Amorphous Nickel-Based Thin Film As a Janus Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting

Hydrogen generated by water splitting provides a renewable energy source, but development of materials with efficient electrocatalytic water splitting capability is challenging. Thin-film electrocatalytic material (H₂–NiCat) with robust water reduction properties, which can be readily prepared by a reduction-induced electrodeposition method from nickel salts in a borate-buffered electrolyte (pH 9.2), is reported. The material consists of nanoparticles with nickel oxide or hydroxide species located at the surface and metallic nickel in the bulk. The catalyst mediates H₂ evolution in a near-neutral aqueous buffer at low overpotential. The catalyst requires a subsequent oxidative pretreatment in order to attain a well-defined hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity, and the 1.5 h anodized catalyst film exhibits a HER current density of about 1.50 mA cm^–2 at 0.452 V overpotential over a period of 24 h with no observable corrosion. In addition, it can be converted by anodic equilibration into an amorphous Ni-based oxide film (O₂–NiCat) to catalyze O₂ evolution, and the switch between the two catalytic forms is fully reversible. The robust, bifunctional, switchable, and noble-metal-free catalytic material has immense potential in artificial solar water-splitting devices

Synthesis of Crystalline Pyramidal ε‑FeSi and Morphology- and Size-Dependent Ferromagnetism

Crystalline pyramidal ε-FeSi particles smaller than 1 μm in size with {111} lateral facets are synthesized by a spontaneous chemical vapor deposition method. The nanocrystals initially nucleate from the amorphous film via self-clustering forming a rectangular ε-FeSi (001) terrace as a result of the cubic crystalline structure and subsequent anisotropic accumulation on the terrace produces the pyramidal morphology. Room-temperature ferromagnetism is observed from ε-FeSi particles larger than 250 nm and having the {111} facets. A model is postulated to explain the morphology- and size-dependent ferromagnetism based on the nonuniform Fe atomic arrangement that forms atomic-scale islands on the surface and dipole interaction among these islands in the large enough particles. The morphology- and size-dependent ferromagnetism allows control of the magnetic moments of mesostructures and is important to spintronics and other applications

Absorption Properties and Spectroscopic Studies of Dilute Sulfur Dioxide in Aqueous Glycerol Solutions

Isothermal gas–liquid equilibrium (GLE) data were reported at 298.15 K and 123.15 kPa for the absorption of dilute SO₂ in aqueous glycerol solutions, in which SO₂ partial pressures are calculated in the range of (0 to 140) Pa. The GLE data were obtained with uncertainties within ±0.02 K for temperatures, ± 0.133 kPa for total pressures, ± 3.5% for SO₂ concentration in the gas phase, and ±5% for SO₂ concentration in the liquid phase. The measurements showed that the solubility of dilute SO₂ in the system of glycerol (1) + water (2) increases with the increasing glycerol concentrations in the whole composition, and the solubility of SO₂ in the system of glycerol (1) + water (2) presents an extreme minimum of 60.1 mg·L^–1 at the mass fraction of <i>w</i>_<i>1</i> = 1.00 when SO₂ in the gas phase is designed at <i>y</i>_SO2 = 5 × 10^–4. In addition, UV, FTIR (Fourier transform infrared), ¹H NMR, and fluorescence spectra in the absorption processes of SO₂ in the system of glycerol (1) + water (2) were investigated to present important absorption mechanism. Based on the spectral results obtained, the possibility of intermolecular hydrogen bond formation by hydroxyl oxygen atoms in the glycerol molecule with hydrogen atom in the H₂O molecule and S···O interaction formation by hydroxyl oxygen atom in the glycerol molecule with sulfur atom in the SO₂ molecule are discussed

Table_1_Transcriptomics-based investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying synergistic antimicrobial effects of AgNPs and Domiphen on the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus.XLSX

Critically ill patients have higher risk of serious fungal infections, such as invasive aspergillosis (IA) which is mainly caused by the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Triazole drugs are the primary therapeutic agents for the first-line treatment of IA, which could easily cause drug resistance problems. Here, we assess the potential of AgNPs synthesized with Artemisia argyi leaf extract and domiphen as new antifungal agents to produce synergistic antimicrobial effects on Aspergillus fumigatus, and dissect possible molecular mechanisms of action. Plate inoculation assays combined with drug susceptibility test and cytotoxicity test showed that the combination of AgNPs and domiphen has synergistic antimicrobial effects on A. fumigatus with low cytotoxicity. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that AgNPs and domiphen inhibit the growth of A. fumigatus by suppressing nitrate assimilation, and purine nucleobase metabolic process and amino acid transmembrane transport, respectively. When the two drugs are combined, AgNPs has epistatic effects on domiphen. Moreover, the combination of AgNPs and domiphen primarily influence secondary metabolites biosynthesis, steroid biosynthesis and nucleotide sugar metabolism of A. fumigatus via Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Furthermore, protein–protein interactions (PPI) analysis combined with validation experiments showed that the combination of AgNPs and domiphen could enhance the expression of copper transporter and inhibit nitrogen source metabolism. In addition, the synergistic antimicrobial effects could be enhanced or eliminated depending on exogenous addition of copper and nitrogen source, respectively. Taken together, the results of this study provide a theoretical basis and a new strategy for the treatment of IA.</p

Data_Sheet_1_Transcriptomics-based investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying synergistic antimicrobial effects of AgNPs and Domiphen on the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus.PDF

