Multifunctional Role Research Articles

CeOx as Surface Passivation and Hole Transfer Catalyst Layer Boosting Solar Water Oxidation of ZnFe2O4 Nanorods Photoanode

AbstractSevere surface photocarrier recombination and poor electronic conductivity are the major factors behind the sluggish photoelectrochemical water oxidation kinetics of the ZnFe2O4 photoanode. Here, the CeOx catalyst overlayer has been coupled with the reduced ZnFe2O4 nanorods (NRs) to reduce the surface charge recombination on the photoanode significantly. The density functional theory (DFT) studies indicate that the oxygen vacancy defect‐rich CeOx catalyst constructs a favorable band alignment with ZnFe2O4 promoting rapid photocarrier separation and serves as a conducting photocarrier transfer pathway accelerating the hole transportation toward the electrode/electrolyte interface. The ZnFe2O4/CeOx nano‐heterostructure photoanode exhibits a current density of 0.64 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus RHE under AM 1.5 G illumination, which corresponds to >167% increase over that of the ZnFe2O4 NRs photoanode. The CeOx coupling reduces the onset potential cathodically by 180 mV over the ZnFe2O4 NRs photoanode. The ZnFe2O4/CeOx nano‐heterostructure photoanode also exhibits excellent charge transfer efficiency (≈64% at 1.23 V vs RHE) and photostability. The results indicate the superior catalytic performance of oxygen vacancy defect‐rich CeOx in the PEC process. This work demonstrates the multifunctional role of CeOx as a surface passivation overlayer, hole transfer layer, and efficient oxygen evolution reaction catalyst.

Pathophysiological Role and Diagnostic Potential of R-Loops in Cancer and Beyond.

R-loops are DNA-RNA hybrids that play multifunctional roles in gene regulation, including replication, transcription, transcription-replication collision, epigenetics, and preserving the integrity of the genome. The aberrant formation and accumulation of unscheduled R-loops can disrupt gene expression and damage DNA, thereby causing genome instability. Recent links between unscheduled R-loop accumulation and the abundance of proteins that modulate R-loop biogenesis have been associated with numerous human diseases, including various cancers. Although R-loops are not necessarily causative for all disease entities described to date, they can perpetuate and even exacerbate the initially disease-eliciting pathophysiology, making them structures of interest for molecular diagnostics. In this review, we discuss the (patho) physiological role of R-loops in health and disease, their surprising diagnostic potential, and state-of-the-art techniques for their detection.

GADD34 Ablation Exacerbates Retinal Degeneration in P23H RHO Mice.

The UPR is sustainably activated in degenerating retinas, leading to translational inhibition via p-eIF2α. Recent findings have demonstrated that ablation of growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible protein 34 (GADD34), a protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit permitting translational machinery operation through p-eIF2α elevation, does not impact the rate of translation in fast-degenerating rd16 mice. The current study aimed to validate whether P23H RHO mice degenerating at a slower pace manifest translational attenuation and whether GADD34 ablation impacts the rate of retinal degeneration via further suppression of retinal protein synthesis and apoptotic cell death. For this study, mice were examined with ERG and histological analyses. The molecular assessment was conducted in the naïve and LPS-challenged mice using Western blot and qRT-PCR analyses. Thus, this study demonstrates that the P23H RHO retinas manifest translational attenuation. However, GADD34 ablation resulted in a more prominent p-eIF2a increase without impacting the translation rate. GADD34 deficiency also led to a reduction in scotopic ERG amplitudes and an increased number of TUNEL-positive cells. Molecular analysis revealed that GADD34 deficiency reduces the expression of p-STAT3 and Il-6 while increasing the expression of Tnfa. Overall, the data indicate that GADD34 plays a multifunctional role. Under chronic UPR activation, GADD34 acts as a feedback player, dephosphorylating p-eIF2a, although this role does not seem to be critical. Additionally, GADD34 controls cytokine expression and STAT3 activation. Perhaps these molecular events are particularly important in controlling the pace of retinal degeneration.

The Effects of Silencing PTX3 on the Proteome of Human Endothelial Cells.

