Search

A self-regulated anti-diabetic drug release device mimicking pancreatic cells is highly desirable for the therapy of diabetes. Herein, a glucose-mediated dual-responsive drug delivery system, which combines pH- and H2O2-responsive block copolymer grafted hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) with microneedle (MN) array patch, has been developed to achieve self-regulated administration. The poly[4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)benzyl acrylate]-b-poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PPBEM-b-PDM) polymer serves as gate keeper to prevent drug release from the cavity of HMSNs at normoglycemic level. In contrast, the drug release rate is significantly enhanced upon H2O2 and pH stimuli due to the chemical change of H2O2 sensitive PPBEM block and acid responsive PDM block. Therefore, incorporation of anti-diabetic drug and glucose oxidase (GOx, which can oxidize glucose to gluconic acid and in-situ produce H2O2) into stimulus polymer coated HMSNs results in a glucose-mediated MN device after depositing the drug-loaded nanoparticles into MN array patch. Both in vitro and in vivo results show this MN device presents a glucose mediated self-regulated drug release characteristic, which possesses a rapid drug release at hyperglycemic level but retarded drug release at normoglycemic level. The result indicates that the fabricated smart drug delivery system is a good candidate for the therapy of diabetes.

Mg alloys are considered the most promising engineering materials because of their unique properties. However, the uncontrolled corrosion rate of these alloys limits their applications. Therefore, in this study, a micro-arc oxidation layer was used as a transition layer to “directly” grow a zinc-based metal-organic framework (MOF) composite coating on the surface of a Mg alloy (AZ91D). Herein, the two zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) coatings with different morphologies were separately prepared by homologous metal oxide induction and a one-step in-situ growth method. The superhydrophobic composite coating showed strong hydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties, which could prevent the penetration of water and corrosive ions (Cl−) into the surface of AZ91D. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that the super-hydrophobic composite coatings greatly enhanced the corrosion resistance of AZ91D, and the corrosion current density decreased from 10−5 to 10−9 A/cm2. These results indicate that the ZIF-8 coatings are beneficial for improving the hydrophobicity and enhancing the corrosion resistance of Mg alloys. Therefore, MOF composite coatings provide a new strategy that can be used to prepare multifunctional anticorrosion coatings on metal substrates.

Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene/toluene diisocyanate (HTPB/TDI) system is widely used in composite solid propellants. The migrations of plasticizers and water molecules from solid propellants and surrounding environment to the inhibitor have always been the important issues. This study focuses on the preparation, characterization and anti-migration behavior of graphene oxide (GO)/HTPB nanocomposite liner. The GO/HTPB (GH) composite liners affect the migration of small molecules through a tighter cross-linked structure and weakening function of small molecule adsorption. The anti-migration performance of the liner at different temperatures was analyzed, and the influence of the added amount of GO on the anti-migration performance and adhesion performance was also systematically studied. The overall performance of the liner is optimized when the amount of GO filler is 0.3 wt%. After adding 0.3 wt% GO, the concentration of dioctyl sebacate (DOS) migrated into the liner is decreased by 23.28%, and the concentration of water molecules is decreased by 51.89%, indicating that the introduction of GO can significantly improve the anti-migration performance of the liner. In addition, the bond strength is greatly increased from 0.25 MPa to 0.95 MPa, which meets the application requirements of the current propellant system. This research provides an important way for the preparation of structure-function synergistic anti-migration composite liners.

In the present study, the unique three-dimensional graphene coated nickel (Ni/C) foam reinforced silicon carbide (Ni/C@SiC) composites were first obtained via the precursor impregnation and pyrolysis (PIP) processes. The microstructure images indicated that the SiC fillers were successfully prepared in the skeleton pores of the Ni/C foam. The influence of the PIP cycles on the microwave absorption performances was researched, and the results indicated that after the primary PIP process, Ni/C@SiC–I possessed the optimal microwave absorbing performance with a minimum reflection loss(RL) of −25.87 dB at 5.28 GHz and 5.00 mm. Besides, the RL values could be below −10.00 dB from 5.88 GHz to 7.74 GHz when the corresponding matching thickness was 3.85 mm. However, the microwave absorption properties of Ni/C@SiC-II and Ni/C@SiC-III were tremendously degraded as the PIP times increased. At last, the electromagnetic parameter, dielectric loss, attenuation constant as well as impedance matching coefficient were further investigated to analyze the absorbing mechanism, which opened a new path for the certain scientific evaluation of the absorbing materials and had extremely important to the defence technology.

Defect-engineered carbon materials have been emerged as promising electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in metal-air batteries. Developing a facile strategy for the preparation of highly active nanocarbon electrocatalysts remains challenging. Herein, a low-cost and simple route is developed to synthesize defective graphene by pyrolyzing the mixture of glucose and carbon nitride. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the graphene formation is ascribed to two-dimensional layered feature of carbon nitride, and high compatibility of carbon nitride/glucose systems. Structural measurements suggest that the graphene possesses rich edge and topological defects. The graphene catalyst exhibits higher power density than commercial Pt/C catalyst in a primary Zn-air battery. Combining experimental results and theoretical thermodynamic analysis, it is identified that graphitic nitrogen-modified topological defects at carbon framework edges are responsible for the decent ORR performance. The strategy presented in this work can be can be scaled up readily to fabricate defective carbon materials.

Graphene oxide (GO) is regarded as a promising candidate to construct solar absorbers for addressing freshwater crisis, but the easy delamination of GO in water poses a critical challenge for practical solar desalination. Herein, we improve the stability of GO membranes by a self-crosslinking poly (ionic liquid) (PIL) in a mild condition, which crosslinks neighbouring GO nanosheets without blemishing the hydrophilic structure of GO. By further adding carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the sandwiched GO/CNT@PIL (GCP) membrane displays a good stability in pH = 1 or 13 solution even for 270 days. The molecular dynamics simulation results indicate that the generation of water nanofluidics in nanochannels of GO nanosheets remarkably reduces the water evaporation enthalpy in GCP membrane, compared to bulk water. Consequently, the GCP membrane exhibits a high evaporation rate (1.87 kg m−2 h−1) and displays stable evaporation rates for 14 h under 1 kW m−2 irradiation. The GCP membrane additionally works very well when using different water sources (e.g., dye-polluted water) or even strong acidic solution (pH = 1) or basic solution (pH = 13). More importantly, through bundling pluralities of GCP membrane, an efficient solar desalination device is developed to produce drinkable water from seawater. The average daily drinkable water amount in sunny day is 10.1 kg m−2, which meets with the daily drinkable water needs of five adults. The high evaporation rate, long-time durability and good scalability make the GCP membrane an outstanding candidate for practical solar seawater desalination.

