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[Display omitted] The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has garnered considerable attention because of its promising prospects in electrochemical energy conversion applications, but a significant challenge is faced by the insufficient understanding of sluggish OER kinetics. In fact, the intrinsic "acceptance-donation" process of electrons between active sites and reactants is responsible for improving OER activity. Herein, we suggest a multielement hybridization strategy to rematch spin electron occupation and energy splitting in high-entropy perovskites with multiple orbital coordination. In this concept, electronic hopping between t 2g and e g orbitals among particular catalytic sites can be obviously enforced due to introducing more favorable energy levels from neighboring metal sites, which can demonstrate multistage orbital hybridization reaction activity. As a result, our proposed multistage-hybridized high-entropy perovskites display an impressive activity of 199.8 mA cm−2 as an overpotential of ∼0.46 V, which is ∼5.3 times that of pristine perovskite. Different from traditional catalyst designs, this study focuses on multistage orbital hybridization and electron exchange interactions through a multisite coordination mechanism to construct a fast reaction pathway. Our findings provide a new strategy for accelerating OER catalytic kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface defects were introduced into La 2 TiO 5 nanoparticles, which possessed the following obvious advantages: (1) improving the absorption capacity of visible light and broadening the spectral response range; (2) the formation of defect energy levels is conducive to the transition of electrons; (3) oxygen vacancy can further improve the photocatalytic activity. The yield of photocatalytic nitrogen fixation under simulated sunlight could reach 158.13 μmol·g−1·h−1 and the photocatalytic mechanism was systematically studied. [Display omitted] • Defective La 2 TiO 5 nanpparticles with broad visible light absorption were obtained. • Without any precious metal co-catalyst, the NH 3 yield of photocatalyst under simulated sunlight irradiation was 158.13 μmol·g−1·h−1. Highly active and efficient photocatalysts are crucial for the exploration of ammonia synthesis because of the serious problem of energy deficiency. La 2 TiO 5 (LTO) perovskite materials have great advantages in the field of photocatalytic nitrogen fixation because of the broadly diversified properties. The rational design of surface defect is a valid method to modulate photoinduced charge traps and create defect energy levels, especially it is an effective way to suppress the photoinduced charge recombination. Herein, LTO was obtained by a simple sol-gel method and was further reduced by NaBH 4 to introduce oxygen defect on its surface. UV–vis spectra proved that the surface defects could reduce the band gap value of samples, which is beneficial for improving photocatalytic nitrogen fixation activity. For the best photocatalytic samples with good cycle stability, the nitrogen fixation rate is 158.13 μmol·g−1·h−1. The mechanism of photocatalytic nitrogen fixation was proposed by the PL, XPS, and PEC results, which provided possibilities for exploring more promising perovskite catalysts in the field of nitrogen fixation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnFe 2 O 4 -BP 3D core-shell microcavity structure were prepared with Zn-P bonds as the carrier transfer bridge. This design strategy has the following significant advantages: (1) strengthening the interaction between the two semiconductors through the construction of Zn-P bonds; (2) providing the carrier transfer channel and reaction active center to improve the carrier separation ability; (3) optimizing the gibbs free energy of BP fundamentally by the regulation of electronic configuration; (4) maintaining the multiple reflections of sunlight inside the catalyst thanks to the construction of microcavity structure. As a result, an optimized photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of 2160 μmol h-1g−1 under sunlight irradiation and 560 µmol h-1g−1 under near-infrared light (>820 nm) can be achieved. The photocatalytic mechanism is systematically investigated based on a series of experimental characterization and theoretical calculation. [Display omitted] Black phosphorus (BP) is one of the most promising visible-near-infrared light-driven photocatalysts with favorite photoelectric properties and unique tunable direct band gap. Nevertheless, the further development of BP is hindered by the fast carrier recombination rate and high Gibbs free energy. Herein, an innovative strategy is developed for the controllable construction of Zn-P bonds induced zinc ferrite/black phosphorus (ZnFe 2 O 4 -BP) three dimensions (3D) microcavity structure. The Zn-P bonds serve as an efficient channel to optimize the carrier transport and Gibbs free energy of BP simultaneously. Besides, the unique 3D core-shell microcavity structure maintains the multiple reflections of sunlight inside the catalysts, which greatly improves the sunlight utilization upon photocatalysis. An optimized photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of 560 µmol h-1g-1 under near-infrared light (>820 nm) is achieved. A possible photocatalytic mechanism is proposed based on a series of experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations, this work provides a new sight to design high-quantity BP-based full-spectrum photocatalysts for solar energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have suggested that air pollutants combine exposure have greater adverse effects. However, limited studies were available on the combined toxicity of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) and benzo[ a ]pyrene (B[ a ]P). The study was to evaluate the toxic effect and mechanisms of low-dose exposure of SiNPs, B[ a ]P and co-exposure in zebrafish embryos. In this study, zebrafish embryos received intravenous microinjection of SiNPs and B[ a ]P, and then was used to select differentially expressed genes by microarray analysis. Multiple bioinformatics analyses and STC analysis were done to identify key genes, pathways and biological processes and the expression trend of genes in each group. 