Recent development of electrodes construction for HER in electrocatalytic water splitting.

Production of hydrogen (H2) fuel by using hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) through electrocatalysis of water splitting is inexpensive, has optimal performance, and has remarkable stability. The other key factor for innovation of good electrocatalysts with excellent stability and high efficiency is significant and still challenging from past decades for practical applications of HER. Hydrogen generation arises on the HER electrode due to the release of bubbles, proton diffusion, and the transfer of electrons. These considerations should be mindful of the construction and development of the electrode. This review offers a synopsis of recent advancements in various electrodes used for electrocatalysts as a base, such as nickel foam, titanium foil, copper foam, carbon foam, and others, also discusses their HER catalytic activity, with a priority on the release of bubbles, diffusion of ions, the structure of the electrode, and the formulation and preparation process. In conclusion, we provide an overview of ideas to further improve and address the significant issues in the manufacture of HER electrodes.

Influence of SLC40A1 on Cytokine Interactions and Immune Infiltration in Glioblastoma.

Numerous studies have explored the various functions of Slc40a1 in cancer development. However, the role of Slc40a1 in primary glioblastoma requires further investigation. Initially, we observed that GBM patients with high Slc40a1 expression had a more favorable prognosis than those with low Slc40a1 expression, as evidenced by an analysis of the TIMER database. Subsequent analysis using the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database enabled us to identify potential underlying mechanisms involved. Further analyses, including GO, KEGG, GSEA, immune infiltration, and correlation analyses, revealed that Slc40a1 primarily affected cytokine interactions, particularly with Ccl14 and Il18, resulting in changes in the immune microenvironment and ultimately leading to a better prognosis in GBM patients. We validated our findings by examining a tissue microarray with 180 samples and confirmed that GBM patients with high SLC40A1 protein expression exhibited more favorable prognostic outcomes than those with low SLC40A1 protein expression. Immunofluorescence analysis also revealed a significant correlation between SLC40A1 protein expression and the protein expression of IL18 and CCL14. These findings suggest that Slc40a1 may play a role in GBM pathogenesis by modulating the tumor immune microenvironment through the regulation of Il18 and Ccl14. Hence, targeting Slc40a1 might offer potential benefits for immunotherapeutic interventions and prognostic assessments in GBM patients.

Platinum Species on Oxygen Vacancy-Rich Titania for Efficient Basic Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Oxygen vacancy-rich titania is a promising support for enhancing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This work innovatively loaded Pt nanoparticles on oxygen vacancy-rich TiO2 (Pt/Vo-TiO2) in situ by using a photocatalytic device. The synthesis conditions are mild, do not require high temperatures and strong reducing agents, and can avoid the accumulation of platinum species. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption spectrometry (XAS) verified the synergistic effect of Pt species and oxygen vacancies on the progress of the reaction kinetics, where the Pt particles exposed by the in situ synthesis functioned as reaction sites in the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Based on this, Pt/Vo-TiO2 exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance with an overpotential of only 56 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of only 73.5 mV dec-1. This work provides a new strategy for designing highly efficient HER catalysts.

Durability of immune response after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with chronic liver disease.

Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the durability of immune response after basic and booster immunization with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Methods: Patients with CLD and complete basic or booster immunization with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were included in this study. Based on the vaccination situation, they were divided into the basic immunity group (Basic) and the booster immunity group (Booster), which were then subdivided into four groups according to the time interval from completion of basic immunization or booster immunization to serological specimen collection. The positive rates and antibody titers of novel coronavirus neutralizing antibody (nCoV NTAb) and novel coronavirus spike receptor-binding domain antibody (nCoV S-RBD) were analyzed. Results: A total of 313 patients with CLD were enrolled in this study, including 201 in Basic and 112 in Booster. The positive rates of nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD within 30 days of completing basic immunization were 80.4% and 84.8%, respectively, but decreased rapidly with the extension of vaccination time, and only 29% and 48.4% of patients with CLD remained positive for nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD, respectively, after 120 days of completing basic immunization. Within 30 days of booster immunization, the positive rates of nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD in patients with CLD rapidly increased from 29.0% and 48.4% at the end of basic immunization to 95.2% and 90.5%, and maintained a high level (defined as the positive rate >50%) until 120 days when the positive rates of nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD were still high at 79.5% and 87.2%, respectively. After basic immunization, the time for nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD to turn negative was 120 and 169 days, respectively, and the negative time of nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD was significantly prolonged to 266 days and 329 days, respectively. Conclusion: It is safe and effective for patients with CLD to complete basic and booster immunization with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. After booster immunization, the immune response of patients with CLD was further improved and the durability of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody was significantly prolonged.