High-belite cement (HBC) is increasingly used in hydraulic concrete, of which the frost resistance is an important index in cold climatic areas. In the present study, the mass loss, dynamic modulus, cube compressive strength, micro-morphology and pore characteristic parameters of HBC concrete and reference specimens were investigated under freezing and thawing, and their internal frost damages were quantified by micro-Vickers hardness and ultrasonic theory. Test results showed that the frost resistance of HBC concrete was similar to that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete under the same proportioning, and that their freeze–thaw failure was a continuous and asynchronous process of both surface-to-interior damage and overall deterioration caused by the test mechanism and specimen size. Service life of concrete could be calculated through the thickness of the damaged layer obtained by ultrasonic theory, and models of Vickers hardness distribution and compressive strength prediction based on equivalent Vickers hardness were proposed to evaluate the performance of frozen concrete with high accuracy. This potentially provides a better understanding of freeze–thaw damage and a reference for the popularisation and application of HBC concrete.

Ammonia (NH3) synthesis at mild conditions is of great significance, while the significant bottleneck of this process is the activation of N2 to realize the desired NH3 synthesis performance, which...

An increase of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a common observation in early diabetes and is considered a key risk factor for subsequent kidney injury. However, the mechanisms underlying diabetic hyperfiltration have not been fully clarified. Here, we tested the hypothesis that macula densa neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1) is upregulated via sodium glucose cotransporter type 1 (SGLT1) in diabetes, which then inhibits tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) promoting glomerular hyperfiltration. Therefore, we examined changes in cortical NOS1 expression and phosphorylation, nitric oxide production in the macula densa, TGF response, and GFR during the early stage of insulin-deficient (Akita) diabetes in wild-type and macula densa-specific NOS1 knockout mice. A set of sophisticated techniques including microperfusion of juxtaglomerular apparatus in vitro, micropuncture of kidney tubules in vivo, and clearance kinetics of plasma fluorescent-sinistrin were employed. Complementary studies tested the role of SGLT1 in SGLT1 knockout mice and explored NOS1 expression and phosphorylation in kidney biopsies of cadaveric donors. Diabetic mice had upregulated macula densa NOS1, inhibited TGF and elevated GFR. Macula densa-selective NOS1 knockout attenuated the diabetes-induced TGF inhibition and GFR elevation. Additionally, deletion of SGLT1 prevented the upregulation of macula densa NOS1 and attenuated inhibition of TGF in diabetic mice. Furthermore, the expression and phosphorylation levels of NOS1 were increased in cadaveric kidneys of diabetics and positively correlated with blood glucose as well as estimated GFR in the donors. Thus, our findings demonstrate that the macula densa SGLT1-NOS1-TGF pathway plays a crucial role in the control of GFR in diabetes.

In order to investigate the effects of plasticizers on the binding energy, solubility parameter and mechanical properties of pBAMO-b-GAP copolymer (the copolymer of 3,3’-bis(azidomethy) oxetane and glycidyl azide polymer), the related copolymer/plasticizer mixed systems were established by molecular dynamics simulations. Besides, the mechanical properties of the formulas based on pBAMO-b-GAP containing the three energetic plasticizers were also studied experimentally. The results showed that all involved energetic plasticizers could be miscible with the pBAMO-b-GAP. The order of binding energy was theoretically found to be pBAMO-b-GAP / BuNENA > pBAMO-b-GAP/ TMETN > pBAMO-b-GAP/ DIANP which was consistent with the trends of the experimental tensile strength values of three mixed materials. Excitedly, the DIANP showed strongest effects among the three plasticizers on improving the toughness of the copolymer according to the calculation of Cauchy pressure and experimental value of elongation. For the pBAMO-b-GAP copolymer, the DIANP could be a promising plasticizer and compolymer/plasticizer mixed system was suitable used as binder in azido polyether-based propellants.

Excellent radiation resistance is a prerequisite for pressure-sensitive hydrogels to be used in high-energy radiation environments. In this work, tannic acid-modified boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS-TA) is first prepared as the radiation-resistant additive by a facile one-step ball milling of hexagonal boron nitride and tannic acid. Then, polyacrylamide (PAAm)-based pressure-sensitive hydrogel doped with BNNS-TA and Fe3+ ions is fabricated. The ternary BNNS-TA/Fe3+/PAAm hydrogel exhibits excellent compressive strength (at least four times the compressive strength of unfilled pure PAAm hydrogel), pressure-sensitive performance (gauge factor is up to 1.4), and performance recovery due to the combination of multiple intermolecular interactions, such as covalent crosslinking, hydrogen bonds, and ion coordination interactions. The BNNS-TA/Fe3+/PAAm hydrogel can be made as a pressure sensor installed in the control circuit or attached on the human body to detect human activities accurately. More importantly, the compressive strength and the pressure-sensitive performance of the BNNS-TA/Fe3+/PAAm hydrogel can be maintained after the hydrogel is irradiated by 60Co gamma-ray at an absorbed dose of 15 kGy. As a comparison, the compressive strength of the unfilled PAAm hydrogel is only a quarter of that before irradiation. This work not only reveals a facile method to achieve the preparation of chemically modified BNNS as a promising radiation-resistant additive but also provides a novel strategy for the development of pressure-sensitive hydrogel devices in radiation environments.

In this paper, a method composed of gelation of basic skeleton (first step) and skeleton reinforcement process (second step) was introduced to synthesize silica powder with high pore volume through the reaction between water glass and sulfuric acid. No organic solvents were involved in the entire preparation process and the final product was collected by spray drying. The effect of concentration of base solution, gelation point pH value and skeleton reinforcement time on the BET specific surface area and pore volume of the prepared silica powder were investigated intensively. The results show that, a basic skeleton with good dispersibility and high porosity was obtained when the concentration of base solution was 0.1 molL−1 and the gelation pH value reached 6.5. Then the basic skeleton grew into a more uniform porous structure after 30 minutes’ skeleton reinforcement. Under these optimum conditions, silica powder prepared by skeleton reinforcement method had a BET specific surface area of 358.0 m2g−1, and its pore volume reached 2.18 cm3g−1, which was much higher than that of prepared by skeleton-free method (1.62 cm3g−1) and by direct gelation method (0.31 cm3g−1).

