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Background: Previous studies have reported that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)- derived exosomes can protect primary rat brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) against oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R)-induced injury. Objective: The aim was to identify the key factors mediating the protective effects of MSC-derived exosomes. Methods: Primary rat BMECs were either pretreated or not pretreated with MSC-derived exosomes before exposure to OGD/R. Naïve cells were used as a control. After performing small RNA deep sequencing, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to validate microRNA (miRNA) expression. The effects of rno-miR-666-3p on cell viability, apoptosis, and inflammation in OGD/R-exposed cells were assessed by performing the Cell Counting Kit 8 assay, flow cytometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Moreover, the role of rno-miR-666-3p in regulating gene expression in OGD/R-exposed cells was studied using mRNA deep sequencing. Lastly, to evaluate whether mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) was the target of rno-miR-666-3p, western blotting and the dual-luciferase assay were performed. Results: MSC-derived exosomes altered the miRNA expression patterns in OGD/R-exposed BMECs. In particular, the expression levels of rno-miR-666-3p, rno-miR-92a-2-5p, and rnomiR- 219a-2-3p decreased in OGD/R-exposed cells compared with those in the control; however, MSC-derived exosomes restored the expression levels of these miRNAs under OGD/R conditions. rno-miR-666-3p overexpression enhanced cell viability and alleviated the apoptosis of OGD/R-exposed cells. Moreover, rno-miR-666-3p suppressed OGD/R-induced inflammation. mRNA deep sequencing revealed that rno-miR-666-3p is closely associated with the MAPK signaling pathway. Western blotting and the dual-luciferase assay confirmed that MAPK1 is the target of rnomiR- 666-3p. Conclusion: MSC-derived exosomes restore rno-miR-666-3p expression in OGD/R-exposed BMECs. Moreover, this specific miRNA exerts protective effects against OGD/R by suppressing the MAPK signaling pathway.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease caused by the tick-borne SFTS bunyavirus (SFTSV) resulting in a high fatality rate up to 30%. SFTSV is a negative-strand RNA virus containing three single-stranded RNA genome segments designated as L, M, and S, which respectively, encode the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), glycoproteins Gn and Gc, and nucleoprotein (N) and non-structural proteins (NSs). NSs can form inclusion bodies (IBs) in infected and transfected cells. A previous study has provided a clue that SFTSV NSs may be involved in virus-like or viral RNA synthesis; however, the details remain unclear. Our work described here reveals that SFTSV NSs can downregulate virus-like RNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner within a cDNA-derived viral RNA synthesis system, i.e., minigenome (−) and minigenome (+) systems based on transfection, superinfection, and luciferase reporter activity determination; meanwhile, NSs also show a weak inhibitory effect on virus replication. By using co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and RT-PCR combined with site-directed mutagenesis, we found that NSs suppress virus-like RNA or virus replication through interacting with N but not with RdRp, and the negative regulatory effect correlates closely with the IB structure it formed but is not associated with its role of antagonizing host innate immune responses. When the cytoplasmic structure of IB formed by SFTSV NSs was deprived, the inhibitory effect of NSs on virus-like RNA synthesis would weaken and even disappear. Similarly, we also evaluated other bandavirus NSs that cannot form IB in neither infected nor transfected cells, and the results showed that the NSs of Heartland bandavirus (HRTV) did not show a significant inhibitory effect on virus-like RNA synthesis within a minigenome system. Our findings provide experimental evidence that SFTSV NSs participate in regulating virus-like or viral RNA synthesis and the negative effect may be due to the NSs–N interaction.

Phase equilibrium data for binary system of (CO2 + styrene, CO2 + 1,4-dioxane, and CO2 + N,N-dimethylformamide) were measured at temperatures from 308.2 K to 353.2 K and at pressures up to 12 MPa by means of a variable-volume view cell phase equilibrium analyser (PEA). The isothermal phase boundary data include measured phase transition of bubble, dew, and near critical pressures. The experimental results were correlated by means of the Peng-Robinson equation of state in conjunction with the van der Waals one-fluid mixing rules. The new data obtained in this work serve to clarify the inconsistencies among the literature values.

Background Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunctions, including turnover enrichment, gap junction disruption, inflammation, and oxidation, play vital roles in the initiation of vascular disorders and atherosclerosis. Hemodynamic forces, i.e., atherprotective pulsatile (PS) and pro-atherogenic oscillatory shear stress (OS), can activate mechanotransduction to modulate EC function and dysfunction. This review summarizes current studies aiming to elucidate the roles of epigenetic factors, i.e., histone deacetylases (HDACs), non-coding RNAs, and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), in mechanotransduction to modulate hemodynamics-regulated EC function and dysfunction. Main body of the abstract OS enhances the expression and nuclear accumulation of class I and class II HDACs to induce EC dysfunction, i.e., proliferation, oxidation, and inflammation, whereas PS induces phosphorylation-dependent nuclear export of class II HDACs to inhibit EC dysfunction. PS induces overexpression of the class III HDAC Sirt1 to enhance nitric oxide (NO) production and prevent EC dysfunction. In addition, hemodynamic forces modulate the expression and acetylation of transcription factors, i.e., retinoic acid receptor α and krüppel-like factor-2, to transcriptionally regulate the expression of microRNAs (miRs). OS-modulated miRs, which stimulate proliferative, pro-inflammatory, and oxidative signaling, promote EC dysfunction, whereas PS-regulated miRs, which induce anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative signaling, inhibit EC dysfunction. PS also modulates the expression of long non-coding RNAs to influence EC function. i.e., turnover, aligmant, and migration. On the other hand, OS enhances the expression of DNMT-1 and -3a to induce EC dysfunction, i.e., proliferation, inflammation, and NO repression. Conclusion Overall, epigenetic factors play vital roles in modulating hemodynamic-directed EC dysfunction and vascular disorders, i.e., atherosclerosis. Understanding the detailed mechanisms through which epigenetic factors regulate hemodynamics-directed EC dysfunction and vascular disorders can help us to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms of atherosclerosis and develop potential therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis treatment.

