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Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have great potential for disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine as they can differentiate into many different functional cell types via directed differentiation. However, the application of disease modeling is limited due to a time-consuming and labor-intensive process of introducing known pathogenic mutations into hPSCs. Base editing is a newly developed technology that enables the facile introduction of point mutations into specific loci within the genome of living cells without unwanted genome injured. We describe an optimized stepwise protocol to introduce disease-specific mutations of long QT syndrome (LQTs) into hPSCs. We highlight technical issues, especially those associated with introducing a point mutation to obtain isogenic hPSCs without inserting any resistance cassette and reproducible cardiomyocyte differentiation. Based on the protocol, we succeeded in getting hPSCs carrying LQTs pathogenic mutation with excellent efficiency (31.7% of heterozygous clones, 9.1% of homozygous clones) in less than 20 days. In addition, we also provide protocols to analyze electrophysiological of hPSC-derived cardiomyocytes using multi-electrode arrays. This protocol is also applicable to introduce other disease-specific mutations into hPSCs. Graphical abstract

White matter lesions known as leukoaraiosis (LA) are cerebral white matter hyperintensities observed in elderly individuals. Currently, no reliable molecular biomarkers are available for monitoring their progression over time. To identify biomarkers for the onset and progression of LA, we analyzed whole blood-based, microRNA expression profiles of leukoaraiosis, validated those exhibiting significant microRNA changes in clinical subjects by means of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions and determined the function of miRNA in cell lines by means of microRNA mimic transfection assays. A total of seven microRNAs were found to be significantly down-regulated in leukoaraiosis. Among the microRNAs, hsa-miR-1972 was downregulated during the early onset phase of leukoaraiosis, as confirmed in independent patients, and it was found to target leukoaraiosis-dependent BAIAP3, decreasing its expression in 293T cell lines. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that significantly dysregulated miRNAs-mRNAs changes associated with the onset of leukoaraiosis were involved in neurogenesis, neuronal development, and differentiation. Taken together, the study identified a set of candidate microRNA biomarkers that may usefully monitor the onset and progression of leukoaraiosis. Given the enrichment of leukoaraiosis-associated microRNAs and mRNAs in neuron part and membrane system, BAIAP3 could potentially represent a novel target of hsa-miR-1972 in leukoaraiosis through which microRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of white matter lesions.

Among the shortcomings of the existing pipette cartoning technology, first, it needs a lot of manpower and time to complete by hand; second, it is based on a semi-automatic equipment for loading the suction heads, which cannot ensure that the suction head is upright (bottom tip down) or avoid the phenomenon of suction head overlapping. Based on this, an automatic system for packing pipette suction heads is proposed. Firstly, the research status of pipette cartoning is analyzed; secondly, the mechanical design of the automatic cartoning system for pipette suction heads is given; thirdly, the hardware structure diagram and software flow of the automatic cartoning system are given. Finally, the system is applied to a pipette suction head box in a school laboratory. After many times of practice, it is proved that the system can realize the automatic pipette suction head box, and has the advantages of stable performance, accurate positioning and intuitive display, which improves the efficiency of the pipette suction head box in the laboratory.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles modified with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) was successfully synthesized by one-pot hydrothermal method with MBT adding in the hydrothermal preparation of Fe3O4. The MBT-modification Fe3O4 (Fe3O4−MBT) was recognized by the characterization of transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscopy, Energy-dispersive spectroscope, X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and zeta potentials. The prepared Fe3O4−MBT material was used to remove Hg2+and Pb2+ from aqueous solution. The optimum pH for Hg2+ and Pb2+ adsorption were 6.5 and 6.0, respectively. The adsorption results indicated that the prepared Fe3O4−MBT10 exhibited high adsorption capacity (Hg2+: 262.85 mg·g−1; Pb2+: 178.25 mg·g−1) and short adsorption time (within 30 min) for two heavy metals. And the experimental data were in accordance with the Langmuir isothermal and pseudo-second-order kinetics models. FT-IR, XPS and Density Functional Theory simulation provided useful information that the covalent bond and electrostatic attraction were the major adsorption force between adsorbent and heavy metals. The good adsorption selectivity, stability and reusability displayed that the synthesized Fe3O4−MBT10 can be a promising adsorbent for the heavy metal removal in practical application.

