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This study demonstrated that the addition of few-layered g-C3N4 nanosheets enhanced the hydrophilicity and surface negative charge of the membrane, effectively improving chlorine-oxidation and fouling resistance to BSA.

The surgical stress responses, surgeries, and anesthetics used during surgeries have effects on post-surgery complications and metastasis. Volatile and/or intravenous anesthetics are generally used for cancer curative surgeries. Therefore, appropriate selection of anesthetics should be considered for better clinical outcomes. The objectives of the study were to compare postoperative complications, the overall survival, and recurrence-free survival of patients who had received volatile anesthesia against those of patients who had received propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia for digestive tract cancer curative surgeries. Patients had received propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (PA cohort, n = 120) or volatile anesthesia (VA cohort, n = 185) for elective digestive tract cancer curative surgeries. Patients with age50 years (P = .0399), body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2 (P = .0423), cancer stage III (P = .0041), and cancer stage IV (P = .0189) were operated through volatile anesthesia. Females (P = .0346), disable patients (P = .0479), patients with Charlson Comorbidity Index 2 (P = .0449), patients with cancer stage 0 or I (P = .0141), and patients with cancer stage II (P = .0289) were operated through propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia. Postoperative complication(s) between patients of both cohorts were statistically same (P = .9217). After 3-years of the follow-up period, a total of 81 (44%) patients from the VA cohort and 63 (52%) patients from the PA cohort survived irrespective of any kind of disease(s) (P = .9918). Also, a total of 53 (29%) patients from the VA cohort and 42 (35%) patients from the PA cohort survived without progression of cancer (P = .9981) after 3-years. Age50 years (P = 0.0491), Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥ 3 (P = 0.0481), and cancer stageII (P = .0412) were independent parameters for death of patients suffering from digestive tract cancer due to any reason(s) during 3-years of the follow-up period after surgeries. The selection of anesthetic agents for cancer curative surgeries does not affect survival during 3-years of follow-up and postoperative complication(s) of patients suffering from digestive tract cancer (Level of Evidence: III; Technical Efficacy Stage: 4).

Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether long noncoding RNA sprouty receptor tyrosine kinase signaling antagonist 4-intronic transcript 1 (SPRY4-IT1) is involved in the regulation of ketamine-induced neurotoxicity. Methods: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were induced into neurons in vitro and treated with ketamine. Apoptosis and neurite degeneration assays were used to determine ketamine-induced neurotoxicity and qRT-PCR to determine SPRY4-IT1 expression. SPRY4-IT1 was downregulated in hESC-induced neurons to examine its regulation on ketamine-induced neurotoxicity. The correlation between enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and SPRY4-IT1 was also examined. EZH2 was upregulated in SPRY4-IT1-downregualted hESC-induced neurons to further examine its participation in SPRY4-IT1-mediated ketamine neurotoxicity. Results: Ketamine-induced dose-dependent apoptosis, neurite degeneration, and SPRY4-IT1 upregulation in hESC-induced neurons. Lentivirus-mediated SPRY4-IT1 downregulation protected ketamine neurotoxicity. EZH2 expression was positively correlated with SPRY4-IT1 in hESC-induced neurons. EZH2 overexpression markedly reversed the protective effects of SPRY4-IT1 knockdown on ketamine neurotoxicity. Conclusions: SPRY4-IT1 is involved in anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity, possibly through the regulation on EZH2 gene.

