In Situ MXene Anchored Structure for Highly Durable Solar Steam Generation.

As a promising fresh water harvesting technology, interfacial solar steam generation has attracted growing interest. Efficient solar absorption and long-term operational performance are critical requirements of this technology. However, developing robust evaporators to promote practical applications under extreme conditions is still a grand challenge. Herein, we propose a light-assisted strategy to in situ prepare a Ti3C2Tx MXene anchored structure (MXAS) for enhanced solar evaporation with superior mechanical properties (compressive strength of 78.47 MPa, which can withstand a pressure of 3.92 × 106 times its own weight). Light irradiation enlarges the interlayer spacing of MXene and improves the solar absorption capability. Under one sun, the three-dimensional MXAS evaporator exhibits a steam generation rate of 2.48 kg m-2 h-1and an evaporation efficiency of 89.3%, and it demonstrates long-term durability when testing in seawater. This strategy provides valuable insights into the potential application of a high-performance water evaporation system.

CF2-II Alternative Splicing Isoform Regulates the Expression of Xenobiotic Tolerance-Related Cytochrome P450 CYP6CY22 in Aphis gossypii Glover.

The expression of P450 genes is regulated by trans-regulatory factors or cis-regulatory elements and influences how endogenous or xenobiotic substances are metabolized in an organism's tissues. In this study, we showed that overexpression of the cytochrome P450 gene, CYP6CY22, led to resistance to cyantraniliprole in Aphis gossypii. The expression of CYP6CY22 increased in the midgut and remaining carcass of the CyR strain, and after repressing the expression of CYP6CY22, the mortality of cotton aphids increased 2.08-fold after exposure to cyantraniliprole. Drosophila ectopically expressing CYP6CY22 exhibited tolerance to cyantraniliprole and cross-tolerance to xanthotoxin, quercetin, 2-tridecanone, tannic acid, and nicotine. Moreover, transcription factor CF2-II (XM_027994540.2) is transcribed only as the splicing variant isoform CF2-II-AS, which was found to be 504 nucleotides shorter than CF2-II in A. gossypii. RNAi and yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) results indicated that CF2-II-AS positively regulates CYP6CY22 and binds to cis-acting element p (-851/-842) of CYP6CY22 to regulate its overexpression. The above results indicated that CYP6CY22 was regulated by the splicing isoform CF2-II-AS, which will help us further understand the mechanism of transcriptional adaption of cross-tolerance between synthetic insecticides and plant secondary metabolites mediated by P450s.

Mixed-Dimensional van der Waals Heterostructures for Boosting Electricity Generation.

The emerging technology of harvesting environmental energy using hydrovoltaic devices enriches the conversion forms of renewable energy. It provides more concepts for power supply in micro/nano systems, and hydrovoltaic technology with high performance, usability, and integration is essential for achieving sustainable green energy. Comparing the discovery of multiscale nanomaterials, working layers with innovative microstructures have gradually become the dominant trend in the construction of graphene-based hydrovoltaic devices. However, reports on promoting ion/electron redistribution at the solid-liquid interface through the substrate effect of graphene are accompanied by tedious procedures, nondiverse substrates, and monolithic regulation of enhancement mechanisms. Here, the electrophoretic deposition (EPD)-driven SiC whiskers (SiCw)-assisted graphene transfer process is adopted to alleviate the complexity of the device fabrication caused by graphene transfer. The resulting output performance of the graphene/SiCw (GS) mesh films is significantly boosted. The high integrity of graphene and prominent negative surface charge near the graphene-droplet interface are derived from the overlayer and underlayer inside the graphene-based mixed-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, respectively. Additionally, a self-powered desalination-monitoring system is designed based on integrated hydrovoltaic devices. Electricity harvested from the ionic solutions is reused for deionization, representing an efficient strategy for energy conversion and utilization.

Interface Engineering of a Ti4O7 Nanofibrous Membrane for Efficient Solar-Driven Evaporation.

