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The 3D (three-dimensional) oriented nanosheet array FeNi2P electrocatalyst grown on carbon cloth (FeNi2P/CC) is explored in this work. This unique 3D oriented nanosheet array structure can expose more catalytic active sites, promote the penetration of electrolyte solution on the catalyst surface, and facilitate the transfer of ions, thus speeding up the kinetic process of Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and Oxygen evolution reaction (OER). At the current densities of 10 mA/cm2 in 1 M KOH solution, the HER overpotential (71 mV) of the FeNi2P/CC self-supporting electrode is very close to that of noble metal HER catalyst of 20% Pt/C (54 mV), and its OER overpotential (210 mV) is 34% lower than that of the precious metal OER catalyst of RuO2 (318 mV), demonstrating the excellent electrocatalytic performance of the FeNi2P/CC catalyst. Moreover, the cell voltage for full water splitting (at 10 mA/cm2 current densities) of the FeNi2P/CC bifunctional electrode cell is 1.52 V, which is 3.8% lower than that of the full noble-metal electrode reference cell (RuO2 || Pt/C, 1.58 V), suggesting that this FeNi2P/CC bifunctional catalyst is likely to replace precious metals to reduce the costs in full water splitting application. According to density functional theory (DFT) calculation results, the introduction of iron atom can change the electronic structure of the Ni2P, so it can reduce the adsorption energy of hydrogen and oxygen, and facilitate the adsorption and desorption of hydrogen and oxygen on the surface of the catalyst, improving its performance of HER and OER.

TiO2 nanostructures have been one of the most explored metal oxides photocatalysts to apply for environmental remediation. However, its wide band gap results in the underutilization of sunlight for degradation of pollutants. In order to overcome this handicap, the synthesis of TiO2-based composite has brought extraordinary materials. In this study, we design and prepare TiO2/Nb2O5 heterostructures with different molar ratios by using peroxotitanium and peroxoniobium complex as precursors in aqueous solution. The TiO2 exists in the form of anatase while Nb2O5 is amorphous in the composite, leading to a special crystalline TiO2/amorphous Nb2O5 heterostructures. In particular, Nb element is also doped and Ti3+ ions are formed in the TiO2 lattice, leading to a reduced band gap. The unique TiO2/0.25Nb2O5 (Ti:Nb = 2:1) heterostructures can effectively suppress the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, and facilitate the charge transfer, resulting in the optimum photocatalytic performance. The nitrogen oxide removal efficiency by TiO2/0.25Nb2O5 is 77.23% in visible light, which is 3.8-folds and 7.0-folds higher than pure TiO2 and Nb2O5. Photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen by TiO2/0.25Nb2O5 is 90.6% in visible light, which is approximately 2.5-folds higher than pure TiO2 and Nb2O5.

B atoms and cyano groups co-doped graphite carbon nitride with nitrogen vacancies (VN-BC-CN) was explored via one-step in-situ route. A series of comprehensive experiments confirmed that B atoms and cyano groups had been doped into the framework of graphite carbon nitride, forming VN-BC-CN catalyst sample with a large number of nitrogen-vacancy defects. As electron acceptors, B and cyano groups could be used as active sites for nitrogen conversion. The defect level caused by nitrogen vacancy led to red shift of the light absorption edge, which resulted in higher separation efficiency of photo-induced carriers and faster transfer rate of photo-induced electrons for the VN-BC-CN catalyst. This VN-BC-CN catalyst had good photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance in the ultrapure water without any hole-scavengers. The nitrogen photofixation rate of VN-BC-CN (115.53 μmol g−1 h−1) was 25.5 times that of pure carbon nitride (GCN, 4.53 μmol g−1 h−1). Moreover, NH4+ generation rate hardly decreased after 10 h reaction, and the NH4+ generation rate could reach 79.56 μmol g−1 h−1 in the fifth cycle, showing the good photocatalytic stability of the VN-BC-CN catalyst.

In this work, we applied the fenton-like reaction to fabricate TiO2 nanocrystalline, and employed molecular self-assembly with TiO2 and BiOCl to form composite photocatalyst with cookie-like nano-heterostructure for enhanced solar energy to hydrogen. The TiO2@BiOCl photocatalyst with cookie-like nano-heterostructure exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance for the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under sunlight irradiation compared to the single TiO2 or BiOCl. Besides, the TiO2@BiOCl photocatalyst displayed outstanding reusability and stability in the photocatalytic reaction. Meanwhile, the possible mechanisms of cookie-like nano-heterostructure formation and photocatalytic redox reaction have been proposed. What's more, this work demonstrated a new perspective for the design and mass preparation of TiO2-based composite photocatalytic materials at atmospheric condition, which demonstrated that this method has enormous potential to achieve mass preparation of efficient photocatalyst for photocatalytic application.

