Lattice matching and halogen regulation for synergistically induced large Li and Na storage by halogenated MXene V3C2Cl2.

Suffering from the formation of metal-ion dendrites and low storage capacity, MXene materials exhibit unsatisfactory performance in Li and Na storage. In this study, we demonstrate that the MXene V3C2Cl2 structure can induce uniform Li and Na deposition. This is achieved through coherent heterogeneous interface reconstruction and regulated ion tiling by halogen surface termination. The high lattice matching (91% and 99%) between MXenes and Li/Na, along with positive Cl terminal regulation, guides Li/Na ions to nucleate uniformly on the V3C2Cl2 MXene matrix and grow in a planar manner. Cl termination proves effective in regulating Li/Na ions due to its moderate adsorption and diffusion coefficients. Furthermore, upon adsorption onto the Cl-terminated V3C2Cl2 monolayer, Li4 and Na4 clusters undergo dissociation, favoring uniform adsorption over cluster adsorption. V3C2Cl2 MXenes exhibit impressive Li/Na storage capacities of 434.07 mA h g-1 for Li and 217.03 mA h g-1 for Na, surpassing the Li storage capacity of Ti3C2Cl2 by three-fold and the Na storage capacity of V2C by 1.4 times. This study highlights the regulatory role of Cl surface terminals in dendrite formation and Li/Na ion deposition, with potential applications to other metal-ion storage electrodes.

Symmetry-breaking-induced ferroelectric HfSnX3 monolayers and their tunable Janus structures: promising candidates for photocatalysts and nanoelectronics.

Designing novel two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric materials by symmetry breaking and studying their mechanisms play important roles in the discovery of new ferroelectric photocatalysts and nanoelectronics. In this study, we have systematically investigated a series of novel ferroelectric 2D HfSnX3 (X = S, Se and Te) monolayers through first-principles calculations. We found that each HfSnX3 monolayer contains a stable ferroelectric phase (FP) and a paraelectric phase (PP). The large polarization (up to 1.64 µC cm-2) in the FP can significantly bend the oxidation reduction potential of water, making HfSnX3 monolayers become excellent ferroelectric photocatalysts. Specifically, by designing a Janus structure to break the symmetry of the PP, we have excitingly obtained a stable Hf2GeSnSe6 (referred to as HGSS) monolayer with triple polarized states. HGSS not only possesses great visible light absorption properties (about 3 × 105 cm-1) as photocatalysts but also successfully solves the dead layer problem previously reported in practical applications. In addition, by constructing a heterostructure with graphene, HGSS has great application in the design of controllable ultrathin p-n junctions. Overall, our study not only predicts a series of potential ferroelectric photocatalytic materials, but also provides valuable insights for designing tunable polarized materials and nanoelectronics.

Severe Symptomatic Epidural Hematoma Following Percutaneous Endoscopic Unilateral Laminectomy for Bilateral Decompression (Endo-ULBD)-Series Report and Management Strategies.

OBJECTIVES: Severe symptomatic epidural hematoma (SSEH) is one of the most severe complications following percutaneous endoscopic unilateral laminectomy for bilateral decompression (Endo-ULBD). Considering that this technique has been performed for a short time, no detailed reports have been recently published. Thus, it is critical to gain a better understanding of SSEH occurring in its postoperative period with regard to its incidence, possible causes, outcome, etc., in order to identify relevant management strategies. METHODS: Patients with spinal stenosis who had undergone Endo-ULBD in our department from May 2019 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Of which, patients with postoperative epidural hematoma were followed-up. The preoperative and postoperative physical conditions of each patient were recorded, and the information related to hematoma removal surgery was recorded in detail. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI), and the results were classified into "excellent," "good," "fair," or "poor" based on the modified MacNab criteria. The incidence of hematoma with different factors was calculated, and a bar graph was used to compare the difference of the indexes related to hematoma removal between cases, and a line graph was used to reflect the trend of the outcome of each patient within 6 months to evaluate the effect of the treatment. RESULTS: A total of 461 patients with spinal stenosis who underwent Endo-ULBD were enrolled in the study. SSEH occurred in four cases, with an incidence rate of 0.87% (4/461). All these four patients underwent decompression of multiple segments, and three of them had a history of hypertension comorbid with diabetes. Notably, one patient had a past history of hypertension and coronary artery disease and was on postoperative low molecular heparin due to lower extremity venous thrombosis. According to the conditions of the four patients, three types of treatment were used. And with timely treatment, all patients recovered well. CONCLUSION: Despite being a minimally invasive technique, postoperative epidural hematoma remains a severe complication of Endo-ULBD. Therefore, during percutaneous endoscopic surgery, it is essential to enhance the comprehensive perioperative management of patients with Endo-ULBD. Signs related to postoperative hematoma must be recognized and promptly managed. If necessary, satisfactory results can be achieved by using percutaneous endoscopy along the original surgical channel to remove the hematoma.

