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VOCs, volatile organic compounds, which are mostly produced by the excessive emission of different industrial and commercial activities, pose a serious hazard to human health and primarily contribute to the creation of photochemical smog, which has a significant influence on air quality. The treatment of VOCs by catalytic oxidation at the lowest feasible temperature has been acknowledged as an efficient and cost-effective approach. Here, a novel catalyst with the platinum (Pt) nanoparticles confined in TiO2 nanotubes (TNT) by surface oxygen vacancy towards the catalytic combustion of ethylene has been prepared. Through the liquid-phase reduction strategy using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as the reducing agent, the oxygen vacancies are effectively inserted onto the surface of TNT by regulating the reduction time, named as R-TNT. Subsequently, Pt was permitted to be trapped within R-TNT (Pt-in/R-TNT) via the vacuum assisted-impregnation method. The Pt nanoparticles confined in the TNT (Pt-in/TNT) could reduce the temperature down to about 175 °C for complete catalytic combustion of ethylene, a kind of VOCs, which was roughly 10 °C lower than the Pt nanoparticles loaded on TNT (Pt-out/TNT). More intriguing, the Pt-in/R-TNT displayed the highest catalytic activity and lowered the temperature by 20 °C. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) measurements revealed that a saturation amount of oxygen vacancies were successfully introduced into TNT by reducing in NaBH4 solution. Based on the confinement effect of TNT, the formation of active oxygen species on the surface of TNT could further aggravate the electron density destitution inside TNT. Hence, the catalytic activity for Pt nanoparticles confined in R-TNT was significantly enhanced. A high-performance catalyst for removing VOCs is presented using an efficient confinement effect coupled with an electron modifier approach.

Polysilazane and platinum were adopted to enhance the thermal stability of silicone rubber. The effect and mechanism of polysilazane and platinum on enhancing thermal stability were investigated via thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. Remarkable synergism between polysilazane and platinum was found in enhancing thermal stability of silicone rubber. When 1.34 wt% polysilazane and 8 ppm platinum were added, the degradation temperatures were elevated. Furthermore, the thermal residues of silicone rubbers were increased from 30–45 to 66–76 wt%, and maximum degradation rates were reduced from 8.81–15.8 to 4.55–5.02 wt%/min. Besides, silicone rubber demonstrated excellent shape retention at high temperature in the presence of polysilazane and platinum. The mechanism may be that platinum cooperated with polysilazane and efficiently catalyzed radical crosslinking between polysilazane and silicone chains. As a result, a tightly crosslinked network was developed, and degradation of silicone rubber was suppressed.

Carbon materials are considered to be one of the most promising anodes for sodium ion batteries. However, the sodium storage mechanism of carbon anodes is still in dispute. In the current work, we prepared a series of carbon materials ranging from soft carbon to hard carbon, with well tailorable microcrystal structure and closed pores. By employing these carbons as anodes for sodium-ion batteries, it is interesting to find that the sodium storage in carbon materials follows an “intercalation/defect adsorption−closed pore filling” mechanism. That is, intercalation reaction/defect adsorption contributes to sloping region in the charge/discharge curves, while the plateau region is ascribed to closed pore filling. Furthermore, the systematical electrochemical study of soft carbon and hard carbon is implemented. The results show that, in comparison with soft carbon, hard carbon has large sodium storage capacity owing to the incorporation of plateau region; however, the plateau region presents slow reaction kinetics, leading to relatively inferior rate performance.

Hard carbon materials have been considered as one of the most promising candidates as the anode in sodium-ion batteries. However, scale application of state-of-the-art hard carbon anodes is still h...

Modification of Cs/X with highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles (average size = 1.8 nm) improved the reaction activity and durability in the side-chain alkylation of toluene with methanol. The high catalytic performance could be attributed to the Pt species promoting C–H bond activation in the methyl group of toluene and inhibiting the formation of coke.

Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts of xylene isomerization were prepared on the intergrowth ZSM-5 support by an impregnation–calcination–reduction procedure. The ZSM-5 zeolite with intergrowth crystals was prepared with high shape selectivity by a hydrothermal method. This ZSM-5 crystal has a higher specific surface area and more sinusoidal channels on its external surface. Further loading of Mo modified the acidity distribution of the ZSM-5 catalyst. The catalytic performance was tested by the isomerization of C8 mixed aromatic hydrocarbons (ethylbenzene, m-xylene and o-xylene) in a fixed-bed reactor. Many techniques were employed to characterize the catalysts. The results showed that this kind of Mo/ZSM-5 has a high shape selectivity in the reaction of mixed C8 aromatics. The symbiotic crystals cover most of the straight channels, which increases the diffusion resistance of MX and OX and reduces the xylene loss from cracking by xylene reaction. The interaction of metal Mo with Lewis acid and Bronsted acid sites promotes the dealkylation of EB. However, excess Mo has a negative effect on the dispersion of MoO3, resulting in a decrease of the specific surface area. In addition, 5%Mo/ZSM-5 could achieve the excellent stability with a time-on-stream of 50 h. At 380 °C, the ethylbenzene conversion and PX yield reached 71.2% and 24.6%, with a low xylene loss of 1.65% over 5%Mo/ZSM-5, respectively.

To enhance the hydrogen release during hydrogen storage, several Pt–Ir supported on Mg–Al mixed oxide catalysts were prepared and then applied into the dehydrogenation of methylcyclohexane (MCH) in this study. The effects of iridium content, reduction temperature on the activity and stability of the catalysts were studied in detail. In the presence of Ir, metal particle size was decreased and electron transfer between Ir and Pt was observed. High reduction temperature increased the metallic Ir content but enlarged the particle size of active sites. During the dehydrogenation reaction on Pt–Ir bimetallic catalyst, MCH was efficiently converted into toluene and PtIr-5/Mg–Al-275 exhibited the highest activity. After prolonging the residence time and raising the reaction temperature to 350 °C, the conversion and hydrogen evolution rate were increased to 99.9% and 578.7 mmol·(g Pt)−1·min−1, respectively. Moreover, no carbon deposition was observed in the spent catalyst, presenting a high anti-coking ability and good potential for industrial application.

