Fabrication of versatile lignocellulose nanofibril/polymerizable deep eutectic solvent hydrogels with anti-swelling, adhesive and low-temperature resistant properties via a one-pot strategy.

Lignocellulosic nanofibril (LCNF) is indispensable in numerous potential applications because of its unsurpassed quintessential characteristics. While it still remains a challenge to assemble LCNF in a facile and environmental economy-first manner. In this work, a simple and green one-step synthetic approach was reported to prepare a series of LCNF-containing versatile hydrogels using deep eutectic solvent (DES). In particular, the LCNF5% hydrogel (namely LCNF5%-gel) in this work perfectly integrated superior stretchability (∼643 %), and displayed a dramatically improved anti-swelling ability (25 %) compared to the control sample (neat DES hydrogel, 2252 %). Simultaneously, the LCNF5% hydrogel presented underwater adhesiveness and outstanding long-term low-temperature resistance (stable at -25 °C for a month). This novel multifunctional hydrogel, prepared by a facile and eco-friendly strategy, is potentially useful in wet adhesion or underwater applications.

Systematic analysis of DNA methylation-mediated TF dysregulation on lncRNAs reveals critical roles in tumor immunity.

Emerging evidence suggests that DNA methylation affects transcriptional regulation and expression perturbations of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer. However, a comprehensive investigation into the transcriptional control of DNA methylation-mediated dysregulation of transcription factors (TFs) on lncRNAs has been lacking. Here, we integrated the transcriptome, methylome, and regulatome across 21 human cancers and systematically identified the transcriptional regulation of DNA methylation-mediated TF dysregulations (DMTDs) on lncRNAs. Our findings reveal that TF regulation of lncRNAs is significantly impacted by DNA methylation. Comparative analysis of DMTDs on mRNAs revealed a conserved pattern of TFs involvement. Pan-cancer Methylation TFs (MethTFs) and Methylation LncRNAs (MethLncRNAs) were identified, and were found to be closely associated with cancer hallmarks and clinical features. In-depth analysis of co-expressed mRNAs with pan-cancer MethLncRNAs unveiled frequent disruptions in cancer immunity, particularly in the context of inflammatory response. Furthermore, we identified five immune-related network modules that contribute to immune cell infiltration in cancer. Immune-related subtypes were subsequently classified, characterized by high levels of immune cell infiltration, expression of immunomodulatory genes, and relevant immune cytolytic activity score, major histocompatibility complex score, response to chemotherapy, and prognosis. Our findings provide valuable insights into cancer immunity from the epigenetic and transcriptional regulation perspective.

