Microdrop-confined synthesis and regulation of porous hollow Ir-based catalysts for the mass transfer-enhanced electrolysis of pure water.

Maximally exploiting the active sites of iridium catalysts is essential for building low-cost proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers for green H2 production. Herein, we report a novel microdrop-confined fusion/blasting (MCFB) strategy for fabricating porous hollow IrO1-x microspheres (IrO1-x-PHM) by introducing explosive gas mediators from a NaNO3/glucose mixture. Moreover, the developed MCFB strategy is demonstrated to be general for synthesizing a series of Ir-based composites, including Ir-Cu, Ir-Ru, Ir-Pt, Ir-Rh, Ir-Pd, and Ir-Cu-Pd and other noble metals such as Rh, Ru, and Pt. The hollow structures can be regulated using different organics with NaNO3. The assembled PEM electrolyzer with IrO1-x-PHM as the anode catalyst (0.5 mg/cm2) displays an impressive polarization voltage of 1.593 and 1.726 V at current densities of 1 and 2A/cm2, respectively, outperforming commercial IrOx catalysts and most of the ever-reported iridium catalysts with such low catalyst loading. More importantly, the breakdown of the polarization loss indicates that the improved performance is due to the facilitated mass transport induced by the hollowness. This study offers a versatile platform for fabricating efficient Ir-based catalysts for PEM electrolyzers and beyond.

Effect of a Superabsorbent Polymer (Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid) on Water and Salt Transport in Saline Soils under the Influence of Multiple Factors.

In order to effectively suppress the negative effects of salt ions contained in saline soils on agricultural soil quality and crop growth, this study took advantage of the water-saving properties and better soil improvement properties of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA). By carrying out various experiments, the following relationships have been found. (1) The lab experiment studies the effect of the γ-PGA application on the infiltration of sandy loam soil. The application rates of γ-PGA are 0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%, respectively. (2) HYDRUS-1D is used to simulate water infiltration of sandy loam soil under multiple factors (bulk density, γ-PGA application rate, and the application depth of γ-PGA). (3) The effect of γ-PGA on soil solute (Cl−) transport is also explored in this paper. The results show that bulk density and the application depth of γ-PGA (p < 0.01) have higher effects on cumulative infiltration than the application amount of γ-PGA (p < 0.05). A lower γ-PGA application rate will increase the proportion of unavailable soil water by 3%. The established empirical models have good results. Furthermore, when the γ-PGA application rate is 0.3% (0.02-cm2 min−1), the Cl− hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient is the highest. The study recommends applying the γ-PGA at 1.4 g cm−3, 5−20 cm, and 0.2%. The results of this study are conducive to an in-depth understanding of the physicochemical properties of poly-γ-glutamic acid, improving the utilization rate of salinized land, achieving agricultural water and fertilizer conservation and yield enhancement, and guaranteeing sustainable land use and sustainable development of agroecological environment.

Variations in growth, water consumption and economic benefit of transplanted cotton after winter wheat harvest subjected to different irrigation methods.

In the North China Plain (NCP), the utilization efficiency of cultivated land can be improved by transplanted cotton after winter wheat harvest (TCWWH). To understand the growth, water consumption and economic benefit of TCWWH under different irrigation methods, an irrigation experiment was carried out during 2013-2015 to explore the effects of border irrigation (BI), surface drip irrigation (SDI) and micro-sprinkling hose irrigation (MHI) on the plant development, water use efficiency (WUE) and economic benefit of TCWWH. The results showed that the survival rate of cotton seedlings in the SDI treatment was 12% and 7% larger than that in the BI and the MHI treatments, respectively. SDI increased plant height by 19% and 8% and increased leaf area index (LAI) by 24% and 17%, compared with BI and MHI, respectively. The highest seed cotton yield and better fibre quality were obtained in the SDI treatment, compared to the BI and the MHI treatments. Compared with BI and MHI, SDI reduced the soil evaporation and evapotranspiration (ET) in the field, and resulted in the largest WUE. The net profit generated by the SDI treatment exceeded that of the BI and the MHI treatments by 183% and 23%, respectively. Therefore, SDI can promote the growth of TCWWH and can increase the WUE and the economic benefit of TCWWH, compared with BI and MHI.

