The maintenance of terminally differentiated cells, especially hepatocytes, in vitro has proven challenging. Here we demonstrated the long-term in vitro maintenance of primary human hepatocytes ...(PHHs) by modulating cell signaling pathways with a combination of five chemicals (5C). 5C-cultured PHHs showed global gene expression profiles and hepatocyte-specific functions resembling those of freshly isolated counterparts. Furthermore, these cells efficiently recapitulated the entire course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection over 4 weeks with the production of infectious viral particles and formation of HBV covalently closed circular DNA. Our study demonstrates that, with a chemical approach, functional maintenance of PHHs supports long-term HBV infection in vitro, providing an efficient platform for investigating HBV cell biology and antiviral drug screening.
Hydrophilic VOCs (volatile organic compounds) were applied to explore their positive influence on the elimination of the single hydrophobic VOC in biotrickling filters (BTFs). Comparison experiments ...were carried to evaluate the effect of 4-methyl-2-pentanone and toluene on the performance of BTFs for n-hexane removal. The results showed that the existence of 4-methyl-2-pentanone improved the removal performance of BTFs at short gas empty bed contact time (EBRT) of 15 s and low temperature of 10 °C. The degradation of n-hexane in the presence of 4-methyl-2-pentanone was slightly enhanced with a loading ratio of 6:1. When the mixing ratio was greater than 4, toluene significantly promoted the biodegradation of n-hexane with toluene loading rate less than 10 g m−3 h−1. Additionally, The promotion effect was not only reflected in the contents of proteins and polysaccharides, but also in the growth rates of microorganisms in biofilms. This work discussed the detailed effect between n-hexane and hydrophilic VOCs in BTFs, which would contribute to develop a more economical method to improve the removal performance of hydrophobic VOCs in BTFs.
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•Hydrophilic VOCs improve BTF performance for n-hexane at low EBRTs and temperatures.•Both toluene and 4-methyl-2-pentanone promote the degradation of n-hexane in BTFs.•Mass of biofilms in BTFs increased at the presence of each of the hydrophobic VOCs.
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype of lymphoma, whose treatment still has a major challenge of achieving a satisfactory curative effect. The underlying mechanisms also ...have not been fully illustrated.
N
6
-Methyladenosine (m6A) has been identified as the most prevalent internal modification of mRNAs present in eukaryotes, which is involved in the pathogenesis of cancers. It remains unclear how m6A mRNA methylation is functionally linked to the pathogenesis of DLBCL. In this study, we sought to explore the roles of METTL3 on DLBCL development. The results showed that m6A level for RNA methylation and the expression level of METTL3 were upregulated in DLBCL tissues and cell lines. Functionally, downregulated METTL3 expression in DLBCL cells inhibited the cell proliferation ability. Further mechanism analysis indicated that METTL3 knockdown abates the m6A methylation and total mRNA level of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF). However, Wnt/β-catenin signaling was not thus activated. Overexpressed PEDF abrogates the inhibition of cell proliferation in DLBCL cells that is caused by METTL3 silence. In summary, the above-mentioned results demonstrated that the METTL3 promotes DLBCL progression by regulating the m6A level of PEDF.
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•Highly flexible CNTs based monolithic support was constructed via a directional freezing method.•Monolithic CNTs based composite PCM exhibits superior mechanical and thermal ...properties.•Flexible mechanism of monolithic CNTs based composite PCM is proposed.•This design strategy provides a new direction for future wearable fitting-skin temperature-controlled materials.
