Reactive Rate Research Articles

Embryotrophic effect of a short-term embryo coculture with bovine luteal cells

The coculture with somatic cells is an alternative to improve suboptimal in vitro culture (IVC) conditions and promote embryo development. Several cell types have been used for this purpose, but there is no information about using luteal cells in short-term coculture with embryos. Consequently, this study aimed to assess the effect of a short-term coculture of early bovine embryos-luteal cells on the in vitro development and embryo quality. Presumptive embryos were cultured from day 0 to day 2 in medium alone (control) or cocultured with bovine luteal cells (BLC-1). Then, embryos from both groups were cultured in medium alone from day 2 to day 8. The development rates on day 8 were compared between groups. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and proliferation rates were evaluated in day 2 embryos and late apoptosis and proliferation rates were determined in day 7 blastocysts. Our results showed that the coculture with bovine luteal cells increased the blastocyst rate compared to the control (50.4% vs. 29.8%; P < 0.01), but there were no differences in the cleavage rates on day 2. The rate of stage 6 blastocysts was higher in the coculture (37.3% vs. 23.8% control; P < 0.01), without differences in the expansion and hatching rates compared to the control. The ROS level in day 2 embryos was higher in the coculture than the control (82 vs. 57.1; P < 0.05), and the cell proliferation rate was higher in the coculture (48% vs. 13% control; P < 0.01), without differences in the mean number of cells between groups. In day 7 blastocysts, the apoptosis rate decreased in the coculture with bovine luteal cells from day 0 to day 2 (4.1% vs. 10.9% control; P < 0.01), whereas the cell proliferation rate and the mean number of cells did not differ between groups. This is the first report of a short-term coculture of in vitro produced embryos and bovine luteal cells. Our model could be an alternative to increase the efficiency of the in vitro production of embryos in cattle.

Abstract 3522: Both mitochondrial function and composition of BCL2 family proteins determines sensitivity to Cisplatin in ovarian cancer cells and are promising targets to overcome Cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer

Abstract Mitochondria are critical target structures of platinum drugs. To study whether mitochondrial activities of Cisplatin are critical for its cytotoxic function we studied mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial function and composition of pro- and anti-apoptotic BCL2 family proteins in three resistant and three sensitive high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) cell lines. Sensitive cell lines differed from resistant cells by higher mitochondrial mass (MM), higher levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) and higher basal oxygen consumption rate (OCR) levels as well as a higher ratio of pro- vs. anti-apoptotic BCL2 family proteins. Cell death upon Cisplatin in sensitive cells was dependent on induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), induction of BAX-BAK pores and caspases. Genetically alteration of the BCL2 family protein ratio by siRNA mediated knockdown of pro-apoptotic NOXA reduced acute response in sensitive cell lines, whereas knockdown of anti-apoptotic BCLw rendered resistant cells sensitive. In analogy, pharmacological inhibition of anti-apoptotic proteins by ABT737 also completely re-sensitized Cisplatin resistant cell lines. Cisplatin exposure increased MM, mtROS and OCR in both sensitive and insensitive HGSC cell lines. However, these parameters reached higher peak levels in cell lines sensitive to induction of cell death by Cisplatin. Knockdown of PGC-1α (the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis) partially rescues sensitive cells from apoptosis. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of ATP synthase by Oligomycin A blocks MMP and mtROS induction by Cisplatin and inhibits Cisplatin induced cell death. This supports the hypothesis that induction of mitochondria leading to increased release of mtROS contributes to cell death by Cisplatin. We finally tested whether other modulators of mitochondrial function restore sensitivity to Cisplatin in resistant cells. Whereas Complex-I and Complex-III inhibitors did not affect cytotoxicity of Cisplatin, the iron chelator VLX600 had significant synergistic activity with Cisplatin in resistant cancer cells. VLX600 inhibits oxygen consumption almost completely in combination with Cisplatin whereas both compounds had no significant effect on survival when used as monotherapy. In conclusion, cytotoxicity of Cisplatin in HGSC cell lines depends on efficient induction of MM and mtROS. Resistance can efficiently be targeted by modulating the mitochondrial function by VLX600. These observations support the view that mitochondria are attractive targets for increasing Cisplatin activity on cancer cells. Citation Format: Markus Kleih, Simon Heine, Kathrin Böpple, Meng Dong, Heiko van der Kuip, Walter E. Aulitzky. Both mitochondrial function and composition of BCL2 family proteins determines sensitivity to Cisplatin in ovarian cancer cells and are promising targets to overcome Cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3522.

