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Ethylene has an important role in regulating plant growth and development as well as responding to adversity stresses. The 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACS) is the rate-limiting enzyme for ethylene biosynthesis. However, the role of the ACS gene family in wheat has not been examined. In this study, we identified 12 ACS members in wheat. According to their position on the chromosome, we named them TaACS1-TaACS12, which were divided into four subfamilies, and members of the same subfamilies had similar gene structures and protein-conserved motifs. Evolutionary analysis showed that fragment replication was the main reason for the expansion of the TaACS gene family. The spatiotemporal expression specificity showed that most of the members had the highest expression in roots, and all ACS genes contained W box elements that were related to root development, which suggested that the ACS gene family might play an important role in root development. The results of the gene expression profile analysis under stress showed that ACS members could respond to a variety of stresses. Protein interaction prediction showed that there were four types of proteins that could interact with TaACS. We also obtained the targeting relationship between TaACS family members and miRNA. These results provided valuable information for determining the function of the wheat ACS gene, especially under stress.

BACKGROUND Chronic wounds are a worldwide health problem, with traditional imaging techniques failing in their accurate evaluation. Therefore, an effective imaging evaluation method is needed for the diagnosis and treatment or chronic wounds. This study is to investigate the application value of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sinography/fistulography in assessing the morphology and deep features of chronic wounds. METHODS We prospectively enrolled 43 chronic wounds patients who received both CT and MRI sinography/fistulography. The morphology and deep features of chronic wound on CT and MRI images were independently evaluated by 2 experienced radiologists. Kappa value and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were calculated to evaluate the interobserver agreement and the consistency between CT and MRI sinography/fistulography in assessing the shape, number of branches, and involvement of body cavity and bones of chronic wounds. RESULTS There were substantial to almost perfect interobserver agreements for both CT and MRI sinography/fistulography in evaluating the morphology and deep features of chronic wounds. The consistency between CT and MRI was almost perfect for the 2 readers in evaluating the shape (reader 1, kappa value =1.000; reader 2, kappa value =0.932) and the number of branches [reader 1, ICC =0.951 (95% confidence interval: 0.909-0.973, P

The diffusion and local structure of eight normal alkanols in 1-octanol at infinite dilution from 298 to 370 K have been investigated via molecular dynamics simulation. For short-chain n-alkanols, the simulated infinite dilute diffusion coefficients D12 are in good agreement with the experimental data, while for long-chain n-alkanols, the simulated D12 overestimate the experimental data. Meanwhile, the local structures are characterized by calculating the radial distribution functions, hydrogen bond, radius of gyration, and end-to-end distance. It is interesting that the average number of hydrogen bonds decreases as the chain length of n-alkanols increases from methanol to 1-heptanol, but unexpectedly, the average number of hydrogen bonds for 1-nonanol begins to increase. The simulation results demonstrate that a kind of intertwist effect through alkyl chain-chain interactions and caused by the molecular flexibility could explain the abnormal change of hydrogen bond number and the serious overestimation of simulated D12 for long-chain n-alkanols.

BACKGROUND: Patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) show changes in bone metabolism and adipose tissue, but the results are inconsistent. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) was reported useful for detecting bone mineral and adipose tissue change, but information on the role of QCT in PHPT is limited. We aimed to explore the changes of lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) and abdominal adipose tissue in patients with PHPT using QCT based on existed CT images, and to assess the consistency between QCT and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in assessing bone status. METHODS: This retrospective case-control study was conducted on 48 PHPT patients, with healthy controls (HCs) matched by their age (±3 years) and gender, and the case-to-control ratio was approximately 1:3. Volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and total adipose tissue (TAT) were measured by QCT in both PHPT and control groups and compared with the independent samples T-test. In the PHPT group, areal bone mineral density (aBMD) was measured by DXA. Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the association between QCT-derived vBMD and DXA-derived aBMD. Weighted kappa consistency analysis was used to clarify the agreement between QCT and DXA. RESULTS: Compared with HCs, the PHPT group had significantly lower vBMD (114.30±41.71 vs. 136.92±42.23 mg/cm(3); P=0.002) and higher TAT (261.98±74.65 vs. 236.69±69.00 cm(2); P=0.033); however, differences in SAT (120.81±40.19 vs. 109.94±36.83 cm(2); P=0.085) and VAT (141.17±48.11 vs. 126.75±50.50 cm(2); P=0.085) were not statistically significant. There was a strong correlation between QCT-derived vBMD and DXA-derived aBMD (all r>0.68; P

An organic viologens/TEMPO-SO3K aqueous flow battery with neutral NaCl solution as supporting electrolyte was proposed, and the battery cycling process was further explored. During the charging/dis...

