Two‐dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), a rising star in the post‐graphene era, are fundamentally and technologically intriguing for photocatalysis. Their extraordinary electronic, optical, and chemical properties endow them as promising materials for effectively harvesting light and catalyzing the redox reaction in photocatalysis. Here, we present a tutorial‐style review of the field of 2D TMDs for photocatalysis to educate researchers (especially the new‐comers), which begins with a brief introduction of the fundamentals of 2D TMDs and photocatalysis along with the synthesis of this type of material, then look deeply into the merits of 2D TMDs as co‐catalysts and active photocatalysts, followed by an overview of the challenges and corresponding strategies of 2D TMDs for photocatalysis, and finally look ahead this topic.

The nitrogen-to-ammonia conversion is one of the most important and challenging processes in chemistry.

Autophagy defect has been shown to be correlated with malignant phenotype and poor prognosis of human cancers, however, the detailed mechanisms remain obscure. In this study, we investigated the biological changes induced by autophagy inhibition in gastric cancer. We showed that inhibition of autophagy in gastric cancer cells promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis, alters metabolic phenotype from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis and converts cell phenotype toward malignant, which maybe further contribute to chemoresistance and poor prognosis of gastric cancer. We also identified that the EMT and metabolism alterations induced by autophagy inhibition were dependent on ROS-NF-κB-HIF-1α pathway. More importantly, scavenging of ROS by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) attenuated activation of NF-κB and HIF-1α in autophagydeficient gastric cancer cells, and autophagy inhibition induced metastasis and glycolysis were also diminished by NAC in vivo. Taken together, our findings suggested that autophagy defect promotes metastasis and glycolysis of gastric cancer, and antioxidants could be used to improve disease outcome for gastric cancer patients with autophagy defect.

Nitrogen‐doped carbon materials (N‐Cmat) are emerging as low‐cost metal‐free electrocatalysts for the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), although the activities are still unsatisfactory and the genuine active site is still under debate. We demonstrate that the CO2RR to CO preferentially takes place on pyridinic N rather than pyrrolic N using phthalocyanine (Pc) and porphyrin with well‐defined N‐Cmat configurations as molecular model catalysts. Systematic experiments and theoretic calculations further reveal that the CO2RR performance on pyridinic N can be significantly boosted by electronic modulation from in‐situ‐generated metallic Co nanoparticles. By introducing Co nanoparticles, Co@Pc/C can achieve a Faradaic efficiency of 84 % and CO current density of 28 mA cm−2 at −0.9 V, which are 18 and 47 times higher than Pc/C without Co, respectively. These findings provide new insights into the CO2RR on N‐Cmat, which may guide the exploration of cost‐effective electrocatalysts for efficient CO2 reduction.

This review summarizes the recent progress of DPP-based conjugated materials, including small molecules and conjugated polymers, for application in non-fullerene organic solar cells.

Prospective epidemiological studies have consistently suggested that pancreatic cancer-associated new-onset diabetes mellitus (PC-DM) represents a potential platform for early diagnose of pancreatic cancer (PC). Despite the studies performed, the mechanism behind this phenomenon remains ambiguous. In this study, we explored the effects of two types of exosomes released by murine pancreatic cancer and ductal epithelial cells on murine skeletal muscle cells. The results show that PC-derived exosomes can readily enter C2C12 myotubes, triggering lipidosis and glucose intake inhibition. We also demonstrate that PC-derived exosomes can inhibit insulin and PI3K/Akt signalling, in which insulin-induced FoxO1 nuclear exclusion is preserved and Glut4 trafficking is impaired. Microarray and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses show that exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) probably play key roles in this process, an assumption that is corroborated by in vitro studies. These results confirm that the insulin resistance (IR) of skeletal muscle cells is governed by PC-derived exosomes through the insulin and PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signalling pathways, where exosomal miRNAs potentially contribute to this phenomenon. These novel findings pave the way towards a comprehensive understanding of the cancer theories: “metabolic reprogramming” and “metabolic crosstalk”.

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Reliable real-time probabilistic flood forecasting is critical for effective water management and flood protection all over the world. In this study, we develop a real-time probabilistic channel flood-forecasting model by combining a channel hydraulic model with the Bayesian particle filter approach. The new model is tested in Highlights • A real-time flood-forecasting model is proposed by assimilating real-time stage observations into a hydraulic model.