Photosensitizer-free, visible light-mediated heterogeneous gold-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryldiazonium salts with allyltrimethylsilane

An efficient visible light-mediated and heterogeneous gold-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates and allyltrimethylsilane has been developed. The photosensitizer-free cross-coupling reaction proceeds smoothly in MeCN under irradiation with blue LEDs at room temperature by using 10 mol% of SBA-15-supported triphenylphosphine-gold(I) complex [SBA-15-Ph3PAuCl] as catalyst and provides a general and practical route for the synthesis of allylarenes in moderate to good yields. This heterogenized gold(I) catalyst can be readily recovered via a simple filtration of the reaction mixture and recycled up to eight times without any significant loss of catalytic activity.</p

Data_Sheet_1_Unveiling maker mindsets: a journey of formation and transformation through design thinking-making pedagogy within a lesson study context.docx

Maker Education (ME) focuses on fostering students’ Maker Mindsets (MM). However, prevailing ME practices often lack a structured approach, that impedes the effective development of students’ MM. To address this challenge, a Design Thinking-making pedagogy (DTMP) is used to design ME lessons through a three-month Lesson Study (LS) cycle. Employing a qualitative multiple case study methodology, we studied the development and transformation of MM in three elementary school students. Diverse data were collected, including student artifacts, video recordings of teacher discussions, and audio recordings of the interviews. The findings revealed common cognitive, self-efficacy, and collaboration improvements among the three students. Unique changes in individual cognitive skills, motivational patterns, and obstacles to collaboration were also observed. Furthermore, key factors influencing MM development were identified across individual, social, and pedagogical dimensions. Individual factors included prior knowledge, maker skills, and motivation, whereas social factors included teachers’ attitudes, recognition, feedback, and peer collaboration. Pedagogical practices, such as project difficulty, structure, and authenticity, play a crucial role in MM development. This study not only contributes valuable insights into MM development, but also underscores the pivotal role of tailored, personal real-life experiences in ME pedagogy. Furthermore, our study suggests that teachers can enhance ME pedagogy by intentionally designing it to facilitate MM in students, using the LS approach.</p

Reliability and validity of a novel mobile-based automatic battery of cognitive tests in healthy young Chinese adults

To evaluate the reliability and validity of a newly developed computerized Automated Battery of Cognitive Tests in healthy individuals without cognitive impairments or psychiatric disorders. From April 20 to July 1, 2023, 142 healthy individuals in Beijing and Tangshan, China were assessed using the Automated Battery of Cognitive Tests. After a 3-week interval, 36 participants were randomly selected for retesting. The assessment also included administration of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status and the Automated Battery of Cognitive Tests to 59 participants. The Automated Battery of Cognitive Tests consists of 16 subtests. Internal consistency reliability was 0.75. The test-retest reliability for each factor ranged from 0.337 to 0.850 (p p  The computerized Automated Battery of Cognitive Tests is a cognitive self-assessment tool with good reliability and validity. It can evaluate multiple aspects of cognitive performance in healthy individuals and is suitable for self-administration through remote access via Internet.</p

Astrocytic Kir4.1 channels and gap junctions account for spontaneous epileptic seizure

<div><p>Experimental recordings in hippocampal slices indicate that astrocytic dysfunction may cause neuronal hyper-excitation or seizures. Considering that astrocytes play important roles in mediating local uptake and spatial buffering of K⁺ in the extracellular space of the cortical circuit, we constructed a novel model of an astrocyte-neuron network module consisting of a single compartment neuron and 4 surrounding connected astrocytes and including extracellular potassium dynamics. Next, we developed a new model function for the astrocyte gap junctions, connecting two astrocyte-neuron network modules. The function form and parameters of the gap junction were based on nonlinear regression fitting of a set of experimental data published in previous studies. Moreover, we have created numerical simulations using the above single astrocyte-neuron network module and the coupled astrocyte-neuron network modules. Our model validates previous experimental observations that both Kir4.1 channels and gap junctions play important roles in regulating the concentration of extracellular potassium. In addition, we also observe that changes in Kir4.1 channel conductance and gap junction strength induce spontaneous epileptic activity in the absence of external stimuli.</p></div

Astrocytic Kir4.1 channels and gap junctions account for spontaneous epileptic seizure - Fig 4

