Regulating Electron-Hole Separation to Promote the Photocatalytic Property of BiOBr_1−xI_x/BiOBr Local Distorted Hierarchical Microspheres

In this work, hierarchical BiOBr1−xIx/BiOBr heterojunction photocatalyst with a microsphere morphology was synthesized by a facile solvothermal process. It demonstrated that the local structure of the photocatalysts was highly distorted due to the substitution of bromide ions by iodine ions. The photocatalytic properties were evaluated by the photodecomposition of aqueous phenol solution under visible-light irradiation. The results indicated that all the composite photocatalysts exhibited high photocatalytic activity. In particularly, the BiOBr1−xIx/BiOBr (x = 0.25) sample exhibited over 92% degradation efficiency of phenol within 150 min, which is 24.6 and 3.08 fold enhancement in the photocatalytic activity over the pure phased BiOBr and BiOI, respectively. Moreover, this excellent photocatalytic property can be expanded to other colorless organic contaminants, verifying the common applicability of BiOBr1−xIx/BiOBr (x = 0.25) as an excellent visible-light photocatalyst for organics decomposition. The significant improvement in the photocatalytic activity can be explained by the high efficiency of charge separation due to the enhancement in the internal electric fields and band match that comes from the local structure distortion. This work provides valuable information for the design of highly active photocatalysts toward the environmental remediation.

Basic helix-loop-helix(bHLH)transcription factor MdbHLH3 negatively affects the storage performance of postharvest apple fruit

The storage period of fleshy fruits greatly affects their quality and selection,and is largely controlled by genetic factors.Therefore,it is imperative to elucidate how genetic factors affect fruit ripening and its storage.Here,we evaluated the postharvest storage properties of the basic helix-loop-helix(bHLH)transcription factor MdbHLH3-overexpressing transgenic Royal gala apple fruits.During storage,the contents of starch,malic acid,fructose,glucose,and sucrose in fruits of three MdbHLH3 transgenic lines were always higher than those of the wild-type(WT)control.Interestingly,the sugar-acid ratio also showed the same trend during fruit storage.Additionally,the fruit firmness decreased with increasing storage time,and the contents of cell wall components such as water-soluble pectin and cellulose in transgenic fruits were higher than those in control fruits,while the firmness of transgenic fruits was lower than that in WT control fruits.Though the ethylene release rate in both showed the same trend(firstly increasing,then decreasing,and finally peaking)in 90-day stored fruits,transgenic apples had higher ethylene levels than the WT control throughout storage.Furthermore,the activities of membrane peroxidase,antioxidant enzymes,and fruit ripening enzymes in all transgenic fruits were significantly higher than those in the WT control.Thus,our findings show how MdbHLH3 negatively regulates and reduces apple storage time.This may prove useful for not only developing biotechnological strategies,but also support traditional breeding programs,to help improve the storage time of fleshy fruits.

Protective effect of oxysophoridine on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice

Oxysophoridine, a new alkaloid extracted from Sophora alopecuroides L., has been shown to have a protective effect against ischemic brain damage. In this study, a focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury model was established using middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Both 62.5, 125, and 250 mg/kg oxysophoridine, via intraperitoneal injection, and 6 mg/kg nimodipine, via intragastric administration, were administered daily for 7 days before modeling. After 24 hours of reperfusion, mice were tested for neurological deficit, cerebral infarct size was assessed and brain tissue was collected. Results showed that oxysophoridine at 125, 250 mg/kg and 6 mg/kg nimodipine could reduce neurological deficit scores, cerebral infarct size and brain water content in mice. These results provided evidence that oxysophoridine plays a protective role in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. In addition, oxysophoridine at 62.5, 125, and 250 mg/kg and 6 mg/kg nimodipine increased adenosine-triphosphate content, and decreased malondialdehyde and nitric oxide content. These compounds enhanced the activities of glutathione-peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and lactate dehydrogenase, and decreased the activity of nitric oxide synthase Protein and mRNA expression levels of N-methyI-D-aspartate receptor subunit NR1 were markedly inhibited in the presence of 250 mg/kg oxysophoridine and 6 mg/kg nimodipine. Our experimental findings indicated that oxysophoridine has a neuroprotective effect against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice, and that the effect may be due to its ability to inhibit oxidative stress and expression of the N-methyI-D-aspartate receptor subunit NR1.

