Fiber‑Optic Microfiber:Tracking Activity Enhancement and Suppression of Heterogeneous Photocatalysts

Obtaining detailed insight into the photocatalytic performance of heterogeneous photocatalytic materials,is important for evaluating material properties as well as guiding material design.However,capture of the detailed matter changes on a photocatalyst surface in real time,and in situ during photocatalysis remains challenging.This work reports a promising optical microfiber sensor integrating a photocatalytic reaction monolayer on an optical microfiber surface to monitor reaction kinetics using Cu_(2)O-based heterogeneous photocatalysts,as an example.The evanescent field of microfiber is used to track the photocatalytic process in real time,through the interaction with the catalytic layer,by monitoring the surface refractive index changes caused by adsorption and degradation.Since the catalytic layer is less than 1µm thick,the typical high-power light source can be replaced by low-power light irradiation.This method successfully reveals that relative to the pristine Cu_(2)O microspheres,the photocatalytic activity is enhanced by the incorporation of Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene into Cu_(2)O,whereas incorporation of CdS into Cu_(2)O suppresses the activity.Compared with the existing methods used for photocatalysis evalu-ation,this optical microfiber can be directly employed in real matrices to track local photocatalytic performance.It can also provide details about the different adsorption/degradation kinetics of photocatalysts.It is suitable for most photocatalytic processes and is not limited to pollutants with characteristic UV–visible absorption spectra.This study provides important inspiration for the future development of in situ,real-time reaction assessment.

The role of alkali promoters in enhancing the direct N_2O decomposition reactivity over NiO catalysts

Direct N2O decomposition has been investigated over bare NiO and a series of its alkali-promoted catalysts. These catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and field emission scanning electron microscopy. XPS analysis revealed that surface nickel is present in three forms： metal particles, NiO and Ni（OH）2. It is suggested that nickel（0） valent atoms are essential for the interaction with N2O molecules at the catalyst surfaces. Bare NiO exhibited a very low N2O decomposition reactivity. However, the alkali-containing catalysts exhibited a marked activity enhancement.

Biological scaffold as potential platforms for stem cells:Current development and applications in wound healing

Wound repair is a complex challenge for both clinical practitioners and researchers.Conventional approaches for wound repair have several limitations.Stem cell-based therapy has emerged as a novel strategy to address this issue,exhibiting significant potential for enhancing wound healing rates,improving wound quality,and promoting skin regeneration.However,the use of stem cells in skin regeneration presents several challenges.Recently,stem cells and biomaterials have been identified as crucial components of the wound-healing process.Combination therapy involving the development of biocompatible scaffolds,accompanying cells,multiple biological factors,and structures resembling the natural extracellular matrix(ECM)has gained considerable attention.Biological scaffolds encompass a range of biomaterials that serve as platforms for seeding stem cells,providing them with an environment conducive to growth,similar to that of the ECM.These scaffolds facilitate the delivery and application of stem cells for tissue regeneration and wound healing.This article provides a comprehensive review of the current developments and applications of biological scaffolds for stem cells in wound healing,emphasizing their capacity to facilitate stem cell adhesion,proliferation,differentiation,and paracrine functions.Additionally,we identify the pivotal characteristics of the scaffolds that contribute to enhanced cellular activity.

Superwetting Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) anchored mesh with enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial activities for efficient water purification

Superwetting materials have drawn unprecedented attention in the treatment of oily wastewater due to their preferable anti-fouling property and selective oil/water separation.However,it is still a challenge to fabricate multifunctional and environmentally friendly materials,which can be stably applied to purify the actual complicated wastewater.Here,a Ag/Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) heterostructure anchored copper mesh was intentionally synthesized using a facile two-step hydrothermal method.The resultant mesh with superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity was capable of separating various oil/water mixtures with superior separation efficiency and high permeationflux driven by gravity.Benefiting from the joint effects of the smaller band gap of Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) heterojunction,inherent antibacterial capacity of Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) and Ag nanoparticles,favorable conductive substrate,as well as the hierarchical structure with superwettability,such mesh presented remarkably enhanced degradation capability toward organic dyes under visible light irradiation and antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli(E.coli)and Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)compared with the pure Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) coated mesh.Impressively,the mesh exhibited bifunctional water purification performance,in which organic dyes were eliminated simultaneously from water during oil/water separation in onefiltration process.More importantly,this mesh behaved exceptional chemical resistance,mechanical stability and long-term reusability.Therefore,this material with multifunctional integration may hold promising potential for steady water purification in practice.

