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PURPOSE This study systematically reviewed the literature to compare the bond strength of resin composites with that of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS) and lithium disilicate (LD). STUDY SELECTION This review was structured based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses (PRISMA 2020) statement. This study was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42021256900). Studies were searched via PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases without language or publication year limits. In vitro studies that evaluated the bond strength of the resin composites to ZLS and LD were included. The risk of bias in all the included articles was evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed using the Review Manager software (version 5.3, Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK). RESULTS Of the 90 potentially related articles, the full texts of 16 articles were evaluated after screening. Finally, sevenstudies were included in the qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis. All the studies presented a medium risk of bias. The results showed no significant difference in bond strength between the ZLS and LD groups (P = 0.94, mean difference=0.08, and 95% confidence interval=-1.93 to 2.10). However, a significant difference was found in the subgroup analysis considering different types of aging treatments (P = 0.0008) and different types of bond strength tests (P < 0.00001). CONCLUSION The bond strength of resin composites was found to be similar to that of ZLS and LD, but different aging treatments and bond strength tests exhibited varying effects on the bond strength.

Even though biomass is carbon-neutral renewable energy, the utilization of biomass results in sulfur oxides (SO x ), nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and particles emissions. Biomass briquetting and doping ...

The severe slagging problems during Zhundong coal combustion caused by the high alkali attracted broad attention. To obtain the characteristics and the formation of the deposits at lower gas temper...

Genome editing has become a vital tool in medical biology research. The critical mission of facilitating the progress of genome editing is to enrich different genes into positive edited cells quickly and effectively and carry out the targeted research. In recent years, researchers have established various reporter systems for selection and enrichment of editing-induced positive cells, which are based on genome repair mechanisms, such as non-homologous end joining, homology-directed repair, single strand annealing and inversion, and the principle of the expression of fluorescent protein or resistance tag after genome repair. The T7E1 assay or sequencing method can analyze the mutation of enriched cells with the results of lower background signals and higher mutation ratio. Therefore, these reporter systems can profit the characterization of genome editing effectiveness. Besides, positive cells can be cultured continuously, so this technology possesses a promising prospect in mutated cell line construction and the research of mutated cell functions. This article summarized the design principles and applications of these reporter systems and would provide a reference to construct a more perfecte evaluating system for genome editing.

Background. Skin photodamage is associated with ultraviolet- (UV-) induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inactivation. In our previous study, skin-derived precursors (SKPs) were shown to ameliorate a UV-induced damage in mice, probably through Nrf2 activation and ROS scavenging. Objective. To clarify the mechanism underlying the photoprotective effect of SKPs against UV-induced damage in a three-dimensional (3D) skin model. Methods. The Nrf2 gene in SKPs was modified using lentiviral infection, and 3D skin models were reconstructed with keratinocytes and fibroblasts on the basis of type I collagen. Subsequently, these models were divided into the following six groups: normal, model, overexpressed, control, silenced, and negative control groups. Prior to irradiation, respective SKPs were injected into the last four groups. Next, all groups except the normal group were exposed to UVA+UVB. Lastly, the pathological and molecular-biological techniques were employed to determine the parameters. Additionally, LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, was used to investigate the roles of PI3K/Akt and Nrf2/hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) in SKP photoprotection. Results. Normal 3D skin models appeared as milky-white analogs with a clear, well-arranged histological structure. After the skin was exposed to irradiation, it exhibited cell swelling and a disorganized structure and developed nuclear condensation with numerous apoptotic cells. The expressions of cellular protective genes and Nrf2/HO-1/PI3K/Akt proteins remarkably decreased, which were accompanied by increased oxidative stress and decreased antioxidants (P<0.05). However, these phenomena were reversed by nrf2-overexpressing SKPs. The 3D skin in the overexpressed group showed mild swelling, neatly arranged cells, and few apoptotic cells. Cellular protective genes and Nrf2/HO-1/PI3K/Akt proteins were highly expressed, and the oxidative biomarkers were remarkably ameliorated (P<0.05). Nevertheless, the expression of these proteins decreased after LY294002 pretreatment regardless of SKP treatment or not. Meanwhile, there were increases in both UV-induced apoptotic cells and ROS level accompanied with SOD and GPX decrease in the presence of LY294002. Conclusions. Evidence from the 3D skin model demonstrates that the protection of SKPs against UV-mediated damage is primarily via the PI3K/Akt-mediated activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, indicating that SKPs may be a promising candidate for the treatment of photodermatoses.

The cyclic oxidation behavior of Hf/Y-doped B2 FeAl intermetallics at 1373 K was investigated. For an undoped FeAl alloy, premature spallation of the alumina film occurs due to the formation of numerous voids at the film/alloy interface and apparent shrinkage in the film. In contrast to this, doping with either Hf or Y significantly improves the interfacial adhesion between the alumina film and the alloy substrate, particularly with Hf-doping. Microstructural observation in combination with Auger electron spectroscopic analysis suggests that in addition to prohibiting interfacial void formation and alleviating film shrinkage, the addition of Hf in the FeAl alloy could consolidate the film/alloy interface by directly participating in chemical bonding across the interface as a Hf ion. This causes the spallation of alumina film from the equiaxed grains/columnar grains interface rather than the bottom of the film.

CuInS2 semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) exhibit large absorption coefficient, size-dependent photoluminescence and low toxicity, making them excellent candidates in a variety of bioapplications. However, precise control of both their composition and morphology to improve the luminescent efficiency remains a great challenge via conventional direct synthesis. Herein, we present a novel low-temperature template synthesis of highly efficient luminescent CuInS2 nanoprobes from In2S3 NCs via a facile cation exchange strategy. The proposed strategy enables synthesis of a series of CuInS2 NCs with broad size tunability from 2.2 to 29.6 nm. Through rationally manipulating the stoichiometry of Cu/In, highly efficient luminescence of CuInS2 with the maximum quantum yield of 28.6% has been achieved, which is about one order of magnitude improvement relative to that of directly synthesized NCs. By virtue of the intense emission of CuInS2 nanoprobes, we exemplify their application in sensitive homogeneous biodetection for an important biomolecule of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) with the limit of detection down to 49.3 nM. Moreover, the CulnS2 nanoprobes are explored for ATP-targeted cancer cell imaging, thus revealing their great potentials in the field of cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

