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Downstream processing of mAb charge variants is difficult owing to their similar molecular structures and surface charge properties. This study aimed to apply a novel twin‐column continuous chromatography (called N‐rich mode) to separate and enrich acidic variants of an IgG1 mAb. Besides, a comparison study with traditional scaled‐up batch‐mode cation exchange (CEX) chromatography was conducted. For the N‐rich process, two 3.93 mL columns were used, and the buffer system, flow rate and elution gradient slope were optimized. The results showed that 1.33 mg acidic variants with nearly 100% purity could be attained after a 22‐cycle accumulation. The yield was 86.21% with the productivity of 7.82 mg/L/h. On the other hand, for the batch CEX process, 4.15 mL column was first used to optimize the separation conditions, and then a scaled‐up column of 88.20 mL was used to separate 1.19 mg acidic variants with the purity of nearly 100%. The yield was 59.18% with the productivity of 7.78 mg/L/h. By comparing between the N‐rich and scaled‐up CEX processes, the results indicated that the N‐rich method displays a remarkable advantage on the product yield, i.e. 1.46‐fold increment without the loss of productivity and purity. Generally, twin‐column N‐rich continuous chromatography displays a high potential to enrich minor compounds with a higher yield, more flexibility and lower resin cost.

A series of Ni2P/Al2O3 catalysts with different Ni2P loadings were synthesized via thermal decomposition of hypophosphite and employed for naphthalene hydrogenation saturation. Results showed that ...

Enhancer RNA (eRNA) is a type of long non-coding RNA transcribed from DNA enhancer regions. Despite critical roles of eRNA in gene regulation, the expression landscape of eRNAs in normal human tissue remains unexplored. Using numerous samples from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project, we characterized 45 411 detectable eRNAs and identified tens of thousands of associations between eRNAs and traits, including gender, race, and age. We constructed a co-expression network to identify millions of putative eRNA regulators and target genes across different tissues. We further constructed a user-friendly data portal, Human enhancer RNA Atlas (HeRA, https://hanlab.uth.edu/HeRA/). In HeRA, users can search, browse, and download the eRNA expression profile, trait-related eRNAs, and eRNA co-expression network by searching the eRNA ID, gene symbol, and genomic region in one or multiple tissues. HeRA is the first data portal to characterize eRNAs from 9577 samples across 54 human tissues and facilitates functional and mechanistic investigations of eRNAs.

Design and preparation of coke resistant nickel-based (Ni-based) catalyst is the key point for the industrial application of carbon dioxide reforming of methane. In this work, MgO-promoted Ni/SiO2 catalysts with tunable particle size were prepared by the multiple-impregnation method and were employed to catalyze carbon dioxide reforming of methane. Results showed that the additive MgO was an electron donor, and its providing electron capacity to Ni became stronger as the Ni particle size was smaller. Catalytic activity evaluation presented that the Nien-0.4 %MgO catalyst possessed superior catalytic activity (CH4 and CO2 conversions maintained at 83.6 % and 89.9 %) at 750 °C. Its carbon deposition amount was only 0.16 wt.% after 100 h runs. The higher activity and the stronger coke resistance of the Nien-0.4 %MgO catalyst were due to the smaller Ni particle size (8.4 nm) and higher Ni electron density, which could promote CO2 activation and dissociation, and finally balance the formation rates of C species and O species over the MgO-promoted Ni/SiO2 catalysts.

As space exploration activities are developing rapidly, spacecraft with large antennas have gained wide acceptance in providing reliable telecommunications and astrophysical observations. In this paper, the dynamic responses and control strategy for a spacecraft with a large hoop-truss antenna under solar flux shock are studied. According to the momentum and angular momentum principle, the rigid-flexible coupled rotational dynamic equation and the translational dynamic equation of the system are established, which include the attitude motion of the rigid main body and the vibration of the antenna. Then, a finite element model of the antenna is established to analytically obtain the corresponding vibration modal shape matrix and natural frequencies. Last, the coupled responses for the attitude motion and vibration are investigated. The corresponding control strategy is designed based on a double-loop structure sliding mode control method. The Lyapunov method is used to demonstrate the global asymptotic stability of the system. Simulations verify the effectiveness of the proposed rigid-flexible coupled model and control strategy.

Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts were prepared by temperature-programmed reduction method and hypophosphite disproportionation method to investigate their naphthalene hydrogenation performance. The prepared catalysts were characterized by ICP-OES, X-ray diffraction, H2 temperature-programmed reduction, N2 adsorption-desorption method and transmission electron microscopy, etc. Results showed that Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst with pure Ni2P crystal phase could be successfully prepared by the temperature-programmed reduction method and hypophosphite disproportionation method. When the naphthalene hydrogenation reaction was performed at 340°C, 4 MPa, H2/oil volume ratio of 600, and a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 20.8 h–1, Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst prepared by the temperature-programmed reduction method possessed superior hydrogenation activity. This result was ascribed to the advantages of temperature-programmed reduction method. It not only installed the higher number of Ni2P species (CO adsorption amount 21.6 μmol/g) over SiO2, but also obtained more weak acid sites on the catalyst surface, which promoted the adsorption of aromatic hydrocarbons and subsequently resulted in the higher hydrogenation activity. Furthermore, when the temperature-programmed reduction method was used to prepare Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst, the lower Ni/P molar ratio was more beneficial to enhance the naphthalene hydrogenation activity of the as-prepared catalyst.

Salt stress is one of the abiotic stresses affecting crop growth and yield. The functional screening and mechanism investigation of the genes in response to salt stress are essential for the development of salt-tolerant crops. Here, we found that OXIDATIVE STRESS 2 (OXS2) was a salinity-induced gene, and the mutant oxs2-1 was hypersensitive to salt stress during seed germination and root elongation processes. In the absence of stress, OXS2 was predominantly localized in the cytoplasm; when the plants were treated with salt, OXS2 entered the nuclear. Further RNA-seq analysis and qPCR identification showed that, in the presence of salt stress, a large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were activated, which contain BOXS2 motifs previously identified as the binding element for AtOXS2. Further ChIP analysis revealed that, under salt stress, OXS2 associated with CA1 and Araport11 directly through binding the BOXS2 containing fragments in the promoter regions. In conclusion, our results indicate that OXS2 is required for salt tolerance in Arabidopsis mainly through associating with the downstream CA1 and Araport11 directly.