In order to strengthen in situ nitrogen removal of urban landscape water, a novel pilot-scale tubular bioreactor-enhanced floating treatment wetland (TB-EFTW) was constructed, and the long-term performance and responsible microbial mechanisms were investigated in this study. The results showed that the system could remove 81.5% nitrogen from the landscape water after 240 days' operation. Moreover, the contribution rate of plant absorption to nitrogen was low (8.3%), which indicated that microbial biotransformation rather than plant absorption played a more key role in nitrogen removal in TB-EFTW system. The declining dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration along the axial direction of tubular bioreactor (TB) resulted in the sequential bacterial community of nitrifying, aerobic denitrifying, and anoxic denitrifying bacteria in the front, middle, and final part of TB. High-throughput sequencing results demonstrated that the internal environment of the system realized the coexistence of nitrifying, aerobic denitrifying and anoxic denitrifying process. The reason was mainly because that oxic-anoxic (O-A) areas were formed in sequence along the axial direction of tubular bioreactor. Overall, a unique advantage in nitrogen removal was achieved in TB-EFTW, which could provide important references for in situ treatment of urban landscape water. PRACTITIONER POINTS: TB-EFTW strengthened nitrogen removal for in situ urban landscape water treatment. Microbial conversion played a key role in nitrogen removal of the TB-EFTW system. The unique distribution of oxic-anoxic (O-A) areas was formed in sequence along the TB. Nitrification, aerobic, and anoxic denitrification were synergistically involved in the TB.

A new ultrasensitive ratiometric fluorescent probe for the monitoring of mercury ions via specific mercury-triggered desulfurization of dithioacetal has been judiciously developed. This probe (MS5)...

Hydrogen bonding and mechanical refining are closely correlated. In this work, structural variations of hydrogen bonding patterns in cellulose during mechanical pulp refining, including the hydrogen bonding energy and distance as well as the content of hydrogen bonds, have been explored by using the second derivative FTIR spectra and deconvolving spectra in the OH stretching vibrational region. Results show that except for the bond distance, both the hydrogen bonding energy and the content of hydrogen bonds exhibit a significant variation at an increasing beating degree. The calculated hydrogen bonding energies for intermolecular O6H⋯O3' decrease by 12.9%, while those of intramolecular O3H⋯O5 and O2H⋯O6 vary little. Evolutions of the content of certain hydrogen bonds differ depending on the different refining stage. It is suggested that along with the role of water, hydration and swelling, internal/external fibrillation and delamination are strongly related to the structural variations of hydrogen bonding patterns in cellulose during mechanical pulp refining.

Many plant species that occur at the high-altitudes such as Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) under extreme climate conditions have potential medicinal functions. To explore the potential use of such plants, we extracted the essential oil from Artemisia dracunculus var. qinghaiensis Y. R. Ling collected from QTP at the flower-buds stage (0.67% v/w) by the hydro-distillation method. The chemical compositions and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil were determined using the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and agar disk-diffusion methods, respectively. Thirty-seven compounds accounting for 60.88% of the total detected components, with a high proportion of monoterpenes (42.12%) were identified in the essential oil. Of these, sabinene (19.19%), β-terpinene (8.94%), terpinen-4-ol (3.83%), and α-pinene (3.08%) were identified as the major compounds. The essential oil showed inhibitory activity against seven microbial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella paratyphi, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at the minimum concentrations (MICs) of 1.25–5.0 μl/ml. Our results suggest that the essential oil of the QTP A. dracunculus var. qinghaiensis can be used as a potential biomedical resource.

MicroRNAs (miRs) and bone morphogenetic protein receptor–specific Smads are mechano-responsive molecules that play vital roles in modulating endothelial cell (EC) functions in response to blood flow. However, the roles of interplay between these molecules in modulating EC functions under flows remain unclear. We elucidated the regulatory roles of the interplay between miR-487a and Smad5 in EC proliferation in response to different flow patterns. Microarray and quantitative RT-PCR showed that disturbed flow with low and oscillatory shear stress (OS, 0.5 ± 4 dynes/cm2) upregulates EC miR-487a in comparison to static controls and pulsatile shear stress (12 ± 4 dynes/cm2). MiR-487a expression was higher in ECs in the inner curvature (OS region) than the outer curvature of the rat aortic arch and thoracic aorta and also elevated in diseased human coronary arteries. MiR-487a expression was promoted by nuclear phospho-Smad5, which bound to primary-miR-487a to facilitate miR-487a processing. Algorithm prediction and luciferase reporter and argonaute 2-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that miR-487a binds to 3′UTR of CREB binding protein (CBP) and p53. Knockdown and overexpression of miR-487a decreased and increased, respectively, phospho-Rb and cyclin A expressions through CBP and p53. A BrdU incorporation assay showed that miR-487a enhanced EC proliferation under OS in vitro and in disturbed flow regions of experimentally stenosed rat abdominal aorta in vivo. These results demonstrate that disturbed flow with OS induces EC expression of miR-487a through its enhanced processing by activated-Smad5. MiR-487 inhibits its direct targets CBP and p53 to induce EC cycle progression and proliferation. Our findings suggest that EC miR-487 may serve as an important molecular target for intervention against disturbed flow–associated vascular disorders resulting from atherosclerosis.