Onboard Sensors-Based Self-Localization for Autonomous Vehicle With Hierarchical Map.

Localization is a fundamental and crucial module for autonomous vehicles. Most of the existing localization methodologies, such as signal-dependent methods (RTK-GPS and Bluetooth), simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), and map-based methods, have been utilized in outdoor autonomous driving vehicles and indoor robot positioning. However, they suffer from severe limitations, such as signal-blocked scenes of GPS, computing resource occupation explosion in large-scale scenarios, intolerable time delay, and registration divergence of SLAM/map-based methods. In this article, a self-localization framework, without relying on GPS or any other wireless signals, is proposed. We demonstrate that the proposed homogeneous normal distribution transform algorithm and two-way information interaction mechanism could achieve centimeter-level localization accuracy, which reaches the requirement of autonomous vehicle localization for instantaneity and robustness. In addition, benefitting from hardware and software co-design, the proposed localization approach is extremely light-weighted enough to be operated on an embedded computing system, which is different from other LiDAR localization methods relying on high-performance CPU/GPU. Experiments on a public dataset (Baidu Apollo SouthBay dataset) and real-world verified the effectiveness and advantages of our approach compared with other similar algorithms.

High-ratio {100} plane-exposed ZnO nanosheets with dual-active centers for simultaneous photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction and Cr(III) adsorption from water.

The development of an efficient catalyst for the simultaneous removal of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) from water is required to eliminate the risk of Cr(III) reconversion in the photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction process. ZnO with large regions of high-energy {001} and {101} surfaces is often used to degrade various pollutants due to its high activity. However, the more readily available low-energy facets have relatively limited its applications. Here, we report a new strategy that employs a high proportion of {100} plane-exposed ZnO nanosheets for simultaneous photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction and Cr(III) adsorption. The mechanism of Zn-O co-exposed on the {100} plane as the dual-active centers to jointly promote Cr(VI) reduction and Cr(III) adsorption was clarified at the atomic level. ZnO nanosheets with a high exposure ratio of the {100} plane achieve a total Cr removal rate of over 90% within 120 min under simulated sunlight irradiation, neutral conditions, and a negligible difference in the band structure.

Clinical Application of Large Channel Endoscopic Systems with Full Endoscopic Visualization Technique in Lumbar Central Spinal Stenosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Recently, large channel endoscopic systems and full endoscopic visualization technique have been used to perform unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (ULBD) treatment for lumbar central spinal stenosis (LCSS). However, various endoscopic systems possess different design parameters, which may affect the technical points and treatment outcomes. The object of this retrospective study was to compare the efficiency, safety, and effectiveness of ULBD under the iLESSYS Delta system versus the Endo-Surgi Plus system. METHODS: In the period from October 2020 to April 2021, ULBD was performed using the iLESSYS Delta system or Endo-Surgi Plus system to treat LCSS. Patients were classified into two groups based on the endoscopy system employed. Patient demographics, perioperative indexes, complications, and imaging characteristics were reviewed. Clinical outcomes were quantified using back and leg visual analog scale (VAS) scores and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at the time points of follow-up. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were assigned to the iLESSYS Delta system group and 37 to the Endo-Surgi Plus system group. In the comparison between the two groups, the Endo-Surgi Plus system possessed a shorter incision length and operation time (p < 0.005), and no statistical differences in other aspects were observed. The dural sacs of both groups were significantly expanded postoperatively compared to preoperatively (p < 0.001). Both groups experienced improvements in VAS and ODI scores at all time points (p < 0.001) and equally low frequency of complications. CONCLUSIONS: Current research suggests that both the Endo-Surgi Plus system and iLESSYS Delta system achieved favorable high safety and clinical outcomes in ULBD for treatment of LCSS. The use of a fully visualized trephine may have increased the efficiency of the Endo-Surgi Plus system. Moreover, the Endo-Surgi Plus system may be associated with a wider decompression range and indications.