Long-QT syndrome type 2 (LQT2) is a common malignant hereditary arrhythmia. Due to the lack of suitable animal and human models, the pathogenesis of LQT2 caused by human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) deficiency is still unclear. Herein, we have generated a human embryonic stem cell line (WAe009-A-74) carrying a LQTS related mutation in KCNH2. The WAe009-A-74 line maintained stem cell like morphology, pluripotency, normal karyotype and could differentiate into all three germ layers in vivo.

The risk of resonances may exist in the power electronic transmission systems composed of wind farm (WF) and the high-voltage direct-current system consisting of modular multilevel converter (MMC-HVDC). And the oscillation frequency will show coupling characteristics. The frequency dynamic interaction effect causes the WF interconnected with MMC-HVDC system exhibit multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) characteristics. The stability determination of the system will become very difficult. Therefore, using frequency dynamic interaction effect as one of the constraints, this paper uses the harmonic state space (HHS) method to establish the two-dimensional impedance model of the wind farm side MMC(WFMMC) and the grid-side converter (GSC) of the wind farm, and further an accurate dimensionality reduction method is proposed. Finally, the results of the simulation system built based on MATLAB/Simulink verify the accuracy of the established impedance model and show that using the established model for stability analysis can obtain more accurate analysis results.

The design of new, efficient catalysts for the conversion of CO2 to useful fuels under mild conditions is urgent in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and alleviate the energy crisis. In this work, a series of transition metals (TMs), including Sc to Zn, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd and Ag, supported on a boron nitride (BN) monolayer with boron vacancies, were investigated as electrocatalysts for the CO2 reduction reaction (CRR) using comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results demonstrate that a single-Mo-atom-doped boron nitride (Mo-doped BN) monolayer possesses excellent performance for converting CO2 to CH4 with a relatively low limiting potential of −0.45 V, which is lower than most catalysts for the selective production of CH4 as found in both theoretical and experimental studies. In addition, the formation of OCHO on the Mo-doped BN monolayer in the early hydrogenation steps is found to be spontaneous, which is distinct from the conventional catalysts. Mo, as a non-noble element, presents excellent catalytic performance with coordination to the BN monolayer, and is thus a promising transition metal for catalyzing CRR. This work not only provides insight into the mechanism of CRR on the single-atom catalyst (Mo-doped BN monolayer) at the atomic level, but also offers guidance in the search for appropriate earth-abundant TMs as electrochemical catalysts for the efficient conversion of CO2 to useful fuels under ambient conditions.

White matter lesions known as leukoaraiosis (LA) are cerebral white matter hyperintensities observed in elderly individuals. Currently, no reliable molecular biomarkers are available for monitoring their progression over time. To identify biomarkers for the onset and progression of LA, we analyzed whole blood-based, microRNA expression profiles of leukoaraiosis, validated those exhibiting significant microRNA changes in clinical subjects by means of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions and determined the function of miRNA in cell lines by means of microRNA mimic transfection assays. A total of seven microRNAs were found to be significantly down-regulated in leukoaraiosis. Among the microRNAs, hsa-miR-1972 was downregulated during the early onset phase of leukoaraiosis, as confirmed in independent patients, and it was found to target leukoaraiosis-dependent

