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Novel Bi12SiO20–Bi2SiO5 heterostructure photocatalysts were prepared by controlling the molar ratio of Bi/Si in the reactants via Pechini method. With the increasement of the molar ratio of Bi/Si, the samples tend to be well-crystallized Bi12SiO20 and the content of Bi2SiO5 decreases in composites. Experiments reveal that the heterojunction shows higher visible light photocatalytic activity than pure Bi12SiO20 and Bi2SiO5 due to an increase in light harvesting efficiency and an efficient electron–hole separation. And the heterostructure photocatalyst is stable in the photocatalytic reaction process. The influence of some trapping agents on the photodegradation of Rhodamine B was investigated, and h+ and ·O2− were verified to play more important roles than ·OH−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastable Bi2SiO5phase powders were synthesized successfully by Pechini sol-gel method using a simple starting hydro-alcoholic solution consisting of Bi(NO3)3 · 5H2O, TEOS, citric acid, and PEG-6000. The effects of Bi/Si molar ratio, citric acid, and PEG-6000 on the properties of pure Bi2SiO5powders were investigated. The crystalline phase and fluorescence properties were characterized. The process of Pechini sol-gel method and the effect of purity on fluorescence properties were studied in this paper. X-ray diffraction results illustrate that single phase of Bi2SiO5can be obtained at 650°C for 1 h. Furthermore, the maximum fluorescence emission wavelength of the powders is located at 355 nm, which represents the band gap of Bi2SiO5powders is 3.49 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

SiO2 colloidal spheres were synthesized by St6ber method. In order to enhance surface charge of the SiO2 spheres, they were modified with succinic acid. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) shows that the average size of modified SiO2 spheres is 473 nm, and its distribution standard deviation is less than 5%; Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) results indicate that one end of succinic acid is chemically bonded to the SiO2 spheres through esterification; Zeta potential of the modified SiO2 spheres in water solution is improved from -53.72 to -67.46 mV, and surface charge density of the modified SiO2 spheres is enhanced from 0.19 to 0.94 μC/cm². SiO2 colloidal crystal was fabricated from aqueous colloidal solution by the vertical deposition method at 40°C and 60% relative humidity. SEM images show that the sample of SiO2 colloidal crystal is face-centered cubic (fcc) structure with its (111) planes parallel to the substrate. Transmission measurement shows the existence of photonic band gap at 1047 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, barium titanate (BaTiO3) powders were synthesized via two Pechini sol-gel processes using citric acid and polyethylene glycol-6000 as chelating agents. Attempts had been made to understand the thermal behavior of the polymeric intermediates with the help of thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DTG-DSC) thermograms. The structural coordination of as-prepared polymeric intermediates was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The phase and structure of the powders calcined at different temperatures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Preparation of the polymeric precursors can influence the mechanism of the BaTiO3 synthesis. The formed intermediate phase BaCO3 appears in gel-2 system, and BaCO3 phase does not disappear at 720°C. The formed intermediate phases of gel-1 differ from that of gel-2. The intermediate phases of gel-1 are anatase TiO2 and rutile TiO2, and the intermediate phase BaCO3 doesn't appear in gel-1system. When the powders are calcined at 720°C, the particles of gel-1 system are agglomerated spheres with about 25 nm, but the particles of gel-2 system have varied shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, single-phase α-Fe2O3 nano-particles were first synthesized via Pechini sol–gel method using citric acid and polyethylene glycol-6000 as chelating agents. The structural coordination of as-prepared polymeric intermediates was investigated by FTIR analysis. Thermal behavior of the polymeric intermediates was studied by TG-DTG-DSC thermograms. The structure of the powders calcined at different temperatures was characterized by XRD and FESEM. The single-phase α-Fe2O3 nano-powders with uniform size were prepared when the polymeric intermediate calcined at 600°C, and the lowest particle size was found to be 30nm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Inorganic Chemicals Industry is the property of Editorial Office of Inorganic Chemicals Industry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The shortage of freshwater resources has become a major obstacle threatening human development, and directly utilizing solar energy by