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Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as promising candidates for membrane desalination due to high porosity and well-defined channel structure. However, the COFs with relatively large pore size cannot effectively separate small ions through size sieving effect, resulting in low rejection. Herein, we fabricate two COF membranes with different surface charge properties, namely Tp-PaBr-COF (negative electricity) and Tp-Pa-COF (near-neutral), directly on porous ceramic tubes using solvothermal method. The introduction of bromine atoms into the skeleton of Tp-PaBr-COF membrane leads to significant negative-charges, resulting in enhanced ion repulsion and improved ion rejections in the desalination. The Tp-PaBr-COF membrane exhibits a higher ion rejection (99.9%) than the Tp-Pa-COF membrane (98.2%), while maintaining a comparable water flux (23.3 L m−2 h−1) during the desalination of 3.5 wt% NaCl solution at 80 °C. It indicates that the surface charge of Tp-PaBr-COF membrane contributes to high ion rejection via the Donnan exclusion effect. [Display omitted] • COF membranes with electroneutral and charged skeletons were constructed. • The introduction of Br atoms into COF structure led to negative charges. • Charged COF membrane achieves high water flux and nearly complete rejection. • The COF composite membrane exhibits reliable stability for desalination. • Surface charge of membrane contributes to high ion rejection via Donnan exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are attractive as metal-free catalysts for the 2e− oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) towing to their tunable skeletons and porosities. However, the specific roles of their properties, such as crystallinity, porosity, dipole moment, and binding ability to reactants, in the catalytic performance are still unknown. In this work, we adopted a linker engineering strategy to reveal the crucial factors in determining the catalytic performance. The properties of the COFs were systematically engineered by altering the substituent groups in the linkers. The optimized Br-COF achieved a maximum selectivity of 86.2%, and a mass activity of 32.0 A g−1, which were 112% and 174% higher than those from unmodified COF, respectively. The experimental and theoretical results revealed that the reductive ability of the COFs exerted the most prominent effect on their catalytic activity and confirmed that the easy formation of an OOH* intermediate contributed to the high activity. [Display omitted] • We have developed seven catalytic COFs with the same topology and porosities, binding ability of O 2 , but possess reductive ability, and thus contributed tailored catalytic activity and selectivity (Br-> Cl-> OH-> OCH 3 -> F-> CH 3 -> H-COF). • The optimized Br-COF exhibited the highest activity and selectivity in the 2e− ORR, which were higher than other reported COFs. • The experimental and theoretical results revealed that the COF with strong reducing ability is easy to form OOH* intermediates, which makes its activity high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Billions of people are suffering from a shortage of clean water. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) based membranes show promise in supplying clean water from saline waters due to their designable and controllable porous structures. However, the challenge lies in the rejection of salt ions during the pervaporation process, which is attributed to the relatively large pore size of COFs. Herein, we report the 2D BTCA-TAPB- COF membranes supported on porous ceramics for efficient desalination. The resulting BTCA-TAPB-COF composite membrane consists of nanometer-thick BTCA-TAPB-COF lamellas, which are grown in an oriented manner by suppressing the surface energy. Through pervaporation, the membrane exhibits nearly complete NaCl rejections and high fluxes when processing NaCl solutions at seawater levels, surpassing the reported polymeric membranes. Moreover, the BTCA-TAPB-COF composite membrane exhibits reliable stability for desalination. Effects of desalination methods and charge states of solutes on the exclusion performance are comparatively investigated using BTCA-TAPB-COF composite membrane, which suggest that the surface charge of BTCA-TAPB-COF contributes to high ion rejection via the Donnan exclusion effect. [Display omitted] • Nanometer thick BTCA-TAPB-COF lamellas are obtained by surface energy suppression method. • 2D BTCA-TAPB-COF composite membranes are synthesized by layer-by-layer assembling. • BTCA-TAPB-COF membrane exhibits NaCl rejections >99.9% and high fluxes of ∼40 L m−2 h−1. • The COF composite membrane exhibits reliable stability for desalination. • Surface charge of membrane contributes to high ion rejection via Donnan exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pyroptosis is a pro-inflammantory type of regulated cell death in CVD and gasdermin family is the effector. • Caspase-3/GSDME and caspase-8/GSDMD also can induce pyroptosis. • Targeting to pyroptosis-related pathway provides a promising research direction for the treatment and diagnosis of CVD. Pyroptosis is a pro-inflammatory type of regulated cell death (RCD) characterized by gasdermin D (GSDMD)-mediated membrane pore formation, cell swelling and rapid lysis, followed by the massive release of pro-inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-1β and interleukin-18. There are two main pathways of pyroptosis: the caspase-1-mediated canonical pathway and the caspase-4/5/11-mediated noncanonical pathway. However, the caspase-3-gasdermin E (GSDME) pathway and caspase-8-GSDMD pathway also induce pyroptosis. Pyroptosis can not only cause local inflammation but also lead to amplification of the inflammatory response. Recent studies have suggested that pyroptosis is closely related with cardiovascular disease (CVD); for example, in atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, ischemia-reperfusion injury, heart failure, coronary calcification and aortic aneurysm, study results have promoted the development of inhibitors targeting the components related to pyroptosis, and some agents have been clinically proven to have cardiovascular benefits. In this review, we summarize emerging evidence to discuss the progressive understanding of pyroptosis and the pathways, effect and effectors of pyroptosis, as well as the role of pyroptosis in CVD. Additionally, we summarize pyroptosis-related pathway inhibitors and classic cardiovascular drugs targeting pyroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) promotes recovery in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). • FMT corrects SCI-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, including increased Akkermansia. • Therapeutic effects of FMT are mediated through regulation of IL-17+ γδ T cells. • FMT modulates γδ T cells via dendritic cell-regulatory T cell interactions. • FMT induces metabolic changes in dendritic cells that alter their immunomodulation. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is devastating for patients, and currently lacks effective treatments. Dysbiosis commonly occurs after SCI and has significant immunomodulatory effects, but its impact on recovery remains unclear. The current study investigated the effects and mechanisms of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in SCI. FMT was administered in a rat model of SCI and spinal pathology, inflammatory cytokines, and gut microbiome composition were assessed. Flow cytometry identified a source of interleukin (IL)-17 in spinal cord tissues, and carboxyfluorescein succimidyl ester labeling tracked γδ T cell migration. In vitro coculture was used to analyze the regulatory mechanisms of γδ T cells. Seahorse analysis was used to profile dendritic cell (DC) metabolism. Here we show that FMT improved spinal pathology and dampened post-injury inflammation. It also corrected post-SCI dysbiosis, increasing levels of the beneficial bacterium Akkermansia. The therapeutic effects of FMT were mediated by IL-17 produced by γδ T cells. FMT regulated γδ T cells via DC-T regulatory cell interaction, and induced metabolic reprogramming in DCs. These findings suggest that FMT represents a promising therapeutic approach for SCI, with potential to target IL-17+ γδ T cells. Elucidating the interconnected pathways between microbiota, immunity, and the spinal cord may facilitate novel treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The 1D COFs with alkynal units were constructed for improving OER activity. • The electronic conductivity and charge transfer ability can be modulated in 1D COFs. • The weaker stacking interaction between chains allowed expansion of the interlayer. • The DFT calculation revealed alkynal unites promoted OOH* desorption on Fe sites. