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Introduction: RG7128 (prodrug of PSI-6130) shows potent antiviral efficacy in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1, 2, or 3, with mean viral load decreases of 2.7 and 5 log(10) IU/mL, respectively, associated with 1500-mg doses twice daily after monotherapy for 2 weeks and with 1000-mg and 1500-mg doses twice daily after treatment in combination with the standard of care (SOC) for 4 weeks.Results: From 32 patients treated with RG7128 monotherapy for 2 weeks, marginal viral load rebound was observed in 3 HCV genotype 1-infected patients, whereas partial response was observed in 2 genotype 1-infected patients. From 85 patients receiving RG7128 in combination with SOC, 1 HCV genotype 1-infected patient experienced a viral rebound, and 2 genotype 3-infected patients experienced a transient rebound. Five genotype 1-infected patients had an HCV load of >1000 IU/mL at the end of 4-week treatment. No viral resistance was observed, per NS5B sequencing and phenotypic studies. PSI-6130 resistance substitution S282T needs to be present at levels of ≥90% within a patient's quasispecies to confer low-level resistance. No evidence of S282T was found by population or clonal sequence analyses.Conclusions: The requirement for a predominant S282T mutant quasispecies, its low replication capacity, and the low-level resistance it confers probably contribute to the lack of RG7128 resistance observed in HCV-infected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia (NH 3 ) is regarded as an essential hydrogen storage material in the new energy field, and plasma-electrocatalytic synthesis of NH 3 (PESA) is an alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process. Here, a bifunctional catalyst CoOOH/CF is proposed to enhance the PESA process. Benefiting from the efficient activation of O 2 by CoOOH/CF, NO x - yield rate can reach the highest value of 171.90 mmol h -1 to date. Additionally, CoOOH holds a more negative d-band center, thereby exhibiting weaker adsorption toward NO * , lowering the energy barrier for the rate determining step, resulting in a high NH 3 yield rate (302.55 mg h -1 cm -2 at -0.8 V) with ampere-level NH 3 current density (2.86 A cm -2 at -0.8 V) and nearly 100% Faraday efficiency (FE, 99.8% at -0.6 V). Moreover, CoOOH/CF achieves an excellent 4.54 g h -1 NH 3 yield rate with 97.9% FE in an enlarged electrolyzer, demonstrating the feasibility of PESA on a large scale., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

To examine the association of household fuel use with prehypertension regression among middle-aged and older people based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we included a total of 3501 participants with prehypertension at baseline, and they were followed up from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016 with information on blood pressure and household solid fuel use (heating and cooking fuels). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to explore the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) between fuel use and prehypertension regression. Additionally, we investigated the impact of switching fuels (2011-2013) on the regression to normotension during the 4-year follow-up. Linear regression was used to examine the effect of household fuel use on changes in blood pressure. Compared to solid fuel users, those who used clean fuel for heating at baseline had a positive effect on the regression of prehypertension (HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.08-1.53). Participants who used clean fuels for both heating and cooking had increased odds for the regression of prehypertension (HR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.09-1.60). Compared to consistent solid fuel users, those who consistently used clean fuel for heating had a higher likelihood of transitioning from prehypertension to normotension (HR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.06-1.73) and exhibited 2.45 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure. In conclusion, household clean fuel use for heating was positively associated with the regression of prehypertension to normotension. Furthermore, switching from solid fuel to clean fuel for heating could reduce the risk of prehypertension in Chinese middle-aged and older adults., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japanese Society of Hypertension.)

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome is an emerging viral hemorrhagic fever caused by a tick-borne bunyavirus, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), with a high case fatality. We previously found that SFTSV nucleoprotein (NP) induces macroautophagy/autophagy to facilitate virus replication. However, the role of NP in antagonizing host innate immunity remains unclear. Mitophagy, a selected form of autophagy, eliminates damaged mitochondria to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis. Here, we demonstrate that SFTSV NP triggers mitophagy to degrade MAVS (mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein), thereby blocking MAVS-mediated antiviral signaling to escape the host immune response. Mechanistically, SFTSV NP translocates to mitochondria by interacting with TUFM (Tu translation elongation factor, mitochondrial), and mediates mitochondrial sequestration into phagophores through interacting with LC3, thus inducing mitophagy. Notably, the N-terminal LC3-interacting region (LIR) motif of NP is essential for mitophagy induction. Collectively, our results demonstrated that SFTSV NP serves as a novel virulence factor, inducing TUFM-mediated mitophagy to degrade MAVS and evade the host immune response. Abbreviation: 3-MA: 3-methyladenine; ACTB: actin beta; co-IP: co-immunoprecipitation; CQ: chloroquine; DAPI: 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, dihydrochloride; DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide; FCCP: carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone; GFP: green fluorescent protein; HTNV: Hantan virus; IAV: influenza A virus; IFN: interferon; LAMP1: lysosomal associated membraneprotein 1; LIR: LC3-interacting region; MAP1LC3B/LC3B: microtubule associatedprotein 1 light chain 3 beta; MAVS: mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein; Mdivi-1: mitochondrial division inhibitor 1; MOI: multiplicity of infection; MT-CO2/COXII: mitochondrially encoded cytochrome C oxidase II; NP: nucleoprotein; NSs: nonstructural proteins; poly(I:C): polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid; RIGI: RNA sensor RIG-I; RLR: RIGI-like receptor; SFTSV: severe fever withthrombocytopenia syndrome virus; TCID50: 50% tissue culture infectiousdose; TIMM23: translocase of inner mitochondrial membrane 23; TOMM20:translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20; TUFM: Tu translation elongationfactor, mitochondrial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effect of handgrip strength (HGS) and obesity phenotype on the risk of stroke in Chinese middle-aged and elderly people., Methods: The data was used from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Middle-aged and older adults who participated in surveys between 2011 and 2018 were included in the study. They were divided into 4 different types of obesity phenotypes based on obesity and metabolic status: metabolically healthy non-overweight/obesity (MHNO), metabolically healthy overweight/obesity (MHO), metabolically abnormal non-overweight/obesity (MANO), and metabolically abnormal overweight/obesity (MAO). The HGS level was divided into low and high groups according to the median values. Cox proportional risk regression model was used to analyze the joint effect of HGS and obesity phenotype on the risk of stroke among participants., Results: A total of 7904 participants aged 58.89±9.08 years were included in this study. After adjusting for potential confounders, high HGS&MHO (HR=1.86, 95 % CI=1.12-3.09), high HGS&MANO (HR=2.01, 95 %CI=1.42-2.86), high HGS&MAO (HR=2.01, 95 % CI=1.37-2.93), low HGS&MHNO (HR=1.57, 95 % CI=1.00-2.46), low HGS&MHO (HR=2.09, 95 % CI=1.29-3.38), low HGS&MANO (HR=2.02, 95 % CI=1.35-3.03), and low HGS&MAO (HR=2.48, 95 % CI=1.72-3.58) group had significantly higher risks of stroke than the high HGS&MHNO group., Conclusion: The coexistence of metabolically unhealthy and low HGS can synergistically increase the risk of stroke in Chinese middle-aged and elderly people., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Li-O 2 batteries (LOBs) possess the highest theoretical gravimetric energy density among all types of secondary batteries, but they are still far from practical applications. The poor rate performance resulting from the slow mass transfer is one of the primary obstacles in LOBs. To solve this issue, a rotating cathode with periodic changes in the electrolyte layer thickness is designed, decoupling the maximum transfer rate of Li + and O 2 . During rotation, the thinner electrolyte layer on the cathode facilitates the O 2 transfer, and the thicker electrolyte layer enhances the Li + transfer. As a result, the rotating cathode enables the LOBs to undergo 58 cycles at 2.5 mA cm -2 and discharge stably even at a high current density of 7.5 mA cm -2 . Besides, it also makes the batteries exhibit a large discharge capacity of 6.8 mAh cm -2 , and the capacity decay is much slower with increasing current density. Notably, this rotating electrode holds great promise for utilization in other electrochemical cells involving gas-liquid-solid triple-phase interfaces, suggesting a viable approach to enhance the mass transfer in such systems., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

