Search

Sulfur doping is a promising path to ameliorate the kinetics of carbon-based anodes. However, the similar electronegativity of sulfur and carbon and the poor thermal stability of sulfur severely restrict the development of high-sulfur-content carbon-based anodes. In this work, ultra-high sulfur-doped hierarchical porous hollow carbon spheres (SHCS) with a sulfur content of 6.8 at % are synthesized via a direct high-temperature sulfur-doping strategy. An SHCS has sulfur bonded to the carbon framework including C-S-C and C-SOx-C, which enlarges its interlayer distance (0.411 nm). In the K half-cell, benefiting from the considerable content and the reasonable architecture of sulfur, the SHCS exhibits significantly improved reversible specific capacity, initial Coulombic efficiency, and cyclability than hierarchical porous hollow carbon spheres without sulfur. Remarkably, the potassium ion hybrid capacitor device fabricated with the SHCS anode achieves excellent energy/power density (135.6 W h kg-1/17.7 kW kg-1) and unprecedented durability over 26,000 cycles at 2 A g-1. This research provides a superior strategy to design high-sulfur-content carbon-based anodes with excellent potassium storage performance.

The gas separation of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) was enhanced by incorporating bipyrimidine (bpy) into the polymer (PIM-bpy-x) through the polycondensation of a novel tetraphenyl-bipyrimidine monomer. The structures of PIM-bpy-x were investigated with 1H NMR and FT-IR. Because of the excellent heat resistance imparted by the tetraphenyl-bipyrimidine unit, PIM-bpy-x displayed better thermal stability than did PIM-1. These polymers displayed large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas, ranging from 656 to 728 m2 g−1. The BET surface area of PIM-bpy-5 was 728 m2 g−1, which was similar to that of PIM-1 (774 m2 g−1). PIM-bpy-x exhibited excellent gas separation performance. PIM-bpy-5 showed the highest CO2 permeability (5141 barrer), which was much higher than that of PIM-1 (4234 barrer). The increase in CO2 permeability is due to the affinity between the N-rich bipyrimidine units and CO2. Furthermore, PIM-bpy-x also showed greater resistance to aging than did PIM-1. All of the above indicate that introducing bipyrimidine units into the polymers can enhance the gas separation performance of PIMs.

Probiotics may offer an attractive alternative for standard antibiotic therapy to treat Clostridium difficile infections (CDI). In this study, the antibacterial mechanism in vitro of newly isolated B. amyloliquefaciens C-1 against C. difficile was investigated. The lipopeptides surfactin, iturin, and fengycin produced by C-1 strongly inhibited C. difficile growth and viability. Systematic research of the bacteriostatic mechanism showed that the C-1 lipopeptides damage the integrity of the C. difficile cell wall and cell membrane. In addition, the lipopeptide binds to C. difficile genomic DNA, leading to cell death. Genome resequencing revealed many important antimicrobial compound-encoding clusters, including six nonribosomal peptides (surfactins (srfABCD), iturins (ituABCD), fengycins (fenABCDE), bacillibactin (bmyABC), teichuronic, and bacilysin) and three polyketides (bacillaene (baeEDLMNJRS), difficidin (difABCDEFGHIJ), and macrolactin (mlnABCDEFGHI)). In addition, there were other beneficial genes, such as phospholipase and seven siderophore biosynthesis gene clusters, which may contribute synergistically to the antibacterial activity of B. amyloliquefaciens C-1. We suggest that proper application of antimicrobial peptides may be effective in C. difficile control.

A new diamine monomer with a dioxinyl bipyrimidine group was synthesized. Polyimide containing a bipyrimidine group was successfully homopolymerized by chemical imidization. Analyses to determine the structure and properties of these polymers were conducted using 1H NMR and FTIR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). For the first time, cobalt acetate was incorporated into the synthesized polyimide to fabricate cobalt-complexed polyimide thin film composite membranes (TFCMs) by spin coating. To fully understand the behavior of cobalt complexed TFCMs, these membranes were synthesized and then characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to survey the effects of cobalt acetate on polyimide. The morphologies of TFCMs were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Phase separations and defects were absent in all cobalt-complexed TFCMs; the average thickness of the films ranged from 550 to 600 nm. This strongly suggested that cobalt acetate has good compatibility with bipyrimidine polyimide. The gas separation performance for TFCMs was also determined with the following results: the CO2 permeance of DMD-PI-3.0 (mixing 3.0 wt% cobalt acetate) TFCMs was 69.9 GPU at 35 °C and 1.5 bar while the selectivity of CO2/CH4 was 44.79 for DMD-PI-15 TFCMs. In short, this work reports a promising method to utilize the separation characteristics of polyimide TFCMs by incorporating cobalt ions.

To meet the emerging demand of corals in various industries, it is necessary to develop an optimal technique to improve coral growth and health. Since heterotrophy provides a vital source of nutrients for corals, it is possible to implement a cultivation pattern combining regular methods with artificial feeding for corals. To this end, this study investigated the effects of feeding (supplemented with Artemia salina nauplii) on the production (growth and budding rate), body composition (tissue protein, crude lipid, and ash contents), and fatty acid profile (total fatty acid and polar lipid fatty acid profiles) of scleractinian coral Galaxea fascicularis in polyp morphology. Our results showed that feeding increased the production of G. fascicularis, with fed corals exhibiting a 51.4% higher growth rate and a double budding rate. Meanwhile, feeding changed the body composition of G. fascicularis, with increased tissue protein and crude lipid contents by 69.8%, and 31.0%, respectively, which indicated a good assimilation of supplementary proteins and lipids via feeding. Moreover, feeding also significantly changed the total FA profile of G. fascicularis, as it improved the levels of monounsaturated (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (mainly n-3 PUFAs and n-6 PUFAs), but decreased the proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) (mainly 16:0). However, there was no significant difference in the polar lipid FA composition of G. fascicularis between the two feeding regimes. This study highlights substantial improvements in the physiological state and health condition of corals under artificial feeding, and demonstrates that A. salina nauplii can serve as a suitable nutrient source for G. fascicularis in aquaculture.