Substantial progress in the use of chemo-photodynamic nano-drug delivery systems (nano-DDS) for the treatment of the malignant breast cancer has been achieved. The inability to customize precise nanostructures, however, has limited the therapeutic efficacy of the prepared nano-DDS to date. Here, we report a structurally defined tandem-responsive chemo-photosensitive co-nanoassembly to eliminate primary breast tumor and prevent lung metastasis. This both-in-one co-nanoassembly is prepared by assembling a biocompatible photosensitive derivative (pheophorbide-diphenylalanine peptide, PPA-DA) with a hypoxia-activated camptothecin (CPT) prodrug [(4-nitrophenyl) formate camptothecin, N-CPT]. According to computational simulations, the co-assembly nanostructure is not the classical core-shell type, but consists of many small microphase regions. Upon exposure to a 660 nm laser, PPA-DA induce high levels of ROS production to effectively achieve the apoptosis of normoxic cancer cells. Subsequently, the hypoxia-activated N-CPT and CPT spatially penetrate deep into the hypoxic region of the tumor and suppress hypoxia-induced tumor metastasis. Benefiting from the rational design of the chemo-photodynamic both-in-one nano-DDS, these nanomedicines exhibit a promising potential in the inhibition of difficult-to-treat breast tumor metastasis in patients with breast cancer.

Heterogeneous two-dimensional layered membranes reconstructed from natural or synthetic van der Waals materials enable novel ion transport mechanisms by coupling with the chemistry and optoelectron...

An E. coli reduction-powered supramolecular polymerization is reported, leading to the fabrication of an NIR photothermal antibacterial agent in situ. To this end, a bifunctional monomer containing...

Here, we report a Ru/TS-1 catalyst for selective hydrogenolysis of guaiacol to benzene in the aqueous phase at conditions of 240 °C and 2 bar H2, achieving a benzene yield of 86% with a hydrogenolysis rate of 103.1 mmol g−1 h−1. It was found that Silicalite-1 (MFI type) with suitable pore sizes supported Ru nanoparticles (NPs) favored for hydrogenolysis of guaiacol, whereas de-aluminated Ru/HBEA, Ru/HY and Ru/MWW (without acidic sites) accelerated the parallel reactions of hydrogenation of aromatics. In addition, Ru NPs located at the orifice of Silicalite-1 was proved to be more electron-deficient and active than Ru NPs on the outer surface, as evidenced by CO-IR characterization and activity tests on Ru/Silicalite-1 (with and without templates). Moreover, Bronsted acid sites (BAS) on Ru/MFI highly promoted the hydrogenation rates of aromatics, while Lewis acid sites (LAS) on Ru/TS-1 and Ru/MFI led to a linear increase of guaiacol hydrogenolysis rate to benzene, probably due to the enhanced absorbance capability of guaiacol and phenol on the LAS of MFI. Thus, pore structure properties of MFI coupled with abundant LAS (TS-1) as well as Ru NPs on the orifice of pores of TS-1 construct a promising catalyst for achieving efficient aromatic hydrocarbons from selective hydrogenolysis of lignin.

Seeking for extremely active and durable bifunctional electrocatalysts towards the overall water splitting possesses a strategic significance on the development of sustainable and clean energy for the replacement of fossil fuels. Ir-based nanomaterials are deemed as one of the most high-efficiency oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts while the hydrogen evolution reaction performance is unfavorable. In this work, we report a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of N-doped graphene anchored Ir nanoparticles (Ir/N-rGO) with ultrasmall particle size (∼2.0 nm). Apart from the predictably superior OER performance, the resultant Ir/N-rGO also displays excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance, requiring merely 76 and 260 mV overpotentials to achieve the current density of 10 mA cm-2 towards HER and OER, respectively. When applied as the bifunctional electrodes for overall water splitting, Ir/N-rGO needs a lower overpotential (1.74 V) to achieve a current density of 50 mA cm-2 in alkaline solution, exceeding that of Pt/C and RuO2 couple (1.85 V). Thus, the as-fabricated Ir/N-rGO has a commendable prospect in the practical application of alkaline water electrocatalysis.

Developing a suitable catalyst for the elimination of highly toxic carbonyl sulfide (COS) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is of great significance in terms of industrial safety and environmental protection. We demonstrate here the facile synthesis of graphitized 2D micro-meso-macroporous carbons by one-step carbonization of a mixture of urea and glucose at 700–900 °C. The as-synthesized graphitized catalysts, designated as 2D-NHPC-x (x = urea/glucose mass ratio), are endowed with an ultra-high concentration (12.9–20.2 wt%) of stable and versatile nitrogen sites (e.g. pyrrole and pyridine) which are anchored on the surface via stable covalent bonding. As a result, the 2D-NHPC-x are active in catalytic hydrolysis of COS on pyrrolic N to H2S, and the H2S can be subsequently captured on pyridinic N and converted to elemental sulfur at ambient conditions over the same materials. Among the prepared catalysts, 2D-NHPC-x can catalytically hydrolysize 91% of COS to H2S at 30 °C, whereas the conversion ratio over the common catalysts g-C3N4 and Fe2O3 are below 6.0%. Furthermore, these catalysts also exhibit H2S conversion and sulfur selectivity of nearly 100% at 180 °C with long-time durability, which is higher than those of the most reported carbon-based catalysts. In contrast, the H2S capacities of activated carbon, ordered mesoporous carbons (OMC) and N-doped OMC are 3.9, 1.5, and 2.39 mmol/g, respectively. Both the experimental and theoretical results are disclosed that 2D-NHPC-x are superior to the nitrogen-doped porous materials ever applied in simultaneous catalytic elimination of both COS and H2S.

