3D porous framework composed of exfoliated ultrathin nanosheets is a hot topic in the field of energy storage and conversion. A facile method to prepare 3D mesoporous C3N4 with few-layered nanosheets interconnected in large quantity via H2SO4 intercalation and subsequent thermal treatment was described herein. The obtained thermally-exfoliated C3N4 (TE-C3N4) was thoroughly characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) measurements. The detailed analysis indicated that TE-C3N4 possessed enlarged inter-layer space, enhanced UV-light adsorption and high specific surface area with 3D interconnected structure composed of ultrathin 2D nanosheets. Compared to bulk C3N4, TE-C3N4 showed an enhanced photocatalytic activity for photodegradation of Rhodamine B under UV-light irradiation and exhibited no significant loss of photocatalytic activity after 11 recycled runs. The pseudo-first reaction rate constant for TE-C3N4 was about four times higher than that for pure bulk-C3N4. The better photocatalytic performance could be attributed to more active catalytic sites, prolonged photo-excited carrier lifetime and shorted pathway of the carriers to the reaction sites.

Endometriosis (EMs) is one of the most common gynaecological diseases in women of childbearing age. Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) is associated with the invasion, migration, apoptosis and prognosis of various cancers. However, the roles of AEG-1 in EMs and its corresponding molecular mechanism are still unknown. In this study, animal models of EMs were established and mice were divided into two groups (n = 10): Sham group and EMs group. The EMs cells were isolated from EMs model. The AEG-1 gene was knocked down by shRNA, while the SOCS1 gene was knocked down by siRNA. Histological changes, AEG-1 expression in tissues and inflammatory factors level were detected by H&E staining, immunohistochemistry and ELISA, respectively. RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to determine the expression level of related proteins. The present study found AEG-1 was up-regulated in the EMs model. Enhanced AEG-1 promoted inflammatory cell infiltration, and elevated the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in EM group (p < 0.05). Besides, AEG-1 overexpression promoted the expression of NALP3, ASC and Cleavedcaspase-1, while decreased SOCS1 level (p < 0.05). Decrease of SOCS1 further promoted the formation of NALP3 inflammasome. The inhibitory effect of AEG-1 on SOCS1 was weakened after the addition of MG-132 (p < 0.01). Furthermore, silencing AEG-1 alone increased SOCS1 level, decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines, thereby inhibited the formation of NALP3 inflammasome. All these results demonstrated that AEG-1 aggravated inflammation via promoting NALP3 inflammasome formation in murine endometriosis lesions.

Background Ivabradine improves cardiac function and clinical outcomes in chronic heart failure (HF) by reducing heart rate (HR), but there is a lack of real-world data on its effectiveness and safety in Chinese patients. Methods We designed a prospective, multicenter, observational study of Chinese adults with HF and left ventricular systolic dysfunction, resting HR ≥ 75 beats per minute (bpm), and an indication for ivabradine treatment. An interim analysis was performed using a cut-off date of 31 October 2019. The primary outcome was change in HR at 6 months after the initiation of ivabradine. Secondary endpoints included change in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class; quality of life (QoL), measured using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ); and adverse events (AEs). Results Overall, 655 subjects were included in the interim analysis. Mean reduction in HR from baseline was 13.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.2-15.2) bpm at Month 1, and 14.5 (95% CI 11.8-17.2) bpm at Month 6 (p < 0.001 for both changes). NYHA functional class and KCCQ scores improved significantly over time (p < 0.001 for all comparisons with baseline), indicating amelioration of symptoms and better QoL, respectively. Forty-four subjects (6.7%) reported a total of 60 ivabradine-related AEs, most frequently phosphenes and bradycardia (both n = 6, 0.9%). Conclusion Treatment with ivabradine for 6 months effectively reduced HR and improved functional class and QoL in Chinese patients with chronic HF. Treatment was well tolerated. Clinical Trial Registration ISRCTN11703380; registered on