In this work, a kind of three-dimensional (3D) needle branch-like array nanostructured PANI/CoNiP hybrid electrode self-supported on nickle foam (NF) is explored. This 3D needle branch-like array n...

Transition metal oxides have shown an extraordinary potential for lithium-storage capability to date. However, it remains enormous challenge to gain high capacities, good rate performance and cyclability due to their inferior conductivity. To address this issue, oxygen vacancies (VOs) implanted ultrathin WO3 nanorods (the diameter around 5 nm and the length less than 100 nm) composed with reduced graphene oxide (namely WO3-x/rGO), were synthesized by proposing a logical design. For the sake of better showing the outcome of such configuration, holy nanosheets of pure WO3 anode were proposed to compare with nanorods WO3-x/rGO one in terms of electrochemical properties, and they were obtained via annealing H2WO4/rGO precursor in air and argon atmosphere with the same annealing ramp, respectively. By contrast, both electron paramagnetic resonance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic characterizations demonstrate the existence of VOs in WO3-x/rGO composite. The generation of VOs together with the reserve of rGO, the conductivity of WO3-x/rGO anode is distinctly enhanced, which is then verified by the compared electrochemical performance in this work. It is clearly shown that the WO3-x/rGO nanocomposite displays a capacity of 745 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1 after 200 cycles and excellent cycling stability up to 1000 cycles with capacity of 428 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1. These findings exhibit that nanorods WO3-x/rGO nanocomposite is a promising candidate for high-performance Li-ion battery anode.

This paper presented the plasmonic Bi in-situ deposited on the surface of Bi2O2CO3 nanoplates forming plasma enhanced Bi/Bi2O2CO3 heterojunction photocatalyst through a facile one-pot solvothermal method by using methanol as both solvent and carbon source. The water splitting efficiency of the as-prepared Bi/Bi2O2CO3 heterojunction photocatalyst was much better than that of pure phase Bi2O2CO3 due to the Bi nanoparticles surface plasma resonance (SPR) effect for promoting light response and the charge carriers separation and transfer. The experimental results also showed that the H2O played an important role in the fabrication of Bi/Bi2O2CO3 heterojunction photocatalyst, furthermore, the content of Bi in Bi/Bi2O2CO3 changed with the variation of additional H2O which impacted photocatalytic activities. The method of semimetal in-situ deposition without reductants in this work also provided new perspectives into the rational design and facile synthesis of bismuth based semiconductor photocatalysts.

BiOBr hierarchical structures were successfully synthesized through a solvothermal process assisted with citric acid using methanol as a solvent. The as-synthesized BiOBr hierarchical structures have diameters of ca. 1 μm, and assembled by numerous porous nanosheets with exposed (110) facets. Results indicated that the crystal growth and morphology structures of BiOBr were significantly influenced by the amount of citric acid, the solvothermal time and the solvent used in reaction. In addition, the as-synthesized BiOBr hierarchical structures exhibited high photocatalytic activity on the degradation of methyl orange under either UV light or simulated sunlight illumination, due to the larger specific surface area and unique hierarchical structures assembled by numerous BiOBr porous nanosheets.

The 3D (three-dimensional) oriented nanosheet array FeNi

Ruthenium (Ru) single atoms were decorated on the surface of the graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) successfully in this work. By varieties of characterization, the existence of Ru single atoms and the defects (cyano groups) caused in the process of synthesis have been confirmed. The catalyst decorated by Ru atoms (Ru-CCN-0.05) had better absorption capacity and a wider absorption range of light than the catalyst with no Ru atoms loading on (Ru-CCN-0). Without the help of hole-scavengers, the rate of photocatalytic nitrogen fixation of Ru-CCN-0.05 in ultra-pure water was 2.26 mg L−1 gcat −1 h−1, 1.5 times that of bare g-C3N4.

The function of angiogenesis-related genes (ARGs) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains poorly documented. This study was designed to reveal ARGs in LUAD and related networks.We worked with sequencing data and clinical information pertaining to LUAD from public databases. ARGs were retrieved from the HALLMARK_ANGIOGENESIS gene set. Differential analysis and Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis were performed to authenticate the ARGs associated with LUAD. Weighted gene correlation network analysis was performed on the mining hub genes linked to the abovementioned genes, and functional enrichment analysis was done. Subsequently, Cox regression analyses were used to construct the prognostic gene.