Mitochondria-nucleus communications and DNA damage response (DDR) play roles in cellular stress and closely associate with a range of diseases. Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are capable of uncoupling mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and protecting against oxidative stress. However, the potential role of UCPs in DDR and DDR-related mitochondria-nucleus communications remains unknown. The review deduces UCPs functions in mitochondria-nucleus communications implicated in metabolite regulation (e.g., reactive oxygen species) and Ca2+ signaling, and in DDR (e.g., base excision repair, double-strand DNA break repair, mitophagy and nuclear DNA degradation). Represented are shared microRNAs that regulate UCPs and DDR. It would provide novel insight into UCPs-mediated mitochondria-nucleus communications and DDR, and potentially promote drug target identification, drug discovery and clinical therapy of DDR-related diseases.

Mutations inPKD1(encoding polycystin-1) orPKD2(encoding polycystin-2) gene cause autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), however high levels of polycystins are detected in renal tissues of ADPKD patients. Animal studies showed that loss and gain of function of polycystins are both pathogenic and can induce cystic phenotype in the kidney, which are associated with enhanced renal fibrosis. Recent studies showed that increased expression of polycystins contributes to organ fibrosis. However, the role of polycystins in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that polycystin-1 or polycystin-2 was highly expressed in the kidney of two different fibrotic mouse models and positively correlated with expression of collagen-I. Pharmaceutical inhibition of polycystin-2 with triptolide or genetic knockout of polycystin-2 reduced the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and deposition of extracellular matrix proteins in fibrotic kidneys. Similarly, conditional knockout ofPkd1gene also attenuated renal fibrosis in mouse models. Thus, we further hypothesized that inhibition of polycystins delays cyst growth by mitigating renal fibrosis. Here, we showed that polycystin-1 or polycystin-2 was up-regulated inPkd2orPkd1mice respectively and tightly correlated with the growth of renal cysts and fibrosis development. Genetic deletion of both polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 retarded cyst growth inPkd1orPkd2mice. Finally, we deleted pkd1 gene in a fibrosis triggered adult ADPKD mouse model at different time point before or after the fibrotic injury. We showed that early and long-term inactivation ofPkd1delayed fibrosis triggered renal cyst growth in adultPkd1mice as compared with mice with late and short-term inactivation ofPkd1gene. We conclude that tubular obstruction induced polycystin up-regulation is pro-fibrotic and accelerates cyst growth through enhancing renal interstitial fibrosis in ADPKD mice. Our study indicates that ADPKD is caused by both loss and gain function of polycystins. Reduction of the aberrant upregulation of polycystins in cystic kidneys is a therapeutic option for ADPKD patients.Research highlightsPolycystin1 and polycystin-2 are up-regulated in fibrotic kidneysInhibition or deletion of polycystins inhibits EMT and attenuates renal tubulointerstitial fibrosisUpregulation of polycystin1 or polycystin-2 is positively correlated with fibrosis progression and renal cyst growth in ADPKD miceDouble knockout of Pkd1 and Pkd2 gene inhibits renal cyst growth in ADPKD miceLong-term deletion of Pkd1 gene delayed fibrosis triggered renal cyst growth in ADPKD mice

The saturation of octahydrophenanthrene was the rate-determining step in the hydrogenation process from phenanthrene to perhydrophenanthrene, which was due to the steric hindrance and competitive adsorption of octahydrophenanthrene. In this work, a series of Ni/NiAlOx catalysts with a uniform electron-deficient state of Ni derived from the nickel aluminate structure was synthesized to overcome the disadvantage of noble catalyst and the traditional sulfided catalysts in the saturation hydrogenation process of phenanthrene. Results showed that the catalyst calcinated at 650°C possessed more Ni2+ (∼98%) occupying octahedral sites and exhibited the highest robs (1.53 × 10−3 mol kg−1 s−1) and TOF (14.64 × 10−3 s−1) for phenanthrene hydrogenation. Furthermore, its ability to overcome steric hindrance and promote the rate-determining step was proven by octahydrophenanthrene hydrogenation. Comparing the evolution of hydrogenation activity with the change in the electronic structure of surface Ni sites, it was shown that the increase of metallic electron deficiency hindered the π-back bonding between surface Ni and aromatic rings, which was unfavorable for aromatic adsorption. As a result, the phenanthrene hydrogenation saturation performance can be enhanced by stabilizing the electron-deficient state of surface Ni on an optimal degree.