Ni nanoparticles supported on Al2O3 + La2O3 yolk-shell catalyst for photo-assisted thermal decomposition of methane.

Catalytic methane decomposition (CMD) has emerged as an appealing technology for large-scale production of H2 and carbon nanostructures from natural gas. As the CMD process is mildly endothermic, the application of concentrated renewable energy sources such as solar energy under a low-temperature regime could potentially represent a promising approach towards CMD process operation. Herein, Ni/Al2O3-La2O3 yolk-shell catalysts are fabricated using a straightforward single-step hydrothermal approach and tested for their performance in photothermal CMD. We show that the morphology of the resulting materials, dispersion and reducibility of Ni nanoparticles, and nature of metal-support interactions can be tuned by addition of varying amounts of La. Notably, the addition of an optimal amount of La (Ni/Al-20La) improved the H2 yield and catalyst stability relative to the base Ni/Al2O3 material, while also favoring base growth of carbon nanofibers. Additionally, we show for the first time a photothermal effect in CMD, whereby the introduction of 3 suns light irradiation at a constant bulk temperature of 500 °C reversibly increased the H2 yield of catalyst by about 1.2 times relative to the rate in the dark, accompanied by a decrease in apparent activation energy from 41.6 kJ mol-1 to 32.5 kJ mol-1. The light irradiation further suppressed undesirable CO co-production at low temperatures. Our work reveals photothermal catalysis as a promising route for CMD while providing an insightful understanding of the roles of modifier in enriching methane activation sites on Al2O3-based catalysts.

Unveiling the Origin of Co3 O4 Quantum Dots for Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting.

Spinel cobalt oxide displays excellent photocatalytic performance, especially in solar driven water oxidation. However, the process of water reduction to hydrogen is considered as the Achilles' heel of solar water splitting over Co3 O4 owing to its low conduction band. Enhancement of the water splitting efficiency using Co3 O4 requires deeper insights of the carrier dynamics during water splitting process. Herein, the carrier dynamic kinetics of colloidal Co3 O4 quantum dots-Pt hetero-junctions is studied, which mimics the hydrogen reduction process during water splitting. It is showed that the quantum confinement effect induced by the small QD size raised the conduction band edge position of Co3 O4 QDs, so that the ligand-to-metal charge transfer from 2p state of oxygen to 3d state of Co2+ occurs, which is necessary for overall water splitting and cannot be achieved in Co3 O4 bulk crystals. The findings in this work provide insights of the photocatalytic mechanism of Co3 O4 catalysts and benefit rational design of Co3 O4 -based photocatalytic systems.

A new species of Dictyochaeta (Sordariomycetes, Chaetosphaeriales, Chaetosphaeriaceae) from freshwater habitats in China.