Genome-wide identification and expression analyses of homeodomain-leucine zipper family genes reveal their involvement in stress response in apple(Malus×domestica)

The homeodomain-leucine zipper(HD-Zip)family has been shown to perform amultitude of functions during plant development and stress responses;however,the familymembers and functions have not been identified in apple(Malus×domestica).In this study,83 HD-Zips(MdHDZs)were identified in the apple genome.They were assembled into four subgroups according to the classification in Arabidopsis,where MdHDZs in the same subgroup had similar gene structures and conserved protein motifs.Putative cis-element analysis of MdHDZs promoter regions uncovered numerous elements related to the response of stress and plant hormones.In addition,twelve transcripts of the MdHDZs showed different expression patterns under salt,drought,low temperature and ABA stresses by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR(qRT-PCR)assay.To further explore the function of MdHDZs in apple,MdHDZ3 was selected to verify its function under salt,low temperature and ABA stresses;and genetic transformation was used to obtain MdHDZ3 transgenic apple calli.The results demonstrated that MdHDZ3 increased sensitivity to salt,low temperature and abscisic acid in apple calli,suggesting that MdHDZ3 plays an important role in response to stresses.Subcellular localization and three-dimensional structural analysis revealed that MdHDZ3 was a nuclear-localized protein.Taken together,these findings provide potential information for further identification of HD-Zip proteins in apple.

Preparation of BiVO4@Fiber Composites and the Photocatalytic Property for Degradation of Organic Dyes under Visible-Light

In this article, a novel BiVO4@fibers composite photocatalyst was prepared by a process that monoclinic scheelite BiVO4 nano/micro particles were in situ formated onto fiber materials. The structure, morphology and photophysical properties of the composite materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, respectively. The immobilization of BiVO4 photocatalyst on fibers reduced the particle size of the photoactive phase, and a few visible-light absorption abilities. The decomposition of a non-biodegradable dye Red FN-3G was selected to examine the photocatalytic activity of the composite photocatalyst. It was found that the formation of composite materials of BiVO4 with fibers didn’t decrease the photocatalytic activity with comparison to that of pure BiVO4. Moreover, it demonstrated that when adjusting the dye solution into about pH = 3, the highest efficiency of dye degradation over the fiber composite material can be obtained.

One-Pot Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate over Basic Zeolite Catalysts

One-pot synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from methanol, propylene oxide (PO) and carbon dioxide has been investigated using the basic zeolites as catalysts. Among the zeolites studied, Beta showed the best catalytic performance for DMC production. That the desilication of zeolite structure resulted in a hierarchical porosity of Beta, leading to more amount of KOH can be loaded on the surface of zeolite and therefore enhancing the base strength of the catalyst was proposed to be the reason for improved catalytic performance.

Fusion of clathrin and caveolae endocytic vesicles revealed by line-switching dual-color STED microscopy

Clathrin-and caveolae-mediated endocytosis are the most commonly used pathways for the internalization of cell membrane receptors.However,due to their dimensions are within the diffraction limit,traditional fluorescence microscopy cannot distinguish them and little is known about their interactions underneath cell membrane.In this study,we proposed the line-switching scanning imaging mode for dual-color triplet-state relaxation(T-Rex)stimulated emission depletion(STED)super-resolution microscopy.With this line-switching mode,the cross-talk between the two channels,the side effects from pulse picker and image drift in frame scanning mode can be effectively eliminated.The dual-color super-resolution imaging results in mixed fluorescent beads validated the excellent performance.With this super-resolution microscope,not only the ring-shaped structure of clathrin and caveolae endocytic vesicles,but also their semi-fused structures underneath the cell membrane were distinguished clearly.The resultant infor-mation will greatly facilitate the study of clathrin-and caveolae-mediated receptor endocytosis and signaling process and also our home-built dual-color T-Rex STED microscope with this line-switching imaging mode provides a precise and convenient way to study subcellular-scale protein interactions.