At present, most large machinery and vehicle engines are electronically controlled but their electronic control systems are too expensive to be popularised and applied in small gasoline engines with relatively low prices. Therefore, small gasoline engines still use mechanical speed regulators. Mechanical speed regulators not only have the defects of inertia lag, friction resistance, inherent speed regulation and the like, but also have the disadvantage that dynamic performance and steady performance cannot be combined, which is not suitable for the increasingly improved speed regulation performance of gasoline engines. This paper describes the design of an electronically controlled intelligent governor for small gasoline engines. Starting from a low cost, it adopts the idea of “replacing part of the hardware with an intelligent sensing algorithm” and proposes an intelligent sensing algorithm scheme. It combines the “coarse tuning” of MAP and the “fine tuning” of adaptive expert PID. The system is proved experimentally and it not only overcomes the inherent defects of a mechanical governor and realises programmable speed regulation, but it also obtains good dynamic and steady performance, improves the power output of the engine, relieves the trouble of engine travelling and improves the freedom of carburetor matching.

A novel imprinting strategy using reversible covalent complexation of glycoprotein is described for creating glycoprotein-specific recognition cavities on 3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid-immobilized silica nanoparticles (SiO2@AAPBA). Two kinds of organic silanes (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and n-octyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS)) were then polymerized on the surface of SiO2@AAPBA after the template (horseradish peroxidase (HRP)) was covalently immobilized by forming cyclic boronate complexes and their influence was examined. The results showed that not only the silane composition but also the relative proportions play an important role in glycoprotein imprinting. The template recognition properties were evaluated by single-protein or competitive batch rebinding experiments, and the results showed that the HRP-imprinted silica nanoparticles (HRP-MIP silica NPs) exhibited higher recognition ability and selectivity towards the template than the nonimprinted silica NPs and their corresponding imprinted factor (a) reached 2.71. The as-prepared HRP-MIP silica NPs could not only differentiate the template from another glycoprotein, but also enrich HRP from spiked human serum. The good results demonstrated their potential in glycoproteomic analysis.

Substituent effects of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), phenol (PE), 4-methylpheol (4-MP), and 4-methoxyphenol (4-MOP) on their oxidative coupling reactions mediated by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were examined using a batch method. The reaction products were identified as the oligomers of their individual parent compound, and C C and C O coupling between phenolic radicals were the main reaction pathways. The oxidative kinetics were well described with pseudo-first order model. The rate constants (kobs) of 4-NP, PE, 4-MP and 4-MOP were 0.47 × 10−3, 1.00 × 10−3, 2.03 × 10−3, and 3.53 × 10−3 h−1, respectively, following the order 4-NP H)), suggesting that BDE(O H) was an effective indicator to predict the oxidation susceptibility of phenolic compounds in rGO system. Dissolved oxygen played a critical role in the oxidation reactions through the formation of superoxide anion (O2 −) on rGO. These O2 − further cleaved the O H bond of phenolic compounds to produce phenolic radicals, which interacted each other and led to the following oxidative coupling reactions. The finding of this study is important for predicting the environmental fate of rGO and phenolic compounds.

Searching advanced materials with high capacity and efficient reversibility for hydrogen storage is a key issue for the development of hydrogen as a clean energy. Here, we have explored the potential application of C2N monolayer using as a promising material for hydrogen storage through a comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) investigation. Our calculational results indicate that hydrogen molecule can only form weak interaction on neutral C2N monolayer with the adsorption energy of 0.06 eV. However, if extra charges (5 e−) are introduced to the system, the adsorption energy of hydrogen molecule on C2N will be dramatically enhanced to 0.27 eV. Moreover, once the extra charges are moved from the system, the adsorbed hydrogen molecule will be spontaneously released from C2N monolayer without any barrier. Interestingly, the average adsorption energy for each of the 48 absorbed H2 molecules is 0.28 eV with the charge injection (8 e−). This adsorption energy meets the criterion of the Department of Energy (DOE) for hydrogen storage (0.2–0.6 eV). Moreover, C2N has a high hydrogen storage capacity of 10.5 wt %. Overall, this investigation demonstrates that the new fabricated C2N can be used as an efficient material for hydrogen storage with high capacity and reversibility by modifying the charges that it carried. The narrow band gap (1.70 eV) of C2N also ensures the electrochemical methods can be easily realized in experiment.