Fully Endoscopic 360° Decompression for Central Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Combined with Disc Herniation: Technical Note and Preliminary Outcomes of 39 Cases.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes, feasibility, and safety of endoscopic unilateral laminectomy, bilateral decompression and discectomy (Endo-ULBDD) for central lumbar spinal stenosis (CLSS) combined with disc herniation (DH). Methods: This study includes 39 patients diagnosed with CLSS combined with DH who met the inclusion criteria and underwent surgery for Endo-ULBDD from April 2020 to March 2021. The mean age of the patients, operation time, hospitalization time, time in bed, and complications were recorded. Patients were followed up for at least 12 months. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores for low-back and lower-limb pain and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were evaluated preoperatively, before discharge, and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. To evaluate clinical effectiveness 12 months postoperatively, the modified MacNab criteria were used. Results: The mean age of the patients was 59.9 years, the mean operation time was 82.1 minutes, the mean hospitalization time was 3.7 days, and the mean time in bed was 20.9 hours. The mean VAS scores of low-back and lower-limb pain improved from 5.9 and 7.2 to 2.0 and 1.6, respectively (P < 0.05). The ODI score improved from 56.0 to 16.7 (P < 0.05). The overall excellent-good rate of the modified MacNab criteria was 89.7%. Two kinds of complications occurred in 4 patients (10.3%), including 1 patient whose inferior articular process was excessively removed and 3 patients who suffered from postoperative dysesthesia. No other severe complications were noted. Conclusion: Endo-ULBDD is a safe, feasible, efficient, and minimally invasive approach to treating CLSS combined with DH.

Electronic and optical properties of a novel two-dimensional semiconductor material TlPt2S3: a first-principles study.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted widespread attention due to their unique physical and chemical properties. Here, by using density functional theory calculations, we suggest a novel 2D TlPt2S3 material whose layered bulk counterpart was synthesized in 1973. Theoretical calculation results indicate that the exfoliating energy of monolayer and bilayer TlPt2S3 is 34.96 meV Å-2 and 36.03 meV Å-2. We systematically studied the electronic and optical properties of monolayer and bilayer TlPt2S3, and revealed that they are indirect band gap semiconductors with band gaps of 2.26 eV and 2.10 eV, respectively. Monolayer and bilayer TlPt2S3 exhibit superior carrier mobility (901.63 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 13635.04 cm2 V-1 s-1 for electron mobility of the monolayer and bilayer, respectively) and photocatalytic performance (as high as 1 × 105 light absorption coefficient in the visible light region). Interestingly, we find that monolayer TlPt2S3 has significant hydrogen evolution performance, while in the bilayer, the electron band distribution shows complete oxygen evolution ability, which indicates that the proposed monolayer and bilayer TlPt2S3 are potential novel 2D materials suitable for photocatalytic water splitting driven by visible light.

Computational Screening of High Activity and Selectivity TM/g-C3N4 Single-Atom Catalysts for Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrates to Ammonia.

Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrates (NO3RR) selectively generating ammonia (NH3) opens up a new idea for treating nitrates in wastewater, which not only reduces nitrates but also obtains the valuable product ammonia. By first-principles calculations, we explore the activity and selectivity for NO3RR to NH3 of TM/g-C3N4 single-atom catalysts. Six TM/g-C3N4 catalysts (TM = Ti, Os, Ru, Cr, Mn, and Pt) are selected by a four-step screening method. Ru/g-C3N4 is the most promising of these six TM/g-C3N4 catalysts because of its lowest energy barrier and extraordinary selectivity. The origin of the NO3RR activity of Ru/g-C3N4 is explained from the viewpoint of NO3- adsorption. In addition, the hydrogen evolution reaction has also been implied to be uncompetitive for the poor adsorption on H atoms. This work provides a screening mechanism for finding new catalysts for NO3RR to NH3, promotes the development of NO3RR, and provides a stimulating impetus for further experimental exploration.

[Continuous expression and functional prediction of circular RNA in mouse lung development].