This work describes a new nanosensor for the simple, rapid, portable, colorimetric analysis of mercury(II) (Hg2+) ions by combining the sensitive Tyndall effect (TE) of colloidal Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) with specific thymine–Hg2+–thymine (T–Hg2+–T) coordination chemistry for the first time. For the TE-inspired assay (TEA), in the presence of Hg2+ in a sample, the analyte can selectively mediate the hybridization of three types of flexible single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs) to form stable rigid double-stranded DNAs (dsDNAs) via the T–Hg2+–T ligand interaction. Subsequent self-assembly of the dsDNAs with terminal thiol groups on the AuNPs' surfaces led to their “double” aggregation in addition to the lack of sufficient ssDNAs as the stabilizing molecules in a high-salt solution, resulting in a remarkably enhanced TE signal that positively relied on the Hg2+ level. The results demonstrated that such a TEA method enabled rapid naked-eye qualitative analysis of 625 nM Hg2+ within 10 min with an inexpensive laser pointer pen as an inexpensive handheld light source to generate the TE response. Making use of a smartphone for portable TE readout could further quantitatively detect the Hg2+ ions in a linear concentration range from 156 to 2500 nM with a limit of detection as low as 25 nM. Moreover, the developed equipment-free nanosensor was also used to analyze the Hg2+ ions in real samples including tap water, drinking water, and pond water, the obtained recoveries were within the range of 93.68 to 108.71%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of using the AuNPs and functional nucleic acids to design a TE-based biosensor for the analysis of highly toxic heavy metal ions.

A new broad-spectrum responsive organic-inorganic hybrid photocatalyst (PI@BWO) was successfully prepared by in-situ growing Bi2WO6 nanosheets onto the surface of π-π stacking perylene imide. The obtained PI@BWO hybrids with different composition exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for Bisphenol A (BPA) degradation. Among them, 30% PI@BWO exhibited optimal photocatalytic degradation efficiency, which is 2.6 and 3.9 times higher than that of pristine PI and BWO, respectively. Furthermore, PI@BWO also performed good stability and recyclability. Remarkably, the π-conjugation of PI facilitated the separation of charge carriers and improved the utilization of sunlight for PI@BWO. The introduction of BWO nanosheets also enhanced the adsorption capacity for contaminants and provided much more plentiful active sites, promoting the next photocatalytic reaction. Most importantly, PI@BWO could produce abundant reactive species (such as 1O2 and ·OH) via the charge carrier transfer and energy transfer dual transfer approach, therefore leading to stronger oxidation ability. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism and pathway of the PI@BWO hybrids were finally proposed. Overall, this present work might provide a new insight into the designing and preparation of efficient organic-inorganic hybrid photocatalysts for environmental-friendly removal of hazardous organic pollutants.

Mutations in MYH9, the gene encoding the heavy chain of nonmuscle myosin IIa (NMII-A), cause MYH9-related disease (MYH9-RD), which is an autosomal-dominant thrombocytopenia with bleeding tendency. Previously, we showed that NMII-A in endothelial cells (ECs) is critical for hemostasis via regulating von Willebrand factor (VWF) release from Weibel-Palade bodies (WPBs). The aim of this study was to determine the role of the expression of MYH9 mutants in ECs in the pathogenesis of the MYH9-RD bleeding symptom. First, we expressed the 5 most common NMII-A mutants in ECs and found that E1841K mutant-expressing ECs secreted less VWF than the controls in response to a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling agonist. Then, we generated 2 knockin mouse lines, 1 with Myh9 E1841K in ECs and the other in megakaryocytes. Endothelium-specific E1841K mice exhibited impaired cAMP-induced VWF release and a prolonged bleeding time with normal platelets, whereas megakaryocyte-specific E1841K mice exhibited macrothrombocytopenia and a prolonged bleeding time with normal VWF release. Finally, we presented mechanistic findings that E1841K mutation not only interferes with S1943 phosphorylation and impairs the peripheral distribution of Rab27a-positive WPBs in Ecs under quiescent condition but also interferes with S1916 phosphorylation by disrupting the interaction with zyxin and CKIIα and reduces actin framework formation around WPBs and subsequent VWF secretion under the stimulation by a cAMP agonist. Altogether, our results suggest that impaired cAMP-induced endothelial VWF secretion by E1841K mutant expression may contribute to the MYH9-RD bleeding phenotype.

