Well-designed Te/SnS₂/Ag artificial nanoleaves for enabling and enhancing visible-light driven overall splitting of pure water

Yan, Changzeng,Xue, Xiaolan,Zhang, Wenjun,Li, Xiaojie,Liu, Juan,Yang, Songyuan,Hu, Yi,Chen, Renpeng,Yan, Yaping,Zhu, Guoyin,Kang, Zhenhui,Kang, Dae Joon,Liu, Jie,Jin, Zhong unknown 2017 Nano energy Vol.39 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>To produce hydrogen and oxygen from photocatalytic overall splitting of pure water provides a promising green route to directly convert solar energy to clean fuel. However, the design and fabrication of high-efficiency photocatalyst is challenging. Here we present that by connecting different nanostructures together in a rational fashion, components that cannot individually split water into H<SUB>2</SUB> and O<SUB>2</SUB> can work together as efficient photocatalyst with high solar-to-hydrogen (STH) energy conversion efficiency and avoid the use of any sacrificial reagent. Specifically, Te/SnS<SUB>2</SUB>/Ag artificial nanoleaves (ANLs) consist of ultrathin SnS<SUB>2</SUB> nanoplates grown on Te nanowires and decorated with numerous Ag nanoparticles. The appropriate band structure of Te/SnS<SUB>2</SUB> p-n junctions and the surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles synergistically enhance the quantum yield and separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs. As a result, Te/SnS<SUB>2</SUB>/Ag ANLs enable visible-light driven overall water-splitting without any sacrificial reagent and exhibit high H<SUB>2</SUB> and O<SUB>2</SUB> production rates of 332.4 and 166.2μmolh<SUP>−1</SUP>, respectively. Well-preserved structure after long-term measurement indicates its high stability. It represents a feasible approach for direct H<SUB>2</SUB> production from only sunlight, pure water, and rationally-designed ANL photocatalysts.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Te/SnS<SUB>2</SUB>/Ag ANLs heterostructure is prepared to catalyze overall water splitting. </LI> <LI> The catalyst show impressive H<SUB>2</SUB> and O<SUB>2</SUB> production rate under visible light. </LI> <LI> The structure and efficiency of catalyst shows no degradation after 10 days. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Realistic FDTD Simulations of Plasmonic Properties on Ag Columnar Thin Films as SERS Biosensor

Yan-Juan Liao,Jing-Nan Huang,Jia-Yang Guo,Shao-Ji Jiang 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2016 NANO Vol.11 No.10

Noble metal sculptured thin films are of great interest during last decade as excellent surfaceenhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates due to remarkable plasmonic properties in the visible and near-infrared range. In this work, Ag columnar thin films (Ag-CTFs) have been prepared by the glancing angle deposition technique. Finite-difference time-domain simulations has been utilized to study plasmonic properties of Ag-CTFs with a more accurate model based on binary scanning electron microscope (SEM) images by taking account of the shape irregularities, size distributions and random arrangement. The calculated absorption spectra based on the model of binarized SEM images show the best agreement with the measured spectra compared with models of periodic array with a regular shape. The near-field plasmonic properties are simulated based on the verified model. The distributions of electric field enhancement and hot spots are confirmed to be spectral and polarization dependent. There are multiple resonance peaks from visible to near-infrared and multiple eigenmodes coexist at the same wavelength and electric field enhancement are mainly excited by the polarized light vertical to the gap orientation. The electric field enhancement is found to distribute unevenly in the films with surface-localized feature. The equations to calculate the simulation SERS enhancement factor (EF) and total number of hot spots (tHN) are modified according to the above discussions. The experimental SERS EFs are on the order of 107 – 108 , which indicates the high sensitivity of the films and the simulation SERS EFs and tHNs show good agreement with the experimental EFs. It is found that the SERS performance of Ag-CTFs is decided by both the cross-section structural characteristics and film thickness, which affect the electric filed enhancement and number of adsorbed molecules, respectively. Our work could be helpful in understanding the SERS mechanism and useful to the optimization of metal sculptured thin films for designing SERS biosensor.

