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Developing efficient artificial photocatalysts for the biomimetic photocatalytic production of molecular materials, including medicines and clean energy carriers, remains a fundamentally and technologically essential challenge. Hydrogen peroxide is widely used in chemical synthesis, medical disinfection, and clean energy. However, the current industrial production, predominantly by anthraquinone oxidation, suffers from hefty energy penalties and toxic byproducts. Herein, we report the efficient photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide by protonation-induced dispersible porous polymers with good charge-carrier transport properties. Significant photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide generation occurs under ambient conditions at an unprecedented rate of 23.7 mmol g –1 h –1 and an apparent quantum efficiency of 11.3% at 450 nm. Combined simulations and spectroscopies indicate that sub-picosecond ultrafast electron “localization” from both free carriers and exciton states at the catalytic reaction centers underlie the remarkable photocatalytic performance of the dispersible porous polymers. Current industrial production of hydrogen peroxide suffers from hefty energy penalties and toxic byproducts. Here, the authors report efficient photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide by protonation-induced dispersible porous polymers with good charge-carrier transport properties.

Over exploitation of mineral resources has increasingly caused serious heavy metal contamination such as chromium (Cr). Cr(VI), the pathogenicity factor, is one of common environmental contaminants and widely known health hazards to living organisms. Therefore, it is urgent to control the polluted soil. Up to now, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of Cr response in Pseudomonas sp. Cr13. In this study, transcriptome and differentially expressed genes in Pseudomonas sp. Cr13 strain was characterized by a comparison between Cr(VI)-treated sample and control sample using transcriptome sequencing approach. In total, 2974 genes were annotated, including 1245 (1154 down-regulated genes and 91 up-regulated genes) differentially expressed genes (DEGs). All DEGs could be assigned to 29 pathways, of which pathways related to amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism and signal transduction mechanism were significantly enriched in Pseudomonas sp. Cr13. A possible mechanism for Cr toxicity response might be an active efflux which utilized a heavy metal translocating P-type ATPase to lower the intracellular Cr concentration. The down-regulated genes related to the antioxidant defense system had a key role in Cr reduction, such as SodA , Gst , osmC , BtuE , KatE , csdA and AhpC . The proteins that were visibly up-regulated, were likely to involve in alleviating Cr(VI) stress, and the significantly down-regulated genes such as MarR , Lrp , FhlA , GntR , HrcA , LysR family genes, were likely to reduce Cr(VI) induced oxidative stress. In addition, real-time quantitative PCR was used to analyze the expression patterns of some Cr responsive genes. This study reported the first identification of Cr responsive genes, and inferred the underlying regulatory mechanisms of response to Cr(VI) stress in Pseudomonas sp. Cr13.

Although perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have recently experienced significant progress, there are only scattered reports of PeLEDs with both high efficiency and long operational stability, calling for additional strategies to address this challenge. Here, we develop perovskite-molecule composite thin films for efficient and stable PeLEDs. The perovskite-molecule composite thin films consist of in-situ formed high-quality perovskite nanocrystals embedded in the electron-transport molecular matrix, which controls nucleation process of perovskites, leading to PeLEDs with a peak external quantum efficiency of 17.3% and half-lifetime of approximately 100 h. In addition, we find that the device degradation mechanism at high driving voltages is different from that at low driving voltages. This work provides an effective strategy and deep understanding for achieving efficient and stable PeLEDs from both material and device perspectives. The field of perovskite light-emitting diodes witnesses rapid development in both device processing strategies and performances. Here Wang et al . develop high-quality perovskite-molecule composite thin films and achieve high quantum efficiency of 17.3% and half-lifetime of 100 h.