Eight different culture media were used to culture shellfish Panopea abbreviate associated fungus Aspergillus sp. XBB-4. In a glucose-peptone-yeast (GPY) culture medium supplied with amino acids, this fungus can produce chemodiversity metabolites. Four new alkaloids including three β-carboline alkaloids, aspercarbolines A–C (1–3) and one piperazinedione, asperdione A (13) along with nine known compounds were isolated. The structures were elucidated mainly based on the NMR, MS, ECD and X-ray single-crystal diffraction data. The possible biosynthetic pathways of aspercarbolines A–C (1–3) were proposed. All compounds (1–13) were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against six cancer cell lines, including human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines CNE1, CNE2, HONE1 and SUNE1, and human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines hepG2 and QGY7701.

Drought negatively affects plant growth and development to cause major yield losses in crops. Transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in abiotic stress response signaling in plant. However, the biological functions of membrane-bound transcription factors (MTFs) in abiotic stress have rarely been studied in wheat. In this study, we identified a homologue of the maize ZmNTL1 gene in wheat, which was designated as TaNTL1. TaNTL1 is a NAC family MTF (NTM1-like, NTL proteins) encoding 481 amino acid residues with a transmembrane motif at the C-terminal. Quantitative results and expression profile analysis showed that TaNTL1 could respond to drought. We demonstrated the transcriptional activity of TaNTL1 and that it could specifically bind to NAC recognition cis-acting elements (NACBS). The full-length TaNTL1 protein localized in the plasma membrane and TaNTL1 lacking the transmembrane motif (TaNTL1-ΔTM) localized in the nucleus. TaNTL1 was proteolytically activated by PEG6000 and abscisic acid (ABA). Phenotypic and physiological analyses showed that overexpression transgenic Arabidopsis exhibited enhanced drought resistance, which was greater with TaNTL1-ΔTM than TaNTL1. Transient silencing of TaNTL1 significantly reduced the resistance to drought stress in wheat. Germination by the TaNTL1 and TaNTL1-ΔTM transgenic Arabidopsis seeds was also hypersensitive to ABA. Most of the stress-related genes in transgenic plants were upregulated under drought conditions. These results suggest that MTF TaNTL1 is a positive regulator of drought and it may function by entering the nucleus through cleavage.

Drought stress is an important factor that affects crop yields and quality. E3 ubiquitin ligase has crucial roles in the responses to abiotic stresses. However, few studies have investigated the role of E3 ubiquitin ligase during drought stress in wheat. In this study, we cloned and identified the orthologous gene of Oryza sativa Salt-, ABA- and Drought-Induced RING Finger Protein 1 (OsSADR1) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) called TaSADR1. TaSADR1 encodes a protein containing 486 amino acids with a C3HC4 type RING finger conserved domain at the N-terminal. We confirmed that TaSADR1 has an E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and it is located in the nucleus. High expression of TaSADR1 was induced by treatment with PEG6000 and abscisic acid (ABA). TaSADR1-overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis plants exhibited decreased drought tolerance. Under drought stress, compared with the wild-type (WT) lines, TaSADR1-overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis lines had lower proline and chlorophyll contents, and antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase), whereas the water loss rate, malondialdehyde content, and relative electrolyte leakage were higher. In addition, the overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis lines were more sensitive to mannitol and ABA treatment at seed germination and during seedling growth. The expression levels of genes related to stress were downregulated under drought conditions in the transgenic plants. Our results demonstrate that TaSADR1 may negatively regulate drought stress responses by regulating the expression of stress-related genes.