Coenzyme Q10 or Creatine Counteract Pravastatin-Induced Liver Redox Changes in Hypercholesterolemic Mice.

Statins are the preferred therapy to treat hypercholesterolemia. Their main action consists of inhibiting the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Previous studies report mitochondrial oxidative stress and membrane permeability transition (MPT) of several experimental models submitted to diverse statins treatments. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether chronic treatment with the hydrophilic pravastatin induces hepatotoxicity in LDL receptor knockout mice (LDLr-/-), a model for human familial hypercholesterolemia. We evaluated respiration and reactive oxygen production rates, cyclosporine-A sensitive mitochondrial calcium release, antioxidant enzyme activities in liver mitochondria or homogenates obtained from LDLr-/- mice treated with pravastatin for 3 months. We observed that pravastatin induced higher H2O2 production rate (40%), decreased activity of aconitase (28%), a superoxide-sensitive Krebs cycle enzyme, and increased susceptibility to Ca2+-induced MPT (32%) in liver mitochondria. Among several antioxidant enzymes, only glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity was increased (44%) in the liver of treated mice. Reduced glutathione content and reduced to oxidized glutathione ratio were increased in livers of pravastatin treated mice (1.5- and 2-fold, respectively). The presence of oxidized lipid species were detected in pravastatin group but protein oxidation markers (carbonyl and SH- groups) were not altered. Diet supplementation with the antioxidants CoQ10 or creatine fully reversed all pravastatin effects (reduced H2O2 generation, susceptibility to MPT and normalized aconitase and G6PD activity). Taken together, these results suggest that 1- pravastatin induces liver mitochondrial redox imbalance that may explain the hepatic side effects reported in a small number of patients, and 2- the co-treatment with safe antioxidants neutralize these side effects.

Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy is as safe in septuagenarians or elder as in younger women

BackgroundData concerning laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSCP) in elder women are scarce. We compared intra-operative and early-postoperative complications associated with laparoscopic colpo-, cervico-, or hysteropexy in women under and above 70 years.MethodsRetrospective assessment by an independent investigator of a prospective cohort of 571 consecutive women undergoing LSCP in a tertiary unit over an 18-year period. Data included were patient demographics, operative variables, intra-operative, and early (≤ 3 months) postoperative complications. Complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification and mesh complications categorized using the International Urogynaecological Association (IUGA)-classification.FindingsMedian age was 66 (IQR 15, range 27-91) and 204 (35.7%) patients were older than 70 years. There were no deaths. Strategic conversion rate was 2.3% (13/571), the majority because of extensive adhesions yet early in our experience. Reactive conversion rate was 0.7% (4/571). Among 554 patients who had a completed LSCP, there were 20 intra-operative complications (3.6%), mostly bladder (1.3%) and vaginal (1.1%) injuries. Eighty-four patients had a total of 95 early-postoperative Dindo ≥ II complications (15.1%). Most common complications were infectious and treated medically (Dindo II). Clinically major complications are rare (III = 3.1% and IV = 0.2%). Reoperation for suspected bleeding (IIIb = 0.7%) was the most common reintervention, typically without demonstrable cause. Most mesh complications were vaginal exposures. Septuagenarians were not more likely to have an intra-operative (4.0 vs 3.3% < 70 years, p = 0.686) or early-postoperative complication (13.6 vs 16.0% < 70 years, p = 0.455) than younger patients. Mesh complications were also equally uncommon.ConclusionsLSCP is as well-tolerated by women above 70 years as by younger women.