The saturation of octahydrophenanthrene was the rate-determining step in the hydrogenation process from phenanthrene to perhydrophenanthrene, which was due to the steric hindrance and competitive adsorption of octahydrophenanthrene. In this work, a series of Ni/NiAlOx catalysts with a uniform electron-deficient state of Ni derived from the nickel aluminate structure was synthesized to overcome the disadvantage of noble catalyst and the traditional sulfided catalysts in the saturation hydrogenation process of phenanthrene. Results showed that the catalyst calcinated at 650°C possessed more Ni2+ (∼98%) occupying octahedral sites and exhibited the highest robs (1.53 × 10−3 mol kg−1 s−1) and TOF (14.64 × 10−3 s−1) for phenanthrene hydrogenation. Furthermore, its ability to overcome steric hindrance and promote the rate-determining step was proven by octahydrophenanthrene hydrogenation. Comparing the evolution of hydrogenation activity with the change in the electronic structure of surface Ni sites, it was shown that the increase of metallic electron deficiency hindered the π-back bonding between surface Ni and aromatic rings, which was unfavorable for aromatic adsorption. As a result, the phenanthrene hydrogenation saturation performance can be enhanced by stabilizing the electron-deficient state of surface Ni on an optimal degree.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based profiling of both urinary tumor DNA (utDNA) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) shows promise for noninvasive detection and surveillance of urothelial bladder cancer (UBC). However, the analytical performance of these assays remains undefined in the real-world setting. Here, we sought to evaluate the concordance between tumor DNA (tDNA) profiling and utDNA or ctDNA assays using a UBC patient cohort from the intended-use population.Fifty-nine cases with pathologically confirmed disease and matching tissue/urine pairs were prospectively enrolled. Baseline peripheral blood mononuclear cell and plasma specimens were collected during clinic visits. The PredicineCAREDiverse quantitative metrics including cancer cell fraction, variant allele frequency and tumor mutation burden were invariably concordant between tDNA and utDNA, but not ctDNA. The mutational landscapes captured by tDNA or utDNA were highly similar, whereas a considerable proportion of ctDNA aberrations stemmed from clonal hematopoiesis. Using tDNA-informed somatic events as reference, utDNA assays achieved a specificity of 99.3%, a sensitivity of 86.7%, a positive predictive value of 67.2%, a negative predictive value of 99.8% and a diagnostic accuracy of 99.1%. Higher preoperative utDNA or tDNA abundance correlated with worse relapse-free survival. Actionable variants includingUrine-based molecular pathology provides a valid and complete genetic profile of bladder cancer, and represents a faithful surrogate for genotyping and monitoring newly diagnosed UBC.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) generally occurs in the presence of chronic liver injury, often as a sequela of liver fibrosis. Hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) are known to be capable of forming both hepatocytes and cholangiocytes in chronic liver injury, which are also considered a source of myofibroblasts and tumor-initiating cells, under carcinogenic circumstances. However, the underlying mechanisms that activate HPCs to give rise to HCC are still unclear. In current study, the correlation between HPCs activation and liver fibrosis and carcinogenesis was investigated in rats and human specimens. We analyzed the role of HPCs in tumorigenesis, by transplanting exogenous HPCs in a diethylnitrosamine-induced rat HCC model. Our data indicated that HPC activation correlated with hepatic fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis. We further found that exogenous HPC infusion promoted liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis, while lipopolysaccharides (LPS) played an important role in this process. However, results of our study indicated that LPS did not induce HPCs to form tumor in nude mice directly. Rather, LPS induced myofibroblast-like morphology in HPCs, which enhanced the tumorigenic potential of HPCs. Further experiments showed that LPS/Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling mediated the differentiation of HPCs into myofibroblasts and enhanced the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which led to the aberrant expression of Ras and p53 signaling pathways in HPCs, and finally, promoted the proliferation and malignant transformation of HPCs, by long non-coding RNA regulation. Besides, examination of HCC clinical samples demonstrated that IL-6 and TNF-α production correlated with HPC activation, hepatic fibrosis, and HCC recurrence. Our study indicates that both myofibroblasts and tumor cells are derived from HPCs. HPC-derived myofibroblasts create tumor microenvironment and contribute to the proliferation and malignant transformation of HPCs. Furthermore, LPS present in the chronic liver inflammation microenvironment might play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis, by regulating the plastic potential of HPCs.

The quality of post-ovulatory oocytes decreases with aging. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a broadly used antioxidant, on oocyte quality in mouse post-ovulatory oocyte aging in vitro. NAC at 0.6mM concentration was added to culture medium (M2), and the quality of oocytes was analyzed at 6h, 12h, 18h and 24h of culture. We found that the frequency of spindle defects decreased in NAC-treated oocytes compared to those without NAC treatment. NAC treatment significantly decreased abnormal distribution of cortical granules (CGs) in oocytes during aging for 18h and 24h. Decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also observed. Increased intracellular ATP levels and decreased abnormal distribution of mitochondria could be observed with NAC supplementation during post-ovulatory oocyte aging in vitro. These results indicate that NAC will maintain the quality of oocytes, and delay post-ovulatory oocyte aging as studied in the mouse.

Cadmium (Cd) is a major heavy metal pollutant, and Cd toxicity is a serious cause of abiotic stress in the environment. Plants protect themselves against Cd stress through a variety of pathways. In a recent study, we found that mitochondrial pyruvate carriers (MPCs) are involved in Cd tolerance in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Following the identification of MPCs in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in 2012, most studies have focused on the function of MPCs in animals, as a possible approach to reduce the risk of cancer developing. The results of this study show that AtMPC protein complexes are required for Cd tolerance and prevention of Cd accumulation in Arabidopsis. AtMPC complexes are composed of two elements, AtMPC1 and AtMPC2 (AtNRGA1 or AtMPC3). When the formation of AtMPCs was interrupted by the loss of AtMPC1, glutamate could supplement the synthesis of acetyl-coenzyme A and sustain the TCA cycle. With the up-regulation of glutathione synthesis following exposure to Cd stress, the supplementary pathway could not efficiently drive the tricarboxylic acid cycle without AtMPC. The ATP content decreased concomitantly with the deletion of tricarboxylic acid activity, which led to Cd accumulation in Arabidopsis. More importantly, ScMPCs were also required for Cd tolerance in yeast. Our results suggest that the mechanism of Cd tolerance may be similar in other species.

The clinical treatment of gastric cancer is hampered by the development of anticancer drug resistance as well as the unfavorable pharmacokinetics, nontarget toxicity, and inadequate intratumoral accumulation of current chemotherapies. The polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate in combination with doxorubicin exhibits synergistic inhibition P-glycoprotein efflux pump activity and cancer cell growth. This study evaluated a potential activated nanoparticle delivery system comprising a hyaluronic acid complex with polyethylene glycol-conjugated gelatin containing encapsulated epigallocatechin gallate and low-dose doxorubicin, which may facilitate targeted drug administration to gastric cancer cells. We confirmed successful delivery of bioactive combination drugs and internalization into gastric cancer cells through CD44 ligand recognition and ensuing inhibition of cell proliferation via caspase-induced apoptosis and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, the targeted nanoparticles significantly suppressed gastric tumor activity and reduced both tumor and heart tissue inflammatory reaction in vivo compared to systemic combination treatment.

Drought represents a leading constraint over crop productivity worldwide. The plant response to this stress is centered on the behavior of the cell membrane, where the transduction of abscisic acid (ABA) signaling occurs. Here, the Ras-related small GTP-binding protein RabE1c has been shown able to bind to an ABA receptor in the Arabidopsis thaliana plasma membrane, thereby positively regulating ABA signaling. RabE1c is highly induced by drought stress and expressed abundantly in guard cells. In the loss-of-function rabe1c mutant, both stomatal closure and the whole plant drought stress response showed a reduced sensitivity to ABA treatment, demonstrating that RabE1c is involved in the control over transpirative water loss through the stomata. Impairment of RabE1c's function suppressed the accumulation of the ABA receptor PYL4. The over-expression of RabE1c in A. thaliana enhanced the plants' ability to tolerate drought, and a similar phenotypic effect was achieved by constitutively expressing the gene in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapassp. pekinensis). The leading conclusion was that RabE1c promotes the degradation of PYL4, suggesting a possible genetic strategy to engineer crop plants to better withstand drought stress.