The discovery of potent immunostimulatory CpG-ODNs widely distributed in bacterial genomes

Juan Liu,Yan Wei,Yongling Lu,Yangyuling Li,Qian Chen,Yan Li 한국미생물학회 2020 The journal of microbiology Vol.58 No.2

Oligodeoxynucleotides containing unmethylated CpG dinucleotides (CpG-ODN) can be specifically recognized by Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), provoking innate immune responses. Designed according to this structural feature, many synthetic phosphorothioate CpG-ODNs successfully activate macrophages. However, it is difficult to find potent stimulatory CpG-DNA fragments in microbial genomes. Therefore, whether microbial CpG-DNA substantially contributes to infectious and immune diseases remains controversial. In this study, high-throughput scanning was carried out for thousands of bacterial genomes with bioinformatics tools to comprehensively evaluate the distribution of CpG-DNA fragments. A random sampling test was then performed to verify their immunostimulatory properties by experiments in vitro and in vivo. Natural TLR9-dependent and potent stimulatory CpG-DNA fragments were found in microbial genomes. Interestingly, highly conserved stimulatory CpG-DNA fragments were found in 16S and 23S rDNA sequences with multiple copies, while others were species-specific. Additionally, we found that the reported active motifs were mostly nonstimulatory in natural CpG fragments. This evidence indicates that the previous structural descriptions of functional CpG-ODNs are incomplete. Our study has assessed the distribution of microbial CpG-DNA fragments, and identified natural stimulatory CpG-DNA fragments. These findings provide a deeper understanding of CpG-ODN structures and new evidence for microbial DNA inflammatory function and pathogenicity.

Activation of JNKs is essential for BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

Yan Fang Zhao,Jing Xu,Wen Juan Wang,Jin Wang,Juan Wen He,Li Li,Qian Dong,Yan Xiao,Xing Lian Duan,Xue Yang,Yi Wen Liang,Tao Song,Min Tang,Dan Zhao,Jin Yong Luo 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2013 BMB Reports Vol.46 No.8

Chlorogenic acid accumulation and related gene expression in peach fruit

Yan Juan,Su Ziwen,Guo Shaolei,Zhang Minghao,Zhang Binbin,Cai Zhixiang,Shen Zhijun,Ma Ruijuan,Yu Mingliang 한국원예학회 2022 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.63 No.3

To reveal the molecular mechanism in the accumulation of chlorogenic acids (CGAs) in peach (Prunus persica) fruit during growth and development, CGA contents in the flesh of the three peach cultivars ‘Ruiguang 18’, ‘Heiyoutao’, and ‘Beijingyixianhong’ were determined. The expression levels of CGA metabolism-related genes were analyzed based on transcriptome data (RNA-seq). These candidate genes were then screened and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to verify their expression. The results showed that the content of total CGAs, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, in the flesh of ‘Ruiguang 18’ exhibited a decreasing trend during fruit development, and there was a great drop at maturity stage (P < 0.05). The three contents in ‘Heiyoutao’ increased first at stage S2 (P < 0.05) and then decreased significantly (P < 0.05). In ‘Beijingyixianhong’, they stayed stable in the early stages, then total CGAs and 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid decreased significantly at the maturity stage (P < 0.05). RNA-seq transcriptome data analysis and qRT-PCR expression analysis showed that the accumulation of CGAs in fruit flesh was mainly affected by the expression of Prupe.3G100800 (PpHCT) and Prupe.3G107300 (Pp4CL), and their expression levels were highly consistent with total CGA content. Thus, we concluded that Prupe.3G100800 (PpHCT) and Prupe.3G107300 (Pp4CL) are the key genes for CGAs synthesis in peach flesh.

Analysis and characterization of the functional TGFβ receptors required for BMP6-induced osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal progenitor cells

( Yan Zhang ),( De Ying Zhang ),( Yan Fang Zhao ),( Jin Wang ),( Juan Wen He ),( Jin Yong Luo ) 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2013 BMB Reports Vol.46 No.2

Although BMP6 is highly capable of inducing osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs), the molecular mechanism involved remains to be fully elucidated. Using dominant negative (dn) mutant form of type I and type II TGFβ receptors, we demonstrated that three dn-type I receptors (dnALK2, dnALK3, dnALK6), and three dn-type II receptors (dnBMPRII, dnActRII, dnActRIIB), effectively diminished BMP6- induced osteogenic differentiation of MPCs. These findings suggested that ALK2, ALK3, ALK6, BMPRII, ActRII and ActRIIB are essential for BMP6-induced osteogenic differentiation of MPCs. However, MPCs in this study do not express ActRIIB. Moreover, RNA interference of ALK2, ALK3, ALK6, BMPRII and ActRII inhibited BMP6-induced osteogenic differentiation in MPCs. Our results strongly suggested that BMP6-induced osteogenic differentiation of MPCs is mediated by its functional TGFβ receptors including ALK2, ALK3, ALK6, BMPRII, and ActRII. [BMB Reports 2013; 46(2): 107-112].