Many microorganisms have mechanisms that protect cells against attack from viruses. The fermentation components of Streptomyces sp. 1647 exhibit potent anti-influenza A virus (IAV) activity. This strain was isolated from soil in southern China in the 1970s, but the chemical nature of its antiviral substance(s) has remained unknown until now. We used an integrated multi-omics strategy to identify the antiviral agents from this streptomycete. The antibiotics and Secondary Metabolite Analysis Shell (antiSMASH) analysis of its genome sequence revealed 38 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for secondary metabolites, and the target BGCs possibly responsible for the production of antiviral components were narrowed down to three BGCs by bioactivity-guided comparative transcriptomics analysis. Through bioinformatics analysis and genetic manipulation of the regulators and a biosynthetic gene, cluster 36 was identified as the BGC responsible for the biosynthesis of the antiviral compounds. Bioactivity-based molecular networking analysis of mass spectrometric data from different recombinant strains illustrated that the antiviral compounds were a class of structural analogues. Finally, 18 pseudo-tetrapeptides with an internal ureido linkage, omicsynins A1–A6, B1–B6, and C1–C6, were identified and/or isolated from fermentation broth. Among them, 11 compounds (omicsynins A1, A2, A6, B1–B3, B5, B6, C1, C2, and C6) are new compounds. Omicsynins B1–B4 exhibited potent antiviral activity against IAV with the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of approximately 1 µmol∙L–1 and a selectivity index (SI) ranging from 100 to 300. Omicsynins B1–B4 also showed significant antiviral activity against human coronavirus HCoV-229E. By integrating multi-omics data, we discovered a number of novel antiviral pseudo-tetrapeptides produced by Streptomyces sp. 1647, indicating that the secondary metabolites of microorganisms are a valuable source of novel antivirals.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy of digestive tract. Pinocembrin (PINO) has been discovered to have proapoptotic effect on CRC. This study aimed to elucidate how other biological behaviors of CRC cells were affected under PINO treatment. Materials & Methods: The effect of PINO on HT29 and HCT116 cells were detected through treatment of different concentrations of PINO. The role of LACTB in PINO treatment was investigated by transfection of siRNA-LACTB. Cell counting kit-8 assay, wound healing assay, and Transwell assay were conducted to evaluate the proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of CRC cells, respectively. Western blot or quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was carried out to measure the expressions of LACTB, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin. Results: Gradient PINO inhibited the viability, migration, invasiveness, and expressions of MMP-2 and N-cadherin in CRC cells, while promoted E-cadherin and LACTB expressions. Silencing LACTB promoted the viability, migration, invasiveness, and expressions of MMP-2 and N-cadherin in CRC cells and inhibited E-cadherin expression. PINO counteracted the effect of silenced LACTB, and yet silencing LACTB partially abolished the effect of PINO on CRC cells. Conclusion: PINO inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of CRC cells by regulating LACTB.

We have constructed a novel porous pyrene-based organic cage, PyTC1, through the condensation reaction of cyclohexanediamine with 5,5′-(pyrene-1,6-diyl)diisophthalaldehyde. Single-crystal X-ray dif...

The continuous use of chemical dyes in various industries, and their discharge into industrial effluents, results in severe problems to human life and water pollution. Laccases have the ability to decolorize dyes and toxic chemicals in industrial effluents as green biocatalysts. Their possible industrial applications have been limited by poor reusability, low stability, and loss of free laccase action. In this research, laccase was immobilized on zeolitic imidazolate framework coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Laccase@ZIF-8@MWCNTs) via metal affinity adsorption to develop an easy separable and stable enzyme. The optimum reaction conditions for immobilized laccase are at a pH of 3.0 and a temperature of 60 °C. The immobilized laccase was enhanced in storage and thermal stability. The results indicated that Laccase@ZIF-8@MWCNTs still maintained 68% of its original activity after 10 times of repeated use. Most importantly, the biocatalytic system was applied for decolorization of different dyes (20 mg·L−1) without a mediator, and up to 97.4% for Eriochrome black T and 95.6% Acid red 88 was achieved in 25 minutes. Biocatalysts with these properties may be used in a variety of environmental and industrial applications.

This study assessed the applicability of chitin nanocrystals prepared by 2, 2, 6, 6-Tetramethyl-1-Piperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation in traditional papermaking coating color systems. The α-chitin nanocrystals (CTNCs) with different carboxyl content, size, and morphology were prepared from crab shells by alkali pretreatment and TEMPO-mediated oxidation in the water at pH 10, and then the ratio of CTNCs to latex was applied to traditional coating color system to replace part of latex. The results showed that when the amount of NaClO added as co-oxidant in the oxidation was 15.0 mmol/g of chitin, the carboxyl content of alkali-pretreated CTNCs was up to 0.76 mmol/g. The amount of carboxyl groups presented a linear relation with the degree of individualization of nanocrystals and dispersion. When the ratio of latex to CTNCs was 90꞉10, the water retention value of the coating was 92% lower than that of the pure latex system, and the rheological property was better. The relationship between the addition amount of CTNCs and the surface strength and the coverage of coating layers were also studied, and results showed that when the ratio of latex to CTNCs was 95꞉5, the surface strength was the highest of 1.45 m/s, and the coverage of coating layers rate reached the highest of 78%.

Electrochemical degradation performances of three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen (ACT), aspirin (ASP) and ibuprofen (IBP), were investigated and compared in their alone and mixture conditions using Ti/SnO2-Sb/La-PbO2. The pseudo-first-order degradation kinetics (k) order was kIBP-A (0.110 min−1) ˃ kASP-A (0.092 min−1) ˃ kACT-A (0.066 min−1) in their alone condition, while that was kACT-M (0.088 min−1) ˃ kASP-M (0.063 min−1) ˃ kIBP-M (0.057 min−1) in their mixture condition. The •OH apparent production rate constant of 5.23 mmol L−1 min−1 m−2 and an electrical energy per order (EEO) value of 6.55 Wh/L could ensure the synchronous degradation of the NSAIDs mixture. The mineralization efficiency of NSAIDs mixture was 86.9% at 240 min with a mineralization current efficiency of 1.67%. Acetic acid and oxalic acid were the main products in the mineralization process for the both conditions. In the mixture condition, there were higher k values at lower initial concentrations and higher current density, while the presence of carbonate and humic acid inhibited their degradation. The results indicated electrochemical advanced oxidation process can effectively and synchronously mineralize NSAIDs mixture in wastewater.

Amorphous silica nanoparticles (ASiNPs) are generally considered to be biocompatible with limited acute toxicity. These nanoparticles were therefore exploited in diverse nanoproducts (e.g. foods and cosmetics) and may be released into environments in daily life. This has led to substantial concerns on their affects by long-term exposure. Herein, Raw264.7 cells were subjected to long-term exposure of ASiNPs for assessment of the potential cytotoxicity. Two ASiNPs with diameters of 50 ~ 100 nm (ASiNP1) and 450 ~ 500 nm (ASiNP2) were synthesized and comprehensively characterized. The acquired cells were denoted as Raw264.7-NP1 (ASiNP1 treatment) and Raw264.7-NP2 (ASiNP2 treatment) after long-term exposure. Both the small and large ASiNPs showed similar cellular distributions in lysosomes. We therefore examined the impacts of ASiNPs in lysosomal density, size and function by microscopy imaging and proteomics analysis. As a result, Raw264.7-NP1 cells displayed 2.3-fold higher lysosomal density and 149% increments of average lysosomal area than parent cells. Proteomics analysis of lysosomes revealed 25 significantly changed proteins closely relating to 5 cellular effects, including autophagy and lipid metabolism. Confocal imaging and immunoblotting of LC-3 proteins indicated an accumulation of autophagosomes in Raw264.7-NP1 cells. Elevation of cholesterol was also demonstrated in Raw264.7-NP1 cells by visualization and quantification of cellular cholesterols. Notably, the cholesterol elevation in Raw264.7-NP1 cells could be ameliorated by acceleration of autophagic flux (rapamycin treatment) but aggregated by blockage of autolysosome formation (chloroquine treatment), indicating the critical role of autophagic flux in lipid metabolism. Overall, the discovery of these hazard effects raised warnings for the long-term uses of ASiNP-based nanoproducts and may facilitate the decision making on environmental exposure thresholds of ASiNPs.

