RBBP7, regulated by SP1, enhances the Warburg effect to facilitate the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via PI3K/AKT signaling.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by aggressive progression and elevated mortality rates. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory effects of RBBP7 on HCC pathogenesis and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: The expression and clinical feature of RBBP7 were evaluated using bioinformatics analysis and the assessment of clinical HCC samples. CCK8 and colony formation were employed to estimate cell proliferation function of RBBP7. Aerobic glycolysis levels of RBBP7 were evaluated by measuring ATP levels, lactic acid production, glucose uptake capacity, and the expression of relevant enzymes (PFKM, PKM2, and LDHA). The phosphorylation levels in PI3K/AKT signaling were measured by western blotting. The regulatory effect of transcription factors of specificity protein 1 (SP1) on RBBP7 mRNA expression was confirmed in dual-luciferase reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments. The proliferation- and glycolysis-associated proteins were assessed using immunofluorescence staining in vivo. RESULTS: We found that RBBP7 is expressed at high levels in HCC and predicts poor survival. Functional assays showed that RBBP7 promoted HCC proliferation and glycolysis. Mechanistically, it was demonstrated that RBBP7 activates the PI3K/AKT pathway, a crucial pathway in glycolysis, contributing to the progression of HCC. The outcomes of the dual-luciferase assay further confirmed that SP1 is capable of activating the promoter of RBBP7. CONCLUSIONS: RBBP7, which is up-regulated by SP1, promotes HCC cell proliferation and glycolysis through the PI3K/AKT pathway. The findings of this study suggest that RBBP7 is a potential biomarker for HCC.

Synergistic Effect of Salt and Anionic Surfactants on Interfacial Tension Reduction: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Surfactants are commonly utilized in chemical flooding processes alongside salt to effectively decrease interfacial tension (IFT). However, the underlying microscopic mechanism for the synergistic effect of salt and surfactants on oil displacement remains ambiguous. Herein, the structure and properties of the interface between water and n-dodecane are studied by means of molecular dynamics simulations, considering three types of anionic surfactants and two types of salts. As the salt concentration (ρsalt) increases, the IFT first decreases to a minimum value, followed by a subsequent increase to higher values. The salt ions reduce the IFT only at low ρsalt due to the salt screening effect and ion bridging effect, both of which contribute to a decrease in the nearest head-to-head distance of surfactants. By incorporating salt doping, the IFTs can be reduced by at most 5%. Notably, the IFTs of different surfactants are mainly determined by the hydrogen bond interactions between oxygen atoms in the headgroup and water molecules. The presence of a greater number of oxygen atoms corresponds to lower IFT values. Specifically, for alkyl ethoxylate sulfate, the ethoxy groups play a crucial role in reducing the IFTs. This study provides valuable insights into formulating anionic surfactants that are applicable to oil recovery processes in petroleum reservoirs using saline water.

Metal-Backboned Polymers with Well-Defined Lengths.

Constructing the backbones of polymers with metal atoms is an attractive strategy to develop new functional polymeric materials, but it has yet to be studied due to synthetic challenges. Here, metal atoms are interconnected as the backbones of polymers to yield metal-backboned polymers (MBPs). Rational design of multidentate ligands synthesized via an efficient iterative approach leads to the successful construction of a series of nickel-backboned polymers (NBPs) with well-defined lengths and up to 21 nickel atoms, whose structures are systematically confirmed. These NBPs exhibit strong and length-depended absorption with narrow band gaps, offering promising applications in optoelectronic devices and semiconductors. We also demonstrate the high thermal stability and solution processsability of such nickel-backboned polymers. Our results represent a new opportunity to design and synthesize a variety of new metal-backboned polymers for promising applications in the future.

Non-coding RNAs in lung cancer: emerging regulators of angiogenesis.

