The effect of probiotic supplementation on systemic inflammation in dialysis patients

Background Emerging evidence suggests that intestinal dysbiosis contributes to systemic inflammation and cardiovascular diseases in dialysis patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of probiotic supplementation on various inflammatory parameters in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods Twenty-two patients with maintenance HD were enrolled. These patients were treated twice a day with 2.0 ×1010 colony forming units of a combination of Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4 and Bifidobacterium longum BORI for 3 months. The microbiome and fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were analyzed. The percentages of CD14+ CD16+ proinflammatory monocytes and CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T-cells (Tregs) before and after probiotic supplementation were determined by flow cytometry. Serum levels of calprotectin and cytokine responses upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge were compared before and after probiotic supplementation. Results Fecal SCFAs increased significantly after probiotic supplementation. Serum levels of calprotectin and interleukin 6 upon LPS stimulation significantly decreased. The anti-inflammatory effects of probiotics were associated with a significant increase in the percentage of CD4+ CD25+ Tregs (3.5% vs. 8.6%, p < 0.05) and also with a decrease of CD14+ CD16+ proinflammatory monocytes (310/mm2 vs. 194/mm2, p < 0.05). Conclusion Probiotic supplementation reduced systemic inflammatory responses in HD patients and this effect was associated with an increase in Tregs and a decrease in proinflammatory monocytes. Hence, targeting intestinal dysbiosis might be a novel strategy for decreasing inflammation and cardiovascular risks in HD patients

Synthesis of Sodium Cobalt Fluoride/Reduced Graphene Oxide (NaCoF₃/rGO) Nanocomposites and Investigation of Their Electrochemical Properties as Cathodes for Li-Ion Batteries

In this study, sodium cobalt fluoride (NaCoF3)/reduced graphene oxide (NCF/rGO) nanocomposites were fabricated through a simple one-pot solvothermal process and their electrochemical performance as cathodes for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) was investigated. The NCF nanoclusters (NCs) on the composites (300–500 nm in size) were formed by the assembly of primary nanoparticles (~20 nm), which were then incorporated on the surface of rGO. This morphology provided NCF NCs with a large surface area for efficient ion diffusion and also allowed for close contact with the conductive matrix to promote rapid electron transfer. As a cathode for LIBs, the NCF/rGO electrode achieved a high reversible capacity of 465 mAh·g−1 at 20 mA·g−1 via the conversion reaction, and this enhancement represented more than five times the reversible capacity of the bare NCF electrode. Additionally, the NCF/rGO electrode exhibited both better specific capacity and cyclability within the current density testing range (from 20 to 200 mA·g−1), compared with those of the bare NCF electrode

Evaluation of Heated Window System to Enhance Indoor Thermal Comfort and Reduce Heating Demands Based on Simulation Analysis in South Korea

Heated glass can be applied to improve windows&rsquo; condensation resistance and indoor thermal comfort in buildings. Although this applied technology has advantages, there are still some concerns in practical applications, such as additional energy consumption and control issues. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a heated window heating (HWH) system in terms of thermal comfort and heating energy performance (HEP). The simulation-based analysis is performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the HWH using a residential building model and to compare it with radiant floor heating (RFH) and hybrid heating (HH) systems (i.e., combined HWH and RFH). This study also investigates the peak and cumulative heating loads using HWH systems with various scenarios of control methods and setpoint temperature. The predicted mean vote (PMV) is used as an indoor thermal comfort index. The ratio of cumulative thermal comfort time to the entire heating period is calculated. The results show that HWH and HH can reduce the heating load by up to 65.60% and 50.95%, respectively, compared to RFH. In addition, the times of thermal comfort can be increased by 12.55% and 6.98% with HWH and HH, respectively. However, considering the social practices of South Korea, HH is more suitable than HWH. Further investigations for HH show that a surface setpoint of 26 &deg;C is proper, considering both heating demands and thermal comfort. In addition, the setpoint temperature should be determined considering HEP and the thermal comfort for HWH, and the optimal setpoint temperature was suggested under specific conditions

Revealing improved electrocatalytic performances of electrochemically synthesized S and Ni doped Fe2O3 nanostructure interfaces

© 2022 Elsevier B.V.Non-precious-metal oxides provide various physical and chemical controllable properties when their composition and morphology are tuned for electrochemical applications. However, the unstable features due to catalytic degradation caused by the dissolution and agglomeration of the materials in acidic media have prevented the widespread use of these materials in electrocatalysis. We propose a facile and simple method for the synthesis of S and Ni co-doped single-crystal-like iron oxide nanorods (S,Ni_Fe2O3 NR) grown over a MoS2 substrate. The S,Ni_Fe2O3 NR catalyst demonstrated a stable current density of nearly −100 mA/cm2 when operated at a constant potential of −0.31 V (vs. SHE) without structural and chemical deformation of the material. The commercial Fe2O3 showed agglomerated particles after a stability test. In addition, the newly prepared S,Ni_Fe2O3 NR catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic HER performance with an overpotential of −92 mV (vs. SHE) to reach −10 mA/cm2 (a Tafel slope of 54 mV/dec). Our density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that a heterogeneously mixed surface with Ni and S atoms on the Fe2O3 surface can improve the HER performance. This work provides information about the design and development of future electrocatalysts with non-precious-metal oxides for use in an acidic environment.11Nsciescopu