An efficient cyclization for the synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetra-substituted benzenes via copper catalyzed dimerization of γ,δ-unsaturated ketones has been described. This one-pot procedure employs the γ,δ-unsaturated ketones as the sole substrate with multiple C-C bond formation. This protocol features broad substrate scope and provides a facile and robust method to construct polysubstituted benzene derivatives under mild conditions.

Lithium-air batteries (LABs) have aroused worldwide interest due to their high energy density as a promising next-generation battery technology. From a practical standpoint, one of the most pressing issues currently in LABs is their poor rate performance. Accelerating the mass transfer rate within LABs is a crucial aspect for enhancing their rate capability. In this Perspective, we have meticulously analyzed the ion and oxygen transport processes to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the mass transfer within LABs. Following this, we have discussed potential misconceptions in the existing literature and propose our recommendations for improving the rate performance of LABs. This Perspective provides a deep insight into the mass transfer process in LABs and offers promising strategies for developing other high-rate metal-O 2 batteries.

Presently, the exposure of plasticizers to humans and animals occurs daily, which pose a potential threat to reproductive health. In the present study, a pregnant mouse model exposed to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP, one of the most common plasticizers) and melatonin was established, and the single-cell transcriptome technology was applied to investigate the effects of melatonin in ovarian cells against DEHP. Results showed that DEHP markedly altered the gene expression pattern of ovarian cells, and severely weakened the histone methylation modification of oocytes. The administration of melatonin recovered the expression of LHX8 and SOHLH1 proteins that essential for primordial follicle formation, and increased the expression of CEBPB, as well as key genes of histone methylation modification (such as Smyd3 and Kdm5a). In addition, the ovarian damage caused by DEHP was also relieved after the overexpression of CEBPB, which suggested melatonin could improve primordial follicle formation progress via enhancing CEBPB expression in mice. Besides, the apoptosis of ovarian cells induced by DEHP also was diminished by melatonin. The study provides evidence of melatonin preventing the damage mediated by plasticizers on the reproductive system in females and CEBPB may serve as a downstream target factor of melatonin in the process., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ambient electrochemical ammonia (NH 3 ) synthesis is one promising alternative to the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch route. However, the industrial requirement for the electrochemical NH 3 production with amperes current densities or gram-level NH 3 yield remains a grand challenge. Herein, we report the high-rate NH 3 production via NO 2 - reduction using the Cu activated Co electrode in a bipolar membrane (BPM) assemble electrolyser, wherein BPM maintains the ion balance and the liquid level of electrolyte. Benefited from the abundant Co sites and optimal structure, the target modified Co foam electrode delivers a current density of 2.64 A cm -2 with the Faradaic efficiency of 96.45 % and the high NH 3 yield rate of 279.44 mg h -1  cm -2 in H-type cell using alkaline electrolyte. Combined with in situ experiments and theoretical calculations, we found that Cu optimizes the adsorption behavior of NO 2 - and facilitates the hydrogenation steps on Co sites toward a rapid NO 2 - reduction process. Importantly, this activated Co electrode affords a large NH 3 production up to 4.11 g h -1 in a homemade reactor, highlighting its large-scale practical feasibility., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a widespread and transgenerational toxicant that can cause serious reproductive health risks, which poses a potential threat to global agricultural production and human health; its estrogenic activity can lead to reproductive toxicity through the induction of granulosa cell apoptosis. Herein, comparative transcriptome analysis, single-cell transcriptome analysis, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) combined with gene knockout in vivo and RNA interference in vitro were used to comprehensively describe the damage caused by ZEN exposure on ovarian granulosa cells. Comparative transcriptome analysis and WGCNA suggested that the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase 7 (MAP2K7)/ AKT serine/threonine kinase 2 (AKT2) axis was disordered after ZEN exposure in porcine granulosa cells (pGCs) and mouse granulosa cells (mGCs). In vivo gene knockout and in vitro RNA interference verified that TNF-α-mediated MAP2K7/AKT2 was the guiding signal in ZEN-induced apoptosis in pGCs and mGCs. Moreover, single-cell transcriptome analysis showed that ZEN exposure could induce changes in the TNF signaling pathway in offspring. Overall, we concluded that the TNF-α-mediated MAP2K7/AKT2 axis was the main signaling pathway of ZEN-induced apoptosis in pGCs and mGCs. This work provides new insights into the mechanism of ZEN toxicity and provides new potential therapeutic targets for the loss of livestock and human reproductive health caused by ZEN., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ammonia (NH 3 ) is essential for modern agriculture and industry, and, due to its high hydrogen density and no carbon emission, it is also expected to be the next-generation of "clean" energy carrier. Herein, directly from air and water, a plasma-electrocatalytic reaction system for NH 3 production, which combines two steps of plasma-air-to-NO x - and electrochemical NO x - reduction reaction (eNO x RR) with a bifunctional catalyst, is successfully established. Especially, the bifunctional catalyst of CuCo 2 O 4 /Ni can simultaneously promote plasma-air-to-NO x - and eNO x RR processes. The easy adsorption and activation of O 2 by CuCo 2 O 4 /Ni greatly improve the NO x - production rate at the first step. Further, CuCo 2 O 4 /Ni can also resolve the overbonding of the key intermediate of * NO, and thus reduce the energy barrier of the second step of eNO x RR. Finally, the "green" NH 3 production achieves excellent FE NH3 (96.8%) and record-high NH 3 yield rate of 145.8 mg h -1  cm -2 with large partial current density (1384.7 mA cm -2 ). Moreover, an enlarged self-made H-type electrolyzer improves the NH 3 yield to 3.6 g h -1 , and the obtained NH 3 is then rapidly converted to a solid of magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate, which favors the easy storage and transportation of NH 3 ., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: The risk and prognosis of young breast cancer (YBC) with liver metastases (YBCLM) remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to determine the risk and prognostic factors in these patients and construct predictive nomogram models., Methods: This population-based retrospective study was conducted using data of YBCLM patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 2010 and 2019. Multivariate logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to identify independent risk and prognostic factors, which were used to construct the diagnostic and prognostic nomograms. The concordance index (C-index), calibration plot, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the performances of the established nomogram models. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to balance the baseline characteristics between the YBCLM patients and non-young patients with BCLM when comparing overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS)., Results: A total of 18,275 YBC were identified, of whom 400 had LM. T stage, N stage, molecular subtypes, and bone, lung, and brain metastases were independent risk factors for LM developing in YBC. The established diagnostic nomogram showed that bone metastases contributed the most risk of LM developing, with a C-index of 0.895 (95% confidence interval 0.877-0.913) for this nomogram model. YBCLM had better survival than non-young patients with BCLM in unmatched and matched cohorts after propensity score matching analysis. The multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that molecular subtypes, surgery and bone, lung, and brain metastases were independently associated with OS and CSS, chemotherapy was an independent prognostic factor for OS, and marital status and T stage were independent prognostic factors for CSS. The C-indices for the OS- and CSS-specific nomograms were 0.728 (0.69-0.766) and 0.74 (0.696-0.778), respectively. The ROC analysis indicated that these models had excellent discriminatory power. The calibration curve also showed that the observed results were consistent with the predicted results. DCA showed that the developed nomogram models would be effective in clinical practice., Conclusion: The present study determined the risk and prognostic factors of YBCLM and further developed nomograms that can be used to effectively identify high-risk patients and predict survival outcomes., 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 © 2023 Pu, Yin and Yan.)