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation provides a feasible and sustainable way to solve the fresh water shortage using abundant solar energy and has recently attracted considerable attention. However, it has been limited by the evaporation rate and solar-heat conversion efficiency of the current materials. Herein, a novel Ti4O7 membrane with synergetic photothermal and electrothermal effects was developed using a straightforward in situ approach. Based on interface engineering, the interface between the surface of the membrane and water was hydrophobically modified, and a thermal insulation layer was added to the bottom of the membrane. The optimized self-floating membrane with excellent sunlight absorbability and conductivity achieved a remarkably high evaporation rate of 7.51 kg m-2 h-1 with a voltage of 3 V as compensation under one-sun irradiation (1 kW m-2). Moreover, the bilayered membrane displayed efficient salt ion rejection, and the collected water can meet the World Health Organization (WHO) standard required for potable water.

Enhanced Electricity Generation from Graphene Microfluidic Channels for Self-Powered Flexible Sensors.

As a novel energy harvesting method, generating electricity from the interaction of liquid-solid interface has attracted growing interest. Although several functional materials have been carried out to improve the performance of the flow-induced hydrovoltaic generators, there are few reports on influencing the droplet flow behavior to excavate its electricity generation by governing the device structure. Here, the output performance of the graphene microfluidic channel (GMC) structure is ∼13 times higher than that of the flat-open space graphene morphology. The strong slip flow and high surface charge density near the graphene-droplet interface originate from the GMC structure, which produces an effective liquid-solid interaction and rapid relative movement of the droplet. Additionally, based on the GMC structure a self-powered pressure sensor is designed. The droplet motion is regulated by external forces to generate specific voltages, which provide a new approach for the development of wearable self-powered electronics.

Gradient Titanium Oxide Nanowire Film: a Multifunctional Solar Energy Utilization Platform for High-Salinity Organic Sewage Treatment.

The treatment of high salt organic sewage is considered to be a high energy consumption process, and it is difficult to degrade organic matter and separate salt and water simultaneously. In this study, a gradient structure titanium oxide nanowire film is developed, which can realize the thorough treatment of sewage under sunlight. Among the film, part TiO2-x has enhanced photocatalytic properties and can completely degrade 0.02 g·L-1 methylene blue in 90 min under 2 sun. Part TinO2n-1 has excellent photothermal conversion efficiency and can achieve 1.833 kg·m-2·h-1 water evaporation rate at 1 sun. Through the special structure design, salt positioning crystallization can be realized to ensure the film's stable operation for a long time. The gradient hydrophilicity of the film ensures adequate and rapid water transfer, while the water flow can induce a significant hydrovoltaic effect. The measured VOC is positively correlated with light intensity and photothermal area and corresponds to the water evaporation rate.

CCR9 initiates epithelial-mesenchymal transition by activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathways to promote osteosarcoma metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma (OS) patients with lung metastasis have poor prognoses, and effective therapeutic strategies for delaying or inhibiting the spread of lung metastasis from the primary OS site are lacking. Hence, it is critical to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of OS metastasis and to identify additional new effective treatment strategies for patients. METHODS: Differential expression and functional analyses were performed to identify key genes and relevant signaling pathways associated with OS lung metastasis. The expression of CCR9 in OS cell lines and tissues was measured by RT-qPCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by wound healing and Transwell Matrigel invasion assays, respectively. The regulatory relationship between CCR9 and the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway was further evaluated by rescue experiments. RESULTS: The expression of CCR9 was elevated in OS cell lines and patients with lung metastasis. CCR9 promoted MG63 and HOS cell migration and invasion by activating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, knockdown of CCR9 repressed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by downregulating mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin and Vimentin) and EMT-associated transcription factors (twist and snail) and upregulating an epithelial marker (E-cadherin). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that CCR9 promotes EMT by activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathways to promote OS metastasis. CCR9 may be a promising therapeutic target to inhibit lung metastasis and serve as a novel prognostic marker for OS.