Long-Term Maintenance of Sinus Rhythm Is Associated with Favorable Echocardiographic Remodeling and Improved Clinical Outcomes after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Periprocedural atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with poor prognosis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We evaluated the impact of long-term sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance on post-TAVR outcomes. We enrolled 278 patients treated with TAVR including 87 patients with periprocedural AF. Patients with periprocedural AF were classified into the AF-sinus rhythm maintained (AF-SRM) group or the sustained AF group according to long-term cardiac rhythm status after discharge. Patients without AF before or after TAVR were classified into the SR group. The primary clinical outcome was a composite of all-cause death, stroke, or heart failure rehospitalization. The AF-SRM and the SR groups showed significant improvements in left ventricular ejection fraction and left atrial volume index at one year after TAVR, while the sustained AF group did not. During 24.5 (&plusmn;16.1) months of follow-up, the sustained AF group had a higher risk of the adverse clinical event compared with the AF-SRM group (hazard ratio (HR) 4.449, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.614&ndash;12.270), while the AF-SRM group had a similar risk of the adverse clinical event compared with the SR group (HR 0.737, 95% CI 0.285&ndash;1.903). In conclusion, SR maintenance after TAVR was associated with enhanced echocardiographic improvement and favorable clinical outcomes

How to Change the Reaction Chemistry on Nonprecious Metal Oxide Nanostructure Materials for Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Biomass-Derived Glycerol to Renewable Chemicals

© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.Au and Pt are well-known catalysts for electrocatalytic oxidation of biomass-derived glycerol. Although some nonprecious-metal-based materials to replace the costly Au and Pt are used for this reaction, the fundamental question of how the nonprecious catalysts affect the reaction chemistry and mechanism compared to Au and Pt catalysts is still unanswered. In this work, both experimental and computational methods are used to understand how and why the reaction performance and chemistry for the electrocatalytic glycerol oxidation reaction (EGOR) change with electrochemically-synthesized CuCo-oxide, Cu-oxide, and Co-oxide catalysts compared to conventional Au and Pt catalysts. The Au and Pt catalysts generate major glyceric acid and glycolic acid products from the EGOR. Interestingly, the prepared Cu-based oxides produce glycolic acid and formic acid with high selectivity of about 90.0%. This different reaction chemistry is related to the enhanced ability of C-C bond cleavage on the Cu-based oxide materials. The density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the formic acids are mainly formed on the Cu-based oxide surfaces rather than in the process of glycolic acid formation in the free energy diagram. This study provides critical scientific insights into developing future nonprecious-based materials for electrochemical biomass conversions.11Nsciescopu

Ultraflexible and transparent electroluminescent skin for real-time and super-resolution imaging of pressure distribution

The ability to image pressure distribution over complex three-dimensional surfaces would significantly augment the potential applications of electronic skin. However, existing methods show poor spatial and temporal fidelity due to their limited pixel density, low sensitivity, or low conformability. Here, we report an ultraflexible and transparent electroluminescent skin that autonomously displays super-resolution images of pressure distribution in real time. The device comprises a transparent pressure-sensing film with a solution-processable cellulose/nanowire nanohybrid network featuring ultrahigh sensor sensitivity (&gt;5000 kPa(-1)) and a fast response time (&lt;1 ms), and a quantum dot-based electroluminescent film. The two ultrathin films conform to each contact object and transduce spatial pressure into conductivity distribution in a continuous domain, resulting in super-resolution (&gt;1000 dpi) pressure imaging without the need for pixel structures. Our approach provides a new framework for visualizing accurate stimulus distribution with potential applications in skin prosthesis, robotics, and advanced human-machine interfaces. Electronic skin that spatially maps pressure distribution through imaging shows limited performance despite improvements to data acquisition. Here, the authors report ultraflexible, transparent electroluminescent skin capable of high-resolution imaging of pressure distribution over 3D surfaces.Y

Direct O–O Coupling Promoted the Oxygen Evolution Reaction by Dual Active Sites from Ag/LaNiO₃ Interfaces

The development of highly active oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts is one of the most important issues for advanced water electrolysis technology with high energy efficiency. However, according to the conventional adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM), the OER activity is theoretically limited with high overpotential by the scaling relationship in binding energies of the reaction intermediates. We propose an attractive strategy to promote OER activity by direct O–O coupling at the interfacial active sites for Ag (x) nanoparticles decorated on La1–xNiO3 perovskite electrocatalysts (Ag/LNO-x). The overpotential of the Ag/LNO-0.05 was 315 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm–2geo, which was much lower than that of other Ag/LNO-x (x = 0, 0.3, and 0.5) and commercial iridium oxide (IrO2, 398 mV) electrocatalysts. The theoretical calculation revealed that the improved OER electrocatalytic activity of Ag/LNO-x originated from a change in the reaction mechanism at the interfacial active sites. At the interface, oxygen evolution via the dual-site mechanism with direct O–O coupling becomes more favorable than that via the conventional AEM. Finally, due to the formation of the interfacial active sites, the synthesized Ag/LNO-0.05 electrocatalyst showed significantly enhanced OER activity, which was 20 times higher mass activity before and 74 times after an accelerated durability test than that of the IrO2 electrocatalyst