The principal active component of isoforskolin (ISOF) is from the plant Coleus forskohlii, native to China, which has attracted much attention for its biological effects. We hypothesize that ISOF and forskolin (FSK) pretreatment attenuates inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) related to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. Mononuclear leukocytes (MLs) from healthy donors' blood samples were separated by using density gradient centrifugation. Protein levels of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB were detected using western blot and inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL) 1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-21, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α, and TNF-β were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Quantibody array in MLs. Our results showed that LPS augmented the protein levels of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in MLs and the production of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-21, IL-23, TNF-α, and TNF-β in supernatants of MLs. Despite treatment with ISOF and FSK prior to LPS, the protein levels of TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-21, IL-23, TNF-α, and TNF-β in MLs were apparently decreased. roflumilast (RF) and dexamethasone (DM) had a similar effect on MLs with ISOF and FSK. Our results, for the first time, have shown that ISOF and FSK attenuate inflammation in MLs induced by LPS through down-regulating protein levels of IL-1β and TNF-α, in which TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signal pathway could be involved.

Hypothyroidism is a common hormone deficiency condition. Regenerative medicine approaches, such as a bioengineered thyroid, have been proposed as potential therapeutic alternatives for patients with hypothyroidism. This study demonstrates a novel approach to generate thyroid grafts using decellularized rat thyroid matrix.Isolated rat thyroid glands were perfused with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate to generate a decellularized thyroid scaffold. The rat thyroid scaffold was then recellularized with rat thyroid cell line to reconstruct the thyroid by perfusion seeding technique. As a pilot study, the decellularized rat thyroid scaffold was perfused with human-derived thyrocytes and parathyroid cells.The decellularization process retained the intricate three-dimensional microarchitecture with a perfusable vascular network and native extracellular matrix components, allowing efficient reseeding of the thyroid matrix with the FRTL-5 rat thyroid cell line generating three-dimensional follicular structures in vitro. In addition, the recellularized thyroid showed successful cellular engraftment and thyroid-specific function, including synthesis of thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase. Moreover, the decellularized rat thyroid scaffold could further be recellularized with human-derived thyroid cells and parathyroid cells to reconstruct a humanized bioartificial endocrine organ, which maintained expression of critical genes such as thyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase, and parathyroid hormone.These findings demonstrate the utility of a decellularized thyroid extracellular matrix scaffold system for the development of functional, bioengineered thyroid tissue, which could potentially be used to treat hypothyroidism.

The ever-growing use of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) in biomedicine provides an exciting approach to develop novel imaging and drug delivery systems, owing to the ease with which these NPs can be functionalized to cater to various applications. In cancer therapeutics, nanomedicine generally relies on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect observed in tumour vasculature to deliver anti-cancer drugs across the endothelium. However, such a phenomenon is dependent on the tumour microenvironment and is not consistently observed in all tumour types, thereby limiting drug transport to the tumour site. On the other hand, there is a rise in utilizing inorganic NPs to intentionally induce endothelial leakiness, creating a window of opportunity to control drug delivery across the endothelium. While this active targeting approach creates a similar phenomenon compared to the EPR effect arising from tumour tissues, its drug delivery applications extend beyond cancer therapeutics and into other vascular-related diseases. In this review, we summarize the current findings of the EPR effect and assess its limitations in the context of anti-cancer drug delivery systems. While the EPR effect offers a possible route for drug passage, we further explore alternative uses of NPs to create controllable endothelial leakiness within short exposures, a phenomenon we coined as nanomaterial-induced endothelial leakiness (NanoEL). Furthermore, we discuss the main mechanistic features of the NanoEL effect that make it unique from conventionally established endothelial leakiness in homeostatic and pathologic conditions, as well as examine its potential applicability in vascular-related diseases, particularly cancer. Therefore, this new paradigm changes the way inorganic NPs are currently being used for biomedical applications.

Retinal images at 570nm and 600nm are simultaneously captured by retinal oximetry. However, there exists misalignment between the two images, which should be adjusted before they are used to analyze hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2). Having a robust, accurate and fast registration scheme can ensure accuracy and speed of SO2 calculation. However, the existing retinal image registration methods cannot meet demand for clinical application of retinal oximetry. For example, errors in the vessel segmentation from each image cause corresponding errors in the registration, point matches may become unreliable when the predefined matching cost is corrupted by pathological retinal images. And it is always a time-consuming task. In this paper, we first analyzed the misalignment reason between dual-wavelength images, and concluded that there only exists the rotation and translation deviation between the two images caused by a mounting deviation of CCD cameras. The parameters were only related to system itself. Based on this, we proposed a registration method based on camera calibration that benefits from feature extraction and affine transformation matrix calculation. The parameters obtained by the proposed method were tested on 80 pairs of retinal images of 5 healthy volunteers and the results showed that the proposed method can successfully register the dual-wavelength images. The proposed registration method can significantly improve SO2 calculation speed while ensuring accuracy.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) involves persistent, uncontrolled formation of premature blood vessels with reduced number of pericytes. Our previous work showed that advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) induced angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, mouse retina, and aortic ring, which was associated with moesin phosphorylation. Here we investigated whether moesin phosphorylation may contribute to pericyte detachment and the development of PDR. Primary retinal microvascular pericytes (RMPs) were isolated, purified from weanling rats, and identified by cellular markers α-SMA, PDGFR-β, NG2, and desmin using immunofluorescence microscopy. Effects of AGE-BSA on proliferation and migration of RMPs were examined using CCK-8, wound healing, and transwell assays. Effects on moesin phosphorylation were examined using western blotting. The RMP response to AGE-BSA was also examined when cells expressed the non-phosphorylatable Thr558Ala mutant or phospho-mimicking Thr558Asp mutant of moesin or were treated with ROCK inhibitor Y27632. Colocalization and interaction between CD44, phospho-moesin, and F-actin were observed. Experiments with cultured primary RMPs showed that AGE-BSA inhibited the proliferation, enhanced the migration, and increased moesin phosphorylation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. AGE-BSA also triggered the rearrangement of F-actin and promoted the interaction of CD44 with phospho-moesin in RMPs. These effects were abrogated in cells expressing the non-phosphorylatable moesin mutant and the application of ROCK inhibitor Y27632 attenuated AGE-induced alteration in cultured RMPs by abolishing the phosphorylation of moesin. However, those AGE-induced pathological process occurred in RMPs expressed the phospho-mimicking moesin without AGE-BSA treatment. It is concluded that AGEs could activate ROCK to mediate moesin phosphorylation at Thr558, and resulting phospho-moesin interacts with CD44 to form CD44 cluster, which might stimulate the migration of RMPs and subsequent RMP detachment in microvessel. This pathway may provide new drug targets against immature neovessel formation in PDR.