1) 3065 differentially expressed genes were identified in zebrafish embryos. 2) These differentially expressed genes were involved in multiple biological processes and cellular processes such as immunity, response to stimuli, cell proliferation, adhesion, signaling transduction, and embryonic development. 3) Dynamic Gene Network analysis was used to identify a subgroup of 26 core genes that involved in multiple biological processes and cellular processes. 4) Pathway analysis and Signal-net analysis indicated that the MAPK signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, PI3k/Akt signaling pathway, and several pathways associated with immune response were the most prominent significant pathways induced by co-exposure of SiNPs and B[ a ]P in zebrafish embryos. Our study demonstrated that the molecular actions of co-treated with SiNPs and B[ a ]P on the immune system, inflammatory process and cardiovascular development had more severe toxicity than single exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most common and aggressive cancers worldwide, and novel therapeutic strategies are urgently required to improve clinical outcome. Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and sorafenib are widely used as anti-tumor agents against various malignancies. In this study, we investigated the combined effects of IFN-α and sorafenib against HCC. We demonstrated that the combination therapy synergistically suppressed HCC cellular viability, arrested cell cycle propagation and induced apoptosis in HCC cells. Further research revealed that IFN-α and sorafenib collaboratively regulated the expression levels of cell cycle-related proteins Cyclin A and Cyclin B as well as the pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. Moreover, sorafenib inhibited IFN-α induced oncogenic signaling of STAT3, AKT and ERK but not the activation of the tumor suppressor STAT1. Xenograft experiments also confirmed the combined effects of IFN-α and sorafenib on tumor growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in vivo. In conclusion, these results provide rationale for the clinical application of IFN-α and sorafenib combination therapy in HCC treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An MgAl-NO3-layered double hydroxide (LDH) precursor has been prepared by a method involving separate nucleation and aging steps (SNAS). Reaction with iminodiacetic acid (IDA) under weakly acidic conditions led to the replacement of the interlayer nitrate anions by iminodiacetic acid anions. The product was characterized by XRD, FT-IR, TG-DTA, ICP, elemental analysis and SEM. The results show that the original interlayer nitrate anions of LDHs precursor were replaced by iminodiacetic acid anions and that the resulting intercalation product MgAl-IDA-LDH has an ordered crystalline structure. MgAl-IDA-LDH was mixed with low density polyethylene (LDPE) using a masterbatch method. LDPE films filled with MgAl-IDA-LDH showed a higher mid to far infrared absorption than films filled with MgAl-CO3-LDH in the 7–25μm range, particularly in the key 9–11μm range required for application in agricultural plastic films. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hypoglycemia is a common adverse reaction to glucose-lowering treatment. Diabetes mellitus (DM) combined with recurrent nonsevere hypoglycemia (RH) can accelerate cognitive decline. Currently, the metabolic pattern changes in cognition-related brain regions caused by this combined effect of DM and RH (DR) remain unclear. In this study, we first characterized the metabolic profiles of the hippocampus in mice exposed to DR using non-targeted metabolomic platforms. Our results showed that DR induced a unique metabolic pattern in the hippocampus, and several significant differences in metabolite levels belonging to the histidine metabolism pathway were discovered. Based on these findings, in the follow-up experiment, we found that histidine treatment could attenuate the cognitive impairment and rescue the neuronal and synaptic damage induced by DR in the hippocampus, which are closely related to ameliorated mitochondrial injury. These findings provide new insights into the metabolic mechanisms of the hippocampus in the progression of DR, and l -histidine supplementation may be a potential metabolic therapy in the future. • Found novel metabolic changes of recurrent nonsevere hypoglycemia in diabetic mice. • New metabolic changes may have some impact on cognitive function in diabetic mice. • Histidine treatment may have neuroprotective effects in diabetic mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ag or Au nanoparticles were deposited on ZnIn 2 S 4 via in situ sulfur vacancy induced metal precursor reduction approach. • ZIS/Ag(Au)/FeTCPP system was applied for CO 2 photoreduction. • Ag function as a promoter for interfacial charge transfer from ZnIn 2 S 4 to the FeTCPP and greatly facilitates the CO production. • The loaded Au is beneficial to H 2 generation. The construction of hybrid catalysts composed of inorganic