Chunmei Li

Silk fibroin fiber scaffolds containing bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) and/or nanoparticles of hydroxyapatite (nHAP) prepared via electrospinning were used for in vitro bone formation from human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). BMP-2 survived the aqueous-based electrospinnig process in bioactive form. hMSCs were cultured for up to 31 days under static conditions in osteogenic media on the scaffolds (silk/PEO/BMP-2, silk/PEO/nHAP, silk/PEO/nHAP/BMP-2) and controls (silk/PEO, silk/PEO extracted). Electrospun silk fibroin-based scaffolds supported hMSC growth and differentiation toward osteogenic outcomes. The scaffolds with the co-processed BMP-2 supported higher calcium deposition and enhanced transcript levels of bone-specific markers than in the controls, indicating that these nanofibrous electrospun silk scaffolds were an efficient delivery system for BMP-2. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the apatite formed on the silk fibroin/BMP-2 scaffolds had higher crystallinity than on the silk fibroin scaffold controls. In addition, nHAP particles were incorporated into the electrospun fibrous scaffolds during processing and improved bone formation. The coexistence of BMP-2 and nHAP in the electrospun silk fibroin fibers resulted in the highest calcium deposition and upregulation of BMP-2 transcript levels when compared with the other systems. The results suggest that electrospun silk-fibroin-based scaffolds are potential candidates for bone tissue engineering. Furthermore, the mild aqueous process required to spin the fibers offers an important option for delivery of labile cytokines and other components into the system.

When lithium-oxygen batteries discharge, O2 is reduced at the cathode to form solid Li2O2. Understanding the fundamental mechanism of O2 reduction in aprotic solvents is therefore essential to realizing their technological potential. Two different models have been proposed for Li2O2 formation, involving either solution or electrode surface routes. Here, we describe a single unified mechanism, which, unlike previous models, can explain O2 reduction across the whole range of solvents and for which the two previous models are limiting cases. We observe that the solvent influences O2 reduction through its effect on the solubility of LiO2, or, more precisely, the free energy of the reaction LiO2(*) ⇌ Li(sol)(+) + O2(-)(sol) + ion pairs + higher aggregates (clusters). The unified mechanism shows that low-donor-number solvents are likely to lead to premature cell death, and that the future direction of research for lithium-oxygen batteries should focus on the search for new, stable, high-donor-number electrolytes, because they can support higher capacities and can better sustain discharge.

Single lithium-ion conducting solid polymer electrolytes (SLIC-SPEs), with a high lithium-ion transference number, the absence of the detrimental effect of anion polarization, and low dendrite growth rate, could be an excellent choice of safe electrolyte materials for lithium batteries in the future.

Control of silk fibroin concentration in aqueous solutions via osmotic stress was studied to assess relationships to gel formation and structural, morphological, and functional (mechanical) changes associated with this process. Environmental factors potentially important in the in vivo processing of aqueous silk fibroin were also studied to determine their contributions to this process. Gelation of silk fibroin aqueous solutions was affected by temperature, Ca2+, pH, and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). Gelation time decreased with increase in protein concentration, decrease in pH, increase in temperature, addition of Ca2+, and addition of PEO. No change of gelation time was observed with the addition of K+. Upon gelation, a random coil structure of the silk fibroin was transformed into a β-sheet structure. Hydrogels with fibroin concentrations >4 wt % exhibited network and spongelike structures on the basis of scanning electron microscopy. Pore sizes of the freeze-dried hydrogels were smaller as the silk fibroin concentration or gelation temperature was increased. Freeze-dried hydrogels formed in the presence of Ca2+ exhibited larger pores as the concentration of this ion was increased. Mechanical compressive strength and modulus of the hydrogels increased with increase in protein concentration and gelation temperature. The results of these studies provide insight into the sol−gel transitions that silk fibroin undergoes in glands during aqueous processing while also providing important insight in the in vitro processing of these proteins into useful new materials.

Lithium metal (Li0 ) rechargeable batteries (LMBs), such as systems with a Li0 anode and intercalation and/or conversion type cathode, lithium-sulfur (Li-S), and lithium-oxygen (O2 )/air (Li-O2 /air) batteries, are becoming increasingly important for electrifying the modern transportation system, with the aim of sustainable mobility. Although some rechargeable LMBs (e.g. Li0 /LiFePO4 batteries from Bolloré Bluecar, Li-S batteries from OXIS Energy and Sion Power) are already commercially viable in niche applications, their large-scale deployment is hampered by a number of formidable challenges, including growth of lithium dendrites, electrolyte instability towards high voltage intercalation-type cathodes, the poor electronic and ionic conductivities of sulfur (S8 ) and O2 , as well as their corresponding reduction products (e.g. Li2 S and Li2 O), dissolution, and shuttling of polysulfide (PS) intermediates. This leads to a short lifecycle, low coulombic/energy efficiency, poor safety, and a high self-discharge rate. The use of electrolyte additives is considered one of the most economical and effective approaches for circumventing these problems. This Review gives an overview of the various functional additives that are being applied and aims to stimulate new avenues for the practical realization of these appealing devices.

Continuing improvement in the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of drugs is driving the revolution in novel drug delivery systems. In fact, a wide spectrum of therapeutic nanocarriers has been extensively investigated to address this emerging need. Accordingly, this article will review recent developments in the use of nanoparticles as drug delivery systems to treat a wide variety of diseases. Finally, we will introduce challenges and future nanotechnology strategies to overcome limitations in this field.

Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS), nephronophthisis (NPHP), and related ciliopathies present with overlapping phenotypes and display considerable allelism between at least twelve different genes of largely unexplained function. We demonstrate that the conserved C. elegans B9 domain (MKS-1, MKSR-1, and MKSR-2), MKS-3/TMEM67, MKS-5/RPGRIP1L, MKS-6/CC2D2A, NPHP-1, and NPHP-4 proteins exhibit essential, collective functions at the transition zone (TZ), an underappreciated region at the base of all cilia characterized by Y-shaped assemblages that link axoneme microtubules to surrounding membrane. These TZ proteins functionally interact as members of two distinct modules, which together contribute to an early ciliogenic event. Specifically, MKS/MKSR/NPHP proteins establish basal body/TZ membrane attachments before or coinciding with intraflagellar transport–dependent axoneme extension and subsequently restrict accumulation of nonciliary components within the ciliary compartment. Together, our findings uncover a unified role for eight TZ-localized proteins in basal body anchoring and establishing a ciliary gate during ciliogenesis, and suggest that disrupting ciliary gate function contributes to phenotypic features of the MKS/NPHP disease spectrum.

Abstract Porous biodegradable silk scaffolds and human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were used to engineer bone‐like tissue in vitro . Two different scaffolds with the same microstructure were studied: collagen (to assess the effects of fast degradation) and silk with covalently bound RGD sequences (to assess the effects of enhanced cell attachment and slow degradation). The hMSCs were isolated, expanded in culture, characterized with respect to the expression of surface markers and ability for chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation, seeded on scaffolds, and cultured for up to 4 weeks. Histological analysis and microcomputer tomography showed the development of up to 1.2‐mm‐long interconnected and organized bonelike trabeculae with cuboid cells on the silk‐RGD scaffolds, features still present but to a lesser extent on silk scaffolds and absent on the collagen scaffolds. The X‐ray diffraction pattern of the deposited bone corresponded to hydroxyapatite present in the native bone. Biochemical analysis showed increased mineralization on silk‐RGD scaffolds compared with either silk or collagen scaffolds after 4 weeks. Expression of bone sialoprotein, osteopontin, and bone morphogenetic protein 2 was significantly higher for hMSCs cultured in osteogenic than control medium both after 2 and 4 weeks in culture. The results suggest that RGD‐silk scaffolds are particularly suitable for autologous bone tissue engineering, presumably because of their stable macroporous structure, tailorable mechanical properties matching those of native bone, and slow degradation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 71A: 25–34, 2004

Antibiotic drugs have become the important organic pollutants in the water resources, the high-efficient removal of which is one of the foremost works for protecting water environment. The new Z-scheme mes-Sn3O4/g-C3N4 heterostructure was obtained in present work, compared with single g-C3N4, which exhibits more superior photocatalytic performance for degrading and mineralizing tetracycline hydrochloride in water. The investigations of microstructure, physical properities and photoelectrochemical behaviors indicate that the modification effect mesoporous Sn3O4 on the surface of g-C3N4 nanosheets fabricates close heterostructure, which enlarges distinctly the specific surface area and improves dramatically the separation efficiency of charge carriers. Furthermore, the possible photocatalytic reaction mechanisms including transfer behaviors of charge carriers, generation of reactive species, degradation intermediate products of TC-HCl are also revealed in depth.

Silks are natural fibrous protein polymers that are spun by silkworms and spiders. Among silk variants, there has been increasing interest devoted to the silkworm silk of B. mori, due to its availability in large quantities along with its unique material properties. Silk fibroin can be extracted from the cocoons of the B. mori silkworm and combined synergistically with other biomaterials to form biopolymer composites. With the development of recombinant DNA technology, silks can also be rationally designed and synthesized via genetic control. Silk proteins can be processed in aqueous environments into various material formats including films, sponges, electrospun mats and hydrogels. The versatility and sustainability of silk-based materials provides an impressive toolbox for tailoring materials to meet specific applications via eco-friendly approaches. Historically, silkworm silk has been used by the textile industry for thousands of years due to its excellent physical properties, such as lightweight, high mechanical strength, flexibility, and luster. Recently, due to these properties, along with its biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-immunogenicity, silkworm silk has become a candidate for biomedical utility. Further, the FDA has approved silk medical devices for sutures and as a support structure during reconstructive surgery. With increasing needs for implantable and degradable devices, silkworm silk has attracted interest for electronics, photonics for implantable yet degradable medical devices, along with a broader range of utility in different device applications. This Tutorial review summarizes and highlights recent advances in the use of silk-based materials in bio-nanotechnology, with a focus on the fabrication and functionalization methods for in vitro and in vivo applications in the field of tissue engineering, degradable devices and controlled release systems.

Developing high‐efficiency and low‐cost photocatalysts by avoiding expensive noble metals, yet remarkably improving H 2 evolution performance, is a great challenge. Noble‐metal‐free catalysts containing Co(Fe)NC moieties have been widely reported in recent years for electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction and have also gained noticeable interest for organic transformation. However, to date, no prior studies are available in the literature about the activity of N‐coordinated metal centers for photocatalytic H 2 evolution. Herein, a new photocatalyst containing g‐C 3 N 4 decorated with CoP nanodots constructed from low‐cost precursors is reported. It is for the first time revealed that the unique P(δ − )Co(δ + )N(δ − ) surface bonding states lead to much superior H 2 evolution activity (96.2 µmol h −1 ) compared to noble metal (Pt)‐decorated g‐C 3 N 4 photocatalyst (32.3 µmol h −1 ). The quantum efficiency of 12.4% at 420 nm is also much higher than the record values (≈2%) of other transition metal cocatalysts‐loaded g‐C 3 N 4 . It is believed that this work marks an important step toward developing high‐performance and low‐cost photocatalytic materials for H 2 evolution.

Vacancy engineering, that is, self-doping of vacancy in semiconductors, has become a commonly used strategy to tune the photocatalytic performances. However, there still lacks fundamental understanding of the role of the vacancies in semiconductor materials. Herein, the g-C3N4 nanosheets with tunable nitrogen vacancies are prepared as the photocatalysts for H2 evolution and CO2 reduction to CO. On the basis of both experimental investigation and DFT calculations, nitrogen vacancies in g-C3N4 induce the formation of midgap states under the conduction band edge. The position of midgap states becomes deeper with the increasing of nitrogen vacancies. The g-C3N4 nanosheets with the optimized density of nitrogen vacancies display about 18 times and 4 times enhancement for H2 evolution and of CO2 reduction to CO, respectively, as compared to the bulk g-C3N4. This is attributed to the synergistic effects of several factors including (1) nitrogen vacancies cause the excitation of electrons to midgap states below the conduction band edge, which results in extension of the visible light absorption to photons of longer wavelengths (up to 598 nm); (2) the suitable midgap states could trap photogenerated electrons to minimize the recombination loss of photogenerated electron–hole pairs; and (3) nitrogen vacancies lead to uniformly anchored small Pt nanoparticles (1–2 nm) on g-C3N4, and facilitate the electron transfer to Pt. However, the overintroduction of nitrogen vacancies generates deeper midgap states as the recombination centers, which results in deterioration of photocatalytic activities. Our work is expected to provide new insights for fabrication of nanomaterials with suitable vacancies for solar fuel generation.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a genetically heterogeneous developmental disorder whose molecular basis is largely unknown. Here, we show that mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans bbs-7 and bbs-8 genes cause structural and functional defects in cilia. C. elegans BBS proteins localize predominantly at the base of cilia, and like proteins involved in intraflagellar transport (IFT), a process necessary for cilia biogenesis and maintenance, move bidirectionally along the ciliary axoneme. Importantly, we demonstrate that BBS-7 and BBS-8 are required for the normal localization/motility of the IFT proteins OSM-5/Polaris and CHE-11, and to a notably lesser extent, CHE-2. We propose that BBS proteins play important, selective roles in the assembly and/or function of IFT particle components. Our findings also suggest that some of the cardinal and secondary symptoms of BBS, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiomyopathy, and learning defects may result from cilia dysfunction.