Paving thickness and evenness are two key factors that affect the paving operation quality of earth-rock dams. However, in the recent study, both of the key factors characterising the paving quality were measured using finite point random sampling, which resulted in subjectivity in the detection and a lag in the feedback control. At the same time, the on-site control of the paving operation quality based on experience results in a poor and unreliable paving quality. To address the above issues, in this study, a novel assessment and feedback control framework for the paving operation quality based on the observe–orient–decide–act (OODA) loop is presented. First, in the observation module, a cellular automaton is used to convert the location of the bulldozer obtained by monitoring devices into the paving thickness of the levelling layer. Second, in the orient module, the learning automaton is used to update the state of the corresponding and surrounding cells. Third, in the decision module, an overall path planning method is developed to realise feedback control of the paving thickness and evenness. Finally, in the act module, the paving thickness and evenness of the entire work unit are calculated and compared to their control thresholds to determine whether to proceed with the next OODA loop. The experiments show that the proposed method can maintain the paving thickness less than the designed standard value and effectively prevent the occurrence of ultra-thick or ultra-thin phenomena. Furthermore, the paving evenness is improved by 21.5% as compared to that obtained with the conventional paving quality control method. The framework of the paving quality assessment and feedback control proposed in this paper has extensive popularisation and application value for the same paving construction scene.

[...]in the analytical method applied to determine insulin glargine level in the work by Yi Tao and coworkers, insulin glargine does not cross-react with endogenous insulin. [...]in the absence of specific assays for insulin preparations evaluated by euglycemic clamps employing healthy volunteers, C-peptide should be measured in parallel to insulin concentrations throughout the experiment. [...]GIR is recognized as a surrogate for PD in clamp studies. [...]the study published by Yi Tao and colleagues only included a relatively small sample size (total N = 39), resulting in much smaller samples in subgroups.

The therapeutic effect of basal insulin analogs will be sustained at a rather low insulin level. When employing healthy volunteers to assess the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of long-acting insulin preparations by euglycemic clamp techniques, endogenous insulin cannot be ignored and sufficient endogenous insulin inhibition is crucial for the PD and/or PK assessment. This study aimed to explore a way to sufficiently inhibit endogenous insulin secretion. Healthy Chinese male and female volunteers were enrolled. After a subcutaneous injection of insulin glargine (IGlar) (LY2963016 or Lantus) (0.5 IU/kg), they underwent a manual euglycemic clamp for up to 24 h where the target blood glucose (BG) was set as 0.28 mmol/L below the individual’s baseline. Blood samples were collected for analysis of PK/PD and C-peptide. The subjects fell into two groups according to the reduction extent of postdose C-peptide from baseline. After matching for the dosage proportion of Lantus, there were 52 subjects in group A (C-peptide reduction<50%) and 26 in group B (C-peptide reduction≥50%), respectively. No significant difference was detected in age, body mass index, the proportion of Latus treatment and female participants. A lower basal BG was observed in group B compared to group A (4.35 ± 0.26 vs . 4.59 ± 0.22 mmol/L, p < 0.05). The clamp studies were all conducted with high quality (where BG was consistently maintained around the target and exhibited a low variety). The binary logistic regression analysis indicated low basal BG as an independent factor for the success of sufficient endogenous insulin suppression. In conclusion, setting a lower sub-baseline target BG (e.g., 10% instead of 5% below baseline) might be an approach to help achieve sufficient endogenous insulin suppression in euglycemic clamps with higher basal BG levels (e.g., beyond 4.60 mmol/L).

Traditional botanical drugs and medicinal plants, along with their metabolite extracts, have exhibited considerable potential in the management of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) due to their natural properties, favorable safety profiles, and minimal adverse effects. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of various botanical and medicinal plant extracts on KOA. Search Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search across PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, focusing exclusively on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the efficacy of botanical and medicinal plant extracts for KOA. Selection Criteria: Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) experimental groups receiving single botanical drugs or plant extracts for KOA; (2) control groups comprising patients receiving placebo or standard care; (3) clinical RCT designs; and (4) outcome measures including at least one of the following: Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Lequesne's Pain-Function Index (LPFI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association Score (JOA). Data Collection and Analysis: The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and data analysis was performed using appropriate statistical software. A total of 36 RCTs, encompassing 3,285 participants, were included in this review. Network meta-analysis revealed that compared to the placebo control group, Cucumis sativus (CS) extract [MD = 6.65, 95% CI = (3.83, 9.48)] significantly improved pain scores; Ashwagandha extract [MD = 4.16, 95% CI = (2.43, 5.90)] was more effective in reducing stiffness scores; and CS extract [MD = 4.28, 95% CI = (2.08, 6.49)] significantly improved function scores. Based on Ranking Plot of the Network, we can state that CS extract is recommended as the most effective botanical and medicinal plant extract for KOA treatment. However, further studies are required to draw definitive conclusions. Given that there are only two studies with high homogeneity but small sample size for CS extract, the first result should be regarded as an exploratory signal and needs to be verified by a large sample multi-center RCT with independent teams. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024617459, identifier CRD42024617459.

