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Photocatalysis of dye degradation is one of green and cheap technologies for solving environmental pollution. Whereas it is rarely concerned that the degradation process varied with the change of solution condition, this work studied the influence of hydrion in the solution on the photodegradation process of Rhodamine B (RhB) over g-C3N4. The photocatalytic activity of RhB degradation was enhanced gradually with increased hydrion content in the system. The efficiency for RhB degradation over g-C3N4 in weak acidic system with interference of multiple metal-ions still reached near 95% after 30 min of natural sunlight irradiation. A large amount of oxidation species and the hydroxylation mineralization process were induced by increasing the hydrion concentration. Two degradation processes for deethylation of four ethyl groups and the direct chromophoric degradation were discovered and proved by multifarious intermediates in different systems using the ESR technique, LC/MS and GC/MS analysis. In addition, the photosensitization played a critical role in the RhB degradation. A feasible degradation mechanism was proposed for the RhB degradation based on the experimental results.

A novel TPE-o-carborane-based star-shaped molecule with a triphenylamine core has been synthesized. This star-shaped molecule consists of three TPE-o-carborane moieties as dendrons and triphenylamine as the core. In the solid state, the absolute luminescent quantum yield can be improved to 62%.

Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), which plays a key role in cellular regulations including cell growth, redox signaling pathways and differentiation, belongs to the selenocysteine-containing protein family. Numerous human diseases are associated with thioredoxin reductase/selenocysteine deficiency or overdose. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new tools for thioredoxin reductase detection. Small molecule fluorescent probes, which have been studied for decades, are powerful chemical tools for biomolecule detection and diagnosis within a bio-system. However, there still remains a challenge in finding a specific target site when designing a new probe. In this work, we presented a Tag-Sec fluorescent probe that could detect both thioredoxin reductase and selenocysteine with high sensitivity, selectivity, broad pH tolerance and good water solubility. We hope that the concept described in this work could serve as a useful guide to design probes for detecting Sec-containing proteins and clinical diagnosis.

Benefiting from the unique chain walking characteristic of late transition metal complexes, branched EPR-like elastomers bearing distinct differences compared to traditional linear EPRs are reported herein. Firstly, a series of acenaphthene-based α-diimine nickel complexes were prepared and thoroughly characterized. The single crystal structures of rac-Ni4 and rac-Ni5 were further determined by X-ray crystallography, in which intra-ligand π–π interactions could be clearly observed. Being activated by Et3Al2Cl3, rac-Ni1–Ni5 are able to promote propylene homopolymerization and copolymerization with ethylene with high catalytic activities, affording EPR-like products with unique branched structures and sequences. Through regulating polymerization parameters (temperature, monomer feeding ratio, etc.) and ligand structures that play a pivotal role in governing the chain walking abilities of the precatalyst, obviously different polymer products were obtained respectively from propylene homopolymerization and ethylene/propylene copolymerization. The former case afforded products with predominant P units, whereas the latter case gave rise to copolymers with predominant E units. Furthermore, dramatic changes in the P and E unit contents as well as their sequences were observed along with the variation in polymerization temperature.

Currently, aqueous zinc–ion batteries are receiving extraordinary attention because of their cheap price, superior energy density and great security. However, the inferior specific capacity and low rate capability significantly hamper their further widespread application. Herein, a novel egg waffle–like architecture consisting of double–shell ZnMn2O4 hollow microspheres embedded in 2D carbon networks (ZnMn2O4@C) is designed and employed as a cathode material for aqueous zinc–ion batteries. Specifically, the ZnMn2O4@C electrode displays a capacity of 481 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 after 110 cycles with excellent cycling stability. The superior cycling stability of the ZnMn2O4@C electrode is ascribed to the synergistic effect of the double–shell ZnMn2O4 hollow microspheres, which offer sufficient space to withstand volume expansion during Zn2+ intercalation/deintercalation process, as well as the 2D continuous conductive and interconnected carbon network, which facilitates rapid electronic transmission and guarantees good structural mechanical stability. This study offers a fascinating cathode material and extends the available choices for manganate based–materials in rechargeable aqueous zinc–ion batteries.

Despite tremendous importance in catalysis, the design of oxide-metal interface has been hampered by the limited understanding of the nature of interfacial sites and the oxide-metal interaction (OMI). Through construction of well-defined Cu2O/Pt, Cu2O/Ag and Cu2O/Au interfaces, we find that Cu2O nanostructures (NSs) on Pt exhibit much lower thermal stability than on Ag and Au, although they show the same structure. The activities of these interfaces are compared for CO oxidation and follow the order of Cu2O/Pt > Cu2O/Au > Cu2O/Ag. OMI is found to determine the activity and stability of supported Cu2O NSs, which could be described by the formation energy of interfacial oxygen vacancy. Further, electronic interaction between Cu+ and metal substrates is found center to OMI, where the d band center could be used as a key descriptor. Our study provides insight for OMI and for the development of Cu-based catalysts for low temperature oxidation reactions., The design of oxide-metal interface for heterogeneous catalysis has been hampered by the limited fundamental understanding. Here, the authors demonstrate that the activities of cuprous oxide nanostructures for CO oxidation can be tuned via the oxide-metal (Cu2O/M, M = Pt, Ag, Au) interaction.

This work presented experimental and modeling studies on the simultaneous absorption of H2S and CO2 into the N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) and piperazine (PZ) solution in a rotating packed bed (RPB...

