Developing high-performance electrocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is critical to the commercialization of direct ethanol fuel cells. However, current EOR catalysts suffer from high cost, low activity, and poor durability. Here we report the preparation of PdBi-Bi(OH) 3 composite nanochains with outstanding EOR activity and durability. The incorporation of Bi can tune the electronic structure and downshift the d-band center of Pd while the surface decoration of Bi(OH) 3 can facilitate the oxidative removal of CO and other carbonaceous intermediates. As a result, the nanochains manifest an exceptional mass activity (5.30 A mg Pd −1 , 4.6-fold higher than that of commercial Pd/C) and outstanding durability (with a retained current density of ∼1.00 A mg Pd −1 after operating for 20 000 s). More importantly, the nanochain catalyst can be reactivated, and negligible activity loss has been observed after operating for 200 000 s with periodic reactivation, making it one of the best EOR catalysts.

Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to have critical regulatory roles in tumor biology. However, their contribution to melanoma remains largely unknown. Methods CircRNAs derived from oncogene CD151 were detected and verified by analyzing a large number of melanoma samples through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Melanoma cells were stably transfected with lentiviruses using circ_0020710 interference or overexpression plasmid, and then CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing, transwell invasion assays, and mouse xenograft models were employed to assess the potential role of circ_0020710. RNA immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter assay and fluorescence in situ hybridization were used to evaluate the underlying mechanism of circ_0020710. Results Our findings indicated that circ_0020710 was generally overexpressed in melanoma tissues, and high level of circ_0020710 was positively correlated with malignant phenotype and poor prognosis of melanoma patients. Elevated circ_0020710 promoted melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that high level of circ_0020710 could upregulate the CXCL12 expression via sponging miR-370-3p. CXCL12 downregulation could reverse the malignant behavior of melanoma cells conferred by circ_0020710 over expression. Moreover, we also found that elevated circ_0020710 was correlated with cytotoxic lymphocyte exhaustion, and a combination of AMD3100 (the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis inhibitor) and anti-PD-1 significantly attenuated tumor growth. Conclusions Elevated circ_0020710 drives tumor progression via the miR-370-3p/CXCL12 axis, and circ_0020710 is a potential target for melanoma treatment.

Metastasis to the liver is a main factor in colorectal cancer mortality. Previous studies suggest that chronic psychological stress is important in cancer progression, but its effect on liver metastasis has not been investigated. To address this, we established a liver metastasis model in BALB/c nude mice to investigate the role of chronic stress in liver metastasis. Our data suggest that chronic stress elevates catecholamine levels and promotes liver metastasis. Chronic stress was also associated with increased tumor associated macrophages infiltration into the primary tumor and increased the expression of metastatic genes. Interestingly, β-blocker treatment reversed the effects of chronic stress on liver metastasis. Our results suggest the β-adrenergic signaling pathway is involved in regulating colorectal cancer progression and liver metastasis. Additionally, we submit that adjunctive therapy with a β-blocker may complement existing colorectal cancer therapies.

Both the patient risk model and the nodule risk model, developed for the early diagnosis of lung cancer, demonstrated excellent discrimination, allowing for the stratification of patients with different levels of lung cancer risk. These new models are applicable in high-risk Chinese populations. Cancer 2018;124:262-70. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Dinuclear aluminum methyl complexes stabilized by piperidyl-phenolato ligands were prepared and characterized. The ring-opening polymerizations of cyclohexene oxide (CHO) and propylene oxide (PO) initiated by dinuclear complexes and mononuclear analogues were investigated and compared. Enhanced activity of dinuclear complexes compared to that of mononuclear analogues in both the ring-opening polymerization of CHO and PO proves the synergistic interaction of two Al centers in the former. End-group analysis of oligomers by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry confirms the role of methyl groups as initiating groups. A bimetallic mechanism is proposed, in which the cooperation of two Al centers are involved in polymerization processes.