Lung cancer is the second cancer and the leading cause of tumor-related mortality worldwide. Angiogenesis is a crucial hallmark of cancer development and a promising target in lung cancer. However, the anti-angiogenic drugs currently used in the clinic do not achieve long-term efficacy and are accompanied by severe adverse reactions. Therefore, the development of novel anti-angiogenic therapeutic approaches for lung cancer is urgently needed. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) participate in multiple biological processes in cancers, including tumor angiogenesis. Many studies have demonstrated that ncRNAs play crucial roles in tumor angiogenesis. This review discusses the regulatory functions of different ncRNAs in lung cancer angiogenesis, focusing on the downstream targets and signaling pathways regulated by these ncRNAs. Additionally, given the recent trend towards utilizing ncRNAs as cancer therapeutics, we also discuss the tremendous potential applications of ncRNAs as biomarkers or novel anti-angiogenic tools in lung cancer.

Dynamic Adsorption of Ions into Like-Charged Nanospace: A Dynamic Density Functional Theory Study.

The adsorption processes of ions into charged nanospace are associated with many practical applications. Whereas a large number of microporous materials have been prepared toward efficient adsorption of ions from solutions, theoretical models that allow for capturing the characteristics of ion dynamic adsorption into like-charged nanopores are still few. The difficulty originates from the overlapping of electric potentials inside the pores. Herein, a theoretical model is proposed by incorporating dynamic density functional theory with modified Poisson equation for investigating the dynamic adsorption of ions into like-charged nanoslits. This model is rationalized by comparing the theoretical predictions with corresponding simulation results. Afterward, by analyzing the adsorption dynamics, we show that the overlapping effect is associated with the pore size, ion bulk concentration, and surface charge density, and it plays a dominant role in the coupling between the total adsorption amount of ions and total adsorption time. Specifically, with weak overlapping effect, the total adsorption amount is intuitively proportional to the total adsorption time; however, when the overlapping effect is strong, the total adsorption amount may be inversely proportional to the total adsorption time, indicating that both high adsorption amount and short adsorption time can be achieved simultaneously. This work provides a meaningful insight toward the rational design and optimization of microporous materials for efficient ion adsorption.

A reaction density functional theory study of the solvent effect in prototype SN2 reactions in aqueous solution.

The bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (SN2) reaction is a fundamental and representative reaction in organic chemistry, and the reaction rate is sensitive to the choice of underlying solvents. Herein, we investigate the solvent effect on the free energy profiles of two paradigm reactions in aqueous solution, i.e., symmetric and asymmetric SN2 reactions, by using the proposed multiscale reaction density functional theory (RxDFT) method, which employs quantum density functional theory for calculating the intrinsic reaction free energy coupled with classical density functional theory for addressing solvation contribution. The solvent effect is quantitatively addressed with RxDFT by examining the changes in the free energy profile of the chemical reaction from the gas phase to the aqueous solution. The complete descriptions of the free energy profiles in aqueous solution for the SN2 reactions based on RxDFT agree well with the results from the Specific Reaction Parameterization (SRP) quantum model, QM/MM and the RISM/SCF method. Overall, the RxDFT method is an efficient tool to predict the free energy profile and address the solvent effect of chemical reactions with satisfactory accuracy and low computational cost.

Confinement Effect on Molecular Conformation of Alkanes in Water-Filled Cavitands: A Combined Quantum/Classical Density Functional Theory Study.

The depletion force exerted on an alkane molecule from surrounding solvent may greatly alter its conformation. Such a behavior is closely related to the selective molecular recognition, molecular sensors, self-assembly, and so on. Herein, we report a multiscale theoretical study on the conformational change of a single alkane molecule confined in water-filled cavitands, in which the quantum and classical density functional theories (DFTs) are combined to determine the grand potential of alkane-water system. Specifically, the intrinsic free energy of the alkane molecule is tackled by quantum DFT, while the solvent effect arising from the solvent density inhomogeneity in confined space is addressed by classical DFT. By varying the alkane chain length, pore size, and wettability of inner pore surface, we find that pore confinement and hydrophilic inner surface facilitate the alkane conformational change from extended state to helical state, which becomes more significant as the alkane chain length increases. Our findings, which are in line with previous experimental observations, provide not only the microscopic mechanism but also theoretical guidance for elaborately manipulating molecular conformation at the nanoscale.