The creation of supramolecular assemblies by assembly of structurally simple components via supramolecular interactions provides an opportunity to develop functional materials with hierarchical complexibility. Herein, we report an assembly approach to supramolecular gels based on metal-organic cages with tunable hierarchical structures and properties. A Pd12L24 cage (L is cholesteryl-functionalized 3,5-bis(4-pyridyl)benzene) bearing 24 cholesteryl groups is used as a supramolecular building unit and molecular platform for functionalization with tunable functional behaviors. The Pd12L24 cage motifs spontaneously self-assemble into gels where orthogonal metal-organic coordination and cholesteryl-cholesteryl interactions are involved in the gelation. The Pd12L24 cage exhibits a reversible transition between solution and aggregated gel states in response to temperature. The gelation and the mechanical property are rarely regulated by deuterated solvents and tetramethylsilane. The mechanical property of the gel materials is tunable by varying the content of cholesteryl groups of Pd12L24. Functional moieties (e.g., luminescent TPE group) can be introduced on the cage, and the luminescent property changes while the structure is maintained. The Pd12L24 gel shows visible anion-responsive behaviors arising from the hierarchical structure.

TaGW2 has been identified as a key determinant of the grain weight in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In our previous study, we found that the grain size differs in Chinese Spring (CS) and its TaGW2-6A allelic variant (NIL31). In addition, the expression of the key starch biosynthesis enzyme gene TaAGPS differs significantly in the two materials. However, the underlying molecular mechanism associated with the action of TaGW2-6A has not been reported. In the present study, we found that TaGW2-6A-CS interacted with TaAGPS, whereas TaGW2-6A-NIL31 did not interact with it in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we found that the C-terminal LXLX domain (376-424 aa) of TaGW2-6A recognized TaAGPS. However, the TaGW2-6A allelic variant lacked this key interaction region due to premature translation termination. We also found that TaGW2-6A-CS can ubiquitinate TaAGPS and degrade it via the 26 S proteasome pathway. In addition, our analysis of the activity of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) indicated that the AGPase level in the endosperm cells was lower in CS than NIL31. Cytological observations demonstrated that the average number of starch granules and the average area of starch granules in endosperm cells were lower in CS than NIL31. The overexpression of TaAGPS positively regulated the seed size in transgenic Arabidopsis. Our findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism that allows TaGW2-6A-TaAGPS to regulate seed size via the starch synthesis pathway.

ObjectiveTo build and validate an MRI-based radiomics nomogram to predict the therapeutic response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in rectal mucinous adenocarcinoma (RMAC).MethodsTotally, 92 individuals with pathologically confirmed RMAC administered surgical resection upon nCRT in two different centers were assessed retrospectively (training set, n = 52, validation set, n = 40). Rectal MRI was performed pre-nCRT. Radiomics parameters were obtained from high-resolution T2-weighted images and selected to construct a radiomics signature. Then, radiomics nomogram construction integrated patient variables and the radiomics signature. The resulting radiomics nomogram was utilized to assess the tumor regression grade (TRG). Diagnostic performance was determined by generating receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsSix optimal features related to TRG were obtained to construct a radiomics signature. The nomogram combining the radiomics signature with age and mucin deposit outperformed the radiomics signature alone in the training (AUC, 0.950 vs 0.843, p < 0.05) and validation (AUC, 0.868 vs 0.719, p < 0.05) cohorts. DCA demonstrated a clinical utility for the radiomics nomogram model.ConclusionsThe established quantitative MRI-based radiomics nomogram is effective in predicting treatment response to neoadjuvant therapy in patients with RMAC.

Five new decalins, monalbidins A-E (1, 2 and 7-9), together with 16 known compounds (3-6 and 10-21), were isolated from the AcOEt extract of marine derived fungus Monascus albidus BB3 cultured in GPY medium. Among the known compounds, 1-hydroxymonacolin L (11), dehydromonacolin J (15), 8-O-acetylmonacolin J (19) and O-acetylmonacolin K (21) were separated from natural sources for the first time. Their structures were determined by comprehensive analysis on the 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, UV and IR data, and their absolute configurations were assigned by experimental and calculated ECD data, and X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis. Monalbidins C and D (7 and 8), monacolin K methyl ester (13), dehydromonacolin L (14), dehydromonacolin K (16), monacolin K (20) and O-acetylmonacolin K (21) showed moderate cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines SUNE1, HepG2, QGY7701, HCT116 and MDA-MB-231.

