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An ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor was originally designed by using ZnIn2S4/ReS2 as a photoactive material and AgInS2 as a signal amplifier. The signal amplifier AgInS2 was incubated on the terminal of H-DNA (immobilized on the ZnIn2S4/ReS2/FTO surface), leading to an enhanced photocurrent response. Then, due to the introduction of DNA2, the formation of a double-stranded structure caused AgInS2 to keep away from the electrode surface, and the photocurrent was reduced. In the presence of kanamycin, DNA2 was released from the system due to the competition relationship, and a restored photocurrent response was obtained. The combination of ZnIn2S4/ReS2 and AgInS2 accelerated the electron transfer and enhanced the separation efficiency of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, resulting in an improved performance of the PEC aptasensor, which was capable of accurate and sensitive detection of kanamycin in actual samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving higher carrier mobility plays a pivotal role for obtaining potentially high thermoelectric performance. In principle, the carrier mobility is governed by the band structure as well as by the carrier scattering mechanism. Here, we demonstrate that by manipulating the carrier scattering mechanism in n-type Mg3Sb2-based materials, a substantial improvement in carrier mobility, and hence the power factor, can be achieved. In this work, Fe, Co, Hf, and Ta are doped on the Mg site of Mg3.2Sb1.5Bi0.49Te0.01, where the ionized impurity scattering crosses over to mixed ionized impurity and acoustic phonon scattering. A significant improvement in Hall mobility from ~16 to ~81 cm²⋅V-1⋅s-1 is obtained, thus leading to a notably enhanced power factor of ~13 µW⋅cm-1⋅K-2 from ~5 µW⋅cm-1⋅K-2. A simultaneous reduction in thermal conductivity is also achieved. Collectively, a figure of merit (ZT) of ~1.7 is obtained at 773 K in Mg3.1Co0.1Sb1.5Bi0.49Te0.01. The concept of manipulating the carrier scattering mechanism to improve the mobility should also be applicable to other material systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper measured the total solar radiation and wind power density by adopting climatological methods using 2014-2016 monthly mean data of sunshine and wind speed in 17 cities of Hubei province in China, and then analyzed the spatial and temporal complementarity of solar and wind powers in these cities in Hubei province using the ArcGIS software. The results indicate that: (1) the spatial distribution of the solar energy resources in Hubei features high in the northeast and low in the southwest, with distinct divisions of the four seasons; The total annual solar radiation across the province is between 4055.87 and 5078.37 MJ/m2, with the most solar radiation appears in summer, followed by spring and autumn, and the least being in winter; (2) the wind energy resources in Hubei has the characteristic of high in the middle eastern region and low in the west, with the seasonal trend of strong in spring and summer, mild in winter, and weak in autumn; (3) the solar and wind energy resources in Hubei are complementary highly in space and slightly in season. Finally, this paper proposes relevant policy recommendations based on these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of China's rapid economic development, huge amount of energy has been consumed. Therefore, the development of green buildings is of vital significance in reducing industrial energy consumption. This paper conducted an empirical study on the influencing factors of the green performance of civil buildings by adopting the generalized additive model. The results show that: (1) Government mandatory policies play a dominant role in green building development in China; (2) The role of local subsidies will be smaller and the best effect occurs when the subsidy is 2.2 USD/m² or higher than 5.9 USD/m²; (3) Air quality in different regions has an impact on green building performance; (4) When the construction scale exceeds 20,000 m², the greater the construction scale, the lower the building green performance. Finally, this paper proposed countermeasures to further improve the green building performances in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical aptasensor based on amplified signal strategy and competitive mechanism for ochratoxin A (OTA) detection was developed. The prepared photoactive composite material (BiFeO 3 /Bi 2 S 3) possessed excellent separation ability of photogenerated electron-hole pair and effectively inhibited the recombination of hole and