Nitrate (NO3−) is one of the common inorganic nitrogen compound pollutants in natural ecosystems, which may have serious risks for aquatic organisms. However, its toxicological mechanism remains unclear. In the current study, juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) were exposed to different concentrations of NO3− (CK− 3.57 ± 0.16, LN − 60.80 ± 1.21, MN − 203.13 ± 10.97 and HN − 414.16 ± 15.22 mg/L NO3–N) for 60 d. The blood biochemical assays results revealed that elevated NO3− exposure significantly increased the concentrations of plasma NO3−, NO2−, MetHb, K+, cortisol, glucose, triglyceride, lactate, while significantly decreased the concentrations of plasma Hb, Na+ and Cl−, which meant that NO3− caused hypoxic stress and further affected the osmoregulation and metabolism in fish. Besides, exposure to MN and HN induced a significant decrease in the level of antioxidants, including SOD (Point: 60th day, MN, HN v.s. CK: 258.36, 203.73 v.s. 326.95 U/mL), CAT (1.97, 1.17 v.s. 2.37 U/mL), GSH (25.38, 20.74 v.s. 37.00 μmol/L), and GPx (85.32, 71.46 v.s. 129.36 U/mL), and a significant increase of MDA (7.54, 9.73 v.s. 5.27 nmol/L), suggesting that NO3− exposure leading to a disruption of the redox status in fish. Also, further research revealed that NO3− exposure altered the mRNA levels of p53 (HN: up to 4.28 folds) and p53-regulated downstream genes such as Bcl-2 (inferior to 0.44 folds), caspase-3 (up to 2.90 folds) and caspase-7 (up to 3.49 folds), indicating that NO3− exposure induced abnormal apoptosis in the fish gills. Moreover, IBRv2 analysis showed that the toxicity of NO3− exposure to turbot was dose-dependent, and the toxicity peaked on the 15th day. In short, NO3− is an environmental toxicological factor that cannot be ignored, because its toxic effects are long-term and could cause irreversible damage to fish. These results would be beneficial to improve our understanding of the toxicity mechanism of NO3− to fish, which provides baseline evidence for the risk assessment of environmental NO3− in aquatic ecosystems.

Despite great achievements in sensitive and selective detection of important biomolecules in living cells, it is still challenging to develop smart and controllable sensing nanodevices for cellular studies that can be activated at desired time in target sites. To address this issue, we have constructed a remote-controlled "lock-unlock" nanosystem for visual analysis of endogenous potassium ions (K+), which employed a dual-stranded aptamer precursor (DSAP) as recognition molecules, SiO2 based gold nanoshells (AuNS) as nanocarriers, and near-infrared ray (NIR) as the remotely applied stimulus. With the well-designed and activatable DSAP-AuNS, the deficiencies of traditional aptamer-based sensors have been successfully overcome, and the undesired response during transport has been avoided, especially in complex physiological microenvironments. While triggered by NIR, the increased local temperature of AuNS induced the dehybridiztion of DSAP, realized the "lock-unlock" switch of the DSAP-AuNS nanosystem, activated the binding capability of aptamer, and then monitored intracellular K+ via the change of fluorescence signal. This DSAP-AuNS nanosystem not only allows us to visualize endogenous ions in living cells at a desired time but also paves the way for fabricating temporal controllable nanodevices for cellular studies.

A new barium potassium phosphate fluoride K 2 BaPO 4 F has been successfully synthesized by solid-state reaction. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that it crystallizes in tetragonal space group of I 4/ mcm with a = 7.026(1) A, b = 7.026(1) A, c = 11.279(4) A, V = 556.8(2) A 3 , and Z = 4. The structure consists of the [PO 4 ] tetrahedral groups (A-site) and the F-centered octahedral [FK 4 Ba 2 ] groups (B-site), which link together through vertices to form the perovskite-type framework and can be represented as ABX 3 . The UV–Vis-NIR spectrum shows that K 2 BaPO 4 F possesses a short cut-off wavelength below 190 nm, which indicates that it may be applied in the deep-UV region. The calculated band structures and the density of states based on first-principles calculations indicate that K 2 BaPO 4 F is an indirect band gap compound. In addition, IR spectroscopy and thermal stability of K 2 BaPO 4 F are also reported in this work.

B2 FeAl intermetallic compounds modified with reactive elements (REs) including Sc and Y were fabricated by vacuum arc-melting, and the isothermal oxidation behavior of the RE-doped alloys at 1373 K was investigated. Both Sc and Y single-doping significantly decrease the alumina film growth rate of the alloys. The alumina film growth rate of Sc + Y co-doped alloy even further reduces compared to that of the Sc and Y single-doped alloys. The synergistic effect produced by Sc + Y co-doping on the growth behavior of alumina was discussed. It could be anticipated that the combined additions of Sc and Y which have matched chemical properties might decrease the alumina film growth rate more effectively and provide FeAl alloys with enhanced oxidation resistance.

A new alkaline-earth metal borate SrB3O4(OH)3·H2O, has been successfully synthesized using the hydrothermal method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that it crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P21/c, a = 6.249(4) A, b = 11.459(6) A, c = 8.749(5) A, β = 108.493(6)°, Z = 4. SrB3O4(OH)3·H2O contains infinite [B3O4(OH)3]2− chains along the c axis direction extended by the B3O8 units with Sr2+ cations filling the space between these chains. There are inter-chain hydrogen-bonds leading to a compact 3D structure. SrB3O4(OH)3·H2O possesses a large experimental band gap of 6.15 eV and a short wavelength cutoff edge lower than 190 nm (183 nm) as found by the UV–vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectrum. The calculated band structure and the density of states of SrB3O4(OH)3·H2O suggest that its indirect energy gap is 5.76 eV which agrees with the experimental result. The thermal behavior and the IR spectrum of SrB3O4(OH)3·H2O are also reported in this work.