The human long pentraxin PTX3 has complex regulatory roles at the crossroad of innate immunity, inflammation, and tissue repair. PTX3 can be produced by various cell types, including vascular endothelial cells (ECs), in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines or bacterial molecules. PTX3 has also been involved in the regulation of cardiovascular biology, even if ambiguous results have been so far provided in both preclinical and clinical research. In this study, we compared the proteomic profiles of human ECs (human umbilical vein ECs, HUVECs), focusing on differentially expressed proteins between the control and PTX3-silenced ECs. We identified 19 proteins that were more abundant in the proteome of control ECs and 23 proteins that were more expressed in PTX3-silenced cells. Among the latter, proteins with multifunctional roles in angiogenesis, oxidative stress, and inflammation were found, and were further validated by assessing their mRNAs with RT-qPCR. Nevertheless, the knock down of PTX3 did not affect in vitro angiogenesis. On the contrary, the lack of the protein induced an increase in pro-inflammatory markers and a shift to the more oxidative profile of PTX3-deficient ECs. Altogether, our results support the idea of a protective function for PTX3 in the control of endothelial homeostasis, and more generally, in cardiovascular biology.

Defect-engineered plasmonic Z-scheme heterostructures for superior photoelectrochemical water oxidation

The Z-scheme photoelectrochemical (PEC) catalytic system that mimics natural photosynthesis is considered an encouraging method to improve the catalytic activities of the catalysts and finally address the global energy crisis. Herein, a plasmon-enhanced Z-Scheme heterostructure is synthesized via interface-structure-designing and defect-engineering. The optimized TiO2/Au/ZnIn2S4OS exhibits an excellent PEC catalytic activity with a photocurrent density of 3.80 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V (vs RHE), which is 2.1 times higher than that of TiO2 nanorod arrays. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation results demonstrate that the synergy of O, S-defects can tailor the charge density distribution and electronic structure of ZnIn2S4, which effectively improves the electrical conductivity of the photocatalyst. The kinetic and thermodynamic behavior investigation, as well as theoretical simulations, indicate that the successful construction of the Z-scheme system can significantly improve the redox capacity and photo-excited electron-hole separation efficiency of the catalysts, thereby promoting the water oxidation activity. Furthermore, the Au nanodots sandwiched between TiO2 and ZnIn2S4OS are found to play multifunctional roles in boosting the PEC catalytic performance. This work provides a valuable approach to constructing defects-dominated Z-scheme systems at the atomic scale and sheds light on new insight into the LSPR effect for improving the catalytic performance in Z-scheme systems.

Optimalisasi Manajemen Masjid pada Masjid Aisyah Islamic Center Al-Hunafa Lawata sebagai Lembaga Dakwah dan Pendidikan Islam

The mosque of Aisyah Islamic Center Al-Hunafa Lawata has a multifunctional role , such as a center of workship, da’wah and education. As a worship center, it is open to local residents and the public for both obligatory and recommended prayers and I’tikaf. Also, it is a da’wah center where it is used for routine studies carried out after dawn and dusk prayers. Additionally, its role as a center for formal and non-formal education was accomplished through the establishment of the Religious High School (MAK) and the Qur’an Education Park (TPA). In additionally, this place is a center of social activities like the distribution of nine main food and qurban meat as well as providing free iftar in Ramadhan. Ths study is qualitative where the mosque administrators are the main data sources gathered using observation, interviews, and documentation. Data mining is closely related to the formulation of research problemswhich is how the role and management of the mosque as a center of da’wah and education. The study found that the mosque remains a multifunctional place as a center of worship da’wah, and formal and non-formal education and has developed as social service activities. The overall optimization of the mosque’s role is carried out by optimizing all management function including planning, actuating or implementing, organizing, and evaluating as well.

Molecular interplays of the Entamoeba histolytica endosomal sorting complexes required for transport during phagocytosis.

Entamoeba histolytica, the causative agent of human amoebiasis, exhibits a continuous membrane remodelling to exert its virulence properties. During this dynamic process, the Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport (ESCRT) machinery is a key player, particularly in phagocytosis, a virulence hallmark of this parasite. In addition to ESCRT, other molecules contribute to membrane remodelling, including the EhADH adhesin, EhRabs, actin, and the lysobisphosphatidic acid (LBPA). The endocytosis of a prey or molecules induces membrane invaginations, resulting in endosome and multivesicular bodies (MVBs) formation for cargo delivery into lysosomes. Alternatively, some proteins are recycled or secreted. Most of these pathways have been broadly characterized in other biological systems, but poorly described in protozoan parasites. Here, we encompass 10 years of ESCRT research in E. histolytica, highlighting the role of the ESCRT-I and ESCRT-III components and the EhADH and EhVps4-ATPase accessory proteins during phagocytosis. In particular, EhADH exhibits a multifunctional role along the endocytic pathway, from cargo recognition to endosome maturation and lysosomal degradation. Interestingly, the interaction of EhADH with EhVps32 seems to shape a concurrent route to the conventional one for MVBs biogenesis, that could optimize their formation. Furthermore, this adhesin is secreted, but its role in this event remains under study. Other components from the endosomal pathway, such as EhVps23 and LBPA, are also secreted. A proteomic approach performed here, using an anti-LBPA antibody, revealed that some proteins related to membrane trafficking, cellular transport, cytoskeleton dynamics, and transcriptional and translational functions are secreted and associated to LBPA. Altogether, the accumulated knowledge around the ESCRT machinery in E. histolytica, points it out as a dynamic platform facilitating the interaction of molecules participating in different cellular events. Seen as an integrated system, ESCRTs lead to a better understanding of E. histolytica phagocytosis.