The application of traditional powder catalysts is limited by particle agglomeration and difficult recovery. In this work, a three-dimensional porous aerogel catalyst for organic pollutants degradation in water by activating peroxydisulfate (PDS) was successfully synthesized, which was obtained via directly mixing of MIL-88B(Fe) with sol precursors followed by vacuum freeze-drying and low-temperature calcination. MIL-88B(Fe)/gelatin aerogel-150/PDS (MGA-150/PDS) system displayed satisfactory norfloxacin (NOR) degradation performance, which could remove 98.7% of NOR in 90 min. Its reaction rate constant was 23.2 times higher than the gelatin aerogel/PDS (GA/PDS) system. In addition, Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results and radical trapping experiments revealed both radicals (SO4•−, •OH) and non-radical (1O2) pathways had participated in NOR degradation, of which •OH was dominant. Possible degradation pathways were proposed. Moreover, the high degradation efficiency of NOR by MGA-150 composites could still be reached more than 90.0% even after 10 cycles, and the morphology and chemical structure of MGA-150 composites exhibited no significant changes, indicating the arrestive stability of aerogel composites. This progress not only proposed an effective catalyst for PDS activation, but also expanded views for the design and development of 3D functional materials.

Aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) is a main cause of primary aldosteronism (PA). Given that a large benign-appearing unilateral masse (>1 cm in diameter) may represent an aldosterone and cortisol-co-secreting adenoma, dexamethasone suppression testing is required in such patients to exclude or confirm the diagnosis of hypercortisolism. Tuberculosis is highly prevalent in China, and rifamycins are often used in these patients. Rifapentine belongs to the rifamycin family, and we herein for the first time report a case of misdiagnosis of hypercortisolism due to rifapentine use in a patient with APA. Thus, in patients treated with rifapentine, diagnosis of hypercortisolism based on dexamethasone suppression tests can be very misleading.

The aim of our current study was to investigate the long-term effect and the mechanism of triptolide in an adult nonorthologous rat model of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Male wild-type (+/+) and Cy/+ cystic Han:SPRD rats were treated with vehicle or triptolide from 4 to 16 wk of age. Rats were killed at 16 wk of age for blood, urine, and organ collection. Human-derived WT9–12 PKD cells were treated with triptolide with or without IL-6 pretreatment. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cytotoxicity were determined. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry analysis were performed to evaluate the activation of IL-6-JAK2-STAT3 pathway. Renal function was protected by 12 wk of triptolide treatment in cystic Han:SPRD rats as shown by reduced blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and proteinuria levels. Cyst and kidney growth were also retarded by triptolide treatment in Cy/+ rats. We further found that the proliferation index was reduced by triptolide in cystic rats, which was correlated with the reduced expression of IL-6/IL-6 receptor, decreased phosphorylation of JAK2-STAT3, and increased expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3). The inhibitory effect of triptolide was further studied in WT9–12 cells. Triptolide inhibited cell proliferation and the activation of JAK2-STAT3 pathway in PKD cells, but it increased the expression of SOCS3. Pretreatment with IL-6 attenuated the inhibitory effect of triptolide on STAT3 phosphorylation. Our study revealed a long-term beneficial effect of triptolide in PKD that was probably through inhibition of the JAK2-STAT3 pathway.

CaO/Ca3Al2O6 sorbents have been proved to be a promising sorbent for CO2 sorption. However, the sorbents still suffer from low CO2 sorption capacity. In this work, self-activation was generated via thermally pretreating CaO/Ca3Al2O6 sorbents in CO2 atmosphere at various temperatures to enhance the CO2 sorption capacity of CaO/Ca3Al2O6 sorbents. Results showed that the thermally pretreated temperature plays an overwhelming role in the CO2 sorption capacity and stability of the CaO/Ca3Al2O6 sorbents. Superior CO2 sorption capacity (8.01 mmol g−1 for C9A1-650 at 500 °C) is achieved, which is 72% higher than that of C9A1 (no pretreatment sample). After 50 carbonation-calcination cycles, the CO2 sorption capacity of C9A1-650 still remained 20% higher than that of C9A1. The high CO2 sorption capacity is ascribed to the smaller CaO grain size (37.1 nm) and the higher surface area (13.1 m2 g−1), resulting from the self-activation process. Meanwhile, the CO2 cyclic sorption stability is due to the small original surface free energy. Furthermore, the C9A1-650 sorbent is employed to use in sorption enhanced methane steam reforming process. It provides a H2 concentration of 98.9% and CH4 conversion of 98.7%, presenting greatly potential in practical application.

The key concept to simplify the synthesis steps of core–shell nanocomposites is to synthesize the core and shell components together without tedious separation and purification steps. In addition, the sintering problems of carbon spheres during the high-temperature carbonization process need to be addressed with the aim of obtaining monodisperse carbon nanospheres. Through extension of our reported silica-assisted strategy, a facile one-pot strategy is reported here to synthesize noble metal@mesoporous carbon (NM@MC) core–shell colloids in which the formation and encapsulation processes of noble metal nanoparticles happen simultaneously through a series of synergetic reactions. The resulting NM@MC colloidal nanospheres show uniform and highly dispersed morphology, tunable size, high surface area, and clear core–shell structure with abundant mesopores. In particular, the Au@MC colloid shows significantly high catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminopheol thanks to the excellent catal...

MCL1 is a pivot member of the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins. While a distinctive feature of MCL1 resides in its efficient ubiquitination and destruction, the deubiquitinase USP9X has been implicated in the preservation of MCL1 expression by removing the polyubiquitin chains. Here we perform an unbiased siRNA screen and identify that the second deubiquitinase, USP13, regulates MCL1 stability in lung and ovarian cancer cells. Mechanistically, USP13 interacts with and stabilizes MCL1 via deubiquitination. As a result, USP13 depletion using CRISPR/Cas9 nuclease system inhibits tumor growth in xenografted nude mice. We further report that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of USP13 considerably reduces MCL1 protein abundance and significantly increases tumor cell sensitivity to BH3 mimetic inhibitors targeting BCL-2 and BCL-XL. Collectively, we nominate USP13 as a novel deubiquitinase which regulates MCL1 turnover in diverse solid tumors and propose that USP13 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of various malignancies., MCL1, a pro-survival BCL-2 related protein with rapid turnover rate, is often dysregulated in cancers. Here, the authors show that MCL1’s stability is regulated by deubiquitinase USP13, and its inhibition sensitises tumor cells to BH3 mimetic inhibitors.

