High-Entropy Ceramics Enhanced Droplet Electricity Generator for Energy Harvesting and Bacterial Detection.

The droplet electricity generator (DEG) is a solid-liquid triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) with transistor-inspired bulk effect, which is regarded as an effective strategy for raindrop energy harvesting. However, further enhancement of DEG output voltage is necessary to enable its widespread applications. In this work, high-entropy ceramics are integrated into the design of DEG intermediate layer for the first time, achieving a high output voltage of 525 V. High-entropy ceramics have colossal dielectric constant, which can help to reduce the triboelectric charge decay for DEG. Furthermore, we extensively analyze the effect of factors on DEG output performance when employing high-entropy ceramics as the intermediate layer, and explore the underlying mechanisms and mathematical models. Lastly, the enhanced output voltage of DEG not only facilitates faster energy harvesting but also enables a novel method for rapid bacterial detection. This work successfully integrates high-entropy ceramics into DEG design, significantly enhances the output voltage and offers a novel direction for DEG development. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Enhancing the Output Performance of Triboelectric Nanogenerator Through Regulation of its Internal Nano-Architecture.

Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG) has proven highly effective in converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. Previous research on manipulating microstructure for performance enhancement primarily focused on the surface of TENGs. In this study, an innovative bottom-up strategic design to control the internal nano-architecture for the enhanced output of TENG is proposed. This multiscale structural design strategy consists of defect chemistry (angstrom-scale), surface modification (nano-scale), and spatial regulation of nanoparticles (meso-scale), which helps explore the optimal utilization of TENG's internal structure. After fine-tuning the nano-architecture, the output voltage is significantly increased. This optimized TENG serves as a robust platform for developing self-powered systems, including self-powered electrochemical chlorination systems for sterilization. Additionally, through the utilization of multiscale simulations (density functional theory, all-atom molecular dynamics, and dissipative particle dynamics), the underlying mechanisms governing how the optimized nanoparticle-polymer interface and spatial arrangement of nanoparticles influence the storage and transfer of charges are comprehensively elucidated. This study not only demonstrates the effectiveness of manipulating internal nano-architecture to enhance TENG performance for practical applications but also provides invaluable insights into structural engineering for TENG advancement.

Collaborative Optimization Design of Self-Powered Sterilizer with Highly Efficient Synergistic Antibacterial Effect.

The development of self-powered sterilizers has garnered significant attention in the scientific and engineering fields. However, there remains an urgent need to improve their sterilization efficiency. In this study, we present a self-powered sterilizer with superior antibacterial capability by maximizing the utilization of breakdown discharge generated by a soft-contact freestanding rotary triboelectric nanogenerator (FR-TENG). To achieve this, a collaborative optimization strategy is proposed, encompassing the structural design of the FR-TENG, the implementation of double voltage rectification, and manipulation of the gaseous phase. Through a comprehensive analysis of antibacterial rates and microscopic images, the effectiveness of the self-powered sterilizer against various types of bacteria, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative species, as well as mixed bacteria in natural seawater, is demonstrated. Further investigations into bacterial morphologies and solution compositions reveal that the synergistic effect between electroporation and the generation of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species contributes to efficient sterilization. Additionally, controlled trials and molecular dynamics simulations are conducted to quantitatively elucidate the synergistic antibacterial effect between electroporation and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. This study highlights the effectiveness of the collaborative optimization strategy in enhancing the sterilization efficiency of self-powered sterilizers while providing valuable insights into the synergistic antibacterial mechanisms of physical and chemical sterilization.

Investigation of Mitochondrial Homeostasis Changes in Lens Epithelium of High-Myopic Cataract.