Building a healthy China by enhancing physical activity:Priorities,challenges,and strategies

Dear editor,In 2016,several landmark government initiatives were launched in an effort to build a more healthy China.In March,the National People’s Congress of China adopted the 13th FiveYear Plan,which sets out new objectives,principles,and targets for 2016–2020,1including action plans for enhancing environmental protection and green growth,promoting individual

Ag3PO4 Microcrystals Synthesized by Room-Temperature Solid State Reaction:Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity and Photoelectronchemistry Performance

Ag3PO4 microcrystals with highly enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity are prepared by a facile and simple solid state reaction at room temperature. The composition, morphology and optical properties of the asprepared Ag3PO4 microcrystMs are characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The photocatalytie properties of Ag3PO4 are investigated by the degradation of both methylene blue and methyl orange dyes under visible light irradiation. The as-prepared Ag3PO4 microcrystals possess high photocatalytic oxygen production with the rate of 673μmolh-1g-1. Moreover, the as-prepared Ag3PO4 microcrystals show an enhanced photoelectrochemistry performance under irradiation of visible light.

Microspheres of graphene oxide coupled to N-doped Bi_2O_2CO_3 for visible light photocatalysis

Hierarchical microspheres of a graphene oxide（GO） coupled to N‐doped（BiO）2CO3 composite（N‐BOC‐GO） was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal approach. The N‐BOC‐GO composite gave enhancement in photocatalytic activity compared to the pure BOC and N‐BOC samples. With 1.0wt% GO, 62% NO removal was obtained with N‐BOC‐GO. The factors enhancing the photocatalytic performance were the high electron‐withdrawing ability and high conductivity of GO and improved visible light‐harvesting ability of N‐BOC‐GO with a 3D hierarchical architecture due to the surface scattering and reflecting（SSR） effect. An effective charge transfer from N‐BOC to GO was demonstrated by the much weakened photoluminescene intensity of the N‐BOC‐GO composite. This work highlights the potential application of GO‐based photocatalysts in air purification.

Double active sites promoting hydrogen evolution activity and stability of CoRuOH/Co_(2)P by rapid hydrolysis

Cobalt-based phosphides show excellent hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)performance,however,improving the intrinsic activity and stability of it in alkaline electrolyte still remains a challenge.Herein,CoRuOH/Co_(2)P/CF with heterojunction structure was developed by means of molten salt and rapid hydrolysis(30 s).The OH-from rapid surface hydrolysis of Co_(2)P as a hydrogen adsorption site can facilitate the formation of thin CoRuOH layer as a water dissociation site,which may bring out better synergistic effect for alkaline HER.Moreover,the covering of CoRuOH can improve the stability of Co_(2)P for HER.When drives at 100 mA/cm^(2),it only requires overpotential of 81 mV in 1.0 mol/L KOH(25℃).Even at higher current density(1000 mA/cm^(2)),CoRuOH/Co_(2)P/CF can also operate stability for at least 100 h.When coupling with NiFe-LDH/IF in a two-electrode system,the voltage of NiFe-LDH/IF(+)||CoRuOH/Co_(2)P/CF(-)at 1000 mA/cm^(2)is merely 1.77 V with 100 h,demonstrating great potential for water splitting.The implementation of this work provides a new strategy and reference for the further improvement of transition metal phosphides as HER electrocatalysts.

Microenvironmental engineering:An effective strategy for tailoring enzymatic activities

Rationally,engineering a favorable physicochemical microenvironment for enzymes has recently emerged as an effective strategy to improve their catalytic performance.In this review,we discuss four microenvironmental effects according to the mechanism of action:localizing and excluding reactants and regulators,regulating microenvironmental pH,creating a water-like microenvironment,and increasing the local temperature.These mechanisms are enzyme-independent and can in principle be used in combination to tailor enzyme behaviors,offering new approaches to enabling,enhancing,and regulating enzyme catalysis in diverse applications without the need for genetic engineering.

Chemical components of Dendrobium crepidatum and their neurite outgrowth enhancing activities

15 compounds,including two new ones crepidatuols A(1)and B(2)were isolated from the stems of Dendrobium crepidatum.The planar structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods(NMR,MS,UV,and IR)and comparison with those from literatures.10 compounds were send for enhancing activities on nerve growth factor(NGF)medicated neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells and the results indicated that crepidatuol A(1),confusarin and 3-(2-acetoxy-5-methoxy)-phenylpropanol showed enhancing activities at the concentration of 10.0μM.

