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Biologically active bacterial cellulose (BC) was efficiently synthesized in situ using wine pomace and its hydrolysate. The structural and biomechanical properties together with the biological functions of the BC were investigated. Functional BC from wine pomace and its enzymatic hydrolysate were of high purity and had higher crystallinity indexes (90.61% and 89.88%, respectively) than that from HS medium (82.26%). FTIR results proved the in-situ bindings of polyphenols to the functionalized BC. Compared to BC from HS medium, wine pomace-based BC had more densely packed ultrafine fibrils, higher diameter range distributions of fiber ribbon, but lower thermal decomposition temperatures, as revealed by the SEM micrographs and DSC data. Meanwhile, wine pomace-based BC exhibited higher loads in tensile strength and higher hardness (4.95 ± 0.31 N and 5.13 ± 0.63 N, respectively) than BC in HS medium (3.43 ± 0.14 N). Furthermore, BC synthesized from wine pomace hydrolysate exhibited a slower release rate of phenolic compounds, and possessed more antioxidant activities and better bacteriostatic effects than BC from wine pomace. These results demonstrate that BC synthesized in situ from wine pomace (especially from enzymatic hydrolysate) is a promising biomolecule with a potential application in wound dressing, tissue engineering, and other biomedical fields.

A new class of aza-crown ether-derived chiral BINOL catalysts were designed, synthesized, and applied in the asymmetric Michael addition of alkenylboronic acids to α,β-unsaturated ketones. It was found that introducing aza-crown ethers to the BINOL catalyst could achieve apparently higher enantioselectivity than a similar BINOL catalyst without aza-crown ethers did, although the host-guest complexation of alkali ions by the aza-crown ethers could not further improve the catalysis effectiveness. Under mediation of the aza-crown ether-derived chiral BINOL and in the presence of a magnesium salt, an array of chiral γ,δ-unsaturated ketones were furnished in good enantioselectivities (81-95% ees).

Berbamine is a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Berberis poiretii of Berberis of Berberidaceae. It has been reported that it can significantly inhibit the proliferation of a variety of malignant tumor cells, including liver cancer. However, the effect of berbamine on the invasion and metastasis of liver cancer has not been reported. The present study demonstrated that berbamine inhibited the migration and invasion of SMMC-7721 cells in a concentration-dependent manner and obviously increased the gap junction function and the expression of Cx32 in SMMC-7721 cells compared with control group. However, after silencing Cx32, berbamine had no significant effect on cell invasion and metastasis. Before silencing Cx32, the expression of PI3K and P-AKT were decreased after berbamine treated on SMMC-7721 cells for 24 h. After silencing Cx32, the expression of PI3K and P-AKT were increased in SMMC-7721 cells. The expression of PI3K and P-AKT had no significant effect after berbamine treated on SMMC-7721 cells for 24 h with silencing Cx32. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that berbamine could inhibit the SMMC-7721 cell migration and invasion, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by enhancing the expression of Cx32.

In the past decades, the combination of supramolecular chemistry and catalysis has pushed forward the emergence of supramolecular catalysis as an intersectant and challenging research field. Supramolecular asymmetric catalysis has especially attracted growing attention attributing to their great advantages in both constructing chiral catalyst libraries and facilitating the improvement of catalytic activity and stereoselectivity, which promoted the development of green and sustainable chemistry. In this review, we summarize the progress on the supramolecular asymmetric catalysis involved crown ethers and their pseudorotaxanes and rotaxanes derivatives. The host–guest chemistry based on crown ethers has been successfully utilized to construct chiral catalysts or to regulate the asymmetric catalysis in both the metal and non-metal catalytic systems. The design and construction of supramolecular chiral catalysts, as well as their applications in catalyzing asymmetric reactions or modulating catalytic activity and stereoselectivity are systemically introduced.

Aims Invasive plants may alter soil fungal communities in a way that improves their growth. Nitrogen (N) content of soil affects the symbiosis between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), further determining plant growth. Yet, it is unclear whether altered AMF communities change the dependence of invasive and native species on N-form, and whether N forms alter the invasive plant–AMF interaction (PSIM). Methods Two synthetic plant communities, including four Solidago canadensis individuals and four native plant species, were inoculated with AMF spores from S. canadensis-invaded soils and adjacent non-invaded soils, and were provided with nitrate, ammonia or glutamate. After their growth, the performance of the two plant communities in treatments of AMF origin and N forms, and the pathways of the N forms affecting S. canadensis growth and PSIM were evaluated. Important Findings Solidago canadensis had no obvious N-form dependence in any of the AMF inoculations. Native plant species showed weak N-form dependence, but invasive AMF could remove their N-form dependence. In the absence of N, AMF did not affect growth of S. canadensis and the native plants. In contrast, with N addition, invasive AMF significantly increased belowground and total biomass of the invasive plants but not those of the native plants. Positive PSIM of S. canadensis was also evidently greater than that of native plant species and was realized through directly or indirectly regulating phenotypic traits including plant height, leaf number and number of rhizomes. Our findings emphasize the importance of plant–AMF interactions and a unique N-acquisition strategy during plant invasions.

Dense, uniform, and well-adhered chromium (Cr) coatings were deposited on zirconium (Zr) alloy claddings by using physical vapor deposition (PVD). The Cr-coated samples were tested at 1200 oC and 1300 oC, respectively, for different exposure time in water steam environment. Microstructures and compositions of the coating/substrate system after oxidation were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy, and energy dispersion spectrometer. The microstructural results clearly demonstrated that Cr2O3 layer has been produced on the coating surface, acting as an oxygen diffusion barrier and concomitantly reducing the oxidation rate. The experimental results on weight gains soundly supported the microstructural findings that the Cr coatings could protect the Zr substrate from high-temperature steam oxidation, even at a temperature up to 1300 oC. Finally, the oxidation kinetics was theoretically analyzed and the underlying oxidation mechanism was also clarified.

Passivating defects to suppress recombination is a valid tactic to improve the performance of third-generation perovskite-based solar cells. Pb0 is the primary defect in Pb-based perovskites. Here,...

