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Schematic shows the preparation of pure active water.

Our previous study suggests that upregulated RAB35 is implicated in etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). We hypothesized that upregulated RAB35 results from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in RAB35 gene promoter. We identified SNPs within RAB35 gene promoter by analyzing DNA samples of discovery cohort and validation cohort. SNP rs17525453 within RAB35 gene promoter (T>C at position of -66) was significantly associated with idiopathic PD patients. Compared to normal controls, sporadic PD patients had higher C allele frequency. CC and CT genotype significantly increased risk of PD compared with TT genotype. SNP rs17525453 within RAB35 gene promoter leads to formation of transcription factor TFII-I binding site. Results of EMSA and supershift assay indicated that TFII-I binds to rs17525453 sequence of RAB35 gene promoter. Luciferase reporter assays showed that rs17525453 variant of RAB35 gene promoter possesses an augmented transcriptional activity. Our results suggest that functional variant rs17525453 within RAB35 gene promoter is likely to enhance transcriptional activity and upregulate RAB35 protein, which could lead to increased risk of PD in Taiwanese population.

Biochar has been found to be a potentially suitable amendment for landfill cover material and agricultural soil. The addition of biochar can improve the physical (e.g., adsorption capacity) and hydrological properties (e.g., water/gas permeability) of soil. However, no experimental study is available about the effect of biochar content (BC) on the gas diffusion coefficient (DP) of soil. The present study investigated the effect of BC on DP under different degree of compaction (DOC; 85%, 90%, and 95%) and soil air contents (SAC; 5%, 10%, and 15%). It was found that DOC and BC had negligible effects on DP when SAC was low (~ 5%). In contrast, when the SAC was relatively high (~ 15%), soil with DOC of 85% had the largest DP for BC ranging from 0 to 15% (w/w). Only when the SAC was large (~ 15%), the addition of biochar generally increased DP.

The innovative plasmon-activated water (PAW) with reduced hydrogen bonds exhibits intrinsically distinct properties at room temperature, which are significantly different from the properties of untreated conventional deionized (DI) water. Examples of this are their ability to scavenge free radicals and higher vapor pressure. However, distinct properties of energetic PAW decay within the day after its creation in a metastable liquid state. In this work, we report a facile method for persisting its distinct activities by letting as-prepared PAW be quickly frozen in liquid nitrogen and letting the frozen PAW (for one month before further measurements) be quickly melted to room temperature in a warm-water bath (called treated PAW). Experimental results indicate that the activity of the higher evaporation rate of treated PAW compared to DI water can be maintained ca. 90% of magnitude, as compared to the as-prepared PAW. Also, its abilities to scavenge free hydroxyl and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals can be maintained at ca. 70 and 80% of magnitudes, respectively. Moreover, this strategy of quickly freezing and melting treatments to PAW on persisting in distinct activity of PAW is effective in oxygen evolution reactions. This promises the stored energy and the distinct property of created liquid PAW being available in water-related fields after long-term storage.

Plasmon-activated water (PAW) with reduced hydrogen-bonded (HB) structure is created from conventional deionized (DI) water. Compared to DI water, PAW owns distinctly higher diffusion coefficient and electron transfer rate constant for electrochemical reactions. In this work, we discuss the more efficient oxygen (or hydrogen) evolution reaction (OER or HER) performed in PAW solutions, as compared to DI water solutions, in different concentrations of electrolytes at different applied potentials. Basically, the higher recorded currents based on PAW solutions are more significant when experiments are performed in lower concentrations of electrolytes and at lower applied overpotentials. Interestingly, the increased current density in percentage for OERs and HERs performed in PAW solutions compared to experiments performed in DI water solutions is less significant as the applied overpotential is increased. These interesting findings suggest that utilizing PAW with higher diffusion coefficient and electron transfer rate constant for more efficient electrochemical reactions is suitable in well diffusion- and kinetics-controlled systems. Also, in the Randles-Sevcik reaction, using the PAW solution takes more advantages in a lower concentration of K3Fe(CN)6 at a lower scan rate. This innovative concept has emerged as a promising strategy for effectively utilizing PAW in electrochemical reactions.