Edaravone protects against oxygen-glucose-serum deprivation/restoration-induced apoptosis in spinal cord astrocytes by inhibiting integrated stress response

We previously found that oxygen-glucose-serum deprivation/restoration（OGSD/R） induces apoptosis of spinal cord astrocytes, possibly via caspase-12 and the integrated stress response, which involves protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase（PERK）, eukaryotic initiation factor 2-alpha（eIF2α） and activating transcription factor 4（ATF4）. We hypothesized that edaravone, a low molecular weight, lipophilic free radical scavenger, would reduce OGSD/R-induced apoptosis of spinal cord astrocytes. To test this, we established primary cultures of rat astrocytes, and exposed them to 8 hours/6 hours of OGSD/R with or without edaravone（0.1, 1, 10, 100 μM） treatment. We found that 100 μM of edaravone significantly suppressed astrocyte apoptosis and inhibited the release of reactive oxygen species. It also inhibited the activation of caspase-12 and caspase-3, and reduced the expression of homologous CCAAT/enhancer binding protein, phosphorylated（p）-PERK, p-eIF2α, and ATF4. These results point to a new use of an established drug in the prevention of OGSD/R-mediated spinal cord astrocyte apoptosis via the integrated stress response.

FeS@LAB-35@Ti_(3)C_(2)as a high-efficiency nanozyme for near infrared light induced photothermal enhanced chemodynamic antibacterial activity and wound healing

The abuse of antibiotics leads to a significant increase in bacterial resistance,which makes it difficult to treat bacterial infections.Therefore,it is urgent to develop new strategies for efficient antibacterial and wound healing.Recently,nanozymes based antibacterial agents have attracted increasing attention for their multifunction and high efficiency.In this study,we report a FeS@lauramidopropyl betaine(LAB-35)@Ti_(3)C_(2)nanozyme as a high-efficiency antibacterial agent for near infrared(NIR)light induced photothermal enhanced chemodynamic antibacteria and wound healing.The FeS@LAB-35@Ti_(3)C_(2)nanozyme possesses peroxidase-like catalysis activity,which can promote the generation of hydroxyl radicals(·OH)through catalyzing the decomposition of H_(2)O_(2).FeS@LAB-35@Ti_(3)C_(2)has photothermal conversion efficiency(η=65.1%),and it exhibits enhanced catalytic activity under NIR light irradiation.The in vitro antibacterial experiments demonstrate the excellent antibacterial activity of FeS@LAB-35@Ti_(3)C_(2)against representative Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus.The animal experiments indicate that FeS@LAB-35@Ti_(3)C_(2)nanozyme can effectively inhibit wound ulceration and promote wound healing.Overall,this study proposes FeS@LAB-35@Ti_(3)C_(2)nanozyme that integrates chemodynamic and photothermal therapy,which provides an efficient strategy for bacterial inhibition and wound healing.

Relationships among Psychosocial Correlates and Stages of Change in a German-Chinese Sample

Promoting Health Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA) behavior is an important undertaking in Germany as well as in China. In order to create successful interventions in different nations, knowledge about the relevant psychosocial correlates that may encourage successful progression through the behavior change process is necessary. Therefore, the relationships of selected psychosocial correlates of physical activity with stages of change were examined in a German-Chinese sample. In total, 2071 adults (865 Germans, 1206 Chinese) completed a questionnaire. The theoretical framework used was the FIT-model, which consists of the following stages of change: not considering, considering, preparing, exploring, fluctuating and maintaining. All data were analyzed with a two-way ANOVA. Significant main effects for the stages of change on all psychosocial correlates were found. Significant interactions between stages and nations emerged for all correlates except for social support, although these results revealed small effect sizes. To progress within the stages of inactivity, interventions should focus on outcome expectations, barriers, social support and affective attitudes. The successful initiation of physical activity depends on considerations of barriers, maintenance self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation and affective attitudes. These same correlates plus social support are relevant for long-term adherence to physical activity. In Germany, perceived barriers and emotional aspects of physical activity appear to be important for initiating and maintaining regular physical activity. Furthermore, for long-term adherence to physical activity, Germans—in contrast to Chinese adults—may not necessarily benefit from social support;however they could benefit from learning how to strengthen their physical activity outcome expectations.

Non-coding Transcripts from Enhancers:New Insights into Enhancer Activity and Gene Expression Regulation

Long non-coding RNAs （lncRNAs） have gained widespread interest in the past decade owing to their enormous amount and surprising functions implicated in a variety of biological pro- cesses. Some lncRNAs exert function as enhancers, i.e., activating gene transcription by serving as the cis-regulatory molecules. Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated that many enhancer elements can be transcribed and produce RNA molecules, which are termed as enhancer RNAs （eRNAs）. The eRNAs are not merely the by-product of the enhancer transcription. In fact, many of them directly exert or regulate enhancer activity in gene activation through diverse mechanisms. Here, we provide an overview of enhancer activity, transcription of enhancer itself, characteristics of eRNAs, as well as their roles in regulating enhancer activity and gene expression.

