Molecular characterization and zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in humans and domestic animals in Heilongjiang Province, China

Abstract Background Cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis are significant parasitic diseases shared between humans and domestic animals. Due to the close contact between humans and domestic animals in rural areas, it is important to consider the potential transmission of zoonotic parasites from infected domestic animals to humans. This investigation aimed to determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in domestic animals and villagers. Methods A total of 116 fecal samples from villagers and 686 fecal samples from domestic animals in Heilongjiang Province, China, were analyzed for two parasites using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting various genetic loci and DNA sequence analysis of the PCR products. Results By sequence analysis of the SSU rRNA gene, the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in humans was 0.9% (1/116), with one species of C. parvum (n = 1) detected; among domestic animals, the prevalence was 2.6% (18/686), with five species identified: C. suis (n = 7) and C. scrofarum (n = 7) in pigs, C. meleagridis (n = 1) in chickens, C. andersoni (n = 1) in cattle, and C. canis (n = 2) in foxes. C. parvum and C. canis were further subtyped as IIdA19G1 and XXa4 on the basis of gp60 gene. Regarding G. duodenalis, based on the SSU rRNA, bg, gdh, and tpi genes, the prevalence in domestic animals was 5.1% (31/608), with three assemblages identified: A (n = 1) in pigs, D (n = 1) in foxes, and E (n = 27) in geese, cattle, pigs, ducks, and sheep, along with mixed infection of A + E (n = 1) in one pig and B + E (n = 1) in one sheep. No G. duodenalis was detected in humans (0/116). Conclusions The present results show that no overlap of subtypes between animals and villagers was found in Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis, indicating a minor role of domestic animals in infecting humans in this population. However, the presence of zoonotic protozoa in domestic animals highlights the need for special attention to high-risk individuals during close contact with domestic animals. Graphical Abstrac

Rational Engineering of 2D Materials as Advanced Catalyst Cathodes for High‐Performance Metal–Carbon Dioxide Batteries

Given the unique characteristic of integrating CO2 conversion and renewable energy storage, metal–CO2 batteries (MCBs) are expected to become the next‐generation technology to address both environmental and energy crises. As involving complex gas–liquid–solid three‐phase interfacial reactions, cathodes of MCBs can significantly affect the overall battery operation, thus attracting much research attention. Compared to conventional materials, 2D materials offer great opportunities for the design and preparation of high‐performance catalyst cathodes, especially showing superior bifunctional electrocatalytic capacity for rechargeable MCBs. The inherent high‐specific‐surface area and diverse structural architectures of 2D materials enable their flexible and rational engineering designs toward kinetically favorable metal–CO2 electrochemistry. Herein this review, the cutting‐edge progresses of 2D materials‐based catalyst cathodes are presented in MCBs. The reaction mechanisms of various MCBs, including both nonaqueous and aqueous systems, are systematically introduced. Then, the design criteria of catalyst cathodes, and the merits and demerits of 2D materials‐based catalyst cathodes are discussed. After that, three representative engineering strategies (i.e., defect control, phase engineering, and heterostructure design) of 2D materials for high‐performance MCBs are systematically described. Finally, the current research advances are briefly summarized and the confronting challenges and opportunities for future development of advanced MCB cathodes are proposed

Coordination Environment Engineering of Metal Centers in Coordination Polymers for Selective Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction toward Multicarbon Products

Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) toward value-added chemicals/fuels has offered a sustainable strategy to achieve a carbon-neutral energy cycle. However, it remains a great challenge to controllably and precisely regulate the coordination environment of active sites in catalysts for efficient generation of targeted products, especially the multicarbon (C2+) products. Herein we report the coordination environment engineering of metal centers in coordination polymers for efficient electroreduction of CO2 to C2+ products under neutral conditions. Significantly, the Cu coordination polymer with Cu–N2S2 coordination configuration (Cu–N–S) demonstrates superior Faradaic efficiencies of 61.2% and 82.2% for ethylene and C2+ products, respectively, compared to the selective formic acid generation on an analogous polymer with the Cu–I2S2 coordination mode (Cu–I–S). In situ studies reveal the balanced formation of atop and bridge *CO intermediates on Cu–N–S, promoting C–C coupling for C2+ production. Theoretical calculations suggest that coordination environment engineering can induce electronic modulations in Cu active sites, where the d-band center of Cu is upshifted in Cu–N–S with stronger selectivity to the C2+ products. Consequently, Cu–N–S displays a stronger reaction trend toward the generation of C2+ products, while Cu–I–S favors the formation of formic acid due to the suppression of C–C couplings for C2+ pathways with large energy barriers