Drs. Young Kyu Hwang, Jihoon Kim, and Kyung-Ryul Oh at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) reported a novel one-pot catalytic reaction using platinum (Pt)-based transfer hydrogenation to convert xylose—a sugar commonly derived from agricultural waste such as corn cobs and birch bark—into two value-added chemicals: xylonic acid (a pharmaceutical precursor) and xylitol (a bioplastic and sweetener feedstock).

A collaborative research team comprising Nam Dong Kim and Yongho Joo of the Center for Functional Composite Materials Research at the Jeonbuk Branch of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Sang-Rok Oh) and Professor Jinwoo Lee of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST, President Kwang-Hyung Lee) has announced the development of a polymer electrolyte with dramatically improved ionic conductivity usingonly a small amount of additives.

Objective

Colorectal cancer (CRC), a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract, poses a worldwide threat to human health. Methods: This study conducted a narrative literature review to assess and provide perspectives on the evolving understanding of dietary nutrients and one-carbon metabolism in the context of colorectal cancer.

Results

Certain nutrients can serve as precursor (methionine and serine) or cofactor (B vitamins) for one-carbon (1C) units, participating in 1C metabolism through a network of interrelated biochemical pathways that involve the transfer of 1C units. 1C metabolism, in turn, affects tumor cell fate through several mechanisms such as nucleotide synthesis, epigenetic modifications, redox homeostasis, and the interaction with gut microbiota, all of which are implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of CRC.

Conclusions

A deeper understanding of the intricate relationships between the three offers new insights into the mechanism of 1C metabolism in the development of CRC, the role of diet in modulating one-carbon metabolism and potential therapeutic interventions for cancer.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex genetic neurodegenerative disorder. Epidemiology genetic discoveries have increased our understanding of the molecular contributors to Parkinson’s pathophysiology, especially when associated with the advent of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) technologies in the discovery of the risk linked to common germline genetic variants. The biggest limitation of those studies on genetic susceptibility to PD is the lack of information describing the impact of individuals’ ancestry on risk associations, especially in non-European populations. Current genetic data are mainly based on individuals of European origin, particularly those included in the UK biobank project. The effects of these ethical discrepancies can directly impact the discovery of risk variants associated with PD susceptibility and clinical management of PD patients in admixture populations, for example. Thus, we performed a PROSPERO-registered systematic review to elucidate the current state of the art about the role of common genetic variants based on GWAS studies in advancing precision medicine for PD susceptibility and pathobiology in multiethnic and non-European populations. Also, we discuss whether there are similarities or discrepancies of these data in relation to genomic data obtained in studies with PD patients of European origin.

Research shows it’s the end of the work week, the month and year that financial investors should treat carefully. This study shows those end-of-period times lead to optimism. Feeling optimistic can spur investors to take more risks than they normally would, though with sub-optimal returns.

A research team has uncovered how ethylene, a key plant hormone, enhances peanut seed germination by modulating hormonal pathways and promoting metabolic processes.

Inexpensive and easily available raw materials combined with practical and efficient preparation technology is an important direction for the future development of microwave absorption materials. In this study, coal tar pitch (CTP), an advantageous resource with low cost and wide source, be used as the carbon source. Hypercrosslinked porous polymers are prepared by crosslinking aromatic compounds in CTP based on the classical Friedel-Crafts reaction. Porous carbon (PC) microwave absorption materials will be prepared by high-temperature carbonization.

The study achieves efficient electrocatalysis for the electrooxidation reaction in multi-electrolyte systems by synergistically modulating structure and electronic coupling through rational design. The research team established novel principles for controlling the morphology and performance of MOFs: formation of nano-flower structure requires co-existence of Ni site and Fc ligand, doping of Fe sites promotes 3D crystal morphology development, which marks a pioneering advance in the field. Among them, the Bimetallic Dual-Ligand MOF: NFBF (6:2) exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic performance (210 mV at 10 mA·cm^-2). Operando Raman spectroscopy and XAFS reveal the electronic restructuring feature of NFBF (6:2) during the catalytic OER process. Combined with DFT calculations, which identify Ni as the catalytic active site, these investigations uncover significant electronic migration and redistribution, substantially reducing the reaction energy barrier and accelerating the catalytic process. Comprehensive exploration demonstrates that NFBF (6:2) not only performs well under various multi-electrolyte conditions but also maintains a nearly consistent catalytic mechanism. Furthermore, when applied to overall water splitting, (+) NFBF (6:2) | | NFBF (6:2) (-) achieves significant catalytic effects in both alkaline freshwater (1.40 V at 10 mA·cm^-2) and seawater (1.44 V at 10 mA· cm^-2) electrolyzers. This work highlights the crucial role of electronic coupling in optimizing electrocatalytic performance and offers new insights for addressing mitigating environmental pollution, embodying substantial practical and research potential.