Large-Scale Synthesis of Colloidal Si Nanocrystals and Their Helium Plasma Processing into Spin-On, Carbon-Free Nanocrystalline Si Films.

This paper describes a simple approach to the large-scale synthesis of colloidal Si nanocrystals and their processing into spin-on carbon-free nanocrystalline Si films. The synthesized silicon nanoparticles are capped with decene, dispersed in hexane, and deposited on silicon substrates. The deposited films are exposed to nonoxidizing room-temperature He plasma to remove the organic ligands without adversely affecting the silicon nanoparticles to form crack-free thin films. We further show that the reactive ion etching rate in these films is 1.87 times faster than that for single-crystalline Si, consistent with a simple geometric argument that accounts for the nanoscale roughness caused by the nanoparticle shape.

Multistep magnetron sputtering process and in-situ heat treatment to manufacture thick, fully oxidized and well crystallized YSZ films

In this work, yttria stabilized zirconia electrolyte layers were deposited by reactive pulsed DC magnetron sputtering on various substrates (i.e. silicon wafer, glass plates, NiO/YSZ cermets). The sputtering process was studied by following the cathode voltage and gas pressure evolutions with the reactive flow rate. The substrate temperature was found to play a role on the transition between the elemental and reactive sputtering modes. The influence of the sputtering parameters and deposition conditions on the film properties was investigated. Thick (about 2 μm) and dense deposits were manufactured both in elemental and in reactive sputtering modes. Ex-situ and in-situ heat treatments were applied to promote crystallization and oxidization of the deposits. The oxygen content was evaluated by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy before and after heat treatments which confirmed that fully oxidized material was obtained. Optical transmission measurements on deposits synthesized on glass slides were also performed for a cross check of the oxidation state. X-ray diffraction technique revealed that heating of the substrate is necessary to get a crystallized as-deposited film. However, further annealing is required to synthesize the desired YSZ cubic phase. It has been proved that with the proposed multistep process including in-situ short heating steps, thick YSZ films could be synthesized without any stress cracking as usually observed after complete oxidation. Those films have shown very low leakage rate (6.67 × 10−4 mbar·l·s−1) which is required for the application.

Superimposition of high power impulse and middle frequency magnetron sputtering for fabrication of CrTiBN multicomponent hard coatings

The combination of superimposition and hybrid target powers using a superimposed high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) power and middle-frequency (MF) power system, together with the hybrid of direct-current (DC) and radio-frequency (RF) powers was adopted in this work to grow CrTiBN hard coatings. The flexibility of tailoring the chemical composition, phase, deposition rate, microstructure and mechanical properties of CrTiBN coatings through the feedback control of reactive N2 gas flow rate and the corresponding Ti target poisoning status by a plasma emission monitoring (PEM) system was successfully illustrated in this work. Both the peak current and peak power density of Ti target increased with increasing poisoning ratio, i.e., decreasing PEM set point. The 1.64 times higher deposition rate of CrTiBN films can be obtained when the Ti target status changes from poisoning (PEM set point 30%) to transition regime (PEM set point 70%). Fine and compact film microstructure, and a very smooth surface are fabricated for all films. Each coating shows a low coefficient of friction and low wear rate ranging from 0.46 to 0.49 and from 2.06 to 5.73 × 10−6 mm3 N−1m−1, respectively. The highest hardness of 34.1 GPa, adequate adhesion and wear resistance can be found for the CrTiBN coating as deposited at PEM set point of 40% and Ti target poisoning ratio of 60%.