Electric Control of Friction on Silicon Studied by Atomic Force Microscope

Yan Jiang,Lili Yue,Boshen Yan,Xi Liu,Xiaofei Yang,Guoan Tai,Juan Song 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2015 NANO Vol.10 No.3

We investigated friction on an n-type silicon surface using an atomic force microscope when a bias voltage was applied to the sample. Friction forces on the same track line were measured before and after the bias voltages were applied and it was found that the friction forces in n-type silicon can be tuned reversibly with the bias voltage. The dependence of adhesion forces between the silicon nitride tip and Si sample on the bias voltages approximately follows a parabolic law due to electrostatic force, which results in a significant increase in the friction force at an applied electric field.

Curdione Inhibits Proliferation of MCF-7 Cells by Inducing Apoptosis

Li, Juan,Bian, Wei-He,Wan, Juan,Zhou, Jing,Lin, Yan,Wang, Ji-Rong,Wang, Zhao-Xia,Shen, Qun,Wang, Ke-Ming Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.22

Background: Curdione, one of the major components of Curcuma zedoaria, has been reported to possess various biological activities. It thus might be a candidate anti-flammatory and cancer chemopreventive agent. However, the precise molecular mechanisms of action of curdione on cancer cells are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of curdione on breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Xenograft nude mice were used to detect the effect of curdione on breast cancer in vivo; we also tested the effect of curdione on breast cancer in vitro by MTT, Flow cytometry, JC-I assay, and western blot. Results: Firstly, we found that curdione significantly suppressed tumor growth in a xenograft nude mouse breast tumor model in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, curdione treatment inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, after curdione treatment, increase of impaired mitochondrial membrane potential occurred in a concentration dependent manner. Furthermore, the expression of apoptosis-related proteins including cleaved caspase-3, caspase-9 and Bax was increased in curdione treatment groups, while the expression of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 was decreased. Inhibitors of caspase-3 were used to confirm that curdione induced apoptosis. Conclusions: Overall, our observations first suggested that curdione inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells by inducing apoptosis. These results might provide some molecular basis for the anti-cancer activity of curdione.

중요도 맵과 Mean Shift 알고리즘을 이용한 와인 라벨 검출

진연연 ( Yan-juan Chen ),이명은 ( Myung-eun Lee ),김수형 ( Soo-hyung Kim ) 한국정보처리학회 2011 한국정보처리학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.18 No.1

본 논문은 중요도 맵과 Mean Shift 알고리즘을 이용하여 모바일 폰 영상 내의 와인 라벨 검출 방법을 제안한다. Mean Shift 알고리즘은 비모수적 클러스터링 기술로 클러스터의 수에 대한 사전 지식이 없이도 클러스터링이 가능한 알고리즘인데 실행 시간이 많이 필요한 단점이 있다. 이러한 문제를 해결하기 위해서 입력 칼라 와인 영상에 Saliency Map을 먼저 적용하고 영상의 두드러진 영역을 찾는다. 다음으로 Mean Shift 알고리즘을 이용한 분할 결과에서 얻은 칼라 마스크를 따라 빈도가 가장 높은 칼라영역을 찾고 와인 라벨 영역을 검출한다. 실험결과를 통하여 제안된 방법을 모바일 폰을 이용하여 획득된 다양한 와인 영상의 라벨 영역을 효율적으로 검출할 수 있음을 볼 수 있다.

Normal Estimation for Mass Point Clouds of Irregular Model in the 3D Reconstruction based on Fuzzy Inference

Liu Yan-ju,Jiang Jin-gang,Miao Feng-juan,Tao Bai-rui,Zhang Hong-lie 보안공학연구지원센터 2014 International Journal of Grid and Distributed Comp Vol.7 No.5

This paper presents a fuzzy normal estimate for mass point clouds of irregular models in reconstruction. The irregular model is complex object that some part is smooth and some parts are irregular including sharp features. Therefore, we put kNN and curvature of mass point clouds to fuzzy inference system to divide the kind of point clouds and the output of FIS can determine which part of tooth point clouds belong to. For different kinds point clouds, corresponding algorithm is given. Point clouds in the smooth area are estimated normal by PCA directly and ones in other regions of thin or sharp area are estimated by checker and attach points. This method is simpler than those complex methods used on the whole point clouds directly. The experiment results show that much time is saved and surface reconstruction is very fine than PCA and WLOP.