Chiral [2+3] imine cages were constructed via imine condensation from an enantiomeric pair of BINOL-derived dialdehydes and tris(2-aminoethyl)amine and applied in the enantioselective recognition of (1R,2R)- and (1S,2S)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane.

Using a catalytic amount of N-iodosuccinimide (NIS) in combination with O2 in air, an aerobic oxidative reaction was carried out to efficiently and scalably construct a series of 10-phenanthrenols under sunlight at room temperature. Mechanistic studies reveal that H2O2 generated in situ was responsible for the conversion of I2 to IOH as a potential initiator for later catalytic cycle.

Herein, we describe a customized approach for facile preparation of three-dimensional (3D) NiO nanoflakes (NFs)/carbon fiber meshwork (CFM) and its validation as a common photocathode matrix for photoelectrochemical (PEC) bioanalysis, which to our knowledge has not been reported. Specifically, 3D NiO NFs/CFM was fabricated by a sequential liquid phase deposition and annealing process, which was then characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X–ray photoelectron spectrum, UV–vis absorption spectra and N2 adsorption-desorption measurement. Sensitized by BiOI and incorporated with an alkaline phosphatase (ALP)/tyrosinase (TYR) bi-enzyme cascade system, a sensitive split-type cathodic PEC bioanalysis for the determination of ALP was achieved. This method can detect ALP concentrations down to 3 × 10−5 U L−1 with a linear response range of 0.001–10 U L−1. Moreover, this proposed system exhibited good selectivity, stability and excellent performance for real sample analysis. This research features the facile preparation of 3D NiO NFs/CFM that could acts as a universal matrix for photocathodic analysis, and is envisioned to stimulate more effort for advanced 3D photocathode for PEC bioanalysis and beyond.

The first example of photoredox strategy for synthesis of phenanthrene skeletons through C(sp3)-H functionalization under external oxidant-free conditions is achieved. This transformation relies on the keto-enol tautomerism of 1,3 dicarbonyl moiety, i.e., the enol form of 1,3-dicarbonyl derivatives with relatively lower oxidation potential can be activated by the excited acridinium photocatalyst. The electron and proton eliminated from the substrate are immediately captured by a cobaloxime catalyst to exclusively afford a-carbonyl radical for highly substituted 10-phenanthrenols in good to excellent yields.

Gold does not react with H2 to form bulk hydrides. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of a gold nanohydride protected by diphosphine ligands, [Au22 H4 (dppo)6 ]2+ [dppo=1,8-bis(diphenylphosphino)octane]. The Au22 core consists of two Au11 units bonded by eight Au atoms not coordinated by the diphosphine ligands. The four H atoms are found to bridge the eight uncoordinated Au atoms at the interface. Each Au11 unit can be viewed as a tetravalent superatom forming four delocalized Au-H-Au bonds, similar to the quadruple bond first discovered in the [Re2 Cl8 ]2- inorganic cluster. The [Au22 H4 (dppo)6 ]2+ nanohydride is found to lose H atoms over an extended time via H evolution (H2 ), proton (H+ ) and hydride (H- ) releases. This complete repertoire of H-related transformations suggests that the [Au22 H4 (dppo)6 ]2+ nanohydride is a versatile model catalyst for understanding the mechanisms of chemical reactions involving hydrogen on the surface of gold nanoparticles.

Purpose Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) are a heterogeneous group of vesicles that consist of proteins, lipids and miRNA molecules derived from the cell of origin. Although xenogeneic sEV have been applied for soft tissue regeneration successfully, the regeneration effect of allogeneic and xenogeneic sEV has not been compared systematically. Methods Our previous study has shown that sEV derived from rat adipose tissue successfully induced neoadipose regeneration. In this study, sEV were isolated from rat adipose tissue (r-sEV-AT) and porcine adipose tissue (p-sEV-AT), the morphology, size distribution and marker proteins expression of r-sEV-AT and p-sEV-AT were characterized. Besides, the sEV/AT ratio was evaluated and compared between r-sEV-AT and p-sEV-AT. Rat adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (rASCs) and rat aorta endothelial cells (rECs) were adopted to test the cellular response to allogeneic and xenogeneic sEV-AT. The effects of allogeneic and xenogeneic sEV-AT on host cells migration and neoadipose formation were evaluated in a subcutaneous custom-designed model. A full-thickness skin wound healing model was used to further compare the ability of allogeneic and xenogeneic sEV-AT in inducing complex soft tissue regeneration. Results p-sEV-AT showed similar morphology and size distribution to r-sEV-AT. Marker proteins of sEV were detected in both r-sEV-AT and p-sEV-AT. The sEV/AT ratio of porcine was slightly higher than that of rat. The effects of r-sEV-AT and p-sEV-AT on the differentiation of rASCs and rECs showed no significant difference. When allogeneic and xenogeneic sEV-AT were subcutaneously implanted into the back of SD rats, the host cells chemotactic infiltration was observed in 1 week and neoadipose tissue formation was induced in 8 weeks; no significant difference was observed between allogeneic and xenogeneic sEV-AT. For complex soft tissue regeneration, both allogeneic and xenogeneic sEV-AT significantly promoted wound re-epithelialization, granulation tissue formation and hair follicle regeneration and then accelerated skin wound healing. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that sEV derived from the same tissues of different species might be loaded with similar therapeutic substance benefitting tissue repair and regeneration, and paved the way for future research aimed at xenogeneic sEV application.

Rice is a major dietary source of the toxic metal, cadmium (Cd). Previous studies reported that the rice transporter, OsNRAMP1, (Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1) could transport iron (Fe), Cd and arsenic (As) in heterologous yeast assays. However, the in planta function of OsNRAMP1 remains unknown. Here, we showed that OsNRAMP1 was able to transport Cd and manganese (Mn) when expressed in yeast, but did not transport Fe or As. OsNRAMP1 was mainly expressed in roots and leaves and encoded a plasma membrane-localized protein. OsNRAMP1 expression was induced by Cd treatment and Fe deficiency. Immunostaining showed that OsNRAMP1 was localized in all root cells, except the central vasculature, and in leaf mesophyll cells. The knockout of OsNRAMP1 resulted in significant decreases in root uptake of Cd and Mn and their accumulation in rice shoots and grains, and increased sensitivity to Mn deficiency. The knockout of OsNRAMP1 had smaller effects on Cd and Mn uptake than knockout of OsNRAMP5, while knockout of both genes resulted in large decreases in the uptake of the two metals. Taken together, OsNRAMP1 contributes significantly to the uptake of Mn and Cd in rice, and the functions of OsNRAMP1 and OsNRAMP5 are similar but not redundant.