PURPOSE: High myopia is demonstrated as a pathogenic factor for nuclear cataract. The main mechanism of high-myopia cataracts (HMC) is oxidative damage, which causes mitochondrial homeostasis imbalance. This study aimed to explore the mitochondrial homeostasis alterations in lens epithelial cells (LECs) of HMC. METHODS: The lens epithelium tissues of 20 patients with HMC and 20 control subjects with age-related cataracts (ARC) were collected. The real-time quantitative PCR and western blot assays were performed for gene expressions. Immunofluorescence (IF) assays were performed for mitochondrial marker TOM20, DNA damage marker 15A3, and autophagosome marker LC3. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the changes in mitochondria morphology. Mitochondrial ROS, and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by MitoSOX fluorescence, and JC-1 MitoMP staining, respectively. Rat lenses cultured in vitro were pretreated with CCCP and H2O2 (10 and 400 µM) for 24 h. RESULTS: The copy number of mtDNA was decreased in HMC patients compared to the ARC patients. Increased mitochondrial-oriented oxidative stress response was detected in LECs of HMC compared to that of ARC. Altered expressions of mitochondrial homeostasis and mitophagy markers, including TFAM, PGC1α, MFN1, MFN2, Drp1, PINK1, Parkin and LC3, were found in HMC patients. Reciprocally, no significant differences in the expression of BNIP3 and FUNDC1 were found between HMC and ARC patients. Importantly, TEM revealed that the obvious mitochondrial fission and mitophagy phenomena occur in the LECs of HMC patients compared to the ARC patients. Moreover, CCCP aggreated the mitoROS production and depolarized mitochondrial membrane potential in the H2O2-treated human lens epithelial cells line (SRA01/04); Most important, rat lens organ culture experiments indicated a significant increase in H2O2-induced lens opacity following mitochondrial uncoupling CCCP treatment. CONCLUSION: This study has identified for the first time the abnormal mitochondrial homeostasis in HMC, and provide a new perspective on the potential mechanisms of HMC, which occurs earlier and at a higher incidence rate than ARC.

Lens epithelium cell ferroptosis mediated by m6A-lncRNA and GPX4 expression in lens tissue of age-related cataract.

BACKGROUND: In the present study, we explored the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and its association with ferroptosis in lens epithelium cells (LECs) of age-related cataract (ARC). METHODS: Through m6A RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (m6A-RIP-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we identified m6A mediated and differentially expressed lncRNAs (dme-lncRNAs) in ARC patients. Based on bioinformatics analysis, we selected critical dme-lncRNAs and pathways associated with ARC formation to reveal their potential molecular mechanisms. The downregulation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), a key component of ferroptosis, was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting in age-related cortical cataract (ARCC) samples. Transmission electron microscopy was used to assess the change in mitochondrial in LECs. RESULTS: The analysis revealed a total of 11,193 m6A peaks within lncRNAs, among which 7043 were enriched and 4150 were depleted. Among those, lncRNA ENST00000586817(upstream of the GPX4 gene) was not only significantly upregulated in the LECs of ARCC but also potentially augmented the expression of GPX4 through a cis mechanism. The expression of m6A-modified lncRNA (ENST00000586817) was correlated with that of GPX4 and was downregulated in ARC patients. The TEM results indicated significant mitochondrial changes in ARCC samples. GPX4 downregulation enhanced LEC ferroptosis and decreased viability via RSL3 in SRA01/04 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide insight into the potential function of m6A-modified lncRNAs. M6A-modified lncRNA ENST00000586817 might regulate the expression of GPX4 by a cis mechanism and be implicated in ferroptosis in ARCs.