Critically ill patients have higher risk of serious fungal infections, such as invasive aspergillosis (IA) which is mainly caused by the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Triazole drugs are the primary therapeutic agents for the first-line treatment of IA, which could easily cause drug resistance problems. Here, we assess the potential of AgNPs synthesized with Artemisia argyi leaf extract and domiphen as new antifungal agents to produce synergistic antimicrobial effects on Aspergillus fumigatus, and dissect possible molecular mechanisms of action. Plate inoculation assays combined with drug susceptibility test and cytotoxicity test showed that the combination of AgNPs and domiphen has synergistic antimicrobial effects on A. fumigatus with low cytotoxicity. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that AgNPs and domiphen inhibit the growth of A. fumigatus by suppressing nitrate assimilation, and purine nucleobase metabolic process and amino acid transmembrane transport, respectively. When the two drugs are combined, AgNPs has epistatic effects on domiphen. Moreover, the combination of AgNPs and domiphen primarily influence secondary metabolites biosynthesis, steroid biosynthesis and nucleotide sugar metabolism of A. fumigatus via Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Furthermore, protein–protein interactions (PPI) analysis combined with validation experiments showed that the combination of AgNPs and domiphen could enhance the expression of copper transporter and inhibit nitrogen source metabolism. In addition, the synergistic antimicrobial effects could be enhanced or eliminated depending on exogenous addition of copper and nitrogen source, respectively. Taken together, the results of this study provide a theoretical basis and a new strategy for the treatment of IA.</p

Strong Facet-Induced and Light-Controlled Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Semiconducting β‑FeSi₂ Nanocubes

Crystalline β-FeSi₂ nanocubes with two {100} facets and four {011} lateral facets synthesized by spontaneous one-step chemical vapor deposition exhibit strong room-temperature ferromagnetism with saturation magnetization of 15 emu/g. The room-temperature ferromagnetism is observed from the β-FeSi₂ nanocubes larger than 150 nm with both the {100} and {011} facets. The ferromagnetism is tentatively explained with a simplified model including both the itinerant electrons in surface states and the local moments on Fe atoms near the surfaces. The work demonstrates the transformation from a nonmagnetic semiconductor to a magnetic one by exposing specific facets and the room-temperature ferromagnetism can be manipulated under light irradiation. The semiconducting β-FeSi₂ nanocubes may have large potential in silicon-based spintronic applications

Inverted U-Shaped Relationship between Central Venous Pressure and Intra-Abdominal Pressure in the Early Phase of Severe Acute Pancreatitis: A Retrospective Study

<div><p>Objective</p><p>Many studies have indicated that intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is positively correlated with central venous pressure (CVP) in severe cases. However, although elevated IAP is common in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), its relationship with CVP remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the association of IAP with CVP in early-phase SAP patients.</p><p>Methods</p><p>In total, 116 SAP patients were included in this retrospective study. On the first day of hospitalization, blood samples were collected for biochemical examination and cytokine concentration monitoring. Additionally, a urinary catheter and right subclavian vein catheter were inserted for IAP and CVP measurement, respectively. Other routine clinical data were also recorded.</p><p>Results</p><p>Within 24 hours after hospitalization, CVP fluctuated and increased with increasing IAP up to 15.7 mmHg (<i>P</i> = 0.054) but decreased with increasing IAP when the IAP was > 15.7 mmHg (<i>P</i> < 0.001). After adjusting for abdominal perfusion pressure (APP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP), a similar distribution was observed. An inverted U-shaped trend between IAP and CVP was also present in the groups classified according to the patient’s sex, local complications, ascites, and serum amylase levels.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>CVP and IAP have an inverted U-shaped relationship, with a peak at an IAP of 15.7 mmHg in the early phase of SAP. After this peak, CVP decreases as IAP increases. These results have crucial implications for clinical fluid resuscitation in SAP patients. In particular, because one CVP value might be correlated with different IAP values in patients with the same CVP, the volume of fluid needed might be different.</p></div

Smoothing curve of CVP (cmH₂O) by IAP (mmHg) in different groups considering.

<p>A: patients' gender; B: local complication; C: ascites; D: serum amylase.</p

Adjusted Effect of IAP on CVP [β (95%CI) <i>P</i> value].

<p>Outcome variance: CVP (cmH₂O); risk factor: IAP (mmHg).</p><p>Model I: Multiple regression model (no adjusted related risk factors);</p><p>Model II: Multiple regression model adjusted APP level;</p><p>Model III: Multiple regression model adjusted MAP level.</p><p>CVP: central venous pressure; IAP: intra abdominal pressure; MAP: mean arterial pressure; APP: abdominal perfusion pressure.</p><p>Adjusted Effect of IAP on CVP [β (95%CI) <i>P</i> value].</p

Characteristics of the study population by intra-abdomnal pressure quartiles.

<p>Q1: the patients with IAP≤15.7mmHg; Q2: the patients with IAP>15.7 mmHg.</p><p><i>P</i>: value from Kruskal Test (rank sum test);</p><p>*<i>P</i>: value from ANOVA.</p><p>RBC: count of red blood cell; APACHE II score: Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score; APP: abdominal perfusion pressure; MAP: mean arterial pressure.</p><p>[mean±SD or n(%)]</p><p>Characteristics of the study population by intra-abdomnal pressure quartiles.</p