To investigate the relationship between parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and body weight, body mass index (BMI), lipid profiles, and fat distribution in subjects with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and controls. This was a cross-sectional study in 192 patients with PHPT and 202 controls. Serum concentrations of calcium, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), PTH, lipids profiles, and other hormones were quantified. Bone mineral density was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fat distribution evaluation utilizing quantitative computed tomography was conducted in another 66 patients with PHPT and 155 controls. PHPT patients were older (P

Drought stress is an important factor that severely affects crop yield and quality. Autophagy has a crucial role in the responses to abiotic stresses. In this study, we explore TaNBR1 in response to drought stress. Expression of the TaNBR1 gene was strongly induced by NaCl, PEG, and abscisic acid treatments. The TaNBR1 protein is localized in the Golgi apparatus and autophagosome. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing TaNBR1 exhibited reduced drought tolerance. When subjected to drought stress, compared to the wild-type (WT) lines, the transgenic overexpressing TaNBR1 plants had a lower seed germination rate, relative water content, proline content, and reduced accumulation of antioxidant enzymes, i.e., superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, as well as higher chlorophyll losses, malondialdehyde contents, and water loss. The transgenic plants overexpressing TaNBR1 produced much shorter roots in response to mannitol stress, in comparison to the WT plants, and they exhibited greater sensitivity to abscisic acid treatment. The expression levels of the genes related to stress in the transgenic plants were affected in response to drought stress. Our results indicate that TaNBR1 negatively regulates drought stress responses by affecting the expression of stress-related genes in Arabidopsis.

In this work, first-principles calculations were used to study the effects of alloying elements on the atomic structure, elastic property and thermodynamic property of L12 ordered γ′-Co3(V, Ti) at finite temperature. Twenty transition metals (TM), including Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir and Pt, have been considered as the alloying element at different crystallographic sites. The results show that Mn, Fe, Ru, Os, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, and Pt tend to occupy the Co site, while other elements prefer the Ti site of γ′-Co3(V, Ti). In the ground state, all TMs except Cr, Mn, Fe, Y, Tc and Ru could stablize the γ′-Co3(V, Ti) compound, and the addition of Sc, Fe, Y, Rh, Pd, Ir and Pt can remain the compound a stable phase after involving its competitive phases. The mechanical property of TM-substituted γ'-Co3(V, Ti) was found to be linearly related to both the value of the electron density and the molar volume of compound. However, at finite temperature, only Sc, Y, and Os enhance the thermodynamic stability of the γ'-Co3(V, Ti) with the increasing temperature, which is different from the cases in the ground state.

BACKGROUND: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. To date, although many studies have reported on the computed tomography (CT) manifestations of COVID-19, the vascular enlargement sign (VES) of COVID-19 has not been deeply examined, with the few available studies reporting an inconsistent prevalence. We thus performed a systematic review and meta-analysis based on the best available studies to estimate the prevalence and identify the underlying differential diagnostic value of VES. METHODS: We searched nine English and Chinese language databases up to April 23, 2020. Studies that evaluated CT features of COVID-19 patients and reported VES, with or without comparison with other pneumonia were included. The methodologic quality was assessed using Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2). Meta-analyses with random effects models were performed to calculate the aggregate prevalence and pooled odds ratios (ORs) of VES. We also conducted meta-regression and subgroup analyses to analyze heterogeneity. RESULTS: VES findings from a total of 1969 patients were summarized and pooled across 22 studies. Our analysis demonstrated that the prevalence of VES among COVID-19 patients was 69.37% [95% confidence interval (CI): 57.40–79.20%]. Compared with non-COVID-19 patients, VES manifestation was more frequently observed in confirmed COVID-19 patients (OR =6.43, 95% CI: 3.39–12.22). Studies that explicitly defined distribution of VES in the lesion area demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence (P=0.03). Subgroup analyses also revealed a relatively higher VES rate in studies with a sample size larger than 50, but the difference was not statistically significant. No significant difference in VES rates was found between different countries (China/Italy), regions (Hubei/outside Hubei), average age groups (over/less than 50-year-old), or slice thicknesses of CT scan. Extensive heterogeneity was identified across most estimates (I(2)>80%). Some of the variations (R(2)=19.73%) could be explained by VES distribution, and sample size. No significant publication bias was seen (P=0.29). CONCLUSIONS: VES on thoracic CT was found in almost two-thirds of COVID-19 patients, and was more prevalent compared with that of the non-COVID-19 patients, supporting a promising role for VES in identifying pneumonia caused by coronavirus.