Esophageal cancer is the ninth most common malignancy worldwide, ranking sixth in mortality. Platinum-based chemotherapy is commonly used for treating locally advanced esophageal cancer, yet it is ineffective in a large portion of patients. There is a need for reliable molecular markers with direct clinical application for a prospective selection of patients who can benefit from chemotherapy and patients in whom toxicity is likely to outweigh the benefit. The cytotoxic activity of platinum derivatives largely depends on the uptake and accumulation into cells, primarily by organic cation transporters (OCTs). The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of OCT expression on the clinical outcome of patients with esophageal cancer treated with oxaliplatin. Twenty patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were prospectively enrolled and surgical specimens used for screening OCT expression level by western blotting and/or immunostaining, and for culture of cancer cells. Sixty-seven patients with SCC who received oxaliplatin and for whom follow-up was available were retrospectively assessed for organic cation/carnitine transporter 2 (OCTN2) expression by real time RT-PCR and immunostaining. OCTN2 staining was also performed in 22 esophageal adenocarcinomas. OCTN2 function in patient-derived cancer cells was evaluated by assessing L-carnitine uptake and sensitivity to oxaliplatin. The impact of OCTN2 on oxaliplatin activity was also assessed in HEK293 cells overexpressing OCTN2. OCTN2 expression was higher in tumor than in normal tissues. In patient-derived cancer cells and HEK293 cells, the expression of OCTN2 sensitized to oxaliplatin. Patients treated with oxaliplatin who had high OCTN2 level in the tumor tissue had a reduced risk of recurrence and a longer survival time than those with low expression of OCTN2 in tumor tissue. In conclusion, OCTN2 is expressed in esophageal cancer and it is likely to contribute to the accumulation and cytotoxic activity of oxaliplatin in patients with esophageal carcinoma treated with oxaliplatin.

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B atoms and cyano groups co-doped graphite carbon nitride with nitrogen vacancies (VN-BC-CN) was explored via one-step in-situ route. A series of comprehensive experiments confirmed that B atoms and cyano groups had been doped into the framework of graphite carbon nitride, forming VN-BC-CN catalyst sample with a large number of nitrogen-vacancy defects. As electron acceptors, B and cyano groups could be used as active sites for nitrogen conversion. The defect level caused by nitrogen vacancy led to red shift of the light absorption edge, which resulted in higher separation efficiency of photo-induced carriers and faster transfer rate of photo-induced electrons for the VN-BC-CN catalyst. This VN-BC-CN catalyst had good photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance in the ultrapure water without any hole-scavengers. The nitrogen photofixation rate of VN-BC-CN (115.53 μmol g

It is still challenging to design and synthesize highly efficient and noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction (HER/OER). Herein, we developed an in-situ phosphating Co@nitrogen-doping graphene to obtain N and P co-doped carbon-coated cobalt phosphide (CoP@N,P-C) that could be used for overall water splitting. The unique 3D porous structure of CoP@N,P-C is characterized by a large number of active catalytic sites. High wettability of catalyst in electrolyte solution facilitates the transfer of ions. The synergism between the CoP cores and N, P-C shells improves the total hydrolysis performance of the electrocatalyst during the HER and OER. At the current densities of 10 mA/cm2 (1 M of KOH), the HER overpotential recorded for the CoP@N,P-C is 113 mV, and the OER overpotential is 320 mV. The cell voltage of the CoP@N,P-C as bifunctional electrode for overall water splitting is 1.67 V (at 10 mA/cm2), which is close to that of the full noble-metal electrode (RuO2 || Pt/C, 1.58 V). The CoP@N, P-C bifunctional catalyst can be potentially used to replace noble-metal electrodes to realize water splitting.

Transition metal phosphides are novel electrocatalysts that can be used to replace noble metals for the electrochemical production of hydrogen. In this work, N and P co-doped carbon-coated cobalt-doped molybdenum phosphide (CoMoP@N,P-C) nanoparticles are explored as electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. The presence of a unique three-dimensional (3D) porous structure in CoMoP@N,P-C offers abundant catalytic active sites for the penetration of the electrolyte solution, thereby facilitating the transfer of ions. In addition, cobalt doped into MoP increases the catalytic activity, and N and P co-doped carbon improves the electrical conductivity of the carbon matrix. Subsequently, the synergy between CoMoP cores and N, P-C shells enhances the total hydrolysis performance of the electrocatalyst in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) processes. At a current density of 10 mA/cm2 in 1 M KOH, HER and OER overpotential of the CoMoP@N, P-C are 152 mV and 296 mV, respectively. Moreover, the cell voltage of CoMoP@N, P-C as a bifunctional electrode for overall water splitting is 1.62 V (at 10 mA/cm2), which is close to that of the full noble-metal electrode (RuO2 || Pt/C, 1.58 V). Overall, the CoMoP@N, P-C bifunctional catalyst shows great potential for replacing noble-metal electrodes in water splitting applications.

