Nanoscale Janus Z-Scheme Heterojunction for Boosting Artificial Photosynthesis.

Artificial photosynthesis for CO reduction coupled with water oxidation currently suffers from low efficiency due to inadequate interfacial charge separation of conventional Z-scheme heterojunctions. Herein, an unprecedented nanoscale Janus Z-scheme heterojunction of CsPbBr /TiO is constructed for photocatalytic CO reduction. Benefitting from the short carrier transport distance and direct contact interface, CsPbBr /TiO exhibits significantly accelerated interfacial charge transfer between CsPbBr and TiO (8.

Oridonin employs interleukin 1 receptor type 2 to treat noise-induced hearing loss by blocking inner ear inflammation.

NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes trigger the inflammatory cascades and participate in various inflammatory diseases, including noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) caused by oxidative stress. Recently, the anti-inflammatory traditional medicine oridonin (Ori) has been reported to provide hearing protection in mice after noise exposure by blocking the NLRP3-never in mitosis gene A-related kinase 7 (NEK7)-inflammasome complex assembly. Using RNA sequencing analysis, we further elucidated that interleukin 1 receptor type 2 (IL1R2) may be another crucial factor regulated by Ori to protect NIHL.

Engineering a CsPbBr-based nanocomposite for efficient photocatalytic CO reduction: improved charge separation concomitant with increased activity sites.

Metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals have emerged as one of the promising photocatalysts in the photocatalysis field owing to their low-cost and excellent optoelectronic properties. However, this type of nanocrystals generally displays low activity in photocatalytic CO reduction owing to the lack of intrinsic catalytic sites and insufficient charge separation. Herein, we functionalized CsPbBr nanocrystals with graphitic carbon nitride, containing titanium-oxide species (TiO-CN) to develop an efficient composite catalyst system for photocatalytic CO reduction using water as the electron source.

Encapsulating Perovskite Quantum Dots in Iron-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for Efficient Photocatalytic CO Reduction.

Improving the stability of lead halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) in a system containing water is the key for their practical application in artificial photosynthesis. Herein, we encapsulate low-cost CH NH PbI (MAPbI ) perovskite QDs in the pores of earth-abundant Fe-porphyrin based metal organic framework (MOF) PCN-221(Fe ) by a sequential deposition route, to construct a series of composite photocatalysts of MAPbI @PCN-221(Fe ) (x=0-1). Protected by the MOF the composite photocatalysts exhibit much improved stability in reaction systems containing water.

Up-regulation of interleukin-22 mediates liver fibrosis via activating hepatic stellate cells in patients with hepatitis C.

Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is known to play a critical role in liver immunity. However, the role of IL-22 in HCV-associated liver fibrosis is poorly understood. In this study, patients with HCV infection disclosed significant increases in peripheral numbers of IL-22-producing cells as well as in IL-22 plasma levels.

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging for detection of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Objectives: To measure the sensitivity of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and determine the most appropriate b value for DWI; to explore the correlation between the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value and the degree of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma differentiation.

Methods: Preoperative diffusion-weighted imaging and magnetic resonance examinations were performed for 31 patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Tumor ADC values were measured, and the signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, and signal-intensity ratio between the diffusion-weighted images with various b values as well as the T2-weighted images were calculated.

[Effects of clearance of superoxide anion by catechin on the expression of NO and eNOS and apoptosis in endothelial progenitor cells induced by angiotensin II].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of clearance of superoxide anion by catechin on the expression of nitrogen monoxidum (NO) and endothelial nitricoxide synthase (eNOS) and apoptosis in endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) induced by angiotensin II (Ang II).

Methods: The marrow endothelial progenitor cells of Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated and assigned to control (no treatment), Ang II treatment and Ang II + catechin treatment groups. After 48 hrs of culture, the concentration of O2*- in the supernate was measured by the NBT method, and NO concentration in the supernate was measured by the nitrate reductase method; the apoptosis rate of EPCs was detected by the TUNEL method; the mRNA expression of eNOS was detected by RT-PCR; the protein expression of eNOS was detected by Western blot analysis.