The light collection and separation of nano-catalysts in the slurry-system are key issues in photocatalysis. Herein, magnetic Ti3+-TiO2/Ar-Fe2O3 type II heterojunction is fabricated by high-temperature reduction of MOFs in argon atmosphere for solving these issues. The Fe clusters exposed by Ar-Fe2O3 and the high light collection ability brought by oxygen vacancies make Ti3+-TiO2/Ar-Fe2O3 considered for photo-activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS). Ti3+-TiO2/Ar-Fe2O3/visible light/PDS system degrades 97.80 % of Norfloxacin (NOR) within 5 min, the first-order kinetic constants (0.4174 min−1) is 8.73 and 7.31 times that of Ti3+-TiO2 and Ar-Fe2O3. The proposed system also exhibits excellent degradation ability in multiple antibiotics and real samples. Based on the suitable energy band level of Ti3+-TiO2/Ar-Fe2O3, the separation rate of carriers is enhanced, SO4 −, OH and h+ are concomitantly produced for oxidating NOR. This work enriches in-situ defect engineering for TiO2, gives novel insights for MOFs-assisted nano-catalysts and offers a new chance for photo-activation of PDS.

CaO-based CO 2 sorbents play a significant role in sorption enhanced methane steam reforming process for hydrogen production and CO 2 emission reduction. In this work, pretreatment of CaO/Ca 3 Al 2 O 6 sorbents in CO 2 atmosphere at different temperatures was investigated for its influence on CO 2 sorption capacity and cyclic stability. The sorbents were synthesized to contain a CaO to Al 2 O 3 mass ratios of 9:1, and then subjected to cycling tests with repeated carbonation and calcination process. Results showed that the sorbents pretreated by CO 2 at 650 oC obtained a minimum CaO grain size of 40.7 nm and a maximum surface area of 13.1 m 2 ·g -1 . This resulted in an increase in CO 2 sorption capacity, up to 7.60 mmol CO 2 ·g -1 sorbent. After 50 cycles, the CO 2 sorption capacity decreased, but still remained 10% above those for the original (no pretreatment) sample. The mechanism about the improved CO 2 sorption performance of the pretreated sorbents was also postulated.

CO2 enhanced sorption methane steam reforming for hydrogen production is a potential approach to economically provide hydrogen and to reduce CO2 emission. The key point for this process is to develop a composite catalyst with high catalytic and adsorptive capacity. Considering the tunable structure of hydrotalcite-like compounds, co-precipitation method was employed to synthesize Ni/CaO-Al2O3 composite catalysts by varying the molar ratio of Ca to Al. The results show that the specific surface area and Ni dispersion of the as-synthesized composite catalysts are greatly influenced by molar ratio of Ca to Al, which derives from the variable interaction between Ni and the support. When the molar ratio of Ca to Al is 3, the composite catalyst obtains a specific surface area of 12.92 m2/g and Ni dispersion of 1.07%. Catalytic evaluation shows that the composite catalyst possesses a H2 concentration of 95% and a CH4 conversion of 88%, and H2 concentration exceeds 93% even after 10 cyclic runs.

Molecular mechanisms of ovarian aging and female age-related fertility decline remain unclear. We surveyed the single-cell transcriptomic landscape of ovaries from young and aged non-human primates (NHPs) and identified seven ovarian cell types with distinct gene-expression signatures, including oocyte and six types of ovarian somatic cells. In-depth dissection of gene-expression dynamics of oocytes revealed four subtypes at sequential and stepwise developmental stages. Further analysis of cell-type-specific aging-associated transcriptional changes uncovered the disturbance of antioxidant signaling specific to early-stage oocytes and granulosa cells, indicative of oxidative damage as a crucial factor in ovarian functional decline with age. Additionally, inactivated antioxidative pathways, increased reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis were observed in granulosa cells from aged women. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the cell-type-specific mechanisms underlying primate ovarian aging at single-cell resolution, revealing new diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for age-related human ovarian disorders.

QT interval prolongation, a potential risk for arrhythmias, may result from gene polymorphisms relevant to cardiomyocyte repolarization. Another noted cause of QT interval prolongation is the administration of chemical compounds such as anesthetics, which may affect a specific type of cardiac K+ channel encoded by the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG). hERG K+ current was recorded using whole-cell patch clamp in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells expressing wild type (WT) or mutated hERG channels. Expression of hERG K+ channel proteins was evaluated using western blot and confirmed by fluorescent staining and imaging. Computational modeling was adopted to identify the possible binding site(s) of propofol with hERG K+ channels. Propofol had a significant inhibitory effect on WT hERG K+ currents in a concentration-dependent manner, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 60.9±6.4μM. Mutations in drug-binding sites (Y652A or F656C) of the hERG channel were found to attenuate hERG current blockage by propofol. However, propofol did not inhibit the trafficking of hERG protein to the cell membrane. Meanwhile, for the three selective hERG K+ channel mutant heterozygotes WT/Q738X-hERG, WT/A422T-hERG, and WT/H562P-hERG, the IC50 of propofol was calculated as 14.2±2.8μM, 3.3±1.2μM, and 5.9±1.9μM, respectively, which were much lower than that for the wild type. These findings indicate that propofol may potentially increase QT interval prolongation risk in patients via direct inhibition of the hERG K+ channel, especially in those with other concurrent triggering factors such as hERG gene mutations.

Heavy metal ions which are not essential elements for basic metabolism severely threaten human health through food chain. As the most water-soluble and absorbed heavy metal ion, Cadmium (Cd) is easily accumulated and contaminates plants. Previously, mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 1 (MPC1) was proved to be required for Cd tolerance and Cd(2+) exclusion. In this study, we carried out following mRNA expression profile analysis on Cd-treated mpc1-1 and wild-type plants. After further selection of differential expressed genes and Cd tolerance tests in yeast, we have discovered a novel Cd tolerance related gene: AGP30, which specifically expresses in root and is significantly regulated by MPC under Cd stress. This protein mainly localize in the cell wall of cells in root meristem region, which was consistent with our former Cd(2+) flux measurement. In conclusion, our work discovered a new Cd resistant gene for utilizing in transgenic crops for preventing Cd(2+) influx.