NiS2 nanoparticle electrocatalysts grown on sulfur and nitrogen co-doped reduced graphene oxide (NiS2/S,N-rGO) were explored. Since the hybrid catalyst of NiS2/S,N-rGO had a large surface area and high conductivity, it demonstrated outstanding electrocatalytic properties. This NiS2/S,N-rGO hybrid electrocatalyst required only 95 mV overvoltage to reach the current density of 10 mA cm−2 in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acidic solution. In addition, the 5000 cycles test experiment showed the excellent HER electrochemical stability of the NiS2/S,N-rGO catalyst. This work also provided new strategies for increasing the catalytic activity of non-precious metal electrocatalysts.

This paper presented the plasmonic Bi in-situ deposited on the surface of Bi

Chengyu Chen,1 Qun Geng,2 Dongfeng Sun,1 Wensi Hu,1 Chenxi Zhong,3 Limin Fan,3 Xiaoming Song1 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Dongfeng SunDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250014, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 13589032106Email sundf81@yeah.netObjective: To investigate the expression of tumor suppressor protein ASK1-interacting protein-1 (AIP1) in cancer tissues of patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its correlation with tumor progression, tumor angiogenesis and prognosis.Methods: A total of 136 patients with stage I NSCLC who underwent radical resection of lung cancer in Qianfoshan Hospital of Shandong Province from January 2011 to December 2011 were enrolled. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect AIP1 protein in tumor tissues. Vascular endothelial CD34 immunohistochemical staining was used to count intratumoral microvessel density (MVD). SPSS 19.0 software was used to analyze the relationship between AIP1 protein expression and clinicopathological features, tumor angiogenesis and prognosis.Results: Low expression of AIP1 was more common in tumor tissues with high MVD, and patients with low expression of AIP1 were more likely to have tumor recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that low expression of AIP1 had predictive value for overall survival, disease-free survival, and disease-specific survival.Conclusion: Downregulation of AIP1 protein expression is associated with lung cancer progression, tumor angiogenesis and poor prognosis. Consequently, AIP1 may prove to be an important predictor of recovery from lung cancer and could become a new therapeutic target for lung cancer treatment.Keywords: NSCLC, ASK1-interacting protein-1, angiogenesis, prognosis

Background: Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is the premalignant condition for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma, and occurs when the stratified epithelium is replaced by an intestinal-type epithelium with goblet cells. Bile acids (BAs) may play a dominant role in esophageal metaplasia, which is characterized by the expression of intestine-specific nuclear transcription factor caudal type homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX-2). Notch-1 is frequently downregulated in BE, and protects squamous epithelia from becoming malignant and inducing intestinal metaplasia. However, the molecular mechanisms of this pathway are unclear. Methods: We first investigated Notch-1 and CDX-2 in human BE epithelium. Then Wister rats were used to develope animal models to test the role of BAs in the pathogenesis of BE. Effects of deoxycholic acid (DCA) on Notch-1 and CDX-2, as well as Notch signaling pathway blockage with DATP or with si-Hes-1 in vitro were observed through RT–PCR and western blotting techniques in human EAC cells (OE-19) and esophageal epithelial cells (Het-1a). Results: We found that the Notch -1 gene was inhibited in human and rodent BE specimens and BAs induced Barrett’s-like metaplasia. DCA decreases Notch-1 in a time and concentration dependent manner in both EAC cells (OE-19) and esophageal epithelial cells (Het-1a). Notch signaling inhibition increased CDX-2 expression but also blocked the influence of DCA. Conclusions: These data imply that BAs induce BE by inhibiting Notch-1 in esophageal cells. Notch signal pathway inhibition presents a therapeutic strategy for premalignant conditions of the esophagus.

A novel PANI/Ni2P hybrid electrocatalyst with enhanced performance in hydrogen evolution reaction was explored. The current densities of the PANI/Ni2P hybrid electrocatalyst could achieve 10 mA cm−2 under much lower overpotential of 83 mV with a small Tafel slope of 69 mV dec−1. This was due to the fact that nitrogen atoms in polyaniline had more isolated electrons, which could capture protons from hydrated ions to form protonated amino groups, thus accelerating the kinetics process of hydrogen evolution. Moreover, the current densities of the PANI/Ni2P hybrid electrocatalysts was only slightly attenuated after 5000 cycles, showing good stability and application potential of the PANI/Ni2P hybrid electrocatalysts. The effect of the thickness of the polyaniline layer on the performance of the PANI/Ni2P hybrid catalyst was fully discussed. This work also provided a new strategy to increase the catalytic activity of non-noble metal catalysts.