Pro-Fibrotic Role of Interleukin-4 in Influencing Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane in Cataract Patients: Analysis From Clinical-Experimental Approaches.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of interleukin-4 in influencing idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) formation and early progression post cataract surgery (PCS) from clinical and experimental perspectives. Methods: We quantified levels of IL-4 in aqueous humor (AH) samples from 22 iERM patients and 31 control subjects collected before and 20 hours after cataract surgeries using ELISA. After a 3-month follow-up, the association between IL-4 levels and iERM progression measurements was identified. In addition, in vitro studies were conducted to investigate the effects of IL-4 on primary rat retinal Müller glia proliferation, migration, and glial-mesenchymal transition (GMT). Results: Concentrations of IL-4 were significantly higher in preoperative AH samples from iERM patients versus controls (P = 0.006). Postoperatively, although IL-4 levels were elevated in both groups compared to their respective preoperative levels, they were even more obviously so in the iERM group (P < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that, postoperatively, IL-4 level elevation was positively associated with macular volume and thickness increase (both P < 0.05) in iERM patients. However, no correlations were observed between IL-4 level (changes) and clinical characters in the controls. In vitro studies demonstrated that IL-4 promoted Müller glia proliferation and migration and increased the expression of GMT-related markers in a manner independent of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1). Conclusions: IL-4 plays a crucial pro-fibrotic role in iERM formation and early progression 3 months PCS possibly by stimulating Müller glia proliferation, migration, and GMT in a TGF-ß1-independent manner. Translational Relevance: The current study suggests the potential of IL-4 as a novel therapeutic target for iERM.

DCLRE1A Contributes to DNA Damage Repair and Apoptosis in Age-Related Cataracts by Regulating the lncRNA/miRNA/mRNA Axis.

PURPOSE: Age-related cataract (ARC) is associated with the deregulation of transcription and defects in DNA repair in lens epithelial cells (LECs). DCLRE1A acted in DNA interstrand cross-links pathway to improve DNA replication and transcription. The aim of this study was to examined the further regulatory effect on DCLRE1A in the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network using a cell model of DCLRE1A overexpression (OE-DCLRE1A) in LECs. METHODS: The expression level of DCLRE1A in ARC tissues and SRA01/04 cells after H2O2 treatment was measured as protein and mRNA by qRT-PCR and Western Blot(WB). CCK8, and TUNEL assays detected the change in cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. Furthermore, Immunofluorescence assays detect the expression of DNA damaged and repair marker proteins after OE-DCLRE1A. The global expression profiles of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs were determined using high-throughput sequencing. KEGG and GO enrichment analysis disclose the possible function of differentially expressed (DE) lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA. RESULTS: The protein and mRNA of DCLRE1A were decreased in the anterior capsule of ARC and SRA01/04 cells treated by H2O2. OE-DCLRE1A improved damaged-DNA repair and enhanced cell viability against apoptosis after H2O2 treatment. Furthermore, we demonstrated the DE-molecules between the OE-DCLRE1A and control groups including 595 DE-lncRNAs, 221 DE-miRNAs, and 4718 DE-mRNAs. Next, bioinformatics analysis not only found that the DE-mRNAs are mainly involved in DNA repair-related signaling pathways after OE-DCLRE1A, but also screened two lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks focusing on DNA damage activated by OE-DCLRE1A, which involved 2 lncRNAs, 2 miRNAs, and 53 mRNAs. CONCLUSION: We revealed that DCLRE1A activated the lncRNA/miRNA/DNA-repair network to take part in DNA repair processes, which not only represents a new regulatory mechanism employed by DCLRE1A but also uncovers the screening lncRNA may hold potential therapeutic values in ARC formation. However, these conclusions will need to be confirmed by future studies in vitro and in vivo models.

Discovery and Mechanism of Novel 7-Aliphatic Amine Tryptanthrin Derivatives against Phytopathogenic Bacteria.

Rice bacterial leaf blight is a destructive bacterial disease caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) that seriously threatens crop yields and their associated economic benefits. In this study, a series of improved dissolubility 7-aliphatic amine tryptanthrin derivatives was designed and synthesized, and their potency in antibacterial applications was investigated. Notably, compound 6e exhibited excellent activity against Xoo, with an EC50 value of 2.55 µg/mL, compared with the positive control bismerthiazol (EC50 = 35.0 µg/mL) and thiodiazole copper (EC50 = 79.4 µg/mL). In vivo assays demonstrated that 6e exhibited a significant protective effect on rice leaves. After exposure, the morphology of the bacteria was partially atrophied by SEM. Furthermore, 6e increased the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, causing cell apoptosis and the formation of bacterial biofilms. All the results indicated that 6e could be a potential agrochemical bactericide for controlling phytopathogenic bacteria.