pair, resulting in significantly enhanced photocurrent intensity. The amplified signal strategy was achieved by adding methylene blue (MB), which facilitated electron transfer and improved the photoelectric conversion efficiency. In the presence of OTA, the aptamer can be recognized and captured, the complementary DNA (cDNA) and MB were released from the aptasensor electrode, a decreased photocurrent signal appeared, thus achieving quantitative detection for OTA. Under optimal conditions, the aptasensor exhibited a wide linear relationship range from 10−5 to 10−13 g/mL and a low detection limit of 0.0135 fg/mL (3σ/S). Simultaneously, the proposed photoelectrochemical aptasensor also showed excellent accuracy, stability, precision and selectivity. Schematic showing the steps involved in fabrication of the photoelectrochemical biosensor. [Display omitted] • The signal amplified photoelectrochemical aptasensor was established for the detection of ochratoxin A (OTA). • The photocurrent of composite material was 1.5 and 160 fold of pure Bi 2 S 3 and BiFeO 3 respectively. • Methylene blue (MB) was used as sensitizer to amplify the detection signal. • The proposed photoelectrochemical aptasensor presented wide detection range and ultra-low detection limit for OTA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor based on b-TiO 2 /CdS:Eu/Ti 3 C 2 heterojunction was developed for ultrasensitive determination of miRNA-21. In this device, the b-TiO 2 /CdS:Eu/Ti 3 C 2 heterojunction with excellent energy level arrangement effectively facilitated photoelectric conversion efficiency and accelerated the separation of the photogenerated electron hole pairs, which because that the structure of heterojunction overcomes the drawbacks of single material, such as narrow light absorption range, wide band gap, short carrier lifetime, etc., improves light utilization, extends the lifetime of photogenerated electron hole pairs, and promotes electron transfer. Herein, hairpin DNA1 (H1) decorated on the b-TiO 2 /CdS:Eu/Ti 3 C 2 electrode surface by Cd–S bonds, after H2/miRNA-21 heterduplex was introduced, the strand-displacement reaction (SDR) was triggered between H1 and H2/miRNA-21, accordingly, miRNA-21 was discharged from the H2/miRNA-21 heterduplex, forming the H1/H2 duplex, and the reuse of miRNA-21 was realized. As a signal amplification factor, the signal amplification factor H3–CdSe was hybridized with H1/H2 duplex, which greatly enhanced the sensitivity of the PEC biosensor. Under optimal conditions, the designed PEC biosensor displayed outstanding sensitivity, selectivity and stability with a wide liner range from 1.0 μM to 10.0 fM and a low detection limit of 3.3 fM. The preparation of the optoelectronic material affords a new direction for the progress of heterojunction photovoltaic materials and the construction of the proposed biosensor also provides a new thought for the PEC detection of human miRNA-21 with superior performance. Simultaneously, the established biosensor exhibiting tremendous possibility for detecting other biomarkers and biomolecules in clinical diagnosis fields. [Display omitted] •b-TiO 2 /CdS:Eu/Ti 3 C 2 heterojunction was synthesized successfully and used as photoelectric material for the first time. •Based on b-TiO 2 /CdS:Eu/Ti 3 C 2 heterojunction, a novel photoelectrochemical biosensor for detecting miRNA-21 was constructed. •FTO/b-TiO 2 /CdS:Eu/Ti 3 C 2 electrode exhibites high and stable photoelectrochemical response. •The prepared photoelectrochemical biosensor possesses ultra-high sensitivity, repeatability, specificity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvements in thermoelectric material performance over the past two decades have largely been based on decreasing the phonon thermal conductivity. Enhancing the power factor has been less successful in comparison. In this work, a peak power factor of ~106 µW⋅cm-1⋅K-2 is achieved by increasing the hot pressing temperature up to 1,373 K in the p-type half-Heusler Nb0.95Ti0.05FeSb. The high power factor subsequently yields a record output power density of ~22 W⋅cm-2 based on a single-leg device operating at between 293 K and 868 K. Such a high-output power density can be beneficial for large-scale power generation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex Zintl phases, especially antimony (Sb)-based YbZn0.4Cd1.6Sb2 with figure-of-merit (ZT) of ~1.2 at 700 K, are good candidates as thermoelectric materials because of their intrinsic "electron-crystal, phonon-glass" nature. Here, we report the rarely studied p-type bismuth (Bi)-based Zintl phases (Ca,Yb,Eu)Mg2Bi2 with a record thermoelectric performance. Phase-pure EuMg2Bi2 