Particulate matter (PM) is an environmental pollutant closely associated with human airway inflammation. However, the molecular mechanisms of PM-related airway inflammation remains to be fully elucidated. It is known that COX-2/PGE2 play key roles in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation. Filaggrin is a transmembrane protein contributing to tight junction barrier function. As such, Filaggrin prevents leakage of transported solutes and is therefore necessary for the maintenance of epithelial integrity. The objective of the present study was to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of COX-2/PGE2 and Filaggrin upon PM exposure both in vivo and in vitro. C57BL/6 mice received intratracheal instillation of PM for two consecutive days. In parallel, human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) were exposed to PM for 24 h. PM exposure resulted in airway inflammation together with upregulation of COX-2/PGE2 and downregulation of Filaggrin in mouse lungs. Corresponding dysregulation of COX-2/PGE2 and Filaggrin was also observed in HBECs subjected to PM. PM exposure led to the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and PI3K signaling pathways in a time-dependent manner, while blockade of PI3K with the specific molecular inhibitor LY294002 partially reversed the dysregulation of COX-2/PGE2 and Filaggrin. Moreover, pretreatment of HBECs with NS398, a specific molecular inhibitor of COX-2, and AH6809, a downstream PGE2 receptor inhibitor, reversed the downregulation of Filaggrin upon PM exposure. Taken together, these data demonstrated that the PI3K signaling pathway upregulated COX-2 as well as PGE2 and acted as a pivotal mediator in the downregulation of Filaggrin.

Background It is known that patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) have reduced numbers of short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA) producing bacteria and reduced SCFA concentration in feces. There is also evidence that Hispanic patients have increased incidence of UC and increased likelihood of developing disease at a younger age. To understand why this might be, we compared fiber intake and fecal SCFA concentrations in Hispanic children with UC and non‐Hispanic children with UC. Methods In this cross‐sectional study conducted at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, stool was collected from 22 Hispanic and 31 non‐Hispanic children with UC. SCFAs in the stool were quantified using mass spectrometry. Diet information was collected at the time of stool collection using food frequency questionnaires. Results Acetic acid, butyric acid, isovaleric acid, and propionic acid concentrations are significantly lower in Hispanic children with UC compared to age, gender, and disease activity matched non‐Hispanic children with UC (p, Hispanic children with ulcerative colitis have lower short chain fatty acids.

Low temperatures (LT) in spring can have a major impact on the yields of wheat in winter. Wheat varieties with different cold sensitivities (the cold-tolerant Yannong 19 variety and the cold-sensitive Yangmai 18 variety) were used to study the responses of the wheat grain starch synthesis and dry material accumulation to short-term LT during the booting stage. The effects of short-term LT on the activities of key wheat grain starch synthesis enzymes, starch content and grain dry-matter accumulation were determined by exposing the wheat to simulated LT of from −2 to 2°C. Short-term LT stress caused a decrease in the fullness of the wheat grains along with decreased activities of adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase, EC2.7.7.27), soluble starch synthase (SSS, EC2.4.1.21), granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS, EC2.4.1.21), and starch branching enzyme (SBE, EC2.4.1.18) at different spike positions during the filling stage. The rate of grain starch accumulation and starch content decreased with decreasing temperatures. Also, the duration of grain filling increased, the mean and the maximum filling rates were reduced and the quality of the grain dry-matter decreased. The number of grains per spike and the thousand-grain weight of the mature grains also decreased. Our data showed that short-term LT stress at the booting stage caused a decrease in the activities of key starch synthesis enzymes at the grain-filling stage. These changes reduced the accumulation of starch, decreased the filling rate, and lowered the accumulation of grain dry matter to ultimately decrease grain yields.

To illuminate the interactions in N-[(2-hydroxyl)-propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium] chitosan chloride (HTCC)/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) based films, the film-forming solutions were studied by rheology, and HTCC/CMC based films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The HTCC/CMC based film-forming solutions with glycerol (polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and anthocyanin) showed shear-thinning behavior. The apparent viscosity of the HTCC/CMC/glycerol (PVA and anthocyanin) film-forming solutions decreased slower than that of HTCC/CMC film-forming solution, due to the electrostatic interaction between HTCC and CMC, and hydrogen bonding interaction between the two biomacromolecules and glycerol, PVA and anthocyanin, which resulted in the formation of three-dimensional networks. The anthocyanin with rigid molecular structure formed different three-dimensional matrix with HTCC/CMC, resulted in viscosity dominated film-forming solution. The pH affected the electrostatic interaction between HTCC, CMC, and anthocyanin through neutralizing –COO− groups, and temperature showed a synergistic effect on both electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. The inter-molecular interactions resulted in the red-shift of typical absorption peaks, and the increase of initial decomposition temperature and decomposition enthalpy of HTCC/CMC based films. The homogenous and smooth surface, and the compact texture of HTCC/CMC based films confirmed the intermolecular interaction between HTCC, CMC, and PVA (glycerol and anthocyanin). Interactions in N-[(2-hydroxyl)-propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium] chitosan chloride and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose based films The HTCC/CMC/glycerol (PVA, anthocyanin) blend solutions show shear-thinning behavior, and the strong interaction between the molecules resists the decrease of viscosity.