Review of Functional Aspects of Nanocellulose-Based Pickering Emulsifier for Non-Toxic Application and Its Colloid Stabilization Mechanism.

In the past few years, the research on particle-stabilized emulsion (Pickering emulsion) has mainly focused on the usage of inorganic particles with well-defined shapes, narrow size distributions, and chemical tunability of the surfaces such as silica, alumina, and clay. However, the presence of incompatibility of some inorganic particles that are non-safe to humans and the ecosystem and their poor sustainability has led to a shift towards the development of materials of biological origin. For this reason, nano-dimensional cellulose (nanocellulose) derived from natural plants is suitable for use as a Pickering material for liquid interface stabilization for various non-toxic product formulations (e.g., the food and beverage, cosmetic, personal care, hygiene, pharmaceutical, and biomedical fields). However, the current understanding of nanocellulose-stabilized Pickering emulsion still lacks consistency in terms of the structural, self-assembly, and physio-chemical properties of nanocellulose towards the stabilization between liquid and oil interfaces. Thus, this review aims to provide a comprehensive study of the behavior of nanocellulose-based particles and their ability as a Pickering functionality to stabilize emulsion droplets. Extensive discussion on the characteristics of nanocelluloses, morphology, and preparation methods that can potentially be applied as Pickering emulsifiers in a different range of emulsions is provided. Nanocellulose's surface modification for the purpose of altering its characteristics and provoking multifunctional roles for high-grade non-toxic applications is discussed. Subsequently, the water-oil stabilization mechanism and the criteria for effective emulsion stabilization are summarized in this review. Lastly, we discuss the toxicity profile and risk assessment guidelines for the whole life cycle of nanocellulose from the fresh feedstock to the end-life of the product.

The physical interactome between Peregrinus maidis proteins and the maize mosaic virus glycoprotein provides insights into the cellular biology of a rhabdovirus in the insect vector.

Rhabdovirus glycoproteins (G) serve multifunctional roles in virus entry, assembly, and exit from animal cells. We hypothesize that maize mosaic virus (MMV) G is required for invasion, infection, and spread in Peregrinus maidis, the planthopper vector. Using a membrane-based yeast two-hybrid assay, we identified 107 P. maidis proteins that physically interacted with MMV G, of which approximately 53% matched proteins with known functions including endocytosis, vesicle-mediated transport, protein synthesis and turnover, nuclear export, metabolism and host defense. Physical interaction networks among conserved proteins indicated a possible cellular coordination of processes associated with MMV G translation, protein folding and trafficking. Non-annotated proteins contained predicted functional sites, including a diverse array of ligand binding sites. Cyclophilin A and apolipophorin III co-immunoprecipitated with MMV G, and each showed different patterns of localization with G in insect cells. This study describes the first protein interactome for a rhabdovirus spike protein and insect vector.

Analytical View on the Professional Characteristics and Qualities of the Modern Accountant

The article outlines and argues the public responsibility and importance of the accounting profession. Emphasis is placed on the range of professional competencies and moral and ethical qualities that are necessary for the full implementation of accounting activities and services. In conclusion, the study concludes that the outlined features predetermine the important and multifunctional role of the professional position of ”accountant”.

Self-Healing Coating with a Controllable Release of Corrosion Inhibitors by Using Multifunctional Zinc Oxide Quantum Dots as Valves.