Background: Freshwater fungi refer to the fungi that depend on the freshwater habitats for the whole life cycle or part of their life cycle. In this context, a new aquatic hyphomycete was isolated from decaying wood in a freshwater habitat in Jiangxi Province, China. New information: Dictyochaetajiangxiensis sp. nov., a new aquatic hyphomycete, is characterised by its unbranched, septate, base-fertile conidiophores with multisepta and single phialide at the apex, brown, sterile seta, monophialidic, subcylindrical conidiogenous cells narrowing below the funnel-shaped collarette, hyaline, unicellular, thin-walled, smooth, guttulate, falcate to subclavate conidia narrowly rounded at both ends with hair-like appendages. Phylogenetically, the new species Dictyochaetajiangxiensis clustered together with Dictyochaetabrevis MFLU 19-0216 in a well-supported clade, but formed a separate branch. In order to better define the taxonomic status of the new species, a phylogenetic tree of most closely-related taxa in Chaetosphaeriaceae was established, based on multi-locus sequences (ITS and LSU). The novel species is described and illustrated. Newly-generated molecular data of Dictyochaetajiangxiensis is also provided.

Three novel species of Distoseptispora (Distoseptisporaceae) isolated from bamboo in Jiangxi Province, China.

Decaying bamboo in freshwater is a unique eco-environment for fungi. Three new Distoseptispora (Distoseptisporaceae) species, D.meilingensis, D.yongxiuensis and D.yunjushanensis from submerged decaying bamboo culms in Jiangxi Province, China, were discovered, based on phylogenetic analyses and morphological characters. The combined data of ITS-LSU-SSU-Tef1 sequences were used to infer the phylogenetic relationship between D.meilingensis, D.yongxiuensis, D.yunjushanensis and related species. Both molecular analyses and morphological data supported D.meilingensis, D.yongxiuensis and D.yunjushanensis as three independent taxa.

Heterointerface Engineering of ZnO/CdS Heterostructures through ZnS Layers for Photocatalytic Water Splitting.

Solar-driven water splitting to produce clean and renewable hydrogen offers a green strategy to address the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Heterostructure catalysts are receiving increasing attention for photocatalytic hydrogen generation. ZnO/ZnS/CdS and ZnO/CdS heterostructures have been successfully designed and prepared according to two different strategies. By introducing a heterointerface layer of ZnS between ZnO and CdS, a Z scheme charge-transfer channel was promoted and achieved superior photocatalytic performance. A highest hydrogen generation rate of 156.7 µmol g-1 h-1 was achieved by precise control of the thickness of the heterointerface layer and of the CdS shell. These findings demonstrated that heterostructures are promising catalysts for solar-driven water splitting, and that heterointerface engineering is an effective way to improve the photocatalytic properties of heterostructures.

Taxonomy and multi-gene phylogeny of Micropsalliota (Agaricales, Agaricaceae) with description of six new species from China.

Micropsalliota is a relatively small genus containing only 62 previously identified species. Here, we describe six new taxa of Micropsalliota based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses: M. minor, M. ovalispora, M. pseudodelicatula, M. rufosquarrosa, M. tenuipes, and M. wuyishanensis and a new record taxon to China. The first Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of a three-gene dataset (ITS, LSU, and rpb2) separated the genus into 18 weakly to strongly supported major clades and subclades, but only a few subclades were synapomorphies. According to phylogenetic analyses, M. cornuta does not belong in Micropsalliota. A key to 20 species of Micropsalliota in China is provided.

2D-C3N4 encapsulated perovskite nanocrystals for efficient photo-assisted thermocatalytic CO2 reduction.

Very recently, halide perovskites, especially all-inorganic CsPbBr3, have received ever-increasing attention in photocatalysis owing to their superior optoelectronic properties and thermal stability. However, there is a lack of study on their application in thermocatalysis and photo-thermocatalysis. Herein, we rationally designed a core-shell heterojunction formed by encapsulating CsPbBr3 nanoparticles with the 2D C3N4 (m-CN) layer via a solid-state reaction (denoted as m-CN@CsPbBr3). A series of experiments suggest that abundant adsorption and active sites of CO2 molecules as well as polar surfaces were obtained by utilizing m-CN-coated CsPbBr3, resulting in significant improvement in CO2 capture and charge separation. It is found that the m-CN@CsPbBr3 effectively drives the thermocatalytic reduction of CO2 in H2O vapor. By coupling light into the system, the activity for CO2-to-CO reduction is further improved with a yield up to 42.8 µmol g-1 h-1 at 150 °C, which is 8.4 and 2.3 times those of pure photocatalysis (5.1 µmol g-1 h-1) and thermocatalysis (18.7 µmol g-1 h-1), respectively. This work expands the application of general halide perovskites and provides guidance for using perovskite-based catalysts for photo-assisted thermocatalytic CO2 reduction.

