Efficient and reproducible generation of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes using a stirred bioreactor.

In the last decade human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) proved to be valuable for cardiac disease modeling and cardiac regeneration, yet challenges with scale, quality, inter-batch consistency, and cryopreservation remain, reducing experimental reproducibility and limiting clinical translation. Here, we report a robust cardiac differentiation protocol that uses Wnt modulation and a stirred suspension bioreactor to produce on average 124 million hiPSC-CMs with >90% purity using a variety of hiPSC lines (19 differentiations; 10 iPSC lines). After controlled freeze and thaw, bioreactor-derived CMs (bCMs) showed high viability (>90%), interbatch reproducibility in cellular morphology, function, drug response and ventricular identity, which was further supported by single cell transcriptomes. bCMs on microcontact printed substrates revealed a higher degree of sarcomere maturation and viability during long-term culture compared to monolayer-derived CMs (mCMs). Moreover, functional investigation of bCMs in 3D engineered heart tissues showed earlier and stronger force production during long-term culture, and robust pacing capture up to 4 Hz when compared to mCMs. bCMs derived from this differentiation protocol will expand the applications of hiPSC-CMs by providing a reproducible, scalable, and resource efficient method to generate cardiac cells with well-characterized structural and functional properties superior to standard mCMs.

Multi-media interaction improves the efficiency and stability of the bioretention system for stormwater runoff treatment.

Bioretention systems are one of the most widely used stormwater control measures for urban runoff treatment. However, stable and effective dissolved nutrient treatment by bioretention systems is often challenged by complicated stormwater conditions. In this study, pyrite-only (PO), pyrite-biochar (PB), pyrite-woodchip (PW), and pyrite-woodchip-biochar mixed (M) bioretention systems were established to study the feasibility of improving both stability and efficiency in bioretention system via multi-media interaction. PB, PW, and M all showed enhanced dissolved nitrogen and/or phosphorus removal compared to PO, with M demonstrating the highest efficiency and stability under different antecedent drying durations (ADD), pollutant levels, and prolonged precipitation depth. The total dissolved nitrogen and dissolved phosphorus removal in M ranged between 64%-86% and 80%-95%, respectively, with limited organic matter and iron leaching. Pore water, microbial community, and material analysis collectively indicate that pyrite, woodchip, and biochar synergistically facilitated multiple nutrient treatment processes and protected each other against by-product leaching. Pyrite-woodchip interaction greatly increased nitrate removal by facilitating mixotrophic denitrification, while biochar further enhanced ammonium adsorption and expanded the denitrification area. The Fe3+ generated by pyrite aerobic oxidation was adsorbed on the biochar surface and potentially formed a Fe-biochar composite layer, which not only reduced Fe3+-induced pyrite excessive oxidation but also potentially increased organic matter adsorption. Fe (oxyhydr)oxides intermediate product formed by pyrite oxidation, in return, controlled the phosphorus and organic matter leaching from biochar and woodchip. Overall, this study demonstrates that multi-media interaction may enable bioretention systems to achieve stable and effective urban runoff treatment.

One-Step Synthesis of Ultrathin Zeolitic Imidazole Framework-8 (ZIF-8) Membrane on Unmodified Porous Support via Electrophoretic Deposition.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are regarded as the next-generation, disruptive membrane materials, yet the straightforward fabrication of ultrathin MOF membranes on an unmodified porous support remains a critical challenge. In this work, we proposed a facile, one-step electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method for the growth of ultrathin zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) membranes on a bare porous support. The crystallinity, morphology and coverage of ZIF-8 particles on support surface can be optimized via regulating EPD parameters, yet it is still difficult to ensure the integrity of a ZIF-8 membrane with the constant voltage mode. In contrast, the constant current mode is more beneficial to the growth of a defect-free ZIF-8 membrane due to the steady migration rate of colloid particles toward the electrode. With a current of 0.65 mA/cm2 and deposition time of 60 min, a 300 nm thick ZIF-8 membrane was obtained, which exhibits a CO2 permeance of 334 GPU and a CO2/CH4 separation factor of 8.8, evidencing the defect-free structure.