The investigation on the growth mechanism of sulfuric acid clusters is helpful for the understanding about the formation of cloud condensation nuclei. The sulfuric acid may aggregate in linear, bent, or orbicular modes with two types of hydrogen bonds, viz. OH…OH and OH…O=S. The length of the linear mode polymers increases linearly along with the degree of polymerization (DP). The bent conformation distorts into the linear configuration when the DP is over 6. The diameter of the central ring generated by OH…OH hydrogen bonds in orbicular conformation increases distinctly from 3.441 A in tetramer to 7.543 A in nonamer. The IR spectra exhibit distinct variations along with both the DP and the coupling modes. As can be employed to infer the detailed geometrical structures of sulfuric acid polymers. The linear structure is more stable as compared to the bent and the orbicular conformations. The variation of the Gibbs free energy indicates that the sulfuric acid can aggregate with a larger DP in linear mode. The temperature effect on the stability of the sulfuric acid polymer is more significant as compared with that of the pressure. The complex with high DP tends to be more stable at higher temperature, while the complex with low DP prefers low temperature. The findings are helpful for further study on atmospheric aerosol growth and the formation of cloud nucleation.

Schiff base modified PAMAM dendrimer/silica hybrid materials (SG-G0-SA, SG-G1.0-SA, and SG-G2.0-SA) were synthesized and used for removing aqueous Zn(II) and Ni(II). The influence of solution pH, time, temperature, and the concentration of metal ion on the removal effect were investigated. The regeneration of the adsorbents was evaluated. The interaction mechanism between adsorbents and metal ions was revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Results show the as-prepared adsorbents display comparable adsorption property for Zn(II) and Ni(II). The optimum solution pH for Zn(II) and Ni(II) removal are 6.0 and 5.0. The adsorption kinetic follows pseudo-second-order (PSO) model, while the adsorption isotherm obeys Langmuir model. The adsorption was carried out with monolayer adsorption in chemical mechanism. 0.5 mol·L−1 HNO3–5% thiourea solution can be used as efficient eluent to regenerate the adsorbents that upload metal ions. Adsorption mechanism indicates the imino N atoms and carbonyl O atoms that play the main role in the adsorption process.

Three reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with different defect contents were prepared at 250, 600 and 1000 °C, respectively, using thermal reduction method, and their effects on the oxidative coupling processes of 4-methoxyphenol (MOP) in aqueous solution were investigated. In the presence of rGOs, the oxidation of MOP was dramatically accelerated. At the same surface area dose, the catalytic efficiencies of three rGOs followed an ascending order of rGO 250 ≤ rGO 600 1000 . Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and molecular modeling computation, we identified the coupling products (dimer, trimer, and tetramer), and revealed that ortho C O and ortho-ortho C C coupling between two MOP radicals were the main reaction pathways. Dissolved oxygen and structural defects of rGOs played important roles in the oxidation of MOP. It is proposed that dissolved oxygen reacted with the defect sites of rGO to produce surface-bound superoxide species, which captured H atom from the phenolic hydroxyl group of MOP to generate MOP radical and H 2 O 2 . A portion of H 2 O 2 can be catalyzed further by rGO to hydroxyl radical, which continued to react with MOP to produce MOP radical and H 2 O.

Shaped microfibers have attracted great interests because of their broad applications. However, their preparation by microfluidic technique needs multi-phases by careful and accurate control of multi-flows. Here, we develop a simple polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS) technique to fabricate microfibers with various cross-section shapes and structures. PIPS occurs when we transfer a single-phase flow of polyethylene glycol/acrylamide (PEG/AM) solution into a microchannel which is heated to initiate the polymerization of AM. This results in the formation of a polyacrylamide (PAM) core and a PEG solution layer between the microchannel wall and the core, thus facilitating the smooth spinning of the fibers and avoiding clogging of the microchannels. We designate microchannels with different shaped cross-sections to prepare PAM fibers which duplicate the shapes of the microchannels. In addition, we prepare fiber-in-tube fibers and biomimic fiber-in-matrice hybrid structures in the center of aligned capillaries. We use different acrylate monomers to prepare each fiber in the multiple-fibers, yielding fibers with stimulus responses. Further, each fiber can be functionalized by simple adding functional materials in the precursor solutions. This technique uses only a single phase solution and designated microchannels, providing a simple route to produce structured fibers with tailored shape and chemistry.