semiconductors and molecular catalysts shows great potential for achieving high photocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO 2) conversion efficiency. In this study, ZnIn 2 S 4 was first synthesized via a solvothermal route. Gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles were then deposited on ZnIn 2 S 4 via the reduction of noble metal precursor by sulfur vacancy defects. The obtained composite was further combined with tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin iron(III) chloride (FeTCPP) molecular catalyst for efficient photocatalytic CO 2 conversion. The roles of different noble metal nanoparticles in charge separation and interfacial electron transfer have been comprehensively studied. The photocatalytic performance and photoelectrochemical characterizations demonstrate that the introduction of Ag or Au nanoparticles is beneficial for charge separation. More importantly, the presence of Ag nanoparticles plays a crucial role in promoting the interfacial charge transfer between ZnIn 2 S 4 and FeTCPP, whereas, Au nanoparticles function as active sites for the water reduction reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 1T-phase MoS 2 nanoparticles were successfully in-situ grown on B-doped g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets. • 1T-MoS 2 /CNB2 shows excellent hydrogen production activity (5334 μmol g−1 h−1, λ > 420 nm). • The corresponding mechanism is proposed based on DFT calculations and TA studies. The high photogenerated carrier recombination rate and the low visible light utilization limit the development of graphitic carbon nitride (CN) in industrial photocatalytic H 2 generation. Herein, 1T-phase MoS 2 nanoparticles with high conductivity and more active sites are in-situ grown on B-doped carbon nitride (CNB) nanosheets through a one-step hydrothermal method. The doping of boron element effectively improves the harvesting visible light ability by tuning the energy gap, while the introduction of 1T-phase MoS 2 successfully increases the carrier transfer rate by suppressing charge trapping. An optimized H 2 production activity of 5334 μmol h−1 g−1 with the apparent quantum efficiency of 10.2% is achieved by 1T-MoS 2 /CNB sample, which is 167 times higher than that of pure CN. The mechanism is systematically illustrated by the combination of DFT calculations and transient absorption measurements. This work provides a new way for the construction of transition metal-derived co-catalysts in photocatalytic hydrogen energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis protein (IAP) family, and has been reported to exhibit elevated expression levels in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and promote cell survival, metastasis and tumor recurrence. Targeting XIAP has proven effective for the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and restoration of cancer cell chemosensitivity. Arsenic (or sodium arsenite) is a potent anti-tumor agent used to treat patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Additionally, arsenic induces cell growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human HCC cells. In this study, we identified XIAP as a target for sodium arsenite-induced cytotoxicity in HCC. The exposure of HCC cell lines to sodium arsenite resulted in inhibition of XIAP expression in both a dose- and time-dependent manner. Sodium arsenite blocked the de novo XIAP synthesis and the activity of its internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element. Moreover, treatment with sodium arsenite decreased the protein stability of XIAP and induced its ubiquitin–proteasomal degradation. Overexpression of XIAP attenuated the pro-apoptotic effect of sodium arsenite in HCC. Taken together, our data demonstrate that sodium arsenite suppresses XIAP expression via translational and post-translational mechanisms in HCC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] Design of highly efficient heterojunctions for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is of significant importance to address the energy shortage and environmental crisis. Nevertheless, the smart design of semiconductor-based heterojunctions at the atomic scale still remains a significant challenge hitherto. Herein, we report novel atomic CdS/ZnIn 2 S 4 heterojunctions by in-situ epitaxially growing 2D ZnIn 2 S 4 nanosheets onto the surface of 1D defective CdS nanorods. The strong electronic coupling between defective CdS and ZnIn 2 S 4 is confirmed by transient photocurrent response measurements, •O 2 − and •OH radicals experiments, and PL results, leading to accelerated interfacial charge separation and transfer. Additionally, the elevated charge transfer and electronic coupling are further confirmed by theoretical calculations. Consequently, CdS/ZnIn 2 S 4 hybrids exhibit superior photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity to pristine CdS. Our findings offer a new paradigm for designing atomic 1D/2D heterojunctions for efficient solar-driven energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofiltration (NF) membranes, extensively used in advanced wastewater treatment, have broad application prospects for the removal of emerging trace organic micropollutants (MPs). The treatment performance is affected by several factors, such as the properties of NF membranes, characteristics of target MPs, and operating conditions of the NF system concerning MP rejection. However, quantitative studies on different contributors in this context are limited. To fill the knowledge gap, this study aims to assess critical impact factors controlling MP rejection and develop a feasible model for MP removal prediction. The