Gaining precise control over the cellular entry pathway of nanomaterials is key in achieving cytosolic delivery, accessing subcellular environments, and regulating toxicity. However, this precise control requires a fundamental understanding of the behavior of nanomaterials at the bio-nano interface. Herein, we report a computational study investigating the synergistic effect of several key physicochemical properties of nanomaterials on their cellular entry pathways. By examining interactions between monolayer-protected nanoparticles and model cell membranes in a three-dimensional parameter space of size, surface charge/pKa, and ligand chemistry, we observed four different types of nanoparticle translocation for cellular entry which are: outer wrapping, free translocation, inner attach, and embedment. Nanoparticle size, surface charge/pKa, and ligand chemistry each play a unique role in determining the outcome of translocation. Specifically, membrane local curvature induced by nanoparticles upon contact is critical for initiating the translocation process. A generalized paradigm is proposed to describe the fundamental mechanisms underlying the bio-nano interface., Lin et al. investigate interactions between monolayer-protected nanoparticles and model cell membranes, and show four different types of nanoparticle translocation, i.e., outer wrapping, free translocation, inner attach, and embedment. The different translocation types greatly depend on synergism between nanoparticle size, surface charge, and ligand chemistry.

K0.5Na0.5NbO3 single crystal with trace amounts of lithium addition was grown by the seed-free solid-state crystal growth method. The Li addition is helpful for the growth of the crystals and improves the properties of the K0.5Na0.5NbO3 single crystals. A small amounts (0.2–0.3 at.%) of Li addition can trigger the formation of around 25% tetragonal phase. The occurrence of the phase transition may be due to the variety of the K/Na atomic ratio after Li substitution in both the Na and K sites. The optimum amount of Li addition in the crystal is 0.2–0.3 at.% in order to obtain a well performance K0.5Na0.5NbO3-based single crystal. The best electrical performance of these K0.5Na0.5NbO3-based crystals can be achieved as follows: d33 = 255 pC/N, tanδ = 1%, d*33 = 313 pm/V, and Pr = 26.1 μC/cm2, indicating that the structure and properties of K0.5Na0.5NbO3-based crystals grown by the seed-free solid-state crystal growth method can be closely affected by trace lithium carbonate addition.

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3, ST) is an incipient ferroelectric material. Generally, a one-dimensional (1D) ST polycrystal is difficult to obtain because of its high aspect ratio and directional orientation. We prepared a 1D ST polycrystal from a layered H2Ti4O9·H2O (HT) single crystal via a solvothermal soft chemical process. The 1D ST polycrystal fabricated from ST nanocrystals has a [010] crystal axis, implying that it is a mesocrystal. The ST nanocrystals were grown not only on the surfaces but also in the interlayers of the original HT matrix. The formation mechanism of the ST mesocrystal is based on a topochemical mesocrystal conversion process. ST ceramics fabricated from ST mesocrystal powder present a lossy capacitor response and excellent energy-storage capabilities owing to the presence of locally oriented ST nanocrystals with a lattice mismatch in the rod-like ST mesocrystals. The investigations performed in this study can set a new benchmark for the development of new electric ST-based materials.

Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins are overexpressed in a wide spectrum of cancers and have become well validated therapeutic targets. Cancer cells display survival dependence on individual or subsets of anti-apoptotic proteins that could be effectively targeted by multimodal inhibitors. We designed a 2,5-substituted benzoic acid scaffold that displayed equipotent binding to Mcl-1 and Bfl-1. Structure based design was guided by several solved co-crystal structures with Mcl-1, leading to the development of compound 24, which binds both Mcl-1 and Bfl-1 with K(i) values of 100 nM and shows appreciable selectivity over Bcl-2/Bcl-xL. The selective binding profile of 24 was translated to on-target cellular activity in model lymphoma cell lines. These studies lay a foundation for developing more advanced dual Mcl-1/Bfl-1 inhibitors that have potential to provide greater single agent efficacy and broader coverage to combat resistance in several types of cancer than selective Mcl-1 inhibitors alone.

To investigate the efficiency of psychrotrophic cellulose-degrading fungal strains (PCDFSs) and estrogen-degrading bacteria (EDBs) combined with humic acid (HA) on estrone (E1) and 17-β-estradiol (E2) degradation, five compost groups (T, HA, EDB, PCDFS, and CK) were prepared and composted for 32 days at 11-14°C. The results indicated that inoculation increased the temperature to 62.2°C and promoted E1 degradation to the lowest level of 100.1 ng/kg, while E2 was undetected from day 16. Metagenomic analysis revealed that inoculation altered the microbial community structure by increasing the abundance of cellulose-degrading fungi, especially Meyerozyma (16.7%) (among PCDFSs), and of estrogen-degrading bacteria, particularly Microbacterium (13.4%) (involved in EDBs). Moreover, inoculation increased the levels (0.500%) of Gene Ontology (GO) associated with estrogen degradation, like 3-β-hydroxy-delta 5-steroid dehydrogenase and monooxygenase. Redundancy analysis demonstrated that temperature and Microbacterium were positively correlated with estrogen degradation. Structural equation model indicated that temperature and estrogen-degrading bacterial genera exhibited positive, significant (p 0.001) and direct impacts on estrogen degradation. This is the first study to suggest that applying microbial inoculants and HA could accelerate estrogen degradation during composting in cold regions. The research outcomes offer a practical reference for managing compost safety, thereby decreasing its potential environmental and human health impacts.

