Synergistic barium titanate/MXene composite as a high-performance piezo-photocatalyst for efficient dye degradation.

Piezo-photocatalysis combines photocatalysis and piezoelectric effects to enhance catalytic efficiency by creating an internal electric field in the photocatalyst, improving carrier separation and overall performance. This study presents a high-performance piezo-photocatalyst for efficient dye degradation using a synergistic barium titanate (BTO)-MXene composite. The composite was synthesized via a facile method, combining the unique properties of BTO nanoparticles with the high conductivity of MXene. The structural and morphological analysis confirmed the successful formation of the composite, with well-dispersed BTO nanoparticles on the MXene surface. The piezo-photocatalytic activity of the composite was evaluated using a typical dye solution (Rhodamine B: RhB) under ultraviolet irradiation and mechanical agitation. The results revealed a remarkable enhancement in dye degradation (90 % in 15 min for piezo-photocatalysis) compared to individual stimuli (58.2 % for photocatalysis and 95.8 % in 90 min for piezocatalysis), highlighting the synergistic effects between BTO and MXene. The enhanced catalytic performance was attributed to the efficient charge separation and transfer facilitated by the composite's structure, leading to increased reactive species generation and dye molecule degradation. Furthermore, the composite exhibited excellent stability and reusability, showcasing its potential for practical applications in wastewater treatment. Overall, this work represents a promising strategy for designing high-performance synergistic catalysts, addressing the pressing need for sustainable solutions in environmental remediation.

Enhanced Piezocatalytic Performance of Li-doped BaTiO3 Through a Facile Sonication-Assisted Precipitation Approach.

Piezocatalysis-induced dye degradation has garnered significant attention as an effective method for addressing wastewater treatment challenges. In our study, we employed a room-temperature sonochemical method to synthesize piezoelectric barium titanate nanoparticles (BaTiO3: BTO) with varying levels of Li doping. This approach not only streamlined the sample preparation process but also significantly reduced the overall time required for synthesis, making it a highly efficient and practical method. One of the key findings was the exceptional performance of the Li-doped BTO nanoparticles. With 20 mg of Li additive, we achieved 90 % removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye within a relatively short timeframe of 150 minutes, all while subjecting the sample to ultrasonic vibration. This rapid and efficient dye degradation was further evidenced by the calculated kinetic rate constant, which indicated seven times faster degradation rate compared to pure BTO. The enhanced piezoelectric performance observed in the Li-doped BTO nanoparticles can be attributed to the strategic substitution of Li atoms, which facilitated a more efficient transfer of charge charges at the interface. Overall, our study underscores the potential of piezocatalysis coupled with advanced materials like Li-doped BTO nanoparticles as a viable and promising solution for wastewater treatment, offering both efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Enhancing the Electrochemical Properties of Nickel-Rich Cathode by Surface Coating with Defect-Rich Strontium Titanate.

Ni-rich layered ternary cathodes (i.e., LiNixCoyMzO2, M = Mn or Al, x + y + z = 1 and x ≥ 0.8) are promising candidates for the power supply of portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. However, the relatively high content of Ni4+ in the charged state shortens their lifespan due to inevitable capacity and voltage deteriorations during cycling. Therefore, the dilemma between high output energy and long cycle life needs to be addressed to facilitate more widespread commercialization of Ni-rich cathodes in modern lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This work presents a facile surface modification approach with defect-rich strontium titanate (SrTiO3-x) coating on a typical Ni-rich cathode: LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA). The defect-rich SrTiO3-x-modified NCA exhibits enhanced electrochemical performance compared to its pristine counterpart. In particular, the optimized sample delivers a high discharge capacity of ∼170 mA h/g after 200 cycles under 1C with capacity retention over 81.1%. The postmortem analysis provides new insight into the improved electrochemical properties which are ascribed to the SrTiO3-x coating layer. This layer appears to not only alleviate the internal resistance growth, from uncontrollable cathode-electrolyte interface evolution, but also acts as a lithium diffusion channel during prolonged cycling. Therefore, this work offers a feasible strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of layered cathodes with high nickel content for next-generation LIBs.

Engineering work functions of cobalt-doped manganese oxide based electrocatalysts for highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction.

The crystalline and electronic structures are two important factors for the design of electrocatalysts. In this work, Co-doped MnO electrocatalysts grown on nickel foam (NF) were prepared by a facile hydrothermal reaction, followed by H2 treatment process. The electrocatalytic performance of MnO was significantly improved after doping with Co and the Co0.1Mn0.9O-NF sample achieved excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance with low overpotential (370 mV at 10 mA cm-2) and reasonable Tafel slope (85.6 mV dec-1). Significantly, the low work function was obtained in the Co0.1Mn0.9O-NF sample (4.37 eV), which could accelerate the charge transfer process of the OER activity. The excellent OER performance of the Co0.1Mn0.9O-NF sample is also attributed to the rich active sites, which improved electrical conductivity and enlarged electrochemical surface areas.

Immune and stromal related genes in colon cancer: Analysis of tumour microenvironment based on the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) and gene expression omnibus (GEO) databases.

