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A bentonite slurry mixed with seawater is prone to sedimentation, which will reduce the quality of the filter cake and lower the stability of the excavation surface in undersea tunnels. It is necessary to study the performance and influencing factors of the bentonite slurry mixed with seawater. This article simulates the process of undersea slurry shield tunnel construction, where the pressurized slurry penetrates into the sand layer and forms a filter cake when the shield stops pressurizing. We investigated the effects of bentonite, additives (CMC), fine sand, pressure, and formation permeability on the performance of the seawater slurry and filter cake. The sedimentation of mud caused by seawater interfered with the experiment, which manifested as the increase in bentonite, and delayed the formation of the filter cake. Fine sand with a particle size close to the average value of the formation can improve the speed and quality of filter cake formation. By conducting a sensitivity analysis on experimental data, the degree of influence of various factors on the formation rate, thickness, and porosity of the filter cake was determined. Fine sand and bentonite are the factors that have the greatest impact on the formation rate, thickness, and porosity of the filter cake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein vesicles made from bioactive proteins have potential value in drug delivery, biocatalysis, and as artificial cells. As the proteins are produced recombinantly, the ability to precisely tune the protein sequence provides control not possible with polymeric vesicles. The tunability and biocompatibility motivated this work to develop protein vesicles using rationally designed protein building blocks to investigate how protein sequence influences vesicle self-assembly and properties. We have reported an elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) fused to an arginine-rich leucine zipper (ZR) and functional, globular proteins fused to a glutamate-rich leucine zipper (ZE) that self-assemble into protein vesicles when warmed from 4 to 25 °C due to the hydrophobic transition of ELP. Previously, we demonstrated the ability to tune vesicle properties by changing protein and salt concentration, ZE : ZR ratio, and warming rate. However, there is a limit to the properties that can be achieved via assembly conditions. In order to access a wider range of vesicle diameter and stability profiles, this work investigated how modifiying the hydrophobicity and length of the ELP sequence influenced self-assembly and the final properties of protein vesicles using mCherry as a model globular protein. The results showed that both transition temperature and diameter of protein vesicles were inversely correlated to the ELP guest residue hydrophobicity and the number of ELP pentapeptide repeats. Additionally, sequence manipulation enabled assembly of vesicles with properties not accessible by changes to assembly conditions. For example, introduction of tyrosine at 5 guest residue positions in ELP enabled formation of nanoscale vesicles stable at physiological salt concentration. This work yields design guidelines for modifying the ELP sequence to manipulate protein vesicle transition temperature, size and stability to achieve desired properties for particular biofunctional applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Enhanced secretion of Na+ and Cl− in leaf glands and leaf vacuolar sequestration of Na+ or root retention of Cl−, combined with K+ retention, contribute to the improved salt tolerance of tetraploid recretohalophyte P. auriculata. Salt stress is one of the major abiotic factors threatening plant growth and development, and polyploids generally exhibit higher salt stress resistance than diploids. In recretohalophytes, which secrete ions from the salt gland in leaf epidermal cells, the effects of polyploidization on ion homeostasis and secretion remain unknown. In this study, we compared the morphology, physiology, and ion homeostasis regulation of diploid and autotetraploid accessions of the recretohalophyte Plumbago auriculata Lam. after treatment with 300 mM NaCl for 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days. The results showed that salt stress altered the morphology, photosynthetic efficiency, and chloroplast structure of diploid P. auriculata to a greater extent than those of its tetraploid counterpart. Moreover, the contents of organic osmoregulatory substances (proline and soluble sugars) were significantly higher in the tetraploid than in the diploid, while those of H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly lower. Analysis of ion homeostasis revealed that the tetraploid cytotype accumulated more Na+ in stems and leaves and more Cl− in roots but less K+ loss in roots compared with diploid P. auriculata. Additionally, the rate of Na+ and Cl− secretion from the leaf surface was higher, while that of K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ secretion was lower in tetraploid plants. X-ray microanalysis of mesophyll cells revealed that Na+ mainly accumulated in different cellular compartments in the tetraploid (vacuole) and diploid (cytoplasm) plants. Our results suggest that polyploid recretohalophytes require the ability to sequester Na+ and Cl−(via accumulation in leaf cell vacuoles or unloading by roots) and selectively secrete these ions (through salt glands) together with the ability to prevent K+ loss (by roots). This mechanism required to maintain K+/Na+ homeostasis in polyploid recretohalophytes under high salinity provides new insights in the improved maintenance of ion homeostasis in polyploids under salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]