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A novel alkali metal sodium doped carbon nitride photocatalyst with a tunable band gap was prepared using dicyandiamide monomer and sodium hydrate as precursors. X-ray diffraction (XRD), N 2 adsorption, UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the prepared catalysts. The CB and VB potentials of graphitic carbon nitride could be tuned by controlling the sodium concentration. In addition, sodium doping inhibited the crystal growth of graphitic carbon nitride, enhanced the surface area and increased the separation rate of photogenerated electrons and holes. The visible-light-driven Rhodamine B (RhB) photodegradation and mineralization performances were significantly improved after sodium doping.The possible influence mechanism of sodium concentration on the photocatalytic performance is proposed.

BackgroundExcretory-secretory products (ESPs) released by helminths are well-known to regulate T cell responses in the host. However, their direct influence in the differentiation of naïve T cells, and especially B cells, remains largely unknown. This study investigated the effects of Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces ESPs (EgPSC-ESPs) on the differentiation of IL-10-producing B cells (B10), IL-17A-producing B cells (B17) and Th17 cells.MethodsBALB/c mice injected with EgPSC were used to evaluate the in vivo profiles of B10, B17 and Th17 cells. In vitro purified CD19+ B and naïve CD4+ T cells were cultured in the presence of native, heat-inactivated or periodate-treated EgPSC-ESPs, and the differentiation of these cell subsets were compared.ResultsIn contrast to the control group, infected mice showed higher frequencies of B10, B17 and Th17 cells, and higher levels of IL-10 and IL-17A in the sera. Interestingly, B17 cells were first identified to express CD19+CD1dhigh. In vitro, B cells cultured with native ESPs exhibited a higher percentage of B10 cells but lower percentage of B17 and Th17 cells compared to the PBS group. Moreover, the relative expression of IL-10 and IL-17A mRNA were consistent with the altered frequencies. However, ESPs subjected to heat-inactivation or periodate treatment exhibited an inverse effect on the induction of these cell subsets.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that ESPs released by EgPSC can directly regulate the differentiation of B10, B17 and Th17 cells, which appear to be heat-labile and carbohydrate-dependent.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2263-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Extending the application of photocatalytic oxidation technology to the anoxic removal of organic pollutants that exist under some oxygen-free conditions is attractive but challenging. In this study, oxygen functionalized S-P codoped g-C3N4 nanorods with outstanding visible light activity under anoxic conditions are synthesized using a hydrothermal post-treatment. S and P codoping inhibits the crystal growth of graphitic carbon nitride, enhances the SBET, decreases the band gap energy, and increases the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes, which increases the anoxic photocatalytic RhB degradation constant by approximately 6.5 times. Oxygen functionalization not only increases the adsorption ability of graphitic carbon nitride but also captures the photogenerated electrons to produce photogenerated holes for RhB degradation under anoxic conditions, leading to a doubling of the RhB degradation constant. This study provides new insight into the design and fabrication of anoxic photocatalysts.

Conventional adaptive T cell responses contribute to the pathogenesis of Schistosoma japonicum infection, leading to liver fibrosis. However, the role of gamma-delta (γδ) T cells in this disease is less clear. γδ T cells are known to secrete interleukin-17 (IL-17) in response to infection, exerting either protective or pathogenic functions. In the present study, mice infected with S. japonicum are used to characterize the role of γδ T cells. Combined with the infection of S. japonicum, an extremely significant increase in the percentage of neutrophils in the CD45+ cells was detected (from approximately 2.45% to 46.10% in blood and from 0.18% to 7.34% in spleen). Further analysis identified two different γδ T cell subsets that have different functions in the formation of granulomas in S. japonicum-infected mice. The Vγ1 T cells secrete gamma interferon (IFN-γ) only, while the Vγ2 T cells secrete both IL-17A and IFN-γ. Both subtypes lose the ability to secrete cytokine during the late stage of infection (12 weeks postinfection). When we depleted the Vγ2 T cells in infected mice, the percentage of neutrophils in blood and spleen decreased significantly, the liver fibrosis in the granulomas was reduced, and the level of IL-17A in the serum decreased (P < 0.05). These results suggest that during S. japonicum infection, Vγ2 T cells can recruit neutrophils and aggravate liver fibrosis by secreting IL-17A. This is the first report that a subset of γδ T cells plays a partial role in the pathological process of schistosome infection.

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