Rice is a major dietary source of the toxic metal cadmium (Cd), and reducing its accumulation in the grain is therefore important for food safety. We selected two cultivars with contrasting Cd accumulation and generated transgenic lines overexpressing OsNRAMP5, which encodes a major influx transporter for manganese (Mn) and Cd. We used two different promoters to control the expression, namely OsActin1 and maize Ubiquitin. Overexpression of OsNRAMP5 increased Cd and Mn uptake into the roots, but markedly decreased Cd accumulation in the shoots, whilst having a relatively small effect on Mn accumulation in the shoots. The overexpressed OsNRAMP5 protein was localized to the plasma membrane of all cell types in the root tips and lateral root primordia without polarity. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence mapping showed that the overexpression lines accumulated more Cd in the root tips and lateral root primordia compared with the wild-type. When grown in three Cd-contaminated paddy soils, overexpression of OsNRAMP5 decreased concentration of Cd in the grain by 49–94% compared with the wild type. OsNRAMP5-overexpression plants had decreased Cd translocation from roots to shoots as a result of disruption of its radial transport into the stele for xylem loading, demonstrating the effect of transporter localization and polarity on ion homeostasis.

Introducing self-assembly strategies into the construction of catalysts has been proven to have great advantages in asymmetric catalysis. We constructed two chiral metalla-triangles by highly efficient coordination-driven self-assembly from a chiral 3,3'-dipyridyl-substituted BINOL donor. They were successfully applied in asymmetric conjugate addition of a series of α,β-unsaturated ketones with trans-styrylboronic acids. The use of these metalla-triangles as supramolecular catalysts is obviously conducive to the enhancement of catalytic activity and stereoselectivity in the presented addition reactions. Under induction of the chiral metalla-triangles, an array of α,β-enones were converted to chiral γ,δ-unsaturated ketones in medium to quantitative yields (40-98%) with high enantioselectivities (87-96% ee).

Radical formation is the initial step for conventional radical chemistry. Reported herein is a unified strategy to generate radicals in situ from aromatic β-ketoesters by using a photocatalyst. Under visible-light irradiation, a small amount of photocatalyst fac-Ir(ppy)3 generates a transient α-carbonyl radical and persistent ketyl radical in situ. In contrast to the well-established approaches, neither stoichiometric external oxidant nor reductant is required for this reaction. The synthetic utility is demonstrated by pinacol coupling of ketyl radicals and benzannulation of α-carbonyl radicals with alkynes to give a series of highly substituted 1-naphthols in good to excellent yields. The readily available photocatalyst, mild reaction conditions, broad substrate scope, and high functional-group tolerance make this reaction a useful synthetic tool.

Barium titanate (BaTiO 3 )-based lead-free relaxor ferroelectric ceramic Ba 0.65 Sr 0.245 Bi 0.07 TiO 3 was developed via a traditional electrocremic processing technique to obtain Pb-free dielectric bulk ceramics with enhanced energy storage performance that can be potentially used in pulsed power devices. The added CuO can broaden the phase transition peak, and move it to lower temperature, reinforcing the dielectric relaxor behavior. The microstructure evolution of the sample was investigated via Piezoforce microscopy, and the corresponding mechanism regarding the electric breakdown strength was studied. The solubility of solid CuO in the Ba 0.65 Sr 0.245 Bi 0.07 TiO 3 is approximately 0.02 mol. The ceramic sample with 0.005 mol CuO possesses 160 kV/cm electrical breakdown strength and an energy storage efficiency higher than 76%, which yields 1.28 J/cm 3 energy storage density. Moreover, the ceramic specimen with 0.005 CuO exhibits relatively good temperature stability, good frequency stability from 1 Hz to 200 Hz, and also good fatigue resistance up to 10 5 cycles, and can be a potential candidate for future energy storage applications.

Background Skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs) are a class of adult stem cells (ASCs) that have the ability to self-renew and differentiate. The regulation mechanisms involved in the differentiation of ASCs is a hot topic. Porcine models have close similarities to humans and porcine SDSCs (pSDSCs) offer an ideal in vitro model to investigate human ASCs. To date, studies concerning the role of yes-associated protein (YAP) in ASCs are limited, and the mechanism of its influence on self-renewal and differentiation of ASCs remain unclear. In this paper, we explore the link between the transcriptional regulator YAP and the fate of pSDSCs. Results We found that YAP promotes the pluripotent state of pSDSCs by maintaining the high expression of the pluripotency genes Sox2, Oct4. The overexpression of YAP prevented the differentiation of pSDSCs and the depletion of YAP by small interfering RNA (siRNAs) suppressed the self-renewal of pSDSCs. In addition, we found that YAP regulates the fate of pSDSCs through a mechanism related to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. When an activator of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, CHIR99021, was added to pSDSCs overexpressing YAP the ability of pSDSCs to differentiate was partially restored. Conversely, when XAV939 an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, was added to YAP knockdown pSDSCs a higher self-renewal ability resulted. Conclusions our results suggested that, YAP and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway interact to regulate the fate of pSDSCs.