Silk fibroin biomaterials are being explored as novel protein-based systems for cell and tissue culture. In the present study, biomimetic growth of calcium phosphate on porous silk fibroin polymeric scaffolds was explored to generate organic/inorganic composites as scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Aqueous-derived silk fibroin scaffolds were prepared with the addition of polyaspartic acid during processing, followed by the controlled deposition of calcium phosphate by exposure to CaCl(2) and Na(2)HPO(4). These mineralized protein-composite scaffolds were subsequently seeded with human bone marrow stem cells (hMSC) and cultured in vitro for 6 weeks under osteogenic conditions with or without BMP-2. The extent of osteoconductivity was assessed by cell numbers, alkaline phosphatase and calcium deposition, along with immunohistochemistry for bone-related outcomes. The results suggest increased osteoconductive outcomes with an increase in initial content of apatite and BMP-2 in the silk fibroin porous scaffolds. The premineralization of these highly porous silk fibroin protein scaffolds provided enhanced outcomes for the bone tissue engineering.

Thiol-epoxy elastomers were firstly prepared by thiol-epoxide nucleophilic ring-opening reaction, and the micron boron nitride (mBN) fillers were then introduced into the above system via in-situ polymerization, finally to prepare the highly thermally conductive, self-healing and recoverable mBN/thiol-epoxy elastomer composites by hot-pressing method. Results revealed that the thiol-epoxide reaction was highly efficient and stable. The obtained mBN/thiol-epoxy elastomer composite with 60 wt% mBN fillers presented the optimal thermal conductivity (λ of 1.058 W/mK), excellent self-healing effect & efficiency which is achieved via transesterification reaction (Tensile strength after self-healing could maintain at more than 85% compared to that of original composites), wonderful recoverable performance (Tensile strength after post forming could maintain over 70% compared to that of original composites) and good thermal stability (Theat-resistance index, THRI of 149.9 °C). And the improvement in λ value of the mBN/thiol-epoxy elastomer composites was beneficial to the promotion of the self-healing systems relying on thermal response.

Recent progress in the development of metal-free photocatalysts for energy and environmental applications is critically reviewed.

With a remarkably higher theoretical energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and abundance of elemental sulfur, lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries have emerged as one of the most promising alternatives among all the post LIB technologies. In particular, the coupling of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) with the cell chemistry of Li-S batteries enables a safe and high-capacity electrochemical energy storage system, due to the better processability and less flammability of SPEs compared to liquid electrolytes. However, the practical deployment of all solid-state Li-S batteries (ASSLSBs) containing SPEs is largely hindered by the low accessibility of active materials and side reactions of soluble polysulfide species, resulting in a poor specific capacity and cyclability. In the present work, an ultrahigh performance of ASSLSBs is obtained via an anomalous synergistic effect between (fluorosulfonyl)(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anions inherited from the design of lithium salts in SPEs and the polysulfide species formed during the cycling. The corresponding Li-S cells deliver high specific/areal capacity (1394 mAh gsulfur-1, 1.2 mAh cm-2), good Coulombic efficiency, and superior rate capability (∼800 mAh gsulfur-1 after 60 cycles). These results imply the importance of the molecular structure of lithium salts in ASSLSBs and pave a way for future development of safe and cost-effective Li-S batteries.

Ionic group doping into the semiconductor photocatalyst is a new concept to improve photocatalytic performance, which always is a difficult challenge. In this paper, PO4-doped Bi2WO6 photocatalyst is prepared by the urea-precipitation way in the hydrothermal process for the first time. The as-prepared sample presents the universal enhanced photocatalytic activity for removing various contaminants in water compared with the pristine Bi2WO6 under visible-light irradiation, such as heavy metal Cr (VI), colored dye RhB, colorless phenol and different kind antibiotics. It attributes to the doping effect of PO4 group in Bi2WO6 influencing on energy band structure, light absorption property and separation efficiency of the charge carriers. This work provides a new insight into anionic group doping effects and takes an important step toward the development of improving Bi-based photocatalyst activity.

The photocatalytic activity of bimetallic co-doped g-C3N4 can be boosted dramatically, whereas the enhanced mechanisms essentially have been rarely revealed. Here, the prepared Co/V co-doped g-C3N4 significantly enhances the photocatalytic activity. The degradation rate constant and TOC removal efficiency of TC−HCl in 120 min over the Co/V-g-C3N4-2 sample run up to 4.00 and 2.45 times as much as that of g-C3N4, respectively. The outstanding photocatalytic performance is attributed to the improved charge separation efficiency and visible-light harvest ability. The density functional theory (DFT) investigations reveal the incorporation of Co/V into g-C3N4 can induce the bimetallic synergetic regulating effect on electronic structure, which results in improving the physical, optical and photoelectrochemical properties. Moreover, the significant degradation intermediates, pathway and mechanism of TC−HCl, and charge transfer behaviors are also discussed in depth. This work provides a meritorious instance to design and synthesize new bimetallic co-doped g-C3N4 materials in the photocatalytic application field.

COVID-19 has become a global pandemic and there is an urgent call for developing drugs against the virus (SARS-CoV-2). The 3C-like protease (3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is a preferred target for broad spectrum anti-coronavirus drug discovery. We studied the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of S. baicalensis and its ingredients. We found that the ethanol extract of S. baicalensis and its major component, baicalein, inhibit SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro activity in vitro with IC50's of 8.52 µg/ml and 0.39 µM, respectively. Both of them inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero cells with EC50's of 0.74 µg/ml and 2.9 µM, respectively. While baicalein is mainly active at the viral post-entry stage, the ethanol extract also inhibits viral entry. We further identified four baicalein analogues from other herbs that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro activity at µM concentration. All the active compounds and the S. baicalensis extract also inhibit the SARS-CoV 3CLpro, demonstrating their potential as broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus drugs.

Abstract Of the various beyond‐lithium‐ion battery technologies, lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have an appealing theoretical energy density and are being intensely investigated as next‐generation rechargeable lithium‐metal batteries. However, the stability of the lithium‐metal (Li°) anode is among the most urgent challenges that need to be addressed to ensure the long‐term stability of Li–S batteries. Herein, we report lithium azide (LiN 3 ) as a novel electrolyte additive for all‐solid‐state Li–S batteries (ASSLSBs). It results in the formation of a thin, compact and highly conductive passivation layer on the Li° anode, thereby avoiding dendrite formation, and polysulfide shuttling. It greatly enhances the cycling performance, Coulombic and energy efficiencies of ASSLSBs, outperforming the state‐of‐the‐art additive lithium nitrate (LiNO 3 ).

A novel Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/g-C3N4 2D/2D heterojunctions were successfully prepared by solid phase calcination method. The Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/g-C3N4 2D/2D heterojunctions exhibit outstanding photocatalytic activity for removing the various water contaminant under visible light, such as antibiotic, dye and heavy metal. The enhancement of phototcatalytic performance is ascribed to the interfacial interaction between 2D Bi3O4Cl nanoflakes and 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets, which can enlarge specific surface area and improve separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. To explain the interfacial interaction between Bi3O4Cl and g-C3N4 in Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/g-C3N4 2D/2D heterojunctions, the transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms measurements were investigated. In addition, the photocatalytic mechanism over Z-scheme Bi3O4Cl/g-C3N4 2D/2D heterojunction is systematically investigated by the calculation, trapping experimental and ESR technology. The present work may provide a promising approach to fabrication of other Z-scheme 2D/2D heterojunction with efficient photocatalytic activity.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is an emerging polymeric visible-light photocatalyst with a high stability, but it continues to exhibit low photocatalytic efficiency. Herein, novel intramolecular g-C3N4-based donor-acceptor (D-A) conjugated copolymers with a porous structure and large specific surface area, have been facilely prepared by copolymerizing urea with melamine-formaldehyde (MF) resin, which is strategically used for promoting the photocatalytic performance of pure g-C3N4. The experimental results indicate that the as-prepared porous intramolecular g-C3N4-MFx D-A conjugated copolymers not only enlarge the light utilization but also accelerate the separation of charge carriers because of the enhanced electron-accepting ability due to the introduction of MF resin. In addition, compared to the pure g-C3N4, the specific surface area of g-C3N4-MF100 is clearly increased, and the conduction band is significantly shifted up. As expected, the porous g-C3N4-MF100 D-A conjugated copolymer achieves the best photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) activity (3612.65 μmol h−1 g−1), which is over 8.87 times higher than that of pure g-C3N4, and outperforms the majority of the previously reported g-C3N4-based D-A conjugated polymers and porous g-C3N4. In addition, the apparent quantum yield (AQY) of the porous intramolecular g-C3N4-MF100 D-A conjugated copolymer reaches 8.6% at 420 nm. This work provides a new design idea of effectively combining the porous and intramolecular D-A conjugated structures of g-C3N4 to achieve a remarkably enhanced PHE activity and light utilization.

Abstract A variety of artificial spinning methods have been applied to produce regenerated silk fibers; however, how to spin regenerated silk fibers that retain the advantages of natural silks in terms of structural hierarchy and mechanical properties remains challenging. Here, we show a bioinspired approach to spin regenerated silk fibers. First, we develop a nematic silk microfibril solution, highly viscous and stable, by partially dissolving silk fibers into microfibrils. This solution maintains the hierarchical structures in natural silks and serves as spinning dope. It is then spun into regenerated silk fibers by direct extrusion in the air, offering a useful route to generate polymorphic and hierarchical regenerated silk fibers with physical properties beyond natural fiber construction. The materials maintain the structural hierarchy and mechanical properties of natural silks, including a modulus of 11 ± 4 GPa, even higher than natural spider silk. It can further be functionalized with a conductive silk/carbon nanotube coating, responsive to changes in humidity and temperature.

Simultaneously exploration control of energy band, layer structure and vacancy defect of semiconductor photocatalysts for hydrogen (H2) evolution is highly desirable. For this purpose, the ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride (ug-C3N4) are prepared by intercalated hydrogen bond effect of NO3− for the first time reported. More importantly, the thickness, band gap energy, specific surface area and nitrogen vacancy intensity of ug-C3N4 nanosheets can be controlled by the concentration of NO3− in the inserted layer. The method not only endow ug-C3N4 nanosheets with super large specific surface area and nitrogen vacancy-rich that provide more active sites and speed up the photogenerated charge transfer, but also possess suitable conduction band position and thus more conducive to H2 production. The photocatalytic performance of ug-C3N4 for H2 evolution (836.3 µmol h−1 g−1) and 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) decomposition (84%) is significantly enhanced by energy band, layer structure and vacancy defect optimization, which is over 4.0 and 1.75 times higher than the bulk g-C3N4 powder. We firmly believe that the work emblems a significant step toward control engineering for energy conversion and environmental pollution.

Intramolecular doping of conjugated nitrogen heterocycles in carbon nitride (CN) has been used to promote charge separation, but it also causes recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes due to their in-plane non-directional transfer. Herein, it achieves the dual regulation of adjusting electron hybridization structure and electron directional transfer from centre to edge of CN by grafting pyridine rings on the edge of CN framework, which effectively drives separation and avoids recombination of photogenerated carriers in plane. The photocatalytic HER rate of up to 6317.5 μmol g−1 h−1 is obtained over the optimum 2AP-CN-15 sample, which has 3.9-fold increase over primal CN. Moreover, the apparent quantum efficiency of HER reaches up to 20.1 % at 420 nm. This work performs an essential insight into edge decoration effect of pyridine rings on CN, which affords a new guidance for the modification of CN-like materials with conjugated nitrogen heterocycles for high-efficiency photocatalytic application.