solar evaporators is emerging as a promising method to produce freshwater from the seawater. Compared to many synthetic polymer‐based evaporators, cellulose‐based evaporators are expected to offer more interesting features benefiting from the renewable feature and abundant reserves of cellulose‐contained naturally occurring materials. First, according to the different fabrication methods, cellulose‐based solar evaporators can be divided into two types, i.e., top‐down utilization (wood‐based) and bottom‐up assembled (cellulose composite‐based), respectively. The different fabrication schemes also bring their own unique advantages, such as the bimodal porous structure of wood‐based evaporators and the artificial interconnection microporous network of cellulose composite‐based evaporators. Subsequently, this review further summarizes the most recent advances and highlights of those cellulose‐based solar evaporators, by focusing on their structural regulation strategies (e.g., drilled channel array, asymmetric wettability structure, delignification, 2D waterway, etc.) and evaporation performance improvements (e.g., salt resistance, high evaporation rate, etc.). Finally, the challenges in this field and potential solutions are also discussed, which are anticipated to provide new opportunities toward the future development of cellulose and other kinds of biomass‐based evaporators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Inorganic Chemicals Industry is the property of Editorial Office of Inorganic Chemicals Industry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Some studies have shown that the base excision repair (BER) pathway has an effect on HIV-1 replication. APEX1 and XRCC1 as key BER genes may affect DNA repair capacity. However, the roles of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in APEX1 and XRCC1 and their impact on HIV-1 infection and AIDS progression remain unclear. Methods: A custom-designed 48-Plex SNPscan Kit was used for detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms. 601 HIV-1-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) and 624 age-matched healthy individuals were recruited in northern China. Four SNPs (rs1130409, rs1760944, rs2307486 and rs3136817) in APEX1 gene and three SNPs (rs1001581, rs25487 and rs25489) in XRCC1 gene were genotyped. The generalized multifactor dimension reduction (GMDR) method was used to identify the SNP-SNP interactions. Results: In this study, rs1130409 G allele, rs1001581 C allele and rs25487 C allele were associated with a higher risk of HIV-1 infection susceptibility (p = 0.020, p = 0.007 and p = 0.032, respectively). The frequencies of APEX1 haplotype TT and XRCC1 haplotype CT showed significant differences between cases and controls (p = 0.0372 and p = 0.0189, respectively). Interestingly, stratified analysis showed that the frequency of rs1001581 C allele was significantly higher in AIDS patients with the CD4+ T-lymphocyte count <200 cells/μl than those with >200 cells/μl (p = 0.022). Moreover, significant gene-gene interactions among rs1130409, rs1001581 and rs25487 were identified by GMDR (p = 0.0107). Specially, individuals with five to six risk alleles have a higher susceptibility to HIV-1 infection than those with zero to two risk alleles (p < 0.001). Conclusion: APEX1 and XRCC1 gene polymorphisms were associated with the susceptibility to HIV-1 infection and AIDS progression in MSM populations in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list below specifies doctoral degrees conferred by U.S. and Canadian universities during academic year July 2020 to June 2021. Lists of degree recipients and subject classifications are provided by the university. Note: Dissertations without classifications may be found under "Y Miscellaneous Categories." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High salt intake is a known risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. Our recent study demonstrated that long-term high salt intake impairs transient receptor potential channel M5 (TRPM5)-mediated aversion to high salt concentrations, consequently promoting high salt intake and hypertension; however, it remains unknown whether TRPM5 activation ameliorates cardiovascular dysfunction. Herein we found that bitter melon extract (BME) and cucurbitacin E (CuE), a major compound in BME, lowered high salt-induced hypertension. Long-term BME intake significantly enhanced the aversion to high salt concentrations by upregulating TRPM5 expression and function, eventually decreasing excessive salt consumption in mice. Moreover, dietary BME ameliorated high salt-induced cardiovascular dysfunction and angiotensin II-induced hypertension in vivo. The mechanistic evidence demonstrated that dietary BME inhibited high salt-induced RhoA/Rho kinase pathway overactivation, leading to reduced phosphorylation levels of myosin light chain kinase and myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1. Furthermore, CuE inhibited vasoconstriction by attenuating L-type Ca2+ channel-induced Ca2+ influx in vascular smooth muscle cells. To summarize, our findings indicate that dietary BME has a beneficial role in antagonizing excessive salt consumption and thus appears promising for the prevention of high salt-induced cardiovascular dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a severe clinical concern in China. Of note, the progression of HBV infection varies between different populations. To identify the factors that influence the disease progression and prognosis, a total of 478 chronic HBV-infected patients were enrolled, and liver function parameters, HBV DNA levels and hepatic fibrosis indices were analyzed. First, the results demonstrated a significant difference in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) expression between male and female patients (χ2=4.061, P=0.044). Furthermore, when comparing either HBeAg-negative or -positive male and female patients, males exhibited a greater variation in HBV DNA levels. Although significant differences between male and female patients in certain abnormal ratios of liver function parameters were identified, a trend in the differences was observed in the HBeAg-negative and -positive groups. When considering age, the results of the present study confirmed that HBV DNA levels decreased with advanced age, and the values of the majority of biomarkers exhibited an evident decreasing trend with increasing age. In addition, it was demonstrated that all HBeAg seropositive patients had higher levels of hepatic fibrosis indexes and higher abnormal ratios of hepatic fibrosis values in their serum when compared with those of HBeAg seronegative patients, particularly with regard to serum IV collagen. The present results revealed that HBV DNA replication was closely associated with liver function; however, it was notable that in HBeAg-negative patients, the association between HBV DNA levels and liver function was particularly significant among subjects aged <61. Furthermore, this result was not observed in HBeAg-positive patients. In conclusion, the present study indicated the importance of host factors (including sex and age) and viral factors (including HBeAg expression pattern and HBV DNA levels) in the progression of chronic HBV infection, and its influence regarding prognosis and treatment. The present results provide a foundation for clinical management strategies for chronic HBV infection, particularly in individual schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ML-( Ti 1 − X 2 + Ti X 3 + ) 3 C 2 V Al X (ML-Ti 3 C 2) crystal was exfoliated into the crystal Ti 3 C 2 MXene with coexistence of ( Ti 1 − X 2 + Ti X 3 + ) 3 C 2 V Al X MXene and Ti 2 C V Al X MXene by HF etching Ti 3 AlC 2 and ultrasonic crushing in water. Ti 3 C 2 MXene exhibits the surface plasmon effects of transverse and longitudinal surface plasmon resonance due to its surface holes and internal bound electrons. When excited by the simulated sunlight, the high energy hot holes on the surface of plasma Ti 3 C 2 MXene crystal directly oxidize the antibiotics and the organic pollutants. The electrons bound in the crystal lag behind the excitation of holes and migrate to the surface to further degradation. After 150 min of near infrared light irradiation, the degradation rates of tetracycline (TC) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) by Ti 3 C 2 MXene are 78.91% and 99.26%, respectively. They are 1.35/1.00 and 1.53/3.11 times of ML-Ti 3 C 2 and (001)TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2. This study indicates that Ti 3 C 2 MXene has significant degradation effects on antibiotics in the full spectral range. Our work intends to provide a valuable reference for the design of the MXene full spectral photocatalyst. [Display omitted] • Ti 3 AlC 2 was exfoliated into ( Ti 1 − X 2 + Ti X 3 + ) 3 C 2 V Al X MXene and Ti 2 C V Al X MXene crystals. • Both holes and electrons on Ti 3 C 2 MXene have surface plasmon effects of TE and TM. • Electrons lag holes to form high-energy hot electrons to enhance photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T helper 17 cells (Th17) constitute a distinct subset of helper T cells with a unique transcriptional profile (STAT3, RORγ, and RORα), cytokine production pattern (IL17 family), and requirement of specific cytokines for their differentiation (TGF-β, IL6, IL21, and IL23). Recent studies involving experimental animals and humans have shown that Th17/IL17 plays a crucial role in host defense against a variety of pathogens, including bacteria and viruses. The underlying mechanisms by which Th17 performs include dendritic cell (DC) regulation, neutrophil recruitment, Th1 modulation, and T regulatory cell (Treg) balance. In recent years, researchers have generated an accumulating wealth of evidence on the