Copper nanocatalysts are among the
most promising candidates
to
drive the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, the stability of such catalysts during operation
is sub-optimal, and improving this aspect of catalyst behavior remains
a challenge. Here, we synthesize well-defined and tunable CuGa nanoparticles
(NPs) and demonstrate that alloying Cu with Ga considerably improves
the stability of the nanocatalysts. In particular, we discover that
CuGa NPs containing 17 at. % Ga preserve most of their CO2RR activity for at least 20 h while Cu NPs of the same size reconstruct
and lose their CO2RR activity within 2 h. Various characterization
techniques, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and operando
X-ray absorption spectroscopy, suggest that the addition of Ga suppresses
Cu oxidation at open-circuit potential (ocp) and induces significant
electronic interactions between Ga and Cu. Thus, we explain the observed
stabilization of the Cu by Ga as a result of the higher oxophilicity
and lower electronegativity of Ga, which reduce the propensity of
Cu to oxidize at ocp and enhance the bond strength in the alloyed
nanocatalysts. In addition to addressing one of the major challenges
in CO2RR, this study proposes a strategy to generate NPs
that are stable under a reducing reaction environment.
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common autosomal codominant disorder, characterized by elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels causing premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. About 2900 variants of LDLR, APOB, and PCSK9 genes potentially associated with FH have been described earlier. Nevertheless, the genetics of FH in a Russian population is poorly understood. The aim of this study is to present data on the spectrum of LDLR, APOB, and PCSK9 gene variants in a cohort of 595 index Russian patients with FH, as well as an additional systematic analysis of the literature for the period of 1995–2020 on LDLR, APOB and PCSK9 gene variants described in Russian patients with FH. We used targeted and whole genome sequencing to search for variants. Accordingly, when combining our novel data and the data of a systematic literature review, we described 224 variants: 187 variants in LDLR, 14 variants in APOB, and 23 variants in PCSK9. A significant proportion of variants, 81 of 224 (36.1%), were not described earlier in FH patients in other populations and may be specific for Russia. Thus, this study significantly supplements knowledge about the spectrum of variants causing FH in Russia and may contribute to a wider implementation of genetic diagnostics in FH patients in Russia.
Aim. To analyze the structure of clinical data, as well as the principles of collecting and storing related data of the biobank of the National Medical Research Center for Therapy and Preventive Medicine (hereinafter Biobank).Material and methods. The analysis was carried out using the documentation available in the Biobank, as well as the databases used in its work. The paper presents clinical data on biosamples available in the Biobank as of August 18, 2021.Results. At the time of analysis, the Biobank had 373547 samples collected from 54192 patients within 37 research projects. The article presents the analysis of data representation and quantitative assessment of the presence/absence of common diagnoses in clinical projects. Approaches to documenting clinical information associated with biological samples stored in the Biobank were assessed. The methods and tools used for standardization and automation of processes used in the Biobank were substantiated.Conclusion. The Biobank of the National Medical Research Center for Therapy and Preventive Medicine is the largest research biobank in Russia, which meets all modern international requirements and is one of the key structures that improve the research quality and intensify their conduct both within the one center and in cooperation with other biobanks and scientific institutions. The collection and systematic storage of clinical abstracts of biological samples is an integral and most important part of the Biobank’s work.
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