To retard the spread of fire in many cases with sealing materials is significant. A series of silicone rubber foam materials were prepared with room temperature vulcanization and foaming reactions. The morphology, chemical structure, cell structure, and thermal stability were investigated and results proved that the synthesis of silicone rubber was successful in a wide range of feed ratios. The fire-retardant tests were carried out to study the fire-proof property of the composite materials, and the excellent performance showed a promising prospect for wide application in sealing materials.

Radix Astragali and Semen Lepidii (HQ-TLZ) is a commonly used herbal medicine combination for treatment of heart failure, which has a good clinical effect. However, its active components and mechanism of action are not clear, which limits its clinical application and development. In this study, we explored the mechanism of action of HQ-TLZ in the treatment of heart failure based on network pharmacology. We obtained 11 active ingredients and 109 targets from the TCMSP database and SwissTargetPrediction database. Next, we constructed the action network and carried out enrichment analysis. The results showed that HQ-TLZ treatment of heart failure is primarily achieved by regulating the insulin resistance, erbB signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and VEGF signaling pathway. After inverse targeting, molecular docking, and literature search, we determined that the equivalent molecular groups of HQ-TLZ in the treatment of heart failure were quercetin and kaempferol. Based on network pharmacology, we reveal the mechanism of action of HQ-TLZ in the treatment of heart failure to a certain extent. At the same time, we determined the composition of the equivalent molecular group. This provides a bridge for the consistency evaluation of natural herbs and molecular compounds, which is beneficial to the development of novel drugs and further research.

Membrane-based separation has served as an environmentally friendly technology over many conventional separation technologies in production of clean water, energy, and other materials. However, the vast amount of organic solvents used in membrane fabrication violates its initial intention. Therefore, to meet the needs of green chemistry and sustainable development, the traditional organic solvents must be replaced by environmentally benign solvents to reduce the solvent pollution. Ionic liquids have grabbed increasing interest as a kind of green solvents due to their low vapor pressure, chemical and thermal stability, recyclability, and diversity of ion combination. They have showed great superiority as the solvents for membrane fabrication. Contrary to traditional molecular solvents, the special properties of ionic liquids bring about distinct phenomena during hollow fiber fabrication and unique properties of the membranes. Therefore this chapter discusses the fundamental science of using ionic liquids as the solvents for hollow fiber spinning. The properties of hollow fibers spun from ionic liquids are summarized first, followed by the examination of interactions between polymers and ionic liquids as well as their influences on solution rheology and phase inversion behavior. Afterwards, the effects of spinning parameters on hollow fiber performance are also illustrated. With the further industrialization of ionic liquids and the development of novel recovery technologies, ionic liquids may serve as effective and feasible solvents in the near future for the fabrication of hollow fiber membranes and the realization of green fabrication in the membrane industry.

Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. and Bulbus allii Macrostemi are the components of Gualou Xiebai decoction (GLXB), a commonly used herbal combination for the treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD) in traditional Chinese medicine. Although GLXB is associated with a good clinical effect, its active compounds and mechanism of action remain unclear, which limits its clinical application and the development of novel drugs. In this study, we explored key compounds, targets, and mechanisms of action for GLXB in the treatment of CHD using the network pharmacology approach. We identified 18 compounds and 21 action targets via database screening. Enrichment analysis indicated that the effects of GLXB in patients with CHD are primarily associated with the regulation of signalling pathways for tumour necrosis factor, nuclear factor-kappa B, hypoxia-inducible factor-1, arachidonic acid metabolism, and insulin resistance. GLXB thus exerts anti-inflammatory, antihypoxic, and antiagglutinating effects; regulates lipid metabolism; and combats insulin resistance in CHD via these pathways, respectively. After reverse targeting, we observed that the main active compounds of GLXB in the treatment of CHD were quercetin, naringenin, β-sitosterol, ethyl linolenate, ethyl linoleate, and prostaglandin B1. To explore the potential of these compounds in the treatment of CHD, we verified the affinity of the compounds and targets via molecular docking analysis. Our study provides a bridge for the transformation of natural herbs and molecular compounds into novel drug therapies for CHD.

Objective In the present study, we aimed to establish a novel score to predict long-term mortality of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods A total of 2,174 NSTE-ACS patients from the CORFCHD-ZZ study were enrolled as the derivation cohort. The validation cohort including 1,808 NSTE-ACS patients were from the CORFCHD-PCI study. Receiver operating characteristic analysis and area under the curve (AUC) evaluation were used to select the candidate variables. The model performance was validated internally and externally. The primary outcome was cardiac mortality (CM). We also explored the model performance for all-cause mortality (ACM). Results Initially, 28 risk factors were selected and ranked according to their AUC values. Finally, we selected age, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and creatinine to develop a novel prediction model named “ABC” model. The ABC model had a high discriminatory ability for both CM (C-index: 0.774, p Conclusion In the present study, we developed and validated a novel model to predict mortality in patients with NSTE-ACS who underwent PCI. This model can be used as a credible tool for risk assessment and management of NSTE-ACS after PCI.