Purification and Characterization of a Novel Tetradecapeptide from Ginseng Polypeptides with Enhancing Memory Activity for Mice

Aiming at isolating and investigating the active ingredients of the aqueous extract from Panax ginseng which showed enhancing memory activity, the authors characterized one ingredient. To separate the oligosaecharides and polypeptides, a DEAE-Sephadex A-50 colum was used. The enhanced memory activity in mice was studied by Mirros water maze tesk in mice. The dose of oligosacchrides, polypeptides or Piracetam was 30 mg/kg per day with intraperitoneal administration. The oligosaccharides did not show enhancing memory effect, but polypeptides did show. This result demonstrates that the active ingredients of the aqueous extract from Panax ginseng which showed enhancing memory effect was polypeptides. The purification of the polypeptides was performed on a Sephadex G-25 column. A novel tetradeeapeptide was purified from the polypeptides and its structure was determined by liquid chromatography-eleetrospray ionization-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry（LC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS） with the amino acid sequence of Lys-Ser-Leu-Thr-Leu-Thr-Ser-Ser-Leu-Ser-Tyr-Thr-Asp-Ser.

Silver nanoparticles-decorated and mesoporous silica coated single-walled carbon nanotubes with an enhanced antibacterial activity for killing drug-resistant bacteria

The mounting threat of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections has made it imperative to develop innovative antibacterial strategies.Here we propose a novel antibacterial nanoplatform of silver nanoparticles-decorated and mesoporous silica coated single-walled carbon nanotubes constructed via a N-[3-(trimethoxysiltyl)propyl]ethylene diamine(TSD)-mediated method(SWCNTs@mSiO2-TSD@Ag).In this system,the outer mesoporous silica shells are able to improve the dispersibility of SWCNTs,which will increase their contact area with bacteria cell walls.Meanwhile,the large number of mesopores in silica layers act as microreactors for in situ synthesis of Ag NPs with controlled small size and uniform distribution,which induces an enhanced antibacterial activity.Compared with TSD modified mesoporous silica coated single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs@mSiO2-TSD)and commercialAg NPs,this combination nanosystem of SWCNTs@mSiO2-TSD@Ag exhibits much stronger antibacterial performance against multi-drug-resistant bacteria Escherichia coli(E.coli)and Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)in vitro through damaging the bacterial cell membranes and a fast release of silver ions.Furthermore,the in vivo rat skin infection model verifies that SWCNTS@mSiO2-TSD@Ag have remarkably improved abilities of bacterial clearance,wound healing promoting as well as outstanding biocompatibility.Therefore,this novel nanoplatform indicates promising potentials as a safe and powerful tool for the treatment of clinical drug-resistant infections.

Ginsenoside 3β-O-Glc-DM(C3DM) Enhances the Antitumor Activity of Taxol on Lewis Lung Cancer by Targeting the Interleukin-6/Jak2/STAT3 and Interleukin-6/AKT Signaling Pathways

Objective:Nonsmall-cell lung cancer(NSCLC)is an aggressive,highly chemoresistant disease.Taxol is an effective chemotherapeutic drug widely used for the treatment of NSCLC.However,the clinical use of Taxol is limited due to the occurrence of adverse side effects under high therapeutic doses.Therefore,it is desirable to explore combination therapy to reduce the dose of chemotherapeutic drugs and achieve excellent outcomes.A biosynthetic ginsenoside,3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-dammar-24-ene-3β,20 S-diol(3β-O-Glc-DM,C3 DM)is obtained from microbial fermentation by metabolic engineering.Based on previous study findings,we aimed to explore the mechanism of combination therapy with C3 DM and Taxol and its increasing antitumor effect on Lewis lung cancer(LLC)in this study.Materials and Methods:A thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide(MTT)assay was performed to evaluate cell viability;the apoptotic effect was studied using cell apoptosis assay.The Lewis tumor xenograft experiment was performed to determine the effects of C3 DM combined with Taxol on tumor growth in vivo,and western blotting was performed to analyze protein expressions.Results:C3 DM effectively inhibited the proliferation of NSCLC cells.Moreover,C3 DM increased the antiproliferative activity of Taxol and significantly enhanced cell apoptosis induced by Taxol in Lewis lung cancer cells.C3 DM alone also suppressed Lewis tumor growth and enhanced the antitumor activity of Taxol in vivo.Western blot analysis revealed that the effects of the antiproliferation and apoptosis induction of C3 DM treatment alone or in combination with Taxol on Lewis lung cancer were mediated by inhibiting the interleukin-6(IL-6)/Jak2/STAT3 and IL-6/AKT signaling pathways.Conclusions:The results showed that C3 DM has the potential to be used in combination therapy with Taxol against NSCLC.