Heparanase-1 and components of the hedgehog signalling pathway are increased in untreated alveolar orbital rhabdomyosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: To assess the activities of heparanase-1 and elements of the hedgehog signalling pathway in alveolar orbital rhabdomyosarcoma. METHODS: Specimens (n = 23) were divided into two groups, those from patients with preoperative chemoradiotherapy or untreated patients; six samples of normal extraocular muscle were used as a normal muscle group. The presence of heparanase-1, patched, smoothened and glioma-associated oncogene homologue-1 protein expression was determined in 23 cases of archival paraffin-embedded alveolar orbital rhabdomyosarcoma after immunohistochemistry. RNA was extracted from three groups of paraffin-embedded specimens and messenger RNA expressions of heparanase-1, smoothened and glioma-associated oncogene homologue-1 compared using nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and a limiting dilution analysis. RESULTS: The heparanase-1, patched, smoothened and glioma-associated oncogene homologue-1 protein was expressed in 91.3%, 87.0%, 91.3% and 78.3%, respectively, of the alveolar orbital rhabdomyosarcoma specimens. Untreated rhabdomyosarcoma samples tended to stain intensely, but staining was relatively weak in tissue obtained from the chemoradiotherapy group. The expression levels of heparanase-1, smoothened and glioma-associated oncogene homologue-1 messenger RNA in untreated and chemoradiotherapy groups paralleled that seen with immunology, and there were no significant differences in heparanase-1, smoothened and glioma-associated oncogene homologue-1 messenger RNA levels between the chemoradiotherapy group and the normal muscle group (P > 0.05). However, the messenger RNA in the untreated group were all significantly higher than those in the chemoradiotherapy and normal muscle groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Both heparanase-1 and hedgehog signalling pathway are involved in the pathogenesis of alveolar orbital rhabdomyosarcoma; however, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy appears to significantly inhibit their upregulation.

Effects of melatonin on streptozotocin-induced retina neuronal apoptosis in high blood glucose rat.

One of the main pathological symptoms of early diabetic retinal neuropathy is retina neuronal apoptosis. In the present work we investigated the effects of indoleamine hormone melatonin, a powerful free radical scavenger, on streptozotocin-induced retina neuronal cell apoptosis in high blood glucose rat. After melatonin treatment (10 mg/kg/day), tunel detection was used to monitor the apoptosis rate of neurons in the retinal ganglion cell layer; reversed quantitative PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of retinal caspase-3, Mn superoxidase dismutase (SOD) and Cu-Zn SOD; and the activities of total SOD (T-SOD) and sub-type SOD was detected using xanthine oxidase enzymatic detection. Our data showed that melatonin treatment leads to a decrease of retinal cell apoptosis and the apoptotic index was (1.67 ± 0.54) % and (7.73 ± 0.95) % at 8 and 12 weeks after treatment. The relative quantitative (RQ) value for caspase-3 mRNA expression was (6.996 ± 1.192) and (7.267 ± 1.178) in melatonin group, which are much lower than the values of diabetic group (12.566 ± 2.272 and (14.297 ± 2.110) at 8 and 12 weeks, respectively) under the same condition. mRNA expression of Mn SOD and Cu-Zn SOD as well as their activities all decreased in the diabetic group compared with the control group. While melatonin treatment induced the expression of Mn SOD mRNA and a continual increase of Mn SOD activity as well as the activity and mRNA expression of Cu-Zn SOD at 12 weeks. Therefore, our results demonstrate that melatonin treatment prevented the decrease in mRNA expression of SOD and the increase in caspase-3 mRNA expression induced by diabetes thus exerts a beneficial effect on retina neuronal apoptosis.