Currently, conductive composite hydrogels are promising alternatives for skinlike sensors. Generally, graphene as well as its derivatives and conducting polymers (CPs), such as polypyrrole (PPy), a...

Background Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in January, 2020, the fever of unknown origin (FUO) emergency department has become the first station for disease prevention and identification in hospitals. Establishing a standardized FUO emergency department within a short period of time has become the key to preventing and controlling COVID-19 in densely populated Chinese cities. Methods Based on the lean management model, the research group established a process of less-link visits, which sees reduced contact between patients and physicians during diagnosis and treatment, and zero-contact consultation through lean workflow and value stream analysis. Three steps were implemented to improve the operations of the FUO emergency department: the rapid establishment of an isolation zone, the refinement of duty and protection configuration, and the use of Internet and technology to establish a full-process follow-up consultation system. Results (I) Tests related to COVID-19 screening are all completed in the FUO emergency department; (II) 12 new isolated observation rooms have been built; (III) hospital visiting time, waiting time for consultation, and the time from pre-examination to virus screening has been shortened from 18 to 8 hours, from 2 hours to 10 minutes, and from 34 to 3 hours, respectively; (IV) the transfer distance has been shortened from 450 to 20 m, and the observation time has been shortened from 72 to 26 hours. The median waiting time for image examination has been reduced from 40 to 3 minutes, and the moving distance has been shortened from 800 to 10 m; (V) the diagnosis and treatment process is facilitated by 5G, achieving zero contact between doctors and patients. Conclusions Through the implantation of information technology, the local transformation of the site, the rational allocation of medical teams and the planned distribution of protective equipment, in a short period of time, individual medical institutions can set up a safe FUO emergency department to provide 24-hour screening and detention services. Establishing an FUO emergency department with lean management and realizing the management approach of combining daily operation with prevention and control could help China and other countries to handle the outbreak of fulminant infectious diseases.

As promising next-generation candidates for applications in aero-engines, L12-strengthened cobalt (Co)-based superalloys have attracted extensive attention. However, the L12 strengthening phase in first-generation Co-Al-W-based superalloys is metastable and both its solvus temperature and mechanical properties still need to be improved. Therefore, it is necessary to discover new L12-strengthened Co-based superalloy systems with a stable L12 phase by exploring the effect of alloying elements on its stability. Traditional first-principles calculations are capable of providing the crystal structure and mechanical properties of the L12 phase doped by transition metals but suffer from low efficiency and relatively high computational costs. The present study combines machine learning (ML) with first-principles calculations to accelerate crystal structure and mechanical property predictions, with the latter providing both the training and validation datasets. Three ML models are established and trained for predicting the occupancy of alloying elements in the supercell and the stability and the mechanical properties of the L12 phase. The ML predictions are evaluated using first-principles calculations and the accompanying data are used to further refine the ML models. Our ML-accelerated first-principles calculation approach offers more efficient predictions of the crystal structure and mechanical properties for Co-V-Ta- and Co-Al-V-based systems than the traditional counterpart. This approach is applicable to expediting crystal structure and mechanical property calculations and thus the design and discovery of other advanced materials beyond Co-based superalloys.