White TiO2 (W-TiO2), gray TiO2 (G-TiO2) and black TiO2 (B-TiO2) have been prepared through simple annealing process in different atmospheres. The oxygen vacancy content in the TiO2 samples and the relationship between oxygen vacancy and photocatalytic performance have been studied by comprehensive analyses. The XRD peaks slightly move to a low angle and the Raman strongest peak shifts positively owing to oxygen vacancy and Ti3+. The energy bandgap of G-TiO2 and B-TiO2 is tuned from 3.10 to 3.02 and 1.99 eV. The content of oxygen vacancy is 1%, 4.8% and 7.8% for W-TiO2, G-TiO2 and B-TiO2, respectively. The efficiency of NO removal is stable at 34%, 38% and 45%, and the decomposition rate of Rhodamine B under visible light is 75%, 83% and 89% for W-TiO2, G-TiO2 and B-TiO2, respectively. The results are significant for the design of high-performance photocatalytic materials in the field of solar energy conversion.

A novel three-dimensional (3D) flower-like tungsten phosphide (WP2) nanowire arrays catalyst in-situ grown on nickel foam (NF) is explored. Since this 3D nanostructured electrocatalysts (WP2 NW/NF) can expose the abundant active sites, and promote electrolyte osmosis to shorten the electron transfer path, the WP2 NW/NF electrode shows excellent electrocatalytic performance. The current densities of the 3D nanostructured WP2 NW/NF electrode achieve 10 mA cm−2 at lower cell potential of 1.65 V for overall water splitting, revealing that this 3D nanostructured electrode possesses great application prospect in electrolysis of water to produce large-scale hydrogen and oxygen.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by a facile one-pot hydrothermal process just using ferric citrate and water without any additional reagent and post-treatment. The temperature of hydrothermal reaction had important influence on the crystallinity and magnetic property of Fe3O4 samples. Fe3O4 sample synthesized at 200 °C for 24 h showed a narrow size distribution (4 to 8 nm in diameter), and exhibited apparent superparamagnetism with saturated magnetization of 55.1 emu/g. The narrow size distribution and superparamagnetism were the interesting features of these Fe3O4 nanoparticles.

Background Allergic reactions to mosquito bites are an increasing clinical concern. Due to the lack of availability of mosquito salivary allergens, they are underdiagnosed. Here, we reported a newly cloned mosquito Aedes (Ae.) aegypti salivary allergen. Methods A cDNA encoding a 30-kDa Ae. aegypti salivary protein, designated Aed a 3, was isolated from an expression library. The full-length cDNA was cloned into a baculovirus expression vector, and recombinant Aed a 3 (rAed a 3) was expressed, purified, and characterized. Skin prick tests with purified rAed a 3 and Ae. aegypti bite tests were performed in 43 volunteers. Serum rAed a 3-specific IgE levels were measured in 28 volunteers. Results The primary nucleotide sequence, deduced amino acid sequence, and IgE-binding sites of Aed a 3 were identified. rAed a 3-selected antibodies recognized a 30-kDa Ae. aegypti saliva protein. rAed a 3 bound IgE in mosquito-allergic volunteers and the binding could be inhibited by the addition of natural mosquito extract dose dependently. Immediate skin test reactions to rAed a 3 correlated significantly with mosquito bite-induced reactions. Of the bite test-positive volunteers, 32% had a positive rAed a 3 skin test and 46% had specific IgE. No bite test-negative volunteers reacted to rAed a 3 in either the skin tests or the IgE assays, confirming the specificity of the assay. Conclusions Aed a 3 that corresponds to the Aegyptin protein is a major mosquito salivary allergen. Its recombinant form has biological activity and is suitable for use in skin tests and specific IgE assays in mosquito-allergic individuals.

Anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized through a simple approach at low temperature. Particularly yellow TiO2 is well obtained at room temperature (25 °C). TiO2 samples are characterized by XRD, Raman, XPS, TEM, BET, UV–Vis, and Zeta Potential. The zeta potential value of TiO2 samples can be tuned from −26.8 to +13.6 mV by different reaction temperature. The yellow TiO2 has more oxygen vacancies and Ti3+ compared with other samples, which reduces the band gap from 3.1 to 2.9 eV and made the conduction band positively shift about 0.2 eV. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky plots reveal that the yellow TiO2 nanocrystals had higher carrier density and better conductivity for electron transfer. According to the XPS analysis, the Ti3+ content in different samples is 8.1%, 7.8%, 6%, 1%, and zero, respectively. The decomposition rate of Rhodamine B under UV light and visible light was 99.7% and 70.0%, and the NO removal efficiency in 5 min is 84.8% for yellow TiO2, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the presence of more oxygen vacancies in yellow TiO2 that can act as traps to reduce the recombination of e−/h+ pairs.

