Efficient Electrocatalytic Upgradation of Furan-Based Biomass: Key Roles of a Two-Dimensional Mesoporous Poly(<i>m</i>‑phenylenediamine)-Graphene Heterostructure and a Ternary Electrolyte

The development of electrocatalytic systems for efficient biomass conversion under mild conditions and understanding their mechanisms are of profound significance but remain challenging. Here, we report the development of a two-dimensional polymer-based mesoporous electrocatalyst (meso-PA/PmPD/GO) for biomass conversion, which comprises phytic acid (PA)-doped mesoporous poly­(m-phenylenediamine) layers coated on graphene oxide. Meanwhile, a ternary electrolyte containing 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BmimBF4), acetonitrile, and H2O is selected. The combination of meso-PA/PmPD/GO and the electrolyte realizes efficient conversion of two important biomass derivatives. One involves the oxidation of furfuryl alcohol to 6-hydroxy-2,3-dihydro-6H-pyrano-3-one with high faradic efficiency (FE: 82.2%) and selectivity (86.1%). The other involves the oxidation of furfural to 5-hydroxy-2­(5H)-furanone with record-high FE (98.2%) and selectivity (93.1%). A mechanistic study unveils that N-heterocyclic carbenes (Bmim*) generated from BmimBF4 act as the reaction-determining species. The synergistic effect of the PA doping and mesoporous polymeric structure in meso-PA/PmPD/GO favors mass transport and electron–hole separation/transfer to the reactants, thus boosting catalytic performance

Money never sleeps: Capital flows under global risk and uncertainty

We employ various indexes, namely the geopolitical risk (GPR) index, economic policy uncertainty (EPU) index, and world uncertainty index (WUI), to comprehensively capture multiple dimensions of risk and uncertainty and investigate their influence on capital flows measured by different categories of mutual fund flows and IMF intercountry transaction flows. We find that GPR harms aggregate capital flows of both equity and bond funds, whereas rising EPU only significantly reduces the capital flows of equity funds. Additionally, WUI increases capital flowing into active bond funds, indicating a flight-to-safety effect. Besides, high GPR environments amplify the negative influence of EPU on capital flows of equity funds. Meanwhile, in more geopolitically stable conditions, bond markets may serve as a preferred shelter for navigating EPU. However, we find that the impacts of risk and uncertainty on transaction flows are marginal. Furthermore, we demonstrate that global risk or uncertainty (EPU and WUI) plays a more dominant role than country-specific ones in shaping capital flows. Therefore, this study offers novel insights into how different dimensions of risk and uncertainty can shape capital flows differently and whether the compounding effect of risk and uncertainty differs from that of a single risk or uncertainty.</p

Image1_Modulation of Gut Microbiota and Metabolites by Berberine in Treating Mice With Disturbances in Glucose and Lipid Metabolism.JPEG

Introduction: Glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances has become the third major disease after cancer and cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Emerging evidence shows that berberine can effectively intervene glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances, but the underlying mechanisms of this remain unclear. To investigate this issue, we performed metagenomic and metabolomic analysis in a group of normal mice (the NC group), mice with disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism (the MC group) and mice with disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism after berberine intervention (the BER group).Result: Firstly, analysis of the clinical indicators revealed that berberine significantly improved the blood glucose and blood lipid of the host. The fasting blood glucose level decreased by approximately 30% in the BER group after 8 weeks and the oral glucose tolerance test showed that the blood glucose level of the BER group was lower than that of the MC group at any time. Besides, berberine significantly reduced body weight, total plasma cholesterol and triglyceride. Secondly, compared to the NC group, we found dramatically decreased microbial richness and diversity in the MC group and BER group. Thirdly, LDA effect size suggested that berberine significantly altered the overall gut microbiota structure and enriched many bacteria, including Akkermansia (p Conclusion: Overall, our results describe that the changes of gut microbiota and metabolites are associated with berberine improving glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances.</p

Table2_Modulation of Gut Microbiota and Metabolites by Berberine in Treating Mice With Disturbances in Glucose and Lipid Metabolism.DOCX

