Heterogeneous CuS QDs/BiVO4@Y2O2S Nanoreactor for Monitorable Photocatalysis.

Exploration of multifunctional integrated catalysts is of great significance for photocatalysis toward practical application. Herein, a 1D confined nanoreactor with a heterogeneous core-shell structure is designed for synergies of efficient catalysis and temperature monitoring by custom encapsulation of Z-scheme heterojunction CuS quantum dots/BiVO4 (CuS QDs/BiVO4) and Y2O2S-Er, Yb. The dispersed active sites created by the QDs with high surface energy improve the mass transfer efficiency, and the efficient electron transport channels at the heterogeneous interface extend the carrier lifetime, which endows the nanoreactor with excellent catalytic performance. Meanwhile, real-time temperature monitoring is realized based on the thermally coupled levels 2H11/2/4S3/2→4I15/2 of Er3+ using fluorescence intensity ratio, which enables the monitorable photocatalysis. Furthermore, the nanoreactor with a multidimensional structure increases effective intermolecular collisions to facilitate the catalytic process by restricting the reaction within distinct enclosed spaces and circumvents potential unknown interaction effects. The design of multi-space nanoconfined reactors opens up a new avenue to modulate catalyst function, providing a unique perspective for photocatalytic applications in the mineralization of organic pollutants, hydrogen production, and nitrogen fixation.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5/6 promotes endometrial cancer progression and cancer cell immune escape.

The study investigated the potential association of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) genome with endometrial cancer progression based on the Gene Expression Omnibus data set and The Cancer Genome Atlas data set. Differential and weighted gene coexpression network analysis was performed on endometrial cancer transcriptome datasets GSE9750 and GSE106191. The protein-protein interaction network was built using LDL-receptor proteins and the top 50 tumor-associated genes. Low-density lipoprotein-related receptors 5/6 (LRP5/6) in endometrial cancer tissues were correlated with oncogenes, cell cycle-related genes, and immunological checkpoints using Spearman correlation. MethPrimer predicted the LRP5/6 promoter CpG island. LRP2, LRP6, LRP8, LRP12, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-associated protein, and LRP5 were major LDL-receptor-related genes associated with endometrial cancer. LRP5/6 was enriched in various cancer-related pathways and may be a key LDL-receptor-related gene in cancer progression. LRP5/6 may be involved in the proliferation process of endometrial cancer cells by promoting the expression of cell cycle-related genes. LRP5/6 may be involved in the proliferation of endometrial cancer cells by promoting the expression of cell cycle-related genes. LRP5/6 may promote the immune escape of cancer cells by promoting the expression of immune checkpoints, promoting endometrial cancer progression. The MethPrimer database predicted that the LRP5/6 promoter region contained many CpG islands, suggesting that DNA methylation can occur in the LRP5/6 promoter region. LRP5/6 may aggravate endometrial cancer by activating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway.

Swallowed Embedding of Nanopetal-Rich Microflowers in Flexible Photocatalytic and Thermoresponsive Functional Composite Fibers.

Developing efficient catalysts to degrade pollutants in water is a very important way to alleviate water pollution. However, it is crucial but challenging to broaden the functions of conventional photocatalysts and improve their environmental adaptability. In this paper, Bi(Er3+/Yb3+)OBr/polyacrylonitrile (BOB-EY/PAN) composite fibers with a swallowed-embedded structure assembled with nanopetal-rich microflowers were designed and fabricated, integrating photocatalytic and temperature-monitoring functions simultaneously. Their unique structure brings a large specific surface area, and the doping of rare earth ions improves the separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs, which enhances the photocatalytic efficiency and endows the fibers with a temperature-monitoring function at the same time. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, the nanofibers show a maximum degradation efficiency of 99.2% for tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) with a degradation constant of K as high as 0.078 min-1. Based on the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR), the two thermally coupled levels of Er3+ in the nanofibers, 2H11/2 and 4S3/2, provide real-time temperature feedback, displaying a maximum relative sensitivity as high as 0.0215 K-1 at 303 K. Dual-functional BOB-EY/PAN composite nanofibers show great potential for industrial wastewater disposition, providing solutions for wastewater purification in special scenarios.