Membrane fouling during the use of separation membrane has always been the main reason for the degradation of membrane performance. The traditional solution is complicated and inefficient, so we proposed multi-step integration method to prepare antifouling zwitterionic poly(aryl ether sulfone) (PAES-Z-x) ultrafiltration (UF) membrane with higher efficiency. We designed and synthesized a bisphenol precursor containing tertiary amine groups, which could provide reactive sites for grafting zwitterionic group. Afterwards, the zwitterionic modified UF membrane was prepared by graft copolymerization and non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS). The morphology, hydrophilicity, water flux and rejection of the PAES-Z-x membrane could be optimized by tuning zwitterion content. The hydration layer formed by zwitterions effectively reduced the adsorption of proteins and endowed the membrane good antifouling properties. The resulting membrane showed the pure water flux increased (up to 311 L m-2 h-1 bar-1), high bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection (97%) and good water flux recovery ratio (82.8%). Zwitterionic antifouling PAES UF membrane prepared by a simple and effective method provided a new direction for improving PAES UF membrane’s antifouling performance.

In deepwater gas well testing, the high-pressure and low-temperature environment in the wellbore provides conditions for hydrate formation. When the thermodynamic inhibitor is used, it needs a large amount and is difficult to inject. Low-dose hydrate inhibitors such as kinetic inhibitors are rarely used in high supercooling and natural gas–dominated environments. The mixed use of thermodynamic inhibitors and kinetic inhibitors provides a new way. By simulating the wellbore temperature and pressure conditions during the deepwater gas well testing, the inhibiting effect of the mixtures of PVCap and methanol with various concentrations was experimentally tested by using rocking cells with a step-cooling method at 21MPa. The effect of PVCap and its mixture with methanol on hydrate plugging was evaluated by monitoring the movement of slider in the rocking cell. The results showed that 5 wt%, 16 wt%, and 20 wt% methanol mixed with 0.5 wt% PVCap could prolong the induction time, and the higher the methanol concentration, the longer the hydrate induction time. Among them, the best combination of 20wt% methanol and 0.5wt% PVCap can inhibit the hydrate for 379 min. The hydrate was formed but did not block the rocking cell, indicating that the combination of PVCap and methanol could not only prolong the hydrate formation time but also avoid the blockage after hydrate formation. The hydrate formation rate with various inhibitor concentrations was calculated; it may provide some guidance for making a shut-in plan for on-site wells.

The novel Tm3+/Sb3+ co-doped phosphate glasses are studied in response to an improvement of blue light emitting source. The analysis of J-O intensity parameters suggests that the present strontium phosphate glass is an appropriate matrix for Tm3+ doping to obtain an enhanced blue emission. The 5 s2-type Sb3+ ion serves as a sensitizer to transfer its strong allowed excitation in the deep UV region to Tm3+ effectively. PL and PLE spectra show that by Sb3+ co-doping, the blue emission of the Tm3+ doped strontium phosphate glass is enhanced greatly, while the excitation band of Tm3+ extends largely to the deep UV region. The emission decay curves of Sb3+ demonstrate the existence of the energy transfer (ET) process from Sb3+ to Tm3+ with the maximum efficiency and probability of ET as 20.43% and 9.20%, respectively. The emission color of these glasses can be adjusted from warm to cold blue via modulating excitation wavelengths. The present work suggests that Sb3+/Tm3+co-doped strontium phosphate glasses are promising for applications in blue emitters and plasma display panels.

To find the polysaccharide with hepatoprotective activity from Poria cocos and clarify its structure, a galactoglucan (PCP-1C) with a molecular weight of 17 kDa was purified from the Poria cocos sclerotium by column chromatography and activity evaluation in the present work. It was composed of galactose, glucose, mannose, and fucose in a molar percentage of 43.5: 24.4: 17.4: 14.6. Structural characterization showed that PCP-1C has a backbone consisted of 1,6-α-D-Galp, which branches composed of 1,3-β-D-Glcp, 1,4-β-D-Glcp, 1,6-β-D-Glcp, T-β-D-Glcp, T-α-D-Manp, T-α-L-Fucp and 1,3-α-L-Fucp. In vivo experiments found that PCP-1C can apparently improve the damage of liver tissue in CCl4-treated mice and relieve oxidative stress and inflammation. PCP-1C also reduced the expression of CAR and CYP2E1 in the liver. These findings indicated strong hepatoprotective effect of PCP-1C, which was attributed to the reduction of CCl4 metabolism via inhibiting the CAR/CYP2E1 signal pathway.