[The Molecular Mechanism of LncRNA HOTAIR Regulating the Proliferation, Invasion and Migration of Lymphoma Cells through Target Gene miR-20a-5p].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of lncRNA HOTAIR on the proliferation, invasion and migration of lymphoma cells through target gene miR-20a-5p and its molecular mechanism. METHODS: After synthesizing HOTAIR siRNA and siRNA NC plasmids, they were transfected into lymphoma Raji cells, respectively. The expression of HOTAIR mRNA was detected by RT-qPCR. The proliferation, invasion and migration of lymphoma Raji cells were detected by CCK-8 assay, Transwell assay and cell scratch healing assay, respectively. The target gene of lncRNA HOTAIR was predicted by miRcode software, and the relationship between HOTAIR and target gene was analyzed by dual luciferase assay. After synthesis of miR-20a-5p inhibitor and inhibitor NC, Raji cells were transiently transfected. The expression of miR-20a-5p was detected by RT-qPCR, and the effects of down-regulation of miR-20a-5p on the proliferation, invasion and migration of Raji cells were analyzed. The overexpression plasmid of lncRNA HOTAIR and miR-20a-5p mimics were transfected into Raji cells simultaneously to analyze the proliferation, invasion and migration ability of Raji cells. After overexpression or down-regulation of miR-20a-5p, the expression of JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway related proteins was analyzed. RESULTS: HOTAIR expression in Raji cells was decreased after transfection of HOTAIR siRNA (P<0.01), and miR-20a-5p expression was also decreased after transfection of miR-20a-5p inhibitor (P<0.01). HOTAIR had a targeting and negative regulation relationship with miR-20a-5p (r=-0.826). Silencing HOTAIR promoted the expression of miR-20a-5p and inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of Raji cells. Down-regulation of miR-20a-5p expression promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of Raji cells. Effect of HOTAIR overexpression on the proliferation, invasion and migration of Raji cells could be reversed by up-regulation of miR-20a-5p. Down-regulation of miR-20a-5p expression activated the intracellular JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: HOTAIR affects the proliferation, invasion and migration of lymphoma cells by targeting miR-20a-5p, and its mechanism may be related to the activation of JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Spatial transcriptome analysis of long non-coding RNAs reveals tissue specificity and functional roles in cancer.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a significant role in maintaining tissue morphology and functions, and their precise regulatory effectiveness is closely related to expression patterns. However, the spatial expression patterns of lncRNAs in humans are poorly characterized. Here, we constructed five comprehensive transcriptomic atlases of human lncRNAs covering thousands of major tissue samples in normal and disease states. The lncRNA transcriptomes exhibited high consistency within the same tissues across resources, and even higher complexity in specialized tissues. Tissue-elevated (TE) lncRNAs were identified in each resource and robust TE lncRNAs were refined by integrative analysis. We detected 1 to 4684 robust TE lncRNAs across tissues; the highest number was in testis tissue, followed by brain tissue. Functional analyses of TE lncRNAs indicated important roles in corresponding tissue-related pathways. Moreover, we found that the expression features of robust TE lncRNAs made them be effective biomarkers to distinguish tissues; TE lncRNAs also tended to be associated with cancer, and exhibited differential expression or were correlated with patient survival. In summary, spatial classification of lncRNAs is the starting point for elucidating the function of lncRNAs in both maintenance of tissue morphology and progress of tissue-constricted diseases.

Primary Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor of the Stomach: A Rare Case Report and Review of Literature.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a spindle cell sarcoma originating from peripheral nerves or showing differentiation of nerve sheath components. Primary MPNST of the stomach is an extremely rare neoplasm with only a few published reports in the literature. We present the case of a 58-year-old male patient with MPNST in the stomach. The patient was admitted due to upper abdomen discomfort. Gastroscopy revealed a huge ulcer lesion in the stomach, and biopsy revealed a spindle cell malignant neoplasm. No other specific findings were found in the whole-body imaging examination. Subtotal gastrectomy was performed. Histologically, an ulcer-type, push-infiltrating mass composed of dense, woven-like spindle cells with frequent mitosis could be seen. In immunohistochemistry, the tumor cells were negative for expression of H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), keratin (AE1/AE3), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), CD34, KIT, DOG1 (ANO1), S-100, SOX10, smooth muscle actin, desmin, myogenin, MDM2, CDK4, P16 (CDKN2A) and SS18-SSX (SS18::SSX). Primary MPNST of the stomach was diagnosed based on histological and immunohistochemical results. During the 2.5 years follow-up period after surgery, no recurrence was observed.

IEAtlas: an atlas of HLA-presented immune epitopes derived from non-coding regions.

Cancer-related epitopes can engage the immune system against tumor cells, thus exploring epitopes derived from non-coding regions is emerging as a fascinating field in cancer immunotherapies. Here, we described a database, IEAtlas (http://bio-bigdata.hrbmu.edu.cn/IEAtlas), which aims to provide and visualize the comprehensive atlas of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-presented immunogenic epitopes derived from non-coding regions. IEAtlas reanalyzed publicly available mass spectrometry-based HLA immunopeptidome datasets against our integrated benchmarked non-canonical open reading frame information. The current IEAtlas identified 245 870 non-canonical epitopes binding to HLA-I/II allotypes across 15 cancer types and 30 non-cancerous tissues, greatly expanding the cancer immunopeptidome. IEAtlas further evaluates the immunogenicity via several commonly used immunogenic features, including HLA binding affinity, stability and T-cell receptor recognition. In addition, IEAtlas provides the biochemical properties of epitopes as well as the clinical relevance of corresponding genes across major cancer types and normal tissues. Several flexible tools were also developed to aid retrieval and to analyze the epitopes derived from non-coding regions. Overall, IEAtlas will serve as a valuable resource for investigating the immunogenic capacity of non-canonical epitopes and the potential as therapeutic cancer vaccines.