Composition and optical properties tunability of hydrogenated silicon carbonitride thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

Radiofrequency reactive magnetron sputtering was used to deposit hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbonitride (a-SiCxNy:H) at 400 °C by sputtering a silicon target under CH4 and N2 reactive gas mixture. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry revealed that the change of reactive gases flow rate (the ratio R = FN2/(FN2+FCH4)) induced a smooth chemical composition tunability from a silicon carbide-like film for R = 0 to a silicon nitride-like one at R = 1 with a large area of silicon carbonitrides between the two regions. The deconvolution of Fourier Transform InfraRed and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum highlighted a shift of the chemical environment of the deposited films corresponding to the changes seen by RBS. The consequence of these observations is that a control of refractive index in the range of [1.9–2.5] at λ = 633 nm and optical bandgap in the range [2 eV–3.8 eV] have been obtained which induces that these coatings can be used as antireflective coatings in silicon photovoltaic cells.

Thermogravimetric study of combustion of biomass and anthracite coal by iso-conversional method

The combustion characteristics of biomass, anthracite coal and their blends were investigated using thermogravimetry, and the kinetic parameters and combustion reaction mechanisms were tested by combining the iso-conversional method and Avrami method in order to find out the kinetics characteristics responsible for the combustion of samples. In biomass combustion, two peaks were observed at 332.3 and 472.3 °C, but the reactive rate curve of coal showed one peak with maximum mass loss rate at 552.8 °C. The ignition temperature and burnout temperature of blends decreased, and the ignition index and combustibility index increased with the increase in biomass content. Calculation of kinetic parameters showed that the values of activation energy of blends increased with increasing biomass content from 150.77 to 215.93 kJ/mol. The reaction orders of blends lay in the range of 0.44 and 0.78.

Concept-Oriented Task Design: Making Purposeful Case Comparisons in Organic Chemistry

Acquiring conceptual understanding seems to be one of the main challenges students face when studying organic chemistry. Traditionally, organic chemistry presents an extensive variety of chemical transformations, which often lead students to recall an organic transformation rather than apply conceptual knowledge. Strong surface level focus and rather weak conceptual knowledge is the consequence. Purposefully designed tasks, which help engaging students to “overlook” the structural features, are proposed here as a means to enhance conceptual understanding and the integration of concepts. Following the idea of contrasting cases, broadly used in science education, and mirroring the epistemic practice of organic chemistry, we illustrate how contrasting cases can be embedded in an inquiry process to highlight the influence of electronic substituent effects on reactive intermediates and rates of organic reactions.

Impact of renal allograft nephrectomy on graft and patient survival following retransplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

It is not clear whether renal allograft removal affects the outcome of renal retransplantation. This study aimed to determine the effect of allograft nephrectomy (AN) and no-AN (No AN) on renal retransplantation. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library. Observational studies or randomized controlled trials including renal retransplantation recipients with AN or No-AN were included. The primary outcomes were graft survival, patient survival, acute rejection (AR) and delayed graft dysfunction; the secondary outcomes were positive panel reactive antibody rate and serum creatinine level at 1 year after retransplantation, cold ischemia time and time of hemodialysis before recent transplantation. Pooled estimates of odds ratios (ORs) and the weighted mean difference for outcomes were calculated. A total of 13 studies divided into 20 trials including 1923 patients were analyzed. The No-AN group had a significantly higher 3-year graft survival rate {OR 0.48 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34-0.69], 10 studies, n = 1030} and 5-year graft survival rate [OR 0.65 (95% CI 0.44-0.97), 16 studies, n = 1878] than the AN group. The rates of 5-year patient survival [OR 1.82 (95% CI 1.14-2.90), 5 studies, n = 749], positive panel reactive antibody [OR 3.08 (95% CI 2.08-4.56), 12 studies, n = 1225], AR [OR 1.59 (95% CI 1.21-2.09), 15 studies, n = 1388] and delayed graft dysfunction [OR 1.66 (95% CI 1.20-2.03), 8 studies, n = 879] were all significantly higher in the AN group. Compared with the No-AN group, cold ischemia time was longer in the AN group [weighted mean difference 1.84 (95% CI 0.90-2.79), 7 studies, n = 919]. The rate of 1-year graft survival and 10-year graft survival, serum creatinine levels at 1 year after retransplantation and the time of hemodialysis before recent transplantation were similar between the AN and No-AN groups. We recommend allowing the failed graft to remain unless symptoms dictate the need for surgery. We also suggest donor-specific antibody dynamic monitoring and better human leukocyte antigen matching for improved long-term outcome of retransplantation.