A two-dimensional photoreactive coordination polymer (2D CP), [Zn2(Fumarate)2(H2O)2(2F-spy)4] (1) (2F-spy = 2′-fluoro-4-styrylpyridine), undergoes partial [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction under UV light in a single-crystal-to-single-crystal manner to a three-dimensional (3D) CP [Zn2(Fumarate)2(H2O)2(2F-spy)3(rctt-2F-ppcb)0.5] (2) (where rctt-2F-ppcb = 1,3-bis(4′-pyridyl)-2,4-bis(2′-fluoro-phenyl)cyclobutane), whereas another similar photoreactive 2D CP, [Zn2(Fumarate)2(3F-spy)2] (3) (3F-spy = 3′-fluoro-4-styrylpyridine), when exposed to UV light, forms a cyclobutane ring arising from the hetero-cross-coupling of 3F-spy and fumarate, in addition to the expected cyclobutane ring, rctt-3F-ppcb (rctt-3F-ppcb = 1,3-bis(4′-pyridyl)-2,4-bis(3′-fluoro-phenyl)cyclobutane) by the [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 3F-spy pairs aligned in a head-to-tail (HT) fashion. It is unusual to observe two different photoproducts in a solid-state [2 + 2] photo-cycloaddition reaction involving CPs. It is possible because the metal...

To study the effects of different flow velocities on growth, metabolism and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) budget of Haliotis discus hannai Ino in a recirculating aquaculture system, abalones (shell length: 45.71 +/- 3.09 mm, body weight: 8.62 +/- 0.75 g) were cultured at three different flow velocities with four replicates each: high (400 L/hr), medium (300 L/hr) and low (200 L/hr). At the end of the 70 days experiment, the survival rate, food intake and P utilization rate of abalones in the 200 L/hr group were significantly lower than those in any other group (p 400 > 200 L/hr (p < .05). In the 300 L/hr group, the activities of hexokinase, pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were significantly lower than those in the 400 L/hr group, whereas the activity of succinate dehydrogenase was significantly higher than that in the other two groups (p < .05). Aerobic metabolism was the main source of energy acquisition for abalones in the 300 L/hr group. In the 400 L/hr group, the expression levels of manganese superoxide dismutase and thioredoxin peroxidase significantly increased from Day 35 to Day 70, but they still were significantly lower than the values in the 200 L/hr group (p < .05). In the 200 L/hr group, the expression levels of catalase and heat shock protein 70 were significantly higher than those in any other group, and they significantly increased from Day 35 to Day 70 (p < .05). These results indicate that maintaining flow velocity at 300 L/hr will minimize oxidative damage due to deterioration of water quality, reduce the energy consumption required for organisms to resist the impact of water flow, improve the N and P utilization rates of the recirculating aquaculture system, and reduce the cost of culturing abalones.

Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline alkaloid derived from various medicinal herbs. Previous studies have suggested that BBR exerts antimicrobial, antitumor, and antidiabetic effects and can be used to treat Helicobacter pylori-induced chronic gastritis. However, the exact mechanism by which BBR inhibits H. pylori infection is not fully understood. We investigated the anti-inflammatory properties and potential mechanism of BBR in H. pylori-infected mice with chronic gastritis. We found that BBR can suppress the expression of pro-inflammatory genes IL-6, TGF-β, and IL-1β and upregulate anti-inflammatory gene IL-10 expression in the mucosa and RAW 264.7 macrophages. Exposure to BBR also reduced the expression and accumulation of IL-17 in the mucosa and CD4+ T cells activated by anti-CD3 and anti-CD28, and it decreased the frequency of IL-17-producing CD4+ T cells. B cell-activating factor (BAFF) production was inhibited by BBR and by cultured dendritic and CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that BAFF can trigger the Th17 response by promoting the production of pro-Th17 cytokines IL-6, TGF-β, and IL-1β, which are strongly associated with the anti-inflammatory role of BBR in chronic gastritis caused by H. pylori. In conclusion, we determined that BBR has anti-inflammatory effects on H. pylori-induced chronic gastritis by attenuating the BAFF-triggered Th17 response.

By exploring the optimal reaction temperature and the ratio of Na2SO4 to the precursor, highly symmetrical rhombic dodecahedral yttrium aluminum garnet (Y3Al5O12, YAG) microcrystals with a good dispersity were successfully prepared using improved hydrothermal methods. YAG microcrystals exhibit well-developed crystal faces, high crystallinity and a controllable crystal size, from hundreds of nanometers to approximately 4 μm. The morphology and crystal size of the YAG microcrystals can be controlled by changing the reaction temperature and the ratio of Na2SO4 to the precursor. After analysis using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), the growth mechanism of the YAG crystals was studied in detail. Cerium doped YAG (YAG:Ce3+) microcrystals exhibit an intense broad band emission at approximately 523 nm. Considering the high crystallinity, controllable size and strong emission of YAG microcrystals, one has reason to assume that they could have wide applications in many areas.

Via applying a mixed-ligand approach, two new transition metal coordination polymers (CPs) [Co3(L)2(BPT)2(H2O)4] (1) and [Co2(L)2(HBPT)2]·H2O (2) have been constructed by reaction of the commensurable metal salts with the biphenyl-3,4′,5-tricarboxylic acid (H3BPT) with the presence of the V-shape N-donor linker 3-di(1H-imidazol-4-yl)benzene (L). The structural characterization results show that complex 1 shows a 3D framework structure with a (4,4)-connected topological network and complex 2 reveals a 2D layered network which is further extended into the 3D supramolecular network via the H-bond interactions. Furthermore, the treatment activity of compounds 1 and 2 on the newborn bacterial acute sinusitis was evaluated and the related mechanism was explored as well. First of all, the colony-forming unit (CFU) assay was conducted to measure the survival rate of the Streptococcus pneumoniae after compounds incubation. Besides, the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection kit was used to measure the levels of inflammatory cytokines released into the nasal mucus during newborn bacterial acute sinusitis after indicated treatment.

