Experimental and theoretical investigation of ligand effects on the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles

ZnO nanoparticles with highly controllable particle sizes(less than 10 nm) were synthesized using organic capping ligands in Zn(Ac)2 ethanolic solution. The molecular structure of the ligands was found to have significant influence on the particle size. The multi-functional molecule tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane (THMA) favoured smaller particle distributions compared with ligands possessing long hydrocarbon chains that are more frequently employed. The adsorption of capping ligands on ZnnOn crystal nuclei (where n = 4 or 18 molecular clusters of(0001) ZnO surfaces) was modelled by ab initio methods at the density functional theory (DFT) level. For the molecules examined, chemisorption proceeded via the formation of Zn...O, Zn...N, or Zn...S chemical bonds between the ligands and active Zn2+ sites on ZnO surfaces. The DFT results indicated that THMA binds more strongly to the ZnO surface than other ligands, suggesting that this molecule is very effective at stabilizing ZnO nanoparticle surfaces. This study, therefore, provides new insight into the correlation between the molecular structure of capping ligands and the morphology of metal oxide nanostructures formed in their presence

Cognitive Impairment in Marginally Housed Youth: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Objective: Homeless and marginally housed youth are particularly vulnerable members of society, and are known to experience numerous health problems, including psychiatric illness, substance use, and viral infection. Despite the presence of these risk factors for cognitive compromise, there is limited research on the cognitive functioning of homeless and marginally housed youth. The present study examines the degree and pattern of cognitive impairment and associations with key risk factors in a sample of marginally housed young adults. Method: Participants (N = 101) aged 20–29 years old were recruited from single-room occupancy hotels, and underwent cognitive, psychiatric, neurological, and serological assessments. Results: Forty percent of participants were identified as mildly cognitively impaired across multiple domains, and 16% were moderately-severely impaired. Deficits in memory and attention were most prevalent, while impairments in inhibitory control/processing speed and cognitive flexibility were also present but tended to be less severe. Developmental and historical factors (premorbid intellectual functioning, neurological soft signs, earlier exposure to and longer duration of homelessness or marginal housing), as well as current health risks (stimulant dependence and hepatitis C exposure), were associated with cognitive impairment. Conclusions: The strikingly high rate of cognitive impairment in marginally housed young adults represents a major public health concern and is likely to pose a significant barrier to treatment and rehabilitation. These results suggest that the pathway to cognitive impairment involves both developmental vulnerability and modifiable risk factors. This study highlights the need for early interventions that address cognitive impairment and risk factors in marginalized young people

The role of attention and intention in synchronization to music: effects on gait

Anecdotal accounts suggest that individuals spontaneously synchronize their movements to the 'beat' of background music, often without intending to, and perhaps even without attending to the music at all. However, the question of whether intention and attention are necessary to synchronize to the beat remains unclear. Here, we compared whether footsteps during overground walking were synchronized to the beat when young healthy adults were explicitly instructed to synchronize (intention to synchronize), and were not instructed to synchronize (no intention) (Experiment 1: intention). We also examined whether reducing participants' attention to the music affected synchronization, again when participants were explicitly instructed to synchronize, and when they were not (Experiment 2: attention/intention). Synchronization was much less frequent when no instructions to synchronize were given. Without explicit instructions to synchronize, there was no evidence of synchronization in 60% of the trials in Experiment 1, and 43% of the trials in Experiment 2. When instructed to synchronize, only 26% of trials in Experiment 1, and 14% of trials in Experiment 2 showed no evidence of synchronization. Because walking to music alters gait, we also examined how gait kinematics changed with or without instructions to synchronize, and attention to the music was required for synchronization to occur. Instructions to synchronize elicited slower, shorter, and more variable strides than walking in silence. Reducing attention to the music did not significantly affect synchronization of footsteps to the beat, but did elicit slower gait. Thus, during walking, intention, but not attention, appears to be necessary to synchronize footsteps to the beat, and synchronization elicits slower, shorter, and more variable strides, at least in young healthy adults

Prokineticin 1-prokineticin receptor 1 signaling promotes angiogenesis in the porcine endometrium during pregnancy†

Pregnancy establishment in mammals, including pigs, requires proper communication between embryos and the maternal reproductive tract. Prokineticin 1 (PROK1) has been described as a secretory protein with pleiotropic functions and as a novel tissue-specific angiogenic factor. However, despite the studies performed mainly on human cell lines and in mice, the function of PROK1 in the endometrium during early pregnancy is still not fully elucidated. We hypothesized that PROK1 contributes to pregnancy establishment in pigs. The present study is the first to report that the expression of PROK1 and its receptor (PROKR1) is elevated in the porcine endometrium during the implantation and early placentation period. PROK1 protein was detected mainly in luminal epithelial cells, glandular epithelial cells, and blood vessels in the endometrium. Using the porcine in vivo model of unilateral pregnancy, we revealed that conceptuses induced the endometrial expression of PROK1 and PROKR1. Moreover, the embryonic signal, estradiol-17β, as well as progesterone, stimulated the endometrial expression of PROK1 and PROKR1. We also evidenced that PROK1-PROKR1 signaling supports endometrial angiogenesis in pigs. The PROK1-stimulated proliferation of primary porcine endometrial endothelial (PEE) cells involved PI3K/AKT/mTOR, MAPK, cAMP, and NFKB signaling pathways. Furthermore, PROK1 via PROKR1 promoted the formation of capillary-like structures by PEE cells. PROK1 also stimulated VEGFA and PGF2α secretion, which in turn may indirectly support angiogenic changes within endometrial tissue. In summary, our study suggests that PROK1 acts as an embryonic signal mediator that regulates endometrial angiogenesis and secretory function during the implantation and early placentation period in pigs

Single atom (Pd/Pt) supported on graphitic carbon nitride as an efficient photocatalyst for visible-light reduction of carbon dioxide

Reducing carbon dioxide to hydrocarbon fuel with solar energy is significant for high-density solar energy storage and carbon balance. In this work, single atoms of palladium and platinum supported on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), i.e., Pd/g-C3N4 and Pt/g-C3N4, respectively, acting as photocatalysts for CO2 reduction were investigated by density functional theory calculations for the first time. During CO2 reduction, the individual metal atoms function as the active sites, while g-C3N4 provides the source of hydrogen (H*) from the hydrogen evolution reaction. The complete, as-designed photocatalysts exhibit excellent activity in CO2 reduction. HCOOH is the preferred product of CO2 reduction on the Pd/g-C3N4 catalyst with a rate-determining barrier of 0.66 eV, while the Pt/g-C3N4 catalyst prefers to reduce CO2 to CH4 with a rate-determining barrier of 1.16 eV. In addition, deposition of atom catalysts on g-C3N4 significantly enhances the visible-light absorption, rendering them ideal for visible-light reduction of CO2. Our findings open a new avenue of CO2 reduction for renewable energy supply.Guoping Gao, Yan Jiao, Eric R. Waclawik, and Aijun D