Lithium-rich manganese oxide is a promising candidate for the next-generation cathode material of lithium-ion batteries because of its low cost and high specific capacity. Herein, a series of xLi2MnO3·(1 − x)LiMnO2 nanocomposites were designed via an ingenious one-step dynamic hydrothermal route. A high concentration of alkaline solution, intense hydrothermal conditions, and stirring were used to obtain nanoparticles with a large surface area and uniform dispersity. The experimental results demonstrate that 0.072Li2MnO3·0.928LiMnO2 nanoparticles exhibit a desirable electrochemical performance and deliver a high capacity of 196.4 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C. This capacity was maintained at 190.5 mAh g−1 with a retention rate of 97.0% by the 50th cycle, which demonstrates the excellent cycling stability. Furthermore, XRD characterization of the cycled electrode indicates that the Li2MnO3 phase of the composite is inert, even under a high potential (4.8 V), which is in contrast with most previous reports of lithium-rich materials. The inertness of Li2MnO3 is attributed to its high crystallinity and few structural defects, which make it difficult to activate. Hence, the final products demonstrate a favorable electrochemical performance with appropriate proportions of two phases in the composite, as high contents of inert Li2MnO3 lower the capacity, while a sufficient structural stability cannot be achieved with low contents. The findings indicate that controlling the composition through a dynamic hydrothermal route is an effective strategy for developing a Mn-based cathode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Simple Summary The immunosuppressive microenvironment is closely related to the poor prognosis of patients with PDAC. Tfh cells play an anti-tumor function in various malignant solid tumors; however, the role of Tfh cells in PDAC has not been determined. In this study, we aimed to explore the function of Tfh cells in PDAC, and revealed a novel immunosuppressive mechanism mediated by Tfh cells. Tfh cells promoted the formation of an immunoactive tumor microenvironment by secreting CXCL13 and IL-21, and the high infiltration of Tfh cells correlated with better patient prognosis. However, the anti-tumor function of Tfh cells was inhibited by the PD-L1/PD-1 signaling pathway. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy could further reverse the function of Tfh cells. Our results provided new strategies to remodel the immunoactive tumor microenvironment of PDAC. Abstract Immunosuppression is an important factor for the poor prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Follicular helper T cells (Tfh cells) play an anti-tumor role in various malignant solid tumors and predict better patient prognosis. In the present study, we aimed to determine the immunosuppressive mechanism associated with Tfh cells and explore a new strategy to improve the tumor microenvironment of PDAC. Flow cytometry was used to detect the infiltration and proportion of Tfh cells in tumor tissues and peripheral blood from patients with PDAC. The spatial correlations of Tfh cells with related immune cells were evaluated using immunofluorescence. The function of Tfh cells was examined using in vitro and in vivo model systems. The high infiltration of Tfh cells predicted better prognosis in patients with PDAC. Tfh cells recruited CD8+ T cells and B cells by secreting C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13), and promoted the maturation of B cells into antibody-producing plasma cells by secreting interleukin 21 (IL-21), thereby promoting the formation of an immunoactive tumor microenvironment. The function of Tfh cells was inhibited by the programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1)/programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) signaling pathway in PDAC, which could be reversed using neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Treatment with recombinant CXCL13, IL-21 and Tfh cells alleviated tumor growth and enhanced the infiltration of CD8+ T cells and B cells, as well as B cell maturation in a PDAC mouse model. Our results revealed the important role of Tfh cells in mediating anti-tumor cellular immunity and humoral immunity in PDAC via secreting CXCL13 and IL-21 and determined a novel mechanism of immunosuppression in PDAC.

C24H18F2N2O3S, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 15.180(5) Å, b = 10.221(3) Å, c = 13.556(4) Å, β = 106.628(4)°, V = 2015.3(10) Å3, Z = 4, R gt(F) = 0.0530, wR ref(F 2) = 0.1342, T = 173(2) K.

A one-pot multi-step method for the oxidative cleavage of alkenes to aldehydes/ketones under ambient conditions is described as an alternative to ozonolysis. The first step is a highly efficient manganese catalyzed epoxidation/cis-dihydroxylation of alkenes. This step is followed by an Fe(III) assisted ring opening of the epoxide (where necessary) to a 1,2-diol. Carbon-carbon bond cleavage is achieved by treatment of the diol with sodium periodate. The conditions used in each step are not only compatible with the subsequent step(s), but also provide for increased conversion compared to the equivalent reactions carried out on the isolated intermediate compounds. The described procedure allows for carbon-carbon bond cleavage in the presence of other alkenes, oxidation sensitive moieties and other functional groups; the mild conditions (r.t.) used in all three steps make this a viable general alternative to ozonolysis and especially for use under flow or continuous batch conditions.

Here we describe in detail the preparation and application of antibacterial coatings on PDMS (poly(dimethylsiloxane)) and the contact-killing properties with 10 bacterial strains. Our aim was to develop a generally applicable coating to prevent biomaterial acquired infections, which is the major mode of failure of biomedical implants. In the first step, the surface was provided with a hydrophobic hyperbranched coating resin that was covalently attached to PDMS, mediated by an appropriate coupling agent. The coupling agent contained a siloxane group that reacts covalently with the silanol groups of air-plasma-treated PDMS and a blocked isocyanate enabling covalent coupling with the amino groups of the hyperbranched coating resins. The coating resins were functionalized with a polyethylenimine and subsequently quaternized with bromohexane and iodomethane. The coatings were highly effective against Gram-positive bacteria (five strains) and sufficiently active against Gram-negative bacteria (five stains). The killing effect on the latter group was strongly enhanced by adding a permeabilizer (EDTA). The biocidal efficacy was not influenced by the presence of (saliva) proteins.

We report herein a strategy of ammonium hydrogen-bonding-assisted α-F elimination from Cu–CF3 compounds that generates R3N·HF reagents in situ. Combining this strategy and Cu(III)–CF3 chemistry with alkynes, dual fluorination and trifluoromethylation of terminal alkynes is enabled by a single Cu(III)–CF3 compound assisted by a tertiary amine with excellent regio- and stereoselectivity. This strategy also enables the development of other reaction types involving trapping of the in situ-formed R3N·HF reagents by other electrophilic groups and can be used for the late-stage functionalization of estrone derivatives.

In this report, cobalt telluride (CoTe) is synthesized in a water-oil heterogeneous system, and CoTe film fabricated by spin-coating method is applied as platinum (Pt) -free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. Field emission scanning electron microscopy finds that CoTe counter electrode exhibits porous structure. Cyclic voltammogram and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrate that CoTe has admirable electro catalytic activity toward the reduction of triiodide. The dye-sensitized solar cell based on CoTe counter electrode obtains a power conversion efficiency of 8.59%, which is higher than that with conventional platinum (Pt) counter electrode (8.19%). The impressive efficiency along with simple preparation of CoTe highlights the potential substitute for conventional noble metal Pt.