is successfully prepared with suppressed bipolar effect to reach ZT ~ 1. Further partial substitution of Eu by Ca and Yb enhanced ZT to ~1.3 for Eu0.2Yb0.2Ca0.6Mg2Bi2 at 873 K. Density-functional theory (DFT) simulation indicates the alloying has no effect on the valence band, but does affect the conduction band. Such band engineering results in good p-type thermoelectric properties with high carrier mobility. Using transmission electron microscopy, various types of strains are observed and are believed to be due to atomic mass and size fluctuations. Point defects, strain, dislocations, and nanostructures jointly contribute to phonon scattering, confirmed by the semiclassical theoretical calculations based on a modified Debye-Callaway model of lattice thermal conductivity. This work indicates Bi-based (Ca, Yb,Eu)Mg2Bi2 is better than the Sb-based Zintl phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by good thermoelectric performance of Bi-based Zintl compounds Ca1–xYbxMg2Biy, we further studied the thermoelectric properties of Zintl compound CaMg2Bi1.98 by doping Na into Ca as Ca1–xNaxMg2Bi1.98 via mechanical alloying and hot pressing. We found that the electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, power factor, and carrier concentration can be effectively adjusted by tuning the Na concentration. Transport measurement and calculations revealed that an optimal doping of 0.5 at.% Na achieved better average ZT and efficiency. The enhancement in thermoelectric performance is attributed to the increased carrier concentration and power factor. The low cost and nontoxicity of Ca1–xNaxMg2Bi1.98 makes it a potentially promising thermoelectric material for power generation in the mid-temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by good thermoelectric performance of Bi-based Zintl compounds Ca1–xYbxMg2Biy, we further studied the thermoelectric properties of Zintl compound CaMg2Bi1.98 by doping Na into Ca as Ca1–xNaxMg2Bi1.98 via mechanical alloying and hot pressing. We found that the electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, power factor, and carrier concentration can be effectively adjusted by tuning the Na concentration. Transport measurement and calculations revealed that an optimal doping of 0.5 at.% Na achieved better average ZT and efficiency. The enhancement in thermoelectric performance is attributed to the increased carrier concentration and power factor. The low cost and nontoxicity of Ca1–xNaxMg2Bi1.98 makes it a potentially promising thermoelectric material for power generation in the mid-temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schematic showing the steps involved in fabrication of the photoelectrochemical aptasensor. [Display omitted] • The signal amplified photoelectrochemical aptasensor was established for the detection of MC-LR. • ZnIn 2 S 4 /CdSe heterojunction was used as photoactive substrate in photoelectrochemical aptasensor for the first time. • Bi 2 S 3 was used as signal amplifier in photoelectrochemical aptasensor for the first time. • The proposed photoelectrochemical aptasensor presented sensitive, repeatable, specific and stable detection for MC-LR. As an important heptapeptide toxin, microcystine-LR (MC-LR) has attracted extensive attention because of its great harm to animals, plants and plankton in water. Therefore, an ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical aptasensor based on ZnIn 2 S 4 /CdSe heterojunction was disigned to monitor MC-LR. In this strategy, the ZnIn 2 S 4 /CdSe heterojunction with matching energy levels was used as the substrate of the aptasensor. By reason of the effective separation of electrons and holes, the heterojunction exhibited wide light absorption region and increased light utilization rate, resulting in a higher electrical signal. The specific recognition of MC-LR depend on the precise binding with aptamer, which modified on the electrode through base complementary pairing. In the presence of MC-LR, MC-LR was specific recognized by MC-LR aptamer, the photocurrent signal amplifier Bi 2 S 3 was released from the aptasensor electrode, leading to a decreased photocurrent. The designed photoelectrochemical aptasensor showed an ultrasensitive detection for MC-LR with a wide response range from 10-1 to 10-8 µM, and lower detection limit of 0.55 × 10-8 µM (3σ/S). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the global climate change and energy crisis, solar energy has become the focus of research, development, and utilization throughout the world. Therefore, an empirical study on the awareness of residents for solar photovoltaic power generation is of great significance. Based on the 330 questionnaire data, by adopting the single factor variance analysis (S-N-K test) methodology, this paper first analyzed the differences between various groups of residents from varied perspectives of Chinese residents, i.e., different ages, different education attainments, different income levels, different genders, and different industries. Then, it conducted a regression analysis of the demographic variables by using linear regression models. The results indicate that: (1) the awareness of different types of Chinese residents is significantly different; (2) education and income levels have significant impacts on their awareness. Finally, this paper proposed corresponding policy recommendations based on these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing demand for navigation capability for space vehicles. The idea to extend the application of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) from terrestrial to space applications by the use of main beam and side lobe signals has been shown to be feasible. In order to understand the performance and the potential space applications GNSS can support, this paper characterises the Space Service Volume (SSV) in terms of the four parameters of minimum received power, satellite visibility, pseudorange accuracy and Geometric Dilution of Precision (GDOP). This new definition enables the position errors to be estimated. An analytical methodology is proposed to characterise minimum received power for the worst location. Satellite visibility and GDOP are assessed based on grid points at different height layers (to capture the relationship between height and visibility) for single and multiple GNSS constellations, the former represented by BeiDou III (BDS III) and the latter, BDS III in various combinations with GPS, GLONASS and GALILEO. Additional simulation shows that GNSS can potentially support lunar exploration spacecraft at the Earth phasing orbit. This initial assessment of SSV shows the potential of GNSS for space vehicle navigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed conflict monitoring during presentation of risky decision alternatives, as indexed by the Nogo-N2, Nogo-P3, N2d and P3d event-related potentials (ERP). Decision-makers were tested on a Go/Nogo gambling task in which gain/loss outcomes as well as stimulus type (Go/Nogo) were equiprobable. Frontal-central Nogo-N2 and Nogo-P3 did not significantly differ across risky decision alternatives, whereas N2d and P3d amplitudes were more sensitive to the nature of risky decision alternatives. Frontal-central N2d was moderated by the magnitude of alternatives, with N2d amplitude greater for large than small alternatives, a result that suggests a greater degree of conflict monitoring for the former. Central P3d was associated with alternative valence, such that P3d amplitude was greater for loss than gain valences, again suggestive of more conflict monitoring for the former. The N2d and P3d potentials in risky decision alternatives are discussed in terms of the functional significance of the N2/P3 complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the organizational and operative conditions of competitive sports competitions in middle schools in Shanghai, China. According to the article, existing problems which were identified include attestation and verification of athletes' identities, the advantage of home games, and factor of referee.

Aspergillus terreus is well-known for its ability to biosynthesize valuable pharmaceuticals as well as structurally unique secondary metabolites. However, numerous promising cryptic secondary metabolites in this strain regulated by silent gene clusters remain unidentified. In this study, to further explore the secondary metabolite potential of A. terreus, the essential histone deacetylase hdaA gene was deleted in the marine-derived A. terreus RA2905. The results showed that HdaA plays a vital and negative regulatory role in both conidiation and secondary metabolism. Loss of HdaA in A. terreus RA2905 not only resulted in the improvement in butyrolactone production, but also activated the biosynthesis of new azaphilone derivatives. After scaled fermentation, two new azaphilones, asperterilones A and B (1 and 2), were isolated from ΔhdaA mutant. The planar structures of compounds 1 and 2 were undoubtedly characterized by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry analysis. Their absolute configurations were assigned by circular dichroism spectra analysis and proposed biosynthesis pathway. Compounds 1 and 2 displayed moderate anti-Candida activities with the MIC values ranging from 18.0 to 47.9 μM, and compound 1 