Constructing homojunction is more favorable to transfer and separation of charge carriers at the interface between structural units owing to the matching chemical and electronic structures, nevertheless it still is difficult to fabricate the morphology-controlled nonmetal homojunction. Herein, a nonmetal 2D/3D homojunction is constructed via the facile surface in-situ polymerization process, where 3D g-C3N4 (3D CC) microspheres tightly anchor on the surface of 2D g-C3N4 (2D CN) nanosheets. The obtained nonmetal 2D/3D CN/CC homojunction displays the dramatically enhanced photocatalytic performance for degrading tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) compared with single 2D CN nanosheets and 3D CC microspheres, mainly attributing to the improved transfer and separation efficiency of charge carriers resulted from synergetic effect of 2D-3D structural coupling and energy band controlling. Moreover, the important degradation pathway, intermediate products and photocatalytic mechanism are investigated in detail. This work develops a feasible exemplificative strategy for fabricating new morphology-controlled nonmetal homojunction to improve photocatalytic activity.

Intraflagellar transport (IFT) depends on two evolutionarily conserved modules, subcomplexes A (IFT-A) and B (IFT-B), to drive ciliary assembly and maintenance. All six IFT-A components and their motor protein, DYNC2H1, have been linked to human skeletal ciliopathies, including asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy (ATD; also known as Jeune syndrome), Sensenbrenner syndrome, and Mainzer-Saldino syndrome (MZSDS). Conversely, the 14 subunits in the IFT-B module, with the exception of IFT80, have unknown roles in human disease. To identify additional IFT-B components defective in ciliopathies, we independently performed different mutation analyses: candidate-based sequencing of all IFT-B-encoding genes in 1,467 individuals with a nephronophthisis-related ciliopathy or whole-exome resequencing in 63 individuals with ATD. We thereby detected biallelic mutations in the IFT-B-encoding gene IFT172 in 12 families. All affected individuals displayed abnormalities of the thorax and/or long bones, as well as renal, hepatic, or retinal involvement, consistent with the diagnosis of ATD or MZSDS. Additionally, cerebellar aplasia or hypoplasia characteristic of Joubert syndrome was present in 2 out of 12 families. Fibroblasts from affected individuals showed disturbed ciliary composition, suggesting alteration of ciliary transport and signaling. Knockdown of ift172 in zebrafish recapitulated the human phenotype and demonstrated a genetic interaction between ift172 and ift80. In summary, we have identified defects in IFT172 as a cause of complex ATD and MZSDS. Our findings link the group of skeletal ciliopathies to an additional IFT-B component, IFT172, similar to what has been shown for IFT-A.

Whole-genome amplification (WGA) for next-generation sequencing has seen wide applications in biology and medicine when characterization of the genome of a single cell is required. High uniformity and fidelity of WGA is needed to accurately determine genomic variations, such as copy number variations (CNVs) and single-nucleotide variations (SNVs). Prevailing WGA methods have been limited by fluctuation of the amplification yield along the genome, as well as false-positive and -negative errors for SNV identification. Here, we report emulsion WGA (eWGA) to overcome these problems. We divide single-cell genomic DNA into a large number (10(5)) of picoliter aqueous droplets in oil. Containing only a few DNA fragments, each droplet is led to reach saturation of DNA amplification before demulsification such that the differences in amplification gain among the fragments are minimized. We demonstrate the proof-of-principle of eWGA with multiple displacement amplification (MDA), a popular WGA method. This easy-to-operate approach enables simultaneous detection of CNVs and SNVs in an individual human cell, exhibiting significantly improved amplification evenness and accuracy.

Abstract Silk/polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogels are studied as self‐standing bioinks for 3D printing for tissue engineering. The two components of the bioink, silk fibroin protein (silk) and PEG, are both Food and Drug Administration approved materials in drug and medical device products. Mixing PEG with silk induces silk β‐sheet structure formation and thus gelation and water insolubility due to physical crosslinking. A variety of constructs with high resolution, high shape fidelity, and homogeneous gel matrices are printed. When human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells are premixed with the silk solution prior to printing and the constructs are cultured in this medium, the cell‐loaded constructs maintain their shape over at least 12 weeks. Interestingly, the cells grow faster in the higher silk concentration (10%, w/v) gel than in lower ones (7.5 and 5%, w/v), likely due to the difference in material stiffness and the amount of residual PEG remaining in the gel related to material hydrophobicity. Subcutaneous implantation of 7.5% (w/v) bioink gels with and without printed fibroblast cells in mice reveals that the cells survive and proliferate in the gel matrix for at least 6 week postimplantation. The results suggest that these silk/PEG bioink gels may provide suitable scaffold environments for cell printing and function.

NGQDs as effective active sites and collectors of charge carriers in Z-scheme g-C₃N₄/Bi₂WO₆ heterojunctions.

Designing carbonaceous materials modified g-C3N4-based photocatalytic system with broadband solar absorption from the visible to near-infrared (NIR) region for photocatalytic H2 evolution (PHE) remains a big challenge. Herein, urea formaldehyde resin-carbonized nitrogen doped carbon (UFR-NC) ribbons modified g-C3N4 nanosheets were prepared by a facile thermal treatment method. Experimental results imply that g-C3N4/UFR-NC composites not only show larger specific surface area (SSA), better crystallinity and outstanding stability but also exhibit faster separation of charge carriers, in which the UFR-NC ribbons are more apt to accept electrons. Additionally, g-C3N4/UFR-NC composites possess superior optical adsorption from visible to NIR light and the band gap can be easily adjusted by changing the content of UFR-NC ribbons. Surprisingly, g-C3N4/UFR-NC0.02 exhibits the highest PHE activity (84.32 µmol h−1), which is over 54.75 and 6.51 times higher than that of the g-C3N4 obtained by direct calcination of melamine (g-C3N4-M) and direct calcination of urea (g-C3N4-U) under visible light, and the apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) reaches 6.2% at 420 nm. In addition, the g-C3N4/UFR-NC0.02 displays an enhanced PHE activity of 26.59 µmol h−1 and 0.45 µmol h−1 under the blue visible (λ = 475 nm) and NIR light irradiation (λ > 800 nm). And the PHE activity of g-C3N4/UFR-NC0.02 has no obvious change after fourteen runs within 70 h. Our results suggest that constructing carbonaceous materials modified g-C3N4-based photocatalytic system will be a promising strategy to PHE.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) frequently detected in a wide range of foods and feeds, inducing cytotoxicity to animals and humans. To investigate the underlying mechanism of DON-induced apoptosis and inflammation in porcine small intestinal epithelium, intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-J2 cells) were chosen as objects, and were treated by different concentrations (0 μg/mL, 0.2 μg/mL, 0.5 μg/mL, 1.0 μg/mL, 2.0 μg/mL, 4.0 μg/mL, 6.0 μg/mL) of DON. The results showed that DON induced cytotoxicity of IPEC-J2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, which is demonstrated by decreasing cell viability. Compared with the control group, DON treatment increased the expressions of genes associated with inflammation and apoptosis, such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), cyclooxgenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and decreased the cell anti-oxidative status. Protein immunofluorescence showed increased expression of caspase-3, nuclear factor kB (NF-κB) and phosphorylated NF-κB in IPEC-J2 cells. DON increased the content of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) of IPEC-J2 cells. N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a commonly used antioxidant, blocked DON-induced ROS generation, alleviated the DON-induced apoptosis and inflammation. These results suggested that DON-induced impairment of IPEC-J2 cells is possibly due to increased ROS production, and expressions of genes and proteins associated with apoptosis and inflammation.

The development of nanomaterials that combine diagnostic and therapeutic functions within a single nanoplatform is extremely important for molecular medicine. Molecular imaging with simultaneous diagnosis and therapy will provide the multimodality needed for accurate diagnosis and targeted therapy. Here, gold‐coated iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4 @Au) nanoroses with five distinct functions are demonstrated, integrating aptamer‐based targeting, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), optical imaging, photothermal therapy. and chemotherapy into one single probe. The inner Fe 3 O 4 core functions as an MRI agent, while the photothermal effect is achieved through near‐infrared absorption by the gold shell, causing a rapid rise in temperature and also resulting in a facilitated release of the anticancer drug doxorubicin carried by the nanoroses. Where the doxorubicin is released, it is monitored by its fluorescence. Aptamers immobilized on the surfaces of the nanoroses enable efficient and selective drug delivery, imaging, and photothermal effect with high specificity. The five‐function‐embedded nanoroses show great advantages in multimodality.

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) comprising lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (Li[N(SO2F)2], LiFSI) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) have been studied as electrolyte material and binder for the Li–S polymer cell. The LiFSI-based Li–S all solid polymer cell can deliver high specific discharge capacity of 800 mAh gsulfur–1 (i.e., 320 mAh gcathode–1), high areal capacity of 0.5 mAh cm–2, and relatively good rate capability. The cycling performances of Li–S polymer cell with LiFSI are significantly improved compared with those with conventional LiTFSI (Li[N(SO2CF3)2]) salt in the polymer membrane due to the improved stability of the Li anode/electrolyte interphases formed in the LiFSI-based SPEs. These results suggest that the LiFSI-based SPEs are attractive electrolyte materials for solid-state Li–S batteries.

Hydrogen energy (H2) has been considered as the most possible consummate candidates for replacing the traditional fossil fuels because of its higher combustion heat value and lower environmental pollution. Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) from water splitting based on semiconductors is a promising technology towards converting solar energy into sustainable H2 fuel evolution. Developing high-activity and abundant source semiconductor materials is particularly important to realize highly efficient hydrogen evolution as for photocatalysis technology. However, unmodified pristine photocatalysts are often unable to overcome the weakness of low performance due to their limitations. In recent years, transition metal phosphides (TMPs) were used as valid co-catalysts to replace the classic precious metal materials in the process of photocatalytic reaction owing to their lower cost and higher combustion heat value. What is more, bimetallic phosphides have been also caused widespread concern in H2 evolution reaction owing to its much lower overpotential, more superior conductivity, and weaker charge carriers transfer impedance in comparison to those of single metal phosphides. In this minireview, we concluded the latest developments of bimetallic phosphides for a series of photocatalytic reactions. Firstly, we briefly summarize the present loading methods of bimetallic phosphides (BMPs) anchored on the photocatalyst. After that, the H2 evolution efficiency based on BMPs as cocatalyst is also studied in detail. Besides, the application of BMPs-based host photocatalyst for H2 evolution under dye sensitization effect has also been discussed. At last, the current development prospects and prospective challenges in many ways of BMPs are proposed. We sincerely hope this minireview has certain reference value for great developments of BMPs in the future research.

A photocatalyst with Z-scheme heterostructure is synthesized through anchoring mesoporous γ-Fe2O3 nanospheres on a g-C3N4 nanosheet surface. The fabricated Z-scheme γ-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 heterojunction exhibits a mesoporous feature and possesses improved specific surface area, which can provide a mass of reaction active sites for pollutant molecules to improve photocatalytic activity. More importantly, the Z-scheme heterostructure constructed between γ-Fe2O3 and g-C3N4 efficiently extends the response range at the visible region and speeds up the transfer and separation of photoinduced charge carriers, which is beneficial to boosting photocatalytic activity. Compared to the original g-C3N4 sample, the Z-scheme γ-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 heterojunction exhibits remarkably improved photocatalytic degradation activity for mineralizing tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) under the visible-light irradiation. Moreover, the photocatalytic degradation mechanism of TC-HCl is put forward and investigated in depth, the results of which identify that •OH, •O2–, and photogenerated h+ all play a vital function and have the order •OH > •O2– > h+ during the TC-HCl degradation reaction.

<h2>Summary</h2> Currently, the lithium-ion battery (LIB) is one of the most viable technologies to enable efficient and clean transportations, which are considered to be crucial for the sustainable development of today's society. However, the energy density of the LIB is approaching its maximum but is still insufficient for meeting the demand of future electric vehicles and other emerging applications. Among all the post LIB chemistries, all solid-state Li metal-intercalation cathode batteries (ASSLICBs) have been capturing attention due to the relatively straightforward cell chemistries compared with Li-S and Li-O₂/air batteries, and the intrinsically enhanced safety with the use of solid electrolytes. In this perspective, in-depth analyses of the attainable energy density, overall safety, and cost for ASSLICBs are presented. The existing approaches from literature toward the claimed energy density and safety are intensively discussed. Possible solutions of the remaining challenges and new directions are also given, aiming at designing practical and high-performance ASSLICBs.