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been employed to catalyze the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, their catalytic activities have been limited, because their narrow interlayer space hindered the mass transport to the catalytic sites. Herein, we have demonstrated dimensional-controlled interlayer space of COFs for OER. The one dimensional (1D) catalytic COF had weaker stacking interaction between the 1D chains than that from two-dimensional COFs, which allowed for easier expansion of the interlayer distance in catalytic process, leading to enhanced catalytic activity. Moreover, the electronic states were well modulated with extending the length of conjugating units by integrating the alkynal units. The optimized catalyst achieved an overpotential of 225 mV and Tafel slope of 76 mV dec–1 in 1.0 M KOH, outperforming other 2D or 3D COFs. Theoretical calculations demonstrated that the alkynal units facilitated the OOH* desorption on the Fe sites, which further improved the activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An efficient synthesis strategy of nickel cobalt sulfide which is assisted by H 2 O 2 was proposed. • A catalyst H-0.3Co-Ni 3 S 2 was synthesized and showed excellent performance in the electrooxidation of HMF. • A novel strategy of stepwise electrolysis was come up and can accelerate HMF electrooxidation while inhibiting OER. Electrooxidation of 5‑Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is considered a promising strategy for replacing the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of electrolytic water, which can reduce the consumption of hydrogen production and the risk of gas mixing and obtain value-added products. Herein, a nanosheet with nanoflower catalyst (H-0.3Co-Ni 3 S 2) was synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal process with the assistance of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) for the electrooxidation of HMF. Adding H 2 O 2 and Co can decrease Ni's outer layer electronic cloud density, which benefits the catalyst's oxidation and catalyzes the HMF electrooxidation. H-0.3Co-Ni 3 S 2 shows the superior performance of the HMF electrochemical oxidation with the initial potential of 1.25 V vs. RHE and the voltage of 1.38 V vs. RHE at 200 mA cm−2 under the electrolyte of 1 M KOH with 10 mM HMF. The conversion rate, yield and Faraday efficiency of HMF electrooxidation for H-0.3Co-Ni 3 S 2 in the electrolyte of 1 M KOH with 10 mM HMF are 98.2 %, 97.6 % and 97.6 %, respectively. Besides, we provide a novel stepwise electrolysis strategy that can inhibit OER effectively while electrolyzing large-concentration HMF rapidly. Finally, in an electrolyte of 1 M KOH with 30 mM HMF, the conversion rate, yield and Faraday efficiency achieve 100 %, 91.9 % and 97.4 %, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Investigate a complex large scale three dimension fractal tree-like heat exchanger in chemical engineering experimentally. • Importing the 3D printing into the manufacture of fractal network. • Verifying the numerical model of 3D fractal tree-like heat exchangers with experimental fact. • The hydrodynamic and thermal performance of three had been studied. Abstract The manufacturing difficulties of complex fractal-tree-like heat exchangers have limited their industrial applications, although many evidences have shown that they have significant advantages in heat transfer. Nevertheless, the emerging 3D printing technology has brought great opportunity for the development of complex structured device. In the present study, three-dimensional (3D) fractal-tree-like heat exchangers were designed and manufactured using 3D printing technology. Their performance was evaluated from both thermal and hydrodynamic perspectives, the flow characteristics were investigated in detail. The results show that a fractal-tree-like heat exchanger can improve hydrodynamic performance, reduce pressure drops and has great heat transfer ability. In general, the fractal-tree-like heat exchanger has a comprehensive advantage over the traditional spiral-tube exchangers as it has a higher value of coefficient of performance (COP). Furthermore, the 3D printing provides a visual, efficient, and precise approach in the present research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ni 3 S 2 /Co9S 8/ WS 2 heterojunction electrocatalyst was prepared by electrodeposition and sulfurization. • The addition of micro-W obviously enhances the HER performance of the Ni 3 S 2 /Co9S 8/ WS 2 catalyst. • The catalyst exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance in universal-pH medium. The performance of heterostructure nanomaterials depends on both the individual components characteristics and the interfaces synergistic effect. In this paper, a high-activity universal-pH HER catalyst, Ti felt supported nanoporous Ni 3 S 2 /Co 9 S 8 /WS 2 (NiCoW-S) is synthesized by electrodeposition and vulcanization. Compared with Ni 3 S 2 /Co 9 S 8 , Ni 3 S 2 /Co 9 S 8 /WS 2 heterostructure catalyst exhibits enhancement of intrinsic catalytic active center, charge transfer rate and stability in a wide pH range. Benefiting from the 3D porous structure and high-density heterostructure active edge sites, NiCoW-S shows good stability. And Moreover, it only needs 35 and 145 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2 in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 and 1.0 M KOH, respectively. Based on the experimental analysis, the favorable synergistic effect of metal components and the formation of sulfur vacancies can enhance the conductivity of electron transfer, which promotes electron transfer at the active heterogeneous interface. It provides a reference for designing of advanced metal sulfide heterostructure for hydrogen production in the future. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of defect-free zeolite membrane remains a big challenge due to the fact that thermal expansion mismatch between the zeolite film and the porous support can generate thermal stress and cracks during template removal process. Rapid thermal processing (RTP) for the template removal of SAPO-34 zeolite membrane was systematically studied and an optimized procedure was provided. A short RTP at 973 K led to substantially increased selectivity and permeance. The higher selectivity is the result of bonding between zeolite crystals generated during the rapid heating, which reduced cracking during the flowing slow calcinations. Moreover, RTP also facilitated the decomposition of template molecules which resulted into higher permeance. Long exposure at high temperature and thermal cycling may lead to the formation of defects in SAPO-34 membranes. The integration of RTP and conventional calcination, using a 1 min RTP at 973 K, fast cooling to 673 K, then 4 h calcination and slow cooling to room temperature, led to significantly improved selectivity and permeance. This optimized template removal procedure inherited the advantage of RTP treatment and also reduced the exposure time at high temperature, thus led to membranes with both high permeance and selectivity. Permporometry analysis confirmed the reduced defect size and area caused by RTP treatment. The best membrane exhibited CO 2 permeance of 6.1 × 10 −7 mol/(m 2 s Pa) and CO 2 /CH 4 selectivity of 88 at 4.0 MPa pressure drop, which were improved by 49% and 80% respectively, compared with membranes calcined by conventional template removal procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The atomic CoN 2 O 2 sites have been first constructed for CO 2 RR via template pyrolysis of COFs. • The catalyst had abundant CoN 2 O 2 sites with a Co content of 4.27 wt%. • The catalyst showed a remarkable catalytic activity and selectivity towards CO 2 RR. Electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction (CO 2 RR) is critical in addressing CO 2 emissions. Single atom catalysts, are attracting considerable attention for CO 2 RR because of their high atom utilization efficiencies and tailored electron states. However, the catalytic sites remain limited and developing novel catalytic centers is a significant and challenge. Herein, for the first time, we fabricated CoN 2 O 2 sites in 2D carbon for use in CO 2 RR via template pyrolysis of covalent organic frameworks (COFs). After forming the COF on the surface of Mg/Al-LDH, the obtained catalyst displayed a layered morphology with a thickness of approximately 36 nm and had abundant CoN 2 O 2 sites (4.27 wt% Co). The catalyst showed a remarkable catalytic activity towards CO 2 RR, with Faradaic efficiencies of 80.2–96.5 % at applied potentials between −0.6 and −1.0 V. Theoretical calculations showed that the CoN 2 O 2 sites favor the stretching and cleavage of COOH* at the Co active centers, accelerating the rate-determining step of COOH* formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast deactivation of catalyst is the main problem in methanol-to-aromatics (MTA) process. Herein, Zn-containing HZSM-5 zeolites with hierarchical pores (H-Zn/HZSM-5) were prepared by treating directly synthesized Zn/HZSM-5 with NaOH solution. The changes in crystallinity, acidity and textural properties of Zn/HZSM-5 before and after alkali treatment were characterized by X-ray diffraction, NH 3 -TPD, 27 Al MAS-NMR, N 2 physisorption, X-ray fluorescence and TEM techniques. MTA reaction under the operating conditions of T = 400 °C and WHSV = 2.5 h −1 showed that the aromatic yield was improved from 41.4% for HZSM-5 to 55.3%. Furthermore, H-Zn/HZSM-5 exhibited a high initial space time yield of 0.62 g gcat −1 h −1 and a long lifetime up to 120 h. These results could be ascribed to the hierarchical pores and the providential acidity, which enhanced the adsorption and diffusion of intermediates/products during the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid synthesis and characterization of all-silica Deca-Dodecasil 