The plasmon-activated water (PAW) that reduces hydrogen bonds is made of deionized reverse osmosis water (ROW). However, compared with ROW, PAW has a significantly higher diffusion coefficient and electron transfer rate constant in electrochemical reactions. PAW has a boiling point of 97 °C and specific heat of0.94, the energy of PAW is also 1121 J/mol higher than ordinary water. The greater the force of hydrogen bonds between H2O, the larger the volume of the H2O cluster, and the easier it is to lose the original characteristics. The hydrogen bonding force of PAW is weak, so the volume of its cluster is small, and it exists in a state very close to a single H2O. PAW has a high permeability and diffusion rate, which can improve the needs of biological applications and meet the dependence of biological organisms on H2O when performing physiological functions. PAW can successfully remove free radicals, and efficiently reduce lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced monocytes to release nitric oxide. PAW can induce expression of the antioxidant gene Nrf2 in human gingival fibroblasts, lower amyloid burden in mice with Alzheimer’s disease, and decrease metastasis in mice grafted with Lewis lung carcinoma cells. Because the transferring plasmon effect may improve the abnormality of physiological activity in a biological system, we aimed to evaluate the influence of PAW on orthotopic allograft transplantation (OAT)-induced vasculopathy in this study. Here, we demonstrated that daily intake of PAW lowered the progression of vasculopathy in OAT-recipient ACI/NKyo rats by inhibiting collagen accumulation, proliferation of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, and T lymphocyte infiltration in the vessel wall. The results showed reduced T and B lymphocytes, plasma cells, and macrophage activation in the spleen of the OAT-recipient ACI/NKyo rats that were administered PAW. In contrast to the control group, the OAT-recipient ACI/NKyo rats that were administered PAW exhibited higher mobilization and levels of circulating endothelial progenitor cells associated with vessel repair. We use the transferring plasmon effect to adjust and maintain the biochemical properties of water, and to meet the biochemical demand of organisms. Therefore, this study highlights the therapeutic roles of PAW and provides more biomedical applicability for the transferring plasmon effect.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with dysbiosis and intestinal barrier dysfunction, as indicated by epithelial hyperpermeability and high levels of mucosal-associated bacteria. Changes in gut microbiota may be correlated with IBD pathogenesis. Additionally, microbe-based treatments could mitigate clinical IBD symptoms. Plasmon-activated water (PAW) is known to have an anti-inflammatory potential. In this work, we studied the association between the anti-inflammatory ability of PAW and intestinal microbes, thereby improving IBD treatment. We examined the PAW-induced changes in the colonic immune activity and microbiota of mice by immunohistochemistry and next generation sequencing, determined whether drinking PAW can mitigate IBD induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) and dysbiosis through mice animal models. The effects of specific probiotic species on mice with TNBS-induced IBD were also investigated. Experimental results indicated that PAW could change the local inflammation in the intestinal microenvironment. Moreover, the abundance of Akkermansia spp. was degraded in the TNBS-treated mice but elevated in the PAW-drinking mice. Daily rectal injection of Akkermansia muciniphila, a potential probiotic species in Akkermansia spp., also improved the health of the mice. Correspondingly, both PAW consumption and increasing the intestinal abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila can mitigate IBD in mice. These findings indicate that increasing the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila in the gut through PAW consumption or other methods may mitigate IBD in mice with clinically significant IBD.

Most of chemical reactions are performed in aqueous solutions, which are conventionally prepared using laboratory-ready and environmentally friendly deionized (DI) water. Water is generally considered as a passive reactant or as a spectator solvent. In this work, we demonstrate the added reagents for reactions in aqueous solutions can be effectively reduced by utilizing plasmon-activated water (PAW) with reduced hydrogen-bonded (HB) structure instead of conventional DI water with strong HB structure. For electrochemical reactions performing the similar currents the electrolytes used in PAW-based systems are ca. 90% concentrations compared to those used in DI water-based systems. Moreover, these concentrations used in PAW in situ-based systems can be further reduced to ca. 80% of magnitudes for maintaining the similar current levels. More interestingly, the recorded current of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on a catalytic Pt electrode in the PAW-based system (0.09 M KOH) is significantly higher than that in the DI water-based system (0.1 M KOH). That means that the efficiency of the OER performed in a low-electrolyte-concentration alkaline solution can be markedly enhanced by utilizing PAW in spite of the electrolyte concentration is reduced by 10% of magnitude compared to the DI water-based system. These interesting findings promise the PAW for the effective and green reactants and solvents.