Based on the linear free energy relationships theory and empirical equations, correlations of mutual diffusion coefficients of solutes in organic solvents at infinite dilution at various temperatures are proposed. Four homologues in 743 binary systems have been regressed and correlation equations for the diffusion coefficients are obtained. The mean relative deviations of the four equations are 8.63%, 8.57%, 2.96%, and 4.85%, and all of the squared correlation coefficients (R2) are larger than 0.96, indicating that the fittings are good. The results reveal that a simple form of the equation exhibits high estimation accuracy, definite theory meaning, wide applicability and wide temperature range. This study successfully combines macroscopic physical properties of substances with their molecular microstructure, providing an alternative approach for calculating of mutual diffusion coefficient.

Over wide temperature and pressure ranges, the molecular dynamics simulation is performed to study the mass transfer of six n-alkanes from n-C5H12 to n-C10H22 in CO2 at infinite dilution by calculating the diffusion coefficients, which have not yet been measured by experiment. Meanwhile, the structural properties of these systems are explored. It is found that under different temperature and pressure conditions, the variation trends of the radial distribution functions of n-alkanes are quite different, while the variation trends of the average coordination number of n-alkanes can be divided into three types. The radius of gyration and the solvent accessible surface area are both affected by temperature and carbon chain length, but their variation trends are different, and it could explain the abnormal variation trends of the radial distribution functions and the average coordination number.

Background Generic assessments are less responsive to subtle changes due to specific diseases, making it challenging to fully understand the impact of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) on patient’s quality of life (QOL). Methods We applied programmed decision procedures and theories on instrument development to develop the scale. Two hundred patients with pulmonary TB participated in measuring QOL three times before and after treatments. We assessed the validity, reliability, and responsiveness of QLICD-PT using correlation analysis, factor analysis, multi-trait scaling analysis, randomized block analyses of variance with Least Significant Difference post-hoc tests. Results We composed QLICD-PT with 3 domains (28 items) for general QOL and 1 pulmonary TB specific domain (12 items). Correlation and factor analysis confirmed good structure validity and criterion-related validity when using Chinese version of the Medical Outcomes Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) as a criterion. The internal consistency of α values were higher than 0.70. The score changes after treatment were of statistical significance for the overall scale, physical domain and specific domain with effect size ranging from 0.32 to 0.72. No floor effects but small ceiling effects were observed at domain level. Conclusions As the first pulmonary TB-specific QOL scale developed by a module approach in Chinese, QLICD-PT has an acceptable degree of validity, reliability and responsiveness, and can be used to measure the life quality of PT patients specifically and sufficiently.

The infinite dilution diffusion coefficients (D12) of methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol and 1-pentanol in supercritical CO2 (scCO2) at 313.2 K and 10–16 MPa were simulated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The microscopic structure was also analyzed by calculation of the radial distribution function, coordination number (CN) between the center mass of solute and solvent molecules, and the average number of hydrogen bonding of this system. In infinite dilute solution, the probability of forming hydrogen bond between alkanol molecules is greatly reduced relative to pure alkanol fluid, and the weak hydrogen bonds formed between alkanol and CO2 molecules. In general, this work provides a reliable simulation method for transfer properties of solutes in scCO2. The prediction data were provides for the design and development of chemical processing. The results are helpful for one to deeper understand the relationship between microscopic structures of fluid and its transfer properties.

Porphyrin-based imine gels assembled from small molecular precursors have been developed as a novel type of catalysts in hydrogen production from water splitting. The gels offer chemical variety and hierarchically porous structures and are susceptible to modification via porphyrin metal centres. The Pd gel shows cathodic electrocatalytic activity to produce H2 when coated on FTO electrodes. The gels are stable and active for visible-light driven hydrogen production in the presence of a sacrificial electron donor and a cocatalyst. Impregnation of the Pd metal centre greatly enhances the H2 evolution rate. The Pd gel enables efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution via photoinjection of electrons from the light-harvesting gel network into the Pt nanoparticles. When illuminated with visible light, the Pt-doped PdTAPP–TFPT gel produces hydrogen from aqueous sodium ascorbate solution without significant degradation during four runs (1.0744 × 105 μmol g−1 for 120 h totally). Interestingly the wet gels show remarkably higher H2 production efficiency than their dried counterparts.