The interest in thermoelectrics (TE) for an electrical output power by converting any kind of heat has flourished in recent years, but questions about the efficiency at the ambient temperature and safety remain unanswered. With the possibility of integration in the technology of semiconductors based on silicon, highly harvested power density, abundant on earth, nontoxicity, and cost-efficiency, Si1-x-yGexSny ternary alloy film has been investigated to highlight its efficiency through ion implantation and high-temperature rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process. Significant improvement of the ambient-temperature TE performance has been achieved in a boron-implanted Si0.864Ge0.108Sn0.028 thin film after a short time RTA process at 1100 °C for 15 seconds, the power factor achieves to 11.3 μWcm−1 K−2 at room temperature. The introduction of Sn into Si1-xGex dose not only significantly improve the conductivity of Si1-xGex thermoelectric materials but also achieves a relatively high Seebeck coefficient at room temperature. This work manifests emerging opportunities for modulation Si integration thermoelectrics as wearable devices charger by body temperature.

Herein, MnO2-decorated carbon sphere was synthesized and loaded onto a commercial sponge (Sponge@C@MnO2). The integrated Sponge@C@MnO2 exhibited wide pore distributions ranging from macropores to micropores, permitting multiple reflections and scattering of light inside their pore channels via the increase of light traveling paths, thus, promoted the light-harvesting efficiency. Under the irradiation of xenon lamp, the surface temperature could reach as high as 130.1 °C within 30 s due to the unique photothermal property of carbon sphere. This temperature was sufficiently high enough to trigger the regeneration of adsorbed toluene. In addition, the introduction of outer shell MnO2 on the carbon sphere led to the dramatic decrease in the desorbed content of toluene via its direct oxidation. Furthermore, the porous structure of the sponge substrate exhibited a low pressure drop (4.5 Pa at retention time of 1.2 s), possibly providing practical applications for the purification of pollutated indoor air. This work illustrated a novel strategy for the efficient utilization of solar energy via the construction of a hierarchical material, paving a way for the design of a facile photothermal regeneration method for the removal of indoor toluene.

Herein, we have developed a method for ultra–thinning MnO2 nanosheets by H2O swelling followed by a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)–intercalation exfoliation strategy. The thickness of the obtained U–MnO2 nanosheets was about 1–2 layers. As–prepared U–MnO2 exhibited higher turnover frequency (TOF) value of H2 production from alkaline formaldehyde solution at room temperature as compared to that of pristine MnO2 (TOF per surface Mn atom: 2.7 vs. 1.1 h–1). With the ultra–thinning process, abundant surface oxygen vacancies (VO) on U–MnO2 were demonstrated by X–ray photoelectron spectroscopy and extended X–ray absorption fine structure analysis, which could couple molecular O2 and benefit for the breaking of C H bonds from formaldehyde with the generation of OOH radical. Detailed reaction–pathway calculations showed that the O2 assisted dehydrogenation of alkaline HCHO solution were thermodynamically favored on U–MnO2 with lower energy barrier of 0.32 eV as compared to that of 1.25 eV on pristine MnO2. This work not only provides an applicable method for synthesizing ultrathin MnO2 nanosheets but also gives an evidence towards more essential understanding of hydrogen evolution reaction from alkaline formaldehyde solution at atomic level.

Landfill leachate, generated from the wastes in a landfill, is a type of wastewater with high concentrations of ammonia and organics, causing a serious environmental pollution. Because of its complex and changing characteristics, it is difficult to remove nitrogen from landfill leachate economically and effectively. Hence, nitrogen removal is a significant research priority of landfill leachate treatment in recent years. Biological processes are known to be effective in nitrogen removal. In this work, the biological nitrogen removal treatments were divided into the following processes: conventional nitrification-denitrification process, nitritation-denitritation process, endogenous denitritation process, and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) process. This manuscript summarized the theories and applications of these approaches in detail, and concluded that appropriate processes should be selected in accordance with different characteristics of landfill leachate, in order to effectively remove nitrogen from all stages of landfill leachate and reduce disposal costs. Finally, perspective on the challenges and opportunities of biological nitrogen removal from landfill leachate was also presented.

Free radical copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA), 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), and monomethacryloxypropyl terminated poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS-MA) yielded graft (g) copolymers P(AA-HEA)-g-PDMS. The molecular weights of the three used PDMS-MA macromers were 0.7, 5.0, and 10.0 kDa, respectively, and the respective weight fractions of AA, HEA, and PDMS-MA in the three synthesized copolymers were 10.0, 20.0, and 70.0 wt%. The copolymers were dispersed in water as micelles due to the water-soluble HEA units and salt formation from the AA groups with added triethylamine. Mixing these aqueous copolymer micellar solutions with a water-soluble blocked tetraisocyanate yielded water-based polyurethane (PU) formulations. Soaking fabric samples in such a water-based formulation and then withdrawing, drying, and heating the samples at 150 or 180 °C produced on the fabric fibers a crosslinked coating that was ∼220 nm thick and surface-enriched with PDMS. A systematic study was performed to investigate factors affecting the hydrophobicity of the coated fabric samples. These factors included varying the concentration of the aqueous P(AA-HEA)-g-PDMS coating solutions, the molar ratio of isocyanate groups to the AA and HEA groups, the coating curing times at 150 °C, and the molecular weight of the PDMS side chains. This study further established that the coatings could be cured in 7 min at 180 °C and fabric samples coated by P(AA-HEA)-g-PDMS10k with PDMS molecular weight at 10.0 kDa were the most hydrophobic. The coatings were stable against real laundry tests, abrasion by sandpaper, and soaking in aqueous acid and base solutions. Thus, robust superhydrophobic fabrics were obtained from using a water-based environmentally friendly formulation and this coating process was convenient, rapid, and practical.