Thin film nanocomposite membranes have become a feasible technology for heavy metal wastewater treatment. However, how to enhance the dispersibility and compatibility of nanomaterials in the selective layer is an important issue to improve the membrane performance of heavy metal removal. In this study, silica-poly(ionic liquid) nanoparticles were incorporated in the selective layer of TFN membranes. 1-Allyl-3-methyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([AMIm]PF6) was selected to modify silica (SiO2) particles. The formed poly([AMIm]+) brushes provided charge properties to enhance dispersibility and organic part to improve compatibility in the polyamide layer of NF membranes. The resultant TFN membranes incorporated with SiO2-[AMIm]PF6 particles exhibited an increment of 34% water permeation and 41.6% MgCl2 rejection. Moreover, with an average rejection improvement of around 15% for heavy metal ions at pH = 5–6, the SiO2-[AMIm]PF6/PA membrane showed its superiority beyond the PA membrane. The electropositivity and microporous structure of the SiO2-[AMIm]PF6 particles enhanced their dispersibility and compatibility in the polyamide layer. Meanwhile, the proper pore size and structure of the SiO2-[AMIm]PF6 particles contributed to the channels for water transport and the sieving effect for most heavy metal ions. This work may facilitate the applications of TFN membranes in heavy metal wastewater treatment to alleviate the “trade-off” phenomenon.

The electrical transport properties of Mn doped InAs single crystal (InAs:Mn) were determined from temperature-dependent Hall effect measurements over the temperature range of 77–300 K. Both samples were found to be p-type attributed to Mn acceptors randomly substituting for indium lattice sites. The sample with relatively higher doping concentration exhibits characteristics with nearest-neighbor hopping conductance (NNH) in impurity band below 200 K. The ionization energy of the Mn acceptor in InAs is determined to be 27 meV from the analysis of PL spectrum of the lightly doped sample. It is determined from the value of ionization energy that the localized radius a 0 of the manganese acceptor is 17 A.

A new boron nitride allotrope with 6 atoms in a unit cell termed as trigonal BN (TBN), which belongs to P31 21 space group, is theoretically investigated. Electronic structures, mechanic properties, phonon spectra and other properties were calculated by using first-principles based on density functional theory (DFT). The elastic constants reveal that TBN is mechanically stable. Furthermore, phonon dispersion indicates that TBN is dynamically stable. The calculated bulk modulus and shear modulus of TBN are 323 and 342 GPa, respectively. The calculated Young's modulus are Ex = Ey = 760 GPa, Ez = 959 GPa, indicating that TBN is a super-hard and brittle material . The universal anisotropy index, which is only 0.296, shows its weak anisotropy. Band structure states clearly that TBN is an indirect semiconductor with a band gap of 3.87 eV. The valence bands are mainly composed of N 2 p states, and the conduction bands are mainly contributed by B 2 p states. Simulated X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) and Raman spectra were also provided for future experimental characterizations. Due to its band gap and super-hard properties, TBN may possess potential in super-hard, optical and electronic applications.

Nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) decorated Cu2NiSnS4 (CNTS) microflower composites (NC@CNTS) were fabricated through a facile solvothermal and pyrrole polymerization with further annealing treatment. The NC@CNTS composites possessed a three-dimension (3D) microflower-like hierarchical structure. The unique microflower structure of NC@CNTS composites exhibited remarkable electrochemical performance as electrode materials for long life lithium ion batteries. The as-prepared composites had a stable and reversible capacity that reached 943 mA h g−1 after 160 cycles at a current rate of 0.1 A g−1. It showed satisfactory cycle stability and rate capability even at 2 A g−1, and specific capacity stabilized at 288 mA g−1 after 1000 cycles. The present facile and cost-effective strategy can be applied for the synthesis of other transition metal sulfide nanomaterials for energy storage and conversion applications.

Mn3O4/nitrogen-doped porous carbon sphere (NPCS) nanocomposites were prepared by a simple solvothermal process. In the nanocomposites, highly crystalline Mn3O4 nanoparticles (10–20 nm) were homogeneously anchored onto conducting NPCS derived from carboxymethyl chitosan. When used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the Mn3O4/NPCS nanocomposites displayed a high specific capacity of 1629 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles, higher than the values for pure Mn3O4 and NPCS. Even at 2000 mA g−1, a reversible capacity of 764 mAh g−1 could still be obtained. The excellent electrochemical performance of the Mn3O4/NPCS nanocomposites can be ascribed to the N-doping and their particular hybrid structure.

This work aims at designing a fine assembly of two different transition metal oxides with a distinct band-gap energy into a bi-component-active hetero-structure to enhance the hetero-interface interactions and synergetic functionalities of bi-components to improve electrochemical performance. Herein, a facile marriage of crystal-seeds induction and hydrothermal reactions has been utilized to fabricate ZnO–ZnFe2O4 micro-cubic composites. Benefiting from the synergetic effects of the bi-functional components and their unique hetero-junction structure, the ZnO–ZnFe2O4 micro-cubic composites exhibit a significant improvement in lithium storage performance. The reversible capacity is retained at a value of 811 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1. Even at high current densities of 1 and 5 A g−1, the electrodes are still able to deliver capacities of 584 and 430 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles, respectively.