Stable Porous Organic Polymers Used for Reversible Adsorption and Efficient Separation of Trace SO2.

The development of porous solid adsorbents for selective adsorption and separation of SO2 has attracted much attention recently. Herein, we design porous organic polymers (POPs) decorated with pyridine ligands as building units (POP-Py) through a radical polymerization of the 2,5-divinylpyridine (v-Py) monomer. Due to its high BET surface area, nanoporosity, and excellent stability, the prepared POP-Py can be used for reversible adsorption and efficient separation of SO2. The POP-Py possesses a SO2 capacity of 10.8 mmol g-1 at 298 K and 1.0 bar, which can be well retained after 6 recycles, showing an excellent reversible adsorption capacity. The POP-Py also shows superior separation performance for SO2 from a ternary SO2/CO2/N2 mixture (0.17/15/84.83v%), giving a breakthrough time and a saturated SO2 capacity at 178 min g-1 and 0.4 mmol g-1. The retention time was well maintained even under high moisture conditions, confirming its superior water resistance. Furthermore, when other vinyl-functionalized organic ligand monomers (bipyridine, pyrimidine, and pyrazine) were employed for radical polymerization, all of the resultant porous organic ligand polymers (POP-BPy, POP-PyI, and POP-PyA) exhibited superior performance for reversible adsorption and efficient separation of SO2. The combined features of reversible adsorption, efficient separation, and water resistance are important for the industrial applications of these materials as SO2 adsorbents.

Gas-template directed in situ synthesis of highly nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes with superior sulfur compatibility and enhanced functionalities.

Herein, we develop a low temperature gas template route for in situ growth of highly nitrogen-doped (5.68 wt%), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-MWCNTs). The N-MWCNTs exhibit superior sulfur compatibility in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) resource utilization, thus resulting in their enhanced functionality as Li-S cathodes with high sulfur-specific capacity and retention rate.

Sustainable synthesis of ordered mesoporous materials without additional solvents.

Micelles with well-defined nanostructures were generally formed in the presence of a suitable solvent. We report herein the accelerated construction of micelles with ordered nanostructures without assistance of additional solvents. The micelles were employed for ultrafast fabrication of ordered mesoporous silicas (OMS) using tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) as silica source. When γ-aminopropyl triethoxysilane precursor was introduced, we obtained amine group (-NH2) decorated ordered mesoporous silicas (OMS-NH2-x, where x stands for the molar ratio of γ-aminopropyl triethoxysilane to TMOS). The resulted materials are large in BET surface area and tunable in content of -NH2 site, which are highly efficient for catalytic elimination of gaseous carbonyl sulfide and hydrogen sulfide. Using this strategy, other functionalized groups such as thiol and benzene can be also introduced into OMS. Furthermore, the introducing of phenolic precursor into the system leads to multiphase co-assembly for the formation of ordered mesoporous silica-polymer nanocomposites. It is demonstrated that the solvent-free ultrafast assembly offers a sustainable route for preparation of ordered mesoporous functional materials.

Efficiently Integrated Desulfurization from Natural Gas over Zn-ZIF-Derived Hierarchical Lamellar Carbon Frameworks.

Selective removal of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is the key step for natural gas desulfurization due to the highly toxic and corrosive features of these gaseous sulfides, and efficient and stable desulfurizers are urgently needed in the industry. Herein, we report a class of nitrogen-functionalized, hierarchically lamellar carbon frameworks (N-HLCF-xs), which are obtained from the structural transformation of Zn zeolitic imidazolate frameworks via controllable carbonization. The N-HLCF-xs possess the desirable characteristics of large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas (645-923 m2/g), combined primary three-dimensional microporosity and secondary two-dimensional lamellar microstructure, and high density of nitrogen base sites with enhanced pyridine ratio (17.52 wt %, 59.91%). The anchored nitrogen base sites in N-HLCF-xs show improved accessibility, which boosts their interaction with acidic COS and H2S. As expected, N-HLCF-xs can be employed as multifunctional and efficient desulfurizers for selective removal of COS and H2S from natural gas. COS was first transformed into H2S via catalytic hydrolysis, and the produced H2S was then captured and separated and catalyzed oxidation into elemental sulfur. The above continuous processes can be achieved with solo N-HLCF-xs, giving extremely high efficiencies and reusability. Their integrated desulfurization performance was better than many desulfurizers used in the area, such as activated carbon, ß zeolite, MIL-101(Fe), K2CO3/γ-Al2O3, and FeOx/TiO2.