Transition-metal phosphides have been demonstrated as cocatalysts with great promise for photocatalytic H2 production materials, but the insurmountable issue remains maintaining outstanding stability while achieving high photocatalytic efficiency. Herein, the rhodium phosphide (RhPx) nanospecies as cocatalyst is firmly mounted on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets to realize the improved activity and stability for photocatalytic H2 production. The maximum H2 production rate over RhPx/g-C3N4 driven by visible light diplays a 5.6-fold improvement compared with Pt/g-C3N4. Meanwhile, the apparent quantum efficiency of 18.4% is achieved at a fixed wavelength of 420 nm that far exceeds the reported g-C3N4 modified with other single-transition-metal phosphides. Particularly, RhPx/g-C3N4 can maintain consistently stable H2 production when enduring over 25 cyclic reactions with a total of 100 h. The deep insight into the modification effect of RhPx nanospecies reveals that it dramatically facilitates migration and separation of photoinduced electron–hole pairs and heightens interaction at the heterointerfaces between RhPx nanospecies and g-C3N4 nanosheets. This contribution extends the broad potential application of transition-metal phosphides as cocatalysts in the photocatalytic conversion from solar to hydrogen energy.

Uniform erythrocyte-like Bi2WO6 hierarchical architecture constructed by ultrathin nanoflakes (∼4.4 nm) is firstly obtained via an anionic self-regulation strategy without employing any additives at a facile hydrothermal process. The unique hierarchical architecture exhibits high specific surface area and abundant mesoporous distribution, which can provide more reaction active sites and molecule transport channels. The novel structure also facilitates efficiently transfer and separation of charge carriers. In consequence, the photocatalytic activity and gas sensing property are obviously improved relative to the typical Bi2WO6 microsphere. This work extends the development of Bi2WO6 hierarchical architecture as well as launches a simple, eco-friendly and exemplificative strategy for constructing other Bi-based oxide hierarchical architecture.

All-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries (ASSLSBs) offer a means to enhance the energy density and safety of the state-of-art lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), due to their high gravimetric energy density, low cost and environmental benignancy. In this work, the status of the research advances and perspectives on several types of solid electrolytes (SEs) developed for ASSLSBs are reviewed. The promises and challenges of utilizing SEs are discussed taking into account both theoretical calculation and experimental results, in hope of shedding some lights on future design of high energy density, cost competitive, and safe Li-S batteries.

Early insights into the unique structure and properties of native silk suggested that β-sheet nanocrystallites in silk would degrade prior to melting when subjected to thermal processing. Since then, canonical approaches for fabricating silk-based materials typically involve solution-derived processing methods, which have inherent limitations with respect to silk protein solubility and stability in solution, and time and cost efficiency. Here we report a thermal processing method for the direct solid-state moulding of regenerated silk into bulk 'parts' or devices with tunable mechanical properties. At elevated temperature and pressure, regenerated amorphous silk nanomaterials with ultralow β-sheet content undergo thermal fusion via molecular rearrangement and self-assembly assisted by bound water to form a robust bulk material that retains biocompatibility, degradability and machinability. This technique reverses presumptions about the limitations of direct thermal processing of silk into a wide range of new material formats and composite materials with tailored properties and functionalities.

Metal-free material is a kind of promising ideal candidate in application of photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) production for everlasting direct solar-to-fuel conversion, but a longstanding challenge still is how to achieve the continuously high-efficiency and stable H2 production performance. Herein, metal-free 2D/2D carbon nitride/C-doped BN (CN/BCN) Van der Waals (VdW) heterojunctions are fabricated, and the optimal photocatalytic H2 production rate over them reaches up to 3357.1 µmol h−1 g−1 that far exceeds that of single CN (1298.8 µmol h−1 g−1) under the visible light. Meanwhile, the high apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 16.3% at 420 nm is achieved surprisingly. Moreover, the metal-free 2D/2D CN/BCN VdW heterojunction exhibits the superior stability because H2 production rate has barely reduction when enduring 15 cycle runs with total 60 h. The boosted H2 production performance arises from the formation of Z-Scheme mechanism that dramatically accelerates interfacial transfer and separation of charge carriers. This work furnishes a demonstration model for the tailor-made design and fabrication of other challenging metal-free 2D/2D VdW heterojunctions applied to catalysis, electronics, optoelectronics, etc.

Abstract Hydrogels are the focus of extensive research due to their potential use in fields including biomedical, pharmaceutical, biosensors, and cosmetics. However, the general weak mechanical properties of hydrogels limit their utility. Here, pristine silk fibroin (SF) hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties are generated via a binary‐solvent‐induced conformation transition (BSICT) strategy. In this method, the conformational transition of SF is regulated by moderate binary solvent diffusion and SF/solvent interactions. β‐sheet formation serves as the physical crosslinks that connect disparate protein chains to form continuous 3D hydrogel networks, avoiding complex chemical and/or physical treatments. The Young's modulus of these new BSICT–SF hydrogels can reach up to 6.5 ± 0.2 MPa, tens to hundreds of times higher than that of conventional hydrogels (0.01–0.1 MPa). These new materials fill the “empty soft materials' space” in the elastic modulus/strain Ashby plot. More remarkably, the BSICT–SF hydrogels can be processed into different constructions through different polymer and/or metal‐based processing techniques, such as molding, laser cutting, and machining. Thus, these new hydrogel systems exhibit potential utility in many biomedical and engineering fields.

Abstract Lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) have become ubiquitous power sources for small electronic devices, electric vehicles, and stationary energy storage systems. Despite the success of LIBs which is acknowledged by their increasing commodity market, the historical evolution of the chemistry behind the LIB technologies is laden with obstacles and yet to be unambiguously documented. This Viewpoint outlines chronologically the most essential findings related to today's LIBs, including commercial electrode and electrolyte materials, but furthermore also depicts how the today popular and widely emerging solid‐state batteries were instrumental at very early stages in the development of LIBs.

The effect of three different drying methods (hot-air, combined hot-air-microwave, and vacuum-freeze) on the sensorial, textural, nutritional, and other quality characteristics of persimmon chips was compared. The result showed that the freeze-dried chips had the best nutritional and quality features. However, persimmon chips processed by combined hot-air-microwave and freeze-techniques had the same sensory score (85.40 points), which were higher than that of hot-air dried samples (70.51 points). Additionally, persimmon chips dried with aid of hot-air technique had the lowest chewability value and hardly met the panelists’ requirements. These disadvantages could be avoided by using a combined hot-air-microwave drying method with lower power consumption compared with the others. The optimized combining microwave and hot-air drying conditions were as follows: 1 mm thickness of persimmon slice, a temperature of 70 °C at an air velocity of 1.0 m/s of initial hot-air drying system until the moisture content of persimmon samples reached 10% (about 150–160 min) and 10.7 Wg−1 of the following microwave-drying system. It was concluded that the combined hot-air-microwave drying technique could be used for processing persimmon chips with high quality and nutritional values as well as low operating costs.

Our goal was to generate functionalized 3D-printed scaffolds for bone regeneration using silk-hydroxyapatite bone cements and osteoinductive, proangiogenic and neurotrophic growth factors or morphogens for accelerated bone formation. 3D printing was utilized to generate macroporous scaffolds with controlled geometries and architectures that promote osseointegration. We build on the knowledge that the osteoinductive factor Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (BMP2) can also positively impact vascularization, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) can impact osteoblastic differentiation, and that Neural Growth Factor (NGF)-mediated signaling can influence bone regeneration. We assessed functions on the 3D printed construct via the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells; migration and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells; and proliferation of human induced neural stem cells. The scaffolds provided mechanical properties suitable for bone and the materials were cytocompatible, osteoconductive and maintained the activity of the morphogens and cytokines. Synergistic outcomes between BMP-2, VEGF and NGF in terms of osteoblastic differentiation in vitro were identified, based on the upregulation of genes associated with osteoblastic differentiation (Runt-related transcription factor-2, Osteopontin, Bone Sialoprotein). Additional studies will be required to assess these scaffold designs in vivo. These results are expected to have a strong impact in bone regeneration in dental, oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Enhancing the catalytic activity and stability of enzymes is of great importance in the development of green chemical and cost-effective application, with removal of bisphenol A (BPA) as a prominent example. Engineering immobilization carriers and immobilization methods of enzymes endows great potential to achieve above goal. Until now, these reports have focused on employing the metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to increase the stability and reusability of enzymes, an enhancement in its catalytic activity has yet to be addressed. This work introduced a biomimetic mineralization process for facile synthesis of [email protected] biocomposite under mild condition. By exploiting the activity of [email protected], we demonstrated, for the first time, that the integration of laccase and HKUST-1 containing cofactor Cu2+ ions leaded to 1.5-fold enhancement in the catalytic activity compared with free laccase, which was due to the synergistic enhancement of substrate oxidation. Indeed, the [email protected] biocomposite could function as active biocatalysts under biologically challenging conditions, such as acidic condition, high temperature, organic solvent, and continuous operation. The oxidation of phenols, such as BPA, with [email protected] reached higher catalytic performance than free laccase, and gave 100% degradation efficiency within 4 h. This study provides a feasible method to improve the activity and stability of laccase, which enable completely remove of BPA from the environment.

As a biomaterial, silk presents unique features with a combination of excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. The biodegradability aspects of silk biomaterials, especially with options to control the rate from short (days) to long (years) time frames in vivo, make this protein-based biopolymer a good candidate for developing biodegradable devices used for tissue repairs and tissue engineering, as well as medical device implants. Silk materials, including native silk fibers and a broad spectrum of regenerated silk materials, have been investigated in vitro and in vivo to demonstrate degradation by proteolytic enzymes. In this Review, we summarize the findings on these studies on the enzymatic degradation of Bombyx mori (B. mori) silk materials. We also present a discussion on the factors that dictate the degradation properties of silk materials. Finally, in future perspectives, we highlight some key challenges and potential directions toward the future study of the degradation of silk materials.

Lithium solid-state batteries (SSBs) are considered as a promising solution to the safety issues and energy density limitations of state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries. Recently, the possibility of developing practical SSBs has emerged thanks to striking advances at the level of materials; such as the discovery of new highly-conductive solid-state electrolytes. Consequently, the focus in research has progressively shifted towards the integration of the various components, the battery's functionality at full cell level, and the scalability of the fabrication processes. Considering these points, the development of SSBs still faces formidable challenges. This review covers the recent advances in SSB development, stressing the importance of full cell integration. The most relevant materials and fabrication processes are briefly summarized and their potential applications in SSBs are examined. The main challenges and strategies for full cell integration are then discussed highlighting the most promising materials and the best suited processing techniques. Particular attention is paid on the mutual compatibility of the cell components, the properties of the interfaces within the cell (anode-electrolyte, cathode-electrolyte, intra-electrolyte) and the strategies applied to stabilize and minimize the resistance of these interfaces via compatible processing.

Some of the most abundant biomass on earth is sequestered in fibrous biopolymers like cellulose, chitin, and silk. These types of natural materials offer unique and striking mechanical and functional features that have driven strong interest in their utility for a range of applications, while also matching environmental sustainability needs. However, these material systems are challenging to process in cost-competitive ways to compete with synthetic plastics due to the limited options for thermal processing. This results in the dominance of solution-based processing for fibrous biopolymers, which presents challenges for scaling, cost, and consistency in outcomes. However, new opportunities to utilize thermal processing with these types of biopolymers, as well as fibrillation approaches, can drive renewed opportunities to bridge this gap between synthetic plastic processing and fibrous biopolymers, while also holding sustainability goals as critical to long-term successful outcomes.

Selfish mining attacks get a high prize due to the additional rewards unproportionate to their mining power (mining pools have particular advantages). Generally, this category of attacks stresses decreasing the threshold to maximize the rewards toward the view of attackers. Semi-selfish mining falls into the family of selfish mining attacks, where the threshold value is approximately 15%. However, it gets little attention to implement these attacks in practical. In this paper, we focus on the validity of semi-selfish mining attacks considering the probability of being detected. More specifically, we discuss mining strategies through backward deduction. That is to say that the attacking states derived from the observable states, which with normal forking rate, just as without semi-selfish mining attacks, toward the view of the honest miners. Rewards distribution is further investigated concerning these strategies. The simulation results indicate that it does not necessarily bring rewards advantage over large pools. Instead, the small pools have an advantage over the additional rewards. However, the probability for small pools to successfully implement these strategies is pretty low. That is, it is impossible for the pools, although profitable for them, to sponsor semi-selfish mining attacks without being detected.