Leptin secreted by adipocytes promotes EMT transition and endometrial cancer progression via the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Endometrial cancer is a malignant tumour with a high incidence and mortality rate, and obesity is one of the most significant risk factors for the disease. However, it remains unclear whether leptin affects cell activity, proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples of endometrial cancer tissue were obtained from clinical patients and nude mice Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were performed to assess leptin levels. Western blotting, immunohistochemical (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) analyses were conducted to detect EMT, JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway proteins, and cell proliferation biomarkers. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining, and Transwell assays were used to evaluate cell activity, proliferation, migration, and invasion, respectively. RESULTS: ELISA, western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses showed that leptin was highly expressed, and the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway was activated in endometrial cancer patients. Cell-based experiments showed that adipocytes secreted leptin, which increased the levels of leptin, and also promoted cell migration and invasion, EMT transition, and cell activity and proliferation. Leptin accelerated cell progression and promoted EMT via the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway in a dose-dependent manner. The tumour-promoting effect of leptin on endometrial cancer cells was further verified by in vivo experiments, in which leptin promoted tumour growth and activated the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway. CONCLUSION: Leptin secreted by adipocytes promotes EMT transition and endometrial cancer progression via the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway in a dose-dependent manner.Highlights Endometrial cancer patients have high levels of leptinLeptin promotes EMT transition via the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathwayLeptin promotes endometrial cancer progression via the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathwayLeptin promotes endometrial cancer in a dose-dependent manner.

Fer-mediated activation of the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway drives the proliferation, migration, and invasion of endometrial carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: The role of Feline sarcoma-related protein (Fer) in various cancers has been extensively studied, but its specific involvement and underlying mechanisms in the progression of endometrial carcinoma (EC) are yet to be fully understood. METHODS: The expression levels of Fer were assessed in EC tissues and cell lines using real-time quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. CCK-8 assay, Edu staining, transwell assays, and flow cytometry, were conducted to evaluate the impact of Fer on EC cells. Furthermore, a mice xenograft model and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining were utilized for in vivo analysis. The levels of Ras, pMek1/2, and pErk1/2 were determined by western blot assay. Ras-MAPK signaling pathway inhibitor was utilized to study the regulatory role of Fer on EC cells. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that Fer exhibited upregulation in both EC tissues and cell lines, concomitant with the activation of the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway. Silencing of Fer resulted in the suppression of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and Ras-MAPK signaling pathway, while promoted hypoxia-induced apoptosis in RL95-2 and KLE cells. Fer overexpression stimulated cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and Ras-MAPK signaling pathway in Ishikawa and AN3-CA cells, which were reversed after treatment with either Ras or MAPK inhibitor. Moreover, silencing of Fer suppressed tumor growth and downregulated the expression of Ki-67, Ras, pMek1/2, and pErk1/2, but had no significant effect on Mek1/2 and Erk1/2, while upregulated caspase-3 expression in vivo. CONCLUSION: In summary, the upregulation of Fer in EC cells resulted in the enhancement of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through the activation of the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway.

Low-Density Lipoprotein Contributes to Endometrial Carcinoma Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion by Activating the JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway.

Background: Cholesterol-rich low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles have been demonstrated to regulate breast cancer cell proliferation and migration, but their biological function and relevant mechanisms in endometrial carcinoma (EC) remain unclear. Methods: Serum and tissue samples were collected from EC patients (n = 50) and patients with benign endometrial hyperplasia (n = 50). Ishikawa and RL95-2 cells were stimulated with different concentrations of LDL, followed by treatment with a JAK2 inhibitor (SD-1029). LDL concentrations were determined by ELISA. The in vitro biological behavior of cells was examined using the CCK-8 assay, EdU staining, and Transwell assay. The tumorigenicity of LDL in vivo was examined using a xenograft mouse model. western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry studies were performed to measure related protein expression. Results: The LDL concentrations and levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 expression were elevated in the clinical samples. Similar trends in expression were detected in EC cells after LDL stimulation. LDL treatment significantly promoted EC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and also upregulated p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, SD-1029 dramatically blocked the LDL-mediated effects on EC cells. Intravenous injection of LDLs promoted tumor growth in the xenograft nude mice, and also increased p-JAK2, p-STAT3, and Ki-67 expression, and downregulated caspase-3 expression. Conclusions: These findings indicate that LDLs exert an oncogenic effect in EC cells by activating the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, and also suggest the JAK/STAT pathway as a possible therapeutic target for EC.

Van der Waals nanomesh electronics on arbitrary surfaces.

Chemical bonds, including covalent and ionic bonds, endow semiconductors with stable electronic configurations but also impose constraints on their synthesis and lattice-mismatched heteroepitaxy. Here, the unique multi-scale van der Waals (vdWs) interactions are explored in one-dimensional tellurium (Te) systems to overcome these restrictions, enabled by the vdWs bonds between Te atomic chains and the spontaneous misfit relaxation at quasi-vdWs interfaces. Wafer-scale Te vdWs nanomeshes composed of self-welding Te nanowires are laterally vapor grown on arbitrary surfaces at a low temperature of 100 °C, bringing greater integration freedoms for enhanced device functionality and broad applicability. The prepared Te vdWs nanomeshes can be patterned at the microscale and exhibit high field-effect hole mobility of 145 cm2/Vs, ultrafast photoresponse below 3 µs in paper-based infrared photodetectors, as well as controllable electronic structure in mixed-dimensional heterojunctions. All these device metrics of Te vdWs nanomesh electronics are promising to meet emerging technological demands.