The incidence of colon cancer is amongst the top three in the world. The tumour microenvironment plays an important role in the occurrence and development of colon cancer. Stromal cells and immune cells are the main components of the tumour microenvironment. Our study detected genes, which affected the infiltration of stromal, immune cells and the way they affected the prognosis of colon cancer patients. We found that the colon's immune system had a special way to affect the tumour microenvironment. Moderate infiltration of stromal and immune cells was proved to be important protective factors for colon cancer patients, which has not been found in other tumours. C3, C5, CXCL12, GNAI1, LPAR1, PENK, PYY, SAA1 and SST were the differential expression hub genes of moderate-stromal and immune score group. They had a more significant correlation with tumour purity and infiltration of B cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, macrophage, neutrophil, democratic cells. The proteins encoded by C3, C5, CXCL12, GNAI1, PENK, PYY, SST were detected in colon cancer cells. These genes had the potential to become markers to predict the prognosis of patients with colon cancer.

lncRNA TUG1 Facilitates Colorectal Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics and Chemoresistance by Enhancing GATA6 Protein Stability.

BACKGROUND: Chemoresistance and tumor recurrence lead to high deaths in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to these pathologic properties, but the exact mechanisms are still poorly understood. This study identified that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) TUG1 was highly expressed in CRC stem cells and investigated its mechanism. METHODS: After the CD133+/CD44+ cells with cancer stem cell (CSC) characteristics were isolated and identified by flow cytometry, lncRNA TUG1 expression was quantified by quantitative real-time PCR. The lncRNA TUG1 function was further investigated using gain- and loss-of-function assays, sphere formation, Western blot, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, and cell apoptosis detection. Moreover, the mechanism was explored by RNA pull-down assay, RNA immunoprecipitation, and cycloheximide- (CHX-) chase assays. RESULTS: lncRNA TUG1 was elevated in CD133+/CD44+ cells with CSC characteristics. Functionally, lncRNA TUG1 increased the characteristics and oxaliplatin resistance of CRC stem cells. Mechanically, lncRNA TUG1 interacted with GATA6 and positively regulated its protein level and the rescue assays corroborated that lncRNA TUG1 knockdown repressed the characteristics and oxaliplatin resistance of CRC stem cells by decreasing GATA6 and functioned in CRC by targeting the GATA6-BMP signaling pathway. Furthermore, the in vivo assay verified the lncRNA TUG1 function in facilitating the characteristics and oxaliplatin resistance of CRC stem cells. CONCLUSION: lncRNA TUG1 facilitated CRC stem cell characteristics and chemoresistance by enhancing GATA6 protein stability.

Tumor exosome promotes Th17 cell differentiation by transmitting the lncRNA CRNDE-h in colorectal cancer.

The T helper 17 (Th17) cells in tumor microenvironment play an important role in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. This study investigated the mechanism of Th17 cell differentiation in CRC with a focus on the role of tumor exosome-transmitted long noncoding RNA (lncRNA). Exosomes were isolated from the CRC cells and serum of CRC patients. The role and mechanism of the lncRNA CRNDE-h transmitted by CRC exosomes in Th17 cell differentiation were assessed by using various molecular biological methods. The serum exosomal CRNDE-h level was positively correlated with the proportion of Th17 cells in the tumor-infiltrating T cells in CRC patients. CRC exosomes contained abundant CRNDE-h and transmitted them to CD4+ T cells to increase the Th17 cell proportion, RORγt expression, and IL-17 promoter activity. The underlying mechanism is that, CRNDE-h bound to the PPXY motif of RORγt and impeded the ubiquitination and degradation of RORγt by inhibiting its binding with the E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch. The in vivo experiments confirmed that the targeted silence of CRNDE-h in CD4+ T cells attenuated the CRC tumor growth in mice. The present findings demonstrated that the tumor exosome transmitted CRNDE-h promoted Th17 cell differentiation by inhibiting the Itch-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of RORγt in CRC, expanding our understanding of Th17 cell differentiation in CRC.

Spatial-temporal changes and driving forces of aeolian desertification of grassland in the Sanjiangyuan region from 1975 to 2015 based on the analysis of Landsat images.

The Sanjiangyuan region is the source of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lantsang rivers and is an important water conservation area in China. Due to the high altitude and cold climate in the region, the vegetation ecosystem has become very sensitive to environmental changes. In recent decades, due to the impact of climate change and human activities, the grassland degradation and desertification in this region have become very serious. In order to study the changes in aeolian desertification of grassland (ADG) in Sanjiangyuan, the Landsat images and GIS technology were used to monitor the dynamics of ADG from 1975 to 2015, and the driving factors behind this were analyzed. The results revealed that from 1975 to 2000, the area of ADG increased by 2855.8 km2, and the growth rate was 114.23 km2 a-1. In contrast, the ADG was restored from 2000 to 2015, with a decrease of 1286.54 km2 and a rate of 85.77 km2 a-1. The main reasons for the expansion of ADG in the early stage were the rising temperature, the fluctuation of precipitation and wind speed, and the increase in intensified human activities. The main reasons for the reversal of ADG in the later stage were the warming and humidification of the climate, the reduction in wind speed, and the reduction in human activities and restoration of grassland caused by the ecological protection project.

Complete separation of macroscopic rod-like bimetallic nanoassembly perpendicular and parallel on substrate for simultaneous sensing of microorganisms.

Although two kinds of macroscopic ordered tridimensional nanoassemblies, i.e., alignment of nanorods, can be yielded by controllable droplet evaporation methods, complete separation of the nanoassembly perpendicular or parallel to substrate is quite challenging. It can, however, be realized by the aid of facet blocking combined with the tuning of ionic strength and colloidal concentration. The as-fabricated rod-like bimetallic nanoassembly has proved to be an excellent SERS active substrate compared to random aggregates. It should be mentioned that macroscopic ordered tridimensional nanoassembly perpendicular to the substrate can be used as a highly active SERS substrate with good uniformity and can be successfully applied for finely discriminating two microorganisms: Escherichia coli bacteria and Saccharomycetes.