Background: Wild apple (Malus sieversii) is under second-class national protection in China and one of the lineal ancestors of cultivated apples worldwide. In recent decades, the natural habitation area of wild apple trees has been seriously declining, resulting in a lack of saplings and difficulty in population regeneration. Artificial near-natural breeding is crucial for protecting and restoring wild apple populations, and adding nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) is one of the important measures to improve the growth performance of saplings. In this study, field experiments using N (CK, N1, N2, and N3: 0, 10, 20, and 40 g m - 2 yr - 1 , respectively), P (CK, P1, P2, and P3: 0, 2, 4, and 8 g m - 2 yr - 1 , respectively), N20Px (CK, N2P1, N2P2, and N2P3: N20P2, N20P4 and N20P8 g m - 2 yr - 1 , respectively), and NxP4 (CK, N1P2, N2P2, and N3P2: N10P4, N20P4, and N40P4 g m - 2 yr - 1 , respectively) treatments (totaling 12 levels, including one CK) were conducted in four consecutive years. The twig traits (including four current-year stem, 10 leaf, and three ratio traits) and comprehensive growth performance of wild apple saplings were analyzed under different nutrient treatments., Results: N addition had a significantly positive effect on stem length, basal diameter, leaf area, and leaf dry mass, whereas P addition had a significantly positive effect on stem length and basal diameter only. The combination of N and P (NxP4 and N20Px) treatments evidently promoted stem growth at moderate concentrations; however, the N20Px treatment showed a markedly negative effect at low concentrations and a positive effect at moderate and high concentrations. The ratio traits (leaf intensity, leaf area ratio, and leaf to stem mass ratio) decreased with the increase in nutrient concentration under each treatment. In the plant trait network, basal diameter, stem mass, and twig mass were tightly connected to other traits after nutrient treatments, indicating that stem traits play an important role in twig growth. The membership function revealed that the greatest comprehensive growth performance of saplings was achieved after N addition alone, followed by that under the NxP4 treatment (except for N40P4)., Conclusions: Consequently, artificial nutrient treatments for four years significantly but differentially altered the growth status of wild apple saplings, and the use of appropriate N fertilizer promoted sapling growth. These results can provide scientific basis for the conservation and management of wild apple populations., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

We report the synthesis of transition-metal-doped ferromagnetic elemental single-crystal semiconductors with quantum oscillations using the physical vapor transport method. The 7.7 atom% Cr-doped Te crystals (Cr:Te) show ferromagnetism, butterfly-like negative magnetoresistance in the low temperature (<3.8 K) and low field (<0.15 T) region, and high Hall mobility, e.g. 1320 cm 2 V -1 s -1 at 30 K and 350 cm 2 V -1 s -1 at 300 K, implying that Cr:Te crystals are ferromagnetic elemental semiconductors. When B // [001] // I, the maximum negative MR is ∼-27% at T = 20 K and B = 8 T. In the low temperature semiconducting region, Cr:Te crystals show strong discrete scale invariance dominated logarithmic quantum oscillations when the direction of the magnetic field B is parallel to the [100] crystallographic direction ( B // [100]) and show Landau quantization dominated Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations for B // [210] direction, which suggests the broken rotation symmetry of the Fermi pockets in the Cr:Te crystals. The findings of coexistence of multiple quantum oscillations and ferromagnetism in such an elemental quantum material may inspire more study of narrow bandgap semiconductors with ferromagnetism and quantum phenomena., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