Efficacy and safety of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of malignant lymphoma after chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is a common method for the clinical treatment of malignant lymphomas that recur after conventional chemotherapy. It has been reported that its efficacy is better than conventional chemotherapy, but the efficacy of its first-line treatment is controversial, and the existing clinical randomized controlled trials have not yet reached a unified conclusion. This work intended to use meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of AHSCT in the treatment of malignant lymphoma after high-dose chemotherapy, and draw reliable conclusions to provide reference and basis for clinical application. Methods: The inclusion and exclusion criteria were formulated based on the PICOIS principle. Relevant articles were retrieved from Medline, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Elton B. Stephens. Company (EBSCO), Ovid Technologies (OVID), China Biomedical Database, and Wanfang. The search period was limited the study published between January 1, 1980 and November 2021. The search terms included malignant lymphoma, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, AHSCT, high-dose chemotherapy, etc. The study subjects were diagnosed as malignant lymphoma patients. The experimental group was defined as AHSCT after high-dose chemotherapy, and the control group was defined as conventional chemotherapy (the chemotherapy regimen was not limited). The outcome indicators were overall survival (OS), complete remission rate [complete response (CR) + partial response (PR)], and event-free survival (EFS). RevMan5.3 software provided by the Cochrane Collaboration was used for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 6 pieces of literature were included, with 264 cases in the experimental group and 389 cases in the control group. There was no risk of bias in the included literature. The intervention method in the control group was conventional chemotherapy (chemotherapy regimen was not limited). The differences in the rates of overall survival and progression-free survival between the groups were compared, and it was found that the overall survival between groups was [odds ratio (OR) =2.88; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.78-4.66; Z=4.31; P<0.0001] and progression-free survival rate was (OR =2.70; 95% CI: 1.86-3.92, Z=5.21; P<0.00001). Discussion: AHSCT treatment can significantly prolong the overall survival and progression-free survival rates of patients with malignant lymphoma after chemotherapy.

The complete chloroplast genome of Epimedium jinchengshanense Y. J. Zhang & J. Q. Li (Berberidaceae), an ornamental and medicinal species.

Epimedium jinchengshanense Y. J. Zhang & J. Q. Li 2014 is an important ornamental and medicinal herb, but of unclear taxonomy. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of E. jinchengshanense was sequenced. The genome was 157,169 bp in length, with a large single-copy region of 88, 520 bp, a small single-copy region of 17,075 bp and 2 inverted repeat regions of 25, 787 bp. The genome consisted of 113 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. The GC contents were 38.78%. Phylogenetic analysis showed a close relationship between E. jinchengshanense and E. ilicifolium, which was explained by the morphological similarity of flowers and leaves of the two species.

A Hemolysis Image Detection Method Based on GAN-CNN-ELM.

Since manual hemolysis test methods are given priority with practical experience and its cost is high, the characteristics of hemolysis images are studied. A hemolysis image detection method based on generative adversarial networks (GANs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with extreme learning machine (ELM) is proposed. First, the image enhancement and data enhancement are performed on a sample set, and GAN is used to expand the sample data volume. Second, CNN is used to extract the feature vectors of the processed images and label eigenvectors with one-hot encoding. Third, the feature matrix is input to the map in the ELM network to minimize the error and obtain the optimal weight by training. Finally, the image to be detected is input to the trained model, and the image with the greatest probability is selected as the final category. Through model comparison experiments, the results show that the hemolysis image detection method based on the GAN-CNN-ELM model is better than GAN-CNN, GAN-ELM, GAN-ELM-L1, GAN-SVM, GAN-CNN-SVM, and CNN-ELM in accuracy and speed, and the accuracy rate is 98.91%.