OBJECTIVE: To study the continuous expression and potential function of circular RNA (circRNA), circ4:150439343|150477468 and circ15:73330849|73343359, in mouse lung development. METHODS: According to the stage of lung development, lung tissue samples were collected from mice on embryonic day 16.5 (E16.5), embryonic day 18.5 (E18.5), and postnatal day 2 (P2). Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to observe the morphology of lung tissue. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to measure the mRNA expression of circ4:150439343|150477468 and circ15:73330849|73343359 during late lung development; miRanda and TargetScan were used to predict the target miRNAs of circRNAs, and then GO and KEGG analysis was performed for the target genes to predict the potential function of circRNAs. RESULTS: Type II alveolar epithelial cells were observed in the lung slices of E16.5 mice, with a gradual increase in number. On P2, the pulmonary alveoli expanded rapidly, the pulmonary interstitium became thinner, and the alveolar structure gradually became mature. The results of qRT-PCR showed that the relative expression of circ4:150439343|150477468 was continuously upregulated over time and the relative expression of circ15:73330849|73343359 was first downregulated and then upregulated (P<0.05). The KEGG and GO analysis showed that circRNAs were involved in the Notch, PI3K-Akt, and NF-κB signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Circ4:150439343|150477468 and circ15:73330849|73343359 can participate in lung development through the Notch signaling pathway.

Expression profiles of long non-coding RNAs during fetal lung development.

With advances in neonatology, a greater percentage of premature infants now survive and consequently, diseases of lung development, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, have become more common. However, few studies have addressed the association between fetal lung development and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). In the present study, right lung tissue samples of fetuses at different gestational ages were collected within 2 h of the induction of labor in order to observe morphological discrepancies. An Affymetrix Human GeneChip was used to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were performed. A total of 687 lncRNAs were identified to be differentially expressed among three groups of fetal lung tissue samples corresponding to the three embryonic periods. A total of 34 significantly upregulated and 12 significantly downregulated lncRNAs (fold-change, ≥1.5; P<0.05) were detected at different time points (embryonic weeks 7-16, 16-25 and 25-28) of fetal lung development and compared with healthy tissues Expression changes in lncRNAs n340848, n387037, n336823 and ENST00000445168 were validated by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and the results were consistent with the GeneChip results. These novel identified lncRNAs may have roles in fetal lung development and the results of the present study may lay the foundation for subsequent in-depth studies into lncRNAs in fetal lung development and subsequent clarification of the pathogenesis of neonatal pulmonary diseases.

State of the art of straw treatment technology: Challenges and solutions forward.

Straw as an agricultural byproduct has been recognized as a potential resource. However, open-field straw burning is still the main mean in many regions of the world, which causes the wasting of resource and air pollution. Recently, many technologies have been developed for energy and resource recovery from straw, of which the biological approach has attracted growing interests because of its economically viable and eco-friendly nature. However, pretreatment of straw prior to biological processes is essential, and largely determines the process feasibility, economic viability and environmental sustainability. Thus, this review attempts to offer a critical and holistic analysis of current straw pretreatment technologies and management practices. Specifically, an integrated biological processes coupled with microbial degradation and enzymatic hydrolysis was proposed, and its potential benefits, limitations and challenges associated with future large-scale straw treatment were also elaborated, together with the perspectives and directions forward.

PLOD1, a target of miR-34c, contributes to cell growth and metastasis via repressing LATS1 phosphorylation and inactivating Hippo pathway in osteosarcoma.

Although dysregulated PLOD1 was reported in many cancers, its function in osteocarcoma (OS) progression and potential mechanism are totally unknown. In the present study, we found that the mRNA expression of PLOD1 was significantly upregulated in OS cells and tissues. The high expression of PLOD1 was correlated with the aggressive phenotypes of OS and poor prognosis. Gain- or loss-of-function assays demonstrated that PLOD1 promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of OS cells in vitro, as well as tumorigenicity and metastasis in vivo. We found that PLOD1 inactivated Hippo-YAP pathway through inhibiting phosphorylation-LATS1 (p-LATS1) and -YAP (p-YAP). Immunofluorescence results validated that nuclear distribution of YAP was increased by PLOD1 overexpression and was decreased by PLOD1 depletion. Furthermore, PLOD1 was demonstrated as a target of miR-34c, which inhibited the luciferase activity of PLOD1 mRNA 3'-UTR and PLOD1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels. The expression of miR-34c was downregulated in OS tissues and negatively correlated with PLOD1 mRNA expression. We found that restoration of PLOD1 abolished the miR-34c induced inhibition of cell growth and invasion. More importantly, miR-34c led to upregulation of p-LATS1 and p-YAP, and reducing of nuclear YAP and TAZ in OS cells. The mice tumors, which formed from miR-34c lentivirus vectors, have relatively low expression of PLOD1 and nuclear YAP staining. Taken together, our findings revealed that PLOD1 promoted tumorigenesis and metastasis in OS, and the dysregulated miR-34c/PLOD1/Hippo pathway affected OS progression, providing a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment.