In the foreseeable future, coastal coral reef ecosystems are likely to face further increases in eutrophication. Lipids and fatty acids (FAs), as important components of corals, are becoming a hot topic to study the effects of eutrophication on corals. This study investigated the effects of nitrate (NO3–) enrichment (0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 μM) on the respiration, photosynthesis, and FA compositions of Pocillopora damicornis larvae. Our results showed that saturated FAs (SFAs) were the most abundant in P. damicornis larvae over all treatment groups, followed by polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs). The unsaturated-to-SFA ratio (U/S) and unsaturation index (UI) reduced at low nitrate concentrations (20 μM). The UI and U/S levels were elevated due to the increased PUFAs levels and decreased SFA levels at higher nitrate concentrations. Compared with the N5 and N10 groups, the fluidity of the biomembrane of the larvae did not continue to decrease but instead increased at higher nitrate concentrations, indicating that the biomembrane restructuring in the larvae may have become ineffective. Moreover, respiration increased and the consumption of numerous lipids led to a significant decrease in TFAs. These could adversely affect the dispersal, settlement, and development of larvae. Overall, P. damicornis larvae can adapt to low levels of nitrate (

Lignin is a robust and underutilized aromatic heteropolymer on earth. The effective valorization of lignin into value-added products is an attractive research topic in lignocellulosic biorefineries. However, a low bioconversion rate, high process cost, low yield, and high toxicity of substrates hinder its further applications. In this study, an auto-regulatory system was developed and identified as an effective solution to diminish these challenging bottlenecks. First, a lignin-derived standard model aromatic p-coumaric acid (p-CA)-responsive biosensor was successfully developed through a series of rational engineering approaches in Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Furthermore, an auto-regulatory system was established, which rapidly coexpressed key rate-limiting enzymes, 4-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase, vanillate-O-demethylase, and transporter HcnK under the biosensor element, to convert the mixture of p-CA and ferulic acid into a value-added platform chemical protocatechuate with a titer of 12.7 g/L. This study demonstrated that the constructed auto-regulatory platform is effective and economical for lignin valorization.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the probiotic characteristics and safety of seven Enterococcus faecalis isolates from fecal samples of healthy Chinese infants. We evaluated the isolates’ tolerance to low pH, survival in bile salts and NaCl, adhesion ability, biofilm formation, antimicrobial activity, toxin gene distribution, hemolysis, gelatinase activity, antibiotic resistance, and virulence to Galleria mellonella. All strains survived at pH 5.0, in 7.0% NaCl, and in 3% bile salt. Adhesion to Caco-2 cells was above 10%. Strain A3-1 had higher adhesion ability toward mucin, collagen, and BSA in vitro, better antibacterial activity, and the strongest biofilm production. We detected seven virulence genes with a distribution of asa1 (100%), cylA (71.4%), esp (85.7%), hyl (14.3%), gelE (85.7%), ace (42.9%), and agg (71.4%). Although all strains were γ-hemolytic, none showed gelatinase activity based on physiological activity detection. All isolates were susceptible to benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, tigecycline, nitrofurantoin, linezolid, and vancomycin; they were not susceptible to erythromycin, quinupristin/dalofopine, and clindamycin. The virulence test of G. mellonella showed that, except for strains 106-1 and 113-1, the other strains had toxicity lower than 10%. Strain A3-1 may have the greatest potential to be developed as a probiotic.

The use of different algal species by the abalone Haliotis discus hannai was investigated by using fatty acids (FAs) as trophic markers. Each of six groups of abalones was fed a different diet consisting of powdered algae over an 84-day period. Of the six diets, three consisted of a single algal species, i.e., the brown alga Laminaria japonica (L), the green alga Ulva lactuca (U), and the red alga Gracilaria lemaneiformis (G). The remaining three diets had different 1:1 mixtures of the algal species, i.e., L. japonica and U. lactuca (LU), L. japonica and G. lemaneiformis (LG), and U. lactuca and G. lemaneiformis (UG). The FA profiles of the abalone soft body showed clear changes over the experimental period and differed significantly between the different diet groups. Analyses of variation of specific FAs and multidimensional scaling ordination of overall FA profiles showed that H. discus hannai absorbed L. japonica preferentially over G. lemaneiformis in the dietary group LG and discriminated against U. lactuca in groups LU and UG. Additionally, abalone in group LG had the highest specific growth rate (SGR = 0.73 ± 0.06% d−1), while those in group U had the lowest (0.36 ± 0.07% d−1). Our results for dietary preferences and growth performance suggest that G. lemaneiformis might be used as an alternative to the kelp L. japonica in the diet of farmed H. discus hannai, while U. lactuca may not be suitable.

Background/Aims: The roles of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in peri-implantitis are unclear. Here, we used a canine model of peri-implantitis to explore the effects of inhibiting NF-κB with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) on the inflammatory response in ligature-induced peri-implantitis. Methods: After successfully establishing the peri-implantitis model, beagles were randomly assigned to normal, model or PDTC groups. ELISA tests were used to determine the levels of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Immunohistochemistry was employed to assess the expression of NF-κB p65. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to determine the mRNA levels of TLR4 and NF-κB p65, and western blot analysis was used to measure the protein levels of TLR4 in periodontal tissues from each group. Periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs) were cultured and subsequently classified into PDLF normal, PDLF model, PDLF LPS, PDLF PDTC, and PDLF LPS + PDTC groups. An immunofluorescence assay was used to measure the expression level of NF-κB p65. The CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate cell proliferation and apoptosis. Results: The in vitro results indicated that NF-κB p65 and TLR4 were upregulated in canine periodontal tissues, and PDTC could suppress the expression levels of NF-κB p65 and TLR4. Inflammation could increase TLR4 protein expression in canine periodontal tissue, and PDTC could inhibit the inflammation-induced increase in TLR4 protein expression. These results revealed that PDTC could reverse the LPS-induced increases in the levels of IL-1, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α. In vivo, the results demonstrated that PDTC inhibited the LPS-induced NF-κB p65 upregulation, and PDTC could reverse the inhibitory effect of the PDLF model + LPS on the proliferation of periodontal fibroblasts. The results also showed that in the PDLF model, LPS promoted PDLF apoptosis by inducing implant periodontitis in canines, but PDTC inhibited the PDLF apoptosis and relieved implant periodontitis in canines. Conclusion: Based on our results, we concluded that PDTC can inhibit the expression of NF-κB and alleviate the inflammatory response induced by LPS, thereby preventing periodontal inflammation and reducing the development of peri-implantitis.