Herein, high strength dual-crosslinked hydrogels with photo-switchable color changing behavior were designed and fabricated. In the mixture solution of α-cyclodextrin (α-CD), α-cyclodextrin-spiropyran (α-CD-SP), and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), the PEGDA chains first threaded into the cavity of α-CD/α-CD-SP and form inclusion complexes to generate the physical gel; then, the as-prepared physical gels were subjected to photopolymerization to form a covalently crosslinked network. With the contribution of both no-covalent and covalent bond, the dual-crosslinked hydrogels possess high tensile strength, which is about fifteen times that of the pure PEG hydrogel. And due to the sacrifice of no-covalent bond, hydrogels showed high energy dissipation ratio, up to 75.3% and high fatigue resistance during loading-unloading tests. While the ingenious introduction of SP moieties, enables the as-prepared gels photo-switchable spatiotemporal color changing behavior reversibly. Erasable patterns on hydrogels could be written using UV light and erased by Vis light for multiple cycles. This flexible hydrogel with good physical performance shows high potential in photochromic flexible wearable devices.

Background Chalcone, a natural product, has a wide range of biological activities. L2H17, a chalcone derivative, was synthesized and screened in our previous study and exhibited excellent anti-inflammatory property in vitro. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of L2H17 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and the role of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Materials and methods An ALI animal model was induced by LPS (10 mg/kg) intratracheal instillation. The effect of L2H17 on LPS-induced structural damage was determined using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and tissue edema extent was examined. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was harvested to assess the levels of related cytokines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was also assessed. HO-1 expression was determined using immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The effects of L2H17 on LPS stimulation in RAW 264.7 and the involvement of the HO-1 pathway were investigated. Results L2H17 alleviated the histopathological manifestations and tissue edema. Moreover, L2H17 decreased the production of pro-inflammatory factors in BALF and increased SOD activity. In vitro, L2H17 significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Additionally, L2H17 improved the expression of HO-1 in LPS-treated lung tissue and RAW 264.7. We also found that the inhibitory effect of L2H17 on the inflammatory responses was attenuated by an inhibitor of HO-1 activity, Tin protoporphyrin IX (SnPP). Conclusion Our data confirmed that L2H17 can exert protective effect on ALI in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting inflammatory responses and modulating the HO-1 pathway.

The melting temperature of Z coal ash was reduced by adding calcium–magnesium compound flux (WCaO/WMgO = 1). In the process of simulated coal gasification, the coal ash and slag were prepared. The transformation of minerals in coal ash and slag upon the change of temperature was studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). With the increase of temperatures, forsterite in the ash disappears, while the diffraction peak strength of magnesium spinel increases, and the content of the calcium feldspar increases, then the content of the amorphous phase in the ash increases obviously. The species and evolution process of oxygen, silicon, aluminum, calcium, magnesium at different temperatures were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The decrease of the ash melting point mainly affects the structural changes of silicon, aluminum and oxygen. The coordination of aluminum and oxygen in the aluminum element structure, e.g., tetracoordinated aluminum oxide, was changed. Tetrahedral [AlO4] and hexacoordinated aluminoxy octahedral [AlO6] change with the temperature changing. The addition of Ca2+ and Mg2+ destroys silica chain, making bridge oxide silicon change into non-bridge oxysilicon; and bridge oxygen bond was broken and non-bridge oxygen bond was produced in the oxygen element structure. The addition of calcium and magnesium compound flux reacts with aluminum oxide tetrahedron, aluminum oxide octahedron and silicon tetrahedron to promote the breakage of the bridge oxygen bond. Ca2+ and Mg2+ are easily combined with silicon oxide and aluminum oxide tetrahedron and aluminum. Oxygen octahedrons combine with non-oxygen bonds to generate low-melting temperature feldspars and magnesite minerals, thereby reducing the coal ash melting temperatures. The structure of kaolinite and mullite was simulated by quantum chemistry calculation, and kaolinite molecule has a stable structure.

The bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) bromodomains, particularly BRD4, have been identified as promising therapeutic targets in the treatment of many human disorders such as cancer, inflammation, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Recently, the discovery of novel BRD4 inhibitors has garnered substantial interest. Starting from scaffold hopping of the reported compound dihydroquinazolinone (PFI-1), a series of coumarin derivatives were designed and synthesised as a new chemotype of BRD4 inhibitors. Interestingly, the representative compounds 13 exhibited potent BRD4 binding affinity and cell proliferation inhibitory activity, and especially displayed a favourable PK profile with high oral bioavailability (F = 49.38%) and metabolic stability (T1/2 = 4.2 h), meaningfully making it as a promising lead compound for further drug development., Graphical Abstract

Here, light and ferric ion (Fe3+) responsive fluorochromic hydrogels with high strength and self-healing ability were designed and synthesized. The hydrogels were prepared via physical crosslinking of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), in the presence of γ-cyclodextrin-spiropyran (γ-CD-SP) and tannic acid (TA). By utilizing the hydrogen bonding interaction between the γ-CD moiety and PVA chain, the fluorophore γ-CD-SP could be incorporated into the PVA gel successfully. Owing to photo-isomerization of the SP moiety, the hydrogel showed “on/off” fluorescence behavior upon ultraviolet/bright light irradiation. Moreover, the fluorescence emission of the hydrogel could also be turned off in the presence of Fe3+ by fluorescence inner filter effects, and then recovered by adding EDTA. The hydrogel possessed high tensile strength (i.e. 2.18 MPa) and self-healing ability. With the features of high strength, self-healing, and tunable fluorescence properties, the hydrogels would have potential applications in wearable devices, fluorescent sensors, and optical switches.