Free-standing and binder-free electrodes of carbon cloth uniformly covered with Cu 2 NiSnS 4 nanospheres are synthesized via a facile surfactant-assisted hydrothermal method combined with post annealing treatment. The flexible composites are directly applied as electrodes for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium ion batteries (SIBs). The as-prepared electrodes display outstanding electrochemical performance. They deliver high reversible capacities of 1537 and 329 mAh g −1 after 150 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g −1 for LIBs and SIBs, respectively. Even when the current density increases to 2 A g −1 , the specific capacity remains at 1200 mAh g −1 for LIBs. Benefiting from the intrinsic nature of materials, structure features, and good electrochemical performance, the as-prepared flexible electrode can be utilized for flexible energy storage devices.

Isothermal vapor-liquid-liquid equilibrium (VLLE) data were measured for water + 2-butanol, water + isobutanol, and water + tert-amyl alcohol at temperatures from 323.12 K to 373.16 K. A modified static-type apparatus equipped with a visual cell was used in the present study. The experimental results confirm that homogeneous azeotrope forms in water + 2-butanol and heterogeneous azeotrope forms in water + isobutanol and in water + tert-amyl alcohol. The VLLE data of the investigated binary systems were correlated well with the NRTL and the UNIQUAC models.

Kapok fibres were used as micro-tube biotemplate and bio-carbon source to synthesise Fe 3 O 4 /C composites, which were then utilised as anode materials. Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were grown uniformly onto the external surface and internal channel of kapok carbon fibres. The flexibility, high specific surface area and electronic conduction of kapok fibres can buffer the volume expansion as well as inhibit the aggregation of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles. Thus, the electrical integrity and structural of the Fe 3 O 4 /C composites electrode during lithiation/delithiation processes. The Fe 3 O 4 /C composites electrode delivers a high reversible capacity of 596 mA h g −1 after 100 cycles and an ultra-high coulombic efficiency approaching 100%. The high electrochemical performance of the Fe 3 O 4 /C composites can be caused by the synergistic effect of the Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles and the structure of kapok carbon fibres.

To investigate the possible advantages of acupotomy over sodium hyaluronate injection for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA).Twenty rabbits were divided randomly into four groups (n = 5 in each): a control group, model group, acupotomy group, and sodium hyaluronate injection group. The model, acupotomy, and sodium hyaluronate groups underwent anterior cruciate ligament transection plus partial medial meniscectomy. Sodium hyaluronate injection and acupotomy were administered to the respective groups from weeks 5 to 8, and samples of the tibial plateau and medial condyle of the femur were collected in week 9. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was assessed in cartilage and subchondral bone by immunohistochemical staining.Articular cartilage degeneration was less pronounced in the acupotomy compared with the model and sodium hyaluronate groups. VEGF expression levels in cartilage and subchondral bone were increased in the model group compared with the control group (P0.01), and acupotomy had a more pronounced therapeutic effect than sodium hyaluronate injection (P0.01).Acupotomy and sodium hyaluronate injection may both reduce degeneration in the cartilage and subchondral bone in KOA based on the results from a rabbit model, but acupotomy improved the histopathology and reduced the VEGF content more effectively than sodium hyaluronate injection, probably by reducing venous stasis and intraosseous pressure. Acupotomy may improve KOA by lowering VEGF.

The development of methods to synthesize electrode materials can improve the performance of lithium ion storage. In this study, a facile and low-cost approach is employed to synthesize LiFePO4 (LFP/NC) hybrid materials decorated with nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials (NC). Melamine was used as nitrogen and carbon source with an NC to LFP ratio of 3.19%. As electrode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), the LFP/NC composites exhibit an optimum performance with a high rate capacity of 144.6 mAh·g−1 at 1 C after 500 cycles without apparent loss. The outstanding cycling stability may be attributed to the synergetic effects of well-crystallized particles and NC layers.

Forward osmosis (FO) is an innovative membrane-based process that requires limited external energy input to recover water as it relies on the spontaneous osmotic pressure gradient between a process water stream and a more concentrated solution; the latter is termed a “draw solution”. A suitable draw solution should have properties that allow its solute to be separated into recoverable products that can, in turn, be used to regenerate the initial draw solution with minimum energy requirements. These properties are crucial for the economics of the FO process because the basic energy requirement in FO arises from the separation and regeneration of the draw solution. Recently, it was proposed that such a draw solution can be an aqueous carbonated trimethylamine solution (TMAH:HCO3). In this project, the properties, i.e., composition, pH, and vapor–liquid equilibria (VLE), of the binary TMA–H2O and the ternary TMA–CO2–H2O systems were studied to generate thermodynamic data required to enable accurate speciatio...