Rationale Natural products have been great sources for drug discovery. However, the structures of natural products are diverse and difficult to elucidate. Cordyceps militaris is a parasitic fungus which usually grows on host insects. The metabolites of C. militaris have been reported to act as chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, we aimed for the structural elucidation of specialized metabolites derived from C. militaris, and the metabolic impact in leukemia cells. Methods We describe a liquid chromatography data-dependent mass spectrometric platform combining tandem mass analysis and molecular networking. Leukemia cells treated with C. militaris extract and control groups were visualized in terms of their metabolic profiles using Global Natural Product Social (GNPS) molecular networking. By this method, we were able to elucidate the structures of metabolites from medicinal fungus extracts and cancer cells and then to recognize their changes in a semi-quantitative manner. Results Using C. militaris and leukemia cells as examples, we found that approximately 100 new ion species were present in the treated leukemia cells, suggesting a highly altered metabolic profile. Specifically, based on the tandem mass spectral similarity, we proposed that cordycepin, a key fungus-derived therapeutic agent known for its antitumor activity, was transformed into its methylthio form in leukemia cells. Conclusions The platform described provides an ability to investigate complex molecular interactions of natural products in mammalian cells. By incorporating tandem mass spectrometry and molecular networking, we were able to reveal the chemical modification of crude bioactive compounds, for example potential bioactive compounds which might be modified from cordycepin. We envision that such a mass spectrometry (MS)-based workflow, combined with other metabolomics platforms, would enable much wider applicability to cell biology and be of great potential to pharmacological study as well as drug discovery.

To protect the lacquer plates from the Nanhai No. 1 shipwreck from being corroded by microorganisms, a series of studies were conducted on the four water-stored samples. The water samples were collected from the vessel where the lacquerware was stored in June and December 2017. In our study, high-throughput sequencing was conducted to reveal predominant bacterial communities. Then, three different media were used to isolate the dominant bacteria, and the 16S rRNA genes were sequenced. Next, we tested the degradation activity of lignin and cellulose by the isolated bacterial strains. After being cultured on a medium containing carboxylmethylcellulose (CMC), almost all the isolated strains (except Microbacterium sp. NK-NH4, Ochrobactrum sp. NK-NH9, and Bacillus megaterium NK-NH10) showed the capacity for cellulose degradation. In addition, the lignin peroxidase (Lip) and laccase activity of the strains were shown by culturing the strains on one medium with azure and on another medium with Remazol brilliant blue. The results indicated that the Lip activity of all the strains was low, whereas the laccase activity of Microbacterium sp. NK-NH4, Bacillus tequilensis NK-NH5, Bacillus subtilis NK-NH6, Bacillus megaterium NK-NH10, and Bacillus velezensis NK-NH11 was relatively high. Finally, we tested the bacteriostatic efficacy of four biocides&mdash, Preventol&reg, D7, BIT 20N, P91, and Euxyl&reg, K100. We found that most strains were sensitive to D7 and 20N, while K100 had almost no impact.

We investigate the phonon limited electron mobility in germanium (Ge) fin field-effect transistors (FinFETs) with fin rotating within (001), (110), and (111)-oriented wafers. The coupled Schrodinger-Poisson equations are solved self-consistently to calculate the electronic structures for the two-dimensional electron gas, and Fermi’s Golden Rule is used to calculate the phonon scattering rate. It is concluded that the intravalley acoustic phonon scattering is the dominant mechanism limiting the electron mobility in Ge nFinFETs. The phonon limited electron motilities are influenced by wafer orientation, channel direction, fin thickness W fin , and inversion charge density N inv . With the fixed W fin , fin directions of 〈110〉, $\left\langle {1\bar 12} \right\rangle $, and $\left\langle {\bar 110} \right\rangle $ within (001), (110), and (111)-oriented wafers, respectively, provide the maximum values of electron mobility. The optimized W fin for mobility is also dependent on wafer orientation and channel direction.

Background Inflammation plays an important role in polycystic kidney disease (PKD). The current study aimed to examine the efficacy of the anti-inflammatory compound resveratrol in PKD and to investigate its underlying mechanism of action. Methods Male Han:SPRD (Cy/+) rats with PKD were treated with 200 mg/kg/day resveratrol or vehicle by gavage for 5 weeks. Human autosomal dominant (AD) PKD cells, three-dimensional (3D) Madin-Darby canine kidney cells and zebrafish were treated with various concentrations of resveratrol or the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) inhibitor QNZ. Results Resveratrol treatment reduced blood urea nitrogen levels and creatinine levels by 20 and 24%, respectively, and decreased two-kidney/total body weight ratio by 15% and cyst volume density by 24% in Cy/+ rats. The proliferation index and the macrophage infiltration index were reduced by 40 and 43%, respectively, in resveratrol-treated cystic kidneys. Resveratrol reduced the levels of the pro-inflammatory factors monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and complement factor B (CFB) in Cy/+ rat kidneys in parallel with the decreased activity of NF-κB (p50/p65). The activation of NF-κB and its correlation with pro-inflammatory factor expression were confirmed in human ADPKD cells and kidney tissues. Resveratrol and QNZ inhibited the expression of MCP-1, TNF-α and CFB and reduced NF-κB activity in ADPKD cells. Moreover, NF-κB blockage minimized the inhibition of inflammatory factor production by resveratrol treatment. Furthermore, resveratrol or QNZ inhibited cyst formation in the 3D cyst and zebrafish models. Conclusions The NF-κB signaling pathway is activated and partly responsible for inflammation in polycystic kidney tissues. Targeting inflammation through resveratrol could be a new strategy for PKD treatment in the future.

Ovarian cancer is responsible for the highest mortality among all gynecologic malignancies, and novel therapies are urgently needed to improve patient outcome. Here we performed an integrative genomic analysis and identified the bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) protein BRD4 as a potential therapeutic target in ovarian cancer. Suppression of BRD4 using small-molecule BET inhibitors JQ1 and I-BET151, or dual kinase-bromodomain inhibitor volasertib, led to robust and broad antitumor effects across all subclasses of ovarian cancer. In contrast to many other cancers which are susceptible to BET inhibition due to downregulation of super-enhancer-dependent MYC transcript, we discovered that JQ1-sensitive ovarian cancer cells exhibited marked disruption of Forkhead box protein M1 (FoxM1) pathway, a key driver of ovarian carcinoma. These in vitro findings were further supported by in vivo efficacies of JQ1 targeting both cell line-based and patient-derived xenograft models. Our data establish a new treatment strategy against ovarian cancer by employing epigenetic vulnerabilities, and provide a mechanistic rationale for the clinical investigation of BET bromodomain inhibitors in this deadly disease.