Ear length (EL) is a key trait that contributes greatly to grain yield in maize (Zea mays). While numerous quantitative trait loci for EL have been identified, few causal genes have been studied in detail. Here we report the characterization of ear apical degeneration1 (ead1) exhibiting strikingly shorter ears and the map-based cloning of the casual gene EAD1. EAD1 is preferentially expressed in the xylem of immature ears and encodes an aluminum-activated malate transporter localizing to the plasma membrane. We show that EAD1 is a malate efflux transporter and loss of EAD1 leads to lower malate contents in the apical part of developing inflorescences. Exogenous injections of malate rescued the shortened ears of ead1. These results demonstrate that EAD1 plays essential roles in regulating maize ear development by delivering malate through xylem vessels to the apical part of the immature ear. Overexpression of EAD1 led to greater EL and kernel number per row and the EAD1 genotype showed a positive association with EL in two different genetic segregating populations. Our work elucidates the critical role of EAD1 in malate-mediated female inflorescence development and provides a promising genetic resource for enhancing maize grain yield.

Ti3C2Tx shows potential as an electrode material of supercapacitors due to its unique layered structures for ion diffusion as well as excellent chemical/physical properties. However, the layer stacking and the insufficient conductivity due to the terminated surface groups have limited this application essentially. In the present study, a three-dimensional B3+ ion-intercalated Ti3C2Tx network (B-Ti3C2Tx) was combined with hollow carbon nanospheres (HCNS), which improved the electric transport performance of Ti3C2Tx by reducing the surface functional groups and hindering the restacking of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets effectively. Thus, a new set of 3D hierarchical B-Ti3C2Tx/HCNS composite materials was obtained here with a superior electrochemical performance higher than that of single Ti3C2Tx in the present study, and many other reported Ti3C2Tx-containing materials in literature. In addition, an excellent electrochemical cycling stability with above 91% retention over 3000 cycles was also obtained for this new hybrid material. This work provides a new direction to promote the Ti3C2Tx-based materials for high-performance supercapacitors.

Background and Purpose: Endothelial repair upon vascular injury is critical for the protection of vessel integrity and prevention of the development of vascular disorders, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of zyxin and its associated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling in the regulation of re-endothelialization after vascular injury.Experimental Approach: In zyxin-/- and wild-type mice, wire injury of the carotid artery was carried out, followed by Evans blue staining, to evaluate the re-endothelialization. Mice with endothelium-specific zyxin knockout were used to further determine its role. An in vitro wound-healing assay was performed in primary human endothelial cells (ECs) expressing zyxin-specific short-hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) or scrambled controls by measuring cell migration and proliferation. The effects of the cAMP signaling agonist forskolin were assessed.Key Results: The re-endothelialization of the injured carotid artery was impaired in zyxin-deficient mice, whereas the rate of cell proliferation was comparable with that in wild-type controls. Furthermore, endothelium-specific deletion of zyxin led to similar phenotypes. Knockdown of zyxin by shRNAs in primary human ECs significantly reduced cell migration in the wound-healing assay. Notably, forskolin enhanced endothelial migration in a dose-dependent manner, and this was dependent on zyxin through its interaction with vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein. In addition, forskolin promoted the re-endothelialization of the injured carotid artery, and this was compromised by zyxin deficiency.Conclusion and Implications: This study reveals zyxin as a new player in endothelial repair, which is promoted by forskolin, after vascular injury. Thus, zyxin-mediated signaling might be a potential treatment target for diseases involving vascular injury.