As the key defense molecules originally identified in Drosophila, Toll-like receptor (TLR) superfamily members play a fundamental role in detecting invading pathogens or damage and initiating the innate immune system of mammalian cells. The skin, the largest organ of the human body, protects the human body by providing a critical physical and immunological active multilayered barrier against invading pathogens and environmental factors. At the first line of defense, the skin is constantly exposed to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and TLRs, expressed in a cell type-specific manner by various skin cells, serve as key molecules to recognize PAMPs and DAMPs and to initiate downstream innate immune host responses. While TLR-initiated inflammatory responses are necessary for pathogen clearance and tissue repair, aberrant activation of TLRs will exaggerate T cell-mediated autoimmune activation, leading to unwanted inflammation, and the development of several skin diseases, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetic foot ulcers, fibrotic skin diseases, and skin cancers. Together, TLRs are at the interface between innate immunity and adaptive immunity. In this review, we will describe current understanding of the role of TLRs in skin defense and in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and we will also discuss the development and therapeutic effect of TLR-targeted therapies.

SiC nanoparticles were synthesized by the carbothermal reduction of carbonaceous silica xerogel with self-forming NaCl salt prepared from sodium silicate and sucrose as sources, and ferric nitrate as an additive. The products obtained by heating the xerogel at 1150 °C for 6 h in argon flow (200 ml/min) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The results show that the SiC samples to be mainly composed of porous and blocky-shaped particles consisting of fine irregular particles with 50–100 nm average size, high surface area (27.1 m 2 /g) and pore volume (0.052 cm 3 /g). The SiC nanoparticles showed excellent adsorption of MB from aqueous solutions, the adsorption efficient reaching 86.4%, and the adsorption capacity being 14.4 mg/g.

The stiffness of virtual cross beam is an important parameter which affects the calculation results when using beam grillage method to analyze the stress of bridge structure. In order to obtain a reasonable value of the stiffness about the virtual cross beam, it is necessary to make comparative analysis. On the basis of the comprehensive comparative analysis of the stress and deflection of the control section in hollow slab bridge and simply supported beam bridge with twin-box single cross section, the value range of the virtual cross beam stiffness is obtained. Based on the theory of fuzzy mathematics, a fuzzy recognition model for the stiffness of the virtual beam was proposed. By calculating the relative membership degree vector of the stiffness in each virtual beam, the length and width of the cross section of the virtual beam is obtained to be 0.7 times height of the beam. In order to further verify the reasonable of the value, the stress and deflection values of the control section have been compared. These values are taken from the single-box and double-chamber plexiglass box girder model and highway single-box three-chamber box beam. The compared results show that the solution of the grillage model with the stiffness of the virtual beam in this paper is in good agreement with shell solutions and solid solutions.

The design of new, efficient catalysts for the conversion of CO2 to useful fuels under mild conditions is urgent in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and alleviate the energy crisis. In this work, a series of transition metals (TMs), including Sc to Zn, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd and Ag, supported on a boron nitride (BN) monolayer with boron vacancies, were investigated as electrocatalysts for the CO2 reduction reaction (CRR) using comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results demonstrate that a single-Mo-atom-doped boron nitride (Mo-doped BN) monolayer possesses excellent performance for converting CO2 to CH4 with a relatively low limiting potential of −0.45 V, which is lower than most catalysts for the selective production of CH4 as found in both theoretical and experimental studies. In addition, the formation of OCHO on the Mo-doped BN monolayer in the early hydrogenation steps is found to be spontaneous, which is distinct from the conventional catalysts. Mo, as a non-noble element, presents excellent catalytic performance with coordination to the BN monolayer, and is thus a promising transition metal for catalyzing CRR. This work not only provides insight into the mechanism of CRR on the single-atom catalyst (Mo-doped BN monolayer) at the atomic level, but also offers guidance in the search for appropriate earth-abundant TMs as electrochemical catalysts for the efficient conversion of CO2 to useful fuels under ambient conditions.