The interregional emission spillover and feedback effects arising from interregional trade are playing more and more important roles in regional emission growth and interregional carbon transfer. It is necessary to measure these effects at regional and sectoral level considering that carbon emissions are closely related to economic development, especially in a vast developing country like China. Based on the three-region model of spillover and feedback effects proposed by Round, an improved multiregional method was proposed to analyze the emission spillover and feedback effects among the eight regions of China. The intraregional effects were revealed to be larger than the spillover effects, and the spillover effects were larger than the feedback effects on the emissions of each region. The proportions of emission spillover effects caused by other regions in the northwestern region, the southwestern region and the northeastern region ranked the top. Each one of the eastern coastal region, the northern coastal region and the southern coastal region caused a large number of emissions in other regions via spillover effects. Moreover, the closer regions were geographically, the stronger spillover effects showed among them. The emission feedback effects are mainly caused the regions themselves. At the regional sectoral level, the production and distribution of electricity and heavy industry released large amounts of emissions caused by spillover and feedback effects. The three coastal regions caused more than half of emission spillover effects in the northwestern region, the central region and the southwestern region in the production and distribution of electricity, heat, gas and water.

Indoor formaldehyde (HCHO) pollution is becoming an important issue with the increase of space confinement. Manganese dioxide (MnO2) has attracted great attention due to its high catalytic activity, thermal stability, facile synthesis with low-cost materials and availability in various crystal morphologies. This review covers recent progress on MnO2-based materials for catalytic oxidation of HCHO, with a particular emphasis on the enhancement of the catalytic activity at low temperature. According to different modification strategies, MnO2 catalysts are divided into three categories, namely, single MnO2 (generally showing tunneled or layered structures), doped or composite MnO2, and supported MnO2 catalysts. Specifically, modification of single MnO2, especially layered MnO2, is deeply discussed in terms of morphology control, and defect engineering, aiming at regulating surface active species; doping or composite MnO2 could alter the properties of the catalysts and facilitate the entire reaction process (i.e., adsorption, reaction and desorption), favoring the rate-limiting step from the thermodynamic and kinetic points of view; supporting MnO2 on carriers is necessary for practical application. Moreover, reaction mechanism of HCHO oxidation by single or composite MnO2 is also reviewed. Finally, perspective on the challenges and opportunities for exploring advanced MnO2-based catalysts is presented.

Hydrophilic Ag nanoparticles were pattern-deposited onto one side of an electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofiber mat, yielding a Janus filter. The filter was used to separate a receiver cell from a reactor cell that contained an aqueous 4-nitrophenol/NaBH4 solution. Upon contact with this solution, the Ag nanoparticles catalyzed the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. After the reaction reached completion, ethyl acetate was added into the reactor to extract the product. During this process, the ethyl acetate containing 4-aminophenol also selectively permeated regions of the hydrophobic yet oleophilic PVDF mat that were not covered by Ag nanoparticles. The product was obtained after the evaporation of ethyl acetate. This paper demonstrates the first use of a Janus filter in a catalytic separatory reactor that catalyzes a chemical reaction and then facilitates the eventual separation of the formed product via filtration.

Pt/Ce Mg Al layered double hydroxides with different Ce contents were prepared by one-step co-precipitation method, which underwent calcination and reduction with hydrogen and were finally converted into Pt/Ce Mg Al O catalysts. These catalysts were tested in the dehydrogenation of methylcyclohexane (MCH) into toluene to produce hydrogen. The addition of CeO2 promoted the dispersion of Pt and decreased the Pt particle size. During the dehydrogenation reaction, toluene was the only liquid product and its selectivity was higher than 99.9%. MCH conversion increased with the reaction temperature rising. The conversion and hydrogen evolution rate on Pt/Ce14 Mg Al O 350 reached up to 98.5% and 1358.6 mmol/gPt/min at 350 °C. Moreover, Pt/Ce Mg Al O catalysts exhibited no acidity and presented a high anti-coking ability and good stability. These results suggest that Pt/Ce Mg Al O catalysts have potential industrial application for hydrogen energy utilization.

The solvothermal process, a relatively simple process, has been regarded as one of the most attractive and promising film preparation methods. The prepared thin films do not need to be treated with high temperature, and this process has been widely applied in the fields of piezoelectric, ferroelectric and oxide thin films. In the present review, the development of piezoelectric thin films fabricated by the solvothermal process is introduced from the aspects of film fabrication technologies, devices and characteristics. The research comprehensively introduces the results and progress, including for 5 types of piezoelectric thin films related to BaTiO3, (K,Na)NbO3, PbTiO3 and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, composite solid solutions and ZnO, and predicts the development prospects for the solvothermal process in piezoelectric film fabrication. Finally, the review projects the prospects for doped piezoelectric film fabrication in terms of the selection of the substrate and the preparation of doped piezoelectric ceramics.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common and deadliest pediatric solid tumor. Targeting and reactivating tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) is necessary for reversing immune suppressive state and stimulating immune defense to exert tumoricidal function. However, studies on the function and regulation of TAMs in NB progression are still limited. Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) in TAMs was correlated with advanced clinical stages and unfavorable histology of NB. FABP4‐mediated macrophages increased migration, invasion, and tumor growth of NB cells. Mechanically, FABP4 could directly bind to ATPB to accelerate ATPB ubiquitination in macrophages. The consequently decreased ATP levels could deactivate NF‐κB/RelA‐IL1α pathway, which subsequently results in macrophages reprogrammed to an anti‐inflammatory phenotype. We also demonstrated that FABP4‐enhanced migration and invasion were significantly suppressed by IL1α blocking antibody. Furthermore, circulating FABP4 was also associated with the clinical stages of NB. Our findings suggest that FABP4‐mediated macrophages may promote proliferation and migration phenotypes in NB cells through deactivating NF‐κB‐IL1α pathway by ubiquitinating ATPB. This study reveals the pathologic and biologic role of FABP4‐mediated macrophages in NB development and exhibits a novel application of targeting FABP4 in macrophages for NB treatment., FABP4 in macrophages expression is correlated with advanced clinical stages and unfavorable histology of neuroblastoma.FABP4 in macrophages increases migration, invasion, and tumor growth of neuroblastoma cells.FABP4 in macrophages may promote proliferation and migration phenotypes in neuroblastoma cells through deactivating NF‐κB‐IL1α pathway by ubiquitinating ATPB.

