Crystallization-Driven Controlled 2D Self-Assemblies via Aqueous RAFT Emulsion Polymerization.

Aqueous emulsion polymerization is a robust technique for preparing nanoparticles of block copolymers; however, it typically yields spherical nanoassemblies. The scale preparation of nanoassemblies with nonspherical high-order morphologies is a challenge, particularly 2D core-shell nanosheets. In this study, the polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) and crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) are combined to demonstrate the preparation of 2D nanosheets and their aggregates via aqueous reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) emulsion polymerization.

One-Pot Preparation of Ratiometric Fluorescent Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Nanosensor for Sensitive and Selective Detection of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid.

The development of fluorescent molecular imprinting sensors for direct, rapid, and sensitive detection of small organic molecules in aqueous systems has always presented a significant challenge in the field of detection. In this study, we successfully prepared a hydrophilic colloidal molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) using a one-pot approach that incorporated polyglycerol methacrylate (PGMMA-TTC), a hydrophilic macromolecular chain transfer agent, to mediate reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer precipitation polymerization (RAFTPP). To simplify the polymerization process while achieving ratiometric fluorescence detection, red fluorescent CdTe quantum dots (QDs) and green fluorescent nitrobenzodiazole (NBD) were introduced as fluorophores (with NBD serving as an enhancer to the template and QDs being inert).

Dynamic Directional Ultrasonically In Situ-Generated N,S-Codoped Carbon Dots in Poly(ethylene glycol) for Improved Tribological Performance.

The dispersion stability of nanomaterials in lubricants significantly influences tribological performance, yet their addition as lubricant additives often presents challenges in secondary dispersion. Here, we present a straightforward method for in situ preparation of N,S-codoped CDs (N,S-CDs)-based lubricants using heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons containing N/S elements in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) base oil by a directional ultrasound strategy. Two types of N,S-CDs were successfully prepared via the directional ultrasound treatment of PEG with benzothiazole (BTA) and benzothiadiazole (BTH) separately.

Performance of a polymerization-based electrochemically assisted persulfate process on a real coking wastewater treatment.

Industrial wastewater should be treated with caution due to its potential environmental risks. In this study, a polymerization-based cathode/Fe/peroxydisulfate (PDS) process was employed for the first time to treat a raw coking wastewater, which can achieve simultaneous organics abatement and recovery by converting organic contaminants into separable solid organic-polymers. The results confirm that several dominant organic contaminants in coking wastewater such as phenol, cresols, quinoline and indole can be induced to polymerize by self-coupling or cross-coupling.

Transformation of metoprolol in UV/PDS process: Role and mechanisms of degradation and polymerization.

Advanced oxidation processes for the treatment of organic pollutants in wastewater suffer from difficulties in mineralization, potential risks of dissolved residues, and high oxidant consumption. In this study, radical-initiated polymerization is dominated in an UV/peroxydisulfate (PDS) process to eliminate organic pollutant of pharmaceutical metoprolol (MTP). Compared with an ideal degradation-based UV/PDS process, the present process can save four fifths of PDS consumption at the same dissolved organic carbon removal of 47.

Catalytic ozonation of reverse osmosis concentrate from coking wastewater reuse by surface oxidation over Mn-Ce/γ-AlO: Effluent organic matter transformation and its catalytic mechanism.

Degradation of organics in high-salinity wastewater is beneficial to meeting the requirement of zero liquid discharge for coking wastewater treatment. Creating efficient and stable performance catalysts for high-salinity wastewater treatment is vital in catalytic ozonation process. Compared with ozonation alone, Mn and Ce co-doped γ-AlO could remarkably enhance activities of catalytic ozonation for chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (38.

Leaf Traits Explain the Growth Variation and Nitrogen Response of × and in Mixed Culture.

Mixed cultivation with legumes may alleviate the nitrogen (N) limitation of monoculture . However, how leaf functional traits respond to N in mixed cultivation with legumes and how they affect tree growth are unclear. Thus, this study investigated the response of leaf functional traits of × ( × ) and () to mixed culture and N application, as well as the regulatory pathways of key traits on seedling growth.

Ferroptosis Contributes to Microvascular Dysfunction in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Ferroptosis is a new form of cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Whether ferroptosis is involved in retinal microvascular dysfunction under diabetic condition is not known. Herein, the expression of ferroptosis-related genes in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and in diabetic mice was determined with quantitative RT-PCR.

Carbon Dots with Spatially-Mediated-N/S-Co-Doping Enabling One-Year Stable Lubricant with Oil Leakage Detection Capability.

The dispersion stability of nano-lubricating additives is crucial for the shelf life of lubricant and its practical applications. Nitrogen-sulfur co-doped carbon dots (N,S@CDs) via a one-step hydrothermal method with nitropyrene and thiourea as raw materials are hereby presented. The N and S elements are selectively distributed throughout the entire carbon skeleton with a doping amount of 22.

Integrative Analysis of miRNA and circRNA Expression Profiles and Interaction Network in HSV-1-Infected Primary Corneal Epithelial Cells.

Purpose: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are products of alternative splicing with roles as competitive endogenous RNAs or microRNA sponges, regulating gene expression and biological processes. However, the involvement of circRNAs in herpes simplex keratitis remains largely unexplored.

Methods: This study examines circRNA and miRNA expression profiles in primary human corneal epithelial cells infected with HSV-1, compared to uninfected controls, using microarray analysis.

Biodegradability enhancement of waste lubricating oil regeneration wastewater using electrocoagulation pretreatment.

As a sustainable management of fossil fuel resources and ecological environment protection, recycling used lubricating oil has received widespread attention. However, large amounts of waste lubricating-oil regeneration wastewater (WLORW) are inevitably produced in the recycling process, and challenges are faced by traditional biological treatment of WLORW. Thus, this study investigated the effectiveness of electrocoagulation (EC) as pretreatment and its removal mechanism.