Introduction: Glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances has become the third major disease after cancer and cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Emerging evidence shows that berberine can effectively intervene glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances, but the underlying mechanisms of this remain unclear. To investigate this issue, we performed metagenomic and metabolomic analysis in a group of normal mice (the NC group), mice with disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism (the MC group) and mice with disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism after berberine intervention (the BER group).Result: Firstly, analysis of the clinical indicators revealed that berberine significantly improved the blood glucose and blood lipid of the host. The fasting blood glucose level decreased by approximately 30% in the BER group after 8 weeks and the oral glucose tolerance test showed that the blood glucose level of the BER group was lower than that of the MC group at any time. Besides, berberine significantly reduced body weight, total plasma cholesterol and triglyceride. Secondly, compared to the NC group, we found dramatically decreased microbial richness and diversity in the MC group and BER group. Thirdly, LDA effect size suggested that berberine significantly altered the overall gut microbiota structure and enriched many bacteria, including Akkermansia (p Conclusion: Overall, our results describe that the changes of gut microbiota and metabolites are associated with berberine improving glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances.</p

Table1_Modulation of Gut Microbiota and Metabolites by Berberine in Treating Mice With Disturbances in Glucose and Lipid Metabolism.XLSX

Introduction: Glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances has become the third major disease after cancer and cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Emerging evidence shows that berberine can effectively intervene glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances, but the underlying mechanisms of this remain unclear. To investigate this issue, we performed metagenomic and metabolomic analysis in a group of normal mice (the NC group), mice with disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism (the MC group) and mice with disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism after berberine intervention (the BER group).Result: Firstly, analysis of the clinical indicators revealed that berberine significantly improved the blood glucose and blood lipid of the host. The fasting blood glucose level decreased by approximately 30% in the BER group after 8 weeks and the oral glucose tolerance test showed that the blood glucose level of the BER group was lower than that of the MC group at any time. Besides, berberine significantly reduced body weight, total plasma cholesterol and triglyceride. Secondly, compared to the NC group, we found dramatically decreased microbial richness and diversity in the MC group and BER group. Thirdly, LDA effect size suggested that berberine significantly altered the overall gut microbiota structure and enriched many bacteria, including Akkermansia (p Conclusion: Overall, our results describe that the changes of gut microbiota and metabolites are associated with berberine improving glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances.</p

Image_3_Alleviation Effects of GQD, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula, on Diabetes Rats Linked to Modulation of the Gut Microbiome.tiff

Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD) is a Chinese herbal medicine that has been reported to significantly decrease blood glucose levels, which is suggested to be related to interactions with the gut microbiota. However, the protective effect of GQD on intestinal barrier function with regard to its influence on the gut microbiota has not been explored to date. In this study, we investigated the role of the gut microbiota in mediating the hypoglycemic mechanism of GQD in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin after 4 weeks of high-fat diet feeding. The T2DM rats were randomly allocated to receive GQD, metformin (Met), or saline for 12 consecutive weeks, and changes in metabolic parameters, intestinal barrier function, and inflammation were investigated. Gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing from fecal samples, and statistical analyses were performed to correlate microbiota composition with phenotypes of the T2DM rats. GQD administration decreased the levels of blood glucose and inflammatory cytokines, and increased the levels of tight junction proteins. Besides, GQD had a protective effect on islet function, restoring intestinal permeability, and inhibiting inflammation, as evidenced by increases in the levels of serum C-peptide, occludin, and claudin-1 in the colon, and also improved the expression of serum inflammatory factors. In addition, GQD regulated the structure of the gut microbiota by increasing the proportions of short-chain fatty acids-producing and anti-inflammatory bacteria, and decreasing the proportions of conditioned pathogenic bacteria associated with the diabetic phenotype. Overall, these findings suggest that GQD could ameliorate hyperglycemia and protect islet function by regulating the structure of the gut microbiota, thereby restoring intestinal permeability and inhibiting inflammation in T2DM rats. Our study thus suggests that the hypoglycemic mechanism of GQD is mediated by its modulation of the gut microbiota.</p

Subject number, age profile, mean subjective spherical error, cylinder, and SE of anisomyopic, isomyopic, and isoemmetropic children.