A Two-Step Crystallization Route for Hierarchical SAPO-34 Molecular Sieves: Unique Structural Features and Catalytic Property for DTO

The hierarchical structure can significantly improve the diffusion efficiency of the catalyst and regulate the product distribution. Therefore, the preparation of hierarchical SAPO-34 molecular sieve has been a hot research topic. With Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) and Diethylamine (DEA) as templates, a two-step crystallization process was employed to synthesize hierarchical SAPO-34 molecular sieves. We found that the aging process is vital for the formation of pure phase SAPO-34. It was investigated the relationship of crystallinity trend and mesoporous content with the crystallization time. The results showed that the prolongation of crystallization time was beneficial to enhance the crystallinity of the molecular sieve, but unfavourable to the retention of mesoporous structure. The formation process of hierarchical SAPO-34 molecular sieve involved agglomeration, disintegration, crystallization, re-agglomeration and growth. The hierarchical SAPO-34 molecular sieve with a satisfactory crystallinity and considerable mesoporous structure could be obtained after 36 hours of crystallization. Moreover, the sample had the most suitable acid strength as well as acid amount. The catalytic activity was investigated by catalytic dimethyl ether (DME) to olefin (DTO) reaction. It revealed that the conversion of DME and the selectivity to olefins over the hierarchical SAPO-34 molecular sieve were significantly enhanced with comparison to that over microporous SAPO-34 molecular sieve. The amount of coke deposition of the hierarchical SAPO-34 molecular sieve (14.2%) was lower than that over the microporous molecular sieve (16.5%). Meanwhile, the propylene selectivity of hierarchical SAPO-34 was higher than that of microporous SAPO-34 in the whole reaction. In a word, the hierarchical SAPO-34 molecular sieve synthesized in this study showed a longer catalytic life, higher coke deposition resistance and higher propylene selectivity.

Allosteric modulation of G protein-coupled receptors as a novel therapeutic strategy in neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is a debilitating pathological condition that presents significant therapeutic challenges in clinical practice.Unfortunately,current pharmacological treatments for neuropathic pain lack clinical efficacy and often lead to harmful adverse reactions.As G protein-coupled receptors(GPCRs)are widely distributed throughout the body,including the pain transmission pathway and descending inhibition pathway,the development of novel neuropathic pain treatments based on GPCRs allosteric modulation theory is gaining momentum.Extensive research has shown that allosteric modulators targeting GPCRs on the pain pathway can effectively alleviate symptoms of neuropathic pain while reducing or eliminating adverse effects.This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the progress made in GPCRs allosteric modulators in the treatment of neuropathic pain,and discuss the potential benefits and adverse factors of this treatment.We will also concentrate on the development of biased agonists of GPCRs,and based on important examples of biased agonist development in recent years,we will describe universal strategies for designing structure-based biased agonists.It is foreseeable that,with the continuous improvement of GPCRs allosteric modulation and biased agonist theory,effective GPCRs allosteric drugs will eventually be available for the treatment of neuropathic pain with acceptable safety.

Computer-aided molecular design and optimization of potent inhibitors disrupting APC-Asef interaction

Colorectal cancer(CRC)is the second leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide.At initial diagnosis,approximately 20%of patients are diagnosed with metastatic CRC(mCRC).Although the APC-Asef interaction is a well-established target for mCRC therapy,the discovery and development of effective and safe drugs for mCRC patients remains an urgent and challenging endeavor.In this study,we identified a novel structural scaffold based on MAI inhibitors,the first-in-class APC-Asef inhibitors we reported previously.ONIOM model-driven optimizations of the N-terminal cap and experimental evaluations of inhibitory activity were performed,and 24-fold greater potency was obtained with the best inhibitor compared to the parental compound.In addition,the cocrystal structure validated that the two-layerπ-πstacking interactions were essential for inhibitor stabilization in the bound state.Furthermore,in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that novel inhibitors suppressed lung metastasis in CRC by disrupting the APC-Asef interaction.These results provide an intrinsic structural basis to further explore drug-like molecules for APC-Asef-mediated CRC therapy.