Herein, a novel strategy was proposed for the fabrication of hierarchical porous silica materials templated by a poly ionic liquid (PIL, a copolymer of 1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium bromide and acrylamide) and P123 (PEO20PPO70PEO20). The PIL acts as a co-solvent as well as a co-template in the system. The effects of the concentration of the PIL and pH on the morphology and structure of silica materials were systematically investigated. Hierarchical porous silica materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption–desorption, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Moreover, the results demonstrated that the porous silica materials were equipped with a dual-mesoporous channel structure and possessed a high surface area and large pore volumes up to 1274 m2 g−1 and 1.41 cm3 g−1, respectively. Furthermore, a high-performance catalyst-based supported ionic liquid phase (SILP) was obtained by surface modification with the IL (1-(tri-ethoxy-silyl-propyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride) of the carrier and anion exchange with HPW. Catalytic performances were investigated in the alkylation of styrene with o-xylene. Moreover, it was found that the as-synthesized catalysts showed high catalytic performance in terms of styrene conversion and selectivity to 1-phenyl-1-xylyl ethane (PXE). Specifically, the catalyst PIL-1.0g-2-IL-HPW showed excellent activities in both the yield (91.5%) and selectivity (96.8%) for this alkylation reaction.

Cu-Fe composite oxides with different Cu:Fe ratios were synthesized by a hydrothermal method and investigated as a heterogeneous catalyst for persulfate activation. The obtained samples exhibited much higher activity than CuFe2O4 for the degradation and mineralization of ofloxacin with persulfate, and the optimized Cu:Fe ratio was 1:1 (CuFe1). The results of catalyst characterization and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis indicate that the activities of the catalysts for ofloxacin degradation and superoxide radical ( O2−) production are highly positively correlated with their redox ability. The removal efficiencies of ofloxacin in the presence of different scavengers further demonstrate that O2− is the dominant reactive species in this process, which is quite different from previous studies. It is suggested that CuFe1 with higher oxidation ability could weaken the S O bond of adsorbed persulfate, thus promoting the decomposition persulfate into O2−. Finally, the possible degradation pathway of ofloxacin was proposed according to the liquid chromatography−mass spectrometry result.

Understanding dewetting of solvent molecules confined to layered material (LM) interfaces is crucial to the synthesis of two-dimensional materials by liquid-phase exfoliation. Here, we examine dewetting behavior of water and isopropanol/water (IPA/H2O) mixtures between molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) membranes using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We find that a monolayer of water spontaneously ruptures into nanodroplets surrounded by dry regions. The average speed of receding dry patches is close to the speed of sound in air. In contrast, monolayer mixtures of IPA/H2O between MoS2 membranes slowly transform into percolating networks of nanoislands and nanochannels in which water molecules diffuse inside and IPA molecules stay at the periphery of islands and channels. These contrasting behaviors may explain why IPA/H2O mixtures are much more effective than H2O alone in weakening interlayer coupling and exfoliating MoS2 into atomically thin sheets.

A novel kind of expanded tetraphenylethylene (TPE)-carborane-TPE pentad has been synthesized by using two adjacent carborane moieties as central bridges and three TPE units in lateral positions. Its solid-state fluorescence quantum yield was substantially increased to 68.2% by expanding the number of bridges between carborane and TPE. Subsequently, the emission color shifted from blue to orange-yellow (126 nm). Mechanical insights into the electronic structure of the extended TPE-carborane-TPE pentads were obtained from density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Summary Bacteria and archaea apply CRISPR-Cas surveillance complexes to defend against foreign invaders. These invading genetic elements are captured and integrated into the CRISPR array as spacer elements, guiding sequence-specific DNA/RNA targeting and cleavage. Recently, in vivo studies have shown that target RNAs with extended complementarity with repeat sequences flanking the target element (tag:anti-tag pairing) can dramatically reduce RNA cleavage by the type VI-A Cas13a system. Here, we report the cryo-EM structure of Leptotrichia shahii LshCas13acrRNA in complex with target RNA harboring tag:anti-tag pairing complementarity, with the observed conformational changes providing a molecular explanation for inactivation of the composite HEPN domain cleavage activity. These structural insights, together with in vitro biochemical and in vivo cell-based assays on key mutants, define the molecular principles underlying Cas13a’s capacity to target and discriminate between self and non-self RNA targets. Our studies illuminate approaches to regulate Cas13a’s cleavage activity, thereby influencing Cas13a-mediated biotechnological applications.

The intestine is the important bioaccumulation and target organ of Bisphenol F (BPF) and Bisphenol S (BPS). Morphological and functional abnormalities induced by BPS and BPF exposure in zebrafish intestine have been reported. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood, and the combined toxicities of BPS and BPF in the intestine have not been studied. Here, the zebrafish were treated by single and combined exposure of BPF and BPS at 1, 10, 100, 1000 μg/L. Oxidative damage, inflammation, and transcriptome profiles in the zebrafish intestine were determined. Changes in microbial community structure in zebrafish intestine were analyzed. Results showed that BPF, BPS, and BPF + BPS exposures significantly increased MDA, 8-OHdG, 1L-1β, and TNF-α levels in the zebrafish intestine, indicating oxidative damage and inflammatory effects. Co-exposure of BPS and BPF did not cause synergistic effects on the above effects but induced more changes in gene expression profiles. The changes in the PPAR signaling pathway might be associated with oxidative damage and inflammation. The amino acid metabolism and steroid biosynthesis were specifically altered by co-exposure of BPF and BPS. Moreover, BPF and/or BPS exposures altered microbial community structure in the zebrafish intestine, which showed different influence patterns. Increased abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria (such as Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas) might indicate one of the potential health hazards in zebrafish intestine. The above results provide basic information for the health risk assessment of BPS and BPF in aquatic organisms.

