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The development of electrocatalysts capable of efficient reduction of nitrate (NO 3 − ) to ammonia (NH 3 ) is drawing increasing interest for the sake of low carbon emission and environmental protection. Herein, we present a CuCo bimetallic catalyst able to imitate the bifunctional nature of copper-type nitrite reductase, which could easily remove NO 2 − via the collaboration of two active centers. Indeed, Co acts as an electron/proton donating center, while Cu facilitates NO x − adsorption/association. The bio-inspired CuCo nanosheet electrocatalyst delivers a 100 ± 1% Faradaic efficiency at an ampere-level current density of 1035 mA cm −2 at −0.2 V vs . Reversible Hydrogen Electrode. The NH 3 production rate reaches a high activity of 4.8 mmol cm −2 h −1 (960 mmol g cat −1 h −1 ). A mechanistic study, using electrochemical in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and shell-isolated nanoparticle enhanced Raman spectroscopy, reveals a strong synergy between Cu and Co, with Co sites promoting the hydrogenation of NO 3 − to NH 3 via adsorbed *H species. The well-modulated coverage of adsorbed *H and *NO 3 led simultaneously to high NH 3 selectivity and yield. Electroreduction of NO 3 − to NH 3 is drawing increasing interest. Here, the authors designed a CuCo catalyst imitating the bifunctional nature of Cu-type nitrite reductase to deliver an ampere-level current density for NH 3 formation.

This study aims to evaluate the correlation between the uric acid (UA) to albumin (ALB) ratio (UAR) and carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as well as to assess the predictive value of UAR for CAS. A cross-sectional, single-center study was conducted, retrospectively analyzing hematological parameters from 259 T2DM patients with CAS (T2DM-CAS) and 131 T2DM patients without CAS (T2DM-WCAS). Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaques (CAP) were measured using Doppler ultrasound. The UAR level in the T2DM-CAS group was significantly higher than that in the T2DM-WCAS group (P <  0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that UAR is an independent risk factor for T2DM-CAS (P <  0.001). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for UAR in predicting T2DM-CAS was 0.712, with a Youden index of 0.278. High levels of UAR are closely associated with the occurrence of T2DM-CAS and may serve as a useful biomarker for predicting T2DM-CAS.

Obesity has been increasing globally for over three decades. According to previous studies, dietary obesity is usually associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and STAT3 signaling, which result in interference with the homeostatic control of energy and lipid metabolism. Ginsenosides (GS) administered to mice will modulate adiposity and food intake; however, the mechanism of food inhibition is unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether GS may inhibit ERS and regulate STAT3 phosphorylation in GT1-7 cells (a mouse hypothalamus gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuron cell line) and the hypothalamus in order to reduce the body weight and ameliorate hepatic steatosis in high fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. In the present study, GS inhibited the appetite, reduced the body weight, visceral fat, body fat content and blood glucose, and ameliorated the glucose tolerance of the obese mice compared with HFD mice. In addition, the levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, triglyceride (TG), leptin and insulin in the serum were reduced compared with HFD mice. There was less TG in the liver, but more in the feces compared with HFD mice. Using hematoxylin and eosin staining of HepG2 cells and liver tissues, GS were demonstrated to improve the non-alcoholic fatty liver of the HFD-induced obese mice and reduce the diameter of the fat cells compared with HFD mice. GS also increased oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in the metabolic cage data compared with HFD mice. In the GT1-7 cells, GS alleviated the ERS induced by tunicamycin and enhanced the activation of the STAT3 phosphorylation pathway. Furthermore the ERS of the liver was relieved to achieve the aforementioned pharmacological effects. GS were used in the homeostatic control of the energy and lipid metabolism of a diet-induced obesity model. In conclusion, present studies suggest that GS exert these effects by increasing STAT3 phosphorylation expression and reducing the ERS. Thus, GS reduce body weight and ameliorate hepatic steatosis in HFD-induced obese mice.

The Johnson–Holmquist-II(JH-2) model is introduced as the constitutive model for rock materials in tunnel smooth blasting. However, complicated and/or high-cost experiments need to be carried out to obtain the parameters of the JH-2 constitutive model. This study chooses Barre granite as an example to propose a quick and convenient determination method for the parameters of the JH-2 model using a series of computational and extrapolated methods. The validity of the parameters is verified via comparing the results of 3D numerical simulations with laboratory blast-loading experiments. Subsequently, the verified parameter determination method, together with the JH-2 damage constitutive model, is applied in the numerical simulation of smooth blasting in Zigaojian tunnel, Hangzhou–Huangshan high-speed railway. The overbreak/underbreak induced by rock blasting and joints/discontinuities is well estimated through comparing the damage contours resulting from the numerical study with the tunnel profiles measured from the tunnel site. The peak particle velocities (PPVs) of the near field are extracted to estimate the damage scope and damage degree for the surrounding rock mass of the tunnel on the basis of PPV damage criteria. This method can be used in the excavation of rock tunnels subjected to large strains, high strain rates, and high pressures, thereby reducing safety risk and economic losses.