Iugisporipsathyrareticulopilea gen. et sp. nov. (Agaricales, Psathyrellaceae) from tropical China produces unique ridge-ornamented spores with an obvious suprahilar plage.

Iugisporipsathyra, a new psathyrelloid genus from tropical red soil of China, is established with I.reticulopilea as the type species. The new genus is characterised by basidiomata psathyrelloid, pileus rugose to appearing reticulate ridged, covered by persistent, but inconspicuous villus, pleurocystidia absent and ridge-ornamented spores with an obvious suprahilar plage. The genus is unique amongst Psathyrellaceae in producing ridge-ornamented spores with an obvious suprahilar plage and forms a distinct lineage within Psathyrellaceae, based on the Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses of a combined three-gene sequence dataset (ITS, LSU and ß-tub). Full descriptions and photographs of the new genus and species are presented.

Three new Russula species in sect. Ingratae (Russulales, Basidiomycota) from southern China.

Three new species of Russulasection Ingratae, found in Guizhou and Jiangsu Provinces, southern China, are proposed: R.straminella, R.subpectinatoides and R.succinea. Photographs, line drawings and detailed morphological descriptions for these species are provided with comparisons against closely-related taxa. Phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region supported the recognition of these specimens as new species. Additionally, R.indocatillus is reported for the first time from China and morphological and phylogenetic data are provided for the Chinese specimens.

Esophageal Dysfunction in Systemic Sclerosis: An Update.

Esophageal motility disorders are prevalent in 90% of patients with systemic sclerosis [scleroderma (SSc)], with an increased mortality rate in patients with severe esophageal involvement. Esophageal smooth muscle damage caused by ischemia, nerve damage, and inflammatory factors may be responsible for discomfort and various complications in these patients. The clinical manifestations are diverse. Most hospitals still use traditional esophageal manometry and 24-h pH monitoring to diagnose esophageal function in patients with SSc. The aim of this review article is to provide an overview of SSc-related esophageal motility disorders and related research progress, including the pathogenesis and clinical features of these disorders and the progress made in endoscopic diagnosis. We also discuss the possible pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets.

Effects of revegetation on the composition and diversity of bacterial and fungal communities of sandification land soil, in Southern China.

This study aimed to research the effects of forest (Pinus elliottii, slash pine) and shrub (Vitex trifolia) plantation on the soil microbial community in sandification land by using the Illumina Miseq sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS rRNA genes and combined with the soil properties analysis to explore the driving factors. Finally, the results showed that the dominant bacterial phyla were Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Acidobacteria; the shrub and forest plantation significantly increasing the proportion of Acidobacteria, while decreasing the proportion of Proteobacteria. For the fungal community, forest plantation was significantly changing the community structure at the phylum level that shifted from Ascomycota to Basidiomycota, and the ectomycorrhizal fungi take the most abundant with genus Rhizopogon predominant. The soil bacterial Chao1 and Shannon indices were significantly increased after revegetation, while the soil fungal Shannon diversity in the forest land that significantly correlated with soil total organic carbon and C/N was lower than that in the sandy and shrub land (p < 0.05). Besides, the bacterial and fungal communities were significantly affected by soil water content among all analyzed soil properties. Our results suggest that the revegetation significantly increasing the soil bacterial diversity that correlated with soil water content, total organic carbon, and available phosphorus, but there was no significant change in community structure. In contrast, slash pine plantation changes the fungal community structure and diversity dramatically. This change and possible succession of fungal community with stand age increasing may lead to the fragility of the plantation, which deserves continuous attention.