Background: In patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), mast cells (MCs) are extensively observed around pulmonary vessels. However, their temporal and spatial variation during PAH development remains obscure. This study investigated the dynamic evolution of MCs in lungs and right ventricles (RV) to illuminate their role in pulmonary vascular and RV remodeling. Methods: The PAH model was established by a single intra-peritoneal injection of monocrotaline (MCT, 60 mg/kg) in rats. On day 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28 after MCT injection, lung and RV tissues were harvested for staining with hematoxylin and eosin (HE), Gomori aldehyde fuchsin (GAF), toluidine blue (TB) and picrosirius red (PSR). Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the levels of α-SMA, CD68 and tryptase. A simple RV remolding model was produced as well by pulmonary artery banding (PAB). RV tissues were collected to determine the degree of MCs infiltration. Results: After MCT challenge, elevated mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), increased RV systolic pressure (RVSP), pulmonary arterial media hypertrophy as well as distal vascular muscularization gradually occurred with time. MCs recruitment along with CD68+ macrophages accumulation was observed around distal pulmonary vessels and in alveolar septa. Excessive infiltration and degranulation of MCs were detected in MCT-treated group in lung tissues but not in RV. In addition, no exacerbation of MCs infiltration and degranulation in RV was noted in PAB-treated rats, suggesting few contributions of MCs to RV remodeling. Conclusions: Our findings implied a crucial role of MCs in the remodeling of pulmonary vessels, not RV, which probably through releasing cytokines such as tryptase. The present study enriches the knowledge about PAH, providing a potential profile of MCs as a switch for the treatment of PAH.

Advanced DC transmission technology is an important basis for building global energy Internet in the future. It is the main scheme to solve the problem of large power capacity long distance transnational or intercontinental transmission. In order to improve the receiving system of large scale power consumptive ability, The usage of UHVDC with hierarchical connection to AC grid technology has been extended in a wide range. However, due to the coupling relationship between the hierarchical DC inverter side, the traditional control strategy in inverter side easily leads to an commutation failure of converter valves on non-fault level when AC power system failure occurs on the other voltage level. This single fault causes fast conduction in different voltage levels through DC system, and the power grid will show fault characteristics in different voltage levels simultaneously, which expands the influence scope. This paper presents an improved inverter turn-off angle control strategy. Commutation failure preventive control parameters in logic were optimized through formula derivation and simulation analysis methods, which can ensure the stable operation of converter valve on non-fault level, and avoids the occurrence of simultaneous commutation failure on both voltage level. Electromechanical and electromagnetic hybrid simulation with practical planning power system is taken based on ADPSS software and the effectiveness is proved.