The influence of oxygen supply mode on the KIVCET (a Russian acronym for flash-cyclone-oxygen-electric-smelting) process was investigated using numerical simulation. The mass rate ratio (MRR) of central oxygen to lateral oxygen of the central jet distributor (CJD) burner was defined to express the oxygen supply mode, and the KIVCET process with an MRR ranging from 0.09 to 0.39 was simulated. The results show that there are four efficient reaction regions that correspond to four CJD burners. A higher central oxygen flow improves the mixing between particles and oxygen, thus enhancing reactions and shortening the reaction regions. However, a higher dust rate is induced due to the spread of the particle columns. The optimal MRR for a KIVCET furnace with a smelting capacity of 50000 kg/h is suggested to be 0.31. In this case, the chemical reactions associated with the feed are completed with an acceptable dust rate.

The structure and excited state properties of the H- and J-aggregates of the marine carbonyl carotenoid, fucoxanthin(Fx), were studied by various spectroscopic methods, and compared with those of Fx monomers in polar organic solvents. The fluorescent analysis indicated that the higher vibronic states of S2 contribute more to populating the S1 state, from which fluorescent emission mainly originates. Resonance Raman and density functional theory calculations confirmed the ‘card-packed’ and ‘head-to-tail’ structures of the H- and J-aggregates of Fx, respectively. An fs time-resolved absorption study proved the coexistence of S1 and intramolecular charge transfer relaxation pathways upon excitation to the S2 state for both the monomers and aggregates.

Summary Biological approaches are considered promising and eco‐friendly strategies to remediate Hg contamination in soil. This study investigated the potential of two ‘green’ additives, Hg‐volatilizing bacteria (Pseudomonas sp. DC‐B1 and Bacillus sp. DC‐B2) and sawdust biochar, and their combination to reduce Hg(II) phytoavailability in soil and the effect of the additives on the soil bacterial community. The results showed that the Hg(II) contents in soils and lettuce shoots and roots were all reduced with these additives, achieving more declines of 12.3–27.4%, 24.8–57.8% and 2.0–48.6%, respectively, within 56 days of incubation compared to the control with no additive. The combination of DC‐B2 and 4% biochar performed best in reducing Hg(II) contents in lettuce shoots, achieving a decrease of 57.8% compared with the control. Pyrosequencing analysis showed that the overall bacterial community compositions in the soil samples were similar under different treatments, despite the fact that the relative abundance of dominant genera altered with the additives, suggesting a relatively weak impact of the additives on the soil microbial ecosystem. The low relative abundances of Pseudomonas and Bacillus, close to the background levels, at the end of the experiment indicated a small biological disturbance of the local microbial niche by the exogenous bacteria.

Two tandem column fixed, respectively, with tetraethylenepentamine modified bagasse (AM-BS) and phosphoric acid modified bagasse (PA-BS) were prepared and used to simultaneously recycle Cu2+ and Pb2+ from metallurgical wastewater containing Cu2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, Ca2+ and Mg2+. For comparison, removal of Cu2+ and Pb2+ by single column fixed either with AM-BS or PA-BS was also carried out in unitary and wastewater system. Results in single column experiments showed that AM-BS column showed high adsorption affinity toward Cu2+ while PA-BS showed high affinity toward Pb2+. AM-BS could selectively remove Cu2+ while PA-BS could selectively remove Pb2+ from aqueous solution. Adsorption mechanism verified by EDX illustrated that Cu2+ and Pb2+ was selectively adsorbed through competitive substitution reaction, where metal ions with higher affinity substituted the others with lower affinity during sorption process. Two tandem column experiments showed that amount of Cu2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ adsorbed on AM-BS was 0.17, 0.003, 0.001, 0.006, 0.013 and 0.009 mmol g−1 and that on PA-BS was 0.04, 0.24, 0.002, 0.018, 0.028 and 0.005 mmol g−1, respectively, demonstrating that Cu2+ and Pb2+ were simultaneously removed from wastewater. Tandem columns fixed with different modified biosorbent had great potential in multi-metal recovery.

Reducing Hg contamination in soil using eco-friendly approaches has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this study, a novel multi-metal-resistant Hg-volatilizing fungus belonging to Lecythophora sp., DC-F1, was isolated from multi-metal-polluted mining-area soil, and its performance in reducing Hg bioavailability in soil when used in combination with biochar was investigated. The isolate displayed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 84.5 mg·L−1 for Hg(II) and volatilized >86% of Hg(II) from LB liquid medium with an initial concentration of 7.0 mg·L−1 within 16 h. Hg(II) contents in soils and grown lettuce shoots decreased by 13.3–26.1% and 49.5–67.7%, respectively, with DC-F1 and/or biochar addition compared with a control over 56 days of incubation. Moreover, treatment with both bioagents achieved the lowest Hg content in lettuce shoots. Hg presence and DC-F1 addition significantly decreased the number of fungal ITS gene copies in soils. High-throughput sequencing showed that the soil fungal community compositions were more largely influenced by DC-F1 addition than by biochar addition, with the proportion of Mortierella increasing and those of Penicillium and Thielavia decreasing with DC-F1 addition. Developing the coupling of Lecythophora sp. DC-F1 with biochar into a feasible approach for the recovery of Hg-contaminated soils is promising.