Detection of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in non-small cell lung cancer by immunohistochemistry. / å ç–«ç»„ç»‡åŒ–å­¦æ³•æ£€æµ‹éžå°ç»†èƒžè‚ºç™Œè¡¨çš®ç”Ÿé•¿å› å­å—ä½“çªå˜.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of immunohistochemistry (IHC) for detecting common epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to estimate the cost-effectiveness of IHC testing. METHODS: A total of 208 NSCLC patients were included in the trial, and the EGFR mutation status in the patients were detected by PCR and IHC. Two mutation-specific antibodies against the most common exon 19 deletion (clone SP111) and exon 21 L858R mutation (clone SP125) were tested by using automated immunostainer. A cost-effectiveness analysis model was built for the analysis of optimal detection scheme. RESULTS: With a cutoff value of IHC 1+, the overall sensitivity and specificity of the IHC-based method compared with the PCR-based method were 81.7% (95% CI 72.4% to 89.0%) and 94.7% (95% CI 92.6% to 99.5%), respectively. EGFR 19del mutation was detected by SP111 antibody with a sensitivity of 65.9% (95% CI 49.4% to 79.9%) and specificity of 98.8% (95% CI 95.7% to 99.9%). EGFR L858R mutation was detected by SP125 antibody with a sensitivity of 94.2% (95% CI 84.1% to 98.8%) and specificity of 99.4% (95% CI 96.5% to 100%). The IHC and PCR cost ratio needed to be 1-to-3 or more in our patients to economically justify before the use of IHC. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms an excellent specificity with fairly good sensitivity of IHC and mutation-specific antibodies for common EGFR mutations. It is cost-effective to use IHC method to detect EGFR mutation first when the IHC and PCR cost ratio is 1-to-3 or more in Chinese populations.

Overexpression of ODF1 in Gastrointestinal Tract Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: a Novel Potential Immunohistochemical Biomarker for Well-differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Gastrointestinal tract neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a group of rare heterogeneous tumors with different prognoses. The 2019 WHO classification of digestive system tumors defines the classification of NENs as neuroendocrine tumors (NETs G1-G3) and neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). We investigated outer dense fiber of sperm tails 1 (ODF1) expression in 137 gastrointestinal tract NENs including 53 NETs G1, 29 NETs G2, 3 NETs G3, and 52 NECs. Twenty adenocarcinomas and 6 squamous cell carcinomas also were included in the study. The results showed that ODF1 was positive in 83 of 85 (97.6%) primary gastrointestinal tract NETs, including 9 of 10 (90%) gastric, 19 of 19 (100%) small bowel, 10 of 11 (90.9%) colorectal, and 45 of 45 (100%) appendiceal neoplasms. There was a significantly statistical difference in the rates of ODF1 positivity in NETs (83/85, 97.6%) vs NECs (25/52, 48.1%, P < 0.001). ODF1 showed diffuse staining in NETs G1 (53/53, 100%) and NETs G2 (28/29, 96.6%), > 50% staining in NETs G3 (2/3, 66.7%), and focal staining (< 50%) in NECs (23/52, 44.2%) but 2 cases (2/52) showed > 50% staining. ODF1 showed no expression in all 20 adenocarcinomas and 6 squamous cell carcinomas. In conclusion, ODF1 was firstly identified as a novel marker for NENs, especially for NETs in the gastrointestinal tract. The expression mechanism and clinical significance of ODF1 in NENs needed further study.