Abstract A fast one-step co-reduction method was developed to synthesize trimetallic PtCoNi alloyed flower-like networks (PtCoNi FNs) in an ice-bath only using KBH 4 as the reductant, while no any polymer, seed, organic or surfactant was involved. The morphology, structure and composition of the product were characterized by microscopic analysis, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The architectures exhibited boosted electrocatalytic activity and stability for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acidic and alkaline media. The overpotential of PtCoNi FNs for HER is smaller than the contrast materials (PtCo NPs, PtNi NCs, Pt black and Pt/C) at the fixed current density of 10 mA cm −2 , and the correlative exchange current density is significantly enlarged compared with commercial Pt black while comparable to commercial Pt/C (20 wt %). Besides, the catalyst showed the highly boosted catalytic characters for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with the more positive onset potential and faster kinetics.

Theophylline as a naturally alkaloid is commonly employed to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. Herein, a facile theophylline-assisted green approach was firstly developed for synthesis of PtAu nanospheres/reduced graphene oxide (PtAu NSs/rGO), without any surfactant, polymer, or seed involved. The obtained nanocomposites were applied for the catalytic reduction and removal of highly toxic chromium (VI) using formic acid as a model reductant at 50 °C, showing the significantly enhanced catalytic activity and improved recyclability when compared with commercial Pt/C (50%) and home-made Au nanocrystals supported rGO (Au NCs/rGO). It demonstrates great potential applications of the catalyst in wastewater treatment and environmental protection. The eco-friendly route provides a new platform to fabricate other catalysts with enhanced catalytic activity.

Single-cycle THz fields induce free-induction decays from high-spin transition-metal complexes, yielding THz EPR spectra and zero-field splitting parameters from a simple tabletop measurement., Zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters are fundamentally tied to the geometries of metal ion complexes. Despite their critical importance for understanding the magnetism and spectroscopy of metal complexes, they are not routinely available through general laboratory-based techniques, and are often inferred from magnetism data. Here we demonstrate a simple tabletop experimental approach that enables direct and reliable determination of ZFS parameters in the terahertz (THz) regime. We report time-domain measurements of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals associated with THz-frequency ZFSs in molecular complexes containing high-spin transition-metal ions. We measure the temporal profiles of the free-induction decays of spin resonances in the complexes at zero and nonzero external magnetic fields, and we derive the EPR spectra via numerical Fourier transformation of the time-domain signals. In most cases, absolute values of the ZFS parameters are extracted from the measured zero-field EPR frequencies, and the signs can be determined by zero-field measurements at two different temperatures. Field-dependent EPR measurements further allow refined determination of the ZFS parameters and access to the g-factor. The results show good agreement with those obtained by other methods. The simplicity of the method portends wide applicability in chemistry, biology and material science.

Herein, reduced graphene oxide supported well-dispersed bimetallic AuPt alloy nanodendrites (AuPt ANDs/rGO) were fabricated by a one-pot coreduction approach using ionic liquid (1-aminopropyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, [APMIm]Br) as the stabilizer and capping agent. There is no any other polymer or seed involved. Characterized measurements include transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high angle annular dark-field scanning TEM (HAADF-STEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The typical samples displayed excellent electrocatalytic activity and durability towards hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in contrast with Pt nanocrystals/rGO and commercial Pt/C (50%) catalysts, which make it promising for practical catalysis in energy conversion and storage.

We examined the effects of light intensity on the metabolism, antioxidant enzymes, and expression of related genes in Haliotis discus hannai Ino, to determine the optimal lighting conditions for aquaculture of these animals. Succinate dehydrogenase activity was significantly lower after 48 h in animals exposed to light intensities of 30 and 60 mu mol/m(2)/s, while lactate dehydrogenase activity and lactic acid content at 96 h were significantly higher compared with animals in the dark or exposed to 5 or 15 mu mol/m(2)/s (both P 0.05) throughout the experiment. However, ROS contents under light intensities of 30 and 60 mu mol/m(2)/s peaked at 12 h, when expression levels of genes encoding catalase (CAT), thioredoxin peroxidase (TPX), sigma-glutathione-s-transferase (GST(S)), and mu-glutathione-s-transferase (GST(m)) also began to increase, and CAT and glutathione peroxidase (GP(X)) activities were significantly higher than in animals in the dark or exposed to 5 or 15 mu mol/m(2)/s (P < 0.05). After a further 12 h, the ROS content at 30 mu mol/m(2)/s began to decrease, and GPX activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content also gradually decreased, followed by increases in ROS and MDA 48 h later, to reach respective peaks at 96 h. Gene expression levels of TPX, GST(S), GST(m), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and CAT began to decrease 72 h later, suggesting that excessive accumulation of ROS may have caused oxidative damage to the tissues. At a light intensity of 60 mu mol/m(2)/s, expression levels of TPX, GST(S), GST(m), and HSP70 genes, total antioxidant capacity, and GP(X) activity peaked at 48 h, and the ROS content was significantly higher than in any other group 48 h later (P < 0.05). However, gene expression levels of TPX, GST(S), GST(m), HSP70, HSP90, and CAT, and reduced glutathione content began to decrease, indicating that the antioxidant system had been unable to perform its normal physiological functions to withstand the long-term stress of adverse environmental factors. These results suggest that the light intensity should be controlled at 5-15 mu mol/m(2)/s during H. discus hannai aquaculture, to maintain the organism's normal physiological metabolism.

Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common type of dementia and has become a major public health challenge as the global population ages. VaD is caused by cerebrovascular disease, and most patients with VaD have been reported to also have Alzheimer’s pathologies, which is the formation of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques that are mainly composed of hyperphosphorylated Tau and amyloid β (Aβ) respectively. However, the mechanisms of VaD are not completely understood, and very few drugs are available to treat this condition. Gastrodin (Gas) is the main bioactive component of the traditional Chinese herbal plant named Tian Ma (Gastrodia elata), and it has been used to treat neurasthenia in the clinical practice of Chinese Medicine for many years. Here, we hypothesize that Gas alleviates VaD in a rat model of permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (2-VO)-induced VaD. Based on the results of the Morris water maze test and attention set shift test, either 22.5 or 90 mg/kg/day Gas improved the executive dysfunction and memory impairment of 2-VO rats following an intragastric administration for 4 weeks. Both 22.5 and 90 mg/kg/day Gas reduced Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42 plaques in plasma and hippocampus of 2-VO rats. Mechanistically, in 2-VO rats, treatment with Gas (90 mg/kg/day) suppressed Aβ plaque deposition by decreasing the hippocampus levels of phosphorylated Tau. Thus, Gas ameliorated the cognitive deficits of 2-VO rats by inhibiting the abnormal phosphorylation of Aβ and Tau.

Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. However, it is not clear about its effective treatments. As a potential anticancer agent, grape seed procyanidins (GSPs) have been shown to inhibit the proliferation of various cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, it was shown that GSPs significantly inhibit MCF-7 cell proliferation in a concentration/time-dependent manner. The flow cytometric data clearly demonstrated that GSPs cause cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase, followed by cell apoptosis. Moreover, it also confirmed that growth inhibition mediated by treatment with GSPs is related to the induction of apoptosis due to p53 elevation, purportedly by inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) pathway. Taken together, these findings suggest that GSPs inhibit MCF-7 cells proliferation and induce cell apoptosis by suppressing EGFR/VEGF/MMP9 pathway.

Objective To prepare, characterize and evaluate the antioxidant activity of rutin-liposome (RL).

An extracellular polysaccharide, N1, was obtained from the culture medium of the deep-sea fungus Aspergillus versicolor N2bc by a combination of ethanol precipitation, ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography. N1 was a mannoglucogalactan with molecular weight of about 20.5kDa. Results of chemical and spectroscopic analyses, including Fourier-transform infrared, one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the main chain of N1 consisted of →2)-α-d-Glcp-(1→, →2)-β-d-Glcp-(1→ and →6)-β-d-Manp-(1→ units, substituted at C-6 position of →2)-α-d-Glcp-(1→ units. The branches were composed of galactofuranose-oligosaccharides built up of →5)-β-d-Galf-(1→, →6)-β-d-Galf-(1→ and terminal β-d-Galf units. At an average, there were two branching points for every five sugar residues in the backbone. N1 possessed a high in vitro antioxidant activity as evaluated by scavenging assays involving superoxide, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyl radicals and reducing power. The investigation revealed that N1 was a novel antioxidant polysaccharide differing from previously described extracellular polysaccharides and could be a potential antioxidant.

To explore the effect of thickness on the fracture strength and failure modes of zirconia crowns, four crown models with different thickness (1.2 mm, 1.0 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.6 mm) with the same shape were designed by Dental Designer software in CAD/CAM system. They were manufactured to 40 zirconia crowns by CAM carving machine. The fracture strength and the failure modes of each crown was measured, while porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crowns as control. The average fracture strength of different zirconia crowns were recorded as below: 1308.38 ± 111.38 N (Group 0.6 mm), 1841.60 ± 68.21 N (Group 0.8 mm), 2429.88 ± 315.03 N (Group 1.0 mm), 3068.31 ± 233.88 N (Group 1.2 mm). There was no significant difference between Group 1.0 mm and Group 1.2 mm (P > 0.05), and statistical significance was obtained among every other two groups (P < 0.05). The failure modes of different thickness zirconium crowns are similar. There are more broken pieces from thicker crowns compared to thinner ones. It is concluded that the thickness can influence the fracture strength of zirconia crown. With the increase of the thickness, the fracture strength of the zirconium crowns also increases. We recommend zirconia crowns thicker than or at least 1.0 mm in dental practice.

Membrane biofouling is a critical barrier for prolonged membrane operations. In the current study, silver nanocomposite osmotic membranes were fabricated to impart anti-microbial properties. The PAN–Ag nanocomposite substrates were prepared using one-step phase inversion. With additional crosslinked layer-by-layer (xLbL) assembly on the nanocomposite substrates, xLbL3.0-Ag nanocomposite osmotic membranes were obtained. At the silver nanoparticle (AgNP) loading concentration of 0.02 wt.%, water permeability of xLbL3.0-Ag(0.02) nanocomposite osmotic membrane increased by 24.4% compared with the AgNP-free control. In addition, the silver nanocomposite membranes exhibited excellent anti-biofouling performances, with ~ 6 log colony-forming units (CFU) reduction against Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and ~ 5 log CFU reduction against Gram-negative Escherichia coli at an AgNP loading of 0.10 wt.%. Water flux reduced to 66.9% (AgNP-free control) and 88.2% (xLbL3.0-Ag(0.10) nanocomposite osmotic membrane) of their respective original values for membranes fouled by Comamonas testosteroni I2 in PRO test mode. This study presents a convenient method to synthesize nanocomposite osmotic membranes with excellent anti-biofouling property for potential use for pressure retarded osmosis (PRO). Our results provide significant implications for anti-fouling nanocomposite osmotic membrane fabrication as well as PRO fouling control.

Herein, we present an ultra-simple one-pot wet-chemistry method for large-scaled synthesis of surface-clean and self-supported bimetallic AuPt nanowire networks (AuPt NWNs) with tunable compositions by using hydrogen bubble as a dynamic template. Hydrogen bubbles are in situ generated from the hydrolysis and oxidation of sodium borohydride which are rapid pouring into the metal precursor solutions. The strategy is very convenient, mild and green, exempted from pressuring, heating, and special apparatus. The resulting AuPt NWNs have clean surfaces, because the gas bubbles do not need to use additional acid/base or organic solvent to remove. Moreover, the as-prepared AuPt NWNs display excellent electrocatalytic activity and durability toward ethanol oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions.