The separation of organic solvents can be improved in a sustainable way by implementing membranes produced via streamlined processing. However, conventional membranes are not typically used in organic solvents, and thus require further chemical cross-linking before use. This process is complicated, and cross-linking agents are harmful to the environment. This study investigated the synthesis of a sulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone) (SPAEK) copolymer with a controlled degree of sulfonation via molecular design as a novel nanofiltration membrane in organic solvent. The introduction of a suitable number of sulfonic acid groups improved the hydrophilicity and surface charge of the membrane compared to conventional poly(aryl ether ketone) (PAEK), leading to excellent performance in separating alcoholic solvents and negatively charged dyes. The membrane still exhibited good separation performance, and no obvious damage to its microstructure was found by FESEM after the membrane was soaked in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) for 7 days. Consequently, the ethanol permeance and dye rejection of the membrane was maintained. PEK-SPEDEK membrane has potential applications in OSN under complex and harsh conditions such as printing, dyeing and pharmaceuticals.

It is highly challenging to prepare durable and chemical resistant ultra-permeable membranes that can quickly separate small organic molecules like dye or inorganic salt in the complex textile wastewater industry. Here, side-chain sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) was synthesized and prepared the poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) - SPEEK nanofiltration (NF) membrane by a simple dipping coating and heat treatment. Single component filtration tests of the optimized membrane showed ultrahigh pure water flux (126 Lm−2 h−1 bar−1) and relatively low NaCl rejection (6.7%). Moreover, the negatively charged membrane exhibited excellent rejection of 98.8% toward Congo red (CR). The pure water flux was about 9 folds than that of commercial NF270 with comparable solutes rejection. The separation tests of CR and NaCl mixed solution at optimized conditions exhibited ultra-high permeation flux (34 Lm−2 h−1 bar−1), satisfactory dye (98.8%)/salt (

Type I collagen (Col I) is a main component of extracellular matrix (ECM). Its safety, biocompatibility, hydrophilicity and pyrogen immunogenicity make it suitable for tissues engineering applications. Mg2+ also control a myriad of cellular processes, including the bone development by enhancing the attachment and differentiation of osteoblasts and accelerating mineralization to enhance bone healing. In our studies, Mg2+ bind collagen to promote the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts through the expression of integrins and downstream signaling pathways. In order to clarify the biological behavior effect of 10 mM Mg2+/Col I coating, we performed 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 4′6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), Alizarin red staining and Rhodamine B-isothiocyanate (RITC)-labeled phalloidin experiments and found that 10 mM Mg2+ group, Col I-coating group, 10 mM Mg2+/Col I-coating group, respectively, promoted the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts, especially 10 mM Mg2+/Col I-coating group. We detected the mRNA expression of osteogenic-related genes (Runx2, ALP and OCN, OPN and BMP-2) and the protein expression of signaling pathway (integrin α2, integrin β1, FAK and ERK1/2), these results indicated that 10 mM Mg2+/Col I coating play an critical role in up-regulating the MC3T3-E1 cells activity. The potential mechanisms of this specific performance may be through activating via integrin α2β1-FAK-ERK1/2 protein-coupled receptor pathway.

Ranavirus cross-species infections have been documented, but the viral proteins involved in the interaction with cell receptors have not yet been identified. Here, viral cell-binding proteins and their cognate cellular receptors were investigated using two ranaviruses, Andrias davidianus ranavirus (ADRV) and Rana grylio virus (RGV), and two different cell lines, Chinese giant salamander thymus cells (GSTC) and Epithelioma papulosum cyprinid (EPC) cells. The heparan sulfate (HS) analog heparin inhibited plaque formation of ADRV and RGV in the two cell lines by more than 80% at a concentration of 5 &mu, g/mL. In addition, enzymatic removal of cell surface HS by heparinase I markedly reduced plaque formation by both viruses and competition with heparin reduced virus-cell binding. These results indicate that cell surface HS is involved in ADRV and RGV cell binding and infection. Furthermore, recombinant viral envelope proteins ADRV-58L and RGV-53R bound heparin-Sepharose beads implying the potential that cell surface HS is involved in the initial interaction between ranaviruses and susceptible host cells. To our knowledge, this is the first report identifying cell surface HS as ranavirus binding factor and furthers understanding of interactions between ranaviruses and host cells.