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. This study provides novel evidence that hdaA plays essential and global roles in repressing secondary metabolite gene expression in fungi, and its deletion represents an efficient strategy to mine new compounds from A. terreus and other available marine-derived fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence biosensor was established based on the Zn-MOF/GO nanocomposite. Ag(I)-embedded DNA complexes were used as a signal amplification reagent. In this work, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) and Zn2+ were integrated into a porphyrin paddlewheel framework (Zn-MOF) by a hydrothermal method. The synthesized Zn-MOF material has electrochemiluminescence property, and the luminescence intensity is improved after being composited with graphene oxide (GO). Based on the composite material, we constructed an ultrasensitive ECL biosensor for the p53 antibody detection. The composite material acted as an admirable substrate and then loaded plenty of p53 antigens to recognize the target (p53 antibody) accurately. Because of the bridging effect of streptavidin and biotin-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG (bio-ab2), the rich-C DNA with positive correlation with the target was modified on the electrode and then captured the co-reactant accelerator Ag+ to amplify the signal. Therefore, the ECL biosensor response increases with increasing p53 antibody concentration. In the range 0.1 fg/mL–0.01 ng/mL, the response signal of the biosensor has a good linear relationship with the p53 antibody concentration. The detection limit is 0.03 fg/mL (S/N = 3). Impressively, the biosensor not only featured high sensitivity, good stability, and excellent specificity for the detection of p53 antibody, but also provides a new way for early detection of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensors provide a convenient and high sensitivity method for early disease diagnosis. However, creating luminophore arrays relying on powerful ECL signals remains a daunting task. Porphyrin-centered metal organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit remarkable potential in ECL sensing applications. In this paper, based on a simple one-pot synthesis method, PCN-222@Ag NPs doped with CeO 2 was synthesized to enhance the ECL performance. Due to the strong catalytic ability of CeO 2 , the ECL signal strength of the new material PCN-222@CeO 2 @Ag NPs is much higher than that of the PCN-222@Ag NPs and PCN-222. The luminous properties of PCN-222@CeO 2 @Ag NPs become more intense and stable due to the excellent electronic conductivity of Ag NPs. Based on the fact that CuS@PDA composite can quench the ECL signal of PCN-222@CeO 2 @Ag NPs, we constructed a novel sandwich ECL immune sensor for the detection of phosphorylated Tau 181 (p-Tau-181) protein. The ECL sensor has a great linear relationship with p-Tau-181 protein concentration, ranging from 1 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL. The detection limit is as low as 0.147 pg/mL. This work provides new ideas for developing sensitive ECL sensors for the p-Tau-181 protein, the marker of Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor was fabricated for the selective detection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165). g-C3N4/PDDA/CdSe nanocomposites were used as the ECL substrate. Then, DNA labeled at the 5′ end with amino groups (DNA1) was immobilized on the surface of g-C3N4/PDDA/CdSe nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by amido linkage. AuNP-labeled target DNA (Au-DNA2) could hybridize with DNA1 to form a double strand. The ECL of the g-C3N4/PDDA/CdSe nanocomposite was efficiently quenched due to the resonance energy transfer between CdSe QDs and Au NPs. After VEGF165 was recognized and bound by Au-DNA2, the double helix was disrupted, and the energy transfer was broken. In this case, Au-DNA2 was released from the electrode surface, and the ECL intensity recovered to a higher level. Under optimal conditions, this ECL biosensor possesses excellent selectivity, accuracy, and stability for VEGF165 detection in a linear range of 2 pg mL−1 to 2 ng mL−1 with a detection limit of 0.68 pg mL−1. In addition, this assay has been successfully applied to the determination of VEGF165 in serum samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor was fabricated for the evaluation of prostate specific antigen (PSA). The sensor was developed by successively modifying glassy carbon electrode (GCE) electrodes with CdS/Chito/g-C3N4 nanocomposites and DNA1 was labeled at the 5′ end with thiol. The aptamer DNA was labeled at the 3′ end with a