Design, Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of 1H-indazole-3-amine Derivatives.

A series of indazole derivatives were designed and synthesized by molecular hybridization strategy, and these compounds were evaluated the inhibitory activities against human cancer cell lines of lung (A549), chronic myeloid leukemia (K562), prostate (PC-3), and hepatoma (Hep-G2) by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay. Among these, compound 6o exhibited a promising inhibitory effect against the K562 cell line with the IC50 (50% inhibition concentration) value of 5.15 µM, and this compound showed great selectivity for normal cell (HEK-293, IC50 = 33.2 µM). Moreover, compound 6o was confirmed to affect apoptosis and cell cycle possibly by inhibiting Bcl2 family members and the p53/MDM2 pathway in a concentration-dependent manner. Overall, this study indicates that compound 6o could be a promising scaffold to develop an effective and low-toxic anticancer agent.

An Advanced Strategy to Enhance TENG Output: Reducing Triboelectric Charge Decay.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is poised to accelerate the construction of smart cities. However, it requires more than 30 billion sensors to realize the IoT vision, posing great challenges and opportunities for industries of self-powered sensors. Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), an emerging new technology, is capable of easily converting energy from surrounding environment into electricity, thus TENG has tremendous application potential in self-powered IoT sensors. At present, TENG encounters a bottleneck to boost output for large-scale commercial use if just by promoting triboelectric charge generation, because the output is decided by the triboelectric charge dynamic equilibrium between generation and decay. To break this bottleneck, the strategy of reducing triboelectric charge decay to enhance TENG output is focused. First, multiple mechanisms of triboelectric charge decay are summarized in detail with basic theoretical principles for future research. Furthermore, recent advances in reducing triboelectric charge decay are thoroughly reviewed and outlined in three aspects: inhibition and application of air breakdown, simultaneous inhibition of air breakdown and triboelectric charge drift/diffusion, and inhibition of triboelectric charge drift/diffusion. Finally, challenges and future research focus are proposed. This review provides reference and guidance for enhancing TENG output.

AI Experience Predicts Identification with Humankind.

Artificial intelligence is becoming a potential outgroup of humans, which, according to social identity theory, may make humanity more salient. To explore how identification with humankind correlates to being exposed to artificial intelligence, we developed an AI Experience Questionnaire to measure this relationship and demonstrated that AI experience positively predicted human identity (Study 1a, N = 806). This correlation held when controlling for AI threats, educational level, international mobility experience, gender, and age (Study 2, N = 981, Mage = 27.55 ± 6.74; 448 males, 533 females). Study 1a also demonstrated that AI awareness-consisting of perceived anthropomorphism and perceived proximity-mediated the relationship between AI experience and human identity. This mediation model was replicated half a year later (Study 1b, N = 886). Moreover, a moderation analysis demonstrated that for both Easterners and Westerners, the correlation between AI experience and human identity was significantly positive; however, Western culture amplified the correlation (Study 3; N = 177, Mage = 32.35 ± 10.99; 90 Easterners, 87 Westerners). To conclude, persons with more AI experience may be more inclined to perceive AI as an outgroup of humans, and therefore AI experience positively predicts identification with humankind.

Antibacterial Activity of Allicin-Inspired Disulfide Derivatives against Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) belongs to the Gram-negative species, causing citrus canker that seriously affects the fruit yield and quality of many rutaceae plants. Herein, we found that compound 2-(butyldisulfanyl) quinazolin-4(3H)-one exhibited remarkable anti-Xac activity in vitro with a half effective concentration (EC50) of 2.6 µg/mL, while the positive controls thiodiazole-copper with 57 µg/mL and bismerthiazol with 68 µg/mL and this compound showed great anti-citrus canker activity in vivo. This active compound also was confirmed to reduce biofilm formation, increase the level of reactive oxygen species, damage the morphological structure of the bacteria, and cause bacterial death. Proteomics and RT-qPCR analysis results indicated that this compound down-regulated the expression of enzymes in the MEP (2-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate) pathway and might achieve destructive ability of Xac. Overall, this study indicates that such derivatives could be a promising scaffold to develop novel bactericides to control citrus canker.