The poly-L-cysteine modified Au nanoparticles (Au@p-L-Cys) were constructed on electrode surface as a highly efficient chiral interface for tryptophan (Trp) enantiomers recognition via one step electropolymerization. With the aid of Cu

This work initially reports a new nanosening method for simple, sensitive, specific, visual detection of mercury (II) (Hg2+) and glutathione (GSH) using the Tyndall Effect (TE) of the same colloidal gold nanoparticle (GNP) probes for efficient colorimetric signaling amplification. For the TE-inspired assay (TEA) method, arginine (Arg) molecules are pre-modified on the GNPs' surfaces (Arg-GNPs). Upon the Hg2+ introduction, it can be specifically coordinated with the terminal –NH2 and –COOH groups of the Arg molecules to make the Arg-GNPs aggregate, producing a significantly-enhanced TE signal in the reaction solution after its irradiation by a 635-nm red laser pointer pen. On the other hand, the introduction of the GSH results in the production of the original Arg-GNPs’ weak TE response, as it is able to bind such metal ion via mercury-thiol reactions to inhibit the above aggregation. Under the optimal conditions, the utility of the new TEA method is well demonstrated to quantitatively detect the Hg2+ and GSH with the aid of a smartphone as a portable TE reader during the linear concentration ranges of 50–3000 and 10–3000 nM, respectively. The detection limits for the Hg2+ and GSH are estimated to be as low as ∼3.5 and ∼0.3 nM, respectively. The recovery results obtained from the detection of Hg2+ in the complex tap and pond water samples and the assay of GSH in real human serum and urine samples are also satisfactory.

This paper proposed to tailor the layer microstructures of two-dimensional Ti3C2Txvia a facile Li+ pre-pillaring and successive pillaring strategy by various cations. By ion exchange with pre-intercalated Li+, as well as "coulombic attraction" to electronegative Ti3C2Tx, various inexpensive and column-like K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+ and NH4+ cations were migrated into the Ti3C2Tx interlayers. By expanding the interlayer about 17.02%, as well as enhancing the electron density of Ti atoms and C atoms, the Al3+ intercalated MXene Ti3C2Tx sheets delivered the highest specific capacity of 175 F g-1 at 0.3 A g-1. Coupling the Ti3C2Tx-Al3+ working electrode with a platinum counter electrode and a Hg/HgO reference electrode, the single electrode (calculated from a three-electrode system) exhibited a high energy density of 87.5 W h kg-1 and a high power density (2100 W kg-1) with an ultra-long and stable cycling performance. The binding energies of the intercalated ions with hydroxyl groups, the Bader charge distribution and degree of electron localization were evaluated by density functional theory calculations to further validate the ultra-high energy storage capacity of Al3+ pillared-Ti3C2Tx in the present study.

The fatigue problem of air traffic controllers is one of the important reasons that endanger the safety of civil aviation. In this paper, we introduce action recognition into the field of fatigue monitoring of civil air traffic controllers. Firstly, a dataset of controller’s action video is established, which contains four kinds of actions that controllers may do when they are fatigued. Then we investigate the method of automatic recognition of controller’s fatigue by using convolutional neural network and perclos(percentage of eyelid closure over the pupil over time.). The experimental results show that the method can meet the requirement of real-time monitoring air traffic controllers’ fatigue, it can also be used to guide future research as well as develop fatigue risk management systems for air traffic controllers.

A new broad-spectrum responsive organic-inorganic hybrid photocatalyst (PI@BWO) was successfully prepared by in-situ growing Bi

Objective Over the years, roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in development of human diseases has been broadly investigated, while the role of dexmedetomidine (DEX) regulating miR-381-5p in myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury (MIRI) remains largely unknown. Thus, we aimed to identify the effect of DEX on MIRI via mediating miR-381-5p. Methods The MIRI mice models were established by the ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery and treated with miR-381-5p agomir, silenced chitinase-3-like 1 protein (CHI3L1) and DEX. The cardiac function, serum inflammatory factors, pathological changes and cardiomyocyte apoptosis of the mice’ myocardial tissues were measured. The targeting relationship between miR-381-5p and CHI3L1 was predicted. Results MiR-381-5p expression was decreased while CHI3L1 expression was increased in myocardial tissues of MIRI mice. DEX preconditioning could improve cardiac function and attenuate the pathological changes, cardiomyocyte apoptosis in myocardial tissues and inflammatory response in serum of MIRI mice. MiR-381-5p agomir improved the protective impact of DEX on myocardial injury in MIRI mice. Moreover, there existed a target relation between miR-381-5p and CHI3L1. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that upregulated miR-381-5p strengthens the effect of DEX preconditioning to protect against MIRI in mouse models by inhibiting CHI3L1.

