Although the fates of microplastics (0.1-5 mm in size) and nanoplastics (<100 nm) in marine environments are being increasingly well studied
, little is known about the behaviour of nanoplastics in ...terrestrial environments
, especially agricultural soils
. Previous studies have evaluated the consequences of nanoplastic accumulation in aquatic plants, but there is no direct evidence for the internalization of nanoplastics in terrestrial plants. Here, we show that both positively and negatively charged nanoplastics can accumulate in Arabidopsis thaliana. The aggregation promoted by the growth medium and root exudates limited the uptake of amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics with positive surface charges. Thus, positively charged nanoplastics accumulated at relatively low levels in the root tips, but these nanoplastics induced a higher accumulation of reactive oxygen species and inhibited plant growth and seedling development more strongly than negatively charged sulfonic-acid-modified nanoplastics. By contrast, the negatively charged nanoplastics were observed frequently in the apoplast and xylem. Our findings provide direct evidence that nanoplastics can accumulate in plants, depending on their surface charge. Plant accumulation of nanoplastics can have both direct ecological effects and implications for agricultural sustainability and food safety.
Three-dimensional (3-D) hyperintegration is an emerging technology, which vertically stacks and interconnects multiple materials, technologies, and functional components to form highly integrated ...micro-nano systems. This 3-D hyperintegration is expected to lead to an industry paradigm shift due to its tremendous benefits. Worldwide academic and industrial research activities currently focus on technology innovations, simulation and design, and product prototypes. Anticipated applications start with memory, handheld devices, and high-performance computers and extend to high-density multifunctional heterogeneous integration of InfoTech-NanoTech-BioTech systems. This paper overviews the 3-D hyperintegration and packaging technologies, including motivations, key technology platforms, status, and perspectives towards commercialization. The challenges associated with the 3-D technologies are addressed, including integration architectures and design tools, yield and cost, thermal and mechanical constraints, and manufacturing infrastructure.
METTL3 is known to be involved in all stages in the life cycle of RNA. It affects the tumor formation by the regulation the m6A modification in the mRNAs of critical oncogenes or tumor suppressors. ...In bladder cancer, METTL3 could promote the bladder cancer progression via AFF4/NF-κB/MYC signaling network by an m6A dependent manner. Recently, METTL3 was also found to affect the m6A modification in non-coding RNAs including miRNAs, lincRNAs and circRNAs. However, whether this mechanism is related to the proliferation of tumors induced by METTL3 is not reported yet.
Quantitative real-time PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of METTL3 in bladder cancer. The survival analysis was adopted to explore the association between METTL3 expression and the prognosis of bladder cancer. Bladder cancer cells were stably transfected with lentivirus and cell proliferation and cell cycle, as well as tumorigenesis in nude mice were performed to assess the effect of METTL3 in bladder cancer. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), co-immunoprecipitations and RNA m6A dot blot assays were conducted to confirm that METTL3 interacted with the microprocessor protein DGCR8 and modulated the pri-miR221/222 process in an m6A-dependent manner. Luciferase reporter assay was employed to identify the direct binding sites of miR221/222 with PTEN. Colony formation assay and CCK8 assays were conducted to confirm the function of miR-221/222 in METTL3-induced cell growth in bladder cancer.
We confirmed the oncogenic role of METTL3 in bladder cancer by accelerating the maturation of pri-miR221/222, resulting in the reduction of PTEN, which ultimately leads to the proliferation of bladder cancer. Moreover, we found that METTL3 was significantly increased in bladder cancer and correlated with poor prognosis of bladder cancer patients.
Our findings suggested that METTL3 may have an oncogenic role in bladder cancer through interacting with the microprocessor protein DGCR8 and positively modulating the pri-miR221/222 process in an m6A-dependent manner. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study that METTL3 affected the tumor formation by the regulation the m6A modification in non-coding RNAs, which might provide fresh insights into bladder cancer therapy.