Although 3D printing allows the macroscopic structure of objects to be easily controlled, controlling the nanostructure of 3D printed materials has rarely been reported. Herein, we report an efficient and versatile process for fabricating 3D printed materials with controlled nanoscale structural features. This approach uses resins containing macromolecular chain transfer agents (macroCTAs) which microphase separate during the photoinduced 3D printing process to form nanostructured materials. By varying the chain length of the macroCTA, we demonstrate a high level of control over the microphase separation behavior, resulting in materials with controllable nanoscale sizes and morphologies. Importantly, the bulk mechanical properties of 3D printed objects are correlated with their morphologies; transitioning from discrete globular to interpenetrating domains results in a marked improvement in mechanical performance, which is ascribed to the increased interfacial interaction between soft and hard domains. Overall, the findings of this work enable the simplified production of materials with tightly controllable nanostructures for broad potential applications. 3D printing allows the macroscopic structure of objects to be easily controlled but controlling the nanostructure of 3D printed materials has rarely been reported. Here, the authors report an efficient and versatile process for fabricating 3D printed materials with controlled nano-scale structural features.

Vitamin C (VC), also known as ascorbic acid, plays a crucial role as a water-soluble nutrient within the human body, contributing to a variety of metabolic processes. Research findings suggest that increased doses of VC demonstrate potential anti-tumor capabilities. This review delves into the mechanisms of VC absorption and its implications for cancer management. Building upon these foundational insights, we explore modern delivery systems for VC, evaluating its use in diverse cancer treatment methods. These include starvation therapy, chemodynamic therapy (CDT), photothermal/photodynamic therapy (PTT/PDT), electrothermal therapy, immunotherapy, cellular reprogramming, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and various combination therapies.

Identification of patients at risk of death from cancer surgery should aid in preoperative preparation. The purpose of this study is to assess and adjust the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI) to identify cancer patients with increased risk of perioperative mortality. We identified 156,151 patients undergoing surgery for one of the ten common cancers between 2007 and 2011 in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Half of the patients were randomly selected, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop an adjusted-ACCI score for estimating the risk of 90-day mortality by variables from the original ACCI. The score was validated. The association between the score and perioperative mortality was analyzed. The adjusted-ACCI score yield a better discrimination on mortality after cancer surgery than the original ACCI score, with c-statics of 0.75 versus 0.71. Over 80 years of age, 70-80 years, and renal disease had the strongest impact on mortality, hazard ratios 8.40, 3.63, and 3.09 (P < 0.001), respectively. The overall 90-day mortality rates in the entire cohort varied from 0.9%, 2.9%, 7.0%, and 13.2% in four risk groups stratifying by the adjusted-ACCI score; the adjusted hazard ratio for score 4-7, 8-11, and ≥ 12 was 2.84, 6.07, and 11.17 (P < 0.001), respectively, in 90-day mortality compared to score 0-3. The adjusted-ACCI score helps to identify patients with a higher risk of 90-day mortality after cancer surgery. It might be particularly helpful for preoperative evaluation of patients over 80 years of age.

In order to study the damage induced by rock blasting, a numerical simulation method based on the Johnson-Holmquist II (JH-2) damage model combined with the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method is proposed. The process of dynamic breakage and damage evolution of Barre granite is reproduced using explicit hydrocode, ANSYS/LS-DYNA, based on the prototype experiments in the laboratory. The results show that both the crack patterns and measured pressures are in agreement with the results from the lab-scale experiments. The attenuation curves of the pressure and particle peak velocity (PPV) along the radial direction are respectively determined, and the corresponding theoretical formulas are summarized together with the most suitable attenuation exponent . In addition, comparisons of blasting tests separately carried out using the discrete element method-smoothed particle hydrodynamics hybrid method and the ALE/JH-2 method demonstrate similar crack patterns formed both in intact rock disks and jointed rock disks. In the jointed rock disk, the pressure sharply declines when crossing the joint surface, while the PPV close to the joint increases before going across the joint surface, representing the 'weak transmission-strong reflection' effect of the joint surface. Different yield stresses of joint properties are further studied, which indicate that joints with a lower magnitude of yield stress can prevent more transmissions of waves crossing the joint surface. In future studies, the ALE method combined with the JH-2 damage model can be applied to larger-scale rock engineering problems to optimize the blasting design.

Directional fracture controlled blasting technology plays a significant role in rock blasting engineering, in which the shaped charge forms are usually utilized. The energy-gathering form of shaped blasting still has no unified and strict standard currently, which can be optimized to save charge materials and improve blasting efficiency by a further study. In this paper, the breaking mechanism of rock blasting using the general cylindrical Bilateral-Groove (the groove is in “V” shape) Shaped Charge (BGSC) approach was analyzed theoretically. Several cases with different energy-gathering forms using rock drilling and blasting method were tested by numerical modeling, and then an innovative approach of BGSC was determined through comprehensive comparative analyses. It was found that the optimal blasting effect, which has the longest directional cracks, few non-directional cracks and light damage to the surrounding rock, can be achieved by decoupling Bilateral–Groove-Slot Shaped Charge (BGSSC) blasting. Then the decoupling BGSSC approach was adopted to study the timing sequence effect in microsecond magnitude for double-borehole rock blasting. The results of the numerical tests indicated that acceptable blasting effect with a good through crack and less damage in surrounding rock could be captured when the delay time is located in 0–40 μs and 600–800 μs, which have a consistent changing tendency of the effective stress and lower oscillation range than the other delay schemes. This study can provide important theoretical bases for the development of blasting engineering technology on the aspects of shaped charge form and short time delay blasting scheme.