The precursors of ZnMn2O4 microspheres are synthesized by a mixed solvothermal method using ZnAc2·2H2O and MnAc2·4H2O as metal source as well as urea or ammonium bicarbonate as the precipitant. The as-synthesized precursors are further heat-treated at a suitable temperature to obtain the expected compounds. The expected samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The electrochemical properties of the sample are investigated by battery testing system. The influences of different precipitants on its structure, morphology and the electrochemical properties are discussed. The results show that the morphology of expected compound is depended on different precipitants. When tested as anode material for lithium ion battery, the ZnMn2O4 sample obtained by pyrolysis of the Zn0.33Mn0.67CO3 precursor using ammonium bicarbonate as precipitant exhibits better electrochemical properties. It has a high initial discharge specific capacity of 1269 mAhg−1 and remains its capacity at 602 mAhg−1 after 100 cycles under a constant current of 100 mAg−1 in the voltage range of 0.01–3 V. The outstanding electrochemical performances for the ZnMn2O4 microspheres suggest that it could be a promising candidate as a novel anode material for lithium ion battery applications.

Aminosilane materials, with their low cost and ease of modification, have exhibited great potential for the adsorption of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) from water. However, this kind of material may be facing two drawbacks during its application: low resistance to hydrolysis and difficulties in separation from the water matrix. This work proposed a strategy of grafting N-(2-aminoethyl) aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AE-APTMS) on the surface of magnetic γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles by full utilization of the sorption sites provided by the aminosilane and the magnetism by γ-Fe2O3. The FTIR and XRD results verified the formation of the magnetic AE-APTMS nanocomposite. The core-shell nanocomposite showed a superparamagnetic property and an isoelectric point at pH = 8.2. Particularly, compared to the aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) nanocomposite, the AE-APTMS nanocomposite exhibited improved hydrolytic stability with 60% less loss of the amine groups during the 48 h adsorption process, as the longer alkyl chain hindered the aminosilane detachment. The AE-APTMS nanocomposite exhibited a rapid adsorption with the removal efficiency of 78% for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and 65% for perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) due to the electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic interaction. The regeneration and reuse of the magnetic AE-APTMS nanocomposite were conveniently realized with the removal efficiency higher than 70% for both PFOS and PFOA even after 15 adsorption-desorption cycles. The stable magnetic aminosilane nanocomposite with the ease of separation may provide a new strategy to achieve the economical and effective removal of typical PFCs from water.

Background Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) selectively kills tumor cells while sparing adjacent normal cells. Boric acid (BA)-mediated BNCT showed therapeutic efficacy in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in vivo. However, DNA damage and corresponding responses induced by BA-mediated BNCT remained unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether BA-mediated BNCT induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and to explore DNA damage responses in vitro. Materials and methods Huh7 Human HCC cells were treated with BA and irradiated with neutrons during BA-BNCT. Cell survival and DNA DSBs were examined by clonogenic assay and expression of phosphorylated H2A histone family member X (γH2AX), respectively. The DNA damage response was explored by determining the expression levels of DNA repair- and apoptosis-associated proteins and conducting a cell-cycle analysis. Results DNA DSBs induced by BA-mediated BNCT were primarily repaired through the homologous recombination pathway. BA-mediated BNCT induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis in HCC. Conclusion Our findings may enable the identification of radiosensitizers or adjuvant drugs for potentiating the therapeutic effectiveness of BA-mediated BNCT for HCC.

Fumarate nitrate reduction regulator (FNR) is a direct oxygen-responsive transcriptional regulator containing an iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster. During anaerobic growth, the [4Fe-4S] cluster in FNR (holo-FNR) binds specifically to DNA, whereas exposure to oxygen results in the loss of its DNA-binding activity via oxidation of the [4Fe-4S] cluster. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of FNR in regulation of capsular polysaccharide (CPS) biosynthesis, serum resistance, and anti-phagocytosis of K. pneumoniae. We found that the CPS amount in K. pneumoniae increased in anaerobic conditions, compared to that in aerobic conditions. An fnr deletion mutant and a site-directed mutant (fnr 3 CA), with the three cysteines (C20, C23, and C29) replaced with alanines to mimic an FNR lacking the [4Fe-4S] cluster, showed marked increase in CPS amount under anaerobic conditions. A promoter-reporter assay and qRT-PCR confirmed that the transcription of the cps genes was repressed by holo-FNR. In addition, we found that holo-FNR could repress the transcription of rmpA and rmpA2, encoding cps transcriptional activators. Deletion of rmpA or rmpA2 in the Δfnr strain reduced CPS biosynthesis, suggesting that RmpA and RmpA2 participated in the holo-FNR-mediated repression of cps transcription, thereby regulating the CPS amount, serum resistance, and anti-phagocytosis. Taken together, our results provided evidence that RmpA and RmpA2 participated in the holo-FNR-mediated repression of CPS biosynthesis, and resistance to the host defense in response to oxygen availability.

A general and efficient oxyhalogenation of unsaturated ketoximes has been achieved through copper catalysis with diethyl bromomalonate, N-chlorosuccinimide, and N-iodosuccinimide, yielding 5-chloromethyl, 5-bromomethyl, and 5-iodomethyl isoxazolines in good to excellent yields.