Generation of electricity from waste heat using thermoelectric devices is one of the best ways to produce the clean energy. Number of applications would become enormous when such devices possess good mechanical strength and high performance in ambient conditions. Here, we design and fabricated such a robust thermoelectric generator (TEGs) using chalcogenide materials in the short time and easy-implemented hot pressing in air. Our typical monolithic π -type device consists of Ag 2 S 0.2 Se 0.8 and Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 for n -type and p -type legs, respectively. The empty space between the legs were filled with highly dense and flexible, thin Ag 2 S working both as insulating spacer and shock absorber, which makes the device very robust and prevents it from any damage due to external mechanical force. The dimension of TEGs device, which is made up with 3 pairs of p - n legs, is 12 mm × 10 mm × 10 mm. From the simulation using COMSOL software, the maximum power density of the device at temperature difference of 50 K were found to be 2.1 and 8.2 mWcm –2 with and without the consideration of the contact resistance at the p - n junction, respectively. Using the novel measurement technique independent of load resistance, the measured maximum power density of the fabricated device was successfully achieved to 2.02 mWcm –2 at room temperature, which confirms the accuracy and wide trial of our measurement technology in obtaining the robust TEG for wide applications.

Treating sediment is essential for restoring black-odorous water because it holds many pollutants. High-efficiency chemical methods and low-cost biological methods are usually used for the ex-situ treatment of black-odorous sediment. However, the cost of chemical treatments is high and biological treatment needs a long period. This study involved a combined process coupling pre-biological treatment with post-chemical treatment to treat the raw black-odorous sediment. Two types of waste activated sludge from a secondary sedimentation tank (SST) and a digestion tank (DT) were used for the pre-biological treatment, and hydrogen peroxide was used for post-chemical treatment. Sediment treatment was improved by the combination process, with the SST + 10 mL H2O2/(L sediment) treatment working the optimal. The removal of total nitrogen and total phosphorus reached approximately 71.2% and 52.2%, respectively, and the removal of water and organics reached 29.3% and 17.6%, respectively. MiSeq sequencing found that adding SST sludge improved the microbial community diversity of the sediment, and obviously increased the abundance of microorganisms related to nitrification (such as Nitrospira) and sulfur metabolism (such as Sulfurovum) to 0.6% and 1.2%, respectively. This promoted treatment performance. However, the microbial diversity was reduced after adding the oxidant. This study identified a cost-effective process for treating black-odorous sediment, greatly decreasing the treatment period and cost.

Bioequivalence (BE) studies support the approval and clinical use of both new drug and generic drug products. Virtual BE studies have been conducted using physiologically based pharmacokinetic absorption models (PBPK AMs) to aid the evaluations of generic drug products. The aim of the current study is to determine the dissolution boundary for maintaining BE between the test and reference oseltamivir phosphate (OP) drug products using the PBPK AM-based virtual BE studies in adults and pediatrics. The adult PBPK AM for OP and its metabolite oseltamivir carboxylate (OC) are developed and verified/validated using intravenous and oral data from multiple generic OP products. The pediatric PBPK AM is extrapolated from the adult PBPK AM. The virtual BE analysis is conducted using simulated PK profiles from the reference products and the generic products with theoretical dissolution profiles as inputs. Results indicate that the generic products with 10% slower dissolution profile than the pivotal reference bio-batch could still maintain BE to the reference in adults. In contrast, a stringent trend of dissolution boundary is observed for pediatrics (6% slower for adolescents, 4% slower for 0-2-month neonates) to maintain BE. This study addresses the important applications of PBPK AM in evaluating BE in different age populations, mitigating risk of formulation/batch changes, and providing a quantitative basis for setting clinically relevant dissolution specifications for OP and OC in both adults and pediatrics.

Background: Ginseng Antler Yam Tang (GAYT), believe to invigorate “Qi” (vital energy), nourish “Blood” (body circulation) and engender “liquid” (body fluid), is a traditional Chinese medicine formula derived from the traditional prescription and Chinese traditional medicine partner theory. Methods: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the anti-fatigue effects of GAYT and its mechanisms are related to oxidative stress signaling using GAYT composition, in vitro and in vivo antioxidant, and biochemical index detection. Chemical components analysis of GAYT was performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV). Results: The results show that the GAYT is rich in protein, total flavonoids, total polysaccharide and saponin. The mice model was treatment by GAYT (0.9, 1.8 and 3.6g/kg) for 4 weeks. GAYT treatment enhanced antioxidant activities. GAYT significantly enhances the exercise performance in weight-loaded swimming, rotating rod, and forced running test. Biochemical index levels showed that these effects were closely correlated with inhibiting the depletion of glycogen, blood lactic acid (LD) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) stores, regulating oxidative stress-related parameters (superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and malonaldehyde (MDA)) in serum and liver of mice. Moreover, the results show that the effects of GAYT may be related with its regulation on the activations of AMP-activated protein kinase and protein kinase B in liver of mice.Conclusions: GAYT can induce recovery from fatigue in mice via the activation of the AMPK and AKT/mTOR pathways. Provide a theoretical basis for the study of GAYT's anti-fatigue effect

Lipid-like nanoparticles (LNPs) have potential as non-viral delivery systems for mRNA therapies. However, repeated administrations of LNPs may lead to accumulation of delivery materials and associated toxicity. To address this challenge, we have developed biodegradable lipids which improve LNPs clearance and reduce toxicity. We modify the backbone structure of Dlin-MC3-DMA by introducing alkyne and ester groups into the lipid tails. We evaluate the performance of these lipids when co-formulated with other amine containing lipid-like materials. We demonstrate that these formulations synergistically facilitate robust mRNA delivery with improved tolerability after single and repeated administrations. We further identify albumin-associated macropinocytosis and endocytosis as an ApoE-independent LNP cellular uptake pathway in the liver. Separately, the inclusion of alkyne lipids significantly increases membrane fusion to enhance mRNA release, leading to synergistic improvement of mRNA delivery. We believe that the rational design of LNPs with multiple amine-lipids increases the material space for mRNA delivery., Lipid-like nanoparticles have applications as non-viral delivery systems for mRNA. Here, the authors develop biodegradable lipids with improved clearance and reduced toxicity.