Wettability has a major effect on the performance of the corrosion of ceramic refractory under normal operating conditions. Contact angle measurement is available to characterize the wettability of liquid metals and oxide ceramics. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a contact angle prediction model with generalizability. This work emphasizes on developing a model for predicting the contact angle of a liquid metal with a solid oxide and analyzes the influence of factors affecting the contact angle when contact angle is predicted. In this paper, six contact angle prediction models are developed based on machine learning methods and contact angle data from the previous literature. The comparison between six contact angle prediction models evidences that the gaussian process regression (GPR) model has the best prediction accuracy and reaching 96%. Furthermore, the comparative results indicate that when surface energy of metal, surface energy of oxide, formation free energy of oxide, and bandgap energy of oxide are ignored respectively, the prediction accuracy of the model decreases by 4%, 3%, 1% and 1% respectively.

Aluminophosphate with |Hada|6[Al6(PO4)8](H2O)11 (denoted as ZHKU-1) of a new two-dimensional (2D) layer has been synthesized by adopting the template of alkylated memantine. The structure of ZHKU-1 was constructed from the alternate connection of AlO4 and triply bridged PO4 tetrahedra ([O=PO3]3-) with the P/Al ratio of 4:3. The inorganic layers are linked and separated by protonated amine molecules and H2O molecules through extensive H-bonds to give a supervoid of 19.6 A, contained an AAAA-stacked sequence along the b axis. The open framework of ZHKU-1 has adapted for encapsulating silver nanoparticles through photodeposition, forming the catalyst of Ag@ZHKU-1. The HRTEM images reveal the highly uniform Ag clusters with visually observed sizes of 1.9 nm. Moreover, Ag@ZHKU-1 has shown an efficient conversion of 99.3% within 75 s for catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol. This remarkable catalytic activity of Ag@ZHKU-1 can attribute to the large exposed surface and confinement effect of the 2D aluminophosphate of ZHKU-1.

The interaction between isolated transition-metal atoms and neighboring dopants in single-atom catalysts (SACs) plays a key role in adsorption strength tuning and catalytic performance engineering....

The stability and digestibility of food emulsions are affected by the various sources and structural characteristics of emulsifiers. Chitosan, Arabia gum, soy protein isolate (SPI), and soybean protein isolate-phosphatidylcholine (SPI-PC) were used as natural emulsifiers in this study, and a 10 % (v/v) MCT oil phase (containing 10 methyl g/mL benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC)) was used for the preparation of oil in water nanoemulsions. The stability of nanoemulsions and their in vitro digestion characteristics were determined using dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. The average particle size and potential of chitosan and Arabia gum nanoemulsion changed significantly under extreme environmental conditions, and their stability was poor. SPI-PC nanoemulsion exhibited a more stable transport system. The type of emulsifier has a significant effect on the release of free fatty acids and BITC digestibility. SPI-PC nanoemulsion have higher BITC bioavailability when compared to other emulsifiers. The results showed that natural emulsifiers could stabilize the emulsion, but there was a significant difference in their stability. The SPI-PC composite emulsifier could produce a nanoemulsion that is relatively stable, safe, and high in bioavailability.

Hypertension is a common comorbid condition in patients with diabetes. The pathogenesis of hypertension in diabetes has not been fully clarified. Primary tubular hyperreabsorption may contribute, which may be counteracted by glomerular hyperfiltration in the early diabetic kidney. In this study, we hypothesize that in early diabetes, the macula densa neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1)-derived nitric oxide (NO) production is enhanced, which blunts tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) response, promotes glomerular hyperfiltration, and maintains normal blood pressure; conversely, insufficient NO generation by the macula densa induces hypertension by lowering glomerular filtration rate and thus inhibiting natriuresis. To test this hypothesis, we examined the changes of macula densa NOS1 expression and phosphorylation as well as NO production, TGF response, glomerular filtration rate, sodium excretion, and blood pressure in a murine model of leptin receptor-deficient (db/db) diabetes with or without macula densa-specific NOS1 deletion. We found that db/db mice presented reduced fractional renal sodium excretion and only a small increase in blood pressure, associated with upregulated expression and activity of macula densa NOS1, inhibited TGF response, and glomerular hyperfiltration. Genetic knockout of macula densa NOS1 restored the TGF response and attenuated glomerular hyperfiltration in db/db mice but also further reduced fractional renal sodium excretion and substantially increased blood pressure. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that in the early stage of leptin receptor-deficient diabetes, the upregulation of macula densa NOS1 inhibits TGF and increases glomerular filtration rate, which counteracts renal sodium retention and limits the rise in blood pressure.