In order to reveal the complex mechanism governing the mitotic/meiotic switch in female germ cells at epigenomic and genomic levels, we examined the chromatin accessibility (scATAC-seq) and the transcriptional dynamics (scRNA-seq) in germ cells of mouse embryonic ovary between E11.5 to 13.5 at single-cell resolution. Adopting a strict transcription factors (TFs) screening framework that makes it easier to understand the single-cell chromatin signature and a TF interaction algorithm that integrates the transcript levels, chromatin accessibility, and motif scores, we identified 14 TFs potentially regulating the mitotic/meiotic switch, including TCFL5, E2F1, E2F2, E2F6, E2F8, BATF3, SP1, FOS, FOXN3, VEZF1, GBX2, CEBPG, JUND, and TFDP1. Focusing on TCFL5, we constructed Tcfl5 +/- mice which showed significantly reduced fertility and found that decreasing TCFL5 expression in cultured E12.5 ovaries by RNAi impaired meiotic progression from leptotene to zygotene. Bioinformatics analysis of published results of the embryonic germ cell transcriptome and the finding that in these cells central meiotic genes (Stra8, Tcfl5, Sycp3, and E2f2) possess open chromatin status already at the mitotic stage together with other features of TCFL5 (potential capability to interact with core TFs and activate meiotic genes, its progressive activation after preleptotene, binding sites in the promoter region of E2f2 and Sycp3), indicated extensive amplification of transcriptional programs associated to mitotic/meiotic switch with an important contribution of TCFL5. We conclude that the identified TFs, are involved in various stages of the mitotic/meiotic switch in female germ cells, TCFL5 primarily in meiotic progression. Further investigation on these factors might give a significant contribution to unravel the molecular mechanisms of this fundamental process of oogenesis and provide clues about pathologies in women such as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) due at least in part to meiotic defects., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is an emerging negatively stranded enveloped RNA bunyavirus that causes SFTS with a high case fatality rate of up to 30%. Macroautophagy/autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process involved in the maintenance of host homeostasis, which exhibits anti-viral or pro-viral responses in reaction to different viral challenges. However, the interaction between the bunyavirus SFTSV and the autophagic process is still largely unclear. By establishing various autophagy-deficient cell lines, we found that SFTSV triggered RB1CC1/FIP200-BECN1-ATG5-dependent classical autophagy flux. SFTSV nucleoprotein induced BECN1-dependent autophagy by disrupting the BECN1-BCL2 association. Importantly, SFTSV utilized autophagy for the viral life cycle, which not only assembled in autophagosomes derived from the ERGIC and Golgi complex, but also utilized autophagic vesicles for exocytosis. Taken together, our results suggest a novel virus-autophagy interaction model in which bunyavirus SFTSV induces classical autophagy flux for viral assembly and egress processes, suggesting that autophagy inhibition may be a novel therapy for treating or releasing SFTS.

The severe performance degradation of high-capacity Li-O 2 batteries induced by Li dendrite growth and concentration polarization from the low Li + transfer number of conventional electrolytes hinder their practical applications. Herein, lithiated Nafion (LN) with the sulfonic group immobilized on the perfluorinated backbone has been designed as a soluble lithium salt for preparing a less flammable polyelectrolyte solution, which not only simultaneously achieves a high Li + transfer number (0.84) and conductivity (2.5 mS cm -1 ), but also the perfluorinated anion of LN produces a LiF-rich SEI for protecting the Li anode from dendrite growth. Thus, the Li-O 2 battery with a LN-based electrolyte achieves an all-round performance improvement, like low charge overpotential (0.18 V), large discharge capacity (9508 mAh g -1 ), and excellent cycling performance (225 cycles). Besides, the fabricated pouch-type Li-air cells exhibit promising applications to power electronic equipment with satisfactory safety., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The lithium-oxygen battery (LOB) with a high theoretical energy density (∼3500 Wh kg -1 ) has been regarded as a strong competitor for next-generation energy storage systems. However, its performance is still far from satisfactory due to the lack of stable electrolyte that can simultaneously withstand the strong oxidizing environment during battery operation, evaporation by the semiopen feature, and high reactivity of lithium metal anode. Here, we have developed a deep eutectic electrolyte (DEE) that can fulfill all the requirements to enable the long-term operation of LOBs by just simply mixing solid N -methylacetamide (NMA) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) at a certain ratio. The unique interaction of the polar groups in the NMA with the cations and anions in the LiTFSI enables DEE formation, and this NMA-based DEE possesses high ionic conductivity, good thermal, chemical, and electrochemical stability, and good compatibility with the lithium metal anode. As a result, the LOBs with the NMA-based DEE present a high discharge capacity (8647 mAh g -1 ), excellent rate performance, and superb cycling lifetime (280 cycles). The introduction of DEE into LOBs will inject new vitality into the design of electrolytes and promote the development of high-performance LOBs.

Constructing solid-state lithium-oxygen batteries (SSLOBs) holds a great promise to solve the safety and stability bottlenecks faced by lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs) with volatile and flammable organic liquid electrolytes. However, the realization of high-performance SSLOBs is full of challenges due to the poor ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes, large interfacial resistance, and limited reaction sites of cathodes. Here, a flexible integrated cathode-electrolyte structure (ICES) is designed to enable the tight connection between the cathode and electrolyte through supporting them on a 3D SiO 2 nanofibers (NFs) framework. The intimate cathode-electrolyte structure and the porous SiO 2 NFs scaffold combination are favorable for decreasing interfacial resistance and increasing reaction sites. Moreover, the 3D SiO 2 NFs framework can also behave as an efficient inorganic filler to enhance the ionic conductivity of the solid polymer electrolyte and its ability to inhibit lithium dendrite growth. As a result, the elaborately designed ICES can simultaneously tackle the issues that limit the performance liberation of SSLOBs, making the batteries deliver a high discharge capacity and a long lifetime of 145 cycles with a cycling capacity of 1000 mAh g -1 at 60 °C, much superior to coventional SSLOBs (50 cycles)., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The responses of material properties to multi-field stimulation are often exploited to construct new types of multi-functional devices. Here, we demonstrate electrical, optical and thermal modulation of the electronic properties of optothermal ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs) which are fabricated by growing Bi 2 Te 3 films on (111)-oriented 0.71Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -0.29PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) ferroelectric single-crystal substrates. Using the electric field to switch the polarization direction of PMN-PT, the carrier density and resistance of Bi 2 Te 3 films are in situ , reversibly, and nonvolatilely modulated via the ferroelectric field effect. Moreover, through infrared light illumination on the bottom of PMN-PT substrates, the resistance of Bi 2 Te 3 films in two polarization states could be further modulated, which is ascribed to the decreased polarization intensity at higher temperature due to the pyroelectric effect. Taking advantage of these two effects, the Bi 2 Te 3 /PMN-PT optothermal FeFETs exhibit multiple responses to optical and electric field stimulation at room temperature. Our work provides a strategy to design optoelectronic devices with both photodetector and memory functionalities.