Highly Poison-Resistant Single-Atom Co-N4 Active Sites with Superior Operational Stability over 460 h for H2 S Catalytic Oxidation.

Efficient catalytic elimination of hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) with high activity and durability in nature gas and blast-furnace gas is very critical for both fundamental catalytic research and applied environmental chemistry. Herein, atomically dispersed Co atom catalysts with Co-N4 sites that can transform H2 S into S with conversion rate of ≈100% are designed and prepared. The representative 4Co-N/NC achieves a sulfur yield of nearly 100% and TOF(Co) of 869 h-1 at 180 °C. Importantly, remarkable long-term durability is achieved as well, with no obvious loss of catalytic activity in the run of 460 h, outperforming most of the reported catalysts. The short bond length and strong cooperation of Co-N are beneficial to improve the structural stability of the Co-N4 centers, and significantly enhanced resistance of water and sulfation over single-atom Co-catalyst. The present mechanism involves the stepwise hydrogen transfer process via the adsorbed *HOO and *HS intermediates.

Efficiently Selective Oxidation of H2S to Elemental Sulfur over Covalent Triazine Framework Catalysts.

As a highly toxic and corrosive waste gas in the industry, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) usually originates from the utilization of coal, petroleum, and natural gas. The selective catalytic elimination of H2S shows great significance to ensure the safety of industrial processes and health of human beings. Herein, we report efficiently selective oxidation of H2S to elemental sulfur over covalent triazine framework (CTF-1-x, x = 400, 500, 600, 400-600 °C) catalysts. CTF-1-x samples were prepared from polymerization of 1,4-dicyanobenzene to form polyaryl triazine networks under ion solidothermal conditions in the presence of ZnCl2, which acts as both an initiator and a porogen. The resultant CTF-1-x samples possess abundant micro-mesoporosity, large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas, and tunable structural base sites with edge amine and graphitic nitrogen characteristics, which were homogeneously decorated onto their frameworks. As a result, CTF-1-x samples act as efficient and long-lived catalysts in selective oxidation of H2S to sulfur under ambient conditions (100% H2S conversion, 100% sulfur selectivity at 180 °C, 12 000 mL/(g·h)), and their activities were superior to those of commercial Fe2O3 and g-C3N4 desulfurization catalysts. Abundant nitrogen structural base sites of CTF-1-x effectively activate the reactants, and abundant micro-mesoporosity facilitates mass transfer in and out of CTF-1-x. The improved design of the nitrogen-doped carbon material for H2S activation and conversion could enhance the development of more active and robust nitrogen-doped carbon catalysts.

Effects of endoscopic submucosal dissection on post-operative early treatment effectiveness and serum TAT-2 and GP73 expression levels in patients with early gastric cancer.