The polyselenidoarsenates [Fe(phen)(3)][As(2)Se(6)] (1), [Zn(phen)(dien)][As(2)Se(6)]·2phen (2), [{Mn(phen)(2)}(2)(μ-η(2),η(2)-AsSe(4))](2)[As(2)Se(6)]·H(2)O (3), and [Ni(phen)(3)][As(2)Se(2)(μ-Se(3))(μ-Se(5))] (4) (dien = diethylenetriamine and phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) were prepared by the reaction of As(2)O(3), Se, dien, and phen in the presence of transition metals in a methanol solvent under solvothermal conditions. Compounds 1-3 consist of [As(2)Se(6)](2-) anions with [Fe(phen)(3)](2+), [Zn(phen)(dien)](2+), and [{Mn(phen)(2)}(2)(μ-η(2),η(2)-AsSe(4))](+) complex counter cations, respectively. The [As(2)Se(6)](2-) anion is formed from two As(III)Se(3) trigonal pyramids linked through two Se-Se bonds. Compound 3 is the first example of a mixed-valent selenidoarsenate(III,V) and exhibits the coexistence of As(III)Se(3) trigonal pyramidal and As(V)Se(4) tetrahedral units. Compound 4 is composed of a helical chain of [As(2)Se(2)(μ-Se(3))(μ-Se(5))(2-)](∞) and octahedral [Ni(phen)(3)](2+) cations. The [As(2)Se(2)(μ-Se(3))(μ-Se(5))(2-)](∞) chain is constructed from AsSe(+) units alternatively linked by μ-Se(3)(2-) and μ-Se(5)(2-) bridging ligands. When the structures of compounds 1-4 are compared, the transition metal ions show different structural directing effects during the synthesis of arsenic polyselenides in methanol. Compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4 exhibit semiconducting properties with band gaps of 1.88, 2.29, 1.82, and 2.01 eV, respectively.

Semiconducting bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) nanoplates with unique highly oriented {001} surfaces were prepared on a large scale using a novel organic precursor Bi(DTCA)3 (DTCA = carbazole-9-carbodithioic acid). The as-prepared Bi2S3 nanoplates were dispersed in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and spin-coated onto an indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate. With a simple ITO/Bi2S3/Al stacked structure, the fabricated sandwich-like memory device demonstrates dynamic random access memory (DRAM) characteristics with a maximum ON/OFF current ratio up to 10(6) and a long retention time. It is suggested that the volatile nature of the memory device comes from the Schottky contact between the Bi2S3 nanoplates and the Al electrodes.

Two types of 4f-3d thiostannates with general formula [Hen]₂[Ln(en)₄(CuSn₃S₉)]∙0.5 en (Ln1; Ln=La, 1; Ce, 2) and [Hen]₄[Ln(en)₄]₂[Cu₆Sn₆S₂₀]∙3 en (Ln2; Ln=Nd, 3; Gd, 4; Er, 5) were prepared by reactions of Ln₂O₃, Cu, Sn, and S in ethylenediamine (en) under solvothermal conditions between 160 and 190 °C. However, reactions performed in the range from 120 to 140 °C resulted in crystallization of [Sn₂S₆]⁴⁻) compounds and CuS powder. In 1 and 2, three SnS₄ tetrahedra and one CuS₃ triangle are joined by sharing sulfur atoms to form a novel [CuSn₃S₉]⁵⁻ cluster that coordinates to the Ln(3+) ion of [Ln(en)₄]³⁺ (Ln=La, Ce) as a monodentate ligand. The [CuSn₃S₉]⁵⁻ unit is the first thio-based heterometallic adamantane-like cluster coordinating to a lanthanide center. In 3-5, six SnS₄ tetrahedra and six CuS₃ triangles are connected by sharing common sulfur atoms to form the ternary [Cu₆Sn₆S₂₀ ]¹⁰⁻ cluster, in which a Cu₆ core is enclosed by two Sn₃S₁₀ fragments. The topological structure of the novel Cu₆ core can be regarded as two Cu₄ tetrahedra joined by a common edge. The Ln³⁺ ions in Ln1 and Ln2 are in nine- and eightfold coordination, respectively, which leads to the formation of the [CuSn₃S9]⁵⁻ and [Cu₆Sn₆S₂₀]¹⁰⁻ clusters under identical synthetic conditions. The syntheses of Ln1 and Ln2 show the influence of the lanthanide contraction on the quaternary Ln/Cu/Sn/S system in ethylenediamine. Compounds 1-5 exhibit bandgaps in the range of 2.09-2.48 eV depending on the two different types of clusters in the compounds. Compounds 1, 3, and 4 lost their organic components in the temperature range of 110-350 °C by multistep processes.