Unraveling a genetic roadmap for improved taste in the domesticated apple

Although taste is an important aspect of fruit quality, an understanding of its genetic control remains elusive in apple and other fruit crops. In this study, we conducted genomic sequence analysis of 497 Malus accessions and revealed erosion of genetic diversity caused by apple breeding and possible independent domestication events of dessert and cider apples. Signatures of selection for fruit acidity and size, but not for fruit sugar content, were detected during the processes of both domestication and improvement. Furthermore, we found that single mutations in major genes affecting fruit taste, including Ma1, MdTDT, and MdSOT2, dramatically decrease malate, citrate, and sorbitol accumulation, respectively, and correspond to important domestication events. Interestingly, Ma1 was identified to have pleiotropic effects on both organic acid content and sugar:acid ratio, suggesting that it plays a vital role in determining fruit taste. Fruit taste is unlikely to have been negatively affected by linkage drag associated with selection for larger fruit that resulted from the pyramiding of multiple genes with minor effects on fruit size. Collectively, our study provides new insights into the genetic basis of fruit quality and its evolutionary roadmap during apple domestication, pinpointing several candidate genes for genetic manipulation of fruit taste in apple.

Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Remediation of Simulated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons （PAHs） Contaminated Wastewater under Visible Light Irradiation by Graphene Oxide Enwrapped Ag3PO4 Composite

Effective removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） from wastewater before their discharge into the environment is an ever pressing requirement. In this study, for the first time, simulated PAHs contaminated wastewater was photocatalytically remediated with graphene oxide （GO） enwrapped silver phosphate as visible light-driven photocatalysts. The GO/Ag3PO4 photocatalysts exhibited superior photocatalytic activity and stability compared with pure Ag3PO4, g-C3N4 and TiO2 （P25）. The degradation efficiency of naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene could reach 49.7%, 100.0% and 77.9%, rspectively within 5 min irradiation. The apparent rate constants of photocatalytic degradation of 3 wt% GO/Ag3PO4 composRe photocatalyst were 0.14, 1.21 and 2.46 rain^-1 for naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene, respectively. They were about 1.8, 1.5 and 2.0 times higher than that of pure Ag3PO4, and much higher than that of g-C3N4 and TiO2. Meanwhile, the efficiencies of 44.6%, 95.2% and 83.8% were achieved for naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene degradation even after 5 times of recycling in the GO/Ag3POa-PAHs photocatalysis system. Reactive species of O2^- and h^＋ were considered as the main partici- pants for oxidizing naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene.

Spontaneous polarization enhanced bismuth ferrate photoelectrode:fabrication and boosted photoelectrochemical water splitting property

In this paper,the fabrication of a highly orientated Bi_(2)Fe_(4)O_(9)(BFO)photoelectrode in the presence of two-dimensional(2D)graphene oxide(GO)was reported.It was found that the GO can be used as a template for controlling the growth of BFO,and the nanoplate composites of BFO/reduced graphene oxide(RGO)with a high orientation can be fabricated.The thickness of the nanoplates became thinner as the ratio of GO increased.As a result,the ferroelectric spontaneous polarization unit arranges itself in the space in a periodic manner,leading to the formation of a polarization field along a special direction.Therefore,the created built-in electric field of the nanoplate composites of BFO/RGO is improved upon the increase of the amount of RGO.As expected,carrier separation is enhanced by the built-in electric field,therefore substantially enhancing the photoelectrochemical(PEC)activity of water splitting compared to pure BFO under the irradiation of visible-light.