Characteristics and properties of a magnetron sputtered gadolinia-doped ceria barrier layer for solid oxide electrochemical cells

Gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) films are synthesized by direct current magnetron sputtering under reactive conditions for hydrogen production by high temperature electrolysis (HTE). First, the sputtering process is investigated by varying the reactive gas flow rate. Working conditions in elemental sputtering mode (ESM) are adjusted to ensure a high incorporation of oxygen while keeping a high deposition rate. Heat treatments in air are found necessary to stabilize the sub-stoichiometric deposited oxide. The main characteristics of the films (crystallinity, chemical composition, porosity, etc.) are studied by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), optical transmission spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and scratch test and are compared to that of a conventional 2 μm thick GDC layer deposited by screen printing. The sputtered layer appears dense and adherent but kind of blisters are observed when deposited on half-cells. Performances of a thin GDC barrier layer (below 500 nm) sputter deposited on half cells are evaluated. Encouraging results are obtained since performances (i.e. about −1.70 A·cm−2 at 1.3 V and 800 °C in HTE mode) are slightly higher to that typically achieved with a classical manufactured cell (i.e. about −1.65 A·cm−2 at 1.3 V and 800 °C). A degradation rate of about 9% for 1000 h operation (at 800 °C with a current density of −0.5 A·cm−2, GDC layer thickness of 425 nm) is achieved.

Influence of Oxygen Contents on the Microstructure, High Temperature Oxidation and Corrosion Resistance Properties of Cr–Si–O–N Coatings

Cr–Si–O–N coatings with different oxygen contents were deposited by multi-arc ion plating, where various O2/(N2 + O2) reactive gas rates were adopted. The XRD and XPS results showed that the CrN crystals disappeared with the increasing of the oxygen flux ratio to 10 at.%. The microhardness of all the Cr–Si–O–N coatings was approximately 2000 Hv0.05, which were dramatically plummeted compared to that of the Cr–Si–N coatings (≈3300 Hv0.05). The Cr–Si–O–N coatings were annealed under 800 °C and 1200 °C in the air atmosphere for 2 h to study the high-temperature oxidation resistance of the coatings. Meanwhile, Cr–Si–O–N coatings with different O2/(N2 + O2) rates were also used to carry out the corrosion resistance testing using the electrochemical working station in 3.5% NaCl solution under free air condition at room temperature. The results indicated that the coatings containing oxygen were more vulnerable to the high-temperature destruction and more easily corroded in the NaCl electrolyte.

Metagenomics in pooled plasma, with identification of potential emerging infectious pathogens.

Many emerging infectious pathogens are well known for existing in healthy blood donors and could be transmitted via blood transfusion or plasma derivatives usage. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover the pathogens in qualified blood donation to avoid potential threats to blood safety. The objective of this study was to investigate the microbiome that existed in pooled plasma from different manufacturers in Chengdu and Guiyang. Random polymerase chain reaction, large-scale clone sequencing, and bioinformatics were used to investigate the metagenomics and microbiome structure of pooled plasma. Among detected microbiomes, potential pathogens were subsequently identified. After host DNA cleaning, 551 clones were classified as bacteria; 88 clones were classified as viruses, and four clones were considered to be parasites, respectively. Thirteen kinds of bacteria and two kinds of parasites that might potentially threaten blood safety were identified along with six kinds of nonpathogenic viruses. The infection status of one identified pathogen Coxiella burnetii was evaluated in 1638 plasma samples. The reactive rate of immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 was 1.10% (18/1638), the reactive rate of IgG2 was 0.85% (14/1638), and the reactive rate of IgM was 0.98% (16/1638). Some pathogens that were already considered as threats to blood safety were discovered in those pooled plasma such as C. burnetii, Orientia tsutsugamushi, and Plasmodium sp. As a result, we should initiate some specific tests in the endemic area on plasma donors to enhance the blood safety in China.