The stem of Celastrus orbiculatus, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine exhibits prominent anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities. In the present study, we prepared terpenoids-enriched fraction termed TTC (Total Terpenoids of C. orbiculatus) and explored the potentials of TTC as a sensitizer of gemcitabine by targeting DNA damage response in treatment of pancreatic cancer. Initially, we characterized the chemical profile of TTC. TTC and constitutional terpenoids showed antitumor effects through prohibiting the proliferation of AsPC-1 and BxPC-3 cells using EdU incorporation assay. Next, we quantified the interaction between TTC and gemcitabine which produced synergistic effects under sub-IC50 concentrations. Moreover, TTC could further block S-phase entry or induce higher extent of apoptosis in the presence of gemcitabine. Of note, we observed that TTC caused DNA breaks in two PC cells assayed by single cell gel electrophoresis and metaphase spreading. We also ruled out the oxidative damage of DNA upon TTC exposure. Mechanically, TTC abrogated Chk1/RAD51, promoted accumulation of γH2AX and reversed replication stress associated DNA damage response triggered by gemcitabine. TTC destabilized nuclear Chk1 and RAD51 loading via proteasomal degradation. Additionally, the ectopic expression of hotspot mutant p53 (R175H, R248W and R273H) in p53-null AsPC-1 cells displayed increased expression of RAD51, which could be compromised by TTC. In an orthotopic mouse model of mCherry-BxPC-3 cells, we confirmed the in vivo anti-metastatic efficacy of TTC in combination with gemcitabine. These data provide insight into how TTC and molecules involved in DNA damage and repair could be effectively multi-targeted and confer chemosensitivity to gemcitabine toward pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a deadly inflammatory disease with complex pathogenesis and lack of effective therapeutic options. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of circRNAs plays important roles in physiological and pathological processes. However, the roles of m6A circRNA in the pathological process of SAP remains unknown. AIM To identify transcriptome-wide map of m6A circRNAs and to determine their biological significance and potential mechanisms in SAP. METHODS The SAP in C57BL/6 mice was induced using 4% sodium taurocholate salt. The transcriptome-wide map of m6A circRNAs was identified by m6A-modified RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing. The biological significance of circRNAs with differentially expressed m6A peaks was evaluated through gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis. The underlying mechanism of m6A circRNAs in SAP was analyzed by constructing of m6A circRNA-microRNA networks. The expression of demethylases was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot to deduce the possible mechanism of reversible m6A process in SAP. RESULTS Fifty-seven circRNAs with differentially expressed m6A peaks were identified by m6A-modified RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing, of which 32 were upregulated and 25 downregulated. Functional analysis of these m6A circRNAs in SAP found some important pathways involved in the pathogenesis of SAP, such as regulation of autophagy and protein digestion. In m6A circRNA–miRNA networks, several important miRNAs participated in the occurrence and progression of SAP were found to bind to these m6A circRNAs, such as miR-24-3p, miR-26a, miR-92b, miR-216b, miR-324-5p and miR-762. Notably, the total m6A level of circRNAs was reduced, while the demethylase alkylation repair homolog 5 was upregulated in SAP. CONCLUSION m6A modification of circRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of SAP. Our findings may provide novel insights to explore the possible pathogenetic mechanism of SAP and seek new potential therapeutic targets for SAP.

Ionic covalent organic framework nanosheets (iCOFNs) with long-range ordered and mono-dispersed ionic groups hold great potential in many advanced applications. Considering the inherent drawbacks of oil-water biphase method, herein, we explore an oil-water-oil triphase method based on phase engineering strategy for the bottom-up synthesis of iCOFNs. The middle water phase serves as a confined reaction region, and the two oil phases are reservoirs for storing and supplying monomers to the water phase. A large aqueous space and low monomer concentration lead to the anisotropic gradual growth of iCOFNs into few-layer thickness, large lateral size, and high crystallinity. Notably, the resulting three cationic and anionic iCOFNs exhibit ultra-high aspect ratios of up to 20,000. We further demonstrate their application potential by processing into ultrathin defect-free COF membranes for efficient biogas separation. Our triphase method may offer an alternative platform technology for the synthesis and innovative applications of iCOFNs.

Heterostructure photocatalysts are developed for H2 production from visible light. Because of their excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE), PCs made of CdS and MoS2 have been studied extensively. Important characteristics of PCs to maximize PHE are efficient charge transfer and high surface area. Bacterial cellulose (BC), which is produced at a large scale from wastes of the food industry, is a promising eco-friendly candidate to improve the surface area of PCs. Here, intact BC aerogel combined with MoS2 was added to CdS to form a ternary PC. CdS/BC-MoS2, synthesized via a low-toxicity process, exhibited a surface area enhanced 1.5 times as well as improved photoinduced charge separation. Structural analyses demonstrated strong interactions between CdS, MoS2, and BC in the composite PC, which was also more proficient at absorbing visible light. The PHE rate of CdS/10%BC-MoS2 of 20.02 mmol g−1 h−1 was 17.7, 12.4, and 2.8 times faster than CdS, CdS with 10% BC, and CdS with 10% MoS2, respectively. CdS/10%BC-MoS2 exhibited an excellent quantum efficiency of 56.29%. Additionally, CdS/10%BC-MoS2 was highly stable under visible light. These results demonstrate that BC is a suitable material to improve the performance and increase the sustainability of CdS-based heterostructure PCs.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a commonly diagnosed malignant cancer and is the second- highest cause of cancer death in men worldwide. Enzalutamide is the second-generation inhibitor of androgen receptor signaling and is the fundamental drug for the treatment of advanced PCa. However, the disease will eventually progress to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and aggressive neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) because of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) resistance. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) AFAP1-AS1 in ADT resistance. Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR analysis (qPCR) was used to assess the expression of AFAP1-AS1 in PCa cell lines and tissues. Cell proliferation and invasion were assessed after AFAP1-AS1 knockdown using Cell Counting Kit (CCK)-8 and Transwell assay, respectively. A dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was carried out to validate the regulatory relationship among AFAP1-AS1, microRNA (miR)-15b, and insulin-like growth factor1 receptor (IGF1R). Results: AFAP1-AS1 level was markedly increased in castration-resistant C4-2 cells and NE-like cells (PC3, DU145, and NCI-H660), compared with androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells. Enzalutamide treatment increased the expression of AFAP1-AS1 in vitro and in vivo. Functionally, AFAP1-AS1 knockdown repressed tumor cell proliferation and invasion. Mechanistically, AFAP1-AS1 functioned as an oncogene in PCa through binding to miR-15b and destroying its tumor suppressor function. Finally, we identified that AFAP1-AS1 up-regulated IGF1R expression by competitively binding to miR-15b to de-repress IGF1R. Conclusion: AFAP1-AS1 facilitates PCa progression by regulating miR-15b/IGF1R axis, indicating that AFAP1-AS1 may serve as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for PCa.

Production of multicarbon (C2+ ) liquid fuels is a challenging task for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction, mainly limited by the stabilization of reaction intermediates and their subsequent C-C couplings. In this work, we report a unique catalyst, the coordinatively unsaturated Cu sites on amorphous CuTi alloy (a-CuTi@Cu) toward electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to multicarbon (C2-4 ) liquid fuels. Remarkably, the electrocatalyst yields ethanol, acetone, and n-butanol as major products with a total C2-4 faradaic efficiency of about 49 % at -0.8 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), which can be maintained for at least 3 months. Theoretical simulations and in situ characterization reveals that subsurface Ti atoms can increase the electron density of surface Cu sites and enhance the adsorption of *CO intermediate, which in turn reduces the energy barriers required for *CO dimerization and trimerization.