quencher ferrocene (Fc) was ligated to DNA1 by the principle of complementary base pairing. In the absence of PSA, the ECL intensity signal is effectively quenches through the energy transfer and photoexcitation electron transfer between CdS/Chito/g-C3N4 emitter and quencher Fc. After incubation with target PSA, the aptamer DNA interacts with PSA and then moved away from the electrode surface together, which will recover the ECL intensity. Under the optimal conditions, the ECL intensity increases linearly with the logarithm of PSA concentration in the range of 1 pg·mL−1 to 100 ng·mL−1, and the detection limit is 0.14 pg·mL−1 (S/N = 3). The biosensor has been successfully applied to the determination of PSA in serum sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract MnOOH nanowires decorated with NiAl-LDH have been successfully prepared via in-situ growth of small NiAl-LDH nanosheets by hydrothermal method without using any organic reagents. The morphology and structure of the samples were characterized by a series of techniques, including scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis meter (TGA), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR). The excellent electrochemical properties of the as-prepared products were obtained by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The specific capacitance was 1331.11 F/g at current density of 1 A/g in 6 M of KOH electrolyte and still could keep good cycling stability after 1000 cycles. An asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) was assembled by MnOOH/NiAl-LDH and activated carbon (AC), exhibited excellent electrochemical performances in energy storage. At a power density of 800 W/kg, the equipment could deliver a maximum energy density of 26.89 Wh/kg and maintain good cycling stability. The excellent results suggested that MnOOH/NiAl-LDH nanocomposite could be used as a promising material for supercapacitors. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • MnOOH nanowires decorated with small NiAl-LDH nanosheets were successfully obtained. • The as-prepared nanocomposite displays an excellent electrochemical performance. • These materials can used as electrode for high-performance supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a rock dynamic and static triaxial mechanical test system is adopted to conduct triaxial compression failure acoustic emission test on coal rock with outburst-proneness. The purpose is to study the evolution law of the acoustic emission (AE) b value of coal rock under static and dynamic load of varying frequencies. The test results show that the dynamic load disturbance will accelerate the instability failure process of coal rock, that the average stress level/ultimate strain of coal rock decline/rises correspondingly with the increasing dynamic load frequency. Moreover, the overall AE b value after dynamic load disturbance is relatively low, and the higher the dynamic load frequency, the larger the decrease in the b value. In addition, as the dynamic load frequency increases, the AE ringing count and AE energy show a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, and they are negatively correlated with the evolution characteristics of the acoustic emission b value. Furthermore, the change rule of AE b value is closely related to the instability and failure process of coal rock. A second-stage of the overall b value of acoustic emission shows a "cliff jumping type" decrease dip angle or "fault cliff type" decrease dip angle indicates the imminent failure of coal rock, which can be used as an evaluation index for real-time monitoring of dynamic disasters of coal rock with outburst-proneness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As electrochemical water splitting is an extremely promising direction for solving future energy problems and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the key half-reaction in water splitting, it is necessary to develop a new type of highly active and stable non-noble metal catalyst. Herein, we construct a series of hierarchical structure by modifying ZIF-67 on clustered-MnO 2 nanotubes which are used as precursor. The fruit@branch-shaped compounds, marked as X@MnO 2 (X = CoS x , Co 3 O 4 and CoP). Compared with pure MnO 2 nanotubes, the obtained derivatives imaginably result in the unique hierarchical structure and introduce synergistic effect between MnO 2 and Co-based species that result in higher performance. In Particular, owing to the abundant active sites, a facil mass transfer pathway and improved electrical conductivity in amorphous/crystallize hierarchical structure, CoS x @MnO 2 possesses the highest electrocatalytic