Application of nanomaterials in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease, which mainly causes inflammation of the synovial joints and destruction of cartilage and bone tissue. At present, a variety of clinical drugs have been applied in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. With the development of nanotechnology, more and more nano-drugs have been applied in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis due to the unique physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials.

Effect of the valence state of Mn in MnO /TiO composites on the catalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction.

Manganese oxide composites with mixed valence states were prepared through the hydrothermal method by compositing with TiO and calcining at different temperatures, and their ORR and OER catalytic performance were investigated. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM-EDS, HRTEM-EDS, and XPS methods to analyse their phase constitution, morphology feature, and surface composition. The major phase of manganese oxides was MnO, which is a one-dimensional structure, and its growth was induced by TiO.

How to select ionic liquids as extracting agents systematically: a special case study for extractive denitrification processes.

Extractive denitrification (EDN) of shale oil using ionic liquids (ILs) as the extracting agent has good industrial prospects. In such processes, ILs with higher selectivity to N-compounds and lower solubility in shale oil are desired to improve the EDN efficiency, and reduce the loss of ILs and the contamination of shale oil. In the present study, we employed COSMO-RS to calculate the selectivity of 70 ILs to the typical N-compounds (pyridine, quinoline and indole).

High-Uniformity Threshold Switching HfO-Based Selectors with Patterned Ag Nanodots.

High-performance selector devices are essential for emerging nonvolatile memories to implement high-density memory storage and large-scale neuromorphic computing. Device uniformity is one of the key challenges which limit the practical applications of threshold switching selectors. Here, high-uniformity threshold switching HfO-based selectors are fabricated by using e-beam lithography to pattern controllable Ag nanodots (NDs) with high order and uniform size in the cross-point region.

Controlled synthesis of few-layer SnSe by chemical vapor deposition.

Few-layer SnSe has intrinsic low thermal conductivity and unique phase transition from amorphous to crystalline state under laser irradiation. It has been extensively used in the fields of thermoelectric conversion and information storage. However, the traditional precursors like tin oxide and organic compounds have either high melting points or complex compositions, and the improper deposition temperature of the substrate may lead to mixed products, which impedes controllable synthesis of high-quality few-layer SnSe.

Nanoscale insight on the durability of magnesium phosphate cement: a molecular dynamics study.

The sustainable green building material magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) is widely used in the fields of solidifying heavy metals and nuclear waste and repair and reinforcement. Magnesium potassium phosphate hexahydrate (MKP) is the main hydration product of MPC. The transport of water and ions in MKP nanochannels determines the mechanical properties and durability of MPC materials.

The impact of temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) on the partial nitrification of immobilized fillers, and application in municipal wastewater.

To achieve the stable partial nitrification of municipal wastewater, activated sludge with high ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) content and low nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) content were immobilized in a polyvinyl alcohol filler. The effects of different levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) on the activity of AOB and NOB in the filler with temperature changes at the initial ammonia concentration of approximately 100 mg L were investigated. At 25 °C, when the DO concentration was greater than 5 mg L, the O-limiting condition inside the filler was destroyed as the demand for oxygen in AOB was certain, and resulted in enhanced NOB activity.

Thin, stretchable, universal wireless power transfer system for electric vehicle charging.

Wireless power transfer technology has emerged as a new class of prospective components for electric vehicle charging. However, conventional wireless power transfer systems often suffer from unsatisfactory charging efficiency due to the comparatively longer recharge range and insufficient universality for various car models. Here, we present a stretchable wireless power transfer (SWPT) system that consists of thin and stretchable inductive coupling coils designed in serpentine shapes to provide stretchablility for the charging of any model.

One-step synthesis of hydrophobic clinoptilolite modified by silanization for the degradation of crystal violet dye in aqueous solution.

Hydrophobic clinoptilolite (CP) was successfully synthesized a silanization method using methyltriethoxysilane (MTS) or diethoxydimethylsilane (DMTS) as silane coupling agents. The structural and textural properties of the resultant hydrophobic CP were characterized using various methods. The effect of the amount of MTS or DMTS additive on the induction (nucleation) and growth of CP were also investigated, and the apparent activation energy values for induction and growth periods were calculated, suggesting that the induction period is kinetically controlled, while the rapid growth process is thermodynamically controlled.

Analysis of rapid culture of high-efficiency nitrifying bacteria and immobilized filler application for the treatment of municipal