The present study aimed to explore the effectiveness of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC) and its effect on serum tumor-associated trypsin-2 (TAT-2) and Golgi protein 73 (GP73) expression levels to provide a reference for the treatment of EGC. TAT-2 is a proteolytic target enzyme for tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor that has been previously reported to enhance invasion by promoting extracellular matrix degradation. GP73 is a novel type II Golgi membrane protein of unknown function that is expressed in the hepatocytes of patients with adult giant-cell hepatitis. A total of 161 patients with EGC treated at our hospital from April 2013 to February 2014 were selected as the study subjects. Among these, 86 patients underwent ESD (group A) and the remaining 75 underwent endoscopic mucosal resection (group B). Treatment effectiveness, incidence of complications and adverse reactions, operation time, intraoperative blood loss and length of hospital stay, as well as serum TAT-2 and GP73 expression levels, were compared between the two groups. The treatment effectiveness was significantly higher in group A than in group B (P<0.05). However, there was no significant inter-group difference in terms of incidence of complications/adverse reactions (P>0.05). After treatment, serum TAT-2 expression levels decreased in both groups (P<0.05) and serum TAT-2 expression levels were lower in group A than in group B (P<0.05). Furthermore, serum GP73 expression levels were significantly elevated in both groups (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated no significant inter-group difference in the 5-year survival rate (P>0.05). In conclusion, ESD had a good therapeutic effect on EGC and is able to decrease serum TAT-2 expression levels and increase serum GP73 expression levels. The present study was registered into the Chinese Trials Registry (registration no. NCT02157534).

Engineering of crystal phase over porous MnO2 with 3D morphology for highly efficient elimination of H2S.

In the present work, we report a facile oxalate-derived hydrothermal method to fabricate α-, ß- and δ-MnO2 catalysts with hierarchically porous structure and study the phase-dependent behavior for selective oxidation of H2S over MnO2 catalysts. It was disclosed that the oxygen vacancy, reducibility and acid property of MnO2 are essentially determined by the crystalline phase. Systematic experiments demonstrate that δ-MnO2 is superior in active oxygen species, activation energy and H2S adsorption capacity among the prepared catalysts. As a consequence, δ-MnO2 nanosphere with a hierarchically porous structure shows high activity and stability with almost 100% H2S conversion and sulfur selectivity at 210 °C, better than majority of reported Mn-based materials. Meanwhile, hierarchically porous structure of δ-MnO2 nanosphere alleviates the generation of by-product SO2 and sulfate, promoting the adoptability of Mn-based catalysts in industrial applications.

CREB1 Suppresses Transcription of microRNA-186 to Promote Growth, Invasion and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Gastric Cancer Cells Through the KRT8/HIF-1α Axis.

BACKGROUND: The cAMP response element-binding protein 1 (CREB1) was initiated as a potential target for cancer treatment. This research was conducted to probe the effect of CREB1 in the progression of gastric cancer (GC) and the molecules involved. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CREB1 expression in GC tissues and cell lines (AGS and MKN-45) as well as that in normal tissues and in gastric mucosa cell line (GES-1) was detected. The correlation between CREB1 expression and prognosis of GC patients was determined. Artificial silencing of CREB1 was introduced to evaluate its effect on biological behaviors of GC cells. The target microRNA (miRNA) of CREB1 and the target mRNA of miR-186 were predicted and validated. Altered expression of miR-186, KRT8 and HIF-1α was introduced to confirm their functions in GC progression. RESULTS: CREB1 was abundantly expressed in GC tissues and cells and linked to dismal prognosis in patients. Silencing of CREB1 or upregulation of miR-186 suppressed the malignant behaviors such as growth, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasion of GC cells, while artificial overexpression of KRT8 led to reversed trends. KRT8 was a target mRNA of miR-186, and CREB1 transcriptionally suppressed miR-186 expression to further up-regulate KRT8. KRT8 was also found to increase HIF-1α expression. Upregulation of HIF-1α was found to block the suppressing role of CREB1 silencing in GC cell malignancy. CONCLUSION: This study evidenced that silencing of CREB1 inhibits growth, invasion, EMT and resistance to apoptosis of GC cells involving the upregulation of miR-186 and the following downregulation of KRT8 and HIF-1α.

Highly Active and Sulfur-Resistant Fe-N4 Sites in Porous Carbon Nitride for the Oxidation of H2 S into Elemental Sulfur.