A highly stable and effective electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensing system of cadmium sulfide nanowires/reduced graphene oxide (CdS NWS/rGO) hybrid is presented for supersensitive detection of pentachlorophenol (PCP). CdS nanowire is for the first time exploited in ECL sensing. The rGO served as both ECL signal amplifier and immobilization platform, can perfectly enhance the ECL intensity and stability of the sensing system. With S 2 O 8 2− as coreactant, the ECL signal can be significantly quenched by the addition of PCP. The established ECL sensing system presents a wider linear range from 1.0 × 10 −14 to 1.0 × 10 −8 M and a much low detection limit of 2 × 10 −15 M under the optimum test conditions (e.g., pH 7.0 and 100 mM S 2 O 8 2− ). Furthermore, the ECL sensing system displays a good selectivity for PCP detection. The practicability of the ECL sensing system in real water sample shows that this system could be promisingly applied in the analytical detection of PCP in real water environments.

Different concentrations of jasmonic acid (JA) and benzothiadiazole (BTH) were sprayed on 2-year-old Rosa rugosa‘Plena’ seedlings. The induced resistance of JA and BTH to Sphaerotheca pannosa (Wallr.) and the changes of their related physiological indices were investigated. Results showed that JA and BTH treatments had inhibitory impacts on S. pannosa infection. The optimal concentration of JA and BTH was 0.5 mmol/L for the disease-resistance induction of the leaves, its inductive effect was up to 66.36% for BTH and 54.49% for JA. Our results confirmed that exogenous JA and BTH significantly improved R. rugose ‘Plena’ resistance to S. pannosa. When treated with JA and BTH, activities of the three defense enzymes (POD, PPO, and PAL) increased significantly. Contents of total phenolics, flavonoids, and lignin also increased significantly. It is inferred from these results that exogenous JA and BTH could improve the resistance of R. rugose ‘Plena’ to S. pannosa through enhancing activities of the defensive enzymes and accumulation of secondary metabolites in the leaves.