Abstract The interest for solid‐state lithium metal (Li°) batteries (SSLMBs) has been growing exponentially in recent years in view of their higher energy density and eliminated safety concerns. Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are soft ionic conductors which can be easily processed into thin films at industrial level; these unique features confer solid‐state Li° polymer batteries (SSLMPBs, i.e., SSLMBs utilizing SPEs as electrolytes) distinct advantages compared to SSLMBs containing other electrolytes. In this article, we briefly review recent progresses and achievements in SSLMPBs including the improvement of ionic conductivity of SPEs and their interfacial stability with Li° anode. Moreover, we outline several advanced in‐situ and ex‐situ characterizing techniques which could assist in‐depth understanding of the anode‐electrolyte interphases in SSLMPBs. This article is hoped not only to update the state‐of‐the‐art in the research on SSLMPBs but also to bring intriguing insights that could improve the fundamental properties (e.g., transport, dendrite formation, and growth, etc.) and electrochemical performance of SSLMPBs.

This study investigated the effects of the non-covalent interaction of pea protein isolate (PPI) with epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), chlorogenic acid (CA) and resveratrol (RES) on the structural and functional properties of proteins. The conformational changes of the protein structure with EGCG, CA and RES were analyzed using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Polyphenols strongly quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of PPI mainly through static quenching. The main interaction force was hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces for PPI-EGCG, the main interaction force of PPI-CA complex was electrostatic interaction, while RES and PPI were bound by hydrophobic interaction. Free sulfhydryl groups and surface hydrophobicity significantly decreased in PPI after binding with phenolic compounds. The presence of EGCG, CA and RES enhanced the emulsification, foaming and in vitro digestibility of PPI. These results illustrate the potential applications of PPI-polyphenol complexes in food formulations.

The multi-part functionalization of the carbon nitride (CN) molecular skeleton usually induces synergies to boost the photocatalytic activity, but it is a challenging undertaking owing to the uncontrollability in preparation process. Herein, the dual embellished CN is achieved by substituting bridged N with C atoms and grafting conjugated heterocycle on the skeleton edge through facile one-step thermal polymerization. The synergistic effect of skeleton delocalization and edge induction is triggered by the delocalized π bonds from incorporated C atoms and electron-withdrawing function of conjugated heterocycle, which importantly promotes the charge mobility and electron directional migration from center to edge of CN skeleton. The resulted photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) performance is propelled dramatically and the apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) reaches up to 22.4% at 420 nm. This work launches a typical exemplification for the high-efficiency photocatalytic application of conjugated polymer photocatalysts by triggering synergistic effect of multi-part functionalization.

Aberrant reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is one of the crucial mediators in the pathogenesis of inflammation. So, the development of nanocatalytic medicine to catalyze the ROS-scavenging reactions in pathological regions are promising for anti-inflammatory therapy. Herein, a type of biocompatible metal free carbon dots is prepared via a hydrothermal method which can exhibit peroxidase (POD)-like, catalase (CAT)-like and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities. It has been found that the carbon dots have the capability to efficiently deplete the excessive ROS such as peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion (O2-) and hydroxyl radical (OH) for their abundant functional groups. After the tail injection in mice with liver inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide, the carbon dots efficiently reduced the excessive production of ROS and proinflammatory cytokines in vitro. Both in vitro and in vivo results endowed the biocompatible carbon dots with great potential in nanocatalytic medicine for the treatment of disease.

In this study, we analyzed and compared the fat globule interfacial compositions and structures in human milk and three types of infant formulas (IF1: supplied with MFGM, IF2: without MFGM and soy lecithin, IF3: supplied with soy lecithin). The results suggested that the interfacial protein composition of IF1 was comparatively closer to human milk, but still lacked certain bioactive MFGM proteins including XO, ADPH and PAS6/7. Considering the interfacial phospholipid, we observed 23, 31, and 29 phospholipid species that could be used to distinguish human milk and infant formulas (IF1, IF2 and IF3). We also found that phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylserine (PS), which can absorb lipase, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylcholine (PC) and connect functional fatty acids, were lacking in infant formulas. Moreover, the infant formulas had a smaller average particle size of 0.38 μm and a thicker interfacial layer that interacted with the casein micelles. Even if IF1 included MFGM, fat globules structures like those found in human milk did not form, and the majority of the MFGM was still in the aqueous phase in free form. Overall, the comprehensive analysis in this study could be used to simulate or mimic human milk lipids at the supramolecular level.

Hydrogen energy is an efficient and environmentally friendly secondary energy source, and electrolysis of water splitting holds great promise as a hydrogen production technology. Developing the high-effective hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts with abundant source is crucial for improving efficiency for electrocatalytic technology. In recent years, Iron-series metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted significant interest because of their unique design, excellent electrical conductivity, and uniform distribution of functional sites. Therefore, this minireview focuses on the synthesis, mechanism, and application of iron-series MOFs prepared by coupling organic ligands and iron-series metals. Initially, various techniques for iron-series MOF synthesis are presented, followed by an explanation of the morphology and composition of MOFs. After that, the application of H2 evolution based on it is summarized in detail. Lastly, the challenges facing electrocatalytic materials for hydrogen evolution are discussed, alongside the prospects for other MOF materials. We sincerely hope the minireview may have the certain reference value for the great developments of iron-series MOFs in the future research.

The interfacial phospholipid and protein compositions of fat globule in human milk and three different infant formulas (F1: supplied with MFGM and OPO; F2: supplied with OPO and without MFGM; F3: supplied with MFGM and without OPO) were analyzed and compared, and the changes of interfacial composition and structure on their in-vitro infant gastrointestinal digestion were evaluated. The study from the interfacial properties of fat globule to illustrating the effect of interfacial composition and structure on lipolysis and proteolysis. The results showed that, both F1 and human milk had a similar interfacial phospholipid composition and higher sphingomyelin (SM) content. The interfacial protein composition of F1 was closer to human milk. F1 had the average particle size of 3.67 ± 0.12 μm and a phospholipid layer on the surface of triglyceride. Meanwhile, the relatively complete phospholipid ring structure in F1 could always be observed during gastric digestion, while was gradually destroyed during intestinal digestion. Moreover, F2 and F3 are significantly different from HM and F1 in composition and structure of fat globule. Although MFGM is added to commercial infant formula (F3), most MFGM still existed in the aqueous phase of emulsion in free form. Notable, F1 had similar in-vitro lipolysis and proteolysis properties to human milk. These results indicated that the simulation of human milk fat globule at the molecular level and structure feature was the key contributing to digestion behavior.

It is a challenging issue to further drive charge separation through the oriented design of Z-scheme heterojunction in the exploitation of cost-effective photocatalytic materials. In this contribution, the unique Z-scheme 3D/2D In2Se3/PCN heterojunction is developed through implanting In2Se3 microspheres on PCN nanosheets using an in situ growth technique, which acquires the effective CO generation activity from photocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2R). The CO yield of 4 h in the CO2R reaction over the optimal In2Se3/PCN-15 sample reaches up to 11.40 and 2.41 times higher than that of individual PCN and In2Se3, respectively. Such greatly enhanced photocatalytic performance is primarily the improvement of photogenerated carrier separation efficiency. To be more specific, the formed built-in electric field is significantly intensified by producing the temperature difference potential between In2Se3 and PCN owing to the photothermoelectric effect of In2Se3, which actuates the high-efficiency separation of photogenerated charge carriers along the Z-scheme transfer path in the In2Se3/PCN heterojunction. The effective strategy of enhancing the built-in electric field to drive photogenerated charge separation proposed in this work opens up an innovative avenue to design Z-scheme heterojunction applied to high-efficiency photocatalytic reactions, such as hydrogen generation from water splitting, CO2R, and degradation of organic pollutants.

Cilia and flagella play important roles in many physiological processes, including cell and fluid movement, sensory perception, and development [1Scholey J.M. Intraflagellar transport.Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 2003; 19: 423-443Crossref PubMed Scopus (326) Google Scholar]. The biogenesis and maintenance of cilia depend on intraflagellar transport (IFT), a motility process that operates bidirectionally along the ciliary axoneme [1Scholey J.M. Intraflagellar transport.Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 2003; 19: 423-443Crossref PubMed Scopus (326) Google Scholar, 2Rosenbaum J.L. Witman G.B. Intraflagellar transport.Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 2002; 3: 813-825Crossref PubMed Scopus (1130) Google Scholar]. Disruption in IFT and cilia function causes several human disorders, including polycystic kidneys, retinal dystrophy, neurosensory impairment, and Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) [3Pazour G.J. Rosenbaum J.L. Intraflagellar transport and cilia-dependent diseases.Trends Cell Biol. 2002; 12: 551-555Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (222) Google Scholar, 4Katsanis N. Lupski J.R. Beales P.L. Exploring the molecular basis of Bardet-Biedl syndrome.Hum. Mol. Genet. 2001; 10: 2293-2299Crossref PubMed Scopus (118) Google Scholar, 5Ansley S.J. Badano J.L. Blacque O.E. Hill J. Hoskins B.E. Leitch C.C. Kim J.C. Ross A.J. Eichers E.R. Teslovich T.M. et al.Basal body dysfunction is a likely cause of pleiotropic Bardet-Biedl syndrome.Nature. 2003; 425: 628-633Crossref PubMed Scopus (501) Google Scholar]. To uncover new ciliary components, including IFT proteins, we compared C. elegans ciliated neuronal and nonciliated cells through serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) and screened for genes potentially regulated by the ciliogenic transcription factor, DAF-19 [6Swoboda P. Adler H.T. Thomas J.H. The RFX-type transcription factor DAF-19 regulates sensory neuron cilium formation in C. elegans.Mol. Cell. 2000; 5: 411-421Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (238) Google Scholar]. Using these complementary approaches, we identified numerous candidate ciliary genes and confirmed the ciliated-cell-specific expression of 14 novel genes. One of these, C27H5.7a, encodes a ciliary protein that undergoes IFT. As with other IFT proteins, its ciliary localization and transport is disrupted by mutations in IFT and bbs genes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the ciliary structural defect of C. elegans dyf-13(mn396) mutants is caused by a mutation in C27H5.7a. Together, our findings help define a ciliary transcriptome and suggest that DYF-13, an evolutionarily conserved protein, is a novel core IFT component required for cilia function.

Familial macular degeneration is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by progressive central vision loss. Here we show that an R373C missense mutation in the prominin 1 gene (PROM1) causes 3 forms of autosomal-dominant macular degeneration. In transgenic mice expressing R373C mutant human PROM1, both mutant and endogenous PROM1 were found throughout the layers of the photoreceptors, rather than at the base of the photoreceptor outer segments, where PROM1 is normally localized. Moreover, the outer segment disk membranes were greatly overgrown and misoriented, indicating defective disk morphogenesis. Immunoprecipitation studies showed that PROM1 interacted with protocadherin 21 (PCDH21), a photoreceptor-specific cadherin, and with actin filaments, both of which play critical roles in disk membrane morphogenesis. Collectively, our results identify what we believe to be a novel complex involved in photoreceptor disk morphogenesis and indicate a possible role for PROM1 and PCDH21 in macular degeneration.

Joubert syndrome related disorders (JSRDs) have broad but variable phenotypic overlap with other ciliopathies. The molecular etiology of this overlap is unclear but probably arises from disrupting common functional module components within primary cilia. To identify additional module elements associated with JSRDs, we performed homozygosity mapping followed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and uncovered mutations in TMEM237 (previously known as ALS2CR4). We show that loss of the mammalian TMEM237, which localizes to the ciliary transition zone (TZ), results in defective ciliogenesis and deregulation of Wnt signaling. Furthermore, disruption of Danio rerio (zebrafish) tmem237 expression produces gastrulation defects consistent with ciliary dysfunction, and Caenorhabditis elegans jbts-14 genetically interacts with nphp-4, encoding another TZ protein, to control basal body-TZ anchoring to the membrane and ciliogenesis. Both mammalian and C. elegans TMEM237/JBTS-14 require RPGRIP1L/MKS5 for proper TZ localization, and we demonstrate additional functional interactions between C. elegans JBTS-14 and MKS-2/TMEM216, MKSR-1/B9D1, and MKSR-2/B9D2. Collectively, our findings integrate TMEM237/JBTS-14 in a complex interaction network of TZ-associated proteins and reveal a growing contribution of a TZ functional module to the spectrum of ciliopathy phenotypes. Joubert syndrome related disorders (JSRDs) have broad but variable phenotypic overlap with other ciliopathies. The molecular etiology of this overlap is unclear but probably arises from disrupting common functional module components within primary cilia. To identify additional module elements associated with JSRDs, we performed homozygosity mapping followed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and uncovered mutations in TMEM237 (previously known as ALS2CR4). We show that loss of the mammalian TMEM237, which localizes to the ciliary transition zone (TZ), results in defective ciliogenesis and deregulation of Wnt signaling. Furthermore, disruption of Danio rerio (zebrafish) tmem237 expression produces gastrulation defects consistent with ciliary dysfunction, and Caenorhabditis elegans jbts-14 genetically interacts with nphp-4, encoding another TZ protein, to control basal body-TZ anchoring to the membrane and ciliogenesis. Both mammalian and C. elegans TMEM237/JBTS-14 require RPGRIP1L/MKS5 for proper TZ localization, and we demonstrate additional functional interactions between C. elegans JBTS-14 and MKS-2/TMEM216, MKSR-1/B9D1, and MKSR-2/B9D2. Collectively, our findings integrate TMEM237/JBTS-14 in a complex interaction network of TZ-associated proteins and reveal a growing contribution of a TZ functional module to the spectrum of ciliopathy phenotypes.