Nanoparticles and organic pollutants are two major contaminants found in aquatic environments. Algae are regarded as the model organism for the risk assessment of pollutants in water. In our previous study, we investigated the toxic effects of nonylphenol (NP), a typical organic water pollutant, on algae; however, it remains unclear how algae respond to the coexistence of NP and nanoparticles. In this study, a concentration gradient of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI; 10, 50, 100, and 200 mg/L) was added to NP-exposed Dictyosphaerium sp. to investigate both the toxic effects of this combination and the potential for NP removal. nZVI had a dose-dependent effect on NP-exposed algae, with high nZVI concentrations significantly decreasing algal biomass and pigment content, as well as severely damaging algal cellular ultrastructure. In addition, genes involved in antioxidant response, photosynthesis, and ribosome synthesis were significantly altered when NP-exposed algae were incubated with nZVI. In contrast to high nZVI concentrations, adding a small concentration of nZVI led to reduced toxicity in NP-exposed algae, while significantly enhancing the NP removal rate. This study improves our understanding of algal responses to various pollutants and suggests that nZVI may assist in the remediation of NP in aquatic ecosystems.

Deterioration process of high belite cement (HBC) paste with and without 30 wt.% fly ash, when exposed to sulfate attack, calcium leaching and the dual actions, was investigated by mass loss, expansion rate, porosity, corrosion depth, compressive strength and Vickers hardness, so did the contrastive ordinary Portland cement. Moreover, XRD, TGA, 29Si NMR, SEM and EDS linear scanning measurements were also conducted to assess the chemical attack mechanisms under corresponding aggressive conditions. Results showed that, the degradation of HBC pastes varied between different exposure conditions, and the most severely corroded samples were that exposed to (NH4)2SO4 solution with coupling sulfate attack and calcium leaching, which interacted with each other and accelerated the transfer process of sulfate ions to the cement matrix and calcium ions to external solution. Compared with ordinary Portland cement, high belite cement had a better corrosion resistance against the dual actions of sulfate attack and calcium leaching, and it could be further promoted by the moderate substitute of fly ash.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Early determination of the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is important to guide clinical management and decrease mortality. The aim of this study was to develop a new simplified prognostic score to accurately predict outcomes in patients with HBV-ACLF. METHODS Prospective clinical data from 2,409 hospitalized patients with acute deterioration of HBV-related chronic liver disease were used to develop a new prognostic score that was validated in an external group. RESULTS A total of 954 enrolled patients with HBV-ACLF were diagnosed based on the Chinese Group on the Study of Severe Hepatitis B-ACLF (COSSH-ACLF) criteria. Six predictive factors were significantly related to 28-day mortality and constituted a new prognostic score (=1.649×ln(international normalized ratio)+0.457×hepatic encephalopathy score+0.425×ln(neutrophil)+0.396×ln(total bilirubin)+0.576×ln(serum urea)+0.033×age). The C-indices of the new score for 28-/90-day mortality (0.826/0.809) were significantly higher than those of 4 other scores (COSSH-ACLF, 0.793/0.784; CLIF-C ACLF, 0.792/0.770; MELD, 0.731/0.727; MELD-Na, 0.730/0.726; all p

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been widely used in clinical practice as a first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the current therapeutic effect of TACE is far from satisfactory and thus requires further improvement. TACE combined with multifunctional magnetic particles may be a promising approach for the treatment of HCC. In this study, we designed a new magnetic drug carrier system consisting of micron-sized iron powder, barium ferrite (BaFe12O19), and carbon-coated iron nanocrystals (CCINs). CCINs possess properties, such as high drug loading and sustained release. BaFe12O19 could attract both CCINs and iron powder to form larger clusters after magnetization. Altogether, the triple therapeutic effects of chemotherapeutic enhancement, embolization, and thermal ablation could be realized herein. Further experiments indicate that the system has a high drug-loading capacity, good controlled-release effect, and no significant cytotoxicity. Under the action of a medium-frequency magnetic induction device, the magnetic induction temperature could reach 43 °C in one min while the maximum temperature of 70.8 °C could be reached in 2.5 hours. Overall, this new carrier system displayed excellent antitumor effects in a mouse model. Our findings demonstrate the great application prospects of this system in TACE for HCC.

Background Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common but intractable disease that appears to involve lipid metabolic disorders. Although numerous studies have demonstrated that high blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) are closely associated with ONFH, there is limited evidence to explain the pathological role of LDL. Pathological and in vitro studies were performed to investigate the role of disordered metabolism of LDL and oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) in the femoral head in the pathology of ONFH. Methods Nineteen femoral head specimens from patients with ONFH were obtained for immunohistochemistry analysis. Murine long-bone osteocyte Y4 cells were used to study the effects of LDL/ox-LDL on cell viability, apoptosis, and metabolism process of LDL/ox-LDL in osteocytes in normoxic and hypoxic environments. Results In the pathological specimens, marked accumulation of LDL/ox-LDL was observed in osteocytes/lacunae of necrotic regions compared with healthy regions. In vitro studies showed that ox-LDL, rather than LDL, reduced the viability and enhanced apoptosis of osteocytes. Pathological sections indicated that the accumulation of ox-LDL was significantly associated with impaired blood supply. Exposure to a hypoxic environment appeared to be a key factor leading to LDL/ox-LDL accumulation by enhancing internalisation and oxidation of LDL in osteocytes. Conclusions The accumulation of LDL/ox-LDL in the necrotic region may contribute to the pathology of ONFH. These findings could provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of ONFH.

The central nervous system (CNS) is enriched with important classes of lipids, in which cholesterol is known to make up a major portion of myelin sheaths, besides being a structural and functional unit of CNS cell membranes. Unlike in the adult brain, where the cholesterol pool is relatively stable, cholesterol is synthesized and accumulated at the highest rate in the developing brain to meet the needs of rapid brain growth at this stage, which is also a critical period for neuroplasticity. In addition to its biophysical role in membrane organization, cholesterol is crucial for brain development due to its involvement in brain patterning, myelination, neuronal differentiation, and synaptogenesis. Thus any injuries to the immature brain that affect cholesterol homeostasis may have long-term adverse neurological consequences. In this review, we describe the unique features of brain cholesterol biosynthesis and metabolism, cholesterol trafficking between different cell types, and highlight cholesterol-dependent biological processes during brain maturation. We also discuss the association of impaired cholesterol homeostasis with several forms of perinatal brain disorders in term and preterm newborns, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Strategies targeting the cholesterol pathways may open new avenues for the diagnosis and treatment of developmental brain injury.

Mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) and host–guest chemistry have received great attention in the past few decades. However, it remains challenging to design architectures with mechanically i...

We have fabricated a new perylene bisimide (PBI) folda-dimer (BPBI-CB-1) by tethering two PBI moieties to the ortho-carbon positions of a carborane unit. The synthesized compound adopted distinct c...