MicroRNA­431 inhibits the expression of surfactant proteins through the BMP4/activin/TGF­ß signaling pathway by targeting SMAD4.

The synthesis and secretion of surfactant proteins (SPs) is an important sign of lung maturation. Furthermore, the morbidity of lung developmental diseases, including respiratory distress syndrome and bronchopulmonary dysplasia which are mainly caused by immature lung development and lack of SPs, is increasing. As is well known, multiple microRNAs (miRs/miRNAs) are able to influence lung development via numerous different signaling pathways. However, few studies examine the association between the miRNAs and lung developmental diseases. A previous study has demonstrated that miR­431 was significantly (F=33.49; P<0.001) downregulated in the lung tissues of Sprague­Dawley rats at 3 time points, embryonic day 19, embryonic day 21 and postnatal day 3. The present study reported that the regulation of miR­431 may influence the expression of SPs. Thus, the further potential mechanisms of miR­431 in negatively regulating lung development were examined in the present study. Stable A549 cell lines overexpressing or knocking down SMAD family member 4 (SMAD4) transfected with miR­431 overexpressed or knocked down, and their control groups were established. Subsequently, the expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), SMAD4 and SPs (SP­A, SP­B and SP­C) at the RNA and protein levels were validated respectively by reverse transcription quantitative PCR and western blotting. miR­431 exhibited a decreased expression, while BMP4 and SPs exhibited increased expression at the mRNA and protein levels in the SMAD4 knockdown group. Meanwhile, the expression of SPs were reduced in the SMAD4­knockdown group via overexpressing miR­431 and increased in the SMAD4­overexpression group via inhibiting miR­431. The present results indicate that SMAD4 negatively regulates the expression of SPs, and that miR­431 negatively regulates the expression of SPs through inhibiting the BMP4/activin/transforming growth factor­ß signaling pathway by targeting SMAD4.

The novel two-dimensional photocatalyst SnN3 with enhanced visible-light absorption for overall water splitting.

Herein, we proposed a novel excellent two-dimensional photocatalyst, the SnN3 monolayer, using first-principles calculations. The stability of the SnN3 monolayer was examined via formation energy, phonon spectroscopy and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The SnN3 monolayer has an ultra-high optical absorption capacity of the order of 105 cm-1 in the visible region, which is 3, 4 and 10 times those of SnP3, MoS2 and g-C3N4 monolayers, respectively. Moreover, it has a higher carrier mobility, 769.19 cm2 V-1 s-1, than the other monolayers; the available electrostatic potential of -5.02 eV and the appropriate band gap of 1.965 eV indicate its applicability as a catalyst for overall water splitting over a wide strain range. The electronic properties of the SnN3 monolayer could also be engineered effectively by altering the external strain and electric field.

Theoretical Insights into Two-Dimensional IV-V Compounds: Photocatalysts for the Overall Water Splitting and Nanoelectronic Applications.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted enormous attention in many fields because of their appealing performances. In this contribution, we perform first-principles calculations on the photocatalytic properties of IV-V compounds, along with the design of a functional Schottky device based on a graphene/SiAs van der Waals heterostructure (vdWH). Our results indicate that eight IV-V compound materials are all excellent photocatalysts for water-splitting reactions with high efficiency of visible light, with the conduction band minimum (CBM) and valence band maximum (VBM) both involving the corresponding band-gap region. It is examined whether a weak acid environment is beneficial for the hydrogen production process. Monolayer GeAs is characterized by an excellent absorption coefficient of up to 105-2 × 105 cm-1 in the visible region. The other nanostructures also have a considerable optical absorption as high as approximately half of 105 cm-1. These illustrate fascinating application prospectives for IV-V compounds in photocatalysis for water splitting under the irradiation of visible light, predicting tremendous significance in the fields of energy conversion and hydrogen production. The graphene/SiAs vdWH nanocomposite at the equilibrium state is featured for an n-type Schottky contact. External strain and electric-field applications are employed to practically present the transition for interface contact between the n- and p-type Schottky contacts or between the Schottky and ohmic contacts, which suggests appealing applications for the graphene/SiAs vdWH as a competitive candidate for functional Schottky devices and nanoelectronic materials.