3 Rhombohedral (DD3R) zeolite were systematically studied with (NH 4 ) 2 SiF 6 as silica source. The effects of gel recipe, synthesis temperature and time, seeding, aging and silica source were investigated systematically. Big DD3R crystals (50–150 μm) with various morphologies (hexagonal plate, polyhedron and rhombohedron) were obtained by tuning the synthesis temperature, time, seeding and aging. Compared with other silica sources, (NH 4 ) 2 SiF 6 is very reactive which enhances the nucleation and crystal growth of DD3R zeolite significantly. At 220 °C, highly crystalline DD3R was obtained in 12 h without seeding, which is the fastest synthesis up to now. Aging and seeding reduced the synthesis time substantially and led to smaller crystals. With the help of seeding and aging, pure DD3R crystals were obtained in 6 d at 100 °C, which opens the door to synthesis at low temperature and ambient pressure. Mixed silica sources can reduce the consumption of expensive (NH 4 ) 2 SiF 6 . Higher calcination temperature is required for the complete template removal of the big DD3R crystals obtained in this study, which hinders the diffusion of oxidation products from the template. Zeolites SGT and DOH are competing phases in the synthesis of DD3R. The introduction of Al into the mother liquor led to the formation of zeolite SGT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High performance SAPO-34 zeolite membranes were prepared by a novel two-step method, hydrothermal synthesis + dry gel conversion method. A short hydrothermal synthesis was used to coat a thin gel layer on the porous ceramic support and the gel layer was converted into zeolite membrane in the following dry gel conversion treatment. XRD and SEM were used to monitor this two-step synthesis process. The final membrane thickness was determined by the hydrothermal synthesis time (or gel layer thickness), and no further growth occurred in the dry gel conversion treatment, since no mother liquor provided nutrients for membrane growth. Membrane thickness was reduced from 7 μm (hydrothermal synthesis) to 2 μm (two-step method). The obtained SAPO-34 zeolite membranes have CO 2 permeances 13–16 × 10 −7 mol/(m 2 s Pa) and CO 2 –CH 4 selectivity 40–60 at 4.0 MPa pressure drop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-silica zeolite DDR was prepared by microwave-aided hydrothermal synthesis and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, infra-red spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, elemental analysis and thermal gravimetric analysis. Microwave-aided heating significantly reduced the synthesis time from 25 d to 3 d and crystal size from 8 μm to 2 μm. With the help of seeding, the synthesis time and crystal size were further reduced to 6 h and 0.7 μm respectively. The crystal size decreased with seed content. The fragmentation of seed crystals had positive impact on reducing crystal size and increasing product yield. The aging of mother liquor and decrease of H 2 O/SiO 2 had little impact on crystal size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Pyrene-alkadiyne 2D frameworks are developed by thermal solid-phase polymerization. • Only monomer is used without any catalyst, template, solvent, and waste emissions. • The 2D frameworks have high density of pyrenes and regular intra-plane pores. • It exhibits high I 2 capture capacity and reliable reusability. • I 2 adsorption refers to Langmuir and pseudo-second-order adsorption. Iodine (I 2) capture over adsorbents has great potential for the treatment of radioactive nuclear wastes. Herein, we develop a direct synthesis of 2D structured pyrene-alkadiyne frameworks, poly(1,3,6,8-tetraethynylpyrene) (PTEP), through a facile and ultrarapid solid-phase thermal polymerization of 1,3,6,8-tetraethynylpyrene (TEP) monomers in air. With this way, only single chemical of TEP is used without any catalysts, templates, solvents, and waste emissions. The PTEP frameworks feature high content of periodically distributed pyrene groups, regular intra-plane big rings, and 2D interlamellar structure, which endow PTEP with abundant electron-donors, high and accessible specific surface area as well as low resistance of mass transfer. PTEP exhibits high I 2 capture capacity (3380 mg g−1 for vaporous I 2 at 75 °C and 2570 mg g−1 for aqueous solution at 25 °C), fast adsorption kinetics (1350 mg g-1h−1 at 75 °C), strong water tolerance, thermal stability, and reliable reusability for the adsorption of vaporous I 2 and I 2 aqueous solution, which are superior to most of current sorbents. The experiments and modellings suggest that I 2 adsorption on PTEP refers to the Langmuir adsorption model and the pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics, in which the adsorbed iodine exists as polyiodide I 5 - via accepting electrons mainly from pyrenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks linked by C C bonds have gained great attention for various application, and their fully conjugated skeletons were potentially conversed into two-dimensional (2D) carbons. Herein, we described a novel strategy to fabricate 2D carbon nanorods from a sp2 carbon linked COF, which had a high surface area of 804.8 m2 g−1. The one-dimensional channels confined the Fe ions during pyrolysis, which facilitated to form ultra-close atomic sites. The resulting catalyst displayed high catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction, with a half-wave potential of 0.82 V and a mass activity of 4087.9 mA mg−1 at 0.7 V versus RHE, which were high than those of Pt/C (0.81 V and 126.3 mA mg−1). The theoretical calculation revealed the close FeN 4 sites achieved a lower *OH adsorption energy than isolated FeN 4 sites. This work provides a new insight into developing single atom catalysts from COFs. [Display omitted] • A 2D carbon nanorod with a high surface area of 804.8 m2 g−1 has been fabricated from a fully-conjugated COF. • With anchoring Fe atoms, the ultra-close Fe single atom sites on the carbon were constructed, which achieved high catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction. • Density functional theory calculations revealed that the close FeN 4 sites achieved a lower *OH adsorption energy than isolated FeN 4 sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) is characterized by the enlargement of individual cardiomyocytes, which is a typical pathophysiological process that occurs in various cardiovascular diseases. Ionizing radiation (IR) is an important independent risk factor for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but the underlying molecular mechanism is still unclear. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the role of IR in promoting cardiac hypertrophy and investigate the mechanism by which the SUMO2-mediated SUMOylation of SH3GLB1 affects mitophagy in IR-induced cardiac hypertrophy. In vivo, IR promoted cardiac hypertrophy by activating mitophagy. In vitro, IR upregulated PINK1 and Parkin protein expression and damaged mitochondrial morphological structure. We further demonstrated that SH3GLB1 deficiency inhibited mitophagy activation and restored mitochondrial cristae, revealing a regulatory role of SH3GLB1 in cardiac hypertrophy. IR promoted interactions between SH3GLB1 and mitochondrial membrane proteins, such as MFN1/2, TOM20 and Drp1, further indicating that the mechanism by which SH3GLB1 functions in cardiac hypertrophy might involve mitophagy. A bioinformatics prediction found that SUMO2 could SUMOylate SH3GLB1 at position K82. Consistent with this finding, both co-IP assays and laser confocal microscopy showed that IR promoted the interaction and colocalization of SUMO2 and SH3GLB1. In summary, our study identifies IR as an important factor that promotes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by accelerating the activation of mitophagy through the SUMO2-mediated SUMOylation of SH3GLB1; thus, IR exerts dual therapeutic effects in the treatment of thoracic tumours with long-term radiotherapy. Additionally, this study provides novel treatment strategies and targets for preventing the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by thoracic tumour radiotherapy. Furthermore, SH3GLB1 may be a promising experimental target for the development of strategies for treating cardiovascular diseases caused by IR. Ionizing radiation or X-ray irradiation promoted the SUMOylation of SH3GLB1 at K82 by upregulating SUMO2 expression. Thus, ionizing radiation or X-ray irradiation activated mitophagy and facilitated the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in SD rats. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Magnetic multifunctional nanocomposites as catalysts were developed. • Synergy of adsorption, photodegradation and Fenton oxidation were carried out. • Degradation of PCBs in wastewater using Fe 3 O 4 @β-CD/g-C 3 N 4 was promising. • Degradation efficiency of six PCBs has been achieved to 77–98% in 55 min. • This catalyst is found to be stable and efficient for several repeated cycles. Herein, a multifunctional magnetic β-cyclodextrin/graphitic carbon nitride catalyst (Fe 3 O 4 @β-CD/g-C 3 N 4) was fabricated for PCBs degradation in wastewater. The catalysts were investigated using various characterization methods including X-ray diffractometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy et al. As-synthesized Fe 3 O 4 @β-CD/g-C 3 N 4 displayed the superior catalytic activity, and the degradation efficiency of six PCBs was 77%–98% at 55 min, with pseudo-first order reaction rate constants were in the range of 0.027–0.065 min−1. The super synergy of photodegradation and heterogeneous Fenton oxidation was 2.1–4.6 times more efficient than that photodegradation or heterogeneous Fenton oxidation alone. Fe 3 O 4 @β-CD/g-C 3 N 4 could be reused for at least 6 cycles without significant deterioration to its catalytic activity. Several reaction intermediates were identified using GC-MS/MS. The products of the last stage of the reaction were alkanes, aldehyde, ketone and ester, which were formed via ring opening, dechlorinating and isomerization reactions. For PCBs degradation, •OH played a major role, •O 2 − played a secondary role, 1O 2 , h± and e− played minor roles based on reactive species trapping experiments. The catalytic performance of the Fe 3 O 4 @β-CD/g-C 3 N 4 − H 2 O 2 − visible light system towards degradation of PCBs in river water and municipal wastewater was 89–100% and 69–92%, respectively, which means the Fe 3 O 4 @β-CD/g-C 3 N 4 has great potential for environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mild conversion of CH 4 to value-added chemicals remains a grand challenge due to its chemical inertness. We report the N-defective C 3 N 4 confined diatomic Cu (Cu 2 @C 3 N 4 -D) catalysts for the efficient oxidation of CH 4 to C1 oxygenates at low temperature. With photo-irradiation, the carbon atoms neighbouring defects of C 3 N 4 can anchor the second Cu by Cu-C 2 N bonding. Cu 2 @C 3 N 4 -D exhibits C1-oxygenates STY up to 4878 μmol g cat −1 h−1 with TOF of 83 h−1 at 50 °C, which is 300% higher than that of single atomic catalysts and even better than the reported noble-metal catalysts. The catalyst stability is also proved. Both experiments and computations demonstrate that the diatomic Cu pairs are toughly packed in asymmetrical [N3-Cu]···[Cu-C2N] with + 1 charge for Cu, endowing the catalyst with unique synergistic effects on CH 4 activation. It provides a simple way to construct active sites with well-controlled atom number and enlightens the defect functionalization for catalyst design. We report the synthesis of N-defective C 3 N 4 defined diatomic Cu pairs (Cu 2 @C 3 N 4 -D) catalysts with a facile photo-irradiation for the efficient oxidation of CH 4 to C1 oxygenates at low temperature. The catalysts exhibit 300% higher activity than that of single atomic Cu 1 @C 3 N 4 -D catalysts. [Display omitted] • N-defective C 3 N 4 confined diatomic Cu catalysts were prepared by photo-irradiation. • Cu 2 @C 3 N 4 -D catalyst exhibits 300% higher activity than single atomic Cu 1 @C 3 N 4 -D catalyst. • Diatomic Cu in C 3 N 4 -D showed lower barrier for the activation and dissociation of CH 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical reconstruction of Fe/ZSM-5 simultaneously leads to the decrease in crystal size and formation of high reactivity extra-framework stabilized Fe ensemble species translating from the framework or extra framework isolated Fe of zeolite. The reconstructed Fe/ZSM-5 exhibits enhanced in activity, formic acid selectivity, H 2 O 2 efficiency and reliable stability for the direct conversion of methane to formic acid under mild conditions. [Display omitted] • Ball milling leads to reconstructions of Fe species and crystal of Fe/ZSM-5. • Isolated Fe species in ZSM-5 migrate and integrate into Fe ensemble atoms. • The crystal sizes of the treated sample significantly decrease. • The obtained catalysts showed enhanced performance for CH 4 oxidation to HCOOH. Direct oxidation of methane to formic acid under mild conditions is an attractive and challenging topic for methane upgrade. Fe-containing MFI-type zeolite (ZSM-5) has been recognized as a potential catalyst for this reaction. Herein, we demonstrate a simple method to crack the Fe/ZSM-5 into nanosized crystals and translate the isolated Fe3+ located in or outside the framework to extra-framework Fe ensemble species (dimer, oligomer and cluster) through high energy ball milling. The resultant catalysts exhibit up to 148% times increase in activity and provide higher formic acid selectivity and reliable stability for methane direct oxidation to formic acid with H 2 O 2 as oxidant. The turnover frequency of C1 products over a 0.03%Fe/ZSM-5 catalyst is as high as 8380 h−1 with 96% of formic acid selectivity at 70 °C. Our work provides a valuable example for the design of an efficient catalyst for methane oxidation or even other light hydrocarbon carbohydrate oxidation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Pt/W-MCFs catalysts with different cell size and window size were prepared. • The W species were single-sited and tetrahedrally coordinated. • The content of the WV species evolved in parallel with that of the Pt2+ species. • The optimal Pt/W-MCFs catalyst gave a high 1,3-PDO yield of 63 %. • The WV species close to the Pt NPs may facilitate the immediate formation of 1,3-PDO. By varying the mass ratio of the swelling agent 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (TMB) to the template P123 during the synthesis of the W-MCFs, we prepared a series of tungsten-doped siliceous mesocellular foams (W-MCFs) supported Pt catalysts (Pt/W-MCFs). In glycerol hydrogenolysis, the Pt/W-MCFs catalysts were highly active and selective to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO), attributable to the 3-dimensional continuous large pore structure of the W-MCFs that facilitates the entry of the reactant and the escape of the product. Among the Pt/W-MCFs catalysts, the Pt/W-1.5MCFs catalyst with the TMB/P123 ratio of 1.5 exhibited the best activity and 1,3-PDO selectivity. Remarkably, the Pt/W-1.5MCFs catalyst afforded a high 1,3-PDO selectivity of 65 % at high glycerol conversion, thus rendering the highest 1,3-PDO yield of 63 %. The synergy between the Pt nanoparticles and the single-sited tetrahedral WVO 4 species at the metal–oxide interface is proposed to be responsible for the differences in the catalytic performances among the Pt/W-MCFs catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetting induced by salt-scaling and surfactants is the Achilles heel of membrane distillation, especially for concentration of high salinity wastewater. Herein, we rationally developed a membrane with robust wetting resistance by integrating superhydrophobic-omniphobic surface and anti-deformable pores into one system. The membrane was first developed by electrospinning, which was then modified with surface roughness, and followed by coating of polydimethylsiloxane to weld the intersecting fibers and fluoroalkylsilane to lower the membrane surface energy. The product exhibits excellent wetting resistance when concentrating the high salinity NaCl solution from 20 to 38 wt% (saturation condition), the simulated reverse osmosis concentrated water, the gypsum and the low-surface-tension high salinity wastewater. Moreover, the mechanism of membrane wetting resistance was also systematically discussed based on the experiment and computer simulation. It reveals that the superhydrophobic-omniphobic surface could stabilize the surface-bound air layer chemically, thus reducing the contact of crystals and surfactant with the membrane surface. Simultaneously, the anti-deformable pore also helps it overcome the asymmetrical hydraulic disturbance on enlarging membrane pore size, thus stabilizes the surface-bound air layer structurally. The presented development will provide a platform to understand and achieve wetting and scaling inhibition MD membrane for high salinity wastewater treatment. Image 1 • Superhydrophobic-omniphobic membrane with anti-deformable pores was fabricated. • The membrane shows excellent mechanical strength, breathability and liquid entry pressure. • The membrane exhibits universal wetting resistance when concentrating the high salinity wastewaters. • The mechanism of membrane scaling and wetting resistance was systematically discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of hypersaline wastewaters with membrane distillation (MD) is significant but challenging, owing to the critical limitations of severe membrane wetting and fouling. Herein, a monolithic and self-roughened Janus fibrous membrane (FM) with asymmetrical superwettability was developed via sequential electrospinning and electrospraying in combination with thermal treatment. We detailedly discussed the formation mechanism of the roughness on the fiber surface via electrospinning/electrospraying technique and explored the asymmetrical wettability and the monolithic performance of Janus FM for the synergistic resistance of membrane wetting and fouling. Benefiting from the high in-air water contact of 157° of the omniphobic surface, the high underwater oil contact angle of 156° of the superhydrophilic skin layer, as well as the monolithic performance of the resultant membrane, the newly developed Janus FM achieves a high water flux of over 27 L m−2 h−1 and high desalination efficiency of ~100% when desalination of the simulated hypersaline wastewater composed of 3.5 wt% of NaCl, 0.1 g of SDBS and 1.0 g of lubricating oil. The presented strategy on Janus FM fabrication is believed to open a new direction to prepare monolithic, self-roughened, and asymmetrically superwettable Janus FM and applied in