Dongfeng Sun,1 Chengyu Chen,1 Wensi Hu,1 Chenxi Zhong,2 Limin Fan,2 Xiaoming Song,1 Zhibo Gai3 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai 200030, People’s Republic of China; 3Joint Pharmacology Center, University Hospital Zurich and Liaocheng People’s Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, People’s Republic of China Objective: To investigate the expression of tumor suppressor protein ASK1-interacting protein-1 (AIP1) in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its role in tumor progression, angiogenesis, and prognosis.Methods: A total of 117 biopsy samples were obtained from ESCC patients. None of the patients had distant metastasis before surgery, and did not receive preoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of AIP1 protein and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in ESCC specimens collected from 117 patients who underwent esophageal cancer radical surgery. Microvessel density (MVD) was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of vascular endothelial CD34. The correlation between AIP1 protein and clinicopathological characteristics, tumor angiogenesis, and prognosis was analyzed.Results: The downregulation of AIP1 protein in esophageal carcinoma tissues was detected in 63 cases. This downregulation significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, clinicopathological staging, and tumor MVD (P

Tripartite motif-containing 29 (TRIM29) is a member of the tripartite motif (TRIM) protein family. TRIM29 has been reported to be deregulated in a number of cancer types, suggesting the oncogenic function of TRIM29. However, its clinical significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, the TRIM29 expression status was investigated by immunohistochemical analysis in paraffin-embedded specimens obtained from 320 patients with surgically resected NSCLC, treated between 2000 and 2007. High TRIM29 expression was significantly associated with smoking (P=0.012), T stage (P=0.015) and M stage (P=0.003). Furthermore, elevated TRIM29 expression level was correlated with reduced overall (OS) and disease-free survival. In addition, high TRIM29 expression was an independent prognostic factor for OS [P=0.003, hazard ratio (HR)=2.102, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.069–3.193]. In conclusion, these results suggest that TRIM29 may be a useful prognostic marker in NSCLC patients and a potential molecular target for NSCLC treatment.

Nd-doped TiO 2 (NT) photocatalysts with different contents of Nd were synthesized by sol-gel method. Then sulfated Nd-doped TiO 2 (SNT) solid superacid photocatalysts were prepared by an incipient wetness impregnation technique. The photocatalytic activity of catalysts was evaluated by the photodegradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation. Analytical results demonstrated that Nd doping inhibited the growth of TiO 2 crystallite and enhanced the thermal stability of anatase TiO 2 . Meanwhile, sulfate ions modification increased the specific surface area of samples. In addition, the optical absorption edges of SNT photocatalysts shifted to longer wavelength compared with the undoped TiO 2 . Such SNT with Nd dosage of 0.25 at.% exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methylene blue upon irradiation with visible light.

Strong anisotropic compression with pressure on the remarkable non-linear optical material KBe2BO3F2 has been observed with the linear compression coefficient along the c axis found to be about 40 times larger than that along the a axis. An unusual non-monotonic pressure response was observed for the a lattice parameter. The derived bulk modulus of 31 ± 1 GPa indicates that KBe2BO3F2 is a very soft oxide material yet with stable structure up to 45 GPa. A combination of high-pressure synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction, high-pressure Raman spectroscopy, and Density Functional Theory calculations points to the mechanism for the unusual pressure response being due to the competition between the K-F bond length and K-F-K bond angle and the coupling between the stretching and twisting vibration modes.

Ceria powders with different morphologies were synthesized using a facile template-free solvothermal process combined with calcination. The influence of solvothermal temperature and time on the powder was studied. Solid spheres, hollow spheres, and multilayered structures were controlled by adjusting the solvothermal conditions. The possible mechanisms for the formation of the precursors under the solvothermal conditions employed and the evolution of the powder from solid spherical to multilayered structures were discussed. Ethylene glycol played a key role in the morphology evolution of the powder. Cerium catalyzed the Guerbet-like reaction and reacted with ethylene glycol to produce ceria (CeO 2 ), Ce(HCOO) 3 , and Ce(OH)CO 3 . The redox-assisted dissolution–recrystallization process significantly contributed to the morphology transformation from solid spheres to multilayered structures. Moreover, the samples synthesized at different temperatures for 24 h possessed excellent adsorption capacities towards the removal of acid orange 7 when compared with commercial ceria.