Revealing Epigenetic Factors of circRNA Expression by Machine Learning in Various Cellular Contexts.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified as naturally occurring RNAs that are highly represented in the eukaryotic transcriptome. Although a large number of circRNAs have been reported, the underlying regulatory mechanism of circRNAs biogenesis remains largely unknown. Here, we integrated in-depth multi-omics data including epigenome, transcriptome, and non-coding RNA and identified candidate circRNAs in six cellular contexts. Next, circRNAs were divided into two classes (high versus low) with different expression levels. Machine learning models were constructed that predicted circRNA expression levels based on 11 different histone modifications and host gene expression. We found that the models achieve great accuracy in predicting high versus low expressed circRNAs. Furthermore, the expression levels of host genes of circRNAs, H3k36me3, H3k79me2, and H4k20me1 contributed greatly to the classification models in six cellular contexts. In summary, all these results suggest that epigenetic modifications, particularly histone modifications, can effectively predict expression levels of circRNAs.

Thermoelectric effects induced dendrite branching dynamics in pure substances: An insight from morphological theory.

Insights on the mechanical behavior in materials highly depend upon sufficiently characterizing microstructure details at the relevant length scales. In this study, the side-branching dynamics of dendritic structures formation in pure substances is studied upon the phase-field simulations of crystallization with applied direct currents. The effect of heat diffusion (including thermoelectric effect and undercooling) on the dendritic development is investigated, and the characteristics of the primary arms and side-branches are identified by implementing the image recognition technique. Results indicate that increasing the latent heat release would firstly enhance the side-branching and then cause the side-branches re-melting with large heat extraction form the solid. The side-branching could be tailored by rationally controlling the applied electric filed as well the heat treatment, which could be a potential way to improve the mechanical properties in metallic materials via optimizing the microstructure.

[Expressions of epithelial cell adhesion molecule, vimentin and N-cadherin in molecular subtypes of breast cancer and the correlation among them].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the expressions of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), vimentin and N-cadherin in breast cancer and its molecular subtypes, and to explore the correlation among them.
 Methods: The expressions of EpCAM, vimentin and N-cadherin were detected by immunohistochemistry in 835 patients with breast cancer, and their correlations with clinical pathological features and prognosis were analyzed.
 Results: The expression rates of EpCAM, vimentin and N-cadherin in the patients were 53.4%, 11.4% and 9.7% respectively, which were increased with the increase in tumor size, histological grade, lymph node size, tumor node stage of metastases classification, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor levels (all P<0.05). The positive expression rates for EpCAM protein in luminal A, luminal B (HER2-), luminal B (HER2+), HER2 overexpression and triple-negative subtypes were 19.2%, 73.0%, 48.9%, 72.2%, and 62.1% respectively; for vimentin were 3.9%, 11.4%, 14.1%, 11.1%, and 20.5% respectively; for N-cadherin were 7.0%, 5.7%, 12.0%, 12.2% and 17.4% respectively, with statistical difference (all P<0.05). EpCAM expression was positively correlated with vimentin and N-cadherin in patients with breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer.
 Conclusion: EpCAM is overexpressed in triple-negative subtype of breast cancer and it is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers, which might be related to breast cancer progression and metastasis.

[Expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule and molecular subtypes and prognosis of breast cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinicopathological and prognostic significance of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression in breast cancer and its molecular subtypes.
 METHODS: The expression of EpCAM in 835 patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma was detected by immunohistochemical Max VisionTM method, and its correlation with clinical pathological features and prognosis was analyzed.
 RESULTS: The positive expression of EpCAM was related to histological grade, lymph node metastasis, tumor size, clinical stage, the expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2 (P<0.05). The positive expression rates of EpCAM were 19.2%, 73%, 48.9%, 72.2%, and 62.1%, in Luminal A, Luminal B (HER2-), Luminal B(HER2+), HER2+, and triple-negative subtype, respectively. Log-rank test and univariate COX analysis showed that the EpCAM expression was associated with a poor prognosis in all patients (P<0.001), as well as the triple-negative subtype, luminal B subtype (HER2-), and HER2+ subtype (P<0.05). Multivariate COX analysis showed that EpCAM expression was associated with the survival in patients with the triple-negative or HER2+ subtype (P<0.05).
 CONCLUSION: EpCAM may be associated with progress of breast cancer. It is an independent prognostic factor in breast cancer, especially in the triple-negative and HER2+ subtypes.

