PSMD14 is a 19S-proteasome-associated deubiquitinating enzyme that facilitates protein degradation by the 20S proteasome core particle. Although accumulating evidence indicates that PSMD14 has emerged as a critical oncogenic factor by promoting tumor growth, the expression and function of PSMD14 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain largely unknown. In this study, we assessed PSMD14 expression and correlated it with clinical-pathological features and patient survival in NSCLC. We also determined the roles of PSMD14 in the regulation of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cell growth. The results showed that PSMD14 expression was significantly upregulated in human NSCLC tissues compared with adjacent non-cancerous tissues. The PSMD14 level was associated with tumor size, lymph node invasion, and TNM stage in LUAD patients. Importantly, high PSMD14 expression was associated with poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in LUAD patients. Further, knockdown of PSMD14 significantly inhibited cell growth and caused G1 arrest and cellular senescence by increasing p21 stability in LUAD cells. PSMD14 knockdown also promoted cell apoptosis by increasing cleaved caspase-3 levels in H1299 cells. PSMD14 may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for LUAD patients.

Although H 2 O 2 has been often employed as a green oxidant for many CeO 2catalyzed reactions, the underlying principle of its activation by surface oxygen vacancy (V o ) is still elusive due to the irreversible removal of postgenerated V o by water (or H 2 O 2 ). The metastable V o (ms-V o ) naturally preserved on pristine CeO 2 surfaces was adopted herein for an in-depth study of their interplay with H 2 O 2 . Their well-defined local structures and chemical states were found facet-dependent affecting both the adsorption and subsequent activation of H 2 O 2 . It is concluded that a strong adsorption of H 2 O 2 on ms-V o may not guarantee its subsequent activation. The ms-V o can be only free for the next catalytic cycle when the electron density of surface Ce is high enough to reduce/break the O−O bond of adsorbed H 2 O 2 . This explains the 211.8 and 35.8 times enhancement in H 2 O 2 reactivity when the CeO 2 surface is changed from ( 111) and ( 110) to (100).

The cement industry is a significant CO2 emitter mainly due to the calcinations of raw materials and the combustions of fuels. Some measures have been considered to reduce the CO2 emissions in cement industry, of which alternative raw materials are the most efficient practicing way. In this study, a LCA-based CO2 accounting framework with alternative raw materials was constructed to analyze the CO2 emissions from concrete with different kinds of low carbon substitution, within which cement production process was divided into six stages associated with the environmental impacts. A better routine is expected to understand the environmental hazards of cement products and to optimize the design to reduce adverse environmental impacts.

It is known that the interplay between molecules and active sites on the topmost surface of a solid catalyst determines its activity in heterogeneous catalysis. The electron density of the active site is believed to affect both adsorption and activation of reactant molecules at the surface. Unfortunately, commercial X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which is often adopted for such characterization, is not sensitive enough to analyze the topmost surface of a catalyst. Most researchers fail to acknowledge this point during their catalytic correlation, leading to different interpretations in the literature in recent decades. Recent studies on pristine Cu2O [Nat. Catal. 2019, 2, 889; Nat. Energy 2019, 4, 957] have clearly suggested that the electron density of surface Cu is facet dependent and plays a key role in CO2 reduction. Herein, it is shown that pristine CeO2 can reach 2506/1133 % increase in phosphatase‐/peroxidase‐like activity if the exposed surface is wisely selected. By using NMR spectroscopy with a surface probe, the electron density of the surface Ce (i.e., the active site) is found to be facet dependent and the key factor dictating their enzyme‐mimicking activities. Most importantly, the surface area of the CeO2 morphologies is demonstrated to become a factor only if surface Ce can activate the adsorbed reactant molecules.