Water scarcity is one of the most serious global challenges of our time. One of the currently resolutions to this shortage is desalination. So far, most research on desalination has focused on preparing photothermal materials which possess the property of light-to-heat conversion. However, changing the intrinsic properties of water to improve the efficiency of solar evaporation has rarely been discussed. A new concept to increase the efficiency of desalination via destroying hydrogen bonds based on gold nanoparticles-adsorbed ceramic rods (AuNPs@CRs) is proposed here for the first time. Weakening the strength of interactions within water molecules by illumination with resonant light produces easily evaporable plasmon-activated water (PAW). This proposed system exhibits high efficiencies of steam generation in different experimental environments. Meanwhile, it was 140.0% and 107.5% more efficient than untreated water in an oven and an indoor environment, respectively. The source of resonant light from sunlight on a sunny or cloudy day can also achieve this performance. In addition, the results of water pump suction and direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) further demonstrated that the illuminated AuNPs@CR system exhibits high potential for desalination.

The strength of hydrogen bonds (HBs) decides water’s properties and activities. It is recognized that the properties of confined liquid water, or liquid water in contact with hydrophobic surfaces, significantly differ from those of bulk liquid water. However, these unique properties of water are only found within the interfacial phase and a confined environment; thus, their applications are limited. Nowadays, environmentally friendly science, health and energy are main concerns in the world. In this review, an innovative and facile method for preparing mass-produced plasmon-activated water (PAW) with reduced HBs by letting bulk water flow through gold-supported nanoparticles (AuNPs) under resonant illumination at constant temperature is reported. The resulting stable PAW exhibits distinct properties and activities, which significantly differ from those of untreated bulk water. In addition, this PAW has the obvious advantages in environmentally friendly science, green energy, water saving and medicine.

Liquid water, as the most environmentally friendly polar solvent, is popularly used in physical processes and chemical reactions. Its unique properties and activities come from the presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonds (HBs) with itself and other species. Scientists have been discussing properties other than known bulk water for a long time. However, the particular application of water being researched is limited today. Mass-produced active and stable plasmon-activated water (PAW) with a reduced HB network based on hot electron transfer (HET) from resonantly illuminated gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) was first created in 2014. In this work, we report its distinct intermolecular HBs with water-soluble alcohols and the solubility of hydrophobic solutes. Interestingly, the densities of PAW in methanol, ethanol, and propanol at various ratios all increased due to stronger HBs between PAW and the alcohols, particularly seen with propanol, compared to deionized water (DIW)-based systems. Moreover, these results reflect the decreased evaporation rates of PAW/alcohol solutions, especially observed for the solution with the maximum increased density, compared to DIW-based systems. Compared to DIW, the solubilities of hydrophobic antioxidants of curcumin and melatonin in PAW increased by ca. 240% and 120%, respectively. Moreover, sunflower oil was more soluble in the more-lipophilic PAW compared to conventional DIW. The distinct increased density of the alcohol/PAW solution lasted for at least 1 week. Innovative PAW has emerged as a promising green active solvent applicable for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic solutions.

Conventionally, electrochemical polymerization of polypyrrole (PPy) was generally performed in deionized (DI) water-based electrolyte. In this work, an innovative and facile strategy to substantially enhance the electroactive surface areas of electrochemically polymerized PPy is proposed by using plasmon-activated water (PAW)-based electrolyte. Compared to the DI water-based system, the prepared PPy with higher electron transfer rate and more-reversible redox performance was observed by using PAW-based system. In addition, a greater electroactive surface area of three-dimensional PPy was obtained with PAW-based electrolyte. These distinct properties of PPy electrodes prepared with PAW were responsible for their better performances in supercapacitors (with ca. 25.2% increased capacitance) and sensors (with ca. 50.0% increased sensitivity), compared to those prepared with DI water. These encouraging findings show the potential of PPy prepared with newly developed PAW for application to PPy-related devices to further enhance various performances.

Ischemic stroke is a devastating disease with limited therapeutic options. It is very urgent to find a new target for drug development. Here we found that the blood level of MIF in ischemic stroke patients is upregulated. To figure out the pathological role of MIF in ischemic stroke, both in vitro and in vivo studies were conducted. For in vitro studies, primary cortical neuron cultures and adult rat brain endothelial cells (ARBECs) were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)/reoxygenation. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) rodent models were used for in vivo studies. The results show that MIF exerts no direct neuronal toxicity in primary culture but disrupts tight junction in ARBECs. Furthermore, administration of MIF following MCAo shows the deleterious influence on stroke-induced injury by destroying the tight junction of blood-brain barrier and increasing the infarct size. In contrast, administration of MIF antagonist ISO-1 has the profound neuroprotective effect. Our results demonstrate that MIF might be a good drug target for the therapy of stroke.