Currently, most reported composite phase change materials (PCMs) are powdery shape, which require secondary processing for practical applications. Although some monolithic composite PCMs have been developed, their flexibility usually undergoes a remarkable reduction or even complete disappearance when supporting materials are infiltrated with PCMs. To solve this problem, we fabricated a flexible supporting material with a folded layer-bridge network structure by dispersing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in acetic acid solution of chitosan (CS) with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) using a directional freezing method. Then CS/PVA/CNTs (CPC) scaffold was infiltrated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to prepare PEG@CPC composite PCM. The resulting flexible composite PCM displays excellent mechanical properties, such as high tensile strength of 2.42 MPa and bending resistance of >100 cycles. Moreover, it displays outstanding thermal properties, such as high crystallinity of close to 100% and encapsulation ratio of 92.6 wt%. This work provides a simple method for preparation of flexible monolithic composite PCMs for many potential applications, such as wearable fitting-skin temperature-controlled materials.
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•Fe-N/C catalysts were synthesized facilely via in-situ Fe doping and calcination.•Hierarchical porous structure and size of Fe-N/C was adjusted by Fe doping.•Fe-N/C exhibited ...outstanding performance for the degradation of bisphenol F.•Fe-N/C-PMS system showed high tolerance to the pH and water constituents.•Dominant singlet oxygen was identified and activation mechanism was elucidated.
Fabrication of high-performance, cost-effective and environmentally friendly carbocatalysts for environmental remediation is still a challenge. In this study, a series of iron and nitrogen co-doped porous carbon catalysts (Fe-N/C) were prepared through pyrolysis of Fe-doped zeolitic imidazolate framework-8. The catalytic performance of the Fe-N/C was evaluated for the degradation of bisphenol F via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. Fe-N/C at appropriate Fe doping (0.5–5.0%) possessed hierarchically porous architecture with abundant micro- and meso-pores, rich defects, enhanced N doping and conductivity. Compared with N/C, Fe-N/C retained original polyhedral morphology and the particle size could be tuned by controlling Fe doping amount. An optimized catalyst, 1.0%Fe-N/C was obtained, which exhibited superior catalytic activity for the degradation of bisphenol F. The rate constant was 34.0 and 6.1 times of that for N/C and benchmark catalyst Co3O4, respectively. More importantly, the 1.0%Fe-N/C-PMS system was not affected by pH and common water components, and had high selectivity of organic contaminants. The mechanism of PMS activation by 1.0%Fe-N/C was examined with chemical, electrochemical and physical analyses (chemical probes, solvent exchange, ESR spectra and radical trapping). The results indicated that singlet oxygen was proved as the primary reactive species responsible for the degradation. Furthermore, Fe-Nx, pyridinic/graphitic N and structural defects were possible catalytically active sites. This study provides a new insight for development of high-performance carbocatalysts toward environmental remediation.
Abstract
To push the energy density limit of supercapacitors, proper pseudocapacitive materials with favorable nanostructures are urgently pursued. Ternary transition metal sulfides are promising ...electrode materials due to the better conductivity and higher electrochemical activity in comparison to the single element sulfides and transition metal oxides. In this work, we have successfully synthesized porous CuCo
2
S
4
nanorod array (NRAs) on carbon textile through a stepwise hydrothermal method, including the growth of the Cu-Co precursor nanowire arrays and subsequent conversion into CuCo
2
S
4
NRAs via anion exchange reaction. The CuCo
2
S
4
NRAs electrode exhibits a greatly enhanced specific capacitance and an outstanding cycling stability. Moreover, an asymmetric supercapacitor using the CuCo
2
S
4
NRAs as positive electrode and activated carbon as negative electrode delivers a high energy density of 56.96 W h kg
−1
. Such superior performance demonstrate that the CuCo
2
S
4
NRAs are promising materials for future energy storage applications.
Metallic 1T-phase transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are of considerable interest in enhancing catalytic applications due to their abundant active sites and good conductivity. However, the ...unstable nature of 1T-phase TMDs greatly impedes their practical applications. Herein, we developed a new approach for the synthesis of highly stable 1T-phase Au/Pd-MoS2 nanosheets (NSs) through a metal assembly induced ultrastable phase transition for achieving a very high electrocatalytic activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction. The phase transition was evoked by a novel mechanism of lattice-mismatch-induced strain based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to confirm the phase transition on experimental grounds. A novel heterostructured 1T MoS2–Au/Pd catalyst was designed and synthesized using this mechanism, and the catalyst exhibited a 0 mV onset potential in the hydrogen evolution reaction under light illumination. Therefore, this method can potentially be used to fabricate 1T-phase TMDs with remarkably enhanced activities for different applications.