Iron-based catalysts have been widely studied for the oxidation of H2 S into elemental S. However, the prevention of iron sites from deactivation remains a big challenge. Herein, a facile copolymerization strategy is proposed for the construction of isolated Fe sites confined in polymeric carbon nitride (CN) (Fe-CNNχ). The as-prepared Fe-CNNχ catalysts possess unique 2D structure as well as electronic property, resulting in enlarged exposure of active sites and enhancement of redox performance. Combining systematic characterizations with density functional theory calculation, it is disclosed that the isolated Fe atoms prefer to occupy four-coordinate doping configurations (Fe-N4 ). Such Fe-N4 centers favor the adsorption and activation of O2 and H2 S. As a consequence, Fe-CNNχ exhibit excellent catalytic activity for the catalytic oxidation of H2 S to S. More importantly, the Fe-CNNχ catalysts are resistant to water and sulfur poisoning, exhibiting outstanding catalytic stability (over 270 h of continuous operation), better than most of the reported catalysts.

Soybean straw biomass-derived Fe-N co-doped porous carbon as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in both alkaline and acidic media.

The development of highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is of great significance for the large-scale commercialization of fuel cells. In this work, honeycomb-like Fe-N co-doped porous carbon materials (Fe-N-PC) were prepared through a facile one-step pyrolysis strategy using soybean straw biomass as the precursor. The obtained Fe-N-PC catalyst exhibits excellent ORR performance with an onset potential of 0.989 V and a half-wave potential of 0.854 V in alkaline conditions, which positively shift only by 5 mV and 27 mV, respectively than those of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Furthermore, the onset potential and the half-wave potential of the Fe-N-PC catalysts are up to 0.886 V and 0.754 V, respectively, under acidic conditions, which are superior to those of many other Fe, N-doped electrocatalysts. The ORR process can be regarded as a four-electron transfer process based on RRDE measurements. Moreover, the Fe-N-PC catalyst also shows greater stability and satisfactory methanol tolerance than the Pt/C catalyst. The superior electrocatalytic performance of Fe-N-PC may be attributed to the abundant nanoporous structure, large BET surface area, and Fe-N co-doping, which provide abundant and highly efficient active sites.

Mechanochemically synthesized MgAl layered double hydroxide nanosheets for efficient catalytic removal of carbonyl sulfide and H2S.

A solid-state mechanochemical route for rapid synthesis of MgAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets large in surface area and decorated with abundant hydroxyl groups was developed for catalytic elimination of carbonyl sulfide and H2S, showing activity superior to those of commercial LDHs and porous metal oxides.

Design of Efficient, Hierarchical Porous Polymers Endowed with Tunable Structural Base Sites for Direct Catalytic Elimination of COS and H2S.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is malodorous and highly toxic, and its selective removal from industrial feedstock is highly recommended for safety and environment protection. We report here a class of nitrogen-functionalized, hierarchical porous polymers (N-HPPs) synthesized from one-step alkylation-induced cross-linking without any involvement of templates. The as-engineered N-HPPs are large in BET surface area (792-1397 m2/g) and endowed with hierarchical porosity. The incorporated nitrogen species of N-HPPs act as structural base sites with properties that can be precisely controlled. By molecular simulation, the enhanced interactions between N-HPPs and H2S were verified. The synthesized N-HPPs show superb capacities for H2S adsorption (9.2 mmol/g at 0 °C, 1.0 bar) and display satisfactory IAST H2S/N2 and H2S/CH4 selectivity (88.3 and 119.6, respectively, at 0 °C). Catalyzed by the structural base sites located in the N-HPPs, the COS together with its derived H2S can be effectively eliminated under mild conditions.

Developing two-dimensional solid superacids with enhanced mass transport, extremely high acid strength and superior catalytic performance.