Liquid water is the most commonly used environmental-friendly solvent and reactant in chemical reactions and physical processes. Conventionally, it is considered as a passive reactant. In this work, we investigate the potential of plasmon-activated water (PAW) with intrinsically reduced hydrogen-bonded structures compared to normal deionized (DI) water to serve as an active green energy resource. The efficiency of the electrochemical oxidation of water performed on a platinum electrode to form hydrogen peroxide is significantly enhanced in PAW compared to that in DI water. In addition, the limiting current density of the oxygen reduction reaction on a platinum/carbon-coated disk electrode is also enhanced when using PAW (in 0.9 wt % NaCl or in 0.1 M KOH). Moreover, the cell capacitance with semitransparent platinum-coated fluorine-doped SnO2 electrodes is significantly increased from ca. 2 × 10–9 to 6.1 × 10–7 F when decreasing the applied frequency from 10 to 0.1 Hz in a cell containing PAW instead of DI water (without the supporting electrolyte). More interestingly, compared to that in DI water, the efficiencies of the hydrogen evolution reaction in an acid solution (0.05 M H2SO4) and the oxygen evolution reaction in an alkaline solution (0.1 M KOH) performed with PAW in situ increase by about 20% with nanoscale-granulated gold electrodes under resonant illumination. These increases are more significant in neutral solutions for hydrogen evolution reactions and oxygen evolution reactions.

It is recognized that the properties of liquid water can be markedly different from those of bulk one when it is in contact with hydrophobic surfaces or is confined in nano-environments. Because our knowledge regarding water structure on the molecular level of dynamic equilibrium within a picosecond time scale is far from completeness all of water’s conventionally known properties are based on inert “bulk liquid water” with a tetrahedral hydrogen-bonded structure. Actually, the strength of water’s hydrogen bonds (HBs) decides its properties and activities. In this review, an innovative idea on preparation of metastable plasmon-activated water (PAW) with intrinsically reduced HBs, by letting deionized (DI) water flow through gold-supported nanoparticles (AuNPs) under resonant illumination at room temperature, is reported. Compared to DI water, the created stable PAW can scavenge free hydroxyl and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals and effectively reduce NO release from lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory cells. Moreover, PAW can dramatically induce a major antioxidative Nrf2 gene in human gingival fibroblasts. This further confirms its cellular antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, innovatively therapeutic strategy of daily drinking PAW on inflammatory-related diseases based on animal disease models is demonstrated, examples being chronic kidney disease (CKD), chronic sleep deprivation (CSD), and lung cancer.

A novel strategy for an environmentally friendly etching process is proposed based on the vapor from hot electron-activated (HEA) water, in which, HEA water with a weakly hydrogen-bonded structure is neutral. Compared to the vapor from deionized (DI) water, the vapor from HEA water exhibits a facile etching process to a glass sheet after exposing it to vapor at room temperature. The etched glass sheet demonstrates a granular surface morphology with a hydrophobic structure. In addition, the resulting nanostructured glass shows a uniform signal intensity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of rhodamine 6G (R6G). This is favorable for developing reliable sensors. The adhesion of deposited metals on the etched glass is also enhanced. Furthermore, the distortion and reformation of the deposited gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by vapor from HEA water were observed. It suggests that this vapor has higher energy than conventional DI water does. This innovative concept has emerged as a promising strategy for environmentally friendly nanostructured etching.

Generally, aggregation of Ag or Au nanoparticles (NPs) has emerged as a promising strategy to produce large enhancement of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). However, reproducibility of the SERS signal may be poor due to the unavoidable random field distribution. Maintaining both a high SERS effect and satisfactory reproducibility in the fabrication of ordered arrays of SERS-active substrates is most commonly adopted, but the corresponding procedures are quite complicated. In this work, we report on an innovative and facile one-step fabrication of SERS-active Au and Ag substrates with improved SERS activity and excellent signal reproducibility using simple oxidation–reduction cycles (ORCs) in 0.1 N KCl. With this new strategy, hot electron transfer-induced activated (HETIA) water is utilized instead of conventional deionized (DI) water. Experimental results indicated that the corresponding SERS effect of the Au or Ag substrate prepared in HETIA-based solutions was higher than that prepared in DI water-based solutions. The SERS-active Au and Ag substrates prepared in AuNT water-based solutions demonstrated large respective enhancement factors (EFs) of 8.5 × 107 and 6.2 × 108. More importantly, the excellent reproducibility of the signal intensity of rhodamine 6G (R6G) was observed on both SERS-active Au and Ag substrates prepared in HETIA water-based solutions. When measuring solid samples, the corresponding relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 6% and 17% for the Au and Ag substrates, respectively. When measuring liquid samples, the corresponding RSDs were significantly reduced to ca. 1.6% and 8.1% for the two batches of experiments. These low RSDs, which are comparable to and even better than those shown in the literature, reported for this simple but innovative strategy ensure its reliable application in SERS-related studies.