Poly (ether sulfone) (PES), as a kind of special engineering plastic, is widely used in the field of separation. However, its gas separation performance is unremarkable. Therefore, a series of PES containing the tetraphenyl bipyrimidine unit (PES-TPhbpy-x) was prepared by nucleophilic polycondensation to improve the gas separation performance of PES. PES-TPhbpy-x exhibited a high molecular weight, excellent mechanical properties, and could form robust membranes. With increasing TPhbpy unit content in PES-TPhbpy-x, the glass transition temperature and heat resistance increased. WAXD analysis revealed that the d-spacing of PES-TPhbpy-x is larger than that of PES. This indicated that the TPhbpy unit could hinder the polymer chain packing and enhance the rigidness of the polymers. Compared with PES, PES-TPhbpy-x exhibited an excellent gas separation performance. The CO2 permeability of the PES-TPhbpy-100 increased by 570%, and the CO2/N2 selectivity and CO2/CH4 selectivity increased by 49% and 50%, respectively. Moreover, PES-TPhbpy-100 could form a membrane by the hot-press method. The CO2 permeability of the PES-TPhbpy-100 membrane prepared by the hot-press method was 12.81 barrer. In addition, the CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 selectivities were 32.0 and 37.7, which were 27% and 35% higher than those of the PES membrane, respectively.

Poly(arylene ether sulfone) (PES) consisting of a comb-shape chain state with various aliphatic side groups was designed and synthesized. The polymer maintained good thermal stability and chemical resistance, and its loose chain stacking was more suitable for membrane separation than that of commercial poly(arylene ether sulfone)s. The thermal performance test showed glass transition temperature decreased from 184 °C to 157 °C with increases in aliphatic chain size. All thermal decomposition temperatures of the polymer exceeded 450 °C. Separation membranes for water treatment or gas separation were prepared and tested. SEM results showed the thickness of the skin layer decreased when the aliphatic side group lengthened, leading to a notably higher water flux. Additionally, gas permeability of the membranes was at least twice that of pure PES. An increasing selectivity to methane was observed: for a longer comb-shape polymer membrane, the selectivity to methane continues to increase.

To improve the solubility and dissolution rate of etoposide, micro-particles were prepared using solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO2, and the transition of crystal form was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. The effects of various operating parameters, including precipitation pressure, temperature, the etoposide concentration, and solution flow rate were investigated. The results showed that the particle size of etoposide can be controlled, and smaller particles of 586 nm were successively obtained. A reduction in the particle size led to an increase in the dissolution rate. Furthermore, at a precipitation pressure ≥18 MPa, a new polymorphic form was discovered, which exhibited higher solubility and faster dissolution rate.

To study the effect of two composition ratios of nano-hydroxyapatite and collagen (NHAC) composites on repairing alveolar bone defect of dogs. Eighteen healthy adult dogs were randomly divided into three groups. Two kinds of the NHAC composites were prepared according to the constituent ratios of 3:7 and 5:5; immediately after extraction of the mandibular second premolars, each kind of the NHAC composite was implanted into extraction socket, respectively: Group I, nHA/Col = 3:7; Group II, nHA/Col = 5:5 and Group III, blank control group. The bone-repairing ability of the two grafts was separately analyzed by morphometric measurement, X-ray tomography examination and biomechanical analysis at 1st, 3rd and 6th month post-surgical, respectively. The NHAC composites were absorbed gradually after implanting into alveolar bone defect and were replaced by new bone. The ratios of new bone formation of Group I was significantly higher than that of Group II after 3 months (P

Particulate matter (PM10) is one of the most important indicators of the pollution that characterizes air quality. Epidemiological studies have shown that PM10 can cause cardiovascular-related diseases in the population. And, we studied the developmental toxicity of PM10 and the underlying mechanism of its effects on the cardiovascular system of zebrafish embryo/larva. Changes in cardiac morphology, sinus venosus and bulbus arteriosus (SV-BA) distance, heart rate, vascular subintestinalis, blood flow, returned blood volume, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level were measured, and changes in the expression levels of certain genes were assessed via RT-PCR. The results showed that PM10 caused a significant increase in pericardial sac area and SV-BA distance, a decrease in heart rate, inhibition of vascular subintestinalis growth, blood flow obstruction, reduced venous return, and other cardiovascular toxicities. PM10 induced an increase in the ROS level and significant increases in the expression levels of ERS signalling pathway factors and Nrf2 signalling pathway factors. The expression levels of the Wnt pathway-related genes also showed significant changes. Furthermore, ROS inhibitor N-Acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) could ameliorate the cardiovascular toxicity of PM10 in zebrafish larvae. It is speculated that PM10 may result in cardiovascular toxicity by inducing higher ROS levels in the body, which could then induce ERS and lead to defects in the expression of genes related to the Wnt signalling pathway. The Nrf2 signalling pathway was activated as a stress compensatory mechanism during the early stage of PM10-induced cardiovascular injury. However, it was insufficient to counteract the PM10-induced cardiovascular toxicity.

With the development of environmental protection and the integration of various materials, multifunctional ceramics have caught significant attention. In this paper, KNNS-xDy ((K0.48Na0.52) (Nb0.95Sb0.05) O3-xDy2O3) ceramics with luminescent and piezoelectric properties were synthesized via conventional high-temperature solid-state method. It was found that the KNNS ceramics doped with the content of 0.4 %Dy had the optimal comprehensive properties and possessed typical characteristics of relaxant ferroelectrics. Particularly, a special thermal quenching phenomenon appeared in the KNNS-0.4 %Dy ceramics and the emission intensity increased by about 15 % after the sample was heated from room temperature up to 75℃. The results showed that the luminescence properties of ferroelectric materials were closely related to the phase structure. The influence of ferroelectric structure on luminescence intensity of materials will be a new research approach in the future.