Bisphenol A (BPA) as the most common endocrine disruptor used in food containers and packaging is causing adverse effects for human beings. Accordingly, in situ detection of BPA is of practical importance for food safety. However, the complicated operations of existed methods and interference of various impurities in food matrix restrict the realization of real-time in situ BPA sensing in food samples. We report here a portable and fully-integrated electrochemical sensing device with an injector as the reaction vessel which assembled with screen printed electrodes (SPEs) as sensing electrodes and a detachable filter unit to filter impurities. This device, namely lab-on-injector, reduces the sampling, pretreatment and detection to a simple on-step operation, making in situ detection of BPA in real samples much easier and more feasible. Moreover, extra-small Au nanodots confined in carbon nanofibers (AuNDs@CNFs) were synthesized by in situ carbothermic reduction of Au3+ absorbed on cellulose, and were used to modified SPEs surface to greatly enhance detection performance of the lab-on-injector. Using this AuNDs@CNFs based lab-on-injector, BPA in food matrix was detected directly with recoveries from 93.14% to 94.25%, demonstrating a reliable platform for in situ detection of BPA, and opening a new way for the development of smart devices in electroanalysis. The electrochemical behaviors of BPA oxidation on AuNDs@CNFs/GCE were further explored. CVs of AuNDs@CNFs/GCE with different scan rates were recorded ( Fig. S4 ). Whether the electrochemical reaction of BPA is a diffusion-controlled or surface-controlled process can be determined by the following equations.

Maize shading affects the growth and development of soybean in maize soybean intercropping systems. Two different soybean varieties were (ND12, high shade-tolerant, and GX3, low shade-tolerant) relay intercrop with maize in different (T1, double row, and T2, single row) relay strip intercropping systems, and the results of the both planting arrangements of strip intercropping system were compared with the sole planting system of soybean. The results showed that shading reduced the content of photosynthetic pigment per unit area of soybean leaf, Fv/Fm, ΦPSⅡ, and Fv/Fo of ND12 and GX3 under T1 and T2. Moreover, T1 and T2 also decreased the density and size of stomata, leaf thickness, palisade tissue thickness of the tissue, and the size of the chloroplast and starch grains, while increased the thickness of the granum lamellae in both varieties of soybean. Nevertheless, the leaf area, aboveground biomass, photosynthetic capacity, photosynthetic organs measured morphological and architectural indices were found maximum in ND12 compared to GX3 in all planting patterns.

In general, genes promoting IAA, CTK GA and ethylene biosynthesis were upregulated, while genes participating in ABA, chlorophyll and starch biosynthesis pathways performed opposite tendency during etiolation. Etiolation as a method for rejuvenation plays an important role in the vegetative propagation of woody plants. However, the molecular mechanism of etiolated shoot development remains unclear. In this study, we investigated changes at different etiolation stages of Juglans regia. The histology and transcriptome of J. regia were analysed using etiolated stems, which were treated in darkness for 30, 60, 90 days. The results showed that the ratios of pith (Pi) diameter/stem diameter (D), cortex (Co) width/D, and phloem (Ph) width/D increased, while the ratio of xylem (Xy) width/D decreased after etiolation, and the difference in these ratios between etiolated stems and the control was more significant at 60 days than 90 days. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in pathways such as plant hormone biosynthesis and signal transduction, chlorophyll biosynthesis and degradation, and starch and sucrose metabolism. The difference in the contents of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), sugar and chlorophyll between etiolated stems and the control increased with increasing treatment duration; in contrast, the concentrations of gibberellin (GA), zeatin (ZT), and starch, as well as the difference between the etiolated stems and control were lowest at 60 days among the three stages. On the whole, the positive effect of etiolation on the rejuvenation of walnut stems changed as the treatment period increased. The present investigation lays a foundation for future studies on the effect of etiolation on rejuvenation and for promoting the efficiency of vegetative propagation.

This study reports a new type of artificial nanozyme based on Hemin-doped-HKUST-1 (HKUST-1, also referred to as MOF-199; a face-centered-cubic MOF containing nanochannels) as a redox mediator for the detection of dopamine (DA). Hemin-doped-HKUST-1 was successfully synthesized by one-pot hydrothermal method, which was combined with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) modified on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to construct a sensor (Hemin-doped HKUST-1/rGO/GCE). The morphology and structure of Hemin-doped-HKUST-1 were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and infrared spectra (IR) techniques. The Hemin-doped HKUST-1/rGO nanozyme showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity for DA oxidation, which is due to the enhanced Hemin activity through the formation of a metal–organic framework (MOFs) and the synergy between the Hemin-doped HKUST-1 and rGO in nanozyme. The resulted sensor exhibited a high sensitivity of 1.224 μA μM−1, with a lower detection limit of 3.27 × 10−8 M (S/N = 3) and a wide linear range of 0.03–10 μM for DA detection. In addition, due to the stabilizing effect of MOFs on heme, the sensor showed satisfactory stability and has been successfully applied to the detection of DA in serum samples, indicating that this work has potential value in clinical work.