The mediation effect of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the oxidative transformation of 1,4-hydroquinone (H(2)Q) to 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ) in aqueous solution was investigated using a batch method and electron paramagnetic resonance. The results showed that the autoxidation of H(2)Q was spin-restricted and extremely slow in acidic and neutral pH range, but this process can be dramatically accelerated when rGO was added. In the presence of 33.3 mg L-1 rGO, more than 76.0% of H(2)Q was oxidized to BQ within 36 h. The enhancement effects of rGO were attributed to the combined contribution of the high chemical reactivity of graphenic edges and defects on rGO and the high electron conductivity of graphene basal surface of rGO. It is proposed that dissolved oxygen reacted with graphenic edges and defects of rGO to produce surface-bound oxygen intermediates, which capture H atoms from the phenolic hydroxyl groups of H(2)Q and facilitate the generation of semiquinone radical (SQ(center dot-)). The generated SQ(center dot-) continued to transfer an electron to molecular oxygen to yield superoxide radical (OF) and BQ. As a chain-carrying radical, OF further reacted with H(2)Q to produce SQ(center dot-) and H2O2. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A facile strategy based on the synergistic effect of molecular imprinting and boronate affinity was proposed for glycoprotein imprinting. Polydopamine (PDA)-coated boronic acid-functionalized molecularly imprinted silica nanoparticles (MIPs) were prepared by the “thiol–ene” click reaction using SiO2 as the core, 3-acrylamidophenyl boronic acid (AAPBA) as the functional monomer, and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as the glycoprotein template. A well defined core–shell structure of MIPs was obtained after self-polymerization of dopamine (DA) on the surface of HRP-immobilized silica nanoparticles (NPs). The polymerization conditions and adsorption behavior were investigated in detail in order to obtain the highest selectivity and binding capacity. Under the optimized conditions, the HRP-MIPs showed higher binding affinity towards HRP than non-imprinted nanoparticles (NIPs), and the corresponding adsorption capacity (Q) and imprinted factor (α) reached 0.58 μmol g−1 and 2.6, respectively. The specificity for HRP recognition was evaluated with a competitive experiment, and the results indicated that the HRP-MIPs had higher selectivity for the template. The good features of the HRP-MIPs facilitated selective isolation and enrichment of trace HRP from human serum. In addition, the stability and regeneration were also investigated, which indicated that the HRP-MIPs had excellent reusability.

Large-scale Si3N4 nanowires were successfully synthesized by the reaction of La/SiO2 composites and Si powders in N2 atmosphere at 1200 °C for 6 h. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results show that the products mainly consist of hexagonal Si3N4 nanowires and a small amount of Si2N2O. The Si3N4 nanowires have a length of several hundreds of microns and a diameter of 100–200 nm, and Si3N4 nanowires grow along [100] direction. The growth of Si3N4 nanowires follows vapor–solid (VS) mechanism, and the growth process of the nanowires is simply discussed. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of Si3N4 nanowires at room temperature shows four emission peaks at 406, 472, 495 and 605 nm.

β-SiC nanowires were synthesized by the carbothermal reduction of the carbonaceous silica xerogel prepared using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and sucrose as sources, and ferrous chloride as an additive. The products were obtained by heating the xerogel at 1300 °C for 6 h in argon flow (200 ml/min). The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The results show that the products mainly consist of crystalline β-SiC nanowires with an amorphous SiO2 shell. The SiC nanowires have a diameter of 100–300 nm and a length from tens to hundreds of micrometers. The vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) mechanism was proposed to explain the formation of β-SiC nanowires, and the nanowires mainly grow along [1 1 1] direction. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of β-SiC nanowires at room temperature shows two emission peaks at 405 nm and 436 nm.

Fe 4 (P 2 O 7 ) 3 was successfully synthesized by using high temperature solid state reaction method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The as-synthesized Fe 4 (P 2 O 7 ) 3 was applied as adsorbent to adsorb U(VI) ions from aqueous solutions and the material exhibited high sorption capacity for U(VI). The effect of contact time, pH, ionic strength, solid content and temperature on U(VI) sorption to Fe 4 (P 2 O 7 ) 3 was investigated by using batch technique. The results demonstrated that the sorption of U(VI) was independent of ionic strength, indicating that the sorption was mainly dominated by inner-sphere surface complexation. The thermo-dynamic parameters (Δ G 0 , Δ S 0 and Δ H 0 ) were calculated from the temperature-dependent sorption isotherms, and the results suggested that the sorption of U(VI) was a spontaneous and endothermic process. To get a better understanding of the interaction mechanism between U(VI) and Fe 4 (P 2 O 7 ) 3 , the U(VI) adsorbed Fe 4 (P 2 O 7 ) 3 was characterized by SEM, XRD and FT-IR. The results might be important for the application of Fe 4 (P 2 O 7 ) 3 in the field of U(VI) pollution management.