Mineralized collagen has been used clinically as a bone grafting material in oral applications. We have developed a mineralized collagen/Mg-Ca alloy combined scaffold to overcome the mechanical limitations of mineralized collagen. This study discusses the cytocompatibility of the mineralized collage/Mg-Ca alloy combined scaffold in vitro and the bone regeneration following tooth extraction in vivo. Using an indirect proliferation assay adapted from ISO 10993-5, it was found that mineralized collagen/Mg-Ca alloy combined scaffold enhanced cell proliferation and migration in addition to MC3T3-E1 cells not showing a cytotoxicity response in vitro. Finally, the ability of the combined scaffold to enhance osteogenesis was assessed in a canine socket preservation model. Cone beam CT, x-ray microscopes and biomechanical analysis showed the mineralized collagen/Mg-Ca alloy combined scaffold to be more effective at reducing the absorption of alveolar ridge and preserving the socket site than mineralized collagen alone. The combined scaffolds can promote bone regeneration with good biocompatibility, providing a new concept of the combined application of mineralized collagen and magnesium alloy.

Two novel organic–inorganic hybrid supramolecular compounds based on organoammonium cations (OACs) and polyoxomolybdates (POMs), namely, [BDMLPX]3[Mo8O26]2[H3O]2·H2O (1) [BDMLPX = di(1,2-dimethylimidazolium) p-xylene dichloride and [BIIT][HBIIT][ClMo12O40] (2) [BIIT = 1,3-bis(imidazole-3-iumyl)-2,4,6-trimethyl benzene], have been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Compound 1 contains the β-[Mo8O26]4−cluster and 2 has the classical Keggin-type discrete [ClMo12O40]− anion.

Baicalein, a bioactive flavonoid, exhibits various pharmacological activities and other beneficial effects, but its poor solubility and dissolution rate restrict its oral intestinal absorption rate and bioavailability. In this study, micronized baicalein was prepared by utilizing the technique of solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids (SEDS). Preparation, characterization, and the potential use of microparticles to improve the in vitro release of baicalein were studied. In vitro characterization data were obtained through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in vitro dissolution of the prepared microparticles was investigated and compared with raw powder. The results demonstrated that the prepared baicalein microparticles appeared as small flake shapes with a mean particle size (PS) of 0.614 μm under the appropriate conditions (solvent mixture of DCM and DMSO (5/1, v/v), drug concentration = 7 mg/mL, pressure = 16 MPa, and temperature = 308 K) without an observed change in the crystal form. Additionally, the reduced PS of baicalein microparticles contributed to the enhanced dissolution rate.

Four novel extended supramolecular structures based on pseudohalides (SCN) and the flexible cationic ligand 1,4-bis(4,4′-bipyridinium)butane ditetrafluoroborate (bbpyb), namely [bbpyb][Hg(SCN)4] (1), [Cu2(bbpyb)(SCN)4]n (2), [Ag2(bbpyb)(SCN)4]n (3) and [Cu6(bbpyb)(SCN)8]n (4) have been solvothermally synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis(TGA), PXRD, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and single-crystal X-ray diffraction in the solid state. Compound 1 is a 0D supramolecular structure consisted of one linear cationic ligand bbpyb2+ and inorganic mononuclear anion [Hg(SCN)4]2−. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibit infinite two-dimensional anionic architecture, which represent the same (6,3) topology. In compound 4, the cationic ligand bbpyb2+ bridge [Cu6(SCN)8] cluster unit to generate a 3D coordination framework. The structural diversities show that the pseudohalides (SCN) and cationic ligand should very likely be excellent candidates to construct higher dimensional extend supramolecular architectures. In addition, the optical band gap and photocatalytic properties of compounds 1–4 were also investigated.

Three novel hybrid complexes, namely{(DMB)[Cu2(SCN)4]}n (1), {(DMB)[Cu(SCN)4]} (2), and {(DMB)[Ag2(SCN)4]}n (3), have been synthesized via the self-assembly in DMF–methanol system based on multidentate ligand DMB, {DMB = α, α′- di(3-methylimidozole-1-yl)benzene dichloride}. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis shows 1 and 3 are 1D supramolecules, whereas 2 is mononuclear. Electrostatic interactions between the organic counteranions and inorganic moieties are present and do the contribution to the crystal packing. These compounds have been further characterized by IR spectroscopy and thermostability properties.

We report a wafer-scale fabrication process to make large-area slot antenna arrays for studying spontaneous emission enhancement of 2D transition metal dichalcogenide. The experimental results show a 10-fold enhancement of photoluminescence was observed.

In this paper, magnetic Fe3O4/HA nanoparticles (MHA) were synthesized using a coprecipitation method. The structure and properties of the MHA were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, TG, transmission electron microscope, zeta potential, X-ray diffraction, and vibration sample magnetometer. MHA is proven to be stable in water and can be easily separated from solution under an external magnetic field. Adsorptive removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution using MHA was systematically studied. The fundamental adsorption experiments reveals that MHA is more efficient in dye removal when initial solution pH is higher than 4.0. The theoretical maximal adsorption capacity, which is based on the simulation results from the isothermal equilibrium study, is 200 mg/g. The adsorption kinetic and equilibrium behaviors of MHA are in agreement with pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir model, respectively. The value of activation energy (Ea) indicates that the adsorption of MB ont...