All-inorganic perovskite quantum dots-based electrospun polyacrylonitrile fiber for ultra-sensitive trace-recording.

All-inorganic dual-phase CsPbBr3-Cs4PbBr6quantum dots (CPB QDs)-based polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber synthesized by supersaturated recrystallization and electrospinning technique possesses characteristics of homogeneous morphology, high crystallinity and solution sensitivity. Under 365 nm laser excitation, CPB@PAN fiber exhibits surprising trace-recording capability attributing to the splash-enhanced fluorescence (FL) performance with a narrow-band emission at 477-515 nm. In the process of ethanol anhydrous (EA) and water splashing, the CPB@PAN fiber presents conspicuous blue and green emission when contacting with EA and water, and maintains intense blue and green FL for more than 4 months. These experimental and theoretical findings provide a facile technology for the development of biological protection display, biotic detection and moisture-proof forewarning based on the trace-recording performance of CPB@PAN fiber.

Fluctuation of photon-releasing with ligand coordination in polyacrylonitrile-based electrospun nanofibers.

Multivariate terbium-complexes were incorporated into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and electrospun into flexible multifunctional nanofibers with a uniform diameter of ~200 nm. Fluorescence comparison in multi-ligand-binding nanofibers under ultraviolet (UV) radiation verifies that the differentiated ß-diketone ligands with dual functions are the primary cause of the spectral fluctuation, adequately illustrating the available methods for the quantification of intermolecular reciprocities between organic ligands and central Tb3+ ions. Especially under 308 nm UVB-LED pumping, the total emission spectral power of supramolecular Tb-complexes/PAN nanofibers are identified to be 2.88 µW and the total emission photon number reaches to 7.94 × 1012 cps which are nearly six times higher than those of the binary complex ones in the visible region, respectively. By modifying the sorts of organic ligands, the luminous flux and luminous efficacy of multi-ligand Tb-complexes/PAN nanofibers are up to 1553.42 µlm and 13.72 mlm/W, respectively. Efficient photon-releasing and intense green-emission demonstrate that the polymer-capped multi-component terbium-complexes fibers have potential prospects for making designable flexible optoelectronic devices.

Recent advances in III-Sb nanowires: from synthesis to applications.

The excellent properties of III-V semiconductors make them intriguing candidates for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics. Their nanowire (NW) counterparts further provide interesting geometry and a quantum confinement effect which benefits various applications. Among the many members of all the III-V semiconductors, III-antimonide NWs have attracted significant research interest due to their narrow, direct bandgap and high carrier mobility. However, due to the difficulty of NW fabrication, the development of III-antimonide NWs and their corresponding applications are always a step behind the other III-V semiconductors. Until recent years, because of advances in understanding and fabrication techniques, electronic and optoelectronic devices based on III-antimonide NWs with novel performance have been fabricated. In this review, we will focus on the development of the synthesis of III-antimonide NWs using different techniques and strategies for fine-tuning the crystal structure and composition as well as fabricating their corresponding heterostructures. With such development, the recent progress in the applications of III-antimonide NWs in electronics and optoelectronics is also surveyed. All these discussions provide valuable guidelines for the design of III-antimonide NWs for next-generation device utilization.

Nonpolar-Oriented Wurtzite InP Nanowires with Electron Mobility Approaching the Theoretical Limit.

As an important semiconductor nanomaterial, InP nanowires (NWs) grown with a typical vapor-liquid-solid mechanism are still restricted from their low electron mobility for practical applications. Here, nonpolar-oriented defect-free wurtzite InP NWs with electron mobility of as high as 2000 cm2 V-1 s-1 can be successfully synthesized via Pd-catalyzed vapor-solid-solid growth. Specifically, PdIn catalyst particles are involved and found to expose their PdIn{210} planes at the InP nucleation frontier due to their minimal lattice mismatch with nonpolar InP{2̅110} and {1̅100} planes. This appropriate lattice registration would then minimize the overall free energy and enable the highly crystalline InP NW growth epitaxially along the nonpolar directions. Because of the minimized crystal defects, the record-high electron mobility of InP NWs ( i.e., 2000 cm2 V-1 s-1 at an electron concentration of 1017 cm-3) results, being close to the theoretical limit of their bulk counterparts. Furthermore, once the top-gated device geometry is employed, the device subthreshold slopes can be impressively reduced down to 91 mV dec-1 at room temperature. In addition, these NWs exhibit a high photoresponsivity of 104 A W-1 with fast rise and decay times of 0.89 and 0.82 s, respectively, in photodetection. All these results evidently demonstrate the promise of nonpolar-oriented InP NWs for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics.

Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Compatible, High-Mobility, ⟨111⟩-Oriented GaSb Nanowires Enabled by Vapor-Solid-Solid Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Using CMOS-compatible Pd catalysts, we demonstrated the formation of high-mobility ⟨111⟩-oriented GaSb nanowires (NWs) via vapor-solid-solid (VSS) growth by surfactant-assisted chemical vapor deposition through a complementary experimental and theoretical approach. In contrast to NWs formed by the conventional vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism, cylindrical-shaped Pd5Ga4 catalytic seeds were present in our Pd-catalyzed VSS-NWs. As solid catalysts, stoichiometric Pd5Ga4 was found to have the lowest crystal surface energy and thus giving rise to a minimal surface diffusion as well as an optimal in-plane interface orientation at the seed/NW interface for efficient epitaxial NW nucleation. These VSS characteristics led to the growth of slender NWs with diameters down to 26.9 ± 3.5 nm. Over 95% high crystalline quality NWs were grown in ⟨111⟩ orientation for a wide diameter range of between 10 and 70 nm. Back-gated field-effect transistors (FETs) fabricated using the Pd-catalyzed GaSb NWs exhibit a superior peak hole mobility of ∼330 cm2 V-1 s-1, close to the mobility limit for a NW channel diameter of ∼30 nm with a free carrier concentration of ∼1018 cm-3. This suggests that the NWs have excellent homogeneity in phase purity, growth orientation, surface morphology and electrical characteristics. Contact printing process was also used to fabricate large-scale assembly of Pd-catalyzed GaSb NW parallel arrays, confirming the potential constructions and applications of these high-performance electronic devices.

Diameter Dependence of Planar Defects in InP Nanowires.

In this work, extensive characterization and complementary theoretical analysis have been carried out on Au-catalyzed InP nanowires in order to understand the planar defect formation as a function of nanowire diameter. From the detailed transmission electron microscopic measurements, the density of stacking faults and twin defects are found to monotonically decrease as the nanowire diameter is decreased to 10 nm, and the chemical analysis clearly indicates the drastic impact of In catalytic supersaturation in Au nanoparticles on the minimized planar defect formation in miniaturized nanowires. Specifically, during the chemical vapor deposition of InP nanowires, a significant amount of planar defects is created when the catalyst seed sizes are increased with the lower degree of In supersaturation as dictated by the Gibbs-Thomson effect, and an insufficient In diffusion (or Au-rich enhancement) would lead to a reduced and non-uniform In precipitation at the NW growing interface. The results presented here provide an insight into the fabrication of "bottom-up" InP NWs with minimized defect concentration which are suitable for various device applications.

High-Performance Wrap-Gated InGaAs Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors with Sputtered Dielectrics.

Although wrap-gated nanowire field-effect-transistors (NWFETs) have been explored as an ideal electronic device geometry for low-power and high-frequency applications, further performance enhancement and practical implementation are still suffering from electron scattering on nanowire surface/interface traps between the nanowire channel and gate dielectric as well as the complicated device fabrication scheme. Here, we report the development of high-performance wrap-gated InGaAs NWFETs using conventional sputtered Al2O3 layers as gate dielectrics, instead of the typically employed atomic layer deposited counterparts. Importantly, the surface chemical passivation of NW channels performed right before the dielectric deposition is found to significantly alleviate plasma induced defect traps on the NW channel. Utilizing this passivation, the wrap-gated device exhibits superior electrical performances: a high ION/IOFF ratio of ~ 2 × 10(6), an extremely low sub-threshold slope of 80 mV/decade and a peak field-effect electron mobility of ~ 1600 cm(2)/(Vs) at VDS = 0.1 V at room temperature, in which these values are even better than the ones of state-of-the-art NWFETs reported so far. By combining sputtering and pre-deposition chemical passivation to achieve high-quality gate dielectrics for wrap-gated NWFETs, the superior gate coupling and electrical performances have been achieved, confirming the effectiveness of our hybrid approach for future advanced electronic devices.

Polymer-confined colloidal monolayer: a reusable soft photomask for rapid wafer-scale nanopatterning.

We demonstrate the repeated utilization of self-assembled colloidal spheres for rapid nanopattern generations. Highly ordered micro-/nanosphere arrays were interlinked and confined by a soft transparent polymer (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS), which can be used as light-focusing elements/photomasks for area-selective exposures of photoresist in contact. Because of the stiffness of the colloidal spheres, the photomasks do not encounter feature-deformation problems, enabling reliable production of highly uniform patterns over large areas. The geometrical feature of the patterns, including the size, pitch, and even the shape, can be finely tuned by adjusting the mask design and exposure time. The obtained patterns could be used as deposition or etching mask, allowing easy pattern transfer for various applications.