠafter stroke were randomized into a wrist-ankle acupuncture group and a conventional acupuncture group, 32 cases in each group. On the basis treatment of internal medicine and conventional rehabilitation, wrist-ankle acupuncture was applied at upper 4 area, upper 5 area and upper 6 area on the affected side in the wrist-ankle acupuncture group, while acupuncture was applied at Jianyu (LI 15), Quchi (LI 11), Shousanli (LI 10), etc. on the affected side in the conventional acupuncture group. The treatment was given 30 min each time, once a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks in both groups. Before and after treatment, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, degree of hand swelling, shoulder-hand syndrome scale (SHSS) score, Fugl-Meyer assessment for upper extremity (FMA-UE) score and modified Barthel index (MBI) score were observed, and the clinical therapeutic effect was evaluated in both groups., Results: After treatment, the VAS scores, degree of hand swelling and SHSS scores were decreased ( P <0.05), and the FMA-UE scores and MBI scores were increased ( P <0.05) compared before treatment in both groups; in the wrist-ankle acupuncture group, the VAS score, degree of hand swelling and SHSS score were lower ( P <0.05), and the FMA-UE score and MBI score were higher ( P <0.05) than those in the conventional acupuncture group. The total effective rate was 96.9% (31/32) in the wrist-ankle acupuncture group, which was superior to 90.6% (29/32) in the conventional acupuncture group ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: Wrist-ankle acupuncture can effectively relieve pain and hand swelling, improve motor function of upper extremity and self-care ability of daily life in patients with shoulder-hand syndrome phaseⅠafter stroke, the therapeutic effect is superior to conventional acupuncture.

Objective: To analyze the acupoint selection rules of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) treated with acupuncture by ancient and modern medical record cloud platform (V1.5)., Methods: The published randomized controlled trial (RCT) literature of PSCI treated with acupuncture was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science, and the data was extracted to establish prescription database. The ancient and modern medical record cloud platform (V1.5) was used to analyze the data., Results: A total of 185 articles was included, involving 91 acupoints, the total using frequency was 1174 times. The top 5 acupoints in frequency of PSCI treated with acupuncture were Baihui (GV 20, 151 times), Shenting (GV 24, 97 times), Sishencong (EX-HN 1, 83 times), Neiguan (PC 6, 69 times) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6, 64 times); the most involved meridian was the governor vessel, and the generally used acupoints were mainly distributed in the head, face and neck. The top 5 acupoint combinations in frequency were Baihui (GV 20)-Shenting (GV 24, 89 times), Baihui (GV 20)-Sishencong (EX-HN 1, 79 times), Baihui (GV 20)-Neiguan (PC 6, 59 times), Baihui (GV 20)-Sanyinjiao (SP 6, 56 times) and Baihui (GV 20)-Zusanli (ST 36, 51 times). The acupoint combination with the strongest association was Shenting (GV 24)→Baihui (GV 20). There were 6 acupoint cluster groups according to the cluster analysis, and the main core prescription was Baihui (GV 20), Shenting (GV 24), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Zusanli (ST 36), Neiguan (PC 6) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6)., Conclusion: Acupoints on the governor vessel, and distributed in head, face and neck are the main acupoints for PSCI treated with acupuncture, Baihui (GV 20), Shenting (GV 24), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Zusanli (ST 36), Neiguan (PC 6) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) can be used as the main acupoints, but it is still necessary to combine with syndrome differentiation.

Electroacupuncture has been widely used to treat cognitive impairment after cerebral ischemia, but the underlying mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated. Studies have shown that autophagy plays an important role in the formation and development of cognitive impairment, and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway plays an important role in autophagy regulation. To investigate the role played by the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the electroacupuncture treatment of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion rat models, we first established a rat model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion through the occlusion of the middle cerebral artery using the suture method. Starting at 2 hours after modeling, electroacupuncture was delivered at the Shenting (GV24) and Baihui (GV20) acupoints, with a dilatational wave (1-20 Hz frequency, 2 mA intensity, 6 V peak voltage), for 30 minutes/day over 8 consecutive days. Our results showed that electroacupuncture reduced the infarct volume in a rat model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, increased the mRNA expression levels of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-related factors Beclin-1, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and PI3K, increased the protein expression levels of phosphorylated Akt, Beclin-1, PI3K, and mTOR in the ischemic cerebral cortex, and simultaneously reduced p53 mRNA and protein expression levels. In the Morris water maze test, the latency to find the hidden platform was significantly shortened among rats subjected to electroacupuncture stimulation compared with rats without electroacupuncture stimulation. In the spatial probe test, the number of times that a rat crossed the target quadrant was increased in rats subjected to electroacupuncture stimulation compared with rats without electroacupuncture stimulation. Electroacupuncture stimulation applied to the Shenting (GV24) and Baihui (GV20) acupoints activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and improved rat learning and memory impairment. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China (approval No. 8150150901) on March 10, 2016., Competing Interests: None