More than 40 years after their publication, updated versions of the generalized Soave α-function ( α ( T r , ω ) = [ 1 + m ( ω ) ( 1 − T r 0.5 ) ] 2 ) suitable for the Redlich-Kwong (RK) and Peng-Robinson (PR) equations of state (EoS) are proposed in this work. The new mathematical expressions of m R K ( ω ) and m P R ( ω ) have been determined by correlating the optimal m values, fitted on vapor pressures ( P s a t ) and/or enthalpies of vaporization ( Δ v a p H ) and/or saturated-liquid heat capacities ( c P , l i q s a t ) against the acentric factor ω . The correlations determined in this study can be considered as broad-based and sound since they were established for 1721 pure compounds belonging to many different chemical families (hydrocarbons, halogenated, oxygenated, sulfur, nitrogen compounds …) for which experimental data were available. Significant improvements on the reproduction of vapor pressures were obtained for the PR EoS with respect to the original version. The updated SRK EoS achieved similar average deviations for the three properties of interest ( P s a t , Δ v a p H and c P , l i q s a t ), in comparison with the original SRK equation. A substantial improvement is however noticeable for heavy molecules with an acentric factor larger than 0.9.

The protocols in this chapter describe methods for identifying the functional roles of retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR) signaling in atherosclerosis and developing RARα/RXRα-specific agonists as hemodynamics-based therapeutic components for atherosclerosis treatment. In vitro cell culture flow system is used to elucidate the effects of different flow patterns and shear stresses, i.e., atherogenic oscillatory shear stress (OS) vs. atheroprotective pulsatile shear stress (PS), on RAR/RXR signaling and inflammatory responses in vascular endothelial cells (ECs). Western blotting, nuclear and cytoplasmic protein extraction, immunoprecipitation, and in situ proximity ligation assay are used to examine the expression, location, and association of RARs (i.e., RARα, RARβ, and RARγ) and RXRs (i.e., RXRα, RXRβ, and RXRγ) in ECs in response to OS vs. PS. Chromatin immunoprecipitation is used to examine the binding activity of RARα/RA-responsive elements (RARE). RT-microRNA (miR) quantitative real-time PCR and RT-PCR are used to detect the expressions of miR-10a and pro-inflammatory molecules, respectively. Specific siRNAs of RARα and RXRα, precursor miR-10a (PreR-10a), and antagomiR-10a (AMR-10a) are used to elucidate the regulatory roles of RARα, RXRα, and miR-10a in pro-inflammatory signaling in ECs. RARα/RXRα-specific agonists are used to induce miR-10a expression and inhibit OS-induced pro-inflammatory signaling in ECs in vitro. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice are used as an atherosclerotic animal model. Administration of ApoE-/- mice with RARα/RXRα-specific agonists results in inhibitions in atherosclerotic lesion formation. Co-administration of ApoE-/- mice with RARα/RXRα agonists and AMR-10a is performed to identify the role of miR-10a in RARα/RXRα agonists-mediated inhibition in atherosclerotic lesions. Oil Red O staining and H&E staining are used to examine the levels of atherosclerotic lesions in the vessel wall. In situ miR hybridization and immunohistochemical staining are used to detect the expression of miR-10a and pro-inflammatory molecules and the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the vessel wall. RARα/RXRα-specific agonists are used to mimic the atheroprotective effects of PS to induce endothelial miR-10a and hence repress OS-induced pro-inflammatory signaling and atherosclerotic lesion formation in vivo. The results indicate that RAR/RXR-specific agonists have great potential to be developed as hemodynamics-based therapeutic components for atherosclerosis treatment.

The synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetochemical properties of a mixed-valence Mn16 cluster are reported. The compound contains a Mn16(μ2-O)2(μ3-O)2(μ4-O)6 core, which is constructed from four tetrahedrons. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate the presence of dominant antiferromagnetic exchange interaction within the compound.

In this work, we have examined and compared the interactions between cellulose acetate and different ionic liquids at a molecular level and explored their effects on dope rheology, hollow fiber morphology, and performance. Ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM]OAc), was found to interact with cellulose acetate (CA) more closely with intensive hydrogen bonds than 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate ([EMIM]SCN). Thus, the CA/[EMIM]OAc solution exhibits a more pronounced charge-ordered network than the CA/[EMIM]SCN solution. In addition, the former does not obey the Cox–Merz rule, whereas the latter obeys the rule with its shear viscosity η identical to its complex viscosity |η*| at the equivalent shear rate and angular frequency. These dissimilar factors have contributed to an instantaneous liquid–liquid demixing and resulted in a dense outer skin surface and a porous cross-sectional structure comprising macrovoids for the CA/OAc membrane. In contrast, the CA/SCN membrane has a looser...

In this work, Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles were loaded on the nitrogen-doped porous carbon spheres (NPCS) by a facile hydrothermal method. The NPCS were derived from carboxymethyl chitosan as the carbon and nitrogen source. The as-prepared Co 3 O 4 /NPCS nanocomposites were used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The electrochemical results showed that the materials possessed a high initial discharge capacity of 1245.5 mAh g −1 and still maintained a high reversible capacity of 983.9 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g −1 . Even at a high current density of 5 A g −1 , it delivered a very stable reversible capacity of 659 mAh g −1 . The high electrochemical performance of the Co 3 O 4 /NPCS nanocomposites can be attributed to the synergistic effects of the nanoscale Co 3 O 4 particles, the porous structure of the NPCS and the N functional groups on the NPCS.