An optical fiber/Au film/barium titanate (BaTiO3) thin film surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is proposed. Improving sensitivity by charge transfer between Au and BaTiO3. The calculation of transfer matrix method shows that BaTiO3 are coated on the surface of the sensing area, the simulation sensitivity of the sensor reaches 2820 nm/RIU. The finite element method simulation shows that BaTiO3 can improve the electric field intensity in the sensing region. The experimental results of refractive index show that the sensitivity of optical fiber/Au film/ BaTiO3 film SPR sensor is 2543 nm/RIU in the low refractive index range, 495 nm/RIU higher than that of traditional Au film SPR sensor. In the high refractive index range, the sensitivity of the sensor can reach 6040 nm/RIU. The sensor has broad application prospects in the field of biosensor.

The separation of charge variants is a challenge for the production of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Cation exchange chromatography (CEX) is normally used to accomplish this task. In this study, with IgG1-type mAb as the model protein, charge variants separation was investigated under various conditions including resins, elution mode, gradient slope and flow rate. The trade-off between main peak purity and recovery was focused to evaluate the separation performance. The results indicated that the diameter of resin particles was the critical factor. For SP Sepharose Fast Flow (90 μm diameter resin), the overlap between main peak and charge variants was too serious to meet the separation requirements. For Monomix MC30 SP (30 μm diameter resin), the purity of main peak was improved to 93.4% under 0.05 pH/CV and 100 cm/h. For Nano SP-15L (15 μm diameter resin), near 100% purity of main peak could be obtained with a recovery of 56.5% under 0.05 pH/CV and 100 cm/h. Two types of elution gradient, salt gradient and pH gradient, were compared and it was found that there was no obvious difference after the optimization and both showed some improvements with a shallower gradient. In addition, slower flow rate could improve the separation of main peak. In general, smaller resin particle size, shallower gradient slope and slower flow rate could improve the separation performance of main peak and charge variants under both salt gradient and pH gradient elution, which should be selected according to the actual requirements.

The lossy mode resonance (LMR)-based optical fiber waveguide based on titanium dioxide nanoarrays was discovered and researched for the first time in this paper. Two kinds of waveguide coating structures, titanium dioxide nanoarrays and nanofilms-nanoarrays systems, were researched using finite element method, where the localized field distribution, the mode transmission characteristics and measurement sensitivities of surrounding refractive index were researched in detail. In the former structure, there exists a localized electromagnetic field that can be generated by both TE and TM polarization modes around nanoarrays. By increasing the diameters of nanoparticles and decreasing the intervals of nanoarrays, the resonance wavelength will redshift and the measurement sensitivity will be enhanced. In the latter structure, the localized electromagnetic field can be obviously enhanced due to the mode coupling between nanofilms and nanoarrays. In addition, the measurement sensitivity of refractive index was 5179 nm/RIU in the range of 1.333–1.343, which is two times higher than that of the structure without TiO2 nanoarrays. This paper opened up a door to study the LMR generated by semiconductor nanoparticles, which is useful in the research of electromagnetic resonance-based sensors in nanoscales.

Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) located at the mitochondrial inner membrane serves an important role in adaptive non-shivering thermogenesis. Previous data has demonstrated that membrane lipids regulate the biological functions of membrane proteins. However, how mitochondrial lipids interact with UCP1 still remains elusive. In this study, the interactions between UCP1 and membrane lipids were investigated, using bioinformatic approaches due to the limitations associated with experimental techniques. A total of 8 UCP1 peptide regions with α-helices were identified and related to functional sites of UCP1. These were all novel peptide sequences compared with the known protein-lipid interactions. Among several types of UCP1-binding molecules, cardiolipin appeared to serve as a key interacting molecule of the 8 lipid-binding α-helix regions of UCP1. Two cardiolipin-binding lysines (K175 and K269) of UCP1 may be crucial for this UCP1-cardiolipin recognition and UCP1 function. The present findings provide novel insight into the associations of UCP1 with lipids and the potential drug targets in UCP1-associated diseases.

Metalloporphyrins possess promising prospect in the oxidative electron-transfer systems. We report here the controllable synthesis of magnetically separable metalloporphyrin via a covalent bonding between Fe(III) meso-Tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphine chloride and magnetic nanoparticles. The as-synthesized magnetically separable metalloporphyrin showed 69.02% decoloration efficiency for Acid orange 7. It could be readily recovered from the reaction solution by using a permanent magnetic bar and its decoloration activity remained 95.64% after three cycles of repetitive uses. The stable recycle performance was ascribed to the covalent bond linkage between the metalloporphyrin molecules and the small sized, non-aggregation, and freely dispersed nanoparticles.

The reaction mechanism between azacyclopropenylidene and oxirane has been systematically investigated employing the second-order M?ller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) method to better understand the azacyclopropenylidene reactivity with three-membered ring compound oxirane. Geometry optimization, vibrational analysis, and energy property for the involved stationary points on the potential energy surface have been calculated. Energies of all the species are also further corrected by CCSD(T)/6-311+G* single-point calculations. Our calculational results show that there are two possible reaction pathways. From the kinetic viewpoint, the first pathway is primary. From the viewpoint of thermodynamics, the second is dominating.

Magnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles decorated with native carboxyl groups (Fe 3 O 4 COOH) were prepared and used as magnetic carriers. These carriers were different from traditional solid supports, because they were free-standing and no aggregation in solution. Lipases were covalently bonded to these Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles through 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (Sulfo-NHS) activated coupling to synthesize magnetically responsive lipases (MRLs). The analyses of transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed no significant change on the size and shape of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles after being conjugated with lipases. The conjugation of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles and lipases was confirmed by electrophoresis and zeta potential analyses. Furthermore, the factors that affected the enzyme activity and specific activity of the MRLs were discussed. The optimized conjugation conditions were found to be that the dosages of the lipase solution and the EDC solution were 200 μL and 10 μL for 1 mL Fe 3 O 4 respectively, the molar ratio of EDC and Sulfo-NHS was 1:2.5, and the conjugation time was 2 h. The prepared MRLs exhibited higher thermal stability and reusability.