a wide field of other selective separation applications. Image 1 • Asymmetrical superwettable and interconnected pore Janus membrane was fabricated. • The Janus membrane roughness was self-constructed without nanoparticle decoration. • The Janus membrane shows high breathability and monolithic performances. • The Janus membrane shows robust antiwetting and antifouling properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium (Li) metal batteries with remarkable energy densities are restrained by short lifetime and low Coulombic efficiency (CE), resulting from the accumulative Li dendrites and dead Li during cycling. Here, we prepared a new three-dimensional (3D) covalent organic framework (COF) with dense lithiophilic sites (heteoatom weight contents of 32.32wt%) as an anodic protective layer of Li metal batteries. The 3D COF was synthesized using a [6+4] synthesis strategy by inducing flexible 6-connected cyclotriphosphazene derivative aldehyde and 4-connected porphyrin-based tetraphenylamines. Both phosphazene and porphyrin rings in the COF served as electron-rich and lithiophilic sites, enhancing a homogeneous Li+ flux via 3D direction towards highly smooth and compact Li deposition. The Li/Por-PN-COF-Cu cells achieved a record average CE of 99.1% for 320 cycles with smooth Li deposition. Meanwhile, the abundant lithiophilic sites can promote fast Li+ transport with Li+ transference number of 0.87, enabling LiFePO4 full cell with stable stripping/plating processes even at a harsh rate of 5 C. Theoretical calculations revealed that the strong interaction force between Li+ and the COF facilitated the dissolution of Li+ from the electrolyte, and the low migration barrier of 1.08 eV indicated a favorable interaction between the Li+ ions and the π-electron system., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Aloe emodin is an anthraquinone of traditional Chinese medicine monomer, which plays a protective action in cardiovascular diseases. However, the regulatory mechanisms of aloe emodin in the protection of radiation-induced heart damage (RIHD) are unclear. As a novel post-translational modification, lactylation is considered as a critical mediator in inflammatory cascade and cardiac injury. Here, using a cross of differential omics and 4D label-free lactylation omics, protein disulfide-isomerase (P4HB) is identified as a novel target for lactylation, and aloe emodin inhibits the binding of lactate to the K311 site of P4HB. Aloe emodin stabilizes kynurenine metabolism through inhibition of aspartate aminotransferase (GOT2) accumulation on damaged mitochondria. Mechanistically, aloe emodin inhibits phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3B (p-GSK3B) transcription in the nucleus to repress the interaction of prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PTGS2) with SH3 domain of SH3 domain-containing GRB2-like protein B1 (SH3GLB1), thereby disrupting the functions of mitochondrial complexes and reducing SH3GLB1-mediated mitoROS accumulation, eventually suppressing calcium-binding and coiled-coil domain-containing protein 2 (NDP52)-induced mitophagy. This study unveils the regulatory role of aloe emodin in RIHD alleviation through PTGS2/SH3GLB1/NDP52 axis, indicates aloe emodin stabilizes GOT2-mediated kynurenine metabolism through P4HB lactylation. Collectively, this study provides novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying the protective role of aloe emodin in cardiac injury, and opens new avenues for therapeutic strategies of aloe emodin in preventing RIHD by regulating lactylation., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The utilization of catalysts comprising metal nanoparticle has been beneficial for enhancing the performance of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the inadequate intrinsic activity of these catalysts still presents a significant challenge, limiting their overall effectiveness. This issue can be addressed by introducing single atoms, which can create a synergistic effect with the nanoparticles to catalyse and thereby improve performance. Nevertheless, the synergistic catalysis of nanoparticles and single atoms is still under investigation. In this study, we fabricated a core-shell structured carbon framework incorporating Fe single atoms and Bi nanoparticles through the pyrolysis of COF and MOF core-shell structures. Introducing Fe single atoms into ZIF-8, with Fe-ZIF-8 as the core and Bi-containing COF as the shell, resulted in higher ORR activity. The catalyst exhibited a half-wave potential of 0.867 V and a high current density of 6.68 mA cm -2 in 0.1 M KOH, which were comparable to those of Pt/C equivalent. This study provides new research concepts for exploring the application of single atoms and nanoparticles in catalytic oxygen reduction reactions through synergistic effects., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The tunable pore walls and skeletons render covalent organic frameworks (COFs) as promising absorbents for gold (Au) ion. However, most of these COFs suffered from low surface areas hindering binding sites exposed and weak binding interaction resulting in sluggish kinetic performance. In this study, COFs have been constructed with synergistic linker and linkage for high-efficiency Au capture. The designed COFs (PYTA-PZDH-COF and PYTA-BPDH-COF) with pyrazine or bipyridine as linkers showed high surface areas of 1692 and 2076 m 2 g ‒1 , providing high exposed surface areas for Au capture. In addition, the Lewis basic nitrogen atoms from the linkers and linkages are easily hydronium, which enabled to fast trap Au via coulomb force. The PYTA-PZDH-COF and PYTA-BPDH-COF showed maximum Au capture capacities of 2314 and 1810 mg g -1 , higher than other reported COFs. More importantly, PYTA-PZDH-COF are capable of rapid adsorption kinetics with achieving 95% of maximum binding capacity in 10 min. The theoretical calculation revealed that the nitrogen atoms in linkers and linkages from both COFs are simultaneously hydronium, and then the protonated PYTA-PZDH-COF are more easily binding the AuCl 4 ‒ , further accelerating the binding process. This study gives the a new insight to design COFs for ion capture., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production is a green and sustainable route, but far from meeting the increasing demands of industrialization due to the rapid recombination of the photogenerated charge carriers and the sluggish reaction kinetics. Effective strategies for precisely regulating the photogenerated carrier behavior and catalytic activity to construct high-performance photocatalysts are urgently needed. Herein, a nitrogen-site engineering strategy, implying elaborately tuning the species and densities of nitrogen atoms, is applied for H 2 O 2 photogeneration performance regulation. Different nitrogen heterocycles, such as pyridine, pyrimidine, and triazine units, are polymerized with trithiophene units, and five covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with distinct nitrogen species and densities on the skeletons are obtained. Fascinatingly, they photocatalyzed H 2 O 2 production via dominated two-electron O 2 reduction processes, including O 2 -O 2 •‒ -H 2 O 2 and O 2 -O 2 •‒ -O 2 1 -H 2 O 2 dual pathways. Just in the air and pure water, the multicomponent TTA-TF-COF with the maximum nitrogen densities triazine nitrogen densities exhibited the highest H 2 O 2 production rate of 3343 µmol g -1 h -1 , higher than most of other reported COFs. The theoretical calculation revealed the higher activity is due to the easy formation of O 2 •‒ and O 2 1 in different catalytic process. This study gives a new insight into designing photocatalysis at atomic level., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The ion extraction and electro/photo catalysis are promising methods to address environmental and energy issues. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a class of promising template to construct absorbents and catalysts because of their stable frameworks, high surface areas, controllable pore environments, and well-defined catalytic sites. Among them, ionic COFs as unique class of crystalline porous materials, with charges in the frameworks or along the pore walls, have shown different properties and resulting performance in these applications with those from charge-neutral COFs. In this review, current research progress based on the ionic COFs for ion extraction and energy conversion, including cationic/anionic materials and electro/photo catalysis is reviewed in terms of the synthesis strategy, modification methods, mechanisms of adsorption and catalysis, as well as applications. Finally, we demonstrated the current challenges and future development of ionic COFs in design strategies and applications., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The catalytic performance for electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) depends on the binding strength of the reactants and intermediates. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been adopted to catalyze CO 2 RR, and their binding abilities are tuned via constructing donor-acceptor (DA) systems. However, most DA COFs have single donor and acceptor units, which caused wide-range but lacking accuracy in modulating the binding strength of intermediates. More elaborate regulation of the interactions with intermediates are necessary and challenge to construct high-efficiency catalysts. Herein, the three-component COF with D-A-A units was first constructed by introducing electron-rich diarylamine unit, electron-deficient benzothiazole and Co-porphyrin units. Compared with two-component COFs, the designed COF exhibit elevated electronic conductivity, enhanced reducibility, high efficiency charge transfer, further improving the electrocatalytic CO 2 RR performance with the faradic efficiency of 97.2 % at -0.8 V and high activity with the partial current density of 27.85 mA cm -2 at -1.0 V which exceed other two-component COFs. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that catalytic sites in three-component COF have suitable binding ability of the intermediates, which are benefit for formation of *COOH and desorption of *CO. This work offers valuable insights for the advancement of multi-component COFs, enabling modulated charge transfer to improve the CO 2 RR activity., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the half-reaction in zinc-air batteries and water splitting. Developing highly efficient catalysts toward OER is a challenge due to the difficulty of removing four electrons from two water molecules. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) provide the new chance to construct the highly active catalysts for OER, because they have controlled skeletons, porosities, and well-defined catalytic sites. In this work, core-shell hybrids of COF and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have first demonstrated to catalyze the OER. The synergetic effects between the COF-shell and MOF-core render the catalyst with higher activity than those from the COF and MOF. And the catalyst achieved an overpotential of 328 mV, with a Tafel slope of 43.23 mV dec -1 in 1 m KOH. The theoretical calculation revealed that the high activity is from the Fe sites in the catalyst, which has suitable binding ability of reactant intermediate (OOH * ), and thus contributed high activity. This work gives a new insight to designing COFs in electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems., (© 2023 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The practical application of lithium (Li) metal batteries is inhibited by accumulative Li dendrites and continuous active Li consumption during cycling, which results in a low Coulombic efficiency and short lifetime. Constructing artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer in Li anode, such as 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs), is an effective strategy to restrain the formation of Li dendrites and improve cycling performance. However, the exploration of 3D COFs as protecting layers is rarely reported, because of the preconception that the interconnect pores in 3D COFs eventually cause Li dendrites in disordered direction. 3D crown ether-based COF with ffc topology as interphase layer, in which the crown ether units are arranged in parallel and vertical orientation along the electrode, is demonstrated. The strong coupling effect between the crown ether and Li + accelerates Li + diffusion kinetics and enables homogeneous Li + flux, resulting in a high Li + transference number of 0.85 and smooth Li deposition in 3D direction. Li/COF-Cu cells display a lower Li-nucleation overpotential (17.4 mV) and high average Coulombic efficiency of ≈98.6% during 340 cycles with COF incorporation. This work gives a new insight into designing COFs for energy storage systems., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Dual-atom catalysts exhibit higher reactivity and selectivity than the single-atom catalysts. The pyrolysis of bimetal salt precursors is the most typical method for synthesizing dual-atomic catalysts; however, the finiteness of bimetal salts limits the variety of dual-atomic catalysts. In this study, a confined synthesis strategy for synthesizing dual-atomic catalysts is developed. Owing to the in situ synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks in the pores of covalent organic frameworks (COFs), the migration and aggregation of metal atoms are suppressed adequately during the pyrolysis process. The resultant catalyst contains abundant Zn─Co dual atomic sites with 2.8 wt.% Zn and 0.5 wt.% Co. The catalyst exhibits high reactivity toward oxygen reduction reaction with a half-wave potential of 0.86 V, which is superior to that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Theoretical calculations reveal that the Zn atoms in the Zn─Co dual atomic sites promote the formation of intermediate OOH*, and thus contribute to high catalytic performance. This study provides new insights into the design of dual-atom catalysts using COFs., (© 2023 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Downregulated expression of cold-inducible RNA binding protein (CIRP), a stress-response protein, has been demonstrated in the hearts of patients with heart failure (HF). However, whether CIRP plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of HF remains unknown. Zr17-2 is a recently identified CIRP agonist, which can enhance the expression of CIRP in hearts. Herein, we evaluated the effects of zr17-2 on the development of HF in a rat model of myocardial infarction (MI)., Methods: Male SD rats were pretreated with CIRP agonist zr17-2 or vehicle saline for 6 consecutive days, followed by MI induction. 1-week post-MI, cardiac function, and structural and molecular changes were determined by echocardiography and molecular biology methods., Results: Excitingly, we found that pretreatment with zr17-2 significantly attenuated MI-induced cardiac dysfunction and dilation, coupled with reduced infarction size and cardiac remodeling. In addition, increased inflammatory response in the peri-infarcted heart including macrophage infiltration and the expression of inflammatory genes were all significantly decreased by zr17-2 pretreatment, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect of zr17-2. Moreover, zr17-2 pretreatment also upregulated the antioxidant genes (e.g. NQO-1, Nrf2, and HO-1) level in the hearts. In isolated cultured cardiomyocytes, pretreatment with zr17-2 markedly attenuated cell injury and apoptosis induced by oxidative injury, along with elevation of Nrf2-related antioxidant genes and CIRP. However, silencing CIRP abolished zr17-2's antioxidant effects against oxidative injury, confirming that zr17-2's role is dependent on CIRP., Conclusion: Collectively, our study suggests CIRP plays a crucial role in the development of HF and a beneficial effect of CIRP agonist in preventing MI-induced HF, possibly via anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant pathways., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are ideal templates for constructing metal-free catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction due to their highly tuneable skeletons and controllable porous channels. However, the development of highly active sites within COFs remains challenging due to their limited electron-transfer capabilities and weak binding affinities for reaction intermediates. Herein, we constructed highly active catalytic centres by modulating the electronic states of the pyridine nitrogen atoms incorporated into the frameworks of COFs. By incorporating different pyridine units (such as pyridine, ionic pyridine, and ionic imidazole units), we tuned various properties including dipole moments, reductive ability, hydrophilicity, and binding affinities towards reaction intermediates. Notably, the ionic imidazole COF (im-PY-BPY-COF) exhibited greater activity than the neutral COF (PY-BPY-COF) and ionic pyridine COF (ion-PY-BPY-COF). Specifically, im-PY-BPY-COF demonstrated a half-wave potential of 0.80 V in 0.1 M KOH, outperforming other metal-free COFs. Theoretical calculations and in situ synchrotron radiation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that the carbon atoms in the ionic imidazole rings improved the activity by facilitating binding of the intermediate OOH* and promoting the desorption of OH*. This study provides new insights into the design of highly active metal-like COF catalysts., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Billions of populations are suffering from the supply-demand imbalance of clean water, resulting in a global sustainability crisis. Membrane desalination is a promising method to produce fresh water from saline waters. However, conventional membranes often encounter challenges related to low water permeation, negatively impacting energy efficiency and water productivity. Herein, we achieve ultrafast desalination over the newly developed alkadiyne-pyrene conjugated frameworks membrane supported on a porous copper hollow fiber. With membrane distillation, the membrane exhibits nearly complete NaCl rejection (>99.9%) and ultrahigh fluxes (∼500 L m -2 h -1 ) from the seawater salinity-level NaCl solutions, which surpass the commercial polymeric membranes with at least 1 order of magnitude higher permeability. Experimental and theoretical investigations suggest that the large aspect ratio of membrane pores and the high evaporation area contribute to the high flux, and the graphene-like hydrophobic surface of conjugated frameworks exhibits complete salt exclusion. The simulations also confirm that the intraplanar pores of frameworks are impermeable for water and ions.

