Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) has been widely studied as a fascinating visible-light-response two-dimensional semiconductor photocatalyst. Nevertheless, the quantum yield of g-C 3 N 4 is unsatisfactory due to the insufficient surface reactive sites and slow charge migration efficiency caused by grievous agglomeration and large grain size. Herein this obstacle is overcome through a facile eco-friendly strategy based on effects from a bubble template and nonmetal heteroatom doping of g-C 3 N 4 . This treatment not only restricts the agglomeration but also creates more surface active sites for reaction and more porous channels for charge carrier transfer. Well-amended g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets with porous network and sulfur-doping were prepared with larger specific surface areas and faster electron−hole migration and separation capacity. The modified g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets possessed a H 2 evolution rate 5.3 and 3.8 times enhanced compare with bulk g-C 3 N 4 (BCN) and S-doped g-C 3 N 4 (CNS).

No abstract

No abstract

In endometrial epithelial cells, progesterone (P4) functions in regulating the cell structure and opposing the effects of estrogen. However, the mechanisms of P4 that oppose the effects of estrogen remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important posttranscriptional regulators that are involved in various physiological and pathological processes. Whether P4 directly induces miRNA expression to antagonize estrogen in endometrial epithelium is unclear. In this study, total RNAs were extracted from endometrial epithelium of ovariectomized mice, which were treated with estrogen alone or a combination of estrogen and P4. MicroRNA high-throughput sequencing with bioinformatics analysis was used to identify P4-induced miRNAs, predict their potential target genes, and analyze their possible biological functions. We observed that 146 mature miRNAs in endometrial epithelial cells were significantly upregulated by P4. These miRNAs were extensively involved in multiple biological processes. The miRNA-145a demonstrated a possible function in the antiproliferative action of P4 on endometrial epithelial cells.

The spherelike Cu2O and the hybrids with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have been synthesized successfully by a facile solution-based self-assembly method. The structure, morphology, composition, and specific surface area of composite were characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, XPS, and BET analysis, respectively. The gas-sensing properties to 1 ppm of NO2 at room temperature were also examined. The results indicated that the 1 wt % rGO/Cu2O composite not only exhibits 2.8 times higher response than that of pristine Cu2O and excellent selectivity but also owns rapid response and recovery at room temperature, indicating the composite is a promising sensing material for room temperature detection of low-concentration NO2. The enhanced sensing properties were discussed in detail, which can mainly be attributed to increased gas adsorption active sites and the fast carriers transport due to the incorporating of rGO.

We showed for the first time that progesterone-induced miR-133a inhibited the proliferation of endometrial epithelial cells by downregulating cyclinD2. Our research indicated an important mechanism for progesterone inhibiting the proliferation of endometrial epithelial cells by inducing special miRNAs to inhibit positive regulatory proteins in the cell cycle.

No abstract

No abstract