As an intelligent response system, self-healing anticorrosion materials containing nanocontainers have aroused increasing demands. It is highly expected that the nanocontainers can rapidly respond on corrosion signals to efficiently release corrosion inhibitors, meanwhile to avoid an undesirable leakage before the local corrosion happening. Herein, zinc oxide quantum dot (ZnO-QD)-sealed hollow mesoporous TiO2 nanocontainers loading with 14.2% benzotriazole (BTA) inhibitor have been successfully prepared [hollow mesoporous titanium dioxide nanospheres (HMTNs)-BTA@ZnO-QDs]. ZnO-QDs play the multifunctional roles on anticorrosion of the self-healing coating. The corrosion tests of coatings on the carbon steel well demonstrate that ZnO-QDs can not only act as a valve to seal and release BTA on the time but also act as a precursor to produce the protective film of Zn(OH)2 by the reaction of Zn2+ ions with OH- around the cathode region to inhibit the corrosion of carbon steel. After being soaked in 3.5% NaCl solution for 30 days, the |Z|0.01Hz value of the coating with HMTNs-BTA@ZnO-QDs still maintains at 2.87 × 107 Ω cm2. Once the defects are formed in the coating, the acid-responsive ZnO-QD valves are rapidly decomposed to release BTA inhibitor; meanwhile, the resulted Zn(OH)2 layer prevent the carbon steel substrate from corrosion in the cathode area. Therefore, it could be promising that the present design of the nanocontainers matching with the multifunctional ZnO-QDs can offer a valuable strategy to construct the self-healing and anticorrosion coatings with a multiresponse to the corrosion environment.

Dual functionality of Trichoderma: Biocontrol of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and biostimulant of cotton plants.

Microbial crop protection products based on Trichoderma have the ability to display multifunctional roles in plant protection, such as pathogen parasitism, enhance nutrient availability and stimulate plant growth, and these traits can be used to enhance the overall agronomic performance of a variety of crops. In the current study, we explored the multifunctional potential of two indigenous Brazilian strains of Trichoderma (T. asperelloides CMAA 1584 and T. lentiforme CMAA 1585) for their capability of controlling Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a key plant pathogen of cotton, and for their ability of growth promotion in cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum). Both strains were able to solubilize mineral phosphorus (CaHPO4), to release volatile organic compounds that impaired the mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum, and to promote the growth of cotton plants under greenhouse conditions. In dual culture, Trichoderma strains reduced the growth rate and the number of sclerotia formed by S. sclerotiorum. By treating sclerotia with conidial suspensions of these Trichoderma strains, a strong inhibition of the myceliogenic germination was observed, as a result of the marked mycoparasitic activity exerted on the sclerotia. The parasitism over S. sclerotiorum was more effective with T. asperelloides CMAA 1584, whilst the biostimulant effects on cotton growth were more pronounced with T. lentiforme CMAA 1585, which also showed a higher capacity of phosphate solubilization. Thus, T. asperelloides CMAA 1584 displays higher efficiency in controlling S. sclerotiorum, while T. lentiforme CMAA 1585 is more suitable as a biostimulant due to its ability to promote growth in cotton plants. Overall, these Trichoderma strains may be used in mixture to provide both pathogen control and promotion of plant growth, and this strategy will support growers in minimizing the use of synthetic fertilizers and fungicides against white mold in cotton crops.

Multifunctional role of natural products for the treatment of Parkinson's disease: At a glance.

Natural substances originating from plants have long been used to treat neurodegenerative disorders (NDs). Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a ND. The deterioration and subsequent cognitive impairments of the midbrain nigral dopaminergic neurons distinguish by this characteristic. Various pathogenic mechanisms and critical components have been reported, despite the fact that the origin is unknown, such as protein aggregation, iron buildup, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Anti-Parkinson drugs like dopamine (DA) agonists, levodopa, carbidopa, monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors and anticholinergics are used to replace DA in the current treatment model. Surgery is advised in cases where drug therapy is ineffective. Unfortunately, the current conventional treatments for PD have a number of harmful side effects and are expensive. As a result, new therapeutic strategies that control the mechanisms that contribute to neuronal death and dysfunction must be addressed. Natural resources have long been a useful source of possible treatments. PD can be treated with a variety of natural therapies made from medicinal herbs, fruits, and vegetables. In addition to their well-known anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory capabilities, these natural products also play inhibitory roles in iron buildup, protein misfolding, the maintenance of proteasomal breakdown, mitochondrial homeostasis, and other neuroprotective processes. The goal of this research is to systematically characterize the currently available medications for Parkinson’s and their therapeutic effects, which target diverse pathways. Overall, this analysis looks at the kinds of natural things that could be used in the future to treat PD in new ways or as supplements to existing treatments. We looked at the medicinal plants that can be used to treat PD. The use of natural remedies, especially those derived from plants, to treat PD has been on the rise. This article examines the fundamental characteristics of medicinal plants and the bioactive substances found in them that may be utilized to treat PD.