Recurrent orbital space-occupying lesions: a clinicopathologic study of 253 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical features, histopathologic classification and frequencies of various types of recurrent orbital space-occupying lesions. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out in 253 consecutive patients with recurrent orbital space-occupying lesions treated by surgical excision in the Institute of Orbital Diseases, the General Hospital of the Armed Police Force from January 2009 to December 2010. RESULTS: The patients included 123 males and 130 females aged 2 to 78 years (mean, 36.2 years), and the last recurrence interval after operation ranged from 1 month to 40 years (median, 4.75 years). Of all the cases, 159 (62.8%), 65 (25.7%), 20 (7.9%), 8 (3.2%) and 1 (0.4%) had previously experienced once, twice, three, four and six times of surgeries, respectively. Among them, 29 (11.5%) cases had recurred 3 times or over, and 37 (14.6%) cases got recurrence in 10 or more years postoperatively. Most of the patients with local recurrence presented with various clinical manifestations, while 31 (12.3%) cases were symptom-free. Two hundred and thirty-one (91.3%) cases underwent surgical removal of the recurrent orbital lesions, and another 22 (8.7%) cases had to receive the exenteration of orbit. Categories of these recurrent orbital lesions after operation were as follows: lacrimal gland tumors, 65 (25.7%) cases; vasogenic diseases, 54 (21.3%) cases; neurogenic tumors, 42 (16.6%) cases; secondary tumors, 24 (9.5%) cases; orbital inflammation, 21 (8.3%) cases; myogenic tumors, 14 (5.5%) cases; fibrous and adipose tumors, 12 (4.7%) cases; lympho-hematopoietic tumors, 7 (2.8%) cases; bone or cartilage tumors, 7 (2.8%) cases; orbital cysts, 6 (2.4%) cases; and indefinitely differentiated tumor, 1 (0.4%) case. The 10 top histopathologic diagnoses were lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma, hemangiolymphangioma, lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma, meningioma, inflammatory pseudotumor, neurofibroma, sebaceous gland carcinoma, vascular malformation, rhabdomyosarcoma and hemangioma. CONCLUSIONS: The variety of recurrent orbital lesions after operation includes mainly of tumors except for vascular malformation and orbital inflammatory lesions. The lacrimal gland epithelial tumor is most prone to relapse after resection, and early and longer-term postoperative follow-up is needed.

Origin of Solvent Dependency of the Potential of Zero Charge.

Fundamental properties of the Au(111)-KPF6 interface, particularly the potential of zero charge (PZC), exhibit pronounced variations among solvents, yet the origin remains largely elusive. In this study, we aim to link the solvent dependency to the microscopic phenomenon of electron spillover occurring at the metal-solution interface in heterogeneous dielectric media. Addressing the challenge of describing the solvent-modulated electron spillover under constant potential conditions, we adopt a semiclassical functional approach and parametrize it with first-principles calculations and experimental data. We unveil that the key variable governing this phenomenon is the local permittivity within the region approximately 2.5 Å above the metal edge. A higher local permittivity facilitates the electron spillover that tends to increase the PZC on the one hand and enhances the screening of the electronic charge that tends to decrease the PZC on the other. These dual effect lead to a nonmonotonic relationship between the PZC and the local permittivity. Moreover, our findings reveal that the electron spillover induces a capacitance peak at electrode potentials that are more negative than the PZC in concentrated solutions. This observation contrasts classical models predicting the peak to occur precisely at the PZC. To elucidate the contribution of electron spillover to the total capacitance, we decompose the total capacitance into a quantum capacitance of the metal Cq, a classical capacitance of electrolyte solution Cc, and a capacitance Cqc accounting for electron-ion correlations. Our calculations reveal that Cqc is negative due to the promoted electron spillover at more negative potentials. Our work not only reveals the importance of local permittivity in tuning the electron spillover but also presents a viable theoretical approach to study solvent effects on electrochemical interfaces under operating conditions.