Isoniazid and its major metabolite, hydrazine (N2H4), may interfere with mitochondrial function and have negative effects on cells. Consequently, an understanding of the role of N2H4 in mitochondria is highly desirable for protecting human health. Herein, we report a novel mitochondria-targeted ratiometric fluorescent probe (Mitro-N2H4) for N2H4 detection. Mitro-N2H4 exhibited an attenuation of green emission at 521 nm and an enhancement of yellow emission at 590 nm in the presence of N2H4 because of hydrazinolysis, indicating that it can be used as a ratiometric chemosensor for N2H4 with high selectivity and sensitivity. Such on-site monitoring of N2H4 vapour using test strips and N2H4-moistened soil analysis demonstrated its advantages in potential application for the convenient sensing of N2H4. Moreover, the rationally designed probe has many potential applications for imaging N2H4 produced in situ during the metabolism of isoniazid in living cells based on the ratio of the fluorescent signal.

In this study, we found miR-362-5p was upregulated in bladder cancer tissues and we predicted that QKI is potential a target of miR-362-5p and MBNL1-AS1 might be able to directly target to miR-362-5p. We attempted to evaluate whether miR-362-5p could play its roles in bladder cancer through regulating QKI (quaking) and whether the expression and function of miR-362-5p could be mediated by lncRNA MBNL1-AS1. We performed the gain- and loss-function experiments to explore the association between miR-362-5p expression and bladder cancer proliferation. In vivo, the nude mice were injected with miR-362-5p knockdown SW780 cells to assess the effects of miR-362-5p on tumor growth. The results showed upregulation of miR-362-5p promoted cell proliferation of bladder cancer cells. MBNL1-AS1 and QKI could directly bind with miR-362-5p, and knockdown of MBNL1-AS1 or QKI could abrogate the regulatory effects of miR-362-5p on bladder cancer cell proliferation. Furthermore, downregulation of miR-362-5p inhibited bladder tumor growth and increased QKI expression. Our data unveiled that miR-362-5p may play an oncogenic role in bladder cancer through QKI and MBNL1-AS1 might function as a sponge to mediate the miR-362-5p expression and function.

A novel pyrene-based naked-eye colorimetric and fluorescent turn-on probe (S-ClO) was developed. Besides, imaging in living RAW264.7 cells, an arterial vessel inflammation nude mouse model and human serum using S-ClO indicates that S-ClO could serve as a potential tool for early diagnosing and monitoring inflammatory diseases.

A bimetallic iron−nickel sulfide(Fe-Ni-S) modified g-C3N4 nano-heterojunction is synthesized via a simple preparation technique using two-step hydrothermal method. The results of SEM(scanning electron microscopy), EDS(Energy Disperse Spectroscopy), elemental mapping, XRD(X-ray diffraction), TEM(transmission electron microscopy), XPS(X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and FT-IR(fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) imply that the Fe-Ni layered double hydroxide(Fe-Ni-LDH) were sulfuretted to Fe-Ni-S nanoparticles and deposited on the surface of the g-C3N4 nanosheets successfully. The photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of the as-prepared Fe-Ni-S/g-C3N4 nano-heterojunction remarkably exhibits an enhancement of 52 times than that of the unmodified g-C3N4. Furthermore, the mechanism of photocatalytic hydrogen production enhancement has been studied, which could be ascribed to the partial-charge transfer activation of the Fe-Ni-S co-catalyst.

Saturable absorber (SA) based on antimony telluride (Sb2Te3)-graphene oxide (GO) had been fabricated. We demonstrated a compact passively Q-switched Nd:GGG laser with the mixed Sb2Te3-GO SA. Stable Q-switching operation at a central wavelength of 1066 nm was performed. The shortest single pulse width of 237 ns with repetition rate of 72 kHz and the maximum output power for Q-switched operation of 408 mW was achieved under the pump power of 4.5 W, corresponding to the optical-to-optical conversion of 9.1%.

Two seasonal pot experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of biofertilizer application after mixture of lime and ammonium bicarbonate (LA) fumigation, on banana Fusarium wilt disease suppression and soil microbial community composition. Biofertilizer application after LA fumigation decreased 80% of disease incidence compared to control of biofertilizer application to non-fumigated soil. Biofertilizer application after fumigation clearly manipulated soil microbial community composition as revealed by non-metric multidimensional scaling and Venn diagram. LA fumigation significantly reduced the abundance of F. oxysporum while biofertilizer application after fumigation could further decrease it. Furthermore, indigenous microbes, e.g., Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Mortierella, were associated with disease suppression. Biofertilizer application after fumigation significantly (p

Hierarchical ultrathin NiCo 2 O 4 nanosheeets grown on uniform hollow carbon microspheres (HC@NiCo 2 O 4 ) are designed and fabricated by a solvothermal reaction followed with an annealing process. When evaluated as an anode for lithium ion batteries, the as-prepared HC@NiCo 2 O 4 microspheres exhibit excellent electrochemical performance (a high reversible capacity of 1015 mA h g −1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g −1 and a high capacity of 805 mA h g −1 even at a high current density of 0.5 A g −1 ). By pairing with the LiCoO 2 cathode, the HC@NiCo 2 O 4 anode also manifests excellent performance in full cells. The outstanding electrochemical performance in half and full cells can be attributed to its unique structure, which can not only promote the contact of electrode and electrolyte during the charge and discharge processes, but also shorten the transmission path of electrons and ions. More importantly, this study inspires a better design of various metal oxide/carbon electrode materials for high performance lithium ion batteries.