The Roles of RUNX Proteins in Lymphocyte Function and Anti-Tumor Immunity.

The Runt-related transcription factor (RUNX) family of proteins are crucial for many developmental and immuno-physiological processes. Their importance in cellular and tissue development has been repeatedly demonstrated as they are often found mutated and implicated in tumorigenesis. Most importantly, RUNX have now emerged as critical regulators of lymphocyte function against pathogenic infections and tumorigenic cells, the latter has now revolutionized our current understandings as to how RUNX proteins contribute to control tumor pathogenicity. These multifunctional roles of RUNX in mammalian immune responses and tissue homeostasis have led us to appreciate their value in controlling anti-tumor immune responses. Here, we summarize and discuss the role of RUNX in regulating the development and function of lymphocytes responding to foreign and tumorigenic threats and highlight their key roles in anti-tumor immunity.

The role of CDPKs in plant development, nutrient and stress signaling.

The second messenger calcium (Ca2+) is a ubiquitous intracellular signaling molecule found in eukaryotic cells. In plants, the multigene family of calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) plays an important role in regulating plant growth, development, and stress tolerance. CDPKs sense changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and translate them into phosphorylation events that initiate downstream signaling processes. Several functional and expression studies on different CDPKs and their encoding genes have confirmed their multifunctional role in stress. Here, we provide an overview of the signal transduction mechanisms and functional roles of CDPKs. This review includes details on the regulation of secondary metabolites, nutrient uptake, regulation of flower development, hormonal regulation, and biotic and abiotic stress responses.

What Do the Transcriptome and Proteome of Menstrual Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Tell Us about Endometriosis?

Given the importance of menstrual blood in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and the multifunctional roles of menstrual mesenchymal stem cells (MenSCs) in regenerative medicine, this issue has gained prominence in the scientific community. Moreover, recent reviews highlight how robust the integrated assessment of omics data are for endometriosis. To our knowledge, no study has applied the multi-omics approaches to endometriosis MenSCs. This is a case-control study at a university-affiliated hospital. MenSCs transcriptome and proteome data were obtained by RNA-seq and UHPLC-MS/MS detection. Among the differentially expressed proteins and genes, we emphasize ATF3, ID1, ID3, FOSB, SNAI1, NR4A1, EGR1, LAMC3, and ZFP36 genes and MT2A, TYMP, COL1A1, COL6A2, and NID2 proteins that were already reported in the endometriosis. Our functional enrichment analysis reveals integrated modulating signaling pathways such as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (↑) and PI3K signaling via AKT to mTORC1 (↓ in proteome), mTORC1 signaling, TGF beta signaling, TNFA signaling via NFkB, IL6 STAT3 signaling, and response to hypoxia via HIF1A targets (↑ in transcriptome). Our findings highlight primary changes in the endometriosis MenSCs, suggesting that the chronic inflammatory endometrial microenvironment can modulate these cells, providing opportunities for endometriosis etiopathogenesis. Moreover, they identify challenges for future research leveraging knowledge for regenerative and precision medicine in endometriosis.

Enhanced radical generation and utilization efficiency by interfacial enrichment and electronic regulation of CuMnO2/CeO2: Processes and mechanism

As a radical predominant reaction, how to enhance the generation and utilization efficiency of radical through interface regulation then to improve its catalytic activity has been the long-term goal to promote its practical application. Realized the redox carrier may play multifunctional roles in catalytic reaction, CeO2 supported CuMnO2 (CuMnO2/CeO2) was successful constructed and the catalytic performance, reaction process and the relevant mechanism were compared with its simple physical mixed form (CuMnO2 + CeO2). It was found that the introduction of CeO2 provided a large specific surface area to strengthen the enrichment of pollutants at the interface (10 % vs 5 % for ofloxacin and 32 % vs 27 % for tetracycline hydrochloride). In addition, the activated CeO2 support enhanced the interfacial electron transfer process and promoted the generation of more highly active Ce3+ in CuMnO2/CeO2. Their synergistic effects shortened the migration distance from the formed radicals to target pollutants, thus improving the generation and utilization efficiency of radicals. So, the ofloxacin degradation rate in CuMnO2/CeO2 catalytic system was 3.25 times higher than that in CuMnO2 system (0.091 min−1vs 0.028 min−1). Moreover, the ion dissolution experiment further confirmed that the CuMnO2/CeO2 catalytic system can effectively reduce the ion dissolution, which was one of the most important parameters for practical application. Thus, this work proposes a strategy for developing high activity and environmentally friendly heterogeneous Fenton catalysts based on the principles of interface enrichment and electronic regulation.