BACKGROUND: Mercury (Hg) contamination is a major global environmental problem, and its remediation using environmentally friendly biotechnologies has attracted increasing attention. In this study, an Hg(II)‐resistant bacterial strain, Bacillus sp. DC‐B2, was isolated from a metal‐contaminated site, and its ability to remediate five types of Hg‐contaminated soils was investigated. RESULTS: The isolate DC‐B2 showed strong resistance to multiple metals and volatilized 91.6% of the Hg(II) in a culture with an initial Hg(II) concentration of 10 mg L⁻¹ within 8 h. Microcosm experiments showed that the addition of DC‐B2 culture improved Hg(II) removal by 11.7–17.2% from four artificially Hg(II)‐spiked soil samples with initial Hg contents of approximately 100 mg kg⁻¹ after incubating for 30 days under flooded conditions compared to the control treatment. For the field‐contaminated farmland soil containing 2.50 mg Hg kg⁻¹, an Hg(II) elimination rate of 82.1% was achieved within 30 days with the DC‐B2 inoculation, relative to the 34.1% elimination rate observed for the uninoculated control. The amendment of peptone broth slightly inhibited Hg removal (2.2–8.7%). The remediation effectiveness was verified by observations of longer root and shoot lengths of lettuce plants grown in treated soils compared to those grown in the control soil. CONCLUSION: The isolate Bacillus sp. DC‐B2 shows great potential to be developed as a bioagent for effective bioremediation of Hg‐contaminated soils. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

High-efficient preparation and screening of electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was realized by a three electrode driving closed bipolar electrode (BPE) array system. As high concentrations of Fe(CN)63−/4− (both 200 mM) existed in the anodic cell of the BPE system and same electrode material was adopted by the BPE anodic pole and driving electrode in anodic cell, the anodic cell performed similar to “good conductor” and the electrochemical behavior of the closed BPE system approximately equal to that of the three-electrode system in cathodic cell. Based on the above property and the parallel array, electrocatalysts containing bimetallic Pt Au and reduced graphene oxide (PtAu-rGO) with varying metal proportion were successfully prepared on the cathodic BPE poles by a two-step reduction process. Graphene oxide was firstly reduced to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in each cathodic pole by cyclic voltammetry, and then Pt Au with different metal proportion were electrodeposited on the surface of rGO. Afterward, in-situ and high-throughput screening of these electrocatalysts for ORR was carried out based on the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) imaging on the corresponding anodic BPE poles. The screening results were consistent with those of the conventional electrochemical method by testing the catalytic performance one by one very well. This closed BPE array system with one potentiostat not only can prepare multiple catalyst candidates at the same time, but also can evaluate them, simultaneously, which is of great immediate significance to the field of fuel cell.

Perovskite solar cells assembled with titanium dioxide electron transport layer exhibited brilliant photovoltaic properties due to titanium dioxide having a high electron mobility, appropriate energy level alignment and easy fabrication procedure. However, inherent instability exists in titanium dioxide-based perovskite solar cells because of the ultraviolet photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide. This results in recombination at the interface of titanium dioxide/perovskite. In this report, the down-conversion nanocrystals film made of europium-doped sodium yttrium fluoride was deposited on the non-conducting side of the conducting glass. The down-conversion nanocrystal layer could absorb high energy ultraviolet photons and converted them to visible light. The layer not only extended the spectral response range for perovskite solar cells but also alleviated the photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide. The perovskite solar cells with the down-conversion nanocrystals film generated average power conversion efficiency yield of 19.99%, which is much better than that of the device without the down-conversion nanocrystals film (16.99%). The best power conversion efficiency for the device with the down-conversion nanocrystals film was 20.17%. In addition, perovskite solar cells with the down-conversion nanocrystals film showed a small hysteresis.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can enhance plant tolerance to drought stress (DS), while it is unclear whether aquaporins take part in the AMF-modulated mechanisms. In this study, a potted experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Funneliformis mosseae, on plant growth, leaf water status, root abscisic acid (ABA), and relative expression levels of root tonoplast intrinsic protein (TIPs, one of the most abundant aquaporins on plant vacuoles and plasma membranes) genes of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf.) seedlings under well-watered (WW) and DS. The 8-week DS significantly decreased mycorrhizal colonization by 19.5%. In both WW and DS, AMF significantly enhanced leaf relative water content, leaf water potential, and plant growth performance (plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, and biomass), as well as root ABA levels. With regards to root TIPs, seven TIP genes were identified. Meanwhile, AMF treatment up-regulated PtTIP1;2, PtTIP2;1, PtTIP4;1, and PtTIP5;1 and down-regulated PtTIP1;1 and PtTIP2;2 under WW. Under DS, AMF seedlings showed higher expression levels of root PtTIP1;2, PtTIP1;3, and PtTIP4;1 and lower expression levels of root PtTIP2;1 and PtTIP5;1. It concludes that root TIPs exhibited diverse responses to mycorrhization, indicating the multiple roles of AMF in water absorption under drought.

Based on the superior prospects of calixarenes-based agents and N-heterocyclic pharmacophores in biomedical applications, 14 new dihomooxacalix[4]arene N-heterocyclic (pyridine, quinoline, and thiazole) derivatives 4a–4n were efficiently synthesized from the parent compound, namely, p-tert-butyldihomooxacalix[4]arene 1; they were further investigated by using their IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS spectra. Among these derivatives, the crystal and molecular structures of 2-aminomethyl-pyridine-substituted dihomooxacalix[4]arene 4f (obtained from methanol) have been determined by X-ray diffraction. In the case of the inhibition assay of cell growth, we evaluated the effects on four select tumor cell lines (MCF-7, HepG2, SKOV3, and HeLa), as well as the normal cell lines of HUVEC, using paclitaxel as the positive control drug. It was found that the derivatives 4d–4f, 4i, 4k, and 4l could inhibit tumoral activity up to varying degrees. Mechanistically, the cell cycle analysis demonstrated that dihomooxacalix[4]arene N-heterocyclic derivatives could induce apoptosis of MCF cells. In addition, the results of the western blot and immunofluorescence studies revealed the upregulation of the protein expression levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3, as well as the downregulation of Bcl-2, which are in good agreement with the corresponding inhibitory potencies. Therefore, these findings suggest that N-heterocyclic derivatives based on the dihomooxacalix[4]arene scaffold are promising candidates for use against cancer.