Insulin aspart (IAsp) is one of the main therapies used to control blood glucose after a meal. This study aimed to compare the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of 2 rapid-acting IAsp products: a new IAsp biosimilar (RD10046) and NovoRapid. In a single-center, randomized, single-dose, 2-period, crossover, euglycemic clamp study (registry number: CTR20180517, registration date: 2018-05-30), healthy Chinese males were randomized to receive 0.2 U/kg of the IAsp biosimilar RD10046 and NovoRapid under fasted conditions on two separate occasions. PK and PD were assessed for up to 10 h. Of the 30 randomized subjects, all 30 completed both treatment periods. The PK (area under the curve [AUC] of total IAsp; maximum observed IAsp concentration [C max ]) and PD (maximum glucose infusion rate [GIR max ]; total glucose infusion during the clamp [AUC GIR,0–10h ]) were similar between the new IAsp biosimilar RD10046 and NovoRapid. In all cases, the 90% CIs for the ratios of the geometric means were completely contained in the prespecified acceptance limits of 0.80–1.25. No hypoglycemic events, allergic reactions, or local injection adverse reactions occurred in this trial. We concluded that the studied IAsp biosimilar (RD10046) was bioequivalent to NovoRapid.

Bitter taste perception plays an important role in preventing animals from digesting poisonous and harmful substances. In primates, especially the Cercopithecidae species, most species feed on plants; thus, it is reasonable to speculate that most of the bitter taste receptor genes ( T2R s) of primates are under purifying selection to maintain the functional stability of bitter taste perception. Gene duplication has happened in T2R s frequently, and what will be the fate of T2R s copies is another question we are concerned about. To answer these questions, we selected the T2R s of primates reported in another study and conducted corresponding selective pressure analyses to determine what kind of selective pressure was acting on them. Further, we carried out selective pressure analyses on gene copies and their corresponding ancestors by considering several possible situations. The results showed that among the 25 gene groups examined here, 15 groups are subject to purifying selection and others are under relaxed selection, with many positively selected sites detected. Gene copies existed in several groups, but only some groups (clade1_a1‐b2, clade1_c‐c2, clade1_d1‐d3, clade1_f1‐f2, T2R10 , T2R13 , and T2R42 ) have positively selected sites, inferring that they may have some relation to functional divergence. Taken together, T2R s in primates are under diverse selective pressures, and most gene copies are subject to the same selective pressures. In such cases, the copies may be just to keep the function conservative, and more copies can increase the quantity of the bitter taste receptor, raise the efficiency of bitter substance recognition, and finally enhance the fitness of feeding during the evolutionary course of primates. This study can improve our understanding of T2R s evolution in primates.

The present study compared the interindividual variability in the pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of a short-acting recombinant human insulin to those of insulin aspart through manual euglycemic glucose clamp tests. Sixty healthy Chinese male volunteers were randomly assigned to receive human insulin or insulin aspart, administered via SC injection (0.2 U/kg). For the evaluation of interindividual variability in PD and PK properties (glucose infusion rate [GIR], insulin concentration [INS]) through euglycemic clamp studies, %CVs were calculated, and PK/PD interindividual variability was compared between the 2 groups. : The differences between the human insulin and insulin aspart groups in interindividual variabilities in total AUCs of the GIR (19% vs 21%) and INS (14% vs 17%) were not significant. The interindividual variabilities in AUCgir0–120min, early Tmax50%, and AUCins0–120min were lower in the insulin aspart group than in the human insulin group (22% vs 44%, 21% vs 35%, and 22% vs 28%, respectively; all, P ˂ 0.05), while the interindividual variabilities in the AUCs of GIR120–600min and INS120–600min were higher with insulin aspart than with human insulin (29% vs 20%, 51% vs 30%; both, P ˂ 0.05). The overall interindividual variability with insulin aspart was similar to that with recombinant human insulin. Yet insulin concentration and metabolic effect during the declining period were more variable with insulin aspart compared to human insulin in these healthy male subjects.