The calponin homology (CH) domain is one of the most common modules in various actin-binding proteins and is characterized by an α-helical fold. The CH domain plays important regulatory roles in both cytoskeletal dynamics and signaling. The CH domain is required for stability and organization of the actin cytoskeleton, calcium mobilization and activation of downstream pathways. The CH domain has recently garnered increased attention due to its importance in the onset of different diseases, such as cancers and asthma. However, many roles of the CH domain in various protein functions and corresponding diseases are still unclear. Here, we review current knowledge about the structural features, interactome and related diseases of the CH domain.

A novel Pt entrapped in Bi2O3 decorated TiO2 nanotube (Pt-in/Bi2O3@TNT) composite was obtained by the assistance of vacuum impregnation and subsequent calcination. Attributed to the confinement effect, TiO2 nanotube (TNT) confined Pt nanoparticles catalyst (Pt-in/TNT) processed better ethylene (C2H4) combustion activity than Pt nanoparticles loaded on TNT catalyst (Pt-out/TNT). More distinctly, the Pt-in/Bi2O3@TNT displayed enhanced activity towards C2H4 combustion, a nearly complete depletion at 150 °C was achieved, which is 30 °C lower than that of the Pt-in/TNT. The characterizations of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) not only verified that the electron density destitution of Pt in Pt-in/Bi2O3@TNT is significantly enhanced due to the modulation of layered Bi2O3 on the confinement effect of TNT, but also indicated that the catalyst facilitates the forming and migrating of active oxygen species. This work presents an efficient confinement effect combined with electron modifier strategy to construct high-performance catalysts for environmental applications.

Aims Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be implicated in cerebral hypoxia injury and could serve as a therapeutic target. As the third gasotransmitter, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays a critical role in hypoxia-induced injury in the central nervous system. Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) is the main enzyme catalyzing the production of H2S in brain. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of miR-125b-5p on protecting against oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) injury in PC-12 cells by regulating CBS and H2S generation. Results The level of miR-125b-5p was increased in the rat MCAO model as well as OGD model in PC-12 cells. Meanwhile, CBS expression was remarkably downregulated. Overexpression of miR-125b-5p reduced CBS expression, decreased the H2S generation, and deteriorated OGD injury in PC-12 cells. On the contrary, silencing miR-125b-5p protected PC-12 cells from OGD injury by upregulated CBS and H2S levels. We found the protective effect of miR-125b-5p inhibition was associated with anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic cell signaling through decreasing ROS level and reducing mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Furthermore, the protective effect was absent when CBS was knockdown in PC-12 cells. Innovation and conclusion Our research discovered the regulation of CBS by miR-125b-5p. Besides, we provide the evidence for the therapeutic potential of miR-125b-5p inhibition for cerebral ischemia via CBS/H2S pathway.

Exploring and developing novel semiconductor photo-catalysts for visible-light-driven water splitting are of great scientific significance to solve energy and environmental problems. Herein, Bismuth Selenide (Bi2Se3) nanosheets decorated with a thin layer of Bi2SeO2 to form Bi2Se3/Bi2SeO2 nanocomposites were successfully prepared using a conventional reflux and heating method. Fabricated Bi2Se3/Bi2SeO2 heterojunctions were characterized via X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It has revealed that, the thickness of outer Bi2SeO2 layer can be tuned upon the annealing temperatures, which strongly influenced the performance of catalyst towards water splitting performances. Annealed at 200 °C, the Bi2Se3/Bi2SeO2 heterojunction with ∼5 nm of Bi2SeO2 layer yielded the highest hydrogen production rate of 136 μmol g−1 h−1. This enhanced photo-catalytic activity was ascribed to the synergy effect between the Bi2Se3/Bi2SeO2 layer, increased the visible light absorbance capacity, adjustment of the band gap and accelerate the electron-hole separation efficiency. The results represent a simply solution-based method towards a material with high photo-catalytic performance through the appropriate regulation of the oxidation degree of Bi2Se3 nanosheets, promising their industrial applications.

In this study, Mg Al layered double hydroxides were used as support precursors for the preparation of Pt Sn/Mg Al mixed metal oxides (Pt Sn/Mg Al) catalysts. The resultant catalysts were characterized by many techniques. The addition of Sn and high reduction temperature increased the Pt particle size. In the dehydrogenation of methylcyclohexane, the products were hydrogen and toluene. The introduction of Sn into Pt supported catalyst significantly improved the dehydrogenation activity. When Sn content was 0.5 wt % and Mg Al mixed metal oxides was used as a starting support, 90.5% conversion and 262.1 mmol/gmet/min H2 evolution rate were obtained at 300 °C. Moreover, these Pt Sn/Mg Al catalysts presented high anti-coking ability and good stability. No carbon deposition and conversion reduction were observed after the dehydrogenation reaction for 10 h.

PtCo x bimetallic nanoparticles(NPs) supported on tannin-grafted collagen fiber(CF-BT) have been pre-pared via a novel synthetic strategy, and applied for catalytic hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde(CAL), a typic unsa-turated aldehyde. The catalysts were systematically and specifically characterized by means of XRD, XPS, TEM-EDX and SEM to clarify the structure-property correlation. It was found that the PtCo x /CF-BT catalysts exhi-bited significantly enhanced catalytic activity and desirable stability in catalytic hydrogenation of CAL, which is ascribed to the synergistic interaction between bimetallic components, the effective dispersion, the anchoring role of CF-BT matrix on bimetallic NPs, as well as the lower mass transfer resistance of the matrix.

