Periostin is a secreted protein that is highly expressed in early osteoblastic cells in vitro and in periosteum and periodontal ligament tissues in vivo. It is known that periostin supports cellular adhesion and spreading in vitro. Although, the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation of periostin are poorly understood, gene-profiling data have revealed that overexpression of Twist, a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, resulted in increased periostin expression as validated by Northern blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses. Twist is an important transcription factor for cell type determination and differentiation and has been shown to play an important regulatory role in early osteogenesis. In situ hybridization of mouse calvarial bones indicated that periostin and Twist mRNA are co-localized at the osteogenic fronts of calvarial bones. To characterize the 5' flanking region of the periostin gene, primer extension was carried out to identify the transcription start site, and DNA sequence analysis confirmed the presence of a 'Twist-box' response element. The results of electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) using nuclear extracts of MC3T3-E1 cells revealed that Twist bound to the Twist-box sequence on the periostin promoter. In vivo footprinting experiments using ligation-mediated PCR (LM-PCR) indicated that the Twist-box sequence was protected in undifferentiated MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts but not in differentiated MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. To determine whether Twist actually regulates the periostin expression, 293T cells were transiently co-transfected with the periostin promoter construct and the human Twist expression vector. Reporter analysis indicated that the periostin promoter activities were enhanced by overexpression of Twist. These data suggest that Twist can bind to the periostin promoter in undifferentiated preosteoblasts and up-regulate periostin expression, consistent with the up-regulation of periostin expression by Twist as observed in the gene-profiling data.

Hydrogen (H 2 ) electrochemistry primarily consists of two reactions: hydrogen evolution reaction in water for H 2 production (HER) and hydrogen oxidation reaction in hydrogen fuel cells for H 2 utilization (HOR). The realization of future hydrogen economy necessitates the development of low-cost and competent electrocatalysts for both HER and HOR. Herein, we report that partial nitridation of cobalt nanoparticles on current collectors results in rich Co 2 N/Co interfacial sites, which exhibit bifunctional activity for hydrogen electrochemistry, rivaling the state-of-the-art Pt counterparts tested under similar conditions. Our combined experimental and theoretical computation results demonstrate that Co 2 N/Co interfacial sites not only possess optimal hydrogen adsorption energy but also facilitate water adsorption and dissociation on the catalyst surface, all of which are beneficial to the electrocatalytic performance for both HER and HOR. In addition, our Co 2 N/Co electrocatalysts also demonstrate great tolerance against CO poisoning during long-term H 2 oxidation.

Depolymerization of recalcitrant lignin is a crucial step in realizing the full potential of transforming biomass to value-added small organic molecules. Herein, we report a photocatalytic system consisting of ultrathin CdS nanosheets decorated with first-row transition metals (M/CdS) for the direct photocleavage of lignin model compounds to small aromatic products. In the meantime, the reducing power of M/CdS is utilized to simultaneously generate another valuable product, H2, hence eliminating the necessity of sacrificial reagents and maximizing the energy conversion efficiency. We further demonstrate that, by judiciously modulating the photocatalytic conditions, it is feasible to yield different products with very high selectivity using the same catalyst of Ni/CdS. A series of control experiments were performed to investigate the mechanistic steps of each reaction and highlight the important roles played by both solvent and base in the photocleavage of the β-O-4 bond in lignin valorization.

A MoS2 nanosheet–reduced graphene oxide hybrid behaves as a high-performance and stable catalyst for ambient electrochemical N2-to-NH3 fixation.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) has been shown to both inhibit and to stimulate bone resorption and osteoclastogenesis. This may be due, in part, to differential effects on bone marrow stromal cells that support osteoclastogenesis vs. direct effects on osteoclastic precursor cells. In the present study, we used the murine monocytic cell line, RAW 264.7, to define direct effects of TGF-beta on pre-osteoclastic cells. In the presence of macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) (20 ng/ml) and receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANK-L) (50 ng/ml), TGF-beta1 (0.01-5 ng/ml) dose-dependently stimulated (by up to 120-fold) osteoclast formation (assessed by the presence of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) positive multinucleated cells and expression of calcitonin and vitronectin receptors). In addition, TGF-beta1 also increased steady state RANK mRNA levels in a time- (by up to 3.5-fold at 48 h) and dose-dependent manner (by up to 2.2-fold at 10 ng/ml). TGF-beta1 induction of RANK mRNA levels was present both in undifferentiated RAW cells as well as in cells that had been induced to differentiate into osteoclasts by a 7-day treatment with M-CSF and RANK-L. Using a fluorescence-labeled RANK-L probe, we also demonstrated by flow cytometry that TGF-beta1 resulted in a significant increase in the percentage of RANK+ RAW cells (P < 0.05), as well as an increase in the fluorescence intensity per cell (P < 0.05), the latter consistent with an increase in RANK protein expression per cell. These data thus indicate that TGF-beta directly stimulates osteoclastic differentiation, and this is accompanied by increased RANK mRNA and protein expression.

Development of earth-abundant electrocatalysts, particularly for high-efficiency hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under benign conditions, is highly desired, but still remains a serious challenge. Herein, we report a high-performance amorphous CoMoS 4 nanosheet array on carbon cloth (CoMoS 4 NS/CC), prepared by hydrothermal treatment of a Co(OH)F nanosheet array on a carbon cloth (Co(OH)F NS/CC) in (NH 4) 2 MoS 4 solution. As a three-dimensional HER electrode, CoMoS 4 NS/CC exhibits remarkable activity in 1.0 M phosphate buffer saline (pH 7), only requiring an overpotential of 183 mV to drive a geometrical current density of 10 mA•cm-2. This overpotential is 140 mV lower than that for Co(OH)F NS/CC. Notably, this electrode also shows outstanding electrochemical durability and nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency. Density functional theory calculations suggest that CoMoS 4 has a more favorable hydrogen adsorption free energy than Co(OH)F.

A hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) was constructed by avoiding potential π-π stacking of building blocks with robust and non-coplanar triptycene-based modules. The tailored-fitting interactions were demonstrated by the adsorption of fullerene with a concentration enrichment of ∼420 times in the pores.

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