To study the effects of body weight on growth and physiological response mechanism of S.salar, fish of three average body weights were selected: 30.25 +/- 2.12g (SW1), 24.27 +/- 1.59g (SW2) and 18.05 +/- 2.46g (SW3). Condition factor, daily weight gain and feed conversion efficiency were significantly higher in the SW2 group compared with the other treatment groups (P

In this study, a bioenergetics approach was used to examine the effects of different LED light qualities (red, orange, blue, green light, natural light and a dark setting) on the growth and survival of the abalone Haliotis discus discus, and its physiological response mechanism under different light qualities. The results suggest that under blue or green light, the survival rate, specific growth rate, food intake, and food conversion efficiency of H. d. discus were significantly lower than in those groups under red or orange light (P 0.05). Under blue or green light, lactate dehydrogenase activity and lactic acid content were higher (P < 0.05), suggesting enhanced anaerobic metabolism. Under blue or green light, H. d. discus lost more energy via excretion, feces and respiration than was acquired from its food. Under red or orange light, H. d. discus acquired more energy from its food and lost less energy via excretion and feces; as a result, its assimilation efficiency (K-1) and net growth efficiency (K-2) were significantly higher than those of any other group (P < 0.05). Therefore, we suggest that red or orange light should be used as a light source for the aquaculture of H. d. discus. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We herein report a water-stable 3D dysprosium-based metal-organic framework (MOF) that can non-covalently interact with probe ss-DNA. The formed system can serve as an effective fluorescence sensing platform for the detection of complementary Ebolavirus RNA sequences with the detection limit of 160 pM.

In this study, a novel mercapto-terminated trinuclear Ni(II) complex (Ni3) was synthesized and used as an electrocatalyst for the detection of hydrazine hydrate in real water samples. The as-prepared Ni3 molecule possesses six thiomethyl groups at its periphery and these SCH3 groups can react with Au electrodes to immobilize the Ni3 molecules on their surface through the formation of a self-assembled monolayer. The Ni3-modified Au electrode (Ni3/Au) demonstrates excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of hydrazine hydrate through a significant decrease in overpotential. The chronoamperometry study shows a diffusion coefficient (D) of 5.82 × 10−5 cm2 s−1 and a catalytic rate constant of 8.57 × 103 M−1 s−1. Using the square wave voltammetry (SWV) technique, this Ni3/Au electrode based hydrazine hydrate sensor exhibits a high sensitivity in quantitative analysis, and its detection limit could be as low as ∼0.07 μM with linearity ranging from 0.2 to 50 μM. In addition, due its good reproducibility, anti-interference performance, and long-term stability, the proposed sensor is capable of detecting trace levels of hydrazine hydrate in real water samples.

Grouting reinforcement is a common way to strengthen fractured rock mass in rock engineering, which will transform the natural open flaws in rock mass into filled flaws. The existence of fillers will change the stress state of the flaws, thus affecting the mechanical properties and cracking behavior of fractured rock mass. In this paper, uniaxial compression experiments were carried out on granite specimens in four different filling states to study the effects of different filling materials on the strength, fracture behavior and strain state of flawed rock specimen. The experimental results show that compared with the unfilled specimen, the fillers can improve the strength of the specimen, delay the crack initiation and reduce the strain at the flaw tip, but these effects will weaken with the increase of the flaw inclination angle. In addition, the effect of fillers varies with different filling materials, and the effect of resin and gypsum fillers is significantly greater than that of silicone filler. Moreover, the mechanism of the interaction between filler and rock specimen is analyzed. The results reveal that the fillers can reduce the flaw tip stress, which is related to filling material parameters. This reduction of flaw tip stress will be more significant with the increase of the elastic modulus of the filling material, the friction angle and cohesion of the interface between rock and filling material.

Objectives To develop and validate an individualized nomogram to predict probability of patients with ureteral calculi developing into urosepsis. Methods The clinical data of 747 patients with ureteral calculi who were admitted from June 2013 to December 2015 in Affiliated Nanhai Hospital of Southern Medical University were selected and included in the development group, while 317 ureteral calculi patients who were admitted from January 2016 to December 2016 were included in the validation group. The independent risk factors of ureteral calculi associated with urosepsis were screened using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The corresponding nomogram prediction model was drawn according to the regression coefficients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves and the GiViTI calibration belts were used to estimate the discrimination and calibration of the prediction model, respectively. Results Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the five risk factors of gender, mean computed tomography(CT) attenuation value of hydronephrosis, functional solitary kidney, urine white blood cell(WBC) count and urine nitrite were independent risk factors of ureteral calculi associated with urosepsis. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the development group and validation group were 0.913 and 0.874 respectively, suggesting that the new prediction model had good discrimination capacity. P-values of the GiViTI calibration test of the two groups were 0.247 and 0.176 respectively, and the 95% CIs of GiViTI calibration belt in both groups did not cross the diagonal bisector line. Therefore the predicted probability of the model was consistent with the actual probability which suggested that the calibration of the prediction model in both groups were perfect and prediction model had strong concordance performance. Conclusion The individualized prediction model for patients with ureteral calculi can facilitate improved screening and early identification of patients having higher risk of urosepsis.

To identify potential target genes involved in l-serine biosynthesis in Methylobacterium sp. MB200 and to evaluate the gnd genetically-engineered strains for l-serine production. Five genes that are not associated with the central metabolic pathway but with l-serine biosynthesis were identified from Methylobacterium sp. MB200 mutants. Gene gnd, encoding 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGDH), was selected for further evaluation. The gnd deletion mutant showed a 600% increase in d-serine tolerance and an 80% decrease in PGDH activity compared to Methylobacterium sp. MB200. gnd over-expression did not affect d-serine tolerance, whereas it did increase enzyme-activity up to 136%. Additionally, analysis revealed that in Methylobacterium sp. MB200, l-serine inhibited PGDH activity. The deletion of gnd did not affect growth, whereas it did enhance the biosynthesis of l-serine, resulting in a 225% increase in production of l-serine compared to the wild-type. gnd, one of the five genes identified here that is associated with l-serine synthesis, can be developed as a potential candidate for metabolic engineering to promote l-serine synthesis in Methylobacterium sp. MB200.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are widely used in biomedical applications, but much less is known about their immunological properties, particularly their interaction with the complement system, a key component of innate immunity serving as an indicator of their biocompatibility. Using a library of different-sized AuNPs (10, 20, 40, and 80 nm) passivated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) of different molecular weight (Mw = 1, 2, 5, and 10 kDa), we demonstrated that citrate-capped AuNPs activated the whole complement system in a size-dependent manner, characterized by the formation of the end-point activation product, SC5b-9, in human serum. Although PEGylation of AuNPs mitigated, but did not abolish, the activation level, complement activation by PEGylated AuNPs was independent of both the core size of AuNPs and the molecular weight of PEG. The cellular uptake of both citrate-capped and PEGylated AuNPs by human U937 promonocytic cells which expresses complement receptors were highly correlated to the level of co...