Abatement of Aromatic Contaminants from Wastewater by a Heat/Persulfate Process Based on a Polymerization Mechanism.

A novel approach to the abatement of pollutants consisting of their conversion to separable solid polymers is explored by a heat/persulfate (PDS) process for the treatment of high-temperature wastewaters. During this process, a simultaneous decontamination and carbon recovery can be achieved with minimal use of PDS, which is significantly different from conventional degradation processes. The feasibility of this process is demonstrated by eight kinds of typical organic pollutants and by a real coking wastewater.

Down-regulation of HuR inhibits pathological angiogenesis in oxygen-induced retinopathy.

HuR (also known as ELAV1), a ubiquitous RNA-binding protein, is implicated in the pathogenesis of diverse diseases via the mechanism of post-transcriptional regulation. Whether it is involved in pathological angiogenesis in oxygen-induced retinopathy is not clear. In this study, we detected HuR expression was increased in the retina of mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) as well as in vascular endothelial cells exposed to hypoxia.

Organics abatement and recovery from wastewater by a polymerization-based electrochemically assisted persulfate process: Promotion effect of chloride ion and its mechanism.

Ubiquitous chloride ion (Cl) in wastewaters usually inhibits the degradation of organic contaminants and generates numerous toxic chlorinated products in conventional degradation-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Herein, a more Cl tolerant polymerization-based electrochemical AOP for organic contaminants abatement and simultaneous organic resource recovery was demonstrated with eight typical organic contaminants and two real industrial wastewaters for the first time. This process can significantly promote dissolved organic carbon (DOC) abatement in the presence of Cl, differing greatly from conventional degradation-based processes.

Ferrostatin-1 attenuates pathological angiogenesis in oxygen-induced retinopathy via inhibition of ferroptosis.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vision-threatening ocular disease that occurs in premature infants, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Since oxidative stress has been well documented in the ROP development, we aimed to investigate whether ferroptosis, a new type of cell death characterized by lipid peroxidation and iron overload, is also involved in ROP. We detected the lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress and the expression of ferroptosis markers in the retina of mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy.

Biphasic flow dynamics and polarized mass transportation in branched hepatic sinusoids.

In fatty liver diseases, such as liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis, blood flow in hepatic sinusoids, an elementary building block of the liver lobule, tends to bypass through collateral vessels inside sinusoids and presents distinct sinusoidal flows compared to normal physiological flows. It remains unclear in those flow characteristics in branched sinusoids and the correlation of pathological flows with liver lesions, mainly due to the difficulty of direct hemodynamics measurements in the sinusoids. Here, we developed a dual-branched theoretical model of hepatic sinusoidal flow to elucidate the relevant flow dynamics and mass transport.

Numerical simulation of flow characteristics in a permeable liver sinusoid with leukocytes.

Double-layered channels of sinusoid lumen and Disse space separated by fenestrated liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) endow the unique mechanical environment of the liver sinusoid network, which further guarantees its biological function. It is also known that this mechanical environment changes dramatically under liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, including the reduced plasma penetration and metabolite exchange between the two flow channels and the reduced Disse space deformability. The squeezing of leukocytes through narrow sinusoid lumen also affects the mechanical environment of liver sinusoid.

Clinical Effects of Primary Nursing on Diabetic Nephropathy Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis and Its Impact on the Inflammatory Responses.

Objective: To assess the clinical effects of primary nursing on diabetic nephropathy patients undergoing hemodialysis and its impact on inflammatory responses.

Methods: Between July 2019 and April 2021, 80 patients with diabetic nephropathy who underwent hemodialysis in our institution were recruited and assigned at a ratio of 1 : 1 to receive either routine nursing (routine group) or primary nursing (primary group). The outcome measures included nursing outcomes, inflammatory factor levels, and psychological status.

Treatment of contaminants by a cathode/Fe/peroxydisulfate process: Formation of suspended solid organic-polymers.

Treatment of highly contaminated wastewaters containing refractory or toxic organic contaminants (e.g. industrial wastewaters) is becoming a global challenge.

Cost-effectiveness of artificial intelligence screening for diabetic retinopathy in rural China.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) has become a leading cause of global blindness as a microvascular complication of diabetes. Regular screening of diabetic retinopathy is strongly recommended for people with diabetes so that timely treatment can be provided to reduce the incidence of visual impairment. However, DR screening is not well carried out due to lack of eye care facilities, especially in the rural areas of China.

Preparation of Three-Dimensional MoC/NC@MXene and Its Efficient Electromagnetic Absorption Properties.

The positively charged MoO/PDA microspheres are obtained by stacking and assembly of the sheet structure, and the negatively charged MXene nanosheets are wrapped on the surface through the principle of electrostatic self-assembly. After annealing, a nitrogen-doped carbon composite and a MXene-coated MoC wave absorber are obtained. The formation of the wrinkled surface provides a complex pore structure, and the multiple interface reflections between the nanosheets enhance the absorption performance.

Influence of microflow on hepatic sinusoid blood flow and red blood cell deformation.

Hepatic sinusoids present complex anatomical structures such as the endothelial sieve pores and the Disse space, which govern the microscopic blood flow in the sinusoids and are associated with structural variations in liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. However, the contributions of the permeability of endothelial and collagen layers and the roughness of hepatocyte microvilli to the features of this microflow remain largely unknown. Here, an immersed boundary method coupled with a lattice Boltzmann method was adopted in an in vitro hepatic sinusoidal model, and flow field and erythrocyte deformation analyses were conducted by introducing three new source terms including permeability of the endothelial layer, resistance of hepatocyte microvilli and collagen layers, and deformation of red blood cells (RBCs).