Stoichiometric Cr 2 Se 3 single crystals are particular layer-structured antiferromagnets, which possess a noncollinear spin configuration, weak ferromagnetic moments, moderate magnetoresistance (MR ∼14.3%), and poor metallic conductivity below the antiferromagnetic phase transition. Here, we report an interesting >16 000% colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect in Ti (1.5 atomic percent) lightly doped Cr 2 Se 3 single crystals. Such a CMR is approximately 1143 times larger than that of the stoichiometric Cr 2 Se 3 crystals and is rarely observed in layered antiferromagnets and is attributed to the frustrated spin configuration. Moreover, the Ti doping not only dramatically changes the electronic conductivity of the Cr 2 Se 3 crystal from a bad metal to a semiconductor with a gap of ∼15 meV but also induces a change in the magnetic anisotropy of the Cr 2 Se 3 crystal from strong out-of-plane to weak in-plane. Further, magnetotransport measurements reveal that the low-field MR scales with the square of the reduced magnetization, which is a signature of CMR materials. The layered Ti:Cr 2 Se 3 with the CMR effect could be used as two-dimensional (2D) heterostructure building blocks to provide colossal negative MR in spintronic devices.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a tick-borne bunyavirus that causes an emerging hemorrhagic fever termed SFTS with high mortality. However, knowledge of SFTSV-host interactions is largely limited. Here, we performed a global transcriptome analysis of mRNAs and lncRNAs in THP-1 macrophages infected with SFTSV for 24 and 48 h. A total of 2,334 differentially expressed mRNAs and 154 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified with 577 mRNAs and 31 lncRNAs commonly changed at both time points. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that differentially expressed mRNAs were mainly associated with innate immune, cytokine signaling, systemic lupus erythematosus, and alcoholism. Differentially expressed lncRNAs were enriched in systemic lupus erythematosus, alcoholism, and ribosome. Bioinformatic analysis also revealed hub regulatory mRNAs including IL6, TNF, UBA52, SRC, IL10, CXCL10, and CDK1 and core regulatory lncRNAs including XLOC&#95;083027 and XLOC&#95;113317. Transcription factor analysis of the differentially expressed mRNAs revealed that IRF1, SPI1, SPIB, ELF5, and FEV were enriched during SFTSV infection. Taken together, our studies illustrate the complex interaction between THP-1 macrophages and SFTSV., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Formic acid (HCOOH) is one of the most promising chemical fuels that can be produced through CO 2 electroreduction. However, most of the catalysts for CO 2 electroreduction to HCOOH in aqueous solution often suffer from low current density and limited production rate. Herein, we provide a bismuth/cerium oxide (Bi/CeO x ) catalyst, which exhibits not only high current density (149 mA cm -2 ), but also unprecedented production rate (2600 μmol h -1  cm -2 ) with high Faradaic efficiency (FE, 92 %) for HCOOH generation in aqueous media. Furthermore, Bi/CeO x also shows favorable stability over 34 h. We hope this work could offer an attractive and promising strategy to develop efficient catalysts for CO 2 electroreduction with superior activity and desirable stability., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide, causing significant stress on the medical system. We explored the risk factors for condition changes in COVID-19 pneumonia patients after admission.The patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia at 2 medical centers in Hunan Province were studied, and those whose conditions changed after admission were compared. Their clinical characteristics and experimental indicators were compared using SPSS software and R language to build a disease risk prediction model.Patients with condition changes after admission were older and had more blood cell abnormalities and impaired organ function (decreased albumin, elevated D-dimer) than normal patients. We found that age, neutrophil ratio, D-dimer, chest Computed tomograpgy (CT) changes, and glucocorticoid use were risk factors for COVID-19 pneumonia after admission.Elderly patients are more susceptible to disease changes after COVID-19 pneumonia; COVID-19 pneumonia patients who develop disease changes after admission have higher neutrophil ratios, increased D-dimer levels, chest imaging changes, and glucocorticoid usage. Additional research is needed.

We report on the growth of high-quality stoichiometric layered Cr 2 Se 3 single crystals with metallic and noncollinear antiferromagnetic ground state using the chemical vapor transport (CVT) method. The crystals show weak ferromagnetism in the in-plane and out-of-plane directions below the Neél temperature ( T N ), however, the field-cooled out-of-plane magnetization at 500 Oe and 10 K (∼0.24 μ B /f.u.) is approximately 15 times larger than that of the in-plane one, indicating strong c -axis easy uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, which is further supported by the in-plane and out-of-plane isothermal anisotropic magnetic hysteresis loops and the angular dependent magnetoresistance (MR). The latter also reveals a decrease of the coercive field of the crystal upon the tilting of the weak ferromagnetic easy axis away from the direction of the magnetic field. Further, the out-of-plane isothermal MR are negative below T N and show butterfly shapes for T < 10 K and couple with the magnetic hysteresis M ( H ) loop. These results may help researchers better understand the interplay between the weak ferromagnetism and the magnetotransport properties of 2D itinerant noncollinear antiferromagnetic systems., (© 2020 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

The dendrite growth of Li anodes severely degrades the performance of lithium-oxygen (Li-O 2 ) batteries. Recently, hybrid solid electrolyte (HSE) has been regarded as one of the most promising routes to tackle this problem. However, before this is realized, the HSE needs to simultaneously satisfy contradictory requirements of high modulus and even, flexible contact with Li anode, while ensuring uniform Li + distribution. To tackle this complex dilemma, here, an HSE with rigid Li 1.5 Al 0.5 Ge 1.5 (PO 4 ) 3 (LAGP) core@ultrathin flexible poly (vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) shell interface has been developed. The introduced large amount of nanometer-sized LAGP cores can not only act as structural enhancer to achieve high Young's modulus but can also construct Li + diffusion network to homogenize Li + distribution. The ultrathin flexible PVDF-HFP shell provides soft and stable contact between the rigid core and Li metal without affecting the Li + distribution, meanwhile suppressing the reduction of LAGP induced by direct contact with Li metal. Thanks to these advantages, this ingenious HSE with ultra-high Young's modulus of 25 GPa endows dendrite-free Li deposition even at a deposition capacity of 23.6 mAh. Moreover, with the successful inhibition of Li dendrites, the HSE-based quasi-solid-state Li-O 2 battery delivers a long cycling stability of 146 cycles, which is more than three times that of gel polymer electrolyte-based Li-O 2 battery. This new insight may serve as a starting point for further designing of HSE in Li-O 2 batteries, and can also be extended to various battery systems such as sodium-oxygen batteries., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of China Science Publishing & Media Ltd.)