Suppression of DC-link voltage unbalance in three-level neutral-point clamped converters

Two different control approaches for suppressing DC-link voltage unbalance in Three-Level Neutral-Point Clamped Converters (NPCs) are presented in this paper. They both guarantee DC-link voltage equalization over any NPC operating conditions, i.e. when the NPC feeds or is supplied by the main AC grid at different active and/or reactive power rates. The proposed control approaches consist of either a hysteresis or a proportional regulator, each of which synthesizes the most suitable control action based on the actual DC-link voltage unbalance. Particularly, two different PWM techniques have been developed in order to achieve DC-link voltage equalization successfully, preserving NPC voltage and current waveforms at the same time. The performances achievable by means of both the proposed control approaches have been compared to each other through an extensive simulation study in order to highlight their most important advantages and drawbacks, as well as their effectiveness over any operating conditions. Particularly, both control approaches are validated in the Matlab-Simulink environment referring to DC-link voltage equalization of an NPC that represents the point of common coupling between a DC microgrid and the main AC grid.

Acquired resistance to PI3K/mTOR inhibition is associated with mitochondrial DNA mutation and glycolysis.

Acquired resistance (AQR) to drug treatment occurs frequently in cancer patients and remains an impediment to successful therapy. The aim of this study was to gain insight into how AQR arises following the application of PI3K/mTOR inhibitors. H1975 lung cancer cells with EGFR T790M mutations that confer resistance to EGFR inhibitors underwent prolonged treatment with the PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, BEZ235. Monoclonal cells with stable and increased resistance to BEZ235 were obtained after 8 months treatment. These AQR clones showed class-specific resistance to PI3K/mTOR inhibitors, reduced G1 cell cycle arrest and impedance of migration following PI3K/mTOR inhibition, reduced PTEN expression and increased Akt and S6RP phosphorylation. Transcriptome analysis revealed the AQR clones had increased expression of the metabolite transporters SLC16A9 and SLC16A7, suggestive of altered cell metabolism. Subsequent experiments revealed that AQR clones possess features consistent with elevated glycolysis, including increased levels of glucose, lactate, glutamine, glucose dependence, GLUT1 expression, and rates of post-glucose extracellular acidification, and decreased levels of reactive oxygen species and rates of oxygen consumption. Combination treatment of BEZ235 with the glycolysis inhibitor 3-bromopyruvate was synergistic in AQR clones, but only additive in parental cells. DNA sequencing revealed the presence of a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) MT-C01 variant in AQR but not parental cells. Depletion of mitochondrial DNA in parental cells induced resistance to BEZ235 and other PI3K/mTOR inhibitors, and was accompanied by increased glycolysis. The results of this study provide the first evidence that a metabolic switch associated with mtDNA mutation can be an underlying mechanism for AQR.

THE ELECTROCHROMIC PROPERTY OF WO3 THIN FILM PREPARING BY MAGNETRON SPUTTERING UNDER VARIOUS CRYSTAL STRUCTURES

Tungsten Trioxide (WO3) thin films with a various crystal structure have been fabricated by a magnetron sputtering method. The effect of changing of crystal structure on the Electrochromic (EC) property was investigated. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been employed to investigate morphology and structure. For EC measurement, 0.1M LiClO4 aqueous solution was used as electrolyte, and Pt and Ag/AgCl were used for counter and reference electrodes respectively. WO3 thin film with a various structure has been obtained by changing reactive gas (Ar) gas and O2 flow rates. Fabricated WO3 thin films with 002 and 112 crystal structures have a high Electrochromic (EC) response.