As shown in the literature, molecules located between two metallic nanoparticles (NPs) can display the greatest surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement. Thus many methods have been developed to increase these hot spots on SERS-active substrates. Generally, SERS-active substrates were first prepared. Then probe molecules were adsorbed on the prepared substrates to examine the corresponding SERS effects. In this work, we employ a newly developed pathway to prepare SERS-active substrates with Au NPs by sonoelectrochemical deposition-dissolution cycles (SEDDCs). In preparation probe molecules were added in electrolytes to produce SERS-active substrates with analytes-adsorbed Au NPs by one-step. Encouragingly, based on this strategy, the SERS intensity of cation-type dye of model probe molecules of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) with 2 × 10 −6 M in preparation can be increased by more than 20-fold of magnitude, as compared with that of R6G adsorbed on the already-prepared SERS-active substrates by using a general procedure for preparation of SERS samples. This strategy for improved SERS effect is also effective for probe molecules of 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) with 1 × 10 −4 M. Moreover, the improved SERS effect is successfully explained from the viewpoint of electromagnetic (EM) enhancement.

The Hippo pathway is often dysregulated in many carcinomas, which results in various stages of tumor progression. Ursolic acid (UA), a natural compound that exists in many herbal plants, is known to obstruct cancer progression and exerts anti-carcinogenic effect on a number of human cancers. In this study, we aimed to examine the biological mechanisms of action of UA through the Hippo pathway in gastric cancer cells. MTT assay showed a decreased viability of gastric cancer cells after treatment with UA. Following treatment with UA, colony numbers and the sizes of gastric cancer cells were significantly diminished and apoptosis was observed in SNU484 and SNU638 cells. The invasion and migration rates of gastric cancer cells were suppressed by UA in a dose-dependent manner. To further determine the gene expression patterns that are related to the effects of UA, a microarray analysis was performed. Gene ontology analysis revealed that several genes, such as the Hippo pathway upstream target gene, ras association domain family (RASSF1), and its downstream target genes (MST1, MST2, and LATS1) were significantly upregulated by UA, while the expression of YAP1 gene, together with oncogenes (FOXM1, KRAS, and BATF), were significantly decreased. Similar to the gene expression profiling results, the protein levels of RASSF1, MST1, MST2, LATS1, and p-YAP were increased, whereas those of CTGF were decreased by UA in gastric cancer cells. The p-YAP expression induced in gastric cancer cells by UA was reversed with RASSF1 silencing. In addition, the protein levels in the Hippo pathway were increased in the UA-treated xenograft tumor tissues as compared with that in the control tumor tissues, thus, UA significantly inhibited the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer in vivo in xenograft animals. Collectively, UA diminishes the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer via the regulation of Hippo pathway through Rassf1, which suggests that UA can be used as a potential chemopreventive and therapeutic agent for gastric cancer.

Because Ag and Au nanoparticles (NPs) possess well-defined localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) they are popularly employed in the studies of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). As shown in the literature and in our previous studies, the advantage of SERS-active Ag NPs is their higher SERS enhancement over Au NPs. On the other hand, the disadvantage of SERS-active Ag NPs compared to Au NPs is their serious decay of SERS enhancement in ambient laboratory air. In this work, we develop a new strategy for preparing highly SERS-active Ag NPs deposited on a roughened Au substrate. This strategy is derived from the modification of electrochemical underpotential deposition (UPD) of metals. The coverage of Ag NPs on the roughened Au substrate can be as high as 0.95. Experimental results indicate that the SERS of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) observed on this developed substrate exhibits a higher intensity by ca. 50-fold of magnitude, as compared with that of R6G observed on the substrate without the deposition of Ag NPs. The limit of detection (LOD) for R6G measured on this substrate is markedly reduced to 2×10(-15)M. Moreover, aging of SERS effect observed on this developed substrate is significantly depressed, as compared with that observed on a generally prepared SERS-active Ag substrate. These aging tests were performed in an atmosphere of 50% relative humidity (RH) and 20% (v/v) O2 at 30°C for 60 day. Also, the developed SERS-active substrate enables it practically applicable in the trace detection of monosodium urate (MSU)-containing solution in gouty arthritis without a further purification process.