Background: The development and maintenance of normal bone tissue is maintained by balanced communication between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The invasion of cancer cells disrupts this balance, leading to osteolysis. As the only bone resorbing cells in vivo, osteoclasts play important roles in cancer-induced osteolysis. However, the role of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) in osteoclast resorption remains unclear., Methods: In our study, we used a receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (RANK) promoter-driven Cre-LoxP system to conditionally delete the PDK1 gene in osteoclasts in mice. We observed the effect of osteoclast-specific knockout of PDK1 on prostate cancer-induced osteolysis. Bone marrow-derived macrophage cells (BMMs) were extracted and induced to differentiate osteoclasts in vitro to explore the role of PDK1 in osteoclasts., Results: In this study, we found that PDK1 conditional knockout (cKO) mice exhibited smaller body sizes when compared to the wild-type (WT) mice. Moreover, deletion of PDK1 in osteoclasts ameliorated osteolysis and rPDK1educed bone resorption markers in the murine model of prostate cancer-induced osteolysis. In vivo, we discovered that osteoclast-specific knockout of suppressed RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis, bone resorption function, and osteoclast-specific gene expression (Ctsk, TRAP, MMP-9, NFATc1). Western blot analyses of RANKL-induced signaling pathways showed that conditional knockout of PDK1 in osteoclasts inhibited the early nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation, which consequently suppressed the downstream induction of NFATc1., Conclusion: These findings demonstrated that PDK1 performs an important role in osteoclastogenesis and prostate cancer-induced osteolysis by modulating the PDK1/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

It is generally assumed that the more metal atoms in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) contribute to higher activity toward electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (CO 2 RR) and hindered us in exploring the correlation between the density of catalytic sites and catalytic performances. Herein, we have constructed quantitative density of catalytic sites in multiple COFs for CO 2 RR, in which the contents of phthalocyanine (H 2 Pc) and nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) units were preciously controlled. With a molar ratio of 1/1 for the H 2 Pc and NiPc units in COFs, the catalyst achieved the highest selectivity with a carbon monoxide Faradaic efficiency (FE CO ) of 95.37% and activity with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 4713.53 h -1 . In the multiple H 2 Pc/NiPc-COFs, the electron-donating features of the H 2 Pc units provide electron transport to the NiPc centers and thus improved the binding ability of CO 2 and intermediates on the NiPc units. The theoretical calculation further confirmed that the H 2 Pc units donated their electrons to the NiPc units in the frameworks, enhanced the electron density of the Ni sites, and improved the binding ability with Lewis acidic CO 2 molecules, thereby boosting the CO 2 RR performance. This study provides us with new insight into the design of highly active catalysts in electrocatalytic systems.

To achieve high-efficiency catalysts for CO 2 reduction reaction, various catalytic metal centres and linker molecules have been assembled into covalent organic frameworks. The amine-linkages enhance the binding ability of CO 2 molecules, and the ionic frameworks enable to improve the electronic conductivity and the charge transfer along the frameworks. However, directly synthesis of covalent organic frameworks with amine-linkages and ionic frameworks is hardly achieved due to the electrostatic repulsion and predicament for the strength of the linkage. Herein, we demonstrate covalent organic frameworks for CO 2 reduction reaction by modulating the linkers and linkages of the template covalent organic framework to build the correlation between the catalytic performance and the structures of covalent organic frameworks. Through the double modifications, the CO 2 binding ability and the electronic states are well tuned, resulting in controllable activity and selectivity for CO 2 reduction reaction. Notably, the dual-functional covalent organic framework achieves high selectivity with a maximum CO Faradaic efficiency of 97.32% and the turnover frequencies value of 9922.68 h -1 , which are higher than those of the base covalent organic framework and the single-modified covalent organic frameworks. Moreover, the theoretical calculations further reveal that the higher activity is attributed to the easier formation of immediate *CO from COOH*. This study provides insights into developing covalent organic frameworks for CO 2 reduction reaction., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 5 (CTRP5) has been reported to be a crucial regulator in cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Nevertheless, the potential role of CTRP5 in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity and the potential mechanisms remain largely unclear., Methods: We overexpressed CTRP5 in the hearts using an adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9) system through tail vein injection. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to DOX (15 mg/kg/day, i.p.) to generate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity for 4 weeks. Subsequently, cardiac staining and molecular biological analysis were performed to analyze the morphological and biochemical effects of CTRP5 on the cardiac injury. H9c2 cells were used for validation in vitro., Results: CTRP5 expression was down-regulated after DOX treatment both in vivo and in vitro. CTRP5 overexpression significantly attenuated DOX-induced cardiac injury, cardiac dysfunction, inhibited oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Mechanistically, CTRP5 overexpression markedly decreased the protein expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1 and caspase-1, indicating TLR/NLRP3 signaling contributes to the cardioprotective role of CTRP5 in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity., Conclusions: Together, our findings demonstrated that CTRP5 overexpression could protect the heart from oxidative stress and inflammatory injury induced by DOX through inhibiting TLR4/NLRP3 signaling, suggesting that CTRP5 might be a potential therapeutic target in the prevention of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunctions. The gut microbiome has an important role in SCI, while short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are one of the main bioactive mediators of microbiota. In the present study, we explored the effects of oral administration of exogenous SCFAs on the recovery of locomotor function and tissue repair in SCI. Allen's method was utilized to establish an SCI model in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The animals received water containing a mixture of 150 mmol/L SCFAs after SCI. After 21 d of treatment, the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score increased, the regularity index improved, and the base of support (BOS) value declined. Spinal cord tissue inflammatory infiltration was alleviated, the spinal cord necrosis cavity was reduced, and the numbers of motor neurons and Nissl bodies were elevated. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and immunohistochemistry assay revealed that the expression of interleukin (IL)‍-10 increased and that of IL-17 decreased in the spinal cord. SCFAs promoted gut homeostasis, induced intestinal T cells to shift toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype, and promoted regulatory T (Treg) cells to secrete IL-10, affecting Treg cells and IL-17 + γδ T cells in the spinal cord. Furthermore, we observed that Treg cells migrated from the gut to the spinal cord region after SCI. The above findings confirm that SCFAs can regulate Treg cells in the gut and affect the balance of Treg and IL-17 + γδ T cells in the spinal cord, which inhibits the inflammatory response and promotes the motor function in SCI rats. Our findings suggest that there is a relationship among gut, spinal cord, and immune cells, and the "gut-spinal cord-immune" axis may be one of the mechanisms regulating neural repair after SCI.