Bombyx mori silk fibroin self-assembles on surfaces to form ultrathin nanoscale coatings based on our prior studies using layer-by-layer deposition techniques driven by hydrophobic interactions between silk fibroin protein molecules. In the present study, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and alginate microspheres were used as substrates and coated with silk fibroin. The coatings were visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopy using fluorescein-labeled silk fibroin. On PLGA microspheres, the coating was approximately 1microm and discontinuous, reflecting the porous surface of these microspheres determined by SEM. In contrast, on alginate microspheres the coating was approximately 10microm thick and continuous. The silk fibroin penetrated into the alginate gel matrix. The silk coating on the PLGA microspheres delayed PLGA degradation. The silk coating on the alginate microspheres survived ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) treatment used to remove the Ca(2+)-cross-links in the alginate gels to solubilize the alginate. This suggests that alginate microspheres can be used as templates to form silk microcapsules. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and tetramethylrhodamine-conjugated bovine serum albumin (Rh-BSA) as model protein drugs were encapsulated in the PLGA and alginate microspheres with and without the silk fibroin coatings. Drug release was significantly retarded by the silk coatings when compared to uncoated microsphere controls, and was retarded further by methanol-treated silk coating when compared to silk water-based coatings on alginate microspheres. Silk coatings on PLGA and alginate microspheres provide mechanically stable shells as well as a diffusion barrier to the encapsulated protein drugs. This coating technique has potential for biosensor and drug delivery applications due to the aqueous process employed, the ability to control coating thickness and crystalline content, and the biocompatibility of the silk fibroin protein used in the process.

Phenolic compounds from persimmon pulp were extracted with methanol acidified with 1% HCl, and then purified on AB-8 macroporous resin. The tannic extracts obtained were fractionated by polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane with molecular weight cutoff of 10,000 Da into two fractions: low molecular weight tannin (LMWT) and high molecular weight tannin (HMWT). HPLC–MS analysis showed that gallic acid was one of the main components of LMWT fraction. The molecular weight distribution of HMWT was determined to be in the range of 1.16 × 104 Da to 1.54 × 104 Da, with the molecular weight of 1.28 × 104 Da in Mn¯ and 1.39 × 104 Da in Mw¯ by GPC method. HPLC–MS showed that the thiolysis degradation products of HMWT consist of (epi) gallocatechin, epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate, epicatechin-3-O-gallate and an unknown monomer with the ratio of 1:7:3:1 by estimation of the peak area on HPLC. The antioxidant properties of persimmon tannins were evaluated using the hydroxyl radical scavenging activities by 2-deoxyribose oxidation system and salicylic acid system, superoxide anion scavenging activity, and linoleic acid lipid peroxidation inhibition activity, respectively. HMWT exhibited excellent antioxidant activities in all tested systems in a dose-dependent manner. The antioxidant activity of HMWT was significantly stronger than that of LMWT and grape seeds proanthocyanidins (GSP), suggesting that high molecular weight condensed tannins are the major antioxidant composition in persimmon pulp.

MALDI-TOF MS suggested that the high molecular weight proanthocyanidin (condensed tannin) from persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) pulp comprised a heteropolyflavanol series with flavan-3-O-galloylated extenders, flavan-3-ol and flavonol terminal units, and A-type interflavan linkages. Thiolysis-HPLC-ESI-MS with DAD, electrochemical, and ESI-MS detection confirmed a previously unreported terminal unit, the flavonol myricetin, in addition to the typical flavan-3-ols catechin and epigallocatechin gallate. The extender units were epicatechin, epigallocatechin, (epi)gallocatechin-3-O-gallate, and (epi)catechin-3-O-gallate. The crude tannin had a high prodelphinidin content (65%) and a high degree of 3-O-galloylation (72%). The material was fractionated on Toyopearl TSK-HW-50-F to yield fractions distinguished by degree of polymerization (DP). Thiolysis suggested that the persimmon tannin was composed of polymers ranging from 7 to 20 kDa (DP 19-47), but sizes estimated by GPC were 50-70% smaller. The crude material was chemically degraded with acid to yield products that were amenable to NMR and ESI-MS analysis, which were used to establish for the first time that persimmon tannin has a mixture of B-type and A-type linkages.

Intestinal functions are central to human physiology, health and disease. Options to study these functions with direct relevance to the human condition remain severely limited when using conventional cell cultures, microfluidic systems, organoids, animal surrogates or human studies. To replicate in vitro the tissue architecture and microenvironments of native intestine, we developed a 3D porous protein scaffolding system, containing a geometrically-engineered hollow lumen, with adaptability to both large and small intestines. These intestinal tissues demonstrated representative human responses by permitting continuous accumulation of mucous secretions on the epithelial surface, establishing low oxygen tension in the lumen, and interacting with gut-colonizing bacteria. The newly developed 3D intestine model enabled months-long sustained access to these intestinal functions in vitro, readily integrable with a multitude of different organ mimics and will therefore ensure a reliable ex vivo tissue system for studies in a broad context of human intestinal diseases and treatments.

A method to directly extract silk nanofibrils from native silk fibers at the single nanofibrils scale is reported. The resulting silk nanofibrils, which retain structural features and physical properties of native silk fibers, show potential utility in optical and electronic devices. As a service to our authors and readers, this journal provides supporting information supplied by the authors. Such materials are peer reviewed and may be re-organized for online delivery, but are not copy-edited or typeset. Technical support issues arising from supporting information (other than missing files) should be addressed to the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has become a research hotspot recently owing to its unique advantage and wide application in the field of photocatalysis. However, the photocatalytic activity of the traditional two-dimensional g-C3N4 material is unsatisfactory owing to the relatively narrow visible light responsive region and high recombination probability of photogenerated charge carriers. Here, the novel nonmetal interlayer incorporated into the g-C3N4 framework is successfully fabricated by thermal polymerization of the β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and melamine as precursors, which significantly enhances the photocatalytic performance for H2 evolution than that from g-C3N4. The corresponding characterization methods demonstrate that the interlayer is composed of oxygen-contained graphitized carbon as well as the enhanced photocatalytic activity originates from the narrowed band gap, negative-shifted conduction band position and efficient charge transfer caused by this metal-free interlayer incorporation. It not only results in the form of the COC bonding between the interlayer and g-C3N4 but also can bridge the interlayer and extend the π-conjugated system, which facilitate the charge-carrier migration and separation. The current work could provide new insights for constructing other high performance, low-cost and metal-free photocatalyst for H2 evolution.

Sensory cilium biogenesis within Caenorhabditis elegans neurons depends on the kinesin-2-dependent intraflagellar transport (IFT) of ciliary precursors associated with IFT particles to the axoneme tip. Here we analyzed the molecular organization of the IFT machinery by comparing the in vivo transport and phenotypic profiles of multiple proteins involved in IFT and ciliogenesis. Based on their motility in wild-type and bbs (Bardet-Biedl syndrome) mutants, IFT proteins were classified into groups with similar transport profiles that we refer to as "modules." We also analyzed the distribution and transport of fluorescent IFT particles in multiple known ciliary mutants and 49 new ciliary mutants. Most of the latter mutants were snip-SNP mapped and one, namely dyf-14(ks69), was cloned and found to encode a conserved protein essential for ciliogenesis. The products of these ciliogenesis genes could also be assigned to the aforementioned set of modules or to specific aspects of ciliogenesis, based on IFT particle dynamics and ciliary mutant phenotypes. Although binding assays would be required to confirm direct physical interactions, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that the C. elegans IFT machinery has a modular design, consisting of modules IFT-subcomplex A, IFT-subcomplex B, and a BBS protein complex, in addition to motor and cargo modules, with each module contributing to distinct functional aspects of IFT or ciliogenesis.

The porous single-crystal-like micro/nanomaterials exhibited splendid intrinsic performance in photocatalysts, dye-sensitized solar cells, gas sensors, lithium cells, and many other application fields. Here, a novel mesoporous single-crystal-like Bi2WO6 tetragonal architecture was first achieved in the mixed molten salt system. Its crystal construction mechanism originated from the oriented attachment of nanosheet units accompanied by Ostwald ripening process. Additionally, the synergistic effect of mixed alkali metal nitrates and electrostatic attraction caused by internal electric field in crystal played a pivotal role in oriented attachment process of nanosheet units. The obtained sample displayed superior photocatalytic activity of both organic dye degradation and O2 evolution from water under visible light. We gained an insight into this unique architecture's impact on the physical properties, light absorption, photoelectricity, and luminescent decay, etc., that significantly influenced photocatalytic activity.

A novel Z-Scheme CdS/Bi3O4Cl heterostructure photocatalysts are fabricated by a facile surfactant-free method, and the visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity has been investigated for degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TC). For degradation of CIP, the Z-Scheme CdS/Bi3O4Cl-50 heterostructure displays the optimal rate constant (kapp = 0.0151 min−1), which is about 10.63 and 1.97 times higher than that of pure Bi3O4Cl (kapp = 0.00142 min−1) and CdS (kapp = 0.00764 min−1), respectively. Meanwhile, as expected, the rate constant of Z-Scheme CdS/Bi3O4Cl-50 heterostructure also displays the highest (0.0643 min−1) for degradation of TC, which is 2.14 times and 4.34 times as high as those of the bare CdS (0.0301 min−1) and Bi3O4Cl (0.0148 min−1), respectively. The enhancement of phototcatalytic activity is ascribed to the significant improved transfer and separation of charge carriers, which are proved by photocurrent and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) measurements. The possible degradation pathway for CIP and TC are proposed based on the HPLC-MS analysis. Compared with pure CdS nanospheres and Bi3O4Cl nanosheets, the Z-Scheme CdS/Bi3O4Cl heterostructures exhibit the excellent mineralization ability towards the CIP and TC molecules degradation through the analysis of the total organic carbon (TOC) tests. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism over Z-Scheme CdS/Bi3O4Cl heterostructure under visible light irradiation is investigated by active species trapping experiments and ESR technology. The present work provides a new approach to construct Z-Scheme heterojunction photocatalysts and a deeper insight for the mineralization activity, possible degradation pathways and photocatalytic mechanism.

Simultaneous monitoring of the expression, distribution, and dynamics of biological molecules in living cells is one of the most challenging tasks in the analytical sciences. The key to effective and successful intracellular imaging is the development of delivery platforms with high efficiency and ultrasensitive molecular probes for specific targets of interest. To achieve these goals, many nanomaterials are widely used as carriers to introduce nucleic acid probes into living cells for real-time imaging of biomolecules. However, limitations on their use include issues of cytotoxicity and delivery efficiency. Herein, we propose a switchable aptamer micelle flare (SAMF), formed by self-assembly of an aptamer switch probe-diacyllipid chimera, to monitor ATP molecules inside living cells. Similarity of hydrophobic composition between diacyllipids in the micelle flares and phospholipid bilayers in the dynamic membranes of living cells allows SAMFs to be uptaken by living cells more efficiently than aptamer switch probes without external auxiliary. Switchable aptamers were found to bind target ATP molecules with high selectivity and specificity, resulting in restoration of the fluorescence signal from "OFF" to "ON" state, thus indicating the presence of the analyte. These switchable aptamer micelle flares, which exhibit cell permeability and nanoscale controllability, show exceptional promise for molecular imaging in bioanalysis, disease diagnosis, and drug delivery.