Cross-linked poly acidic ionic liquids (MPM-C6V-SO3CF3-IL) with mesoporous and macroporous network structure have been synthesized in different solvents. The novel solid acid catalyst with special network structure has a large surface area (103.83 m2/g), large pore volume (0.72 cm3/g) and abundant mesopores and macropores, which help to improve the contact between active site and reactants. Catalytic performance of catalyst was investigated through alkylation of o-xylene and styrene. Different reaction parameters specifically solvent on obtained catalyst and production of PXE were systematically investigated. Under optimal reaction conditions (reaction time was 3 h, reaction temperature was 120 °C, catalyst amount was 0.17 g (0.5 wt%), and o-xylene/styrene mass ratio was 7.5:1), a high conversion of styrene (100%) and 1,2-diphenylethane (PXE) yield of 99.67% was obtained, which is superior to commercial acid in liquid and even previous acids synthesized by our own group. Moreover, catalyst could keep relatively high thermostability under reaction and are easy to be separated and recycled from the solution, which are critical for heterogeneous solid catalysts. Thus, this novel catalyst can be potentially applied in other acidic reactions.

Flower-like P-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) with a high surface area and porosity has been prepared via a facile, template-free, cost-effective and thermal copolymerization route, using phosphoric acid as the phosphorus source and a cyanuric acid–melamine complex as the supramolecular precursor. It could be found that phosphoric acid could stabilize the three-dimensional character of the as-prepared P-doped g-C3N4 and the g-C3N4 micro-flower consisted of ultrathin nanosheets which possessed abundant mesopores. The unique structure, combined with phosphorus heteroatom doping, promoted the utilization of visible light and improved the separation and mobility of photogenerated charges. The obtained P-doped g-C3N4 exhibited prominent photocatalytic performance in the water splitting for the hydrogen evolution reaction under visible light irradiation. The hydrogen evolution rate reached 256.4 μmol h−1, almost 24 times higher than that of pristine g-C3N4. Meanwhile, a possible mechanism for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution was proposed according to the results.

A series of mono- and bis- benzimidazolin-2-iminato titanium complexes (Ti1–Ti6) were synthesized herein. All the complexes were isolated in high yields and confirmed by 1H and 13C NMR spectra. Molecular structures of complexes Ti1, Ti3, and Ti4 were further determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which gave comprehensive bond properties as well as structural differences with the previously reported imidazolin-2-iminato titanium analogs. Being activated by methylaluminoxane (MAO), all the complexes showed moderate activities for ethylene homopolymerization and copolymerization with α-olefins. In all the cases, the resultant polymers had narrow molecular weight distributions. The catalysts still possessed acceptable polymerization activities even at a temperature of 90 °C, implying the uniqueness of the benzimidazolin-2-iminato ligand.

Since the generation of full-sib artificial triploid families, rapid clone establishment and genetic improvements have been needed. Here, we report an in vitro method of direct shoot regeneration of a triploid hybrid poplar [(Populus simonii × P. nigra ‘Italica’) × (P. × ‘popularis’)]. Using different randomized block designs, we selected one triploid to evaluate the explant type, optimal concentrations of plant growth regulators and agar, and culture time under light or dark conditions over 60 days. The highest rate of shoot induction, 80.0%, was obtained using Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/L benzyladenine, 0.04 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and 5.5 g/L agar for the first 30 days in the dark, then 3 g/L agar for the next 30 days in light. This last medium yielded the best rate of shoot induction (6.32 shoots/explant). These three media were also used to evaluate the influence of the genotypes of the parents and hybrid triploids on regeneration. Two parents and three of the four full-sib triploids were regenerated successfully; different genotypes and explant types significantly affected the rate of shoot induction and average number of shoots. Leaves but not petioles were a suitable explant. One genotype produced the highest rate of shoot induction of 96.67%. Half-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/L indole butyric acid and 0.04 mg/L NAA was the most effective for rooting; rooting rate was 96.67%, survival rate of transplants was 73.33%, and rooting frequency surpassed 85% for each genotype. Overall, this in vitro regeneration system will be useful for the propagation and genetic modification of triploid poplars.

Minimum ignition energy (MIE) is a critical parameter when characterizing flammable and explosive chemicals, and it is well known that experimental tests of MIE are very dangerous and costly. In this study, a fast and simple quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model was built successfully based on the existing experimental data. All molecular descriptors were calculated at the semi-empirical level (AM1) using Gaussian 09 and multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis was performed to develop the model. It was validated to be qualified in goodness of fit, internal robustness and external predictive ability. Compared with the expensive B3LYP/6-31G(d) model published before, this simple model presents the advantage of less time consuming with a sufficient high accuracy.