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) is a promising n-type thermoelectric material at high temperature. However, to date, its reported high dimensional figure of merit (zT) > 0.4 has only been achieved in a narrow temperature range near 1000 K. In this study, zT values of >0.4 were achieved in the broad temperature range of 769–1009 K in bulk SrTiO3 co-doped with La and Nb with in situ precipitation of second phases of NbC and TiO2−δ. The electronic transport properties of the samples were optimized by adjusting the doping ratio, resulting in a large power factor of 1.82 mW m−1 K−2 at 622 K for 7 mol% La–7 mol% Nb-doped SrTiO3. Notably, the power factor (PF) decreased more gradually with increasing temperature, resulting in a high PF of 1.28 mW m−1 K−2 even at 1009 K. In addition, precipitation of the second phases occurred during sintering of the mixture of La–Nb doped SrTiO3 nano powder and carbon powder, which provided additional phonon scattering centers except for the phonon scattering centers of La and Nb point defects. This high thermoelectric performance achieved over a broad temperature range could be beneficial for broadening the range of application temperatures for bulk polycrystalline SrTiO3. Furthermore, the tailoring strategy of co-doping, an in situ second phase, and oxygen vacancies applied in this study may be applicable to other oxide thermoelectric materials.

Stimuli-responsive materials with switchable wettability for bidirectional oil-water separation show great potential in practical applications. Inspired by mussels, we use dopamine as an anchor molecule to construct a polydopamine (PDA) coating on the surface of copper foam (CF). Silver particles are deposited on the PDA coated surface to construct a multiscale composite structure, and the long-chain alkylthiol with carboxyl and methyl groups at the end is subsequently self-assembled to the modified copper foam surface. The as-modified copper foam has unique pH responsiveness, that is, the water contact angle (WCA) is measured to be about 140° under acidic and neutral conditions, while alkaline conditions radically change the surface property from superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic due to the measured WCA turning to 0°. It can be used efficiently for the bidirectional separation of an oil-water mixture, e.g., the separation efficiency of a 1,2-dichloroethane/water mixture can reach as high as 98.2%. Besides, it maintains 98% separation efficiency and stable wettability for an octane/water mixture, together with excellent mechanical durability; the WCA of the surface maintains at about 130° after ten wear cycles.

As the first-generation semiconductor, silicon (Si) exhibits promising prospects in thermoelectric (TE) convention application with the advantages of un-toxic, abundant, robust, and compliant to the integrated circuit. However, Si-based TE materials are always implemented for high-temperature application and deficient at room temperature (RT) ambience. This study displays an N-type Si1−x−yGexSny thin film by carrying out the strategy of metallic modulation doping for enhancing its power factor (PF). It was distinct to observe the extra carriers poured from the precipitated Sn particles without prominent degradation of mobility while sustaining appreciable thermal conductivity. The PF of 12.21 μW cm−1 K−2 and zT of 0.27 were achieved at 125 °C, which illustrated the significant potential for implementation at near RT ambiance.

A WO3-B1VO4 amorphous film grown on the (001) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrate was annealed at 600 °C in air. The microstructures evolution was investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. After annealed, the amorphous composite film crystalized into monoclinic BiVO4 and orthorhombic WO3. B1VO4 epitaxially grew on the YSZ, forming the matrix, where part of small irregular WO3 grains were embedded in. Other large-sized sub-stoichiometric WO3-6 (03-B1VO4 film grown at 600 °C by pulsed laser deposition, in the annealed composite film, the vertical lattice mismatched strain at WO3/B1VO4 interface decreased and lead to the disappearance of metastable hexagonal WO3.

Six undescribed low-polarity compounds including three rare 14-methylergostane steroids (1-3), one euphane triterpenoid (4) and two octadecanoic acid ethyl esters (5 and 6), along with ten previously reported terpenyl cometabolites (7-16), were isolated from the stems of Tinospora sagittata. Their structures were determined by detailed spectroscopic analyses and comparison with structurally related known compounds, and all of them have been reported from T. sagittata for the first time. Compounds 4-6 and 16 showed potent in vitro inhibitory activity against the diabetes target α-glucosidase, while compounds 10 and 14 displayed promising antibacterial effect toward Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923.

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) is a thermoelectric material with large Seebeck coefficient that has potential applications in high-temperature power generators. To simultaneously achieve a low thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity, polycrystalline SrTiO3 with a multi-scale architecture was designed by the co-doping with lanthanum, cerium, and niobium. High-quality nano-powders were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. Nano-inclusions and a nano/micro-sized second phase precipitated during sintering to form mosaic crystal-like and epitaxial-like structures, which decreased the thermal conductivity. Substituting trivalent Ce and/or La with divalent Sr and substituting pentavalent Nb with tetravalent Ti enhanced the electrical conductivity without decreasing the Seebeck coefficient. By optimizing the dopant type and ratio, a low thermal conductivity of 2.77 W⋅m−1⋅K−1 and high PF of 1.1 mW⋅m−1⋅K−2 at 1000 K were obtained in the sample co-doped with 5-mol% La, 5-mol% Ce, and 5-mol% Nb, which induced a large ZT of 0.38 at 1000 K.

Strontium titanite (SrTiO3), which is an experimentally-friendly thermoelectric material, could be a promising candidate for thermoelectric power generation applications. The theorectical study indicates the co-doping of La and Nb could enhance the thermoelectric performance, however, the thermoelectric figure of merits (ZTs) of SrTiO3 are still low because the co-doping process at nano-scale is experimentally difficult to control. Here we report a high performance SrTiO3 with La-Nb co-doping, which are prepared by a combination of hydrothermal method and high-efficiency sintering. Nano-scale co-doping is successfully modulated by hydrothermal method, and nano-inclusions precipitate during sintering process, to form complex microstructures. In this case, the electrical and thermal transport properties are optimized simultaneously by doping concentration and dopants type, resulting in a record-high ZT >0.6 at 1000−1100 K in the 10 mol% La and 10 mol% Nb doped SrTiO3 bulk materials. The nano-scale modulation doping and microstructure controlling approach validated in the present study should be also applicable for other thermoelectric materials.