Design of a Novel Trabecular Acetabular Cup and Selective Laser Melting Fabrication.

The acetabular cups used in total hip arthroplasty are mostly made of dense metal materials with an elastic moduli much higher than that of human bone. This leads to stress shielding after implantation, which may cause aseptic loosening of the implant. Selective laser melting (SLM) technology allows us to produce tiny and complex porous structures and to reduce the elastic moduli of dense metals, thereby avoiding stress shielding. In the present study, rhombic dodecahedron porous structures with cell sizes of 1 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2 mm were designed. The strut diameter was changed to ensure that the porosity and pore size would meet the bone ingrowth requirements. Then, porous Ti6Al4V alloy specimens were printed using SLM, and compressive tests were carried out. The results showed that the compressive strength and elastic modulus values of the specimens with a cell size of 1.5 mm were in the range of 78.16-242.94 MPa and 1.74-4.17 GPa, respectively, which are in line with the mechanical properties of human cortical bone. Finite element analysis of a total hip joint model was carried out to simulate gait, and the surface of the trabecular acetabular cup was divided into 10 regions according to the stress distribution, with the stress interval in the range of 37.44-219.24 MPa. According to the compression test results, the gradient structure of Ti6Al4V alloy with different porosity was designed for trabecular coating. The gradient porous structure meets the mechanical requirements and is closer to the natural structure of human bone than the uniformly distributed porous structure.

Compound Structure-Composition Control on the Mechanical Properties of Selective Laser-Melted Titanium Alloys.

In the performance optimization of the additive manufacturing of Ti6Al4V components, conventional control methods have difficulty taking into account the requirements of quality and mechanical properties of components, resulting in insufficient mechanical properties and a small control range. Therefore, combining the advantages of porous structure and alloy composition control, this paper proposed a structure-composition composite control method for selective laser-fused titanium alloy components by coupling the effects of porous structure parameters and boron content on the properties of Ti6Al4V components. Based on the Gibson-Ashby formula, the compression test of porous Ti6Al4V alloy and the tensile test of boron-containing Ti6Al4V alloy were carried out by SLM forming technology. The parameters C and n related to the pore parameters of porous structure were solved by the experimental data, and the analytical relationship between the pore parameters and the mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V alloy was established. The analytical relationship between boron content (t wt%) and mechanical properties of the alloy was established by tensile test. Finally, the Gibson-Ashby formula was used to combine the above analytical relationship, and a composite regulation model of compressive strength was obtained. The results show that the control range of the composite model ranges from 19.46-416.47 MPa, which was 45.53% higher than that obtained by controlling only pore parameters, and performance improved by 42.49%. The mechanical properties of the model are verified and the deviation between calculated values and experimental values was less than 1.3%. Taking aviation rocker arm as an example, the optimized design can improve the strength and reduce the mass of rocker arm by 51.94%. This method provides a theoretical basis for expanding the application of Ti6Al4V additive manufacturing components in aerospace and other fields.

Ultrasound-Responsive Peptide Nanogels to Balance Conflicting Requirements for Deep Tumor Penetration and Prolonged Blood Circulation.