Solid acids have been widely used as heterogeneous catalysts in developing green and sustainable chemistry. However, it remains a challenge to improve the mass transport properties and acid strength of solid acids simultaneously. Herein, we report a class of two dimensional (2D) layered hybrid solid acids with outstanding mass transfer and extremely high acid strength by incorporating sulfonated polymers in-between montmorillonite layers. The 2D layered structure and broad distribution of pore sizes allow for highly efficient mass transport of substrate molecules into and out of the solid acids. The acid strength of these solid acids was found to be stronger than that of 100% H2SO4, H3PW12O40 and any other reported solid acids to date, as determined by 1H and 31P solid-state NMR. These 2D solid acids show extraordinary catalytic performance in biomass conversion to fuels, superior to that of H3PW12O40, HCl and H2SO4. Theoretical calculations and control experiments reveal that H-bond based interactions between the polymer and montmorillonite facilitate the unusually high acid strengths found in these samples.

Open and Hierarchical Carbon Framework with Ultralarge Pore Volume for Efficient Capture of Carbon Dioxide.

Amine-impregnated adsorbents are promising candidates for the selective capture of CO2 from flue gas. The key is to develop suitable supports possessing large pore sizes and very large pore volumes, and the material has to be facilely synthesized from readily available reagents. In this work, hierarchical carbon nanosheet (CNS) featuring large pore width (30-100 nm) and extraordinarily huge pore volume (8.41 cm3/g) was prepared through controlled carbonization of glucose and dicyandiamide. The CNS was physically impregnated with pentaethylenehexamine (PEHA) to act as adsorbents for selective capture of CO2. Owing to the unique porosity of CNS, the amount of amine loading in CNS can be ultrahigh (6 g PEHA/g CNS) in comparison with those of known amine-impregnated adsorbents, and the CO2 capacity in a flow of 15 v/v % of CO2 balanced in N2 was up to 5.0 mmol/g at 75 °C. The synthesized PEHA-CNS composite materials perform well in capturing CO2 under humid condition and display good stability in a test of 10 adsorption-desorption cycles. It is believed that the CNS synthesized in this work has great potential to act as a support material for CO2 adsorption.

Massive hemorrhagic ascites: A rare presentation of eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

According to Klein's classification system, the symptomatology of eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EG), a rare disease, differs based on the affected tissue layer. Patients with subserosal EG often have peritoneal effusion. Hemorrhagic ascites due to EG is extremely rare and has not been reported in the literature. Here, we report a 57-year-old woman with EG and massive hemorrhagic ascites. Laboratory investigations showed elevated peripheral eosinophils with significant eosinophilia (65.6%). Ultrasonography showed massive abdominal ascites. Abdominal paracentesis revealed hemorrhagic peritoneal fluid and microscopy showed predominant eosinophils. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed erosions, exudates, and mucosal rings in the duodenal mucosa; histological examination indicated eosinophilic infiltration. EG presenting with hemorrhagic ascites was diagnosed by histologic examination of eosinophilic infiltration. She was empirically treated with ketotifen 1 mg bid po with rapid resolution of ascites and a remarkable decline in peripheral eosinophil counts. Clinicians should consider the differential diagnosis of unexplained hemorrhagic ascites.

Aqueous and Template-Free Synthesis of Meso-Macroporous Polymers for Highly Selective Capture and Conversion of Carbon Dioxide.

Meso-macroporous polymers possessing nitrogen functionality were innovatively synthesized through an aqueous and template-free route herein. Specifically, the polymerization of 1-(4-vinylbenzyl)-1,3,5,7-tetraazaadamantan-1-ium chloride in aqueous solution under high temperatures induces the decomposition of the hexamethylenetetramine unit into ammonia and formaldehyde molecules, followed by the cross-linking of benzene rings through "resol chemistry". During this process, extended meso-macroporous frameworks were constructed, and active nitrogen species were incorporated. Taking the advantage of the meso-macroporosity and nitrogen functionality, the synthesized polymers offer competitive CO2 capacities (0.37-1.58 mmol g-1 at 0 °C and 0.15 bar) and outstanding CO2 /N2 selectivities (155-324 at 0 °C). Furthermore, after complexed with metal ions, the synthesized polymers show excellent activity for catalyzing the cycloaddition of propylene oxide with CO2 (yield>98.5 %, turnover frequency: 612.9-761.1 h-1 ).