Immunological function and prognostic value of lymphoid-specific helicase in liver hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lymphoid-specific helicase (HELLS), a SNF2-like chromatin-remodeling enzyme, plays a key role in tumor progression via its DNA methylation function. However, the effects of HELLS on immune infiltration and prognosis in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) remain uncertain. METHODS: The Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database was employed to explore the pan-cancer mRNA expression of HELLS and its correlation with immunity. GEPIA2 was used to verify the correlation between HELLS expression and survival. The role of HELLS in cancer was explored via gene set enrichment analysis (Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) and the construction of gene-gene and protein-protein interaction networks (PPI). Additionally, correlations between DNA methylation, HELLS expression, and immune-related genes were explored in LIHC. HELLS expression in LIHC clinical samples was determined using qRT-PCR and western blotting. The effects of downregulated HELLS expression in hepatocellular carcinoma cells was explored via transfection experiments in vitro. RESULTS: High HELLS mRNA expression was identified in several cancers and was significantly associated with poorer prognosis in LIHC. Furthermore, HELLS expression was positively correlated with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and immune checkpoint genes in LIHC. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that DNA methylation of HELLS may be associated with the immune response. Results from the TCGA-LIHC dataset, clinical samples, and functional analysis indicated that HELLS contributed to tumor progression in LIHC. CONCLUSION: The study findings demonstrate that HELLS is an important factor in promoting LIHC malignancy and might serve as a potential biomarker for LIHC.

Intracellular FGF1 promotes invasion and migration in thyroid carcinoma via HMGA1 independent of FGF receptors.

Background: Fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) is extensively amplified in many tumors and accelerates tumor invasion and metastasis. However, the role and precise molecular mechanism by which FGF1 participates in thyroid cancer (TC) are still unclear. Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction- and western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels of FGF1, high mobility group A (HMGA1), epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related factors, and FGFs in both TC tissues and cell lines. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to examine the expression of FGF1 and HMGA1. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the coexpression of FGF1 and HMGA1. Transwell and wound healing assays were conducted to evaluate the effects of FGF1 on the capacity of invasion and migration in cells. Results: FGF1 was upregulated in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) tissues and cell lines and was relatively higher in PTC tissues with cervical lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, FGF1 promotes invasion and metastasis through the EMT pathway. Mechanistically, FGF1 promotes EMT through intracellular function independent of FGF receptors. Interestingly, we demonstrated that FGF1 could upregulate HMGA1 in TC cells, and the correlation of FGF1 and HMGA1 was positive in PTC tissues. FGF1 and HMGA1 had obvious colocalization in the nucleus. We further revealed that FGF1 promotes the invasion and migration of TC cells through the upregulation of HMGA1. Conclusion: Intracellular FGF1 could promote invasion and migration in TC by mediating the expression of HMGA1 independent of FGF receptors, and FGF1 may be an effective therapeutic target in TC.

Enhanced thermal, safety and anti-hygroscopicity performance of core-shell ammonium perchlorate with a double coating layer.

A new core-shell structure AP/Cu-DABT/Cu(Pa)2 (10 wt% each) (AP = ammonium perchlorate, DABT = 3,3'-diamino-5,5'-bis(1H-1,2,4-triazole), Pa = palmitic acid) with two coating layers was synthesized through two self-assembly reactions to improve the thermal decomposition performance, safety performance and moisture absorption resistance of AP. The results show that the surface of AP particles is uniformly and densely covered by Cu-DABT and Cu(Pa)2 coatings successively. Compared with pure AP, the HTD (high-temperature decomposition) peak temperature and activation energy of the AP/Cu-DABT/Cu(Pa)2 (10 wt% each) composite material were reduced by 74.7 °C and 117.67 kJ mol-1, respectively, and the heat release increased by 1421.02 J g-1. In addition, the burning rate and maximum flame temperature of the propellant containing the AP/Cu-DABT/Cu(Pa)2 (10 wt% each) composite were increased by 8.7 mm s-1 and 815.8 °C, respectively, compared with the propellant containing pure AP. Moreover, compared with pure AP, the contact angle of the AP/Cu-DABT/Cu(Pa)2 (10 wt% each) composite with water increased by 89.15°, and the water content decreased by 0.38 wt%. The impact sensitivity and friction sensitivity of the composite material were reduced by 16.9 cm and 96%, respectively. Analysis shows that the Cu-DABT coating plays a major role in improving the thermal properties of the composite material, the burning rate and flame temperature of the propellant, while the Cu(Pa)2 coating plays a major role in improving the hygroscopic performance and safety performance of the composite material. The composite material has good thermal decomposition properties, anti-hygroscopic properties and safety properties, so the composite material is very promising as a potential additive for solid propellants.