Eleven novel polyoxometalates, namely [1,1′-(alkane-1,ω-diyl)-bis(3-methylimidazolium)]m [Mo8O26][nH3O+]·xH2O (ω = 1–11; m = 1, 1.5, 2; n = 0, 1; x = 0, 1, 2) were synthesized by the self-assembly with octamolybdate anions under hydrothermal reaction conditions. The crystal data analysis revealed that these compounds were all composed of discrete methylimidazolium cations and polyacid anions [Mo8O26]4− interacted by electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. Interestingly, the anions of these compounds took on single [β-Mo8O26]4− cluster, twin [β-Mo8O26]4− clusters, a δ-[Mo8O26]4− cluster and a rare 1D 1/∞[β-Mo8O26]4− polymeric chain with the modification of lengths of alkane components.

Eleven novel inorganic–organic hybrid polyoxometallates, namely, [1,2-bis(1,2-dimethylimidazole)methane]3[β-HMo8O26]2·[H3O+]2·7H2O (1), [1,2-bis(1,2-dimethylimidazole)ethane]2[β-Mo8O26]·H2O (2), [1,2-bis(1,2-dimethylimidazole)propane]2[α-Mo8O26] (3), [1,2-bis(1,2-dimethylimidazole)butane]2[γ-Mo8O26] (4), [1, 2-bis(1,2-dimethylimidazole) pentane]3[β-Mo8O26]2[H3O+]2 (5), [1,2-bis(1,2-dimethylimidazole) hexane]4[β-Mo8O26]2 (6), [1,2-bis(1,2-dimethylimidazole)heptane][Mo6O19] (7), [1,2-bis(1,2-dimethylimidazole) octane] [Mo6O19] (8), [1,3,5-tris[(1,2-dimethylimidazole-3-iumyl)benzene)]2[β-Mo8O26]1.5·2H2O (9), [1,3,5-tris[(1,2-dimethylimidazole-3-iumyl)-2,4,6-trimethyl benzene)]4 [α-Mo8O26]2 [Mo6O19]2·4H2O (10), [1,3,5-tris[imidazol-1-ylmethyl)-2,4,6-trimethyl benzene)]2 [β-Mo8O26] [Mo6O19] (11) were synthesized by the cation-templated self-assembly with octamolybdate or hexamolybdate anions under hydrothermal reaction conditions. Crystal data analysis revealed that these compounds were all composed of discrete organic cations and polyacid anions interacted by electrostatic and hydrogen bond interactions. Interestingly in these compounds the anion fraction could take on [β-Mo8O26]4− cluster, α-[Mo8O26]4− cluster, γ-[Mo8O26]4− cluster, [Mo6O19]2− cluster or two mixing kinds of polyoxomolybdate anions with the modification of lengths of alkane components or change the valence configuration of the templates.

Two new organic-inorganic hybrid materials based on Mo-polyoxometalates and N-heterocycle templates, namely [Ag3 (DIE)6][Mo12O36·ClO4]2 ·Cl (1), and [(IM)4NH4] [Mo12O36·ClO4] (2) [DIE = 1,2-diimidazoloethane, IM = imidazole] have been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1 and 2 possess the classical keggin-type heteropolyoxoanion with Cl as the center atom, and this is the first case. IR spectroscopy and gravimetric analysis were performed to further characterize these compounds.

In this study, colorless crystals of the title inorganic-organic hybrid compound were obtained from the solution-phase reaction of cadmium thiocyanate with BPB·Br2 in MeOH/DMF(BPB·Br2 = 1,4-bis(pyridinium)butane dibromine). And single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that this polymer crystallized in triclinic, space group P–1 with unit cell parameters a = 5.8855(5) A, b = 9.5996(8) A, c = 11.4358(9) A, α = 69.9710(10)°, β = 75.1100 (10)°, γ = 75.8180(10)°. In this compound, each cadmium atom is octahedrally coordinated in 2S4N geometry and doubly bridged infinite one-dimensional double helix cadmium thiocyanate chains act as inorganic moiety with dication discretely surrounded. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthesis and Reactivity in Inorganic, Metal-Organic, and Nano-Metal Chemistry to view the supplemental file.

The authors present a dimeric complex prepared by hydrothermal process with the formula {[Cu (bpdc) (H2O)] 2·2H2O}, (H2bpdc = 2, 2′-bipyridyl-6, 6′-dicarboxylic acid). This molecule has been characterized by X-ray crystallography and the crystallography reveals that it crystallizes in triclinic space group P–1 with the lattice constants of a = 6.9518(14) A, b = 8.9562(13) A, c = 11.0139(16) A, α = 107.082(12)°, β = 100.520(14) °, and γ = 102.167(14)°. The wide existence of water molecule forms the C(O)-H…O and O-π hydrogen bond network and extends the dimers into 3D structure. Based on the investigation of thermal analysis, water molecules are easy to release and the network is thermal stable until approximately 250°C. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthesis and Reactivity in Inorganic, Metal-Organic, and Nano-Metal Chemistry to view the supplemental file.

Two novel organic-inorganic hybrid polyoxometalate supra molecular compounds have been prepared through hydrothermal synthesis methods, namely [bphx][Mo6O19] (1) and [bphx]3[H2W12O40]·3H2O (2) [bphx = 1,6-bis(pyridinium)hexane], and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The results indicate that these compounds are composed of isolated organic cation and inorganic anion by electrostatic interaction. The molybdenum oxide cluster [Mo6O19]2− anion in compound 1 is Lindqvist structure, and the tungsten oxide cluster anion in compound 2 is the classical Keggin-type. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthesis and Reactivity in Inorganic, Metal-Organic, and Nano-Metal Chemistry to view the supplemental file.

