Crystal facet engineering of semiconductors is of growing interest and an important strategy for fine-tuning solar-driven photocatalytic activity. However, the primary factor in the exposed active facets that determines the photocatalytic property is still elusive. Herein, we have experimentally achieved high solar photocatalytic activity in ultrathin BiOCl nanosheets with almost fully exposed active {001} facets and provide some new and deep-seated insights into how the defects in the exposed active facets affect the solar-driven photocatalytic property. As the thickness of the nanosheets reduces to atomic scale, the predominant defects change from isolated defects V(Bi)‴ to triple vacancy associates V(Bi)‴V(O)••V(Bi)‴, which is unambiguously confirmed by the positron annihilation spectra. By virtue of the synergic advantages of enhanced adsorption capability, effective separation of electron–hole pairs and more reductive photoexcited electrons benefited from the V(Bi)‴V(O)••V(Bi)‴ vacancy associates, the ultrathin BiOCl nanosheets show significantly promoted solar-driven photocatalytic activity, even with extremely low photocatalyst loading. The finding of the existence of distinct defects (different from those in bulks) in ultrathin nanosheets undoubtedly leads to new possibilities for photocatalyst design using quasi-two-dimensional materials with high solar-driven photocatalytic activity.

N-methyladenosine (mA) affects multiple aspects of mRNA metabolism and regulates developmental transitions by promoting mRNA decay. Little is known about the role of mA in the adult mammalian nervous system. Here we report that sciatic nerve lesion elevates levels of mA-tagged transcripts encoding many regeneration-associated genes and protein translation machinery components in the adult mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Single-base resolution mA-CLIP mapping further reveals a dynamic mA landscape in the adult DRG upon injury. Loss of either mA methyltransferase complex component Mettl14 or mA-binding protein Ythdf1 globally attenuates injury-induced protein translation in adult DRGs and reduces functional axon regeneration in the peripheral nervous system in vivo. Furthermore, Pten deletion-induced axon regeneration of retinal ganglion neurons in the adult central nervous system is attenuated upon Mettl14 knockdown. Our study reveals a critical epitranscriptomic mechanism in promoting injury-induced protein synthesis and axon regeneration in the adult mammalian nervous system.

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Inhibition or genetic deletion of poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is protective against toxic insults in many organ systems. The molecular mechanisms underlying PARP-1–dependent cell death involve release of mitochondrial apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and its translocation to the nucleus, which results in chromatinolysis. We identified macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) as a PARP-1–dependent AIF-associated nuclease (PAAN). AIF was required for recruitment of MIF to the nucleus, where MIF cleaves genomic DNA into large fragments. Depletion of MIF, disruption of the AIF-MIF interaction, or mutation of glutamic acid at position 22 in the catalytic nuclease domain blocked MIF nuclease activity and inhibited chromatinolysis, cell death induced by glutamate excitotoxicity, and focal stroke. Inhibition of MIF's nuclease activity is a potential therapeutic target for diseases caused by excessive PARP-1 activation.

The subject of the involved phase transition in solid materials has formed not only the basis of materials technology but also the central issue of solid-state chemistry for centuries. The ability to design and control the required changes in physical properties within phase transition becomes key prerequisite for the modern functionalized materials. Herein, we have experimentally achieved the high thermoelectric performance (ZT value reaches 1.5 at 700 K) and reversible p-n-p semiconducting switching integrated in a dimetal chalcogenide, AgBiSe(2) during the continuous hexagonal-rhombohedral-cubic phase transition. The clear-cut evidences in temperature-dependent positron annihilation and Raman spectra confirmed that the p-n-p switching is derived from the bimetal atoms exchange within phase transition, whereas the full disordering of bimetal atoms after the bimetal exchange results in the high thermoelectric performance. The combination of p-n-p switching and high thermoelectric performance enables the dimetal chalcogenides perfect candidates for novel multifunctional electronic devices. The discovery of bimetal atoms exchange during the phase transition brings novel phenomena with unusual properties which definitely enrich solid-state chemistry and materials science.

Best of both worlds: A heterostructured material is synthesized that comprises a core of layered lithium-rich material and an outer layer of nanospinel material. This spinel/layered heterostructured material maximizes the inherent advantages of the 3D Li(+) insertion/extraction framework of the spinel structure and the high Li(+) storage capacity of the layered structure. The material exhibits super-high reversible capacities, outstanding rate capability and excellent cycling ability.

To elaborately fabricate real‐time monitoring and therapeutic function into a biocompatible nanoplatform is a promising route in the cancer therapy field. However, the package of diagnosis and treatment into a single‐“element” nanoparticle remains challenge. Herein, ultrasmall poly(vinylpyrrolidone)‐protected bismuth nanodots (PVP‐Bi nanodots) are successfully synthesized through an ultrafacile strategy (1 min only under ambient conditions). The nanodots are easy to synthesize in both laboratory and large scale using low‐cost bismuth ingredients. PVP‐Bi nanodots with ultrasmall size show good biocompatibility. Due to the high X‐ray attenuation ability of Bi element, PVP‐Bi nanodots have prominent performance on X‐ray computed tomography (CT) imaging. Moreover, PVP‐Bi nanodots exhibit a high photothermal conversion efficiency (η = 30%) because of the strong near‐infrared absorbance, which can serve as nanotheranostic agent for photothermal imaging and cancer therapy. The subsequent PVP‐Bi‐nanodot‐mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) result shows highly efficient ablation of cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. PVP‐Bi nanodots can be almost completely excreted from mice after 7 d. Blood biochemistry and histology analysis suggests that PVP‐Bi nanodots have negligible toxicity. All the positive results reveal that PVP‐Bi nanodots produced through the ultrafacile method are promising single‐“element” nanotheranostic platform for dual‐modal CT/photothermal‐imaging‐guided PTT.

This paper introduces a strategy for generating ion current rectification through nano- and micropores. This method generates ion current rectification by electroosmotic-driven flow of liquids of varying viscosity (and hence varying conductance) into or out of the narrowest constriction of a pore. The magnitude of current rectification was described by a rectification factor, R(f), which is defined by the ratio of the current measured at a positive voltage divided by the current measured at a negative voltage. This method achieved rectification factors in the range of 5-15 using pores with diameters ranging from 10 nm to 2.2 microm. These R(f) values are similar to the rectification factors reported in other nanopore-based methods that did not employ segmented surface charges. Interestingly, this work showed that in cylindrical nanopores with diameters of 10 nm and a length of at least 275 nm, electroosmotic flow was present and could generate ion current rectification. Unlike previous methods for generating ion current rectification that require nanopores with diameters comparable to the Debye length, this work demonstrated ion current rectification in micropores with diameters 500 times larger than the Debye length. Thus this method extends the concept of fluidic diodes to the micropore range. Several experiments designed to alter or remove electroosmotic flow through the pore demonstrated that electroosmotic flow was required for the mode of ion current rectification reported here. Consequently, the magnitude of current rectification could be used to indicate the presence of electroosmotic flow and the breakdown of electroosmotic flow with decreasing ionic strength and hence increasing electric double layer overlap inside nanopores.