A series of biological barriers need to be overcome for therapeutic nanocarriers accumulating at the tumor site and uptaken by cancer cells. One strategy is to construct switchable nanocarriers to meet the conflicting requirements for various physiology environments. In this work, besides widely studied endogenous stimuli-responsiveness, an exogenous ultrasound responsiveness was additionally embedded into nanocarriers to balance the conflicting needs of prolonged blood circulation and deep tumor penetration. Polylysine and Pluronic F127 were first coassembled and then cross-linked by genipin to form stable nanogel structure. Subsequently, ICAM-1 antibody was grafted onto the nanogel (designated as GenPLPFT) for active tumor targeting. Upon external sonication, the F127 was shed from GenPLPFT to induce swelling of nanogel with reduced stability and accelerated drug release. In detail, sonication leads to GenPLPF swelling from 329 to 516 nm, while its Young's modulus significantly decreased from 336.78 to 3.93 kPa. Through intravenous injection, relatively rigid GenPLPFT was able to achieve a high level of accumulation at tumor site by active targeting and long-term blood circulation. Moreover, under sonication at the tumor site, GenPLPFT became softer with enhanced deformability to achieve deep tumor penetration. In addition, in vivo studies revealed that GenPLPFT was able to penetrate into the deep area of xenografted tumor with enhanced antitumor efficacy and reduced toxicity. Overall, this peptide nanogel with ultrasound-responsive stiffness demonstrates an effective approach to overcome a series of biological barriers for enhanced deep tumor therapy.

Intracellular Self-Assembly of Peptides to Induce Apoptosis against Drug-Resistant Melanoma.

Biosynthesis has been a diverse toolbox to develop bioactive molecules and materials, especially for fabricating modified peptides and their assemblies induced by enzymes. Although desired chemical structures and nanoarchitectures have been achieved, the subsequent interferences of peptide assemblies with organelles and the cellular pathways still remain unsolved important challenges. Herein, we developed a new tripeptide, phenylalanine-phenylalanine-tyrosine (Phe-Phe-Tyr, or FFY), which can be intracellularly oxidized and in situ self-assemble into nanoparticles with excellent interference capability with microtubules and ultimately reverse the drug resistance of melanoma. With the catalysis of tyrosinase, FFY was first oxidized to a melanin-like FFY dimer (mFFY) with a diquinone structure for further self-assembling into mFFY assemblies, which could inhibit the self-polymerization of tubulin to induce severe G2/M arrest (13.9% higher than control). Afterward, mitochondrial dysfunction was also induced for overproduction of cleaved caspase 3 (3.1 times higher than control) and cleaved PARP (6.3 times higher), achieving a high level of resistant reversing without chemotherapeutic drugs. In vivo studies showed that the resistant melanoma tumor volumes were reduced by 87.4% compared to control groups after FFY treatment by peritumoral injections. Overall, this tyrosinase-induced tripeptide assembly has been demonstrated with effective intrinsic apoptosis against drug-resistant melanoma, providing a new insight into utilizing biomolecules to interfere with organelles to activate certain apoptosis pathways for treatment of drug-resistant cancer.

Mitochondrial-targeting nanoprodrugs to mutually reinforce metabolic inhibition and autophagy for combating resistant cancer.

Abnormal energy metabolism is one of the hallmarks of cancer and closely linked to therapy resistance. However, existing metabolic inhibitors suffer from inefficient cell enrichment and therapeutic effects. In this work, we developed an effective strategy to mutually reinforce the metabolic inhibition and autophagy for enhanced tumor killing efficacy and combating resistant cancer. First, mitochondrial homing moiety triphenylphosphonium and metabolic inhibitor lonidamine were grafted onto polylysine. After self-assembly of this functionalized polylysine, ferrocene and glucose oxidase were immobilized to afford additional chemotherapy functions, and the final product was named as FG/T-Nanoprodrug. Effective mitochondrial targeting and metabolic inhibition were observed in resistant cancer cells. In addition, owing to the inhibited metabolism, less glucose is consumed to allow FG/T-Nanoprodrug to produce excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) by glucose oxidase and ferrocene. The enhanced chemodynamic therapy increases the mitochondrial permeability to promote the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, ultimately induces high levels of autophagy. The FG/T-Nanoprodrug demonstrated superior mutually reinforcing of metabolic inhibition (up to 3.7-fold compared to free lonidamine) and autophagy (up to 125.3-fold compared to free lonidamine) to effectively kill resistant cancer cell both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, this strategy could pave a new way to efficient treatment of resistant cancer and other metabolically abnormal diseases.

Improved photocatalytic oxidation performance of gaseous acetaldehyde by ternary g-C3N4/Ag-TiO2 composites under visible light.