mini-review firstly summarized membrane pore size, membrane zeta potential, and the normalized molecular size (λ = r s /r p), showeing better individual relationships with MP rejection by NF membranes. The Lindeman-Merenda-Gold model was used to quantitatively assess the relative importance of all summarized impact factors. The results showed that membrane pore size and operating pressure were the high impact factors with the highest relative contribution rates to MP rejection of 32.11% and 25.57%, respectively. Moderate impact factors included membrane zeta potential, solution pH, and molecular radius with relative contribution rates of 10.15%, 8.17%, and 7.83%, respectively. The remaining low impact factors, including MP charge, molecular weight, logKow, pKa and crossflow rate, comprised all the remaining contribution rates of 16.19% through the model calculation. Furthermore, based on the results and data availabilities from references, the machine learning-based random forest regression model was trained with a relatively low root mean squared error and mean absolute error of 12.22% and 6.92%, respectively. The developed model was then successfully applied to predict MPs' rejections by NF membranes. These findings provide valuable insights that can be applied in the future to optimize NF membrane designs, operation, and prediction in terms of removing micropollutants. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are found frequently in patients and mice bearing tumors, which derived from immature myeloid cells. In healthy individuals, immature myeloid cells formed in the bone marrow differentiating to dendritic cells, macrophages and neutrophils. However, it is unclear whether some gene deficiency will lead to MDSCs accumulation in mice without bearing tumor. Here, we observed that MDSCs accumulated in the bone marrow of matrix metalloproteinase 12 knockout mice (MMP12 −/− mice) compared with wild type mice (MMP12 +/+ mice). And the number of CD4 + cells dramatically decreased, regulatory T cells was up-regulation and MDSCs function were determined. The results suggested that immune surveillance have been impaired in MMP12 −/− transgenic mice. After intravenous administration of B16 murine melanoma cells, MMP12 −/− mice developed more metastatic pulmonary nodules than MMP12 +/+ mice. Meanwhile, more MDSCs appeared in the tumors of MMP12 −/− mice compared with those of MMP12 +/+ mice. Mechanistically, we performed a MDSC blocking assay, finding that blockade of MDSCs resulted in reducing growth of tumors in MMP12 −/− mice. Furthermore, we ascertained that macrophages in MMP12 −/− mice abundantly secrete IL-1β in bone marrow which induce the accumulation of MDSCs in the bone marrow. Together, these results demonstrated that the macrophages in MMP12 −/− mice could crosstalk with myeloid cells through IL-1β, inducing MDSCs accumulation, then contributing to tumor growth. It has revealed that the critical roles of macrophage in myeloid cells differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop an automatic welding quality classification method for the spot welding based on the Chernoff face image created by the electrode displacement signal features, an effective pattern feature extraction method was proposed by which the Chernoff face images were converted to binary ones, and each binary image could be characterized by a binary matrix. According to expression categories on the Chernoff face images, welding quality was classified into five levels and each level just corresponded to a kind of expression. The Hopfield associative memory neural network was used to build a welding quality classifier in which the pattern feature matrices of some weld samples with different welding quality levels were remembered as the stable states. When the pattern feature matrix of a test weld is input into the classifier, it can be converged to the most similar stable state through associative memory, thus, welding quality corresponding to this finally locked stable state can represent the welding quality of the test weld. The classification performance test results show that the proposed method significantly improves the applicability and efficiency of the Chernoff faces technique for spot welding quality evaluation and it is feasible, effective and reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a visual and reliable weld quality assessment method for resistant spot welding, the electrode displacement signal was measured and analyzed. Some statistical features closely related to the weld quality were extracted. The multi-dimensional extracted features from the signal were sketched as Chernoff face which characterizes the welding quality through the different facial expressions. The weld quality was summarized as four levels, namely poor, good, excellent and expulsion, and each level corresponded to one kind of facial expression. By visual judgment, good or bad welds were identified accurately and rapidly even though the weld was made under abnormal welding conditions. In particular, the visual characteristic makes the diagnostic procedure for welding quality easily understood and interpreted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glipizide, a second-generation sulfonylurea, has been widely used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, it is controversial whether or not glipizide would affect angiogenesis or vasculogenesis. In the present study, we used early chick embryo model to investigate the effect of glipizide on angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, which are the two major processes for embryonic vasculature formation as well as tumor neovascularization. We found that