Cilia are thought to harbour a membrane diffusion barrier within their transition zone (TZ) that compartmentalises signalling proteins. How this "ciliary gate" assembles and functions remains largely unknown. Contrary to current models, we present evidence that Caenorhabditis elegans MKS-5 (orthologue of mammalian Mks5/Rpgrip1L/Nphp8 and Rpgrip1) may not be a simple structural scaffold for anchoring > 10 different proteins at the TZ, but instead, functions as an assembly factor. This activity is needed to form TZ ultrastructure, which comprises Y-shaped axoneme-to-membrane connectors. Coiled-coil and C2 domains within MKS-5 enable TZ localisation and functional interactions with two TZ modules, consisting of Meckel syndrome (MKS) and nephronophthisis (NPHP) proteins. Discrete roles for these modules at basal body-associated transition fibres and TZ explain their redundant functions in making essential membrane connections and thus sealing the ciliary compartment. Furthermore, MKS-5 establishes a ciliary zone of exclusion (CIZE) at the TZ that confines signalling proteins, including GPCRs and NPHP-2/inversin, to distal ciliary subdomains. The TZ/CIZE, potentially acting as a lipid gate, limits the abundance of the phosphoinositide PIP2 within cilia and is required for cell signalling. Together, our findings suggest a new model for Mks5/Rpgrip1L in TZ assembly and function that is essential for establishing the ciliary signalling compartment.

Bacteria transcriptional regulators are classified by their functional and sequence similarities. Member of the TetR/AcrR family is two-domain proteins including an N-terminal HTH DNA-binding motif and a C-terminal ligand recognition domain. The C-terminal ligand recognition domain can recognize the very same compounds as their target transporters transferred. TetRs act as chemical sensors to monitor both the cellular environmental dynamics and their regulated genes underlying many events, such as antibiotics production, osmotic stress, efflux pumps, multidrug resistance, metabolic modulation, and pathogenesis. Compounds targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis ethR represent promising novel antibiotic potentiater. TetR-mediated multidrug efflux pumps regulation might be good target candidate for the discovery of better new antibiotics against drug resistance.

A dual-emitting luminescent lanthanide/transition heterometal-organic frameworks of Eu/Zr-MOF was synthesized by incorporation of Eu3+ ions into NH2-UiO-66 under microwave irradiation condition. The multiband fluorescence derived from the characteristic emission of Eu3+ and linker-to-cluster (Eu- oxo or Zr- oxo) charge transfer (LCCT) transition was fabricated. By combination of the luminescent property with the intrinsic porosity and open sites of amine group to bind target analytes, the Eu/Zr-MOF exhibited small molecules-dependent luminescence enhancement and quench effects. Notably, a drastic enhancement of fluorescent at 465 nm induced by formaldehyde was observed. Thus, a ratiometric fluorescent sensing for formaldehyde was performed based on the intensity ratio of two emission bands at 465 and 615 nm for Eu/Zr-MOF. Under the excitation of 365 nm, the increase in intensity ratio of the two emission bands was nearly linearly proportional to the amount of formaldehyde. By this Eu/Zr-MOF sensor, the detection limit of formaldehyde was 0.2 mg/L. This sensing mechanism was ascribed to the binding interaction of free amino groups in Eu/Zr-MOF with the guest. An added electron transfer from amino group containing lone pair electrons to the positively charged formaldehyde leads to a drastic enhancement of luminescence at about 465 nm, while the characteristic emission of Eu3+ at 615 nm enhances slightly. These studies demonstrate that the strategy of multiband emissive heterometal-MOFs can be served as a facile method to fabricate sensitive and specific fluorescent probes of polluting organic small molecules.

The main approach to treat HIV-1 infection is combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Although cART is effective in reducing HIV-1 viral load and controlling disease progression, it has many side effects, and is expensive for HIV-1 infected patients who must remain on lifetime treatment. HIV-1 gene therapy has drawn much attention as studies of genome editing tools have progressed. For example, zinc finger nucleases (ZFN), transcription activator like effector nucleases (TALEN) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 have been utilized to successfully disrupt the HIV-1 co-receptors CCR5 or CXCR4, thereby restricting HIV-1 infection. However, the effects of simultaneous genome editing of CXCR4 and CCR5 by CRISPR-Cas9 in blocking HIV-1 infection in primary CD4+ T cells has been rarely reported. Furthermore, combination of different target sites of CXCR4 and CCR5 for disruption also need investigation.In this report, we designed two different gRNA combinations targeting both CXCR4 and CCR5, in a single vector. The CRISPR-sgRNAs-Cas9 could successfully induce editing of CXCR4 and CCR5 genes in various cell lines and primary CD4+ T cells. Using HIV-1 challenge assays, we demonstrated that CXCR4-tropic or CCR5-tropic HIV-1 infections were significantly reduced in CXCR4- and CCR5-modified cells, and the modified cells exhibited a selective advantage over unmodified cells during HIV-1 infection. The off-target analysis showed that no non-specific editing was identified in all predicted sites. In addition, apoptosis assays indicated that simultaneous disruption of CXCR4 and CCR5 in primary CD4+ T cells by CRISPR-Cas9 had no obvious cytotoxic effects on cell viability.Our results suggest that simultaneous genome editing of CXCR4 and CCR5 by CRISPR-Cas9 can potentially provide an effective and safe strategy towards a functional cure for HIV-1 infection.

It is difficult for controlling the micro/nanostructures of composite unit on the surface of two-dimensional (2D) materials to fabricate the new high-efficiency photocatalysts. The mes-Fe3O4/g-C3N4 composite is fabricated by the modification of mesoporous Fe3O4 (mes-Fe3O4) nanospheres on the surface of 2D graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets. The mes-Fe3O4 nanospheres as the natural nanoreactors enlarge the specific surface area to increase reaction active sites, as well as provide the confined space to accelerate degradation reaction. Meanwhile, the physical and photoelectrochemical properties of mes-Fe3O4/g-C3N4 composite are distinctly improved owing to the electron collection effect of mes-Fe3O4 nanoreactors. The mes-Fe3O4/g-C3N4 composites exhibit the improved degradation performance for removing tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) relative to single g-C3N4. Moreover, the possible intermediate product and photocatalytic reaction mechanism are revealed in depth. This work gives a new guidance for the controlled fabrication of mesoporous nanoreactors on the surface of 2D materials.

Polymer-rich composite electrolytes with lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide/poly(ethylene oxide) (LiFSI/PEO) containing either Li-ion conducting glass ceramic (LICGC) or inorganic Al2O3 fillers are investigated in all-solid-state Li–S cells. In the presence of the fillers, the ionic conductivity of the composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) does not increase compared to the plain LiFSI/PEO electrolyte at various tested temperatures. The CPE with Al2O3 fillers improves the stability of the Li/electrolyte interface, while the Li–S cell with a LICGC-based CPE delivers high sulfur utilization of 1111 mAh g–1 and areal capacity of 1.14 mAh cm–2. In particular, the cell performance gets further enhanced when combining these two CPEs (Li | Al2O3–CPE/LICGC–CPE | S), reaching a capacity of 518 mAh g–1 and 0.53 mAh cm–2 with Coulombic efficiency higher than 99% at the end of 50 cycles at 70 °C. This study shows that the CPEs can be promising electrolyte candidates to develop safe and high-performance all-solid-state Li–S batteries.

The Co3O4/g-C3N4 Z-scheme system is constructed by decoration of mesoporous Co3O4 nanospheres assembled by monocrystal nanodots on the surface of g-C3N4, which dramatically improves the photocatalytic activity for degrading tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) compared with single g-C3N4. The microstructure investigations evidence the mesoporous structure and enlarged specific surface area of Co3O4/g-C3N4 Z-scheme system, which implies the increase of surface active sites and adsorption ability for reactant molecules. Moreover, by virtue of analyzing physical and photoelectrochemical properties, it evidences that the decoration effect of mesoporous Co3O4 nanospheres on the surface of g-C3N4 obviously improves the transfer and separation efficiency of charge carriers between two phase interfaces and broadens light harvest range. These important factors are beneficial to enhancing photocatalytic activity of Co3O4/g-C3N4 Z-scheme system. In addition, the photocatalityc reaction mechanism is also revealed in depth.

Cilia have a unique diffusion barrier (“gate”) within their proximal region, termed transition zone (TZ), that compartmentalises signalling proteins within the organelle. The TZ is known to harbour two functional modules/complexes (Meckel syndrome [MKS] and Nephronophthisis [NPHP]) defined by genetic interaction, interdependent protein localisation (hierarchy), and proteomic studies. However, the composition and molecular organisation of these modules and their links to human ciliary disease are not completely understood. Here, we reveal Caenorhabditis elegans CEP-290 (mammalian Cep290/Mks4/Nphp6 orthologue) as a central assembly factor that is specific for established MKS module components and depends on the coiled coil region of MKS-5 (Rpgrip1L/Rpgrip1) for TZ localisation. Consistent with a critical role in ciliary gate function, CEP-290 prevents inappropriate entry of membrane-associated proteins into cilia and keeps ARL-13 (Arl13b) from leaking out of cilia via the TZ. We identify a novel MKS module component, TMEM-218 (Tmem218), that requires CEP-290 and other MKS module components for TZ localisation and functions together with the NPHP module to facilitate ciliogenesis. We show that TZ localisation of TMEM-138 (Tmem138) and CDKL-1 (Cdkl1/Cdkl2/Cdkl3/Cdlk4 related), not previously linked to a specific TZ module, similarly depends on CEP-290; surprisingly, neither TMEM-138 or CDKL-1 exhibit interdependent localisation or genetic interactions with core MKS or NPHP module components, suggesting they are part of a distinct, CEP-290-associated module. Lastly, we show that families presenting with Oral-Facial-Digital syndrome type 6 (OFD6) have likely pathogenic mutations in CEP-290-dependent TZ proteins, namely Tmem17, Tmem138, and Tmem231. Notably, patient fibroblasts harbouring mutated Tmem17, a protein not yet ciliopathy-associated, display ciliogenesis defects. Together, our findings expand the repertoire of MKS module-associated proteins—including the previously uncharacterised mammalian Tmem80—and suggest an MKS-5 and CEP-290-dependent assembly pathway for building a functional TZ.

The cilium is an essential organelle at the surface of mammalian cells whose dysfunction causes a wide range of genetic diseases collectively called ciliopathies. The current rate at which new ciliopathy genes are identified suggests that many ciliary components remain undiscovered. We generated and rigorously analyzed genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic and evolutionary data and systematically integrated these using Bayesian statistics into a predictive score for ciliary function. This resulted in 285 candidate ciliary genes. We generated independent experimental evidence of ciliary associations for 24 out of 36 analyzed candidate proteins using multiple cell and animal model systems (mouse, zebrafish and nematode) and techniques. For example, we show that OSCP1, which has previously been implicated in two distinct non-ciliary processes, causes ciliogenic and ciliopathy-associated tissue phenotypes when depleted in zebrafish. The candidate list forms the basis of CiliaCarta, a comprehensive ciliary compendium covering 956 genes. The resource can be used to objectively prioritize candidate genes in whole exome or genome sequencing of ciliopathy patients and can be accessed at http://bioinformatics.bio.uu.nl/john/syscilia/ciliacarta/.

Bisphenol A cyanate ester/polyglycidyl methyacrylate (BADCy/PGMA) microcapsules were successfully fabricated via a solvent evaporation technique; herein, BADCy is the core material and synthesized PGMA is the shell material. Optimal BADCy/PGMA microcapsules with dense core–shell structures were implanted in the bisphenol A epoxy resin (E-51) matrix to fabricate the corresponding (BADCy/PGMA)/E-51 self-healing composites. Results revealed that the optimal BADCy/PGMA microcapsules presented a spherical shape and rough surface, with mean diameter of 31.5 μm and wall thickness of 2.2 μm. The core material of BADCy maintained its reactivity after being encapsulated by the shell of PGMA. The BADCy/PGMA microcapsules also presented relatively good thermal stability and proper mechanical stability. Moreover, the fabricated (BADCy/PGMA)/E-51 composite with 8 wt % BADCy/PGMA microcapsules possessed relatively good self-healing performance.

It is a hot topic to seek cheap and efficient cocatalyst to improve the activity of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) in photocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen and photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. Herein, we prepared successfully the novel 0D/2D heterojunction by the modification of Ni2P quantum dots (QDs) as cocatalyst on the surface of ultrathin g-C3N4 layer, which can greatly enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen production and PEC performance under visible light owing to the improvement of separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers and visible-light absorption capacity. Surprisingly, the optimum amount of Ni2P loaded on the g-C3N4 is 3 wt%, whose hydrogen production rate is 1503 μmol h−1 g−1 being far superior to that of g-C3N4 decorated by 3 wt% Pt (560 μmol h−1 g−1). Moreover, the photocurrent response value of Ni2P/g-C3N4 photocatalyst is over 11 times and 3 times that of pure g-C3N4 and Pt/g-C3N4, respectively. What’s better, the stable photocatalytic H2 evolution and PEC performance of Ni2P/g-C3N4 demonstrates its high stability and reusability resulting from Ni-N coordination on the surface of g-C3N4. This work provides valid evidence for the development of cheap, efficient and durable cocatalyst actting on the g-C3N4, opening up new opportunities and possibilities for dual function application.