This paper proposed to tailor the layer microstructures of two-dimensional Ti3C2Txvia a facile Li+ pre-pillaring and successive pillaring strategy by various cations. By ion exchange with pre-intercalated Li+, as well as "coulombic attraction" to electronegative Ti3C2Tx, various inexpensive and column-like K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+ and NH4+ cations were migrated into the Ti3C2Tx interlayers. By expanding the interlayer about 17.02%, as well as enhancing the electron density of Ti atoms and C atoms, the Al3+ intercalated MXene Ti3C2Tx sheets delivered the highest specific capacity of 175 F g-1 at 0.3 A g-1. Coupling the Ti3C2Tx-Al3+ working electrode with a platinum counter electrode and a Hg/HgO reference electrode, the single electrode (calculated from a three-electrode system) exhibited a high energy density of 87.5 W h kg-1 and a high power density (2100 W kg-1) with an ultra-long and stable cycling performance. The binding energies of the intercalated ions with hydroxyl groups, the Bader charge distribution and degree of electron localization were evaluated by density functional theory calculations to further validate the ultra-high energy storage capacity of Al3+ pillared-Ti3C2Tx in the present study.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced, causing bones to become weak and so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses can cause a fracture. Current drug treatment consists mainly of antiresorptive agents that are unable to stimulate new bone formation. Our recent studies have defined a critical role of gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) in attenuating autoimmune arthritis through inhibition of osteoclast formation and activities, but it remains to be ruled out whether the administration of GMSCs to patients with osteoporosis could also regulate osteoblasts and eventually affect bone formation and protection. With the use of an ovariectomized mouse model, we here demonstrated that adoptive transfer of GMSCs regulated the balance of osteoclasts and osteoblasts, eventually contributing to dynamic bone formation. Validation by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), single-cell sequencing, revealed a unique population of CD39+ GMSC that plays an important role in promoting bone formation. We further demonstrated that CD39 produced from GMSC exerted its osteogenic capacity through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Our results not only establish a previously unidentified role and mechanism of GMSC for bone promotion but also a potential therapeutic target for management of patients with osteoporosis and other bone loss conditions., Graphical Abstract, Existing osteoporosis treatments mainly consist of antiresorptive agents, which fail to stimulate new bone formation. Zheng and colleagues demonstrated that adoptive transfer of gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells regulates the balance of osteoclasts and osteoblasts in osteoporosis, and the immunomodulatory molecule CD39 plays an important role in promoting bone formation.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. In current dogma, pathogenesis of IBD is attributed to the dysregulated mucosal immune response to gut flora in genetically susceptible individuals, but the genetics evidence from GWAS studies so far is insufficient to explain the observed heritability in IBD. For this discordance, epigenetics has emerged to be one of the important causes. Recent studies have reported that histone acetylation is correlated with the development of IBD, whereas its role and underlying molecular mechanism in the disease still remain elusive. Here, we established a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced chronic colitis model and performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and Chromatin Immunoprecipitation followed by NGS sequencing (ChIP-seq) for H3K27ac in the mice colon tissues to investigate whether H3K27ac is involved in the development of intestinal inflammation. We found that the global H3K27ac level and distribution in colon tissue had no significant difference after DSS treatment, while H3K27ac signals were significantly enriched in the typical-enhancers of the DSS group compared with the control. By combining with RNA-seq data (fold change >2), we identified 56 candidate genes as potential target genes for H3K27ac change upon DSS treatment. We further predicted transcription factors (TFs) involved in DSS-induced colitis according to the enhancers with increased H3K27ac. H3K27ac increase in special typical-enhancers in the DSS group is possibly related to the development of intestinal inflammation by up-regulating adjacent gene expression and shifting TF networks, which will provide new insight into the pathogenesis and therapy of IBD.

Hybrid electrode materials with superior electrochemical performance are highly desired to fulfil the ever-increasing energy-density demands of supercapacitors. Herein, a facile and efficient ion-attraction strategy is demonstrated for the construction of a uniform heterostructure of Bi2S3/Ti3C2Tx (BSTC) nanocomposites, in which fallen leaf-like Bi2S3 nanopieces are firstly planted on the surface of Ti3C2Tx due to the local-repulsion of Ti atoms and the macroscopic attraction of functional groups (OH/O/F) to Bi3+. The DFT calculation was conducted to explain the morphology transformation mechanism from nanoparticles to nanopieces and the enhancement of the electrical conductivity of Bi2S3 is due to the incorporation of Ti3C2Tx. When used as a supercapacitor electrode, the BSTC-29 (Ti3C2Tx content: 29 wt.%) nanocomposite exhibits a superior electrochemical performance with an enhanced capacity of 615 C g-1 at a high discharge current density of 3 A g-1, and a high capacitance retention up to 91% is also obtained due to the enhanced structural stability. Furthermore, the assembled symmetrical supercapacitor exhibits both a high energy density of 27.6 Wh kg-1 and a power density of 24.3 kW kg-1, respectively, surpassing those of Bi2S3 and Ti3C2Tx in this study and many other related composites in literature. This study presents a new promising strategy for the synthesis of high-performance supercapacitor electrode materials.