Catgut implantation at acupoints has been shown to alleviate spasticity after stroke in rats. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we used the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model of stroke. Three days after surgery, absorbable surgical catgut sutures were implanted at Dazhui (GV14), Jizhong (GV6), Houhui, Guanyuan (CV4) and Zhongwan (CV12). The Zea Longa score was used to assess neurological function. The Modified Ashworth Scale was used to evaluate muscle tension. The 2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride assay was used to measure infarct volume. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for glutamate aspartate transporter (GLAST) and glial glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) expression. Western blot assay was used to analyze the expression of GLAST and GLT-1. Reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction were carried out to assess the expression of GLAST and GLT-1 mRNAs. After catgut implantation at the acupoints, neurological function was substantially improved, muscle tension was decreased, and infarct volume was reduced in rats with spasticity after stroke. Furthermore, the expression of GLAST and GLT-1 mRNAs was increased on the injured (left) side. Our findings demonstrate that catgut implantation at acupoints alleviates spasticity after stroke, likely by increasing the expression of GLAST and GLT-1., Competing Interests: We declare that we have no conflicts of interest

Visible light driven photocatalysts based on crystalline microporous metal halogenides received much less attention compared with dense or composite oxide semiconductors. Using the well-known photosensitive transition metal-complexes [TM(2,2-bipy) 3 ] 2+ (TM=Fe, Co, Ni, Ru) as templates, a special three-dimensional (3D) metal halogenide framework of [TM(2,2-bipy) 3 ]Cu 4 Br 6 was designed with [Cu 4 Br 4 ] cluster as 4-connected node. These microporous materials feature narrow band gaps and stable visible light driven photocatalytic properties including water reduction to provide H 2 and photodegradation of organic pollutants. The study of electronic band structure shows that the TM complexes effectively prevent the recombination of photo-induced electron/hole pairs leading to excellent photocatalytic activity and photochemical stability. This work represents the first 3D microporous metal halogenides used as visible light driven photocatalyst to provide hydrogen energy., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The development of new visible light-driven photocatalysts based on semiconducting materials remains a greatly interesting and challenging task for the purpose of solving the energy crisis and environmental issues. By using photosensitive [(Me) 2 -2,2'-bipy] 2+ (1,1'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridinium) cation as template, we synthesized one new type of inorganic-organic hybrid cuprous and silver halogenides of [(Me) 2 -2,2'-bipy]M 8 X 10 (M = Cu, Ag, X = Br, I). The compounds feature a three-dimensional anionic [M 8 X 10 ] 2- network composed of a one-dimensional [M 8 X 12 ] chain based on MX 4 tetrahedral units. The photosensitization of organic cationic templates results in narrow band gaps of hybrid compounds (1.66-2.06 eV), which feature stable visible light-driven photodegradation activities for organic pollutants. A detailed study of the photocatalytic mechanism, including the photoelectric response, photoluminescence spectra, and theoretical calculations, shows that the organic cationic template effectively inhibits the recombination of photoinduced electron-hole pairs leading to excellent photocatalytic activities and photochemical stabilities.

Objective: To examine the oxidation or reduction products in patients with rheumatism arthritis (RA), and investigate the relationship between oxidation or reduction products and occurrence and development of RA., Methods: The serum levels of total ascorbic acid (TAA), dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA)/TAA, vitamin E, advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection in 83 RA patients and 30 healthy adults. Correlation analysis of AOPP, MDA and hs-CRP was performed., Results: Compared with normal control group, significantly higher serum MDA, DHAA/TAA, and AOPP levels were detected in RA patients (P<0.05), but vitamin E showed no significant difference (P<0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that MDA (P<0.01) was positively but AOPP (P>0.05) negatively correlated to hs-CRP., Conclusions: Oxidation or reduction products in serum of RA patients increases significantly, which may be an important mechanism for the occurrence and development of RA. Serum AOPP and MDA levels can reflect the oxidation status in RA patients.