Long Non-Coding RNA LINC00525 Promotes the Stemness and Chemoresistance of Colorectal Cancer by Targeting miR-507/ELK3 Axis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the effects of a long non-coding RNA, LINC00525, on colorectal cancer (CRC) and its underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: The qPCR, MTT, colony formation, Western blotting, Luciferase reporter and biotin pull-down, shRNA knockdown and DNA fragmentation assays were performed in this study. RESULTS: High expressions of LINC00525 were associated with poor prognosis of CRC patients. LINC00525 knockdown decreased stemness properties and increased sensitivities to oxaliplatin. MiR-507 was a direct target of LINC00525 and overexpression of miR-507 significantly decreased abilities of tumorsphere formation and cell growth. Overexpression of miR-507 resulted in a decrease of expression of cancer stem cell markers and the increase of apoptosis rates. MiR-507 regulated the expression of ELK3. In addition, LINC00525 knockdown decreased the expression of ELK3. Restoration of ELK3 expression abrogated the effects of LINC00525 knockdown. LINC00525 could be served as prognostic marker of CRC. CONCLUSIONS: LINC00525 enhanced stemness properties and increased sensitivities of CRC cells to oxaliplatin by targeting miR-507/ELK3 axis.

Long noncoding RNA NEAT1 regulates the development of osteosarcoma through sponging miR-34a-5p to mediate HOXA13 expression as a competitive endogenous RNA.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) exerts a potential regulatory role in tumorigenesis. LncRNA NEAT1 expression remains high in osteosarcoma tissues. However, its biological mechanism in osteosarcoma remains unknown. METHODS: In this study, NEAT1 expression in osteosarcoma cells was detected by qRT-PCR. Proliferative and apoptosis potentials of osteosarcoma cells were determined by CCK-8 assay and Flow Cytometry, respectively. We identified the potential target of NEAT1 through bioinformatics and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Furthermore, their interaction and functions in regulating the development of osteosarcoma were clarified by Western blot and RIP assay. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated a high expression of NEAT1 in osteosarcoma tissues and cells. Overexpression of NEAT1 markedly accelerated proliferative and reduced apoptosis potentials of osteosarcoma cells. Besides, NEAT1 could positively regulate the expression of HOXA13 by competing with miR-34a-5p. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that NEAT1 participated in the development of osteosarcoma as a ceRNA to competitively bind to miR-34a-5p and thus mediate HOXA13 expression.

MiR-195 suppresses colon cancer proliferation and metastasis by targeting WNT3A.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a novel class of diagnostic and therapeutic target in cancer. Here, we aimed to explore the effects and mechanism of miR-195 regulation in colon cancer. The expressions of several putative miRNAs in colon tumors, compared to those in normal tissues, were investigated by bioinformatical analysis of a Gene Expression Omnibus database. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the identified changes in normal tissues, primary tumors, and metastatic tumors. MTT, soft agar colony formation, and transwell assays were used to evaluate the effects of miR-195 overexpression or inhibition on cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion. Targets of miR-195 were identified by TargetScan, and subsequently verified by qRT-PCR and Western blot. The role of miR-195 in the ß-catenin pathway was also studied using RT-PCR and Western blot. MiR-195 expression was downregulated in colon carcinoma tissues and negatively correlated with the metastatic potential. While transfecting miR-195 mimics decreased the proliferation, migration, and invasion of colon cancer cells, miR-195 inhibition exerted opposing effects. WNT3A was identified as a direct target of miR-195. ß-catenin was also downregulated by miR-195 in colon cancers. MiR-195 downregulation is associated with the enhanced proliferation, migration, and invasion of colon cancer. MiR-195 directly downregulates WNT3A. Our results indicate that miR-195 is a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for improving the clinical management of colon cancer.