Glipizide suppressed both angiogenesis in yolk-sac membrane (YSM) and blood island formation during developmental vasculogenesis. Glipizide did not affect either the process of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) or mesoderm cell migration. In addition, it did not interfere with separation of smooth muscle cell progenitors from hemangioblasts. Moreover, natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPRA) has been identified as the putative target for glipizide׳s inhibitory effect on vasculogenesis. When NPRA was overexpressed or activated, blood island formation was reduced. NPRA signaling may play a crucial role in the effect of glipizide on vasculogenesis during early embryonic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 70% of all lung cancer-related deaths worldwide. Prognostic markers are essential for the early detection of lung cancer in patients. In this study, we first identified microRNA146 (miR-146) expression in cancer cell lines using miRNA in situ hybridization (MISH) and confirmed the accuracy of MISH using q-RT-PCR. In addition, two different systems, BCIP/NBT and ELF, were used to detect the signal for a comparative analysis of the specificity of MISH. Compared to the BCIP/NBT system, the ELF detection system was more effective for MISH. Furthermore we detected the expression of miR-146 in NSCLC tissues (43 cases) and normal tissues (32 cases). Based on our results, we can conclude that miR-146 is more highly expressed in cancer tissue than normal tissue (t-test, P<0.05) and that miR-146 can predict the prognosis of NSCLC by MISH. Our findings preliminary demonstrate that MISH can be applied as a molecular diagnostic tool to determine the expression and localization of miRNAs in cancer tissues and that miR-146, determined by MISH, predicts the prognosis of NSCLC patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: CLEC-2 is a C-type lectin-like receptor and plays an important role in platelet activation. Snake venom toxin rhodocytin and the endogenous sialoglycoprotein podoplanin are identified as ligands for CLEC-2 and function as stimulators in platelet activation. We also previously indentified two splice variants of murine CLEC-2 as well as a soluble fragment cleaved from the full-length form. However, little is known about the interacting partners with the cytoplasmic region of CLEC-2. In this study, we reported that RACK1, the receptor for activated C-kinase 1, associated with the cytoplasmic tail of CLEC-2. Moreover, overexpression of RACK1 decreased the stability of CLEC-2 through promoting its ubiquitin–proteasome degradation, without impairing surface expression and downstream signaling of CLEC-2. Taken together, these results suggest RACK1 as a novel modulator of CLEC-2 expression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers among women in both developed and developing countries with a rising incidence. Using the MMTV-PyMT transgenic mouse model and xenografted breast cancer model, we found that R5, a neutralizing antibody to Robo1, significantly inhibited BC growth and metastasis. Angiogenesis is involved in the growth and metastasis of BC. Interestingly, R5 significantly decreases microvessel density in BC tissues, and inhibits blood vessel formation and development in in vivo chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), yolk sac membrane (YSM) and Matrigel plug models. To investigate whether its anti-breast cancer efficacy is ascribed to its direct antiangiogenic properties, xenografted breast cancer model on CAM was established. Furthermore, R5 significantly reduces the tube formation of the vascular plexus on xenografted breast tumor on CAM. R5 also suppresses the migration and the tubular structure formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by down-regulating the expression of filamin A (FLNA). These findings show that R5 has the potential to be a promising agent for the treatment of BC by suppressing the tumor-induced angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) has rising morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, no ALK inhibitor has been approved by the FDA for single treatment of ALK rearrangement-positive ALCL. In this study, we investigated the antitumor effect of ZYY, a novel ALK inhibitor, showing a strong growth inhibitory effect on Karpas299 cells in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, ZYY significantly reduced the mRNA and protein expression of ALK and its downstream signaling proteins in Karpas299 cells. Furthermore, ZYY induced G1 phase arrest and promoted apoptosis in Karpas299 cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ZYY-induced apoptosis was mainly related to the mitochondria-dependent endogenous pathway. In vitro studies further showed that ZYY induced autophagy in Karpas299 cells, along with increased levels of the autophagy-related proteins, including LC3II and Beclin-1. Moreover, knockdown Beclin-1 and application of autophagy inhibitor chloroquine potentiated ZYY-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in vitro , indicating that cytoprotective autophagy might be triggered by ZYY in Karpas299 cells. Taken together, the novel ALK inhibitor ZYY has tremendous potential for treating human ALCL, and a combination of autophagy and ALK inhibition could effectively elicit potent antitumor effects. • ZYY is a novel synthetic ALK inhibitor derived from ceritinib. • ZYY inhibits Karpas299 cell growth in vitro and in vivo without evident toxicity. • ZYY induces apoptosis and autophagy in Karpas299 cells. • Autophagy inhibition enhances ZYY-induced Karpas299 cell apoptosis and cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]