In the process of photocatalytic oxidation (PCO), titanium dioxide (TiO2) shows excellent capabilities. However, when TiO2 is used to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs), there are some drawbacks including weak adsorption of gaseous contaminants, insufficient utilization of sunlight, and rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers. Herein, a TiO2-based ternary heterogeneous photocatalyst, g-C3N4/Ag-TiO2, was successfully fabricated to photodegrade gaseous acetaldehyde (one of the representatives of oxygenated VOCs) under visible light. Among the various samples, the g-C3N4/50 wt% Ag-TiO2 exhibited an excellent photocatalytic activity, which was 5.8 times of bare TiO2. The mineralization efficiency of acetaldehyde was also increased by 3.7 times compared to bare TiO2. The substantial improvement in the PCO performance of the ternary system can be associated with the good adsorption to acetaldehyde gas and light-harvesting capability, as well as improved charge separation process. The application of Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model suggested that relative humidity played a significant role in the VOCs degradation. Also, the photodegradation of gaseous acetaldehyde primarily occurred on the catalysts surface. Based on several characterizations, i.e., UV-vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectrum, photocurrent spectroscopy and electron spin-resonance test, a suitable degradation mechanism is proposed. This study provides a novel ternary photocatalyst with improved photocatalytic performance and stability, which can be used for the low-concentration VOCs abatement in the indoor environment.

Activation of GPER by E2 promotes proliferation, invasion and migration of breast cancer cells by regulating the miR-124/CD151 pathway.

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and is responsible for a high mortality rate. However, the underlying pathological mechanism of breast cancer remains unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) play critical roles in the progression of breast cancer. Recent studies have reported that miR-124/CD151 participates in the development of breast cancer. However, the exact molecular mechanism of miR-124/CD151 action in 17ß-estradiol (E2)-treated breast cancer cells remains unknown. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate miR-124 and CD151 expression levels in MCF-7 cells treated with E2 via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot analyses. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to predict and identify whether CD151 is a potential target of miR-124. The Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays were performed to detect proliferation of MCF-7 cells. In addition, the invasive and migratory abilities of MCF-7 cells were assessed via the Transwell and wound healing assays, respectively. The results demonstrated that E2 downregulated miR-124 expression, while upregulating G protein -coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) expression in MCF-7 cells. Following treatment with the GPER antagonist, G15, miR-124 expression was significantly enhanced and E2-induced proliferation, invasion and migration of MCF-7 cells were notably inhibited. In addition, CD151 was confirmed as a direct target of miR-124. CD151 silencing remarkably suppressed the proliferation, invasion and migration of E2-induced MCF-7 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that upregulation of GPER expression induced by E2 promotes proliferation, invasion and migration of breast cancer cells by regulating the miR-124/CD151 pathway. Thus, the results of the present study provide a potential novel method for the treatment and prognosis of breast cancer.

Bioinspired polymeric pigments to mimic natural hair coloring.

Due to an increasingly aging population, hair dyeing has become more necessary in daily life; however synthetic hair dyes often have the disadvantages of harsh dyeing conditions, a slow dyeing process and biological toxicity. Herein, we developed a bioinspired approach to mimic the natural hair dyeing process under mild conditions. Compared to the existing polydopamine deposition approach with harsh conditions, mild conditions and effective deposition were achieved here. First, in the presence of tyrosine hydroxylase and metal ions, dopamine could be oxidized into polydopamine, a mimic of human eumelanin, and then self-assembled into nanometer-scale pigments. Through optimizing the experimental parameters, various colors and the desired darkness could be achieved within less than 1 minute. In addition, significant durability was observed after continuous washing with polydopamine assemblies as hair dyes. Morphological analysis was applied to verify the deposition of polydopamine assemblies onto the hair surface, which induces the hair color change. Also, animal studies were conducted to evaluate the efficiency and biological toxicity of this approach. Overall, this bioinspired approach could provide a new avenue for biocompatible and effective nanomaterial-based hair dyes for at-home use.