In this paper, application of dividing wall column (DWC) to chlorobenzene distillation was studied. Simulation using Aspen plus software was done to compare the traditional two tower process with new process based on DWC. The results show that, with the same feed parameters, the DWC processes can achieve identical separation effect as the two tower process with an energy saving of 21%, and capital investment and space saving can also be gained. In addition, only a reboiler is need in DWC process, so residence time of chlorobenzene, polychlorobenzene, etc inside high temperature region can be reduced, so can to avoid heat decomposition of these thermosensitive substances to a great extent.

The self-assembly reaction of metal halides with DDTD dication (DDTD = 5,8 -Diazoniadispiro[4.2.4.2] tetradecane) yielded three novel organic-inorganic hybrid mental halides (DDTD)[Zn(N3)3Cl] (1), (DDTD)[Hg2Br6] (2), and (DDTD)[Cd4(N3)6(Cl)8] (3), which are characterized by X-ray crystallography and IR spectroscopy. The crystal structures of 1–3 show that they all crystallize in monoclinic systems. Compound 1 is mononuclear complex, compound 2 is binuclear complex, and compound 3 is a tetranuclear polymer. These compounds contained a variety of inorganic frameworks, due to the different coordinated modes of metal centers with halogen, which accordingly led to the change of the C-H···Cl(Br) interactions in the complexes.

In this paper, application of DWC with side rectifier (DWC-SR) to nitrobenzene distillation was studied. Simulation using Aspen plus software was done to compare the traditional two tower process with new process based on DWC-SR. The results show that, the two processes has almost no difference on the energy cost, which is also decided by the characteristic of DWC-SR, but large saving of capital investment and space can be obtained. In addition, only a reboiler is need in DWC-SR process, residence time of nitrobenzene, dinitrobenzene, etc inside high temperature region can be reduced, so can to avoid the frequently occurring explosion accident to a great extent.

In this paper, application of DWC with side rectifier (DWC-SR) to aniline distillation was studied. Simulation using Aspen plus software was done to compare the traditional two tower process with new process based on DWC-SR. The results show that, the two processes has no obvious difference on energy cost, which is also decided by the characteristics of DWC-SR, but capital investment and space saving can be gained for DWC-SR process. In addition, only an reboiler is need in DWC-SR process, so residence time of aniline, nitrobenzene, etc inside high temperature region can be reduced, so can avoid heat decomposition of these thermosensitive substances to a great extent.

With a particular focus on the connection between liquid flow distribution and gas-liquid mass transfer in monolithic beds in the Taylor flow regime, hydrodynamic and gas-liquid mass transfer experiments were carried out in a column with a monolithic bed of cell density of 50 cpsi with two different distributors (nozzle and packed bed distributors). Liquid saturation in individual channels was measured by using self-made micro-conductivity probes. A mal-distribution factor was used to evaluate uniform degree of phase distribution in monoliths. Overall bed pressure drop and mass transfer coefficients were measured. For liquid flow distribution and gas-liquid mass transfer, it is found that the superficial liquid velocity is a crucial factor and the packed bed distributor is better than the nozzle distributor. A semi-theoretical analysis using single channel models shows that the packed bed distributor always yields shorter and uniformly distributed liquid slugs compared to the nozzle distributor, which in turn ensures a better mass transfer performance. A bed scale mass transfer model is proposed by employing the single channel models in individual channels and incorporating effects of non-uniform liquid distribution along the bed cross-section. The model predicts the overall gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient with a relative error within ±30%.

Polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers were prepared by direct mixed oxidation in four kinds of inorganic acids. The characterization of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that high quality PANI fibers with uniform diameter and several microns length can be obtained by direct mixed oxidation, especially in a sulfuric acid system. Structural characteristics of PANI products through IR and UV spectra indicated the consistent peak distribution with the classic spectrum of the doped PANI. In addition, composite coatings of PANI–epoxy resin were prepared by mechanical grinding. The effect of PANI’s content on anticorrosion property of the composite coatings for Q235 steel was studied by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Results showed that the best shielding protective effect was obtained when the amount of PANI was around 0.5% (wt%). More importantly, the effects of four different inorganic acids on anticorrosion property of the composite coatings were studied by the EIS and Tafel polarization curve. Experiments showed that the different composite coatings of PANI doped by different inorganic acids provided different protective abilities for the Q235 steel. It can be concluded that both the morphology and counter-anion would impact the anticorrosion effect of the doped PANI.

The characteristics of a highly sensitive terahertz wave detector based on lithium niobate have been investigated using a steady-state theory. The contributions of the low-frequency modes to the dielectric constant of lithium niobate are considered. The intrinsic factors of the LN detector limit its high frequency response to about 4 THz. Temperature dependence of the detector from room temperature to 250°C was also studied. The main factors associated with the temperature variations of the sensitivity of the detector are thermal expansion, the nonlinear coefficient and the refractive index of the crystal. The nonlinear coefficient dominates the temperature dependence of the sensitivity of the detector, while the impact of the refractive indices of the near-infrared lights on the temperature variation of the sensitivity of the detector is negligible. This study provides a useful guide and a theoretical basis for the further improvement of the detection systems.