activity with a lower overpotential of 329 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2, which is superior to most MnO 2 -based catalyst previously reported. Most importantly, to expand this strategy is an effective way to synthesize more high-activity catalysts. [Display omitted] • Fruit-shaped Co-based species surrounding branch-shaped MnO 2 and Co-based species include oxides, sulfides and phosphates. • Rapid process with a general facility and the strategy is simple and low cost. • CoS x @MnO 2 shows an overpotential of 329 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 even better than commercial RuO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Alternative splicing (AS) plays a crucial role in regulating the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), but its distribution remains to be explored. Here, we aim to investigate the genes edited by AS which show differential expression in patients with mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR)/microsatellite instability (MSI). Materials and Methods. We applied long-read nanopore sequencing to determine the mRNA profiles and screen AS genes using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) method in ten paired CRC tissues. CRC tissue and plasma samples were used to validate the differential genes with AS using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. ONT sequencing identified 404 genes were downregulated, and 348 genes were upregulated in MSI cancer tissues compared with microsatellite stability (MSS) cancer tissues. In total, 6,200 AS events were identified in 2,728 mRNA transcripts. WGCNA revealed dMMR/MSI-correlated gene modules, including INHBA and RPL22L1, which were upregulated; conversely, HMGCS2 was downregulated in MSI cancer. Overexpression of RPL22L1, INHBA, and CAPZA1 was further confirmed in CRC tissues. INHBA was found to be associated with tumor lymphatic metastasis. Importantly, the levels of INHBA in CRC plasma were significantly increased compared with those in noncancer plasma. INHBA showed a higher level in dMMR/MSI CRC than in MSS CRC, indicating that INHBA is a useful biomarker. Conclusion. Our results showed that ONT-identified genes provide a pool to explore AS-associated markers for dMMR/MSI CRC. We demonstrated INHBA as a promising signature for clinical application in predicting tumor lymphatic metastasis and screening dMMR/MSI candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel, ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical immunosensor was constructed for detecting prostatic specific antigen (PSA). • g-C 3 N 4 /SnS 2 nanocomposite was used for the construction of photoelectrochemical immunosensor. • The proposed photoelectrochemical immunosensor presented ultrahigh sensitivity, reproducibility, specificity and stability. Herein, a novel amplified photoelectrochemical immunosensor based on a g-C 3 N 4 /SnS 2 nanocomposite was constructed and applied to detect prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The prepared nanocomposite materials were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy (UV–vis), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results indicate that g-C 3 N 4 /SnS 2 nanocomposite materials were successfully synthesized. In a typical assembly process, the immunosensor was constructed by embellishing fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrode with g-C 3 N 4 /SnS 2 nanocomposite, chitosan (Chito), monoclonal antibody (Ab1), blocking agent bovine serum albumin (BSA), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and polyclonal antibody-CdS (Ab2-CdS) bioconjugate in turn. The bioconjugate served as a signal amplification factor, and greatly enhanced the sensitivity of PSA detection. In this sensing strategy, the target PSA detection was based on the change in the amount of the signal amplification factor Ab2-CdS bioconjugate, which caused the change of photocurrent intensity. In the presence of PSA, the Ab2-CdS bioconjugate was specifically binding with PSA, then the signal amplification factor Ab2-CdS bioconjugate was incubated on the sensor electrode surface, increasing the photocurrent intensity significantly. Accordingly, under optimal conditions, a novel enhanced photoelectrochemical immunosensor was constructed, and it exhibited excellent sensitivity, selectivity and repeatability for detecting PSA. The detection limit was 1.3 fg·mL−1, and the range was 10 fg·mL−1 – 10 ng·mL−1. Simultaneously, the sensor also provides a likely sensing device for detecting other protein targets, which is of great significance for early clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]