[Expression of PTEN, p53 and EGFR in the molecular subtypes of breast carcinoma and the correlation among them].

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of PTEN, p53 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the molecular subtypes of breast carcinoma and to evaluate the correlations with triple-negative breast cancer.
 METHODS: Immunohistochemical MaxVision(TM) method was used to detect the expression of PTEN, p53, EGFR, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in 291 cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma of breast. 
 RESULTS: The positive expression of PTEN, p53 and EGFR protein in breast carcinoma was 57.0%, 57.0% and 38.5%, respectively, which were significantly different from those in benign breast diseases (P<0.05). The expression of PTEN or EGFR in breast cancer was correlated with tumor size, histological grade, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, ER and HER2 status (P<0.05); the expression of p53 was correlated with tumor size, histological grade and ER status (P<0.05). The difference of positive expression rates of PTEN, p53 and EGFR protein among different subtypes including luminal A, luminal B (HER2-), luminal B (HER2+), HER2 over-expression and triple-negative was statistically significant (P<0.05). There were close correlations among PTEN, p53 and EGFR in the triple-negative subtype (P<0.05).
 CONCLUSION: Low expression of PTEN and high expression of EGFR and p53 are observed in triple-negative breast cancer, which may synergistically contribute to the pathogenesis of triple-negative breast cancer.

Study of the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of transglutaminase II on apoptosis in the osteosarcoma MG-63 cell line under hypoxic conditions.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between the apoptosis phenomenon in the MG-63 osteosarcoma cell line, and transglutaminase II (TG2) expression. The relationship between the anti-apoptotic mechanism of TG2 and the expression of cytochrome c as well as caspase-3 under hypoxic conditions was also verified. A hypoxic culture of MG-63 cells was prepared. The hypoxia and TG2 siRNA hypoxia groups were established, and the cultures were incubated for 12 h under hypoxic conditions. TG2 activity, TG2 protein expression and its mRNA level were investigated. Cytochrome c and caspase-3 protein levels in the TG2 nucleus and cytoplasm were measured. The apoptotic rate was also monitored. The results showed that TG2 activity, TG2 protein expression and its mRNA level in the hypoxia group were significantly higher than those of the siRNA hypoxia group. The results showed statistically insignificant differences (P<0.05). By contrast, a comparison of the two groups in the cytoplasm yielded no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). Cytochrome c and caspase-3 protein levels in the hypoxia group were significantly higher than those of the TG2 siRNA hypoxia group. The results showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05). By contrast, the protein levels in the cytoplasm were significantly lower than those of the TG2 siRNA hypoxia group, with differences being statistically significant (P<0.05). The differences in apoptotic rates between the hypoxia and TG2 siRNA hypoxia groups were also statistically significant (P<0.05). Under hypoxic conditions, a high TG2 expression inhibited the apoptosis of the MG-63 osteosarcoma cell line. This effect was probably associated with its suppressive activity on the transportation of cytochrome c and caspase-3 from nucleus to cytoplasm.

Heterostructured Tin oxide-pillared tetratitanate with enhanced photocatalytic activity.

An effective active heterostructured photocatalyst of porous SnO(2)-pillared tetratitanate nanocomposite is synthesized by assembling tetratitanate nanosheets with SnO(2) nanoparticles via an exfoliation-restacking route. The nanocomposite was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis, UV-vis DRS, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and N(2) adsorption-desorption measurements. It was found that the pillared nanaocomposite is mesoporous with a gallery height of about 2 nm and a specific surface area of 154 m(2)/g. The pillared nanaocomposite exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity in the photodegradation of Rhodamine B under UV light irradiation. The improved performance is attributed to the electronic coupling between the host and the guest components, as well as its high surface area and mesoporosity.