As shown in the literature, Au nanoparticles (NPs) were popularly used in the fields of catalyst and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Meanwhile, cationic surfactants of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) were generally employed in syntheses of Au nanorods (NRs). In this work, CTAB is used to prepare highly effectively SERS-active Au substrates via electrochemical oxidation-reduction cycles (ORCs) for the first time. Based on the effectively SERS-active Au substrate prepared under assistance of CTAB, the SERS of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) exhibits a higher intensity by more than one order of magnitude, as compared with that of R6G adsorbed on a SERS-active Au substrate without the assistance of CTAB in preparation. Experimental results indicate that the quantities of adsorption sites for the developed SERS-active Au substrates are large enough to accommodate considerable ranges of analyte concentrations. The aging of SERS enhancement capability can be markedly depressed on this substrate. Moreover, its potential application in the trace detection of monosodium urate (MSU)-containing solution in gouty arthritis can be promised using this SERS-active Au substrate with CTAB.

According to materials safety and data sheets (MSDS) acetaldehyde is a toxic and cancer-induced reagent. Its presence in spirits can cause damage to livers of drinkers. Conventionally, the concentration of acetaldehyde is measured by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometer (GC–MS). Development of new analytical technology for detecting acetaldehyde would be contributive to human healthy. In this work, we report an innovative idea to prepare functionalized surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active chitosan (Ch)-capped nanostructured Au (NSAu) by using electrochemical oxidation–reduction cycles (ORC) for concentrating and detecting acetaldehyde in solutions. Because the capping reagents of Ch are SERS-inactive the SERS intensity of model probing molecules of rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed on Ch-capped NSAu is expectedly reduced, as compared with that adsorbed on NSAu. However, acetaldehyde can react with Ch on Ch-capped nanostructured Au to yield a Schiff base. It is encouragingly found that SERS intensity of acetaldehyde adsorbed on Ch-capped NSAu is markedly increased, as compared with that adsorbed on NSAu. It indicates that the developed SERS-active substrate is enough efficient for the detection of acetaldehyde.

As shown in the literature, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) has been one of the most popular molecules for the preparation of Au and Ag nano-sized particles. In this work, we report a new sonoelectrochemical pathway to prepare CTAB-capped micro-sized Au sheets in solutions. After complete removal of CTAB Au nanoparticles (NPs) were released from micro-sized Au sheets in solution, in which pH was reduced simultaneously. Therefore, enriched Au NPs can be controllably obtained from micro-sized Au sheets by increasing pH of solution. Experimental results indicate the particle sizes of released Au NPs with predominant (1 1 1) face is ca. 5 nm in diameter. Moreover, the catalytic activity of the prepared Au NPs was demonstrated by analyzing the decomposition of acetaldehyde in solution.

As shown in the literature, many methods have been developed to improve signals, reproducibility and stabilities of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for their reliable applications. However, the fabrication can be laborious. In this work, we propose a simple pathway to prepare SERS-active substrates with Al 2 O 3 -modified Au nanoparticles (NPs) by sonoelectrochemical deposition–dissolution cycles (SEDDCs). Based on probe molecules of Rhodamine 6G (R6G), an enhancement factor of 4.4 × 10 8 and a detection limit of 2 × 10 −14 M were observed on the proposed SERS-active substrates. The reproducibility and stabilities of the proposed SERS-active substrates are satisfactory. Also, the prepared Al 2 O 3 -modified Au NPs-deposited substrate can markedly improve the thermal stability by raising the operation temperature over 50 °C, as compared with unmodified Au NPs-deposited substrate. Meanwhile, aging of SERS effect observed on this proposed substrate is slight in an atmosphere of 50% RH and 20% (v/v) O 2 at 30 °C for 60 day.

Human mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent and currently undergoing hundreds of clinical trials for disease treatments. To date, no studies have generated induced MSCs from skin fibroblasts with chemicals or growth factors. Here, we established the first chemical method to convert primary human dermal fibroblasts into multipotent, induced MSC-like cells (iMSCs). The conversion method uses a defined cocktail of small molecules and growth factors, and it can achieve efficient conversion with an average rate of 38% in 6 days. The iMSCs have much higher clonogenicity than fibroblasts, and they can be maintained and expanded in regular MSC medium for at least 8 passages and further differentiated into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes. Moreover, the iMSCs can suppress LPS-mediated acute lung injury as effectively as bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. This finding may greatly benefit stem cell biology, cell therapy, and regenerative medicine.