Our previous work demonstrated that Wnt16 expression in cisplatin-damaged tumor-associated fibroblasts is a key factor contributing to cisplatin resistance in malignancies. Natural antifibrotic compounds with low toxicities are promising candidates to downregulate Wnt16 expression, improving the antitumor effect of cisplatin nanoparticles. Upon screening several natural chemicals, we found that a dietary flavonoid, quercetin, significantly suppresses Wnt16 expression in activated fibroblasts. To facilitate drug delivery, we have prepared a targeted lipid/calcium/phosphate nanoparticle formulation consisting of a prodrug of quercetin, i.e., quercetin phosphate, with a high loading efficiency (26.6% w/w). This quercetin nanoparticle with a particle size of around 35 nm significantly improved the bioavailability and metabolic stability of the parent quercetin. Quercetin phosphate is released from the nanoparticles and converted back to the parent quercetin under physiological conditions. Following systemic administration of quercetin phosphate nanoparticles, a significant downregulation in Wnt16 expression was observed and further yielded a synergistic antitumor effect with cisplatin nanoparticles in a stroma-rich bladder carcinoma model. The α-SMA-positive fibroblast and collagen within the tumor decreased significantly after combination treatment. This suggests that the remodeling of the tumor microenvironment induced by quercetin plays a critical role in promoting the synergy. Indeed, our data further confirmed that quercetin phosphate alone significantly remodeled the tumor microenvironment and increased the penetration of second-wave nanoparticles into the tumor nests. Collectively, quercetin phosphate nanoparticles may be a safe and effective way to improve therapeutic treatment for desmoplastic tumors.

Mature landfill leachate is difficult to be treated due to its complex composition, high concentration of ammonia, and low carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N). Simultaneous partial nitrification, Anammox and denitrification (SNAD) with intermittent aeration was developed to achieve nitrogen removal from mature landfill leachate. An ammonia conversion efficiency of 99.3 ± 0.3% and total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency of 99 ± 0.1% were obtained under the influent NH 4 + -N , SCOD and TN of 1950 ± 250 mg/L 1900 ± 200 mg/L and 2300 ± 75 mg/L, respectively. Full utilization of carbon source and high efficient Anammox were two significant factors in SNAD process. Based on the nitrogen balance, the nitrogen removal contribution was 77.1% for Anammox, and 15.6% for denitrification. Three dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy was used to detect dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a typical operation cycle for the first time, demonstrating that DOM increased during the anoxic phase and facilitated the reduction of excess NO 3 - -N by denitrification. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) analysis revealed dominant bacterial groups, aerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB), which accounted for 12.99% and 8.32% of total bacteria respectively. As a whole, in the SNAD process, nitrogen and COD are removed from the wastewater simultaneously.

Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is a major clinical problem in allergic asthma mainly caused by the hypercontractility of airway smooth muscles (ASM). S100A8 is an important member of the S100 calcium-binding protein family with a potential to regulate cell contractility. Here, we analyze the potential of S100A8 to regulate allergen-induced AHR and ASM contraction. Treatment with recombinant S100A8 (rS100A8) diminished airway hyperresponsiveness in OVA-sensitized rats. ASM contraction assays showed that rS100A8 reduced hypercontractility in both isolated tracheal rings and primary ASM cells treated by acetylcholine. rS100A8 markedly rescued the phosphorylation level of myosin light chain induced by acetylcholine in ASM cells. These results show that rS100A8 plays a protective role in regulating AHR in asthma by inhibiting ASM contraction. These results support S100A8 as a novel therapeutic target to control ASM contraction in asthma.

In this study, a molecularly imprinted polymer-coated wooden-tip (MIPCWT) electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) method was developed for rapid and sensitive detection of trace malachite green (MG) and its metabolite in aquatic products. Such a method was realized by applying a silicone-modified acrylate molecularly imprinted emulsion (SMAMIE) onto the surface of wooden tips to specially design a MIPCWT solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) probe for selective enrichment of MG and its metabolite from aquatic products. Subsequently, a high voltage and some spray solvent were applied to the MIPCWT SPME probe, and ESI was induced for direct MS analysis under ambient and open-air conditions. The MIPCWT-SPME probe exhibits a high enriching capacity of approximately 1500–2000 fold toward MG and leucomalachite green (LMG), with detection limit reaching 0.01 μg L−1. In addition, a good linearity is obtained for both MG and LMG, with correlation coefficient values (R2) of no less than 0.998. The present method was successfully applied to analyze MG and LMG in real-life tap water, river water and fish samples, and good recoveries in the range of 93–103%, 92–108% and 106–113%, respectively, were found. All of these demonstrated that our developed MIPCWT-ESI-MS method holds great potential for rapid, direct, sensitive, and reliable detection and analysis of trace veterinary drug residues in aquatic products.

Clinically, combined therapy of cisplatin (CDDP) and metformin is an effective treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The success is attributed to synergistic effects between the two drugs. Therefore, we hypothesize that co-encapsulation of CDDP and metformin will avoid the prominent toxicity of CDDP while maintaining the synergy between the regimens. CDDP was first conjugated to polyglutamic acid (PGA) to form anionic PGA-CDDP which was electrostatically complexed with the cationic polymeric metformin (polymet). The nano-sized complex was then stabilized with cationic liposomes composed of DOTAP (2, 3-Dioleoyloxy-propyl)-trimethylammonium/Cholesterol/DSPE-PEG-anisamide aminoethyl. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed the synergy between polymet and CDDP. CDDP delivered with nanoparticles (NPs) exhibited significantly increased tumor accumulation over free CDDP and suppressed tumor growth through apoptosis in NSCLC H460 tumor-bearing mice without nephrotoxicity. The synergistic effect of polymet alongside CDDP demonstrates that polymet-CDDP NPs can activate the AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) pathway and inhibit mammalian target rapamycin (mTOR) activity to enhance growth suppression. In all, this platform is the first to successfully co-load polymet, a polymeric metformin, and CDDP into the same nanoparticle for successful treatment of NSCLC.