Objective: To investigate the incidence of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and the management on the treatment and follow-up of this disease in Jiangsu Province, China., Methods: The neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia who were admitted to 13 hospitals in Jiangsu Province from January to December, 2018, were enrolled as subjects. A retrospective analysis was performed on their mediacal data and follow-up data., Results: In 2018, 740 neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia were reported from the 13 hospitals in Jiangsu Province, accounting for 2.70% (740/27 386) of the total number of neonates admitted to the department of neonatology. Among these neonates, 620 (83.8%) had severe hyperbilirubinemia, 106 (14.3%) had extremely severe hyperbilirubinemia, and 14 (1.9%) had hazardous hyperbilirubinemia. Four neonates (0.5%) were diagnosed with acute bilirubin encephalopathy. A total of 484 neonates (65.4%) were readmitted due to severe hyperbilirubinemia after discharge from the delivery institution, with a median age of 7 days, among whom 214 (44.2%) were followed up for jaundice at the outpatient service before readmission, with a median age of 6 days at the first time of outpatient examination. During hospitalization, 211 neonates (28.5%) underwent cranial MRI examinations, among whom 85 (40.3%) had high T1WI signal in the bilateral basal ganglia and the globus pallidus; 238 neonates (32.2%) underwent brainstem auditory evoked potential examinations, among whom 14 (5.9%) passed only at one side and 7 (2.9%) failed at both sides. The 17 neonates with acute bilirubin encephalopathy or hazardous hyperbilirubinemia were followed up. Except one neonate was lost to follow-up, and there were no abnormal neurological symptoms in the other neonates., Conclusions: Neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia account for a relatively high proportion of the total number of neonates in the department of neonatology. Jaundice monitoring and management after discharge from delivery institutions need to be strengthened. For neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia, relevant examinations should be carried out more comprehensively during hospitalization and these neonates should be followed up comprehensively and systematically after discharge.

The flexible Li-O 2 battery is suitable to satisfy the requirements of a self-powered energy system, thanks to environmental friendliness, low cost, and high theoretical energy density. Herein, a flexible porous bifunctional electrode with both electrocatalytic and photocatalytic activity was synthesized and introduced as a cathode to assemble a high-performance Li-O 2 battery that achieved an overpotential of 0.19 V by charging with the aid of solar energy. As a proof-of-concept application, a flexible Li-O 2 battery was constructed and integrated with a solar cell via a scalable encapsulate method to fabricate a flexible self-powered energy system with excellent flexibility and mechanical stability. Moreover, by exploring the evolution of the electrode morphology and discharge products (Li 2 O 2 ), the charging process of the Li-O 2 battery powered by solar energy and solar cell was demonstrated., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A series of Cr-doped In 2- x Cr x O 3 (ICO) semiconductor thin films were epitaxially grown on (111)-oriented 0.71Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -0.29PbTiO 3 (PMN-0.29PT) single-crystal substrates by the pulsed laser deposition. Upon the application of an electric field to the PMN-0.29PT substrate along the thickness direction, we realized in situ, reversible, and nonvolatile control of the electronic properties and Fermi level of the films, which are manifested by abundant physical phenomena such as the n-type to p-type transformation, metal-semiconductor transition, metal-insulator transition, crossover of the magnetoresistance (MR) from negative to positive, and a large nonvolatile on-and-off ratio of 5.5 × 10 4 % at room temperature. We also strictly disclose that both the sign and the magnitude of MR are determined by the electron carrier density of ICO films, which could modify the s - d exchange interaction and weak localization effect. Our results demonstrate that the ferroelectric gating approach using PMN-PT can be utilized to gain deeper insight into the carrier-density-related electronic properties of In 2 O 3 -based semiconductors and provide a simple and energy efficient way to construct multifunctional devices which can utilize the unique properties of composite materials.

The electrochemical N 2 fixation, which is far from practical application in aqueous solution under ambient conditions, is extremely challenging and requires a rational design of electrocatalytic centers. We observed that bismuth (Bi) might be a promising candidate for this task because of its weak binding with H adatoms, which increases the selectivity and production rate. Furthermore, we successfully synthesized defect-rich Bi nanoplates as an efficient noble-metal-free N 2 reduction electrocatalyst via a low-temperature plasma bombardment approach. When exclusively using 1 H NMR measurements with N 2 gas as a quantitative testing method, the defect-rich Bi(110) nanoplates achieved a 15 NH 3 production rate of 5.453 μg mg Bi -1  h -1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 11.68 % at -0.6 V vs. RHE in aqueous solution at ambient conditions., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Efficient and selective dehydrogenation of formic acid is a key challenge for a fuel-cell-based hydrogen economy. Though the development of heterogeneous catalysts has received much progress, their catalytic activity remains insufficient. Moreover, the design principle of such catalysts are still unclear. Here, experimental and theoretical studies on a series of mono-/bi-metallic nanoparticles supported on a NH 2 -N-rGO substrate are combined for formic acid dehydrogenation where the surface energy of a metal is taken as a relevant indicator for the adsorption ability of the catalyst for guiding catalyst design. The AuPd/NH 2 -N-rGO catalyst shows record catalytic activity by reducing the energy barrier of rate controlling steps of formate adsorption and hydrogen desorption. The obtained excellent results both in experiments and simulations could be extended to other important systems, providing a general guideline to design more efficient catalysts., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Single-phase (00 l)-oriented Bi 2 Te 3 topological insulator thin films have been deposited on (111)-oriented ferroelectric 0.71Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -0.29PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) single-crystal substrates. Taking advantage of the nonvolatile polarization charges induced by the polarization direction switching of PMN-PT substrates at room temperature, the carrier density, Fermi level, magnetoconductance, conductance channel, phase coherence length, and quantum corrections to the conductance can be in situ modulated in a reversible and nonvolatile manner. Specifically, upon the polarization switching from the positively poled P r + state (i.e., polarization direction points to the film) to the negatively poled P r - (i.e., polarization direction points to the bottom electrode) state, both the electron carrier density and the Fermi wave vector decrease significantly, reflecting a shift of the Fermi level toward the Dirac point. The polarization switching from P r + to P r - also results in significant increase of the conductance channel α from -0.15 to -0.3 and a decrease of the phase coherence length from 200 to 80 nm at T = 2 K as well as a reduction of the electron-electron interaction. All these results demonstrate that electric-voltage control of physical properties using PMN-PT as both substrates and gating materials provides a simple and a straightforward approach to realize reversible and nonvolatile tuning of electronic properties of topological thin films and may be further extended to study carrier density-related quantum transport properties of other quantum matter.