Organometallic reagents, in particular Pd(ii)- and Au(iii)-aryl reagents, have recently emerged as an efficient tool for bioconjugation. However, the detailed mechanism and origins of chemoselectivity are not well established, but are highly desirable from both synthetic and theoretical viewpoints. In this paper, we report that a computational study dealing with the reaction mechanism of Au(iii)-aryl reagents enabled selective cysteine S-arylation of peptides and proteins developed by Maynard and Spokoyny et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018, 140, 7065). Our calculation results suggest that the reaction proceeds by a cationic Au(iii)/Au(i) pathway involving elementary steps of (a) binding of the SH residue to the Au(iii) center, (b) deprotonation of the SH residue, and (c) reductive elimination from a key four-coordinate square planar (L)Au(iii)(thiolate)(Ar) (L is a P,N-bidentate ligand) intermediate. Furthermore, the chemoselectivity of S-arylation against arylation of other nucleophilic residues can be rationalized in terms of energy demand of the three elementary steps. For instance, amine N-arylation is more difficult than S-arylation due majorly to the much higher energy required for deprotonation of much more basic N-H bonds than for deprotonation of weakly acidic S-H bonds. Carboxylate O-arylation is challenging due to the high activation energy of reductive elimination from LAu(iii)(carboxylate)(aryl), because carboxylate is much less nucleophilic than thiolate. These results thus identify acidity and nucleophilicity of the residue as two inherent factors for bioconjugation. This study provides a useful and convenient approach for predicting and rationalizing the feasibility and chemoselectivity of related bioconjugation reactions.

In this study, epoxy-based composites were prepared using diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) as the matrix, carbon fiber cloth (CFC) as the reinforcing agent, and metallic powder as the conductive filler. The mechanical and electrical properties of DGEBA/CFC and DGEBA/CFC/metallic powder composites were investigated using several techniques. The morphology of the fracture surface was investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The flexural strength of the DGEBA/CFC composites was found to significantly increase with the addition of CFC. The electrical conductivity of the DGEBA/CFC composites significantly increased with the increasing amount of CFC and further increased after the addition of metallic powders. The electrical conductivity of the DGEBA/CFC composites significantly improved with the addition of a small amount of graphene.

In this study, a novel Ni–B/Ni–W–BN duplex nanocomposite coating was successfully developed by co-electrodeposition. Their microstructural, surface and electrochemical properties were evaluated and compared to that of monolayer Ni–B, Ni–W, and Ni–W–BN coating by SEM, AFM, EDS, XRD and XPS. The electrochemical behaviors of the coatings were investigated by EIS in 3.5 wt% NaCl aqueous solution. The effects of graphite-like BN nanoparticles on the properties of the duplex coating were discussed. The mechanism of electrochemical co-deposition was proposed. Results show that all the coatings are uniform, compact and crack-free. The crystal size of the Ni-B/Ni-W-BN duplex composite coating is smaller compared to monolayer Ni–W–BN coating. The inclusion of BN nanoparticles in Ni-W matrix affect the content of nickel and tungsten of the deposits, increase the hardness and reduce the wear weight loss of the duplex composite coating. As a newly deposited layer with more active sites, the underlayer Ni–B much affects the morphologies of the top layer Ni–W–BN of the duplex coating. The incorporation of graphite-like BN nanoparticles into spherical-like Ni–W matrix increased the surface roughness and decreased the porosity. The Ni–B/Ni–W–BN duplex composite coating exhibited higher corrosion resistance than Ni–W and Ni–W–BN coating. The corrosion resistance was firstly increased and then decreased with the increase of BN. The optimum corrosion resistance could be obtained at 5 g L−1 BN nanoparticles in bath. However, a higher concentration of BN nanoparticles is detrimental to the properties of the duplex coating.

Hg contamination is a critical environmental problem, and its remediation using cost-effective and environmentally friendly methods is highly desirable. In this study, a multi-metal-resistant bacterium showing strong Hg(II) volatilization ability, Pseudomonas sp. DC-B1, was isolated from heavy metal-contaminated soils. DC-B1 volatilized 81.1%, 79.2% and 74.3% of the initial Hg2+ from culture solutions with initial Hg2+ concentrations of 5.1, 10.4, and 15.7 mg/L, respectively, within 24 h. Microcosm experiments were performed to investigate the remediation of Hg(II)-spiked soils inoculated with DC-B1 coupled with sawdust biochar amendment. The efficiency of Hg removal from two types of soil samples with different properties and an initial Hg(II) content of approximately 100 mg/kg was enhanced 5.7–13.1% by bio-augmentation with inoculation of the bacterial strain DC-B1, 5.4–10.7% by amendment of 4% (w/w) biochar, and 10.7–23.2% by the combination of DC-B1 and biochar amendments over an incubation period of 24 d over the efficiency in the control treatment under flooded conditions. Longer root lengths were observed in lettuce grown in the treated soils than in lettuce from the control soil, confirming the bioremediation efficacy of the two bioagents for soil Hg contamination.

Due to the promising applications, the demand to enhance poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) production while decreasing the cost has increased in the past decade. Here, xylose/glucose mixture and corncob hydrolysate (CCH) was evaluated as alternatives for γ-PGA production by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens C1. Although both have been validated to support cell growth, glucose and xylose were not simutaneously consumed and exhibited a diauxic growth pattern due to carbon catabolite repression (CCR) in B. amyloliquefaciens C1, while the enhanced transcription of araE alleviated the xylose transport bottleneck across a cellular membrane. Additionally, the xyl operon (xylA and xylB), which was responsible for xylose metabolism, was strongly induced by xylose at the transcriptional level. When cultured in a mixed medium, xylR was sharply induced to 3.39-folds during the first 8-h while reduced to the base level similar to that in xylose medium. Finally, pre-treated CCH mainly contained a mixture of glucose and xylose was employed for γ-PGA fermentation, which obtained a final concentration of 6.56 ± 0.27 g/L. Although the glucose utilization rate (84.91 ± 1.81%) was lower than that with chemical substrates, the xylose utilization rate (43.41 ± 2.14%) and the sodium glutamate conversion rate (77.22%) of CCH were acceptable. Our study provided a promising approach for the green production of γ-PGA from lignocellulosic biomass and circumvent excessive non-food usage of glucose.