role of Th17/IL17 in protective immunity to intracellular bacterial pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Chlamydia trachomatis, which are one of the most important pathogens that inflict significant socioeconomic burden across the globe. In this article, we reviewed the current literature on the functions and mechanisms by which Th17/IL17 responds to intracellular bacterial infections. A better understanding of Th17/IL17 immunity to pathogens would be crucial for developing effective prophylactics and therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globe Thistles-Like NiCo 2 S 4 and rGO grow on flexible paper for the detection of H 2 O 2. [Display omitted] • To paper as the basement, successfully developed a low cost and biodegradable flexible electrochemical sensor electrode materials. • NiCo 2 S 4 microspheres with unique globe thistles-like structure was prepared for the first time. • The NiCo 2 S 4 /rGO/FP electrode has high sensitivity, low LOD, and wide linear range. The Globe Thistles-Like (GTL) NiCo 2 S 4 nanostructures were supported on reduced graphene oxide modified filter paper (FP). The prepared GTL NiCo 2 S 4 /rGO/FP is investigated as a disposable and flexible electrode for the electrochemical detection of H 2 O 2 in alkaline media. Owing to the rich redox active sites, the synergistic effect between Co3+ and Ni2+, and the rapid electron transportation of substituting sulfur (S) for oxygen (O) in NiCo 2 O 4 , the GTL NiCo 2 S 4 /rGO/FP exhibits considerable enzyme-free H 2 O 2 sensing performance with wide linear H 2 O 2 ranging from 38.8 to 37306.8 μM, high sensitivity of 2.4326 mA mM−1 cm−2, and low detection limit of 0.08 μM. The GTL NiCo 2 S 4 /rGO/FP electrode has stable sensing performance and is highly selective toward analyte for physiological interfering species. The excellent electrochemical performance of GTL NiCo 2 S 4 /rGO/FP composite is attributed to the GTL structure of NiCo 2 S 4. By studying the hydrothermal reaction time, electrochemical active surface area, and hydrophilic-hydrophobic surfaces of GTL NiCo 2 S 4 /rGO/FP composite, the relationship between the microstructure and sensing performance of the composite was elucidated. Surely this study opens up new possibilities for the application of low-cost, biodegradable flexible electrode materials in wearable sensors in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sub-micron spherical SiO2 particles were prepared by co-precipitation process, and further surface modification of the SiO2 particles by butanedioic acid (BA) for charging and electrophoresis in tetrachloroethylene was attempted. The obtained composites were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FTIR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Zetasizer. FTIR and XPS results indicate that the chemical bonding by esterification between BA and SiO2 particles was achieved. SEM measurement shows that the modified SiO2 particles are spherical and about 250 nm and are dispersed into tetrachloroethylene stably. Zetasizer results reveal that the Zeta potential of the modified SiO2 particles in tetrachloroethylene medium was −27.84 mv, which was much higher than that of the unmodified SiO2 particles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The BTO@TPU films were synthesized via electrospinning route. • The films are stretchable, flexible, waterproof and transparent. • The films can be used in the field of dynamic and multimodal anti-counterfeiting. [Display omitted] Developing novel and practical anti-counterfeiting materials has always been at the forefront of protecting information security. However, achieving the multimodal anti-counterfeiting remains a huge challenge. In this work, we synthesized a series of Bi 2 Ti 4 O 11 :xYb3+, 0.02Er3+ (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.4) nanoparticles by a sol-gel method and realized the upconverting red, yellow and green luminescence under near infrared (NIR) excitation. To confirm the practicality of the materials, we designed the novel anti-counterfeiting flexible films based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) via electrospinning route. The composite film (BTO@TPU) is transparent, elastic, stretchable, waterproof and environmentally friendly. In addition, no trace of light can be observed under daylight, indicating the films have excellent concealment. Nevertheless, any patterns you desired can be written by a 980 nm laser pointer and the patterns with red, yellow and green luminescence can be "read" by the streamer camera of smart phone. The proof-of-concept experiment provided the novel and flexible BTO@TPU films keen insights in the application of anti-counterfeiting. This work will supply an arena to boost the application of upconverting materials in the field of dynamic and multimodal anti-counterfeiting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]