In this aritcle, we have developed an interesting imaging method for intracellular ATP molecules with semiquantitation. While there has been a lot of work in understanding intracellular events, very few can come close to quantitation or semiquantitation in living cells. In this work, we made an effective use of nanomaterials, graphene oxides, both as a quencher and a carrier for intracellular delivery. In addition, this graphene oxide also serves as the carrier for reference probes for fluorescent imaging. An ATP aptamer molecular beacon (AAMB) is adsorbed on graphene oxide (GO) to form a double quenching platform. The AAMB/GO spontaneously enters cells, and then AAMB is released and opened by intracellular ATP. The resulting fluorescence recovery is used to perform ATP live-cell imaging with greatly improved background and signaling. Moreover, a control ssDNA, which is released nonspecifically from GO by nontarget cellular proteins, can serve as an internal reference for ATP semiquantification inside living cells using the intensity ratio of the AAMB and control. This approach can serve as a way for intracellular delivery and quantitative analysis.

Tartrazine is an artificial azo dye commonly used in human food and pharmaceutical products. The present study was conducted to evaluate the toxic effect of tartrazine on the learning and memory functions in mice and rats. Animals were administered different doses of tartrazine for a period of 30 d and were evaluated by open-field test, step-through test, and Morris water maze test, respectively. Furthermore, the biomarkers of the oxidative stress and pathohistology were also measured to explore the possible mechanisms involved. The results indicated that tartrazine extract significantly enhanced active behavioral response to the open field, increased the escape latency in Morris water maze test and decreased the retention latency in step-through tests. The decline in the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as a rise in the level of malonaldehyde (MDA) were observed in the brain of tartrazine-treated rats, and these changes were associated with the brain from oxidative damage. The dose levels of tartrazine in the present study produced a few adverse effects in learning and memory functions in animals. The mechanisms might be attributed to promoting lipid peroxidation products and reactive oxygen species, inhibiting endogenous antioxidant defense enzymes and the brain tissue damage.Tartrazine is an artificial azo dye commonly used in human food and pharmaceutical products. Since the last assessment carried out by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives in 1964, many new studies have been conducted. However, there is a little information about the effects on learning and memory performance. The present study was conducted to evaluate the toxic effect of tartrazine on the learning and memory functions in animals and its possible mechanism involved. Based on our results, we believe that more extensive assessment of food additives in current use is warranted.

Mulberry (Morus sp.) fruits provide high levels of anthocyanins, quercetin glycoside, and chlorogenic acid. Recently, mulberry’s polyphenols and their functionalities are spotlighted in different ex vivo and in vivo studies. Meanwhile, the deficiency of systematic knowledge on the health effects and polyphenols composition greatly hinders the development of mulberry as a sustainable fruit. This review briefly summarises the polyphenol compositions, metabolism, health benefits, and their stability in different mulberry production steps. These claimed health effects include anti-oxidative, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, anti-obesity, and other related effects. However, although the current evidence is promising, further clinical studies are needed to evaluate the role of mulberries' polyphenols to support human health. Besides, the mechanisms by which they confer the health benefits, the bioavailability studies on mulberry’s polyphenols are also scarce. We compile the research findings from the available literatures within the last two decades, and we also suggest some future perspectives in this review.

Abstract The aim of this work was to compare the efficiency of different carrier agents (maltodextrin, gum arabic, starch sodium octenyl succinate, whey protein concentrate, and egg albumin) on the powder recovery and physicochemical properties of persimmon powders produced by spray drying. Moisture content, water activity, hygroscopicity, solubility index, total phenol retention, color parameters, particle size, morphology, crystalline state, and sorption isotherms of persimmon powders were determined. No powder was recovered when the persimmon pulp was spray dried alone. The amount of maltodextrin, gum arabic, starch sodium octenyl succinate, whey protein concentrate, and egg albumin needed to obtain a powder recovery of 70% was 45, 30, 30, 25, and 10%, respectively. The use of maltodextrin, gum arabic, and starch sodium octenyl succinate resulted in higher total polyphenol retention and better reconstitution properties, but the powders were paler than those with whey protein concentrate and egg albumin. All carriers could aid the formation of persimmon irregular spherical microcapsules. However, powders produced with maltodextrin and gum arabic had a smoother surface and a more spherical shape than powders produced with other carriers. In addition, powders produced with starch sodium octenyl succinate, whey protein concentrate, and egg albumin were more agglomerated and shriveled compared to those produced with maltodextrin and gum arabic. All experimental data of water adsorption were well fitted to the Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) model. Keywords: CarriersPersimmon fruitsPolyphenol retentionPowder recoverySpray drying Notes a–f The different letters in each column indicate that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the values. a–e The different letters in each column indicate that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the values. a–e The different letters in each column indicate that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the values. a–e The different letters in each column indicate that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the values. Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/ldrt.

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of fucoidan on rat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) model and elucidate the potential mechanisms. Myocardial I/R injury was induced by the occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 2h. After 2h reperfusion, hemodynamics parameters were detected. Blood samples were collected to determine serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6, 10 (IL-6, 10). Hearts were harvested to assess histopathological changes, infarct size (IS), and the content of myeloperoxidase (MPO). The expression of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), phosphor-IκB-α and phosphor-nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were assayed by western blot. Compared with control group, treatment with fucoidan improved left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and the contractility index (P<0.05, P<0.01). Fucoidan reduced the myocardial IS, the levels of TNF-α and IL-6, and the activity of MPO (P<0.05, P<0.01). Fucoidan down-regulated the expression of HMGB1, phosphor-IκB-α and NF-κB, but increased the content of IL-10 when compared with control (P<0.05, P<0.01). Besides, the infiltration of polymorph nuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and histopathological damages in myocardium were decreased in fucoidan treated groups (PMNs, P<0.05, P<0.01). These findings revealed that the administration of fucoidan could regulate the inflammation response via HMGB1 and NF-κB inactivation in I/R-induced myocardial damage.

Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) battery technology is one of the promising candidates for next generation energy storage systems. Many studies have focused on the cathode materials to improve the cell performance. In this work we present a series of poly (S-DVB) copolymers synthesised by inverse vulcanization of sulfur with divinylbenzene (DVB). The poly (S-DVB) cathode shows excellent cycling performances at C/2 and C/4 current rates, respectively. It was demonstrated poly (S-DVB) copolymer containing 20% DVB did not influence the electrochemical performance of the sulfur material, compared to elemental sulfur as high specific capacities over ∼700 mAh g−1 at 500 cycles were achieved at C/4 current rate, comparable to conventional carbon-based S cathodes. However, the use of copolymer network is assumed to act firstly as sulfur reservoir and secondly as mechanical stabilizer, enhancing significantly the cycling lifetime. The Li-poly (S-DVB) cell demonstrated an extremely low degradation rate of 0.04% per cycle achieving over 1600 cycles at C/2 current rate.

The adsorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics of Cr(III) on graphene oxide (GO) were studied. The adsorption kinetic data were well described with pseudo-second-order model and the equilibrium data were well fitted by Langmuir model. The calculated thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption of Cr(III) on GO was spontaneous and endothermic. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cr(III) on GO at pH 5.0 and T = 296 K was about 92.65 mg g−1, which was higher than other reported adsorbents. It was found that the adsorption of Cr(III) on GO was strongly dependent on solution pH, but weakly dependent on ionic strength. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra suggested that Cr(III) was adsorbed on GO mainly through the formation of inner-sphere complexes with the O-containing functional groups on GO surface. Results in this study suggested that GO was a suitable material for the preconcentration and removal of Cr(III) from water.

We report an efficient and novel method for encapsulation of isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) in polythioether microcapsules via thiol-ene click reaction based on Pickering emulsion, which has significantly improved and simplified the preparation process. The resultant microcapsules have spherical shapes with a layer of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) particles covering outside. The diameter ranges from 82.1 to 160.8 μm, which is controlled by the concentration of PGMA particles, and the typical shell thickness is about 9 μm. Moreover, the core content is up to 71% by adjusting the adding ratio of core/shell monomers. Remarkably, the microcapsules have excellently environmental stability that only 18% of the core content drops (from 63.2% to 51.8%) after immersion in water for seven days. These microcapsules could keep their integrity and uniformly disperse in acrylate coatings. In addition, they are proved to be a good self-healing candidate for coatings applied in wet environment.

Fucoidan is a complex sulfated polysaccharide, derived from marine brown seaweed. In the present study, we investigated the effects of fucoidan on improving learning and memory impairment in rats induced by infusion of Aβ (1–40), and its possible mechanisms. The results indicated that fucoidan could ameliorate Aβ-induced learning and memory impairment in animal behavioral tests. Furthermore, fucoidan reversed the decreased activity of choline acetyl transferase (ChAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and content of acetylcholine (Ach), as well as the increased activity of acetylcholine esterase (AchE) and content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in hippocampal tissue of Aβ-injected rats. Moreover, these were accompanied by an increase of Bcl-2/Bax ratio and a decrease of caspase-3 activity. These results suggested that fucoidan could ameliorate the learning and memory abilities in Aβ-induced AD rats, and the mechanisms appeared to be due to regulating the cholinergic system, reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting the cell apoptosis.

The Meckel syndrome (MKS) complex functions at the transition zone, located between the basal body and axoneme, to regulate the localization of ciliary membrane proteins. We investigated the role of Tmem231, a two-pass transmembrane protein, in MKS complex formation and function. Consistent with a role in transition zone function, mutation of mouse Tmem231 disrupts the localization of proteins including Arl13b and Inpp5e to cilia, resulting in phenotypes characteristic of MKS such as polydactyly and kidney cysts. Tmem231 and B9d1 are essential for each other and other complex components such as Mks1 to localize to the transition zone. As in mouse, the Caenorhabditis elegans orthologue of Tmem231 localizes to and controls transition zone formation and function, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved role for Tmem231. We identified TMEM231 mutations in orofaciodigital syndrome type 3 (OFD3) and MKS patients that compromise transition zone function. Thus, Tmem231 is critical for organizing the MKS complex and controlling ciliary composition, defects in which cause OFD3 and MKS.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging worldwide threat to public health. While chest computed tomography (CT) plays an indispensable role in its diagnosis, the quantification and localization of lesions cannot be accurately assessed manually. We employed deep learning-based software to aid in detection, localization and quantification of COVID-19 pneumonia.A total of 2460 RT-PCR tested SARS-CoV-2-positive patients (1250 men and 1210 women; mean age, 57.7 ± 14.0 years (age range, 11-93 years) were retrospectively identified from Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan from February 11 to March 16, 2020. Basic clinical characteristics were reviewed. The uAI Intelligent Assistant Analysis System was used to assess the CT scans.CT scans of 2215 patients (90%) showed multiple lesions of which 36 (1%) and 50 patients (2%) had left and right lung infections, respectively (> 50% of each affected lung's volume), while 27 (1%) had total lung infection (> 50% of the total volume of both lungs). Overall, 298 (12%), 778 (32%) and 1300 (53%) patients exhibited pure ground glass opacities (GGOs), GGOs with sub-solid lesions and GGOs with both sub-solid and solid lesions, respectively. Moreover, 2305 (94%) and 71 (3%) patients presented primarily with GGOs and sub-solid lesions, respectively. Elderly patients (≥ 60 years) were more likely to exhibit sub-solid lesions. The generalized linear mixed model showed that the dorsal segment of the right lower lobe was the favoured site of COVID-19 pneumonia.Chest CT combined with analysis by the uAI Intelligent Assistant Analysis System can accurately evaluate pneumonia in COVID-19 patients.

Based on their enhanced cellular uptake, stability, biocompatibility, and versatile surface functionalization, spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) have become a potentially useful platform in biological applications. It still remains important to expand the SNAs’ “toolbox”, especially given the current interest in multimodal or theranostic nanomaterials, that is, composites capable of multiple simultaneous applications such as imaging, sensing, and drug delivery. In this paper, we have engineered a nanoparticle-conjugated initiator that triggers a cascade of hybridization reactions resulting in the formation of a long DNA polymer as the nanoparticle shell. By employing different DNA fragments, self-assembled multifunctional SNAs can be constructed. Therefore, using one capped ligand, these SNAs can combine imaging fluorescent tags, target recognition element, and targeted delivery molecules together. Since these SNAs possess high drug loading capacity and high specificity by the incorporation of an aptamer, our approach might find potential applications in new drug development, existing drug improvement, and drug delivery for cancer therapy.