Natural products, with remarkable chemical diversity, have been extensively investigated for their anticancer potential for more than a half-century. The collective efforts of the community have ...achieved the tremendous advancements, bringing natural products to clinical use and discovering new therapeutic opportunities, yet the challenges remain ahead. With remarkable changes in the landscape of cancer therapy and growing role of cutting-edge technologies, we may have come to a crossroads to revisit the strategies to understand nature products and to explore their therapeutic utility. This review summarizes the key advancements in nature product-centered cancer research and calls for the implementation of systematic approaches, new pharmacological models, and exploration of emerging directions to revitalize natural products search in cancer therapy.
Exploring high‐efficiency and stable halide perovskite‐based photocatalysts for the selective reduction of CO2 to methane is a challenge because of the intrinsic photo‐ and chemical instability of ...halide perovskites. In this study, halide perovskites (Cs3Bi2Br9 and Cs2AgBiBr6) were grown in situ in mesoporous TiO2 frameworks for an efficient CO2 reduction. Benchmarked CH4 production rates of 32.9 and 24.2 μmol g−1 h−1 with selectivities of 88.7 % and 84.2 %, were achieved, respectively, which are better than most reported halide perovskite photocatalysts. Focused ion‐beam sliced‐imaging techniques were used to directly image the hyperdispersed perovskite nanodots confined in mesopores with tunable sizes ranging from 3.8 to 9.9 nm. In situ X‐ray photoelectronic spectroscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy showed that the built‐in electric field between the perovskite nanodots and mesoporous titania channels efficiently promoted photo‐induced charge transfer. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the high methane selectivity was attributed to the Bi‐adsorption‐mediated hydrogenation of *CO to *HCO that dominates CO desorption.
Halide perovskites (Cs3Bi2Br9, Cs2AgBiBr6) are grown in situ in a mesoporous titania framework for efficient CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). A benchmarked production rate of CH4 (32.9 and 24.2 μmol g−1 h−1) is achieved with selectivity values of 88.7 % and 84.2 %, respectively. In situ X‐ray photoelectronic spectroscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy reveal that the inner surface built‐in electric field between the perovskite nanodots and mesoporous titania channels can efficiently promote photo‐induced charge transfer.
The assembly of porous organic molecular frameworks (POMFs), which typically evidence common feasibility and compatibility, purification, and regeneration at practical conditions, remains a strategic ...challenge in modern materials science and is crucial for their favorable applications in biological, medical, and environmental realms. However, instructive knowledge of well‐organized POMF assembly by supramolecular interactions is, in general, ambiguous to date. Nevertheless, a significant advance in controlled POMF assembly has been recently achieved. This Minireview highlights these approaches, with a particular focus on the design of molecular constituents and assembly strategies. We also look beyond the field of solid‐state POMF materials into the assembly and recognition in solution, thus covering recent advances in POMFs based on material design and applications in carbon storage and separation.
Porous organic molecular frameworks (POMFs) have recently been discovered as a new class of chemical materials for carbon storage and separation. The assembly of POMFs by means of primary hydrogen bonding interactions is reviewed based on their applications in both the solid state and solution phase.
•Recent advances in development and innovation of high strength lightweight concrete (HSLWC) were presented.•Novel type of HSLWC (i.e. ultra high-performance lightweight concrete) was introduced and ...reviewed.•Effective strategies for producing HSLWC with different lightweight materials were reviewed.•Functional properties, durability and practical applications of HSLWC were presented and discussed.•An outlook on future research and challenges were provided to broaden HSLWC applications.
Lightweight cementitious composite has been used in construction for thousand years. However, before the Second World War, lightweight concrete was mainly limited to non-loadbearing blocks. With the increasingly demanding requirements of modern construction, especially in harsh environments, there is an urgent need to develop high strength lightweight concrete (HSLWC) capable of loading bearing purposes. The adoptions of supplementary cementitious materials, high-quality lightweight materials and fibers contribute to developing HSLWC, which enable the production of structural components. Numerous studies have been conducted on HSLWC with a compressive strength exceeding 40 MPa and a density below 2000 kg/m3. This paper aims to provide an in-depth review of HSLWC, covering its development strategies, functional and durability properties, and structural applications. Particular emphasis is given to the emerging technology of ultra high-performance lightweight concrete, characterized by low density, ultra high strength and superior durability. Compared to normal weight concrete, HSLWC offers better thermal insulation and fire resistance. The use of HSLWC in structures can increase load capacity and span, reduce seismic inertial forces, and improve structural efficiency. Numerous research and projects have demonstrated the feasibility and advantages of using HSLWC in various construction fields, including high-rise buildings, bridges and offshore structures. The excellent in-service performance of HSLWC in marine structures highlights its durability. To expand the applications of HSLWC in civil engineering, the paper proposes current opportunities and challenges that should be addressed to attract more attentions and foster further research in this area.
