The development of efficient water oxidation catalytic interfaces has become a demanding challenge to fulfill the promise of water splitting for clean energy conversion and storage. The present work reports on the use of a Cu 2+ -macrocycle, formed by the interaction of copper perchlorate hexahydrate with ethylenediamine and 1,4-bis(2-carboxyaldehyde phenoxy)butane, as precursors for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on anode. In alkaline solution, using potassium borate electrolyte (pH 12.0) as electrolyte, the catalytic onset potential was less than 0.80 V, reflecting an overpotential of 524 mV for a catalytic current density of 1 mA cm −2 . The OER activity was much higher when compared to Cu 2+ (e.g., Cu(OAc) 2 ), which converts under these conditions into OER inactive Cu(OH) 2 precipitate in solution. The interest of this complex is that it can be used as homogeneous OER catalyst but can be in addition electrochemically deposited on electrode materials, where it maintained its robust electrocatalytic activity for the OER. Surface-supported thin catalytic film was grown on glassy carbon and indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes upon the application of a potential of 1.1 V for 5 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate the preferential formation of Cu 2 O. Remarkably, under applied anodic potential of 1.1 V vs SCE, the ITO/Cu 2 O anode efficiently catalyze water oxidation by evolving oxygen. The overpotential was determined as 400 mV vs NHE at 1 mA cm −2 . This anode maintained a current density of about 5.1 mA cm −2 for 5 h with a recession of about 11%. In addition, the same ITO/Cu 2 O anode could be used for several OER experiments without loss of activity.
In a study designed to identify the neuropathological features typical of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), we reviewed the sural nerve biopsy findings in 105 patients with this disorder. The patients' mean age at biopsy was 49 years. In 65% of patients the disease had a progressive and in 35% a relapsing-remitting course. In 47% of cases the disorder was idiopathic; the remainder had various concurrent conditions. All sural nerve biopsy specimens showed varying amounts of active demyelination associated with onion bulbs (48% of cases), endoneurial edema (55%) and inflammatory infiltrates (25%). The immunopathological hallmarks were T cell infiltration with macrophagic activation and up-regulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expression, without B cell infiltration or immunoglobulin deposition on myelin sheaths. In 30% of cases some myelin sheaths showed C3d deposition. Analysis of proinflammatory cytokine expression invariably showed interleukin-1 in perivascular and endoneurial ramified cells and tumor necrosis factor-alpha prevalently in epineurial macrophages, whereas it detected interferon-gamma only in samples with perivascular inflammatory cells. This immunological pattern suggests that the cellular components of immunity play the major role in CIDP. In 19% of cases the neuropathological changes had a focal distribution. This distinctive feature corresponded to more active demyelination, more frequent detection of inflammatory infiltrates and more prominent immunological activation, suggesting that focal involvement is a possible step in the course of the disease.
Many investigations have demonstrated the prophylactic effect of Nigella sativa on asthma disease. One of its active constituents is α-hederin. In the present study, the preventive effect of two different concentrations of α-hederin on tracheal responsiveness and lung inflammation in ovalbumin-sensitized guinea pigs was examined. Forty male adult Dunkin-Hartley guinea pigs were randomly divided into the control (C), sensitized (S) and sensitized pretreated groups with thymoquinone (3 mg/kg i.p., S + TQ), low-dose α-hederin (0.3 mg/kg i.p., S + LAH) and high-dose α-hederin (3 mg/kg i.p., S + HAH). The responsiveness of tracheal smooth muscle (TR) to methacholine, histamine and ovalbumin was assessed. Moreover, total and differential white blood cell counts in lung lavage fluid were examined. Compared with the S group, the mean EC50 value in the S + LAH group increased significantly (p < 0.05). The mean EC50 value of histamine contraction in the S + LAH and S + HAH groups was significantly higher than in the S group (p < 0.05). In all pretreated groups, the TR to ovalbumin decreased in comparison to the S group (p < 0.001). Both the S + HAH and S + LAH groups showed significantly decreased TR compared to the S + TQ group (p < 0.01-p < 0.01). Total WBC and eosinophil counts in all pretreated groups decreased significantly in comparison with the S group (0.001-0.01). There was a significant increase in neutrophil, lymphocyte and monocyte counts in the pretreated groups compared to the S group (p < 0.001-p < 0.05). The basophil count in the S + TQ and S + HAH groups was significantly lower than in the S group (p < 0.01-p < 0.05). This study suggested that α-hederin has anti-inflammatory and bronchodilatory effects like thymoquinone.
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