Flower-like BiOCl hierarchical structures were successfully synthesized in the presence of citric acid through a solvothermal process using methanol as a solvent. The citric acid played significant roles, which functioned as both a chelating regent and a structure-directing agent. The as-synthesized flower-like BiOCl particles were assembled by numerous BiOCl nanosheets with a thickness of ca. 15–20 nm. Importantly, such a flower-like BiOCl morphology exhibited a higher photocatalytic activity than that of commercial TiO 2 in degradation of methyl orange under either UV light or simulated sunlight illumination.

Spindle-like WO 3 –TiO 2 composite particles were synthesized through a facile one-step solvothermal method. The as-synthesized spindle-like WO 3 –TiO 2 composite particles with center diameter of ca. 150 nm and length of ca. 300 nm were assembled by numerous WO 3 –TiO 2 nanorods of ca. 20 nm in diameter. It is found that the photo-responding range was extended and the specific surface area of the composite was increased. Such spindle-like WO 3 –TiO 2 composite exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than that of single phase TiO 2 or WO 3 in the degradation of methyl orange dye under illumination with simulated sunlight.

One-dimensional (1D) materials can increase mechanical properties along the long axis of the reinforcement for the composites because of the transfer of stress across the reinforcement-matrix interfaces parallel with the load. In this study, 1D hexagonal-prism-like ZrB2 particles were synthesized by a sol-gel route using zirconium n-propoxide, boric acid, acetic acid, and fructose. Fructose acted as both a modifier and a carbon source for carbothermal reduction reaction. For comparison purposes, both nascent state gel and aged gel were used to clarify the aging-time-dependent mechanism for ZrB2 synthesis. As a result, a single phase ZrB2 could only be obtained from the aged gel with the optimal ratios (by mol.) of 1.2 and 5 for both fructose and acetic acid to zirconium n-propoxide, respectively, reduced at an optimal temperature of 1550 degrees C for 2 h. Additionally, it revealed a perfect hexagonal-prism-like morphology for the ZrB2 particles with a uniform size and shape distribution, and average particle size of ca. 0.8 mu m in diameter of excircle of the hexagonal cross-section. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Tungsten-doped porous ZrB{sub 2}–SiC specimens were fabricated by reactive sintering. • Both sintering and mechanical properties were improved by doping with tungsten. • Optimum concentration to obtain high mechanical properties was W/Zr (mol) = 0.05. • Sintering might be promoted by self-accelerated diffusion. • Mechanical properties might be improved by solid solution strengthening. - Abstract: Tungsten-doped porous ZrB{sub 2}-20 vol.% SiC specimens with a high strength skeleton were fabricated by reactive sintering using metastable reactants, i.e., as-synthesized amorphous hydrous ZrO{sub 2}–WO{sub 3}/ZrO{sub 2}, amorphous boron, nanocarbon, and β-SiC. Doping with tungsten clearly promoted sintering and improved mechanical properties; the optimum tungsten concentration to obtain high mechanical properties was investigated. A single-phase solid solution (Zr,W)B{sub 2} was formed in the specimens with tungsten. We suggest that sintering was promoted by self-accelerated diffusion owing to the formation of point defects caused by doping with tungsten. The improvement of mechanical properties could be attributed to solid solution strengthening.

A series of molybdenum-containing ammonium tungsten bronzes was synthesized by a solvothermal process at 200 °C for 72 h using ethylene glycol, acetic acid, ammonium tungstate and ammonium molybdate as starting materials. All the diffraction peaks of XRD for the samples synthesized with starting Mo/W (mol) = 0–0.2 could be rough indexed as a hexagonal ammonium tungsten bronze with the formula of (NH4)0.33WO3, which was accompanied by a shift of the main peaks after the introduction of molybdenum and a split peak for starting Mo/W (mol) = 0.1. The nitrogen content, based on both the thermogravimetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, rose with the increase of molybdenum content. Optical properties were evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which proved that the molybdenum-containing ammonium tungsten bronzes could shield infrared rays better than the sample without molybdenum. The shield efficiency was related to the content of molybdenum. The optimum starting Mo/W (mol) to obtain high infrared shielding properties was 0.1. This sample consisted of uniform rods of ca. 50 nm in diameter emerging from the agglomerates.