Investigation of the Gastroprotective Effect of Betaine-Homocysteine Homeostasis on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Apoptosis in Ethanol-Induced Ulcer Model

Background: There is a growing interest in the use of natural compounds for the treatment of gastric ulcers. The multifunctional roles of betaine in various diseases make this natural substance a favorable pre-drug for ulcer treatment. This study aims to determine the competence of betaine in gastroprotection against ethanol-induced damage and to explore underlying mechanisms considering its effects on liver and kidney activity and blood parameters. Methods: Wistar albino rats were orally treated with vehicle (distilled water) or betaine (250 mg/kg) for twenty-one days and then ulcer formation was induced by ingestion of 75% ethanol. Gastric mucosal damage was evaluated by gross examination and histopathological analysis. Homocysteine levels, lipid peroxidation, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TAS), antioxidant enzymes and pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, routine biochemical tests were performed and hematological parameters were analyzed. Results: Betaine ameliorated any gastric mucosal damage and reduced homocysteine levels significantly. The TOS and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were decreased while the TAS, glutathione (GSH) levels and catalase (CAT) activity were increased upon the betaine treatment. Betaine reduced apoptosis by regulating Bax and Bcl-2 levels, however, it did not alter inflammatory mediators. Additionally, betaine improved serum potassium (K+) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, whereas it increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and impaired hematological parameters. Conclusions: Altogether, these data illustrated that betaine exhibits a gastroprotective effect against ulcers through the homocysteine pathway by modulating oxidative stress in the gastric tissue; however, its systemic effects should not be ignored.

Multiple roles for LaFeO3 in enhancing the Photoelectrochemical performance of WO3

For photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, constructing heterojunctions and loading co-catalysts are effective means to realizing sufficient light absorption, effective photogenerated carrier separation and fast charge transport. However, during implementation, the PEC performance of the catalyst is affected by both parasitic light absorption and reflection and the change in energy band structure due to the creation of new interfaces. Herein, in order to minimize the effect of recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs on the catalyst PEC performance due to the nascent interface arising from the co-catalyst compounding, WO3 and Ni/Co co-doped LaFeO3 (LFO) are constructed as heterojunctions, in which NiCo-LFO acts both as a part of the heterojunction to enhance photogenerated carrier separation and a co-catalyst to enhance the conductivity and modulate the surface state density at the catalyst-electrolyte interface. The current density of NiCo-LFO/WO3 reaches 3.92 mA cm−2, which is more than 7 times that of LFO/WO3. This work provides a reference for the efficient water splitting of B-site doped, especially the co-doped perovskite oxide as multifunctional roles integrated with conventional photoelectrodes.

The emerging multifunctional roles ofERAP1, ERAP2 and IRAP between antigen processing and renin-angiotensin system modulation.

The Endoplasmic Reticulum Aminopeptidase 1 and 2 (ERAP1 and ERAP2) and Insulin Regulated Aminopeptidase (IRAP) are three M1 zinc metalloproteases whose role in antigen processing is the refining of peptidome either in the Endoplasmic reticulum (ERAP1 and ERAP2), or in the endosomes (IRAP). However, other novel and distinct functions are emerging. Here, we focus specifically on ERAP2. This gene has a peculiar evolutionary history, being absent in rodents and undergoing in humans to a balanced selection of two haplotypes, one of which not expressing the full length ERAP2. These observations suggest that its role in antigen presentation is not essential. An additional, less investigated role is in the regulation of the Renin Angiotensin System (RAS). ERAP1 and ERAP2 cleave Angiotensin II (Ang II) into Ang III and IV, which counteract the action of Ang II whereas IRAP is itself the receptor for Ang IV. We have recently reported that macrophages, independently from the haplotype, express and release a N-terminus ERAP2 “short” form which directly binds IRAP and the two molecules are co-expressed in the endosomes and on the cell membrane. This new evidence suggests that the maintenance of the ERAP2 gene in humans could be due to its activity in the regulation of the RAS system, possibly as an Ang IV agonist. Its role in the immune-mediated diseases as well as in disorders more specifically related to an imbalance of the RAS system, including hypertension, pre-eclampsia but also viral infections such as COVID-19, is discussed here.