Heparanase-1 is downregulated in chemoradiotherapy orbital rhabdomyosarcoma and relates with tumor growth as well as angiogenesis.

AIM: To determine the role of heparanase-1 (HPSE-1) in orbital rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), and to investigate the feasibility of HPSE-1 targeted therapy for RMS. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze HPSE-1 expression in 51 cases of orbital RMS patients (including 28 cases of embryonal RMS and 23 cases of alveolar RMS), among whom there were 27 treated and 24 untreated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy. In vitro, studies were conducted to examine the effect of HPSE-1 silencing on RMS cell proliferation and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). RD cells (an RMS cell line) and HUVECs were infected with HPSE-1 shRNA lentivirus at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 10 and 30 separately. Real-time PCR and Western blot were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of HPSE-1. Cell viability of treated or control RD cells was evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Matrigel tube formation assay was used to evaluate the effect of HPSE-1 RNAi on the tube formation of HUVECs. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression rate of HPSE-1 protein was 92.9% in orbital embryonal RMS and 91.3% in orbital alveolar RMS. Tissue from alveolar orbital RMS did not show relatively stronger staining than that from the embryonal orbital RMS. However, despite the types of RMS, comparing the cases treated chemoradiotherapy with those untreated, we have observed that chemoradiotherapy resulted in weaker staining in patients' tissues. The expression levels of HPSE-1 declined significantly in both the mRNA and protein levels in HPSE-1 shRNA transfected RD cells. The CCK-8 assay showed that lentivirus-mediated HPSE-1 silencing resulted in significantly reduced RD cells viability in vitro. Silencing HPSE-1 expression also inhibited VEGF-induced tube formation of HUVECs in Matrigel. CONCLUSION: HPSE-1 silencing may be a promising therapy for the inhibition of orbital RMS progression.

Non-coding RNAs in breast cancer: Implications for programmed cell death.

Cell death is a necessary event in life and is crucial for the regulation of organismal development, homeostasis, aging and pathological conditions. There are different modes of cell death, i.e., regulated and nonregulated. Cell death induced by programmed cell death (PCD) has gained increasing attention in recent years. Abnormal control of PCD plays an important role in tumorigenesis. For example, tumor cells are relatively resistant to apoptosis, and the induction of cell death is also an important mechanism underlying the antitumor effects of current clinical chemotherapeutic agents. Recently, studies have revealed that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are involved in regulating multiple biological processes of breast cancer, including PCD. NcRNAs can exert both protumorigenic and antitumorigenic effects, depending on their expression patterns. Therefore, constructing ncRNA-based therapies to target PCD may be a promising therapeutic strategy for breast cancer. Herein, this review discusses the function of various ncRNAs in regulating the PCD of breast cancer cells. In addition, given the recent trend of utilizing ncRNAs as cancer therapeutics, we also discuss the great potential applications of ncRNAs as biomarkers or activators of PCD in breast cancer.

Electrochemical reduction of nitrate in a catalytic carbon membrane nano-reactor.

Nitrate pollution is a critical environmental issue in need of urgent addressing. Electrochemical reduction is an attractive strategy for treating nitrate due to the environmental friendliness. However, it is still a challenge to achieve the simultaneous high activity and selectivity. Here we report the design of a porous tubular carbon membrane as the electrode deposited with catalysts, which provides a large triple-phase boundary area for nitrate removal reactions. The achieved nitrate removal rate is one order of magnitude higher than other literatures with high nitrate conversion and high selectivity of nitrogen. The carbon membrane itself had a limited catalytic property thus Cu-Pd bimetal catalysts were deposited inside the nano-pores to enhance the activity and selectivity. When Na2SO4 electrolyte was applied, the achieved single-pass removal of nitrate was increased from 55.15% (for blank membrane) to 97.12% by adding catalysts inside the membrane. In case of NaOH as the electrolyte, the single-pass nitrate removal efficiency, selectivity to nitrogen formation and nitrate removal rate was 90.66%, 96.40% and 1.47 × 10-3 mmol min-1 cm-2, respectively. Density functional theory studies demonstrate that the loading of bimetal catalysts compared with single metal catalysts enhances the adsorption of *NO3 on membrane surface favorable for N2 formation than NH3 on Cu-Pd surface. The application of catalytic carbon membrane nano-reactors can open new windows for nitrate removal due to the high reactor efficiency.