LiFePO4/Cu (LFP/Cu) composite as a cathode material for lithium-ion battery was successfully synthesized via a two-step chemical process. The reductant concentration, solution pH, temperature and reaction time of this chemical process were investigated based on a series of experiments to explore the optimal parameters. The structural characteristics and electrochemical properties of LFP/Cu composite were compared with pure LiFePO4. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that the obtained LFP/Cu composite was well crystallized, in addition, the copper particles did not destroy the olivine structure of LiFePO4. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) element map showed that nano-sized copper particles exhibited a homogeneous distribution on the surface of LiFePO4. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) compared the charge-transfer resistance (Rct) of LFP/Cu and pure LiFePO4 electrode, indicating that the decrease of Rct was nearly 40% after adding moderate amount of nano-sized copper particles. The charge–discharge tests demonstrated that the optimized LFP/Cu composite with 6.18% nano-sized copper particles delivered the initial discharge capacity of 146.7 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C, which was much higher than pure LiFePO4 and all the other samples. The better electrochemical properties were mainly attributed to the significantly decrease of Rct and the enhancement of electronic conductivity, which is benefit from the superficial nano-sized copper particles.

Electric membrane bioreactor (E-MBR) for wastewater treatment and water purification has attracted significant interest due to its remarkable performance in fouling mitigation. The performance is much relevant to the electric and physicochemical properties of the conductive membranes in E-MBR. This study proposed a facile method to prepare a conductive membrane with low electrical resistance and enhanced hydrophilicity. Oxidative polymerization of pyrrole doping with ionic liquids was conducted on the surface of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. Among the studied ionic liquids, 1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BVIMBF4) was the most suitable in this work. The electrical resistance of the PVDF membrane modified by pyrrole and BVIMBF4 (PPy-BVIMBF4/PVDF membrane) was as low as 9.76 Ω/sq, and its water contact angle reduced from 81° to 45°. In the fast-filtration tests, these conductive microfiltration membranes exhibited high rejections of Cu2+ ions (~85%) and Ni+ ions (~65%) and enhanced antifouling performance during the bovine serum albumin filtration with the application of an electric field. A long-term E-MBR operation demonstrated that the transmembrane pressure (TMP) rise and the flux decline of the PPy-BVIMBF4/PVDF membrane were significantly alleviated due to its improved conductivity and hydrophilicity. Its total membrane resistance for water transport was only 27% of the base PVDF membranes under a minute electric field of 0.8 V/m. Overall, the incorporation of ionic liquids in the oxidative polymerization of pyrrole offers a novel and effective strategy in conductive membrane fabrication and serves as an excellent method in fouling mitigation in MBR.

Coal is a crucial fossil energy in today's society, and the detection of sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) in coal is essential for the evaluation of coal quality. Therefore, an efficient method is needed to quantitatively analyze N and S content in coal, to achieve the purpose of clean utilization of coal. This study applied laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to test coal quality, and combined two variable selection algorithms, competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and the successive projections algorithm (SPA), to establish the corresponding partial least square (PLS) model. The results of the experiment were as follows. The PLS modeled with the full spectrum of 27,620 variables has poor accuracy, the coefficient of determination of the test set (R2P) and root mean square error of the test set (RMSEP) of nitrogen were 0.5172 and 0.2263, respectively, and those of sulfur were 0.5784 and 0.5811, respectively. The CARS-PLS screened 37 and 25 variables respectively in the detection of N and S elements, but the prediction ability of the model did not improve significantly. SPA-PLS finally screened 14 and 11 variables respectively through successive projections, and obtained the best prediction effect among the three methods. The R2P and RMSEP of nitrogen were 0.9873 and 0.0208, respectively, and those of sulfur were 0.9451 and 0.2082, respectively. In general, the predictive results of the two elements increased by about 90% for RMSEP and 60% for R2P compared with PLS. The results show that LIBS combined with SPA-PLS has good potential for detecting N and S content in coal, and is a very promising technology for industrial application.

At present, fracturing is an important measure for oil and gas fields to increase production and increase profits; returned liquid generated after operation has become one of the important control pollutants for the environmental protection of oil and gas fields; re-use of fracturing fluid backwaters has become an important development direction of waste water resource utilization. In this paper, four kinds of different salinity aqueous solutions of distilled water, tap water, No.2 and treated backflow were studied; effect of different boron content on viscosity, temperature resistance and temperature-resisting shear resistance of fracturing fluid based on four kinds of water solvents. The results show that when the content of boron in distilled water is 1mg/ L and the content of boron in tap water is 2mg/L, the viscosity, temperature resistance, shear resistance and temperature resistance of the fracturing fluid are all meet the requirements.No.2 simulated water and fracturing flow back fluid after treatment were added boron content of 10mg/L and 18mg/L respectively, the viscosity of the base fluid to meet the requirements, however, without boron, the shear resistance and temperature resistance are poor, does not meet the requirements.

The accurate determination of the residual boron content is of great significance to reutilization and the control of treatment cost of the treated fracturing flow-back fluid in the oil field. This work mainly investigated the influence of coexisting ions on measurement of boron content in oil field fracturing flow-back fluid, with the mixed solution of bromocresol green-methyl red-phenolphthalein as the indicator, by using mannitol acid-base neutralization titration. The results show that the optimum range of the method is 50 ~ 300 mg/L, and the content of Fe3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO4 2-, suspended matter and oil in the fracturing flow-back fluid have less effect on the accuracy of the determination results. The relative standard deviation is 0.49%, and the recovery rate is 99.08% ~ 100.70%. The precision and accuracy of this method can satisfy the quality requirements of the analysis.