Highly cis-1,4 selective (up to 98%) coordination–insertion polymerization of 1,3-butadiene (BD) has been achieved herein using acenaphthene-based α-diimine cobalt complexes. Due to the presence of intra-ligand π-π stacking interactions, the complexes revealed high thermostability, affording polybutadiene products in high yields. Moreover, all of the obtained polymers possessed a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution as well as high molecular weight (up to 92.2 × 104 Dalton). The molecular weights of the resultant polybutadienes could be finely tuned by varying polymerization parameters, including temperature, Al/Co ratio, etc. Moreover, the copolymerization of butadiene with polar monomer 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-butadiene (2-MOPB) was also successfully realized to produce a type of polar cis-1,4 polybutadiene (cis-1,4 content: up to 98.1%) with a range of 2-MOPB content (0.46–1.83%). Water contact angle measurements indicated that the insertion of a polar monomer into a polymer chain could significantly improve the polymer’s surface property.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a toxic gas found in foods. On-site monitoring hydrogen sulfide level in foodstuffs is desired. Hence, a mitochondria-targeted ratiometric fluorescent sensor (NBP-HS) with a large Stokes shift for H2S detection was constructed based on assembling 2-thiophenecarbonyl group and merocyanine (T-B). The fluorescence ratio (I590/I520) of NBP-HS displayed a good linear relationship related to H2S concentration (0−60 μM) with the detection limit of 5.4 × 10−8 M in HEPES buffer. The sensing mechanism was determined by HRMS analysis and DFT calculation. Interestingly, the H2S-response ratiometric probe was successfully used to on-site measure the freshness of meat by recording the color change. The analysis results of test strips were completely consistent with the analysis results of the colonies count. The probe shows an excellent response to H2S in ratiometric fluorescence in living cells, illustrating the broad applicability of NBP-HS for imaging in biosystems.

N-[(2-hydroxyl)-propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium] chitosan chloride (HTCC) was synthesized using 1-allyl-3-methylimidazole chloride (AmimCl) as a homogeneous green reaction media. The effects of polymer concentration, temperature, cation valence, anion type and concentration of inorganic salt, and degree of substitution (DS) on the rheological properties of HTCC were investigated. The apparent viscosity indicated that HTCC solution was a typical pseudoplastic fluid, which could be described by Ostwald de Waele and Cross-empirical models. The viscoelastic properties showed the formation of gel-like structures. Temperature showed slight effect on the apparent viscosity of HTCC solution, while the DS of HTCC showed remarkable effect on the apparent viscosity. At a low shear rate, the apparent viscosities of HTCC solution increased firstly with an increase of cNaCl from 0 to 40mmol/L, and then decreased with further increasing cNaCl to 60mmol/L. At a high shear rate, the opposite trends were observed. The variation of HTCC molecular construction under different inorganic salt conditions was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, meanwhile, the variation mechanism was proposed.

Hexagonal-shaped 3C-SiC nanowires were grafted onto SiC nanoribbons by a sol–gel technique using ferrocene as catalyst. The nanowire diameter (∼200 nm) and the nanoribbon width–thickness ratio (20:...

Microcosms for enrichment of DDT degrading microorganisms were monitored using culture-dependent and -independent methods. Culture dependent methods isolated several strains with DDT degradation potential, Pseudomonas species being the most frequent. One isolate, Streptomyces sp. strain D3, had a degradation rate of 77% with 20mgL-1 of DDT after 7days incubation, D3 also had degradation rates of 75% and 30% for PCB77 (3,3',4,4'-tetrachloro biphenyl) and PCNB (pentachloronitrobenzene) respectively. Culture-independent high-throughput sequencing identified a different subset of the microbial community within the enrichment microcosms to the culture dependent method. Pseudomonas, the most frequently isolated strain, only represented the 12th most abundant operational taxonomic unit in the sequencing dataset (relative abundance 0.9%). The most frequently observed bacterial genus in the culture-independent analysis did not correspond with those recovered by culture-dependent methods. These results suggested that deep sequencing followed by a targeted isolation approach might provide an advantageous route to bioremediation studies.

A facile strategy was designed for the in situ synthesis of MoS2 nanospheres on functionalized graphene nanoplates (MoS2@f-graphene) for use as lithium-ion battery anode materials. A modified Birch reduction was used to exfoliate graphite into few-layer graphene followed by modification with functional groups. Compared to the most common approach of mixing MoS2 and reduced graphene oxide, our approach provides a way to circumvent the harsh oxidation and destruction of the carbon basal planes. In this process, alkylcarboxyl functional groups on the functionalized graphene (f-graphene) serve as sites where MoS2 nanospheres crystallize, and thus create bridges between the MoS2 nanospheres and the graphene layers to effectively facilitate electronic transport and to avoid both the aggregation of MoS2 and the restacking of graphene. As anode materials, this unique MoS2@f-graphene heterostructure has a high specific capacity of 1173 mAh g–1 at a current density of 100 mA g–1 and a good rate capacity (910 mAh g–...

In this work, a series of metal oxide double-layer nanospheres (DLNs), such as Mn2O3, Co3O4, NiO, NiCo2O4, and MnCo2O4 have been successfully synthesized through a general template method. The layers of nanospheres were assembled by different nanostructure units and the removing of the SiO2 template formed a void of several ten nanometers between the double layers, resulting large specific surface areas for them. The energy storage performances of the as-prepared double-layer nanospheres were further investigated in lithium ion battery and supercapacitor systems. Based on their unique nanostructures, the double-layer nanospheres exhibit excellent electrochemical performance with long cycle stability and high specific capacities or capacitances. The best of these, DLNs-NiCo2O4 can deliver a reversible capacity of 1107 mAh g−1 at 0.25C after 200 cycles in lithium ion battery system, and shows a capacitance of 1088 F g−1 with capacitance loss of less than 3% at 5 A g−1 after 5000 cycles in supercapacitors.