In Situ Carbon Homogeneous Doping on Ultrathin Bismuth Molybdate: A Dual‐Purpose Strategy for Efficient Molecular Oxygen Activation

AbstractSolar‐driven activation of molecular oxygen, which harnesses light to produce reactive oxygen species for the removal of pollutants, is the most green and low‐cost approach for environmental remediation. The energy coupling between photons, excitons, and oxygen is the crucial step in this reaction and still remains a challenge. In this study, a dual‐purpose strategy for enhanced molecular oxygen activation is established by in situ carbon homogeneous doping on ultrathin Bi2MoO6 nanosheets for the first time. The C‐doped ultrathin 2D material exhibits an enlarged bandgap straddling the electrochemical potential of O2 /•O2− and H2O /•OH, without any attenuation of light absorption. An internal electric field and shortened carrier‐transportation distance are also found in the longitude orientation of the nanosheets ([001] axis), leading to a higher density of effective photogenerated carriers localized on the exposed {001} surface. As applied for the nitric oxide removal, the reactive rate over the ultrathin C‐doped Bi2MoO6 nanosheets is 4.3 times higher than that over the bulk counterparts as a result of the increasing reactive oxygen species. This new proof‐of‐concept strategy not only realizes the band structure engineering and charge transportation regulation but also paves a new way to construct highly efficient photocatalytic materials.

Peroxiredoxin 3 maintains the survival of endometrial cancer stem cells by regulating oxidative stress.

Cancer stem cell (CSC)-targeted therapy could reduce tumor growth, recurrence, and metastasis in endometrial cancer (EC). The mitochondria of CSCs have been recently found to be an important target for cancer treatment, but the mitochondrial features of CSCs and their regulators, which maintain mitochondrial function, remain unclear. Here, we investigated the mitochondrial properties of CSCs, and identified specific targets for eliminating CSCs in EC. We found that endometrial CSCs displayed higher mitochondrial membrane potential, Ca2+, reactive oxygen species, ATP levels, and oxygen consumption rates than non-CSCs. Further, we also verified that mitochondrial peroxiredoxin 3 (Prx3) was upregulated, and that it contributed to the survival of CSCs in EC. The knockdown of the Prx3 gene resulted not only in decreased sphere formation, but also reduced the viability of endometrial CSCs, by causing mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, we found that the forkhead box protein M1 (FoxM1), an important transcriptional factor, is overexpressed in patients with EC. FoxM1 expression correlates with elevated Prx3 expression levels, in agreement with the tumorigenic ability of Prx3 in endometrial CSCs. Taken together, our findings indicate that human endometrial CSCs have enhanced mitochondrial function compared to that of endometrial tumor cells. Endometrial CSCs show increased expression of the mitochondrial Prx3, which is required for the maintenance of mitochondrial function and survival, and is induced by FoxM1. Based on our findings, we believe that these proteins might represent valuable therapeutic targets and could provide new insights into the development of new therapeutic strategies for patients with endometrial cancer.

Preparation and Optimization of NbCrN/NbCrON/SiO2 Solar Selective Absorbing Coating

A novel Cu/NbCrN/NbCrON/SiO2 solar selective absorbing coating was successfully prepared by magnetron sputtering. In this coating, Cu, NbCrN, NbCrON and SiO2 act as the infrared reflector metal layer (and as substrate too), high metal volume fraction layer, low metal volume fraction layer and anti-reflection layer, respectively. The effects of the reactive gas flow rates of the absorption layers and the thickness of each layer were investigated and the optimal deposition parameters for the coatings were obtained. Finally the main result is that the best spectral properties with the absorptance of 0.93 and the emittance of 0.07 (25oC) are achieved. The experimental results indicate its potential applications in solar collectors.