Exosomes in triple negative breast cancer: From bench to bedside.

Exosomes are lipid bilayer extracellular vesicles with a size of 30-150 nm, which can be released by various types of cells including breast cancer cells. Exosomes are enriched with multiple nucleic acids, lipids, proteins and play critical biological roles by binding to recipient cells and transmitting various biological cargos. Studies have reported that tumor-derived exosomes are involved in cancer initiation and progression, such as promoting cancer invasion and metastasis, accelerating angiogenesis, contributing to epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and enhancing drug resistance in tumors. Recently the dysregulating of exosomes has been found in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), relating to the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of TNBC patients. Considering the poor prognosis and lack of adequate response to conventional therapy of TNBC, the discovery of certain exosomes as a new target for diagnosis and treatment of TNBC may be a good choice that provides new opportunities for the early diagnosis, clinical treatment of TNBC. Here, we first discuss the innovative prognostic and predictive effects of exosomes on TNBC, as well as the practical clinical problems. Secondly, we focus on the new therapeutic areas represented by exosomes, especially the impact of introducing exosomes in TNBC treatment in the future.

Engineering the Interfacial Microenvironment via Surface Hydroxylation to Realize the Global Optimization of Electrochemical CO2 Reduction.

The adsorption and activation of CO2 on the electrode interface is a prerequisite and key step for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2 RR). Regulating the interfacial microenvironment to promote the adsorption and activation of CO2 is thus of great significance to optimize overall conversion efficiency. Herein, a CO2-philic hydroxyl coordinated ZnO (ZnO-OH) catalyst is fabricated, for the first time, via a facile MOF-assisted method. In comparison to the commercial ZnO, the as-prepared ZnO-OH exhibits much higher selectivity toward CO at lower applied potential, reaching a Faradaic efficiency of 85% at -0.95 V versus RHE. To the best of our knowledge, such selectivity is one of the best records in ZnO-based catalysts reported till date. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the coordinated surficial -OH groups are not only favorable to interact with CO2 molecules but also function in synergy to decrease the energy barrier of the rate-determining step and maintain a higher charge density of potential active sites as well as inhibit undesired hydrogen evolution reaction. Our results indicate that engineering the interfacial microenvironment through the introduction of CO2-philic groups is a promising way to achieve the global optimization of eCO2 RR via promoting adsorption and activation of CO2.

Preparation and growth mechanism of micro spherical ammonium dinitramide crystal based on ultrasound-assisted solvent-antisolvent method.

Micro-sized spherical ammonium dinitramide (ADN) crystals are successfully prepared by a facile ultrasound-assisted solvent-antisolvent recrystallization method without introducing any additives. The influences of the volume ratio of solvent to antisolvent, the antisolvent temperature and the ultrasound power on the micro-morphologies and properties of ADN crystals are studied systematically. The changes of morphology, particle size, crystal structure and melting point of the ADN crystals are characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser particle size analyzer (LPSA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. The results show that the optimal experimental parameters for the ADN crystal of spherical morphology are as follows: the volume ratio of solvent to antisolvent is 1:50, the antisolvent temperature is 20 â„ƒ, and the ultrasound power is 70 W. The predicted hexagonal-flake and spherical morphologies for the ADN are close to the experimental morphologies. The growth mechanism of the spherical ADN crystal changes with supersaturation of the ADN solution. As the degree of supersaturation increases, the growth models of the spherical ADN change from the spiral growth to the rough growth, and the morphologies of ADN change from the large-sized ADN ball to the small-sized ADN ball.