BACKGROUND : Osteoporosis (OP) has become a major public health issue, threatening the bone health of middle-aged and elderly people from all around the world. Changes in the gut microbiota (GM) are correlated with the maintenance of bone mass and bone quality. However, research results in this field remain highly controversial, and no systematic review or meta-analysis of the relationship between GM and OP has been conducted. This paper addresses this shortcoming, focusing on the difference in the GM abundance between OP patients and healthy controls based on previous 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing results, in order to provide new clinical reference information for future customized prevention and treatment options of OP. METHODS : According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), we comprehensively searched the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). In addition, we applied the R programming language version 4.0.3 and Stata 15.1 software for data analysis. We also implemented the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), funnel plot analysis, sensitivity analysis, Egger's test, and Begg's test to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS : This research ultimately considered 12 studies, which included the fecal GM data of 2033 people (604 with OP and 1429 healthy controls). In the included research papers, it was observed that the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Ruminococcus increased in the OP group, while the relative abundance for Bacteroides of Bacteroidetes increased (except for Ireland). Meanwhile, Firmicutes, Blautia , Alistipes , Megamonas , and Anaerostipes showed reduced relative abundance in Chinese studies. In the linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis, certain bacteria showed statistically significant results consistently across different studies. CONCLUSIONS : This observational meta-analysis revealed that changes in the GM were correlated with OP, and variations in some advantageous GM might involve regional differences.

Electrosynthesis of H 2 O 2 is a promising alternative to the anthraquinone oxidation process because of its low energy utilization and cost-effectiveness. Heteroatom-doped carbons-based catalysts have been widely developed for H 2 O 2 synthesis. However, their doping degree, defective degree, and location of active sites are difficult to be preciously controlled at molecular level. Herein, a dioxin-linked covalent organic framework (COF) is used as the template to preciously construct different metal-N 2 sites along the porous walls for H 2 O 2 synthesis. By tuning the metal centers, the catalyst with Ca-N 2 sites enables to catalyze H 2 O 2 production with selectivity over 95% from 0.2 to 0.6 V versus RHE, while the H 2 O 2 yields for Co sites or Ni sites are 20% and 60% in the same potential range. In addition, the turnover frequency (TOF) values for Ca-N 2 sites are 11.63 e -1 site -1 s -1 , which are 58 and 20 times higher than those of Co and Ni sites (0.20 and 0.57 e -1 site -1 s -1 ). The theoretical calculations further reveal that the OOH* desorption on Ca sites is easier than those on Co or Ni sites, and thus catalyzes the oxygen reduction reaction in the 2e - pathway with high efficiency., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Controlled growth of well-oriented metal-organic framework nanoarrays on requisite surfaces is of prominent significance for a broad range of applications such as catalysis, sensing, optics and electronics. Herein, we develop a highly flexible soft nanobrush-directed synthesis approach for precise in situ fabrication of MOF nanoarrays on diverse substrates. The soft nanobrushes are constructed via surface-initiated living crystallization-driven self-assembly and their active poly(2-vinylpyridine) corona captures abundant metal cations through coordination interactions. This allows the rapid heterogeneous growth of MOF nanoparticles and the subsequent formation of MIL-100 (Fe), HKUST-1 and CUT-8 (Cu) nanoarrays with tailored heights of 220~1100 nm on silicon wafer, Ni foam and ceramic tube. Auxiliary functional components including metal oxygen clusters and precious metal nanoparticles can be readily incorporated to finely fabricate hybrid structures with synergistic features. Remarkably, the MIL-100 (Fe) nanoarrays doped with Keggin H 3 PMo 10 V 2 O 40 dramatically boost formaldehyde selectivity up to 92.8% in catalytic oxidation of methanol. Moreover, the HKUST-1 nanoarrays decorated with Pt nanoparticles show exceptional sensitivity to H 2 S with a ppb-level detection limit., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The death of spinal motor neurons (SMNs) after spinal cord injury (SCI) is a crucial cause, contributing to a permanent neurological deficit. Total flavonoids of hawthorn leaves (TFHL) have been confirmed to have potentially therapeutic for SCI. Nonetheless, the roles and mechanisms of TFHL in recovering neuromotor function and regenerating axons of SMNs have not been fully elucidated. In this study, TFHL was applied to treat rats with SCI and injured SMNs for 7 days. In vivo experiment, rats with SCI were evaluated by a BBB (Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan) score to assess their motor functional recovery. The morphology, microstructure, apoptosis, Nissl bodies, and autophagy of SMNs in spinal cord tissue were detected by Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, transmission electron microscopy, TUNEL staining, Nissl staining, and immunohistochemistry respectively. In vitro experiment, the co-culture model of SMNs and astrocytes was constructed to simulate the internal environment around SMNs in the spinal cord tissue. The cell morphology, microstructure, axonal regeneration, and autophagy were observed via optical microscope, transmission electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence. The content of neurotrophic factors in the cell culture medium of the co-culture model was detected by ELISA. Moreover, the expression of axon-related and autophagy-related proteins in the spinal cord tissue and SMNs was measured by Western Blot. We demonstrated that TFHL improved the neuromotor function recovery in rats after SCI. We then found that TFHL significantly promoted injured spinal cord tissue repair, reduced apoptosis, and improved the functional status of neurons in spinal cord tissue in vivo . Meanwhile, the cell morphology, microstructure, and axonal regeneration of damaged SMNs also obviously were improved, and the secretion of neurotrophic factors was facilitated after treatment with TFHL in vitro . Further, we revealed that TFHL promoted autophagy and related protein expression in vivo and vitro. Taken together, our study suggested that TFHL might facilitate autophagy and have neuroprotective properties in SMNs to enhance the recovery of neuromotor function of rats with SCI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhang, Liu, Nong, Zhang, Bai, Liu, Zong and Zeng.)

Developing effective electrocatalysts for CO 2 reduction (CO 2 RR) is of critical importance for producing carbon-neutral fuels. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an ideal platform for constructing catalysts toward CO 2 RR, because of their controllable skeletons and ordered pores. However, most of these COFs are synthesized from Co-porphyrins or phthalocyanines-based monomers, and the available building units and resulting catalytic centers in COFs are still limited. Herein, Co-N 5 sites are first developed through anchoring Co porphyrins on an olefin-linked COF, where the Co active sites are uniformly distributed in the hexagonal networks. The strong electronic coupling between Co porphyrins and COF is disclosed by various characterizations such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and density functional theory calculation (DFT). Thanks to the CoN 5 sites, the catalytic COF shows remarkable catalytic activity with Faraday efficiencies (FE CO ) of 84.2-94.3% at applied potentials between -0.50 and -0.80 V (vs RHE), and achieves a turnover frequency of 4578 h -1 at -1.0 V. Moreover, the theoretical calculation further reveals that the CoN 5 sites enable a decrease in the overpotential for the formation COOH*. This work provides a design strategy to employ COFs as scaffold for fabricating efficient CO 2 electrocatalysts., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background and Objective: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical and imaging features of TM mycosis complicated with bone destruction with the aim to improve understanding, diagnosis, and treatment., Methods: Data of hospitalized TM-infected patients with bone destruction from October 2012 to May 2019 were collected. The clinical and imaging features of the disease were comprehensively analyzed., Results: All 35 patients were non-HIV infected, but some had underlying co-morbid illnesses. The duration of the disease was 1-36 months (median: 5 months). Fever, anemia, weight loss, and respiratory symptoms were the main clinical manifestations of the patients. There were 18 patients (51.4%) who had bone pain. Peripheral blood leukocyte count increased significantly in 27 patients (77.1%). The neutrophil count increased in 28 patients (80%). C-reactive protein (CRP) and immunoglobulin G levels increased in 93.3% (14/15) and 82.1% (23/28) patients, respectively. The imaging examination showed osteolytic lesions, which were multiple in several bony areas., Conclusion: Young and middle-aged patients with non-AIDS TM complicated with underlying diseases should be especially cautious in case of occurrence of bone destruction. The main clinical manifestations of patients with TM complicated with bone destruction were pulmonary symptoms and bone and joint pain, which could be accompanied by progressive consumptive diseases., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2021.)