Although Ti3C2Tx MXene is emerging as a new two-dimensional energy storage material with excellent physical and chemical properties, its surface termination and easy restacking have severely limited such a promising application. Herein, we reported a new modification strategy for Ti3C2Tx by grafting with sulfonic acid group and decoration with N-doped carbon (abbreviated as S–Ti3C2Tx@N–C), after which the interlayer spacing of the wrinkled Ti3C2Tx was effectively expanded with additive active sites, and the electrochemical performance was enhanced apparently. Based on a standard three-electrode system, the specific capacitance of S–Ti3C2Tx@N–C-700 °C (annealed at 700 °C) electrode was elevated to a high value as 260 F g−1 at a current density of 0.8 A g−1, about 3 times that of Ti3C2Tx, also higher than that of many other Ti3C2Tx-based materials in literature. Moreover, the S–Ti3C2Tx@N–C-700 °C electrode maintains 90% of the initial capacitance after 5000 cycles. This work provides a simple and efficient approach of the electrode modification suitable for further energy applications.

Lithium disilicate glass-ceramics were prepared with SiO2–Al2O3–Li2O–CeO2–P2O5-R2O as the base system through the traditional melting method and modified with K2O, Rb2O, Cs2O, and Tb4O7. The microstructure of the lithium disilicate glass-ceramics was characterized through differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The whiteness and fracture strength of the lithium disilicate glass-ceramics were investigated to validate their potential applications as dental materials. Results indicated that the mixed alkali effect exerted by the introduction of K2O, Rb2O, and Cs2O greatly improved the fracture strength of the modified lithium disilicate glass-ceramics. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and whiteness analysis proved that free oxygen increased through the introduction of larger alkali metal ions and terbium element in the glass-ceramics. The increase in free oxygen content through the introduction of Rb2O or Cs2O into the lithium disilicate glass-ceramics could effectively promote the formation of lithium disilicate crystals and the crystallization of lithium disilicate glass-ceramics. Research results indicated that lithium disilicate glass-ceramics with high fracture strength under pressureless sintering had been successfully fabricated.

A magnetically separable trifunctional nanocatalyst Fe3O4@SiO2–NH2 was synthesized and characterized by TEM, FT-IR, XRD, TGA, and EA. The designed nanocatalyst was found to be highly active for selective synthesis of nitroalkenes with nitromethane and aromatic aldehyde through cooperative trifunctional catalysis of primary amine, secondary amine and Si–OH groups on the surface of the catalyst. Under the optimized conditions, various representative substrates were extended to obtain the corresponding products in moderate or excellent yields. After the reaction, the trifunctional nanocatalyst was easily recovered and recycled by applying an external magnet. In addition, a possible cooperative trifunctional catalysis mechanism was also proposed.

Tomato bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum poses a serious threat to tomato production. However, no effective control measures are available. In this study, the bactericide Saisentong was combined with an effective biological control agent, Bacillus subtilis B-001, to control tomato bacterial wilt under greenhouse and field conditions.Growth of B-001 in vitro was unaffected by Saisentong. In greenhouse experiments, the combined application of B-001 and Saisentong via root irrigation or spray resulted in better disease control compared with either agent alone. In two field trials, at a Saisentong concentration of 400 or 500 mg kgThe combination of Saisentong and B-001 effectively controls tomato bacterial wilt. The integrated strategy represents a promising new tool to control this disease. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

A magnetically separable trifunctional nanocatalyst Fe3O4@SiO2–NH2 was synthesized and characterized by TEM, FT-IR, XRD, TGA, and EA. The designed nanocatalyst was found to be highly active for selective synthesis of nitroalkenes with nitromethane and aromatic aldehyde through cooperative trifunctional catalysis of primary amine, secondary amine and Si–OH groups on the surface of the catalyst. Under the optimized conditions, various representative substrates were extended to obtain the corresponding products in moderate or excellent yields. After the reaction, the trifunctional nanocatalyst was easily recovered and recycled by applying an external magnet. In addition, a possible cooperative trifunctional catalysis mechanism was also proposed.