Activity-based simulation using DEVS: increasing performance by an activity model in parallel DEVS simulation

Improving simulation performance using activity tracking has attracted attention in the modeling field in recent years.The reference to activity has been successfully used to predict and promote the simulation performance.Tracking activity,however,uses only the inherent performance information contained in the models.To extend activity prediction in modeling,we propose the activity enhanced modeling with an activity meta-model at the meta-level.The meta-model provides a set of interfaces to model activity in a specific domain.The activity model transformation in subsequence is devised to deal with the simulation difference due to the heterogeneous activity model.Finally,the resource-aware simulation framework is implemented to integrate the activity models in activity-based simulation.The case study shows the improvement brought on by activity-based simulation using discrete event system specification(DEVS).

Cowpea NAC1/NAC2 transcription factors improve growth and tolerance to drought and heat in transgenic cowpea through combined activation of photosynthetic and antioxidant mechanisms

NAC(NAM/ATAF1/2/CUC2)transcription factors are central switches of growth and stress responses in plants.However,unpredictable interspecies conservation of function and regulatory targets makes the well-studied NAC orthologs inapt for pulse engineering.The knowledge of suitable NAC candidates in hardy pulses like cowpea(Vigna unguiculata(L.)Walp.)is still in infancy,hence warrants immediate biotechnological intervention.Here,we showed that overexpression of two native NAC genes(VuNAC1and VuNAC2)promoted germinative,vegetative,and reproductive growth and conferred multiple abiotic stress tolerance in a commercial cowpea variety.The transgenic lines displayed increased leaf area,thicker stem,nodule-rich denser root system,early flowering,higher pod production(~3.2-fold and~2.1-fold),and greater seed weight(10.3%and 6.0%).In contrast,transient suppression of VuNAC1/2 caused severe growth retardation and flower inhibition.The overexpressor lines showed remarkable tolerance to major yielddeclining terminal stresses,such as drought,salinity,heat,and cold,and recovered growth and seed production by boosting photosynthetic activity,water use efficiency,membrane integrity,Na^(+)/K^(+)homeostasis,and antioxidant activity.The comparative transcriptome study indicated consolidated activation of genes involved in chloroplast development,photosynthetic complexes,cell division and expansion,cell wall biogenesis,nutrient uptake and metabolism,stress response,abscisic acid,and auxin signaling.Unlike their orthologs,VuNAC1/2 direct synergistic transcriptional tuning of stress and developmental signaling to avoid unwanted trade-offs.Their overexpression governs the favorable interplay of photosynthesis and reactive oxygen species regulation to improve stress recovery,nutritional sufficiency,biomass,and production.This unconventional balance of strong stress tolerance and agronomic quality is useful for translational crop research and molecular breeding of pulses.

Formation of hierarchically 3D cactus-like architecture as efficient Mott-Schottky electrocatalyst for long-life Li-S batteries

Searching for new promising electrocatalysts with favorable architectures allowing abundant active sites and remarkable structure stability is an urgent task for the practical application of lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries.Herein,inspired by the structure of natural cactus,a new efficient and robust electrocatalyst with three-dimensional(3D)hierarchical cactus-like architecture constructed by functional zero-dimensional(0D),one-dimensional(1D),and two-dimensional(2D)components is developed.The cactus-inspired catalyst(denoted as Co@NCNT/NCNS)consists of N-doped carbon nanosheets(NCNS)and standing Ndoped carbon nanotubes(NCNT)forest with embedded Co nanoparticles on the top of NCNT,which was achieved by an in situ catalytic growth technique.The unique structure design integrates the advantages of 0D Co accelerating catalytic redox reactions,1D NCNT providing a fast electron pathway,and 2D NCNS assuring strong structure stability.Especially,the rich Mott-Schottky heterointerfaces between metallic Co and semiconductive NCNT can further facilitate the electron transfer,thus improving the electrocatalyst activity.Consequently,a Li-S battery with the Co@NCNT/NCNS modified separator achieves ultralong cycle life over 4000 cycles at 2 C with ultralow capacity decay of 0.016%per cycle,much superior over that of recently reported batteries.This work provides a new strategy for developing ultra-stable catalysts towards long-life Li-S batteries.