Exotic phenomena can be achieved in quantum materials by confining electronic states into two dimensions. For example, relativistic fermions are realized in a single layer of carbon atoms
, the ...quantized Hall effect can result from two-dimensional (2D) systems
, and the superconducting transition temperature can be considerably increased in a one-atomic-layer material
. Ordinarily, a 2D electronic system can be obtained by exfoliating the layered materials, growing monolayer materials on substrates, or establishing interfaces between different materials. Here we use femtosecond infrared laser pulses to invert the periodic lattice distortion sectionally in a three-dimensional (3D) charge density wave material (1T-TiSe
), creating macroscopic domain walls of transient 2D ordered electronic states with unusual properties. The corresponding ultrafast electronic and lattice dynamics are captured by time-resolved and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy
and ultrafast electron diffraction at energies of the order of megaelectronvolts
. Moreover, in the photoinduced 2D domain wall near the surface we identify a phase with enhanced density of states and signatures of potential opening of an energy gap near the Fermi energy. Such optical modulation of atomic motion is an alternative path towards realizing 2D electronic states and will be a useful platform upon which novel phases in quantum materials may be discovered.
The interplay between solid electrolytes and electrodes is of vital importance to the performance of all-solid-state Li batteries. Recently, halide superionic conductors have emerged as a new family ...of high-performance solid electrolytes, but their compatibility with Li metal, i.e., the anode with the highest theoretical capacity, has not been systematically studied. Here, we investigate the interaction between Li metal and two representative halide solid electrolytes: Li
3
YCl
6
and Li
3
YBr
6
. Both materials are found to form interphases with Li, similar to most solid electrolytes. However, the interphases observed here contain electronic conducting components, which are detrimental to their compatibility with Li. By elucidating this phenomenon, the present study provides guiding principles for improving the Li compatibility of halide solid electrolytes.
The discovery and development of new Pb-free perovskite light-absorber materials that are eco-friendly and stable has become an active research area in the field of photovoltaics (PVs). These ...perovskites are being considered for possibly replacing the Pb-based organic-inorganic halide perovskites in state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells. While the recent effort in this area has led to certain progress, some scientific and technological issues still remain unresolved. Here we provide perspectives on the comprehensive understanding of perovskite toxicity/instability, followed by design strategies for new nontoxic, stable perovskites. We also envision unprecedented challenges in the processing of the promising candidate perovskites that bridges materials design and actual devices. Future research in these directions will open up new possibilities in realizing eco-friendly and stable perovskite PVs for real-world applications.
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Solar power is the most abundant and free source of renewable and sustainable energy on Earth. In response to the pressing need to develop efficient, low-cost photovoltaics (PVs) to harness the solar power, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have recently emerged as a potential distruptive PV technology. However, the state-of-the-art PSCs employ lead-based organic-inorganic halide perovskites as light absorbers, raising concerns regarding their chemical stability and the use of toxic element lead (Pb) that may be released into the environment. Therefore, it is of long-term practical importance to develop eco-friendly, stable, and efficient perovskite materials for future PSCs that can eventually be commercialized. Moreover, discovery and development of these new perovskite materials will have profound implications on a broad range of (opto)electronic applications, including, but not limited to, solar cells, light-emitting devices, lasers, photodetectors, and X-ray imaging.
The discovery and development of efficient Pb-free perovskite light-absorber materials that are eco-friendly and stable has become an active research area in the field of photovoltaics (PVs). Here we provide perspectives on the comprehensive understanding of perovskite toxicity/instability, followed by design strategies for new Pb-free, stable perovskites. Future research in these directions will open up new possibilities in realizing eco-friendly, stable, and efficient perovskite PVs for real-world applications.
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