Identification of MAP3K15 as a potential prognostic biomarker and correlation with immune infiltrates in osteosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a type of primary malignant tumor, and increasing evidence shows the clinical benefits of immunotherapy in treating OS. However, the lack of comprehensive studies on the complex OS immune microenvironment hinders the application of immunotherapy. Thus, this study aimed to systematically explore the immune characteristics of OS and identify novel biomarkers for OS treatment. METHODS: We systematically studied the immune score and proportions of infiltrating immune cells in OS in the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases using the ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms. Differential expression and functional analyses were used to identify dysregulated genes and explore their functions. Survival and Cox regression analyses were applied to establish an immune-related prognostic signature. Additionally, qPCR and immunohistochemistry were performed to validate the results. RESULTS: A total of 103 differentially expressed immune genes (DEIGs) were found in the TARGET-OS and GSE39058 databases, and these DEIGs were mainly enriched in leukocyte proliferation, leukocyte differentiation, osteoclast differentiation, natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and the adaptive immune system. A predictive signature was constructed based on the survival analysis, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.65. Moreover, we found that mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 15 (MAP3K15) can predict the prognosis of patients with OS and is closely related to CD4+ T cells and macrophages. The OS patients with high MAP3K15 expression had a significantly poorer prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that MAP3K15, whose expression level is closely related to immune activity in tumors, is a critical immune-related biomarker, and our findings may provide a basis for OS immunotherapy.

Comparison of Tri-Lock Bone Preservation Stem and the Conventional Standard Corail Stem in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes between the Tri-Lock Bone Preservation Stem (BPS) and the conventional standard Corail stem in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: From March 2012 to May 2014, we retrospectively reviewed 84 patients (104 hips) who received Tri-Lock (BPS) and 84 patients (115 hips) who received conventional standard Corail stem in THA. Their mean ages were 53.12 ± 2.32 years and 52.00 ± 2.11 years, respectively. The clinical outcomes were assessed by Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Harris Hip Score (HHS). The radiological outcomes were evaluated by the radiological examination. Accordingly, Intraoperative and postoperative complications were observed as well. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 48.23 ± 2.91 months in the Tri-Lock (BPS) group and 49.11 ± 2.11 months in the Corail group, respectively. The bleeding volumes in two groups were comparable (169.22 ± 58.11 mL vs 179.30 ± 59.14 mL, P = 0.003), with more bleeding volume in Corail group patients, while no statistically significance with respect to operation time was observed (65.41 ± 6.24 min vs 63.99 ± 6.33 min, P = 0.567). The rates of intraoperative fracture was 8% for the Corail group while 1% for the Tri-Lock (BPS) group (8% vs 1%, P = 0.030). At final follow-up, no statistical differences in regard to HHS, WOMAC, and Pain VAS were revealed between the two groups (P > 0.05). The rate of thigh pain was higher in Corail group than in Tri-lock (BPS) group (5% vs 0%, P = 0.043). However, incidence of stress shielding in grade 1 was higher in Tri-Lock (BPS) than in the Corail group (76% vs 23%, P < 0.01), while those in grade 2 and 3 were lower compared to the Corail stem (15% vs 28%, P < 0.01; 9% vs 16%, P = 0.008, respectively). Intriguingly, other assessments in relation to radiographic outcomes and postoperative complications were not comparable between the two groups. The Kaplan-Meier survival rate (revision surgery performed for any reason was defined as the end point) was similar between the two groups (P = 0.57), with 98.8% (95% confidence interval, 92.3%-100%) in Tri-lock (BPS) group and 97.6% (95% confidence interval, 94.6%-100%) in Corail group. CONCLUSIONS: The Tri-Lock (BPS) has similar clinic performances compared to the Corail stem. Furthermore, the Tri-lock (BPS) stem has some advantages in achieving lower incidence of thigh pain, stress shielding and intra-operative fracture. Therefore, we recommend the Tri-lock (BPS) stem as a good alternative in primary total hip arthroplasty, especially taking into account patient factors, including bone deficiency and convenience of extraction of the stem in hip revision.