<p><b>(a)</b> The decay factor <i>t</i>_<i>1/e</i> is proposed here. <b>(b)</b> A schematic diagram of extracellular K⁺ concentration ([<i>K</i>⁺]_o) and the decay factors <i>t</i>_<i>1/e</i> as published in experimental results (see Fig. 5B from [<a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005877#pcbi.1005877.ref017" target="_blank">17</a>]). Black spots and gray spots are experimental data obtained from connexin30^-/- rats and control gap junction rats, respectively. <b>(c)</b> The relationship between extracellular K⁺ concentration and decay factor <i>t</i>_<i>1/e</i> in control conditions or the gap junction-deficient state. The dashed lines and solid lines denote experimental fitted curves (see Fig. 5B from [<a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005877#pcbi.1005877.ref017" target="_blank">17</a>]) and fitted curves from numerical simulation data, respectively. <b>(d)</b> Statistical error for experimental and numerical fitted curves for different strengths of gap junctions. <b>(e)</b> K⁺ undershoot in the extracellular space with different gap junction strengths after the same external stimuli sequence. Other parameters used are the same as in <a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005877#pcbi.1005877.g001" target="_blank">Fig 1</a>.</p

Astrocytic Kir4.1 channels and gap junctions account for spontaneous epileptic seizure - Fig 5

<p><b>(a)</b> Decreased gap junction strength <i>F</i> induces spontaneous periodic epileptic seizures in the absence of external stimuli. Normal discharge states of neurons when <i>F</i> is 20.0; periodic spontaneous seizures present at 50 <i>s</i> when <i>F</i> is 8.0 and at 24 <i>s</i> when <i>F</i> is 0.01. Experimental dual recordings of membrane potential at a 100 <i>μm</i> depth within hippocampal slices in the brain (data from [<a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005877#pcbi.1005877.ref041" target="_blank">41</a>,<a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005877#pcbi.1005877.ref042" target="_blank">42</a>]) <b>(b)</b> Schematic relationship of gap junction strength <i>F</i> and extracellular K⁺ concentration ([<i>K</i>⁺]_o) or the decay factors <i>t</i>_<i>1/e</i>. Other parameters used are the same as in <a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005877#pcbi.1005877.g002" target="_blank">Fig 2</a>.</p

Model parameters.

<p>Model parameters.</p

Decreased astrocytic Kir4.1 channel conductance <i>g</i>_<i>kir</i> induces spontaneous periodic epileptic seizures in the absence of external stimuli.

<p>Time trains of the neural and astrocytic membrane potential (<i>V</i>_<i>N</i> (mV)) and extracellular K⁺ concentration ([<i>K</i>⁺]_o) (black lines); membrane potential <i>V</i>_<i>A</i> (mV) and K⁺ concentration ([<i>K</i>⁺]_A) for astrocyte (red lines) when <i>g</i>_<i>kir</i> is 45.0 <i>pS</i> <b>(a)</b> and 5.0 <i>pS</i> <b>(b)</b>, found from the equations presented in the model section. <i>K</i>_<i>bath</i> = 8 mM, and other parameters used are the same as in <a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005877#pcbi.1005877.g001" target="_blank">Fig 1</a>.</p

Facile Synthesis of MoS₂/g‑C₃N₄/GO Ternary Heterojunction with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Water Splitting

On the basis of a simple ion exchange method, a MoS₂/g-C₃N₄/graphene oxide (GO) ternary nanojunction was constructed as an efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution using solar energy. The confinement effect in MoS₂ and g-C₃N₄ quantum dots enhances their water-splitting redox activities. The designed heterostructure featured a band alignment that facilitates the collection of electrons in MoS₂ and holes in g-C₃N₄, effectively suppressing the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. Furthermore, the GO with high specific surface area serves as an excellent conductive substrate to transport holes speedily. This study thus provides a novel and facile route of establishing efficient composite photocatalyst with multinary components for energy conversion

Enrichment analysis of differential expressed mRNAs in THP-1 cells after PMA induction.

A GO function enrichment of genes in the transcriptome before and after induction, up-regulated enrichment (left panel) and down-regulated enrichment (right panel). B KEGG pathway enrichment of genes in the transcriptome before and after induction, up-regulated enrichment (left panel) and down-regulated enrichment (right panel).</p