<p>Subject number, age profile, mean subjective spherical error, cylinder, and SE of anisomyopic, isomyopic, and isoemmetropic children.</p

AL, ACD, and CC value for the more myopic eye and the less myopic eye of the two anisomyopic groups.

<p>AL, ACD, and CC value for the more myopic eye and the less myopic eye of the two anisomyopic groups.</p

Interocular Difference of Peripheral Refraction in Anisomyopic Eyes of Schoolchildren

<div><p>Purpose</p><p>Refraction in the peripheral visual field is believed to play an important role in the development of myopia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in peripheral refraction among anisomyopia, isomyopia, and isoemmetropia for schoolchildren.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Thirty-eight anisomyopic children were recruited and divided into two groups: (1) both eyes were myopic (anisomyopic group, AM group) and (2) one eye was myopic and the contralateral eye was emmetropic (emmetropic anisomyopic group, EAM group). As controls, 45 isomyopic and isoemmetropic children were also recruited with age and central spherical equivalent (SE) matched to those of the AM and EAM groups. The controls were divided into three groups: (1) intermediate myopia group (SE matched to the more myopic eye of AM group), (2) low myopia group (SE matched to the less myopic eye of AM group and the more myopic eye of EAM group), and (3) emmetropia group (SE matched to the less myopic eye of EAM group). Peripheral refraction at 7 points across the central ±30° on the horizontal visual field with a 10° interval was measured with an autorefractor. Axial length (AL), corneal curvature (CC), and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were also determined by using the Zeiss IOL-Master.</p><p>Results</p><p>The relative peripheral spherical equivalent [RPR(M)] and relative peripheral spherical value [RPR(S)] of the more myopic eye was shifted more hyperopically than the contralateral eye in both the AM and the EAM groups (both p<0.0001). The RPR(M, S) of the less myopic eyes in the AM and EAM groups showed a relatively flat trend across the visual field and were not significantly different from the emmetropia group. The RPR(M, S) of less myopic eyes in the AM group were shifted less hyperopically than in the isomyopic low myopia group and the more myopic eye of the EAM group [RPR(M), p = 0.007; RPR(S), p = 0.001], although the central SEs of the three groups were not significantly different from each other. However, RPR(M, S) of the more myopic eyes were not different from the corresponding isomyopic groups. There was also no significant difference in the relative peripheral astigmatism [RPR(J0, J45)] between the more and the less myopic eyes in either the AM or the EAM group.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>Refraction of anisomyopia differs between the two eyes not only at the central visual field but also at the off-axis periphery. The relative peripheral refraction of the more myopic eye of anisomyopia was shifted hyperopically, as occurs in isomyopia with similar central subjective SE values. Less myopic eyes were much less hyperopically shifted in relative peripheral refraction than the corresponding isomyopic eyes, but are comparable to emmetropic eyes. This emmetropia-like relative peripheral refraction in less myopic eyes might be a factor responsible for slowing down the progression of myopia.</p></div

Image2_Modulation of Gut Microbiota and Metabolites by Berberine in Treating Mice With Disturbances in Glucose and Lipid Metabolism.JPEG

Introduction: Glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances has become the third major disease after cancer and cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Emerging evidence shows that berberine can effectively intervene glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances, but the underlying mechanisms of this remain unclear. To investigate this issue, we performed metagenomic and metabolomic analysis in a group of normal mice (the NC group), mice with disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism (the MC group) and mice with disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism after berberine intervention (the BER group).Result: Firstly, analysis of the clinical indicators revealed that berberine significantly improved the blood glucose and blood lipid of the host. The fasting blood glucose level decreased by approximately 30% in the BER group after 8 weeks and the oral glucose tolerance test showed that the blood glucose level of the BER group was lower than that of the MC group at any time. Besides, berberine significantly reduced body weight, total plasma cholesterol and triglyceride. Secondly, compared to the NC group, we found dramatically decreased microbial richness and diversity in the MC group and BER group. Thirdly, LDA effect size suggested that berberine significantly altered the overall gut microbiota structure and enriched many bacteria, including Akkermansia (p Conclusion: Overall, our results describe that the changes of gut microbiota and metabolites are associated with berberine improving glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances.</p