Macrophages are the primary host target cells of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb). As a subunit of immunoregulatory cytokines IL-27 and IL-35, Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) has typically been explored as the secreted form and assessed in terms of its effects triggered by extracellular EBI3. However, little is known about intracellular EBI3 function. In the current study, we report that EBI3 production by macrophages is elevated in TB patients. We further demonstrate that increased EBI3 accumulates in virulent M. tb-treated murine macrophages. Eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1-alpha 1 (eEF1A1) binds to intracellular EBI3 to reduce Lys48 (K48)-linked ubiquitination of EBI3, leading to EBI3 accumulation. Moreover, the intracellular EBI3 inhibits caspase-3-mediated apoptosis in M. tb-treated macrophages. Herein, we propose a novel mechanism for accumulating intracellular EBI3 and its regulation of macrophage apoptosis in response to virulent M. tb., (© FEMS 2019.)

Rechargeable aprotic alkali metal (Li or Na)-O 2 batteries are the subject of great interest because of their high theoretical specific energy. However, the growth of dendrites and cracks at the Li or Na anode, as well as their corrosive oxidation lead to poor cycling stability and safety issues. Understanding the mechanism and improving Li/Na-ion plating and stripping electrochemistry are therefore essential to realizing their technological potential. Here, we report how the use of a Li-Na alloy anode and an electrolyte additive realizes an aprotic bimetal Li-Na alloy-O 2 battery with improved cycling stability. Electrochemical investigations show that stripping and plating of Li and Na and the robust and flexible passivation film formed in situ (by 1,3-dioxolane additive reacting with the Li-Na alloy) suppress dendrite and buffer alloy anode volume expansion and thus prevent cracking, avoiding electrolyte consumption and ensuring high electron transport efficiency and continued electrochemical reactions.

To promote the development of high energy Li-O 2 batteries, it is important to design and construct a suitable and effective oxygen-breathing cathode. Herein, activated cobalt-nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube/carbon nanofiber composites (Co-N-CNT/CNF) as the effective cathodes for Li-O 2 batteries are prepared by in situ chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The unique architecture of these electrodes facilitates the rapid oxygen diffusion and electrolyte penetration. Meanwhile, the nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube/carbon nanofiber (N-CNT/CNF) and Co/CoN x serve as reaction sites to promote the formation/decomposition of discharge product. Li-O 2 batteries with Co-N-CNT/CNF cathodes exhibit superior electrochemical performance in terms of a positive discharge plateau (2.81 V) and a low charge overpotential (0.61 V). Besides, Li-O 2 batteries also present a high discharge capacity (11512.4 mAh g -1 at 100 mA g -1 ), and a long cycle life (130 cycles). Meanwhile, the Co-N-CNT/CNF cathode also has an excellent flexibility, thus the assembled flexible battery with Co-N-CNT/CNF can work normally and hold a wonderful capacity rate under various bending conditions., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

We report the fabrication of 0.71Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -0.29PbTiO 3 (PMN-0.29PT)-based ferroelectric field effect transistors (FeFETs) by the epitaxial growth of cobalt-doped tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) semiconductor thin films on PMN-0.29PT single crystals. Using such FeFETs we realized in situ, reversible, and nonvolatile manipulation of the electron carrier density and achieved a large nonvolatile modulation of the resistance (∼330%) of the SnO 2 :Co films through the polarization switching of PMN-0.29PT at 300 K. Particularly, combining the ferroelectric gating with piezoresponse force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Hall effect, and magnetoresistance (MR), we rigorously disclose that both sign and magnitude of the MR are intrinsically determined by the electron carrier density, which could modify the s-d exchange interaction of the SnO 2 :Co films. Furthermore, we realized multilevel resistance states of the SnO 2 :Co films by combining the ferroelectric gating with ultraviolet light illumination, demonstrating that the FeFETs have potential applications in multistate resistive memories and electro-optical devices.

Large-scale application of renewable energy and rapid development of electric vehicles have brought unprecedented demand for advanced energy-storage/conversion technologies and equipment. Rechargeable zinc (Zn)-air batteries represent one of the most promising candidates because of their high energy density, safety, environmental friendliness, and low cost. The air electrode plays a key role in managing the many complex physical and chemical processes occurring on it to achieve high performance of Zn-air batteries. Herein, recent advances of air electrodes from bifunctional catalysts to architectures are summarized, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed to underline the importance of progress in the evolution of bifunctional air electrodes. Finally, some challenges and the direction of future research are provided for the optimized design of bifunctional air electrodes to achieve high performance of rechargeable Zn-air batteries., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Objective: To investigate the growth and development of very low birth weight (VLBW)/extremely low birth weight (ELBW) preterm infants within the corrected age of 6 months and the effect of different feeding patterns on growth and development., Methods: A total of 109 VLBW/ELBW preterm infants who were discharged from January 2016 to April 2017 and who had completed regular follow-up were enrolled, and their growth and development within the corrected age of 6 months were monitored. The Z-score method was used to evaluate physical indices and analyze the effect of different feeding patterns (breastfeeding group: breast milk + human milk fortifier; mixed feeding group: breast milk + preterm formula milk; artificial feeding: preterm formula milk) on growth and development., Results: The peaks of weight-for-age Z-score, height-for-age Z-score, weight-for-height Z-score, and BMI-for-age Z-score occurred within the corrected age of 3 months, and the peak of head circumference-for-age Z-score occurred at the corrected age of 5 months. Growth deviation of the infants often occurred within the corrected age of 1-3 months. At the corrected age of 3 months, the breastfeeding group had significantly better body weight, height and head circumference growth than the mixed feeding group and/or the artificial feeding group (P<0.05). At the corrected age of 6 months, the breastfeeding group had significantly better head circumference and body length growth than the mixed feeding group and/or the artificial feeding group (P<0.05)., Conclusions: Growth deviation of VLBW/ELBW preterm infants often occurs within the corrected age of 1-3 months, suggesting that early individualized follow-up and nutritional guidance should be strengthened to reduce growth deviation. Maternal breastfeeding with the addition of human milk fortifier is the best feeding pattern for VLBW/ELBW preterm infants.