•·An alkali-activated cement (AAC) mortar containing waste glass is developed.•·The addition of glass cullet and powder in AAC mortar improves the workability.•·The glass-based AAC mortar has good ...strength and fire resistance performance.•·Combined use of glass powder and cullet in AAC mortar for non load bearing partitions is feasible.
This paper presents a study on alkali activated cement (AAC) mortar produced with waste soda-lime-silica glass. The waste glass was used simultaneously as a precursor and fine aggregates in the alkali activated fly ash-slag mortar. The influences of waste glass in cullet and powder forms on workability, compressive and flexural strengths, fire resistance of the AAC mortar were investigated. The experimental results showed that the workability was gradually increased as the replacement level of natural sand by glass cullet was increased, and it was significantly improved with decreasing aggregates-to-binder ratios. The mechanical properties data indicated that the compressive strength was reduced as the glass cullet content increased. However, for the flexural strength, the optimum percentage of glass cullet replacement was 50%. Due to the low reactivity, a reduction in strength was observed when the glass powder was used to replace the fly ash and slag. Nevertheless, in terms of fire resistance, the incorporation of glass cullet could improve the resistance of the AAC to high temperature exposures (800 °C). In particular, the AAC mortar prepared with the glass powder as a precursor exhibited remarkable resistance to high temperature. The use of waste glass in AAC material was feasible from the mechanical properties and fire resistance points of view.
Regulations currently in force enable to claim that the lead content in perovskite solar cells is low enough to be safe, or no more dangerous, than other electronics also containing lead. However, ...the actual environmental impact of lead from perovskite is unknown. Here we show that the lead from perovskite leaking into the ground can enter plants, and consequently the food cycle, ten times more effectively than other lead contaminants already present as the result of the human activities. We further demonstrate that replacing lead with tin represents an environmentally-safer option. Our data suggest that we need to treat the lead from perovskite with exceptional care. In particular, we point out that the safety level for lead content in perovskite-based needs to be lower than other lead-containing electronics. We encourage replacing lead completely with more inert metals to deliver safe perovskite technologies.
Relationship between pressure and the retention time of AMPs measured from HPLC and implications to membrane-lytic activity and cell selectivity.
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Many short cationic peptides are ...amphiphilic and are often termed antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as they can kill various microorganisms. These AMPs have largely been discovered from nature, but over the past two decades many biomimetic and de novo designed AMPs have been reported, offering a huge variety of attractive properties for further exploitation. Under the current global endeavour of fighting against antimicrobial resistance, it is useful to introduce AMPs to the biointerface research community and compare their modes of action with conventional antibiotics. Because natural AMPs often have long sequences and other biological functions implicated, they can’t be used as antimicrobial agents. However, rational AMP design helps eliminate their shortcomings and more importantly, optimise their structure-function relationship. This review will first introduce the key approaches recently utilised in structural design of AMPs and then introduce the main lipid membrane models such as spread lipid monolayers and vesicles together with the characterisation techniques adopted in early AMP design and development. These studies are crucial towards understanding key factors affecting their efficacy and toxicity. Thus, various interfacial measurements facilitated by different forms of lipid monolayers and bilayers provide valuable support to the selective responses of AMPs to different cell types used in bactericidal assays and cytotoxicity tests, emphasising the link between molecular models and cell models. A number of clinical trials of AMPs have been either under way or completed, demonstrating the huge potential of AMPs in a range of applications.
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