The mechanism of reaction between azacyclopropenylidene and azetidine has been systematically investigated employing the second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) method to better understand the azacyclopropenylidene reactivity with azetidine four-membered cycle. Geometry optimization, vibrational analysis, and energy properties for the involved stationary points on the potential energy surface have been calculated. It was found that at the first step of this reaction, azacyclopropenylidene can insert into azetidine cycle at its C-N or C-C bond to form spiro intermediate IM. It was found that azacyclopropenylidene insertion into C-N bond is easier than into C-C bond. Through the ring-opening step at C-C bond of azacyclopropenylidene fragment, IM can transfer to product P1, which is named as pathway (1). On the other hand, through the H-transferred step and subsequent ring-opened step at C-N bond of azacyclopropenylidene fragment, IM can turn into product P2, which is named as pathway (2). From the thermodynamics viewpoint, P2 allene is the dominating product. From the kinetic viewpoint, the pathway (1) of formation to P1 is primary.

Visible light responsive titanium dioxide/graphene oxide composites (TGO) were synthesized via electrostatic attraction at a low temperature of 80 °C. A superior visible light driven photocatalytic degradation of quinoline for TGO was achieved (75.56%), which was 6.17 times as high as that of P25 under the same reaction condition. The recycling experiment showed that 93.32% photocatalytic activity was remained after four cycles of repetitive uses. The excellent visible light driven photocatalytic activity and recycle stability could be attributed to the extending optical absorption edge and easy photogenerated electron-hole separation by trapping the electrons generated from titanium dioxide in the presence of graphene oxide. A tentative mechanism was postulated for the photodegradation of quinoline over TGO.

Magnetic Fe 70 Co 30 nanoparticles with a cubic shape and a mean size of 15 ± 1.5 nm were fabricated using a magnetron–sputtering-based gas phase condensation deposition method. The particles had a high saturation magnetization of 220 emu/g, which is much higher than that of commercially available iron oxide nanoparticles. The FeCo nanoparticles were modified by 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane and subsequently activated by glutaraldehyde, leading to successful attachment of aldehyde groups onto nanoparticle surfaces. Three proteins, namely streptavidin, PAPP-A antibody and Nectin-4 antibody, were immobilized on glutaraldehyde activated FeCo nanoparticles, and their loading levels were quantitatively evaluated. Our results show that loading capabilities are 95 μg of streptavidin, 128 μg of PAPP-A, and 125 μg of Nectin-4 antibody per milligram of FeCo nanoparticles, and that the three immobilized proteins retain their binding bioactivity. The protein–FeCo conjugates may find valuable applications involving magnetic separation and purification of proteins and cells, and the magnetic detection of biomolecules.

The reaction mechanism between cyclopropenylidene and azacyclopropane has been systematically investigated by employing the second-order Moller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) method to better understand the reactivity of cyclopropenylidene with the three-membered ring compound azacyclopropane. Geometry optimization and vibrational analysis have been performed for the stationary points on the potential energy surfaces of the system. It was found that, in the first step of this reaction, cyclopropenylidene can insert into azacyclopropane at its C–N bond to form a spiro intermediate. In the second, ring-opening step, a carbene intermediate is formed. Through the following two H-transfer steps, the carbene intermediate forms an allene [pathway (1)] or alkyne [pathway (2)] product. From the kinetic viewpoint, the pathway with alkyne formation is easier than that with allene formation. From the thermodynamic viewpoint, the allene is the dominant product because the reaction is exothermic (287.8 kJ mol−1). .

We investigate the phonon limited electron mobility in germanium (Ge) fin field-effect transistors (FinFETs) with fin rotating within (001), (110), and (111)-oriented wafers. The coupled Schrodinger–Poisson equations are solved self-consistently to calculate the electronic structures for the two-dimensional electron gas, and Fermi's golden rule is used to calculate the phonon scattering rate. It is concluded that the intra-valley acoustic phonon scattering is the dominant mechanism limiting the electron mobility in Ge FinFETs. The phonon limited electron motilities are influenced by wafer orientation, channel direction, fin thickness W fin, and inversion charge density N inv. With the fixed W fin, fin directions of , and within (001), (110), and (111)-oriented wafers provide the maximum values of electron mobility. The optimized Wfin for mobility is also dependent on wafer orientation and channel direction. As Ninv increases, phonon limited mobility degrades, which is attributed to electron repopulation from a higher mobility valley to a lower mobility valley as Ninv increases.

This paper use dust particles which is produced by crushing limestone to replace the same amount of cement in different proportions, study the performance of cement mortar, and determine the best dosage of limestone dust. Its size is less than 0.08mm. The result shows that limestone dust has water-reduce effect and does not reduce the strength of the mortar when the dosage of limestone dust is less than 12%. Meanwhile the addition of limestone powder can improve the shrinkage property and the durability of sulfate. It explains that limestone dust has a certain activity, not the inert material.

Water-dispersible anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized at a low temperature (80 °C) without using surfactants via the mechanism of electrostatic stabilization. The water-dispersible TiO 2 nanoparticles solution was stable and no precipitation occurred after 3 months. Photocatalytic evaluation demonstrated that the as-synthesized TiO 2 nanoparticles possess excellent quinoline degradation performance (a 2.33 × 10 −2 min −1 apparent reaction rate constant comparing to 1.22 × 10 −2 min −1 for P25) and recycle stability (the photocatalytic activity remained 96.6% of the initial activity after four cycles of repetitive uses). These could be attributed to the small size and good water-dispersibility of the as-synthesized TiO 2 nanoparticles that led to large specific surface area and easy photogenerated electron–hole transportation.

In this paper, it was discovered that during the heating process from 35 to 63 °C, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) concentrated aqueous solution (20 wt%) would first go through coil-to-globule transition and then sol–gel transition with temperature elevation. The microdynamic mechanisms of the two phase transitions were thoroughly illustrated using mid and near infrared spectroscopy in combination with two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2Dcos) and perturbation correlation moving window (PCMW) technique. Mid infrared spectroscopy is an effective way to study the hydrophobic interactions in HPC molecules. And near infrared spectroscopy is a potent method to study hydrogen bonds between HPC molecules and water molecules. Boltzmann fitting and PCMW could help determine the exact transition temperatures of each involving functional groups in the two processes. Moreover, 2Dcos was used to discern the sequential moving orders of the functional groups during the two phase transitions. Depending on the structure of HPC and the thermodynamic conditions, the dominating associative elements in either process might vary. During the coil-to-globule transition, HPC molecules precipitated to form an opaque system with mobility.It was discovered that the driving force of the coil-to-globule transition process in microdynamics could only be the dehydration and hydrophobic interactions of C–H groups. However, in the sol–gel transition, the system crosslinked to form a physical network with no mobility. The driving force of this process in microdynamics was primarily the self-assembly behavior of O–H groups in HPC “active molecules”.