Objective: To investigate the incidence and mortality rates of preterm infants and the main causes of death., Methods: The basic information of preterm infants was collected from their medical records and admission/discharge records to analyze the incidence and mortality rates of preterm infants and the causes of their death., Results: There were 76 812 neonates born in the Xuzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2006 to December 2016, among whom 5 585 (7.27%) were preterm infants. The incidence rate of preterm infants tended to increase over these years (P&lt;0.001). The overall mortality rate was 5.01% (280/5 585), and the mortality rate tended to decrease over these years (P&lt;0.001). The mortality rate increased with the reductions in birth weight and gestational age (P&lt;0.001). The top four causes of death in preterm infants were respiratory distress syndrome (44.3%), severe asphyxia (12.9%), neonatal malformation (4.3%), and pulmonary hemorrhage (2.9%) respectively. With the increase in birth weight, there were significant reductions in the constituent ratios of death due to respiratory distress syndrome and severe asphyxia (P&lt;0.001)., Conclusions: The incidence rate of preterm infants tended to increase and their mortality rate tended to decrease from 2006 to 2016. The mortality rate of preterm infants is associated with gestational age and birth weight. Respiratory distress syndrome and severe asphyxia are the main causes of death in preterm infants.

Conversion of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into valuable chemicals, especially liquid fuels, through electrochemical reduction driven by sustainable energy sources, is a promising way to get rid of dependence on fossil fuels, wherein developing of highly efficient catalyst is still of paramount importance. In this study, as a proof-of-concept experiment, first a facile while very effective protocol is proposed to synthesize amorphous Cu NPs. Unexpectedly, superior electrochemical performances, including high catalytic activity and selectivity of CO 2 reduction to liquid fuels are achieved, that is, a total Faradaic efficiency of liquid fuels can sum up to the maximum value of 59% at -1.4 V, with formic acid (HCOOH) and ethanol (C 2 H 6 O) account for 37% and 22%, respectively, as well as a desirable long-term stability even up to 12 h. More importantly, this work opens a new avenue for improved electroreduction of CO 2 based on amorphous metal catalysts., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Hydrogen is widely considered to be a sustainable and clean energy alternative to the use of fossil fuels in the future. Its high hydrogen content, nontoxicity, and liquid state at room temperature make formic acid a promising hydrogen carrier. Designing highly efficient and low-cost heterogeneous catalysts is a major challenge for realizing the practical application of formic acid in the fuel-cell-based hydrogen economy. Herein, a simple but effective and rapid strategy is proposed, which demonstrates the synthesis of NiPd bimetallic ultrafine particles (UPs) supported on NH 2 -functionalized and N-doped reduced graphene oxide (NH 2 -N-rGO) at room temperature. The introduction of the NH 2 N group to rGO is the key reason for the formation of the ultrafine and well-dispersed Ni 0.4 Pd 0.6 UPs (1.8 nm) with relatively large surface area and more active sites. Surprisingly, the as-prepared low-cost NiPd/NH 2 -N-rGO dsiplays excellent hydrophilicity, 100% H 2 selectivity, 100% conversion, and remarkable catalytic activity (up to 954.3 mol H 2 (mol catalyst) -1 h -1 ) for FA decomposition at room temperature even with no additive, which is much higher than that of the best catalysts so far reported., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

To meet the increasing demands for portable and flexible devices in a rapidly developing society, it is urgently required to develop highly safe and flexible electrochemical energy-storage systems. Flexible lithium-oxygen batteries with high theoretical specific energy density are promising candidates; however, the conventional half-open structure design prevents it from working properly under water or fire conditions. Herein, as a proof-of-concept experiment, a highly safe flexible lithium-oxygen battery achieved by the synergy of a vital multifunctional structure design and a unique composite separator is proposed and fabricated. The structure can effectively prevent the invasion of water from the environment and combustion, which is further significantly consolidated with the help of a polyimide and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) composite separator, which holds good water resistance, thermal stability, and ionic conductivity. Unexpectedly, the obtained lithium-oxygen battery exhibits superior flexibility, water resistance, thermal resistance, and cycling stability (up to 218 cycles; at a high current of 1 mA and capacity of 4 mA h). This novel water/fireproof, flexible lithium-oxygen battery is a promising candidate to power underwater flexible electronics., (© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Ammonia synthesis is one of the most kinetically complex and energetically challenging chemical processes in industry and has used the Harber-Bosch catalyst for over a century, which is processed under both harsh pressure (150-350 atm) and hightemperature (623-823 K), wherein the energy and capital intensive Harber-Bosch process has a huge energy cost accounting for about 1%-3% of human's energy consumption. Therefore, there has been a rough and vigorous exploration to find an environmentally benign alternative process. As the amorphous material is in a metastable state and has many "dangling bonds", it is more active than the crystallized one. In this paper, CeO x -induced amorphization of Au nanoparticles anchored on reduced graphite oxide (a-Au/CeO x -RGO) has been achieved by a facile coreduction method under ambient atmosphere. As a proof-of-concept experiment, a-Au/CeO x -RGO hybrid catalyst containing the low noble metal (Au loading is 1.31 wt%) achieves a high Faradaic efficiency (10.10%) and ammonia yield (8.3 μg h -1 mg -1 cat . ) at -0.2 V versus RHE, which is significantly higher than that of the crystalline counterpart (c-Au/RGO), and even comparable to the yields and efficiencies under harsh temperatures and/or pressures., (© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

To recycle rusty stainless-steel meshes (RSSM) and meet the urgent requirement of developing high-performance cathodes for potassium-ion batteries (KIB), we demonstrate a new strategy to fabricate flexible binder-free KIB electrodes via transformation of the corrosion layer of RSSM into compact stack-layers of Prussian blue (PB) nanocubes (PB@SSM). When further coated with reduced graphite oxide (RGO) to enhance electric conductivity and structural stability, the low-cost, stable, and binder-free RGO@PB@SSM cathode exhibits excellent electrochemical performances for KIB, including high capacity (96.8 mAh g -1 ), high discharge voltage (3.3 V), high rate capability (1000 mA g -1 ; 42 % capacity retention), and outstanding cycle stability (305 cycles; 75.1 % capacity retention)., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)