Efficient solar steam generation and concurrent salt harvesting from saline water were achieved with both continuous operation and long-term stability.
The
synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
from H2O and O2 by metal-free photocatalysts
(e.g., graphitic carbon nitride, C3N4) is a
potentially promising approach to generate H2O2. However, the photocatalytic H2O2 generation
activity of the pristine C3N4 in pure H2O is poor due to unpropitious rapid charge recombination and
unfavorable selectivity. Herein, we report a facile method to boost
the photocatalytic H2O2 production by grafting
cationic polyethylenimine (PEI) molecules onto C3N4. Experimental results and density functional theory (DFT)
calculations demonstrate PEI can tune the local electronic environment
of C3N4. The unique intermolecular electronic
interaction in PEI/C3N4 not only improves the
electron–hole separation but also promotes the two-electron
O2 reduction to H2O2 via the sequential
two-step single-electron reduction route. With the synergy of improved
charge separation and high selectivity of two-electron O2 reduction, PEI/C3N4 exhibits an unexpectedly
high H2O2 generation activity of 208.1 μmol
g–1 h–1, which is 25-fold higher
than that of pristine C3N4. This study establishes
a paradigm of tuning the electronic property of C3N4 via functional molecules for boosted photocatalysis activity
and selectivity.
energy storage and conversion devices, [26][27][28] as outlined in recent reviews (Figure 1, left). [29] Behind these applications lie a fundamental question: how water and ion transport are controlled in the laminar structure to obtain desired selectivity. A comprehensive summary of structure-transport relation is thereby imperative to understand and optimize membrane selective performance, but is so far lacking. In such context, our review aims to fill this gap by discussing: 1) how 2D materials with specific physicochemical features are assembled into laminar membranes; 2) most importantly, how membrane structure, and its response to external impacts, can tune mass transport (herein, water and ions); 3) how these transport mechanisms translate into selectivity in applications, and into future design of high-performance laminar membranes. Unsolved problems and emerging challenges around these topics are then concluded. We note that the knowledge summarized here can also, at least partly, assist the understanding of the selective gas, liquid, and micromolecule transport through laminar membranes, which are gaining considerable attention as well. [30][31][32] Transition Metal Carbides and/or Nitrides (MXene): MXene nanosheets are etched and delaminated from parent bulk MAX to M n+1 X n T x (e.g., Ti 3 C 2 T x ), and have thus several atom sublayers. [39] While M and X are early transition metal
Voltage-gated nanofluidic systems have shown a wide range of potential applications in biosensors, energy harvest, and separation. Two-dimensional (2D) nanofluidic membranes fabricated with electrically conductive nanosheets have high ion conductivity and voltagegated ion transport behaviors. However, the voltage-gating effect of the sub-nanometer-sized 2D channel membranes has not been well-investigated. In this work, a highperformance voltage-gated 2D nanofluidic device is constructed by assembling MXene nanosheets into a laminar membrane with sub-1 nm interlayer channels. By applying external voltage to the membrane, the ion conductivity of the device is enhanced by positive voltages and reduced by negative voltages, exhibiting a high voltagegating on−off ratio of ∼10. The on−off ratio is found to be dependent on ion concentration and ion species. This work demonstrates that 2D membranes with interlayer spacings comparable to those of hydrated ion diameters can achieve high and tunable voltage-gating function, which provides a strategy to construct devices for highly efficient on-demand ion transport.
In
this study, a tissue-engineered trachea, consisting of multilevel
structural electrospun polylactide (PLA) membranes enveloping 3D-printed
thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) skeletons, was developed to create
a mechanically robust, antibacterial and bioresorbable graft for the
tracheal reconstruction. The study design incorporated two distinct
uses of stereocomplex PLA: patterned electrospun fibers to enhance
tissue integration compared to the random layered fibers, meanwhile
possessing good antibacterial property; and 3D-printed TPU scaffold
with elasticity to provide external support and protection. Herein,
ionic liquid (IL)-functioned graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized and
presented enhanced mechanical and hydrophilicity properties. More
interesting, antibacterial activity of the GO-g-IL
modified PLA membranes were proved by Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, showing
superior antibacterial effect compared to single GO or IL. The synergistic
antibacterial effect could be related to that GO break cytomembrane
of bacteria by its extremely sharp edges, while IL works by electrostatic
interaction between its cationic structures and electronegative phosphate
groups of bacteria membranes, leading to the loss of cell electrolyte
and cell death. Hence, after L929 fibroblast cells were seeded on
patterned fibrous membranes with phenotypic shape, further effective
cell infiltration, cell proliferation and attachment were observed.
In addition, the tissue-engineered trachea scaffolds were implanted
into rabbit models. The in vivo result confirmed
that the scaffolds with patterned membranes manifested favorable biocompatibility
and promoted tissue regeneration.
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a great health burden to patients owing to its poor overall survival rate. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) interact with microRNAs (miRs) to participate in tumorigenesis. Therefore, we aim to uncover the role and related mechanism of LINC00473 in PC through the modulation of miR-195-5p and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). Increased LINC00473 and PD-L1 but declined miR-195-5p were determined in PC tissues and cell lines, and it was found that LINC00473 mainly situated in the cytoplasm. Also, miR-195-5p was verified to bind with both LINC00473 and PD-L1. Next, with the aim to examine the ability of LINC00473, miR-195-5p, and PD-L1 on the PC progression, the expression of LINC00473, miR-195-5p and PD-L1 were altered with mimics, inhibitors, overexpression vectors or siRNAs in PC cells and cocultured CD8 + T cells. It was demonstrated that LINC00473 sponged miR-195-5p to upregulate PD-L1 expression. More important, the obtained results revealed that LINC00473 silencing or miR-195-5p upregulation elevated the expression of Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), interferon (IFN)-γ, and interleukin (IL)-4 but reduced the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and IL-10, thus inducing the enhancement of the apoptosis as along with the inhibition of proliferation, invasion, and migration of the PC cells. LINC00473 silencing or miR-195-5p elevation activated the CD8 + T cells. Taken together, LINC00473 silencing blocked the PC progression through enhancing miR-195-5p-targeted downregulation of PD-L1. This finding offers new therapeutic options for treating this devastating disease. K E Y W O R D S CD8+ T cells, LINC00473, microRNA-195-5p, pancreatic cancer, programmed death-ligand 1
• Elastography parameters after the second NACT cycle showed the best diagnostic performances. • SWE and SE yielded similar diagnostic performances in predicting favourable responses. • SWE performed better than SE in predicting the pathological resistance to NACT. • Discrepant results may be due to the breast thickness and lesion depth.
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