Iron chalcogenides have attracted great interest as potential substitutes of nature enzymes in the colorimetric biological sensing due to their unique chemodynamic characteristics. Herein, we reported the preparation of ultrathin FeS nanosheets (NSs) by a simple one-pot hydrothermal method and the prepared FeS NSs exhibit strong Fenton-reaction activity to catalyze hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for generation of hydroxyl radical (•OH). Based on the chromogenic reaction of resultant •OH with 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), we develop colorimetric biosensors for highly sensitive detection of H2O2 and glutathione (GSH). The fabricated biosensors show wide linear ranges for the detection of H2O2 (5-150 μmol/L) and GSH (5-50 μmol/L). Their detection limits for H2O2 and GSH reach as low as 0.19 μmol/L and 0.14 μmol/L, respectively. The experimental results of sensing intracellular H2O2 and GSH demonstrate that this colorimetric method can realize the accurate detection of H2O2 and GSH in normal cells (LO2 and 3T3) and cancer cells (MCF-7 and HeLa). Our results have demonstrated that the synthesized FeS NSs is a promising material to construct colorimetric biosensors for the sensitive detection of H2O2 and GSH, holding great promising for medical diagnosis in cancer therapy.

Several 2D nanosheets of porphyrin MOFs with various transition-metal clusters as metal nodes were prepared via a simple solvothermal method to apply in the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, in which the hydrogen production rate of the optimal NS-Cu was as high as 15.39 mmol•g−1•h−1. A series of experimental technologies especially cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Mott-Schottky (M-S) had been adopted to investigate the charge-transfer property of photo-generated electron-hole pairs, it was found that the uniformly dispersed Cu-clusters nodes in the original 2D MOFs played a key role in the electron transfer process, that was, the photo-generated electron transferred from excited state eosin-Y to the Cu-clusters nodes for the efficient hydrogen evolution. The excellent photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the reversible oxidation-reduction process of CuII/CuI, which had excellent electron-receiving and electron-outputting capabilities. Our results provided a novel avenue to adapt the uniformly dispersed metal nodes in the original MOFs as cost-effective noble-metal-free cocatalysts with very high atom-utilization efficiency to improve the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance in dye-sensitized system.

Rapid screening of foodborne pathogens is of great significance to ensure food safety. A microfluidic biosensor based on immunomagnetic separation, enzyme catalysis and electrochemical impedance analysis was developed for rapid and sensitive detection of Salmonella typhimurium. First, the bacterial sample, the magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) modified with capture antibodies, and the enzymatic probes modified with detection antibodies and glucose oxidase (GOx) were simultaneously injected into the microfluidic chip, followed by mixing and incubation to form MNP-bacteria-probe sandwich complexes. Then, glucose with high impedance was injected into the chip and catalyzed by the GOx on the complexes into hydrogen peroxide with high impedance and gluconic acid with low impedance, which was finally measured using the low-cost interdigitated microelectrode and the electrochemical impedance analyzer to determine the target bacteria. Under the optimal conditions, this biosensor could quantitatively detect Salmonella typhimurium at the concentrations from 1.6 × 102 CFU/mL to 1.6 × 106 CFU/mL in 1 h with the low detection limit of 73 CFU/mL. Besides, this biosensor was demonstrated with good feasibility for practical applications by detecting the Salmonella typhimurium spiked chicken meat samples.

Low temperature in early spring impairs wheat growth and grain yield. However, little is known about the cytological and molecular mechanisms underlying low temperature regulation of wheat spike development. Microstructure observation and transcriptome sequencing of wheat spikes under low temperature were conducted. Low temperature slowed spike development, reduced the yield-component parameters of wheat spikes at the harvest stage, delayed the formation of lateral spikelets and tissue development, and induced the early differentiation of terminal spikelets. Low temperature increased the content of abscisic acid and caused the upregulation of genes in the abscisic acid signaling pathway, including those encoding PP2Cs, SnRK2s, and bZIP transcription factors. Low temperature also induced the upregulation of 33 cold-responsive genes involved in wheat response to low-temperature stress and regulation of abscisic acid biosynthesis and metabolism of other substances. The wheat spike adapted to cold conditions by changing the expression levels of genes involved in spike morphogenesis, including the transcription-factor genes MADS6, ERF4, ERF78, WOX6, and NAC48. These findings suggest that low temperature in early spring delays wheat spike development by increasing abscisic acid content or affecting the expression of genes involved in morphogenesis.

Bone tissue engineering has emerged as a significant research area that provides promising novel tools for the preparation of biomimetic hydrogels applied in bone-related diseases (e.g., bone defects, cartilage damage, osteoarthritis, etc.). Herein, thermal sensitive polymers (e.g., PNIPAAm, Soluplus, etc.) were introduced into main chains to fabricate biomimetic hydrogels with injectability and compatibility for those bone defect need minimally invasive surgery. Mineral ions (e.g., calcium, copper, zinc, and magnesium), as an indispensable role in maintaining the balance of the organism, were linked with polymer chains to form functional hydrogels for accelerating bone regeneration. In the chemically triggered hydrogel section, advanced hydrogels crosslinked by different molecular agents (e.g., genipin, dopamine, caffeic acid, and tannic acid) possess many advantages, including extensive selectivity, rapid gel-forming capacity and tunable mechanical property. Additionally, photo crosslinking hydrogel with rapid response and mild condition can be triggered by different photoinitiators (e.g., I2959, LAP, eosin Y, riboflavin, etc.) under specific wavelength of light. Moreover, enzyme triggered hydrogels were also utilized in the tissue regeneration due to its rapid gel-forming capacity and excellent biocompatibility. Particularly, some key factors that can determine the therapy effect for bone tissue engineering were also mentioned. Finally, brief summaries and remaining issues on how to properly design clinical-oriented hydrogels were provided in this review., Graphical abstract Biomimetic hydrogels based on different crosslinking conditions, possess three-dimensional (3D) network with high aqueous content and functional properties, enabling their wide applications in bone tissue engineering. Recent advances in the design, preparation and application of light trigger hydrogels, thermal response hydrogels, small molecule crosslinking hydrogels, ionic crosslinking hydrogels and enzyme triggered hydrogels in the field of bone tissue engineering are reviewed.Image 1, Highlights • Diverse fabrication methods of advanced hydrogels were overviewed. • The process, advantages and drawbacks of advanced hydrogels were discussed. • Some key points in design of hydrogels for clinical use were summarized in this review. • The challenges, future directions and transformation potentials of hydrogels in bone tissue engineering were mentioned.