ZrB{sub 2}–SiC ceramics, whose SiC is generally incorporated into the system by mechanical mixing, are known to have better performance than monolithic ZrB{sub 2}. Therefore, synthesis of duplex ZrB{sub 2}–SiC powders is beneficial for improving sinterability and mechanical properties of ZrB{sub 2}–SiC composites. In the present work, ZrB{sub 2}–SiC duplex powders with different morphologies were synthesized at 1550 °C for 2 h using as-synthesized amorphous hydrous ZrO{sub 2}–SiO{sub 2}. Both precipitation and sol–gel methods were used to prepare ZrO{sub 2}–SiO{sub 2} precursors. ZrB{sub 2}–SiC powder derived from precipitation method presented a rod-like morphology with smaller irregular particles adhering to them. And the morphology from sol–gel method was equiaxed shape with a very uniform distribution for principal components of Zr and Si. - Graphical abstract: SEM images of the ZrB2-SiC powders obtained by different methods. Display Omitted - Highlights: • ZrB{sub 2}–SiC powders with different morphologies were synthesized. • Precipitation and sol–gel methods were used to prepare ZrO{sub 2}–SiO{sub 2} precursors. • Possible mechanisms of morphology formation were investigated. • This work provided a potential way of morphology control for raw powders. • The synthesized duplex powders achieved a uniform distribution of SiC in ZrB{sub 2}.

Azo dyes are an abundant class of synthetic dyes, however their complex structure makes them difficult to biologically degrade. We sought to degrade acid orange 7 (AO7) using nitrogen-doped nano-CeO 2 , which is a promising alternative photocatalyst to nitrogen-doped TiO 2 . Nitrogen-doped monocrystalline CeO 2 nanoparticles with various nitrogen contents were synthesized solvothermally at 120 C from Ce(NO 3 ) 3 ·6H 2 O, triethanolamine, and ethanol. The CeO 2 monocrystals were between 7 and 8 nm in diameter. Nitrogen was shown to be incorporated into CeO 2 lattice from the results of the lattice parameter calculations, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and elemental analysis. The degradation of AO7 in water was investigated using a domestic 10 W compact fluorescent lamp. The degradation efficiency of AO7 by monocrystalline CeO 2 increased with increasing nitrogen content, reaching 97.6% for the sample with a N:Ce molar ratio of 0.3.

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) activation has been reported to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Because both inflammation and oxidative stress are critical for tissue destruction during kidney ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury, we investigated the protective role of FXR against kidney damage induced by I/R in mice. Mice undergoing renal I/R developed the typical features of acute kidney injury (AKI): increased creatinine, albuminuria, tubular necrosis and apoptosis. Inflammatory cytokine production and oxidative stress were also markedly increased. In mice pretreated with 6-ethyl-chenodeoxycholic acid (6-ECDCA), a selective FXR agonist, I/R induced changes were prevented and renal function and structure were improved. Moreover, FXR activation also effectively prevented the subsequent progression of AKI to chronic kidney disease (CKD) by ameliorating glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis and by suppressing fibrogenic gene expression. FXR mRNA levels were inversely correlated with the progression to CKD in mice and with the degree of interstitial fibrosis in human biopsies. In further experiments administering 6-ECDCA to renal proximal tubular cells cultured under hypoxia, the renoprotective effects of FXR activation were associated with inhibition of oxidative and ER stress and with increased antioxidant activity. In conclusion, FXR agonists may have a therapeutic role in conditions associated with ischemic kidney damage.

AIM Activation of adrenergic receptors (AR) has been reported to enhance the growth and invasion of various malignancies. The effects of AR agonists on malignant hepatocyte proliferation and migration have yet to be determined. METHODS PLC/PRF/5 (PLC) and Huh-7 cells were exposed to a wide range of concentrations of the AR agonists noradrenaline (NA) and isoprenaline. Cell proliferation, migration, intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA) and C (PKC), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2, -3, -7 and -9, and α(1) -, β(1) - and β(2) -AR expression were documented in both cell lines. RESULTS Cell proliferative activity was unaltered following exposure to physiological and stress-related concentrations of AR agonists but migration was accelerated, an effect that was inhibited by the nonselective β-AR antagonist labetalol. cAMP, PKA, PKC or MMP expression remained unchanged. Although α(1) - and β(1) -AR expressions were abundant, β(2) -AR expression was limited in both cell lines. CONCLUSION Unlike other malignancies studied to date, in this study, the proliferative activity of malignant hepatocytes was not increased by exposure to AR agonists, a finding that could be explained by downregulation of β(2) -AR expression. The increase in malignant hepatocyte migration observed remains unexplained but does not appear to involve adenyl cyclase or MMP signaling pathways.