Differential expression of circRNAs during rat lung development.

At present, thousands of circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been found in cancer and various tissues from different species. However, the expression of circRNAs during rat lung development remains largely unknown. In the present study, circRNA expression profiles were screened in three mixed rat lung tissues at 3 time­points [embryonic day (E) 19, E21 and post­natal (P) day 3] during fetal rat development with circRNA high­throughput sequencing. Preliminary results were verified by reverse transcription­PCR (RT­PCR) at 4 time­points (E16, E19, E21 and P3). A total of 375 circRNAs were differently expressed in E19 vs. E21 (fold change ≥1.5; P<0.05). At the same time, a total of 358 circRNAs were differently expressed in E21 vs. P3 (fold change ≥1.5; P<0.05). A total of 3 circRNAs (rno_circ:chr7:24777879­24784993, rno_circ:chr14:14620910­14624933 and rno_circ:chr3:1988750­â€‹1998592) were characterized by having consistent fold changes (≥1.5) between 3 time­points (E19, E21 and P3) and were selected for RT­PCR at 4 time­points (E16, E19, E21 and P3). Subsequently, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of parent genes of the differentially expressed circRNAs revealed that these circRNAs may serve important roles in lung development. The present results support that these new found circRNAs participate in lung development. Furthermore, these findings may help to clarify the physiopathological mechanism of normal rat lung development, and may further provide a physiopathological basis of lung developmental diseases.

Investigation on photocatalytic mechanism of graphitic SiC (g-SiC)/MoS2 van der Waals heterostructured photocatalysts for overall water splitting.

Two-dimensional MoS2-based heterostructures have been given great attention due to their excellent properties. In this work, using first-principles calculations, the photocatalytic performances for overall water splitting and the photocatalytic mechanism of graphitic SiC (g-SiC)/MoS2 van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) have been deeply studied compared with the previous report. We align common type-II band edges for the g-SiC/MoS2 vdWH in different configurations, which demonstrates that the reduction and oxidation reactions are conducted on different parts in the g-SiC/MoS2 vdWHs. Besides, the built-in electric field induced by the charge transfer at the interface region can be used to hinder photogenerated e-/h+ from recombining, which is advantageous to the availably enhanced carrier mobility and extended lifetimes. More meaningfully, the g-SiC/MoS2 vdWHs all have considerable optical absorption as high as 105 cm-1 in the visible zone and enhanced absorption capacity in contrast to the separate g-SiC and MoS2 monolayers. Furthermore, owing to the contribution of built-in electric field, the g-SiC/MoS2 vdWH in diverse patterns can be used as an outstanding photocatalyst even under near-infrared light with high efficiency. Overall, these findings predict a promising application prospective for the g-SiC/MoS2 vdWHs as extraordinary photocatalysts for overall water splitting reactions, suggesting the valuable significance in the fields of hydrogen production and energy conversion.

Expression and potential regulation of miRNA­431 during lung development of Sprague­Dawley rats.

Deficiency of surfactant proteins (SPs) is the main cause of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and chronic lung diseases. Our previous study demonstrated that miR­431 was differentially expressed between infants with RDS and infants without RDS using microarray analysis. However, the potential role of miR­431 in the development of lung function is still unknown. In the present study, the morphological characteristics of lung tissues and the expression levels of miR­431 were examined at three time points of rat lung development [gestational days 19 and 21 (E19, and E21) and postnatal day (P3)]. The protein and mRNA levels of SMAD4 and SPs (SP­A, SP­B, SP­C and SP­D) were also validated by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR) and western blot analysis, respectively. The expression levels of miR­431 were gradually decreased over time periods of E19, E21 and P3, as determine using RT­qPCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Dual luciferase­reporter assays revealed that SMAD4 is a direct target of miR­431. The mRNA and protein expression levels of SMAD4 and SPs increased gradually in rat lung tissues from E19 to P3. The order of magnitude was as follows: E19, E21 and P3. The present study demonstrated that the expression level of miR­431 decreased in the order of E19, E21 and P3 during rat lung development. The target gene of miR­431, SMAD4, was negatively regulated by miR­431, and its expression levels in the rat lung tissue increased from E19 to the P3. Surfactant synthesis was further increased over the E19 to P3 time period. Further studies are required to determine how miR­431 regulates pulmonary surfactant synthesis by targeting SMAD4.