Cucurbitacin E (CucE), a triterpenoid isolated from Cucurbitaceae plants, has been shown to possess an anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive activity in vitro and in vivo, yet the underlying mechanism has been incompletely understood. The aim of the present study was to explore its effect on cytokine expression and the underlying mechanism in human Jurkat T cells as a cellular model. The results showed that CucE significantly inhibited the production of interleukin-2, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ in culture medium of cells treated with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDB) plus ionomycin (Ion). Furthermore, the mRNA levels of these cytokines in activated Jurkat T cells were also decreased upon CucE treatment, suggesting a potential modulatory effect on the critical signaling pathways for cytokine expression, including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) or mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). In support of its effect on the NF-κB signaling pathway, CucE decreased the phosphorylation levels of inhibitor of κB (IκB) and NF-κB/p65 in PDB + Ion-stimulated cells. Further supporting this, the nuclear translocation of NF-κB/p65 was significantly suppressed in response to PDB plus Ion stimulation in the presence of CucE. The phosphorylation of p38MAPK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and Erk1/2, however, was not decreased or slightly increased at some time points by CucE treatment. Collectively, these data suggest that CucE may exhibit immunosuppressive effect by attenuating critical cytokine expression through down-regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a key negative regulator of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway. Previous study showed that, in the liver, the catalytic subunit of PP2A (PP2Ac) is closely associated with insulin resistance syndrome, which is characterized by glucose intolerance and dyslipidemia. Here we studied the role of liver PP2Ac in glucose metabolism and evaluated whether PP2Ac is a suitable therapeutic target for treating insulin resistance syndrome. Liver-specific Ppp2cα knockout mice (Ppp2cα(loxp/loxp): Alb) exhibited improved glucose homeostasis compared with littermate controls in both normal and high-fat diet conditions, despite no significant changes in body weight and liver weight under chow diet. Ppp2cα(loxp/loxp): Alb mice showed enhanced glycogen deposition, serum triglyceride, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein, activated insulin signaling, decreased expressions of gluconeogenic genes G6P and PEPCK, and lower liver triglyceride. Liver-specific Ppp2cα knockout mice showed enhanced glucose homeostasis and increased insulin sensitivity by activation of insulin signaling through Akt. These findings suggest that inhibition of hepatic Ppp2cα may be a useful strategy for the treatment of insulin resistance syndrome.

Porous bimetallic alloyed palladium silver (PdAg) nanoflowers supported on reduced graphene oxide (PdAg NFs/rGO) were prepared via a facile and simple in situ reduction process, with the assistance of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a structure directing agent. The as-prepared nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode (PdAg NFs/rGO/GCE) showed enhanced catalytic currents and enlarged peak potential separations for the oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA) as compared to those of PdAg/GCE, rGO/GCE, commercial Pd/C/GCE, and bare GCE. The as-developed sensor can selectively detect AA, DA, and UA with a good anti-interference ability, wide concentration ranges of 1.0 μM-2.1 mM, 0.4-96.0 μM, and 1.0-150.0 μM, respectively, together with low detection limits of 0.057, 0.048, and 0.081 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. For simultaneous detection of AA, DA, and UA, the linear current-concentration responses were observed from 1.0 μM-4.1 mM, 0.05-112.0 μM, and 3.0-186.0 μM, with the detection limits of 0.185, 0.017, and 0.654 μM (S/N = 3), respectively.

The titanium-based nanocatalysts were prepared and used to photocatalytically oxidize Hg0 to remove it in the simulated flue gas in this paper .The modified commercial degussa P25 and Fe3+ doped TiO2 photocatalyst prepared with sol-gel method were applied to conduct the experimenent on self-built experimental platform to test their photocatalytically oxidation performance on mercury in the simulated flue gas.By designing different ratios of Fe2O3/TiO2, comparison experiments under UV(ultra violet) irradiation, it was compared with the result of the experiment and reference documents to verify the rationality of the experimental results and the accuracy. The best catalyst modification conditions were determined and analyzed the Fe-doped TiO2 photocatalytic mechanism to guarantee high or higher mercury removal from flue gas.

In this work, BiVO 4 particles with different crystal structures and morphologies including hexahedral, spherical porous and hyperbranched ones were fabricated in the presence of ethylenediamine by hydrothermal process. The as-fabricated samples were well characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy. The results showed that the morphology and crystal structure of BiVO 4 particles could be well controlled by only changing the ethylenediamine content in the deionized water solution. Photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation. It was shown that BiVO 4 sample with spherical porous morphology and mixed crystal phase exhibited the best photocatalytic performance after optimizing the ethylenediamine content. The best degradation ratio of Rhodamine B could reach about 87% after 140 min visible-light irradiation.

In this paper, we present a phase-intensity surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor and demonstrate its use for avian influenza A (H5N1) antibody biomarker detection. The sensor probes the intensity variation produced by the steep phase response at surface plasmon excitation. The prism sensor head is fixed between a pair of polarizers with a perpendicular orientation angle and a forbidden transmission path. At SPR, a steep phase change is introduced between the p- and s-polarized light, and this rotates the polarization ellipse of the transmission beam. This allows the light at resonance to be transmitted and a corresponding intensity change to be detected. Neither time-consuming interference fringe analysis nor a phase extraction process is required. In refractive index sensing experiments, the sensor resolution was determined to be 6.3 × 10−6 refractive index values (RIU). The sensor has been further applied for H5N1 antibody biomarker detection, and the sensor resolution was determined to be 193.3 ng mL−1, compared to 1 μg mL−1 and 0.5 μg mL−1, as reported in literature for influenza antibody detection using commercial Biacore systems. It represents a 517.3% and 258.7% improvement in detection limit, respectively. With the unique features of label-free, real-time, and sensitive detection, the phase-intensity SPR biosensor has promising potential applications in influenza detection.