The in-situ growth of nickel hexacyanoferrate nanocubes on Ni foam (Ni-HCF/Ni foam) was achieved with a one-step hydrothermal method with Ni foam as both the current collector and the nickel source. Phosphotungstic acid (PTA) acting as the oxidizing agent, oxidized elemental nickel to Ni2+ cations, which subsequently reacted with K3Fe(CN)6 to produce Ni3[Fe(CN)6]2 nanocubes. The prepared binder-free Ni-HCF/Ni foam was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy (XPS) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The electrochemical performances of Ni-HCF/Ni foam were further investigated with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostastic charge/discharge technique (GCD). Ni-HCF/Ni foam exhibits areal capacitance of 7200 mF cm−2 (specific capacitance of 535.3F g−1) at 10 mA cm−2, high energy density and long cycling life. An asymmetrical supercapacitor (ASC) was assembled with Ni-HCF/Ni foam and activated carbon (AC) as the positive electrode and negative electrode, respectively. The ASC exhibits remarkable energy density of 5.89 W h m−2 at a high power density of 75 W m−2.

Bioremediation using mercury (Hg)-volatilizing and immobilizing bacteria is an eco-friendly and cost-effective strategy for Hg-polluted farmland. However, the mechanisms controlling the transformation of and resistance to Hg(II) by these bacteria remain unknown. In this study, a plant-associated Pseudomonas sp. strain, AN-B15 was isolated and determined to effectively remove Hg(II) under both nutrient-poor and nutrient-rich conditions via volatilization by transforming Hg(II) to Hg(0) and immobilization by transforming Hg(II) to mercury sulfide and Hg-sulfhydryl. Genome and transcriptome analyses revealed that the molecular mechanisms involved in Hg(II) resistance in AN-B15 were a collaborative process involving multiple metabolic systems at the transcriptional level. Under Hg(II) stress, AN-B15 upregulated genes involved in the mer operon and producing the reducing power to rapidly volatilize Hg(II), thereby decreasing its toxicity. Hydroponic culture experiments also revealed that inoculation with strain AN-B15 alleviated Hg-induced toxicity and reduced the uptake of Hg(II) in the roots of wheat seedlings, as explained by the volatilization and immobilization of Hg(II) and plant growth-promoting traits of AN-B15. Overall, the results from the in vitro assays provided vital information that are essential for understanding the mechanism of Hg(II) resistance in plant-associated bacteria, which can also be applied for the bioremediation of Hg-contamination in future.

Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs), with a unique mechanism of recognizing two different epitopes or antigens, have shown potential in various therapeutic areas. Molecular characterization of BsAbs' epitopes not only allows for detailed understanding of their mechanism of actions but also guides the design and selection of drug candidate molecules. In this study, we illustrate the practical utility of an integrated approach, including size exclusion chromatography with multiangle light scattering and native mass spectrometry (MS) for the biophysical characterization of complex formation of a BsAb with two target antigens, cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) and B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). MS-based protein footprinting strategies, including hydrogen/deuterium exchange MS, fast photochemical oxidation of proteins, and carboxyl group footprinting with glycine ethyl ester, were further applied to determine BsAb's binding epitopes. This combination approach provides molecular details on the binding mechanisms of BsAb to the two distinct antigens with rapid output and high resolution.

Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-associated mortality among women worldwide, and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Berbamine (BBM) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of leukopenia without any obvious side effects. Recent reports found that BBM has anti-cancer effects. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of BBM on TNBC cell lines and the underlying molecular mechanism. MDA-MB-231 cells and MCF-7 cells, two TNBC cell lines, were treated with various concentrations of BBM. A series of bioassays including MTT, colony formation, EdU staining, apoptosis, trypan blue dye, wound healing, transwell, ELISA and western blotting assays were performed. The results showed that BBM significantly inhibited cell proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells (P

Bioremediation of Hg-contaminated soil using microbe-based strategies is a promising and efficient method as it is inexpensive and not harmful to the environment. In this study, a novel Hg(II)-volatilizing fungus Penicillium spp., DC-F11 was isolated and showed bioremediation potential for reducing Hg(II) phytotoxicity, total Hg, and exchangeable Hg in Hg(II)-polluted soil. Subsequently, the mechanisms of Hg(II) volatilization and resistance involved were investigated using multiple complementary techniques. The fungal cells could detoxify Hg(II) by extracellular sequestration via adsorption and precipitation. Moreover, a comparative transcriptome analysis uncovered the primary intracellular adaptive responses of the DC-F11 to Hg(II) stress, including mer-mediated detoxification system, thiol compound metabolism, and oxidative stress defense and damage repair metabolism. These results showed that the resistance of DC-F11 to Hg(II) was generally a multisystem collaborative process. Here, we report, for the first time, that the mer-mediated detoxification system was responsible for Hg(II) volatilization in fungus. These findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in Hg(II) volatilization and resistance that occur in fungi and also provide a strong theoretical basis for the future application of fungi in the bioremediation of Hg-polluted environments.

Substrate stiffness is an important physical cue of the microenvironment and plays a critical role in transducing biochemical and biomechanical signals for chondrocytes. But how substrate stiffness modulates the chondrocyte volume and calcium signaling remains unknown. This study aims to recapitulate the physiologically relevant stiffness and to investigate the effects of substrate stiffness on the chondrocyte regulatory volume decrease (RVD) and calcium signaling. The mechanical properties of chondrocytes on varying substrate stiffness in both iso-osmotic and hypo-osmotic medium were measured by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The cell diameter rate during the RVD response was measured. TRPV4-mediated calcium signaling of chondrocytes was captured by calcium dye solution. TRPV4 protein and mRNA expression levels were quantified by Western Blot and Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Soft substrate induced faster cell swelling but slower cell recovering during chondrocyte RVD response. Stiff substrate enhanced the cytosolic Ca2+ oscillation of chondrocytes in iso-osmotic medium. Moreover, chondrocytes exhibited a completely distinctive cytosolic Ca2+ oscillation during the RVD response. Soft substrate significantly improved the Ca2+ oscillation during the cell swelling whereas stiff substrate enhanced cytosolic Ca2+ oscillation during the cell recovering. More importantly, TRPV4 channel is involved in the chondrocyte sensing substrate stiffness and RVD response by mediating Ca2+ signaling in a stiffness-dependent manner. Our work demonstrates that varying substrate stiffness induces completely different swelling and recovering processes during chondrocyte RVD response. Moreover, the TRPV4 channel is involved in chondrocyte sensing substrate stiffness and RVD response by mediating calcium signaling.