IrOx @In2 O3 Heterojunction from Individually Crystallized Oxides for Weak-Light-Promoted Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation.

Multi-field coupling, especially photo-assisted electrocatalysis, has recently been studied to further improve the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this study, an n-type cubic In2 O3 semiconductor is employed for the first time to load IrOx species (Ir-In2 O3 mass ratio: 17.6 %). Consequently, the IrOx @In2 O3 heterojunction, which exhibits outstanding OER performance promoted by weak-light irradiation, is formed. Notably, IrOx (approximately 1.7 nm in size) and In2 O3 are observed to crystallize independently during heterogeneous nucleation with no Ir atoms doped in the In2 O3 lattice. This avoids Ir loss and ensures the full exposure of all Ir-based sites. The IrOx @In2 O3 heterojunction exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic water oxidation with overpotential values of 190 and 231 mV at current densities of 10 and 50 mA cm-2 , surpassing all IrOx -based catalyst results reported to date. Nano-sized IrOx on the surface, irradiated by the weak-light beam of LED-365 (1.8 mW cm-2 ), can be fully activated as an OER site. Moreover, the overpotential is further reduced to 176 and 210 mV to deliver the corresponding current. This work is anticipated to aid in the design of more efficient multi-field coupling OER systems.

Single-Atom Doping and High-Valence State for Synergistic Enhancement of NiO Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation.

The NiO-based electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of water splitting is recognized as a promising approach to produce clean H2 fuel. However, the OER performance is still low, and especially, the overpotential is larger than 200 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm-2 . Herein, an Ir@IrNiO sample is prepared with single-atom (SA) Ir4+ doping and surface metallic Ir nanoparticles loaded onto the NiO. Owing to the bonding of the loaded Ir with surface-exposed Ni2+ , the nearby Ni atoms exist in the +3 valence state, that is, the surface-loaded Ir particles behave like a stabilizer for the Ni3+ sites. Under the synergistic effect of SA Ir4+ and high-valance-state Ni3+ , the Ir@IrNiO nanostructure effectively reduces the overpotential to 195 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 . Moreover, it gives an Ir-content-normalized current density of 0.0457 A mgIr -1 , 72.1 times higher than that of the best commercialized IrO2 (6.33 × 10-4 A mgIr -1 ), under the condition of 1.5 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Operando Raman and X-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) measurements reveal that there are more surface-active species of Ni3+ , which adsorb and activate water molecules to form Ni3+ -*OH at low voltage, the intermediate of Ni4+ -•O is then formed at a relatively high bias voltage, and then the •O is transferred to the SA Ir4+ sites to generate Ir4+ -O-O with OH at increased voltage. This work can help design more SA-based highly active OER materials.

Two new rare species of Candolleomyces with pale spores from China.

Most species of Candolleomyces have brown or dark brown spores. Although pale-spored members are rare in the genus we frequently collected two such species from many Provinces during our investigations in subtropical China from 2016-2020. As revealed by morphological characterisation and multigene phylogenetic analyses (ITS LSU ß-tub and tef-1α) these species which we have named C. subcacao and C. subminutisporus are unique and distinct from known taxa. In addition a new combination C. cladii-marisci is proposed on the basis of ITS sequence analysis of the type specimen. Detailed descriptions colour photos illustrations and a key to related species are presented.

A new genus and four new species in the /Psathyrella s.l. clade from China.

Based on traditional morphological and phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, tef-1α and ß-tub) of psathyrelloid specimens collected from China, four new species are here described: Heteropsathyrella macrocystidia, Psathyrella amygdalinospora, P. piluliformoides, and P. truncatisporoides. H. macrocystidia forms a distinct lineage and groups together with Cystoagaricus, Kauffmania, and Typhrasa in the /Psathyrella s.l. clade, based on the Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Thus, the monospecific genus Heteropsathyrella gen. nov. is introduced for the single species. Detailed descriptions, colour photos, and illustrations are presented in this paper.