As shown in the literature, chitosan (Ch) can react easily with acetaldehydes to form Schiff bases with high yields at room temperature. Therefore, in this work, we report an innovative idea to prepare nanocomposites (NCs) of Ch-capped gold NPs (NPs) for effectively catalytic decomposition of acetaldehyde in spirits. Ch of NCs can easily catch acetaldehydes in spirits. Thus the caught acetaldehydes were therefore concentrated on NCs. Subsequently, the concentrated acetaldehydes were catalytically decomposed on catalysts of Au NPs in Ch/Au NCs. Experimental results indicate that the acetaldehyde was significantly decomposed by ca. 40 % in 120 ppm acetaldehyde-containing white spirits by adding 0.05 ppm Ch-capped Au NPs after three days. This efficiency for catalytic decomposition of acetaldehyde is a marked increase by ca. 200 % of magnitude, as compared with that based on commercial Au NPs with similar sizes at the same Au concentration. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013

Water-saving facilities were constructed in response to the sustainability and global issues all over the world. However, the performance of drainage systems must be ensured as the volume of flush water is reduced. Otherwise, it might cause sanitary problems to indoor environments and interrupt building functions. According to the methodology of investigation and observation, this paper categorized parameters that dominate the solid transportation performance of main drains. An empirical experiment was executed to clarify the quantitative influence of these parameters. A calculation model for estimating the boundary condition of main drain design is conducted. Furthermore, an estimation interface is validated and proposed as an assessment tool for practical application. Practical implication: This paper offers an evaluation tool by statistic methodology to ensure solid transportation performance. An estimating model and regulation proposal of solid transportation in main drains of buildings that can guide the designer and engineer to confirm the performance of drainage system is validated and proved to be practicable. Furthermore, this research conducted an estimation interface to validate the solid transportation performance, which can offer an assessment tool for practical application. The results can contribute to building code guidelines and lead to new technical development of building drainage systems.

For obtaining metal-island films on substrates with activity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), a controllable and reproducible surface roughness can be easily generated by using electrochemical oxidation–reduction cycle (ORC) procedures. However, different preparation procedures could significantly change their corresponding SERS activities. In this study, SERS-active Ag substrates were prepared by using triangular-wave ORC procedures in 0.1 M KCl solutions. Before the adsorptions of probe molecules on these Ag substrates one substrate was further dried in a vacuum-dryer. Interestingly, the SERS activity of this dried Ag substrate is significantly reduced due to this additional treatment. Experimental results indicate that this phenomenon can be ascribed to the correspondingly significant decrease in content of Cl-containing complexes formed on the interface of the roughened Ag metal.

As shown in the literature, cationic surfactants of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) were generally employed for syntheses of Au nanorods (NRs). For obtaining different aspect rations of NRs, the molar ratio of CTAB to Au(III) is ranging from 200 to 400. In this work, we report a new strategy to release Au nanoparticles (NPs) from CTAB-capped Au microparticles (MPs) by using sonoelectrochemical methods. In this optimal approach, the molar ratio of CTAB to Au(III) is ca. 0.6, which is far lower than the ratio used for synthesizing Au NRs. Au NPs with predominant (1 1 1) face and size of 10 nm in diameter can be readily obtained in solution, which is accompanied by the simultaneous reduction in pH, after complete removal of CTAB.

As shown in the literature, additional energies are necessary for the reduction of positively charged noble metal ions to prepare metal nanoparticles (NPs). In this work, we report a new green pathway to prepare Au NPs in neutral 0.1M NaCl aqueous solutions from bulk Au substrates without addition of any stabilizer and reductant just via aid of natural chitosan (Ch) at room temperature. Au- and Ch-containing complexes in aqueous solution were electrochemically prepared. The role of Ch is just an intermediate to perform electron transfer with Au NPs. The stability of these prepared Au NPs is well maintained by Au NPs themselves with slightly positively charged Au remained on the surface of Au NPs. The particle size of prepared spherical Au (111) NPs is ca. 15 nm in diameter. Moreover, increasing the pH of preparation solutions can be contributive to preparing concentrated Au NPs in solutions. The prepared Au NPs are surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active for probe molecules of Rhodamine 6G. They also demonstrate significantly catalytic activity for decomposition of acetaldehyde in rice wine.

In this study, size-controllable gold nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized by using sonoelectrochemical methods in the presence of natural chitosan (Ch). First, positively charged Au-containing complexes were prepared in 0.1 N NaCl by using oxidation–reduction cycle (ORC) treatment to Au substrate. Then size-controllable Au NPs, ranging from 10 to 80 nm in diameter, were synthesized by varying the addition quantities of Ch from 1 to 2 g/L, respectively, in solutions under using sonoelectrochemical reduction. Experimental results indicate that the optimal molar ratio of used Ch to synthesized Au NPs is ca. 3 for obtaining the smallest Au NPs. Moreover, the catalytic activity of the size-controllable Au NPs on the decomposition of acetaldehyde in solution was examined. Au NPs with 10 nm in diameter demonstrate significantly catalytic activity. However, bigger Au NPs with 80 nm in diameter are almost inert for the decomposition of acetaldehyde.

As shown in the literature, most of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized from precursors of commercial Pt salts. However, the impurity of the commercial Pt salts is a concerned issue. In this work, we report a new pathway based on electrochemical methods to prepare Pt-containing complexes with high purity in aqueous solutions from bulk Pt substrates. Experimental results indicate that Pt complexes with higher concentration can be obtained in 0.1 N HCl by using square-wave oxidation–reduction cycles (ORCs) under a frequency of 8 Hz with a step potential of 6.3 mV. Moreover, concentrations of other heavy metals of Hg and Cr in 65 ppm Pt complexes-containing solution are just 0.65 and 0.78 ppb, respectively. These Pt complexes were further reduced to Pt NPs by using NaBH4 and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as reducing agent and stabilizer, respectively. The concentration and the particle size of synthesized Pt (1 1 1) NPs are ca. 60 ppm and smaller than 5 nm, respectively.

In this work, we report a new sonoelectrochemical pathway to prepare enriched and small Au nanoparticles (NPs) in aqueous solutions via aid of chitosan (Ch). First, Au substrate was cycled in a deoxygenated aqueous solution containing 0.1 M NaCl and 1 g/L Ch from −0.28 to +1.22 V vs Ag/AgCl at 500 mV/s for 500 scans. The durations at the cathodic and anodic vertices are 10 and 5 s, respectively. Subsequently, a cathodic overpotential of 0.6 V and an anodic overpotential of 0.2 V from open circuit potential (OCP) were applied in turn under sonication to prepare enriched and small Au NPs. The ratio of reaction time during cathodic overpotential to that during anodic overpotential was investigated to be 0.5 for obtaining enriched and smaller Au NPs of 5 nm in diameter in solution. The catalytic activity of the prepared Au NPs was examined by analyzing the decomposition of acetaldehyde in solution. Experimental results indicate that the decomposition of acetaldehyde based on the prepared Au NPs is significantly increased by ca. 240% of magnitude, as compared with that based on previously prepared Au NPs of 10 nm at the same Au concentration.

In this work, chitosan (Ch)-capped gold nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared in aqueous solutions by electrochemical methods. First, Ch-capped Au cations were prepared by dissolving Au substrates via electrochemical treatments of oxidation–reduction cycles. Then the Ch-capped Au cations were reduced via sonoelectrochemical reductions to synthesize Ch/Au nanocomposites (NCs). The particle size of prepared Au NPs with predominant (1 1 1) face on Ch is ca. 15 nm. Ch on the prepared Ch/Au NCs can easily react with acetaldehydes in mainstream smokes to form Schiff bases. Then catalysts of Au NPs can instantaneously decompose capped acetaldehydes and oxidize CO into CO 2 to protect people from poisoning in the mainstream smokes.

This study investigates surface dose and build-up region dosimetry as well as beam attenuation by ball phantom for coplanar and non-coplanar oblique photon beam incidence through a treatment couch in radiation therapy. The dosimetry of the surface and build-up region and attenuating incidence of true posterior and maximum oblique incidence (15 0 below surface) beams on the treatment couch are measured and compared with an open field. Photon calculation kernels of the computerized treatment planning system do not include the factor of scatter doses induced by the couch in the build-up region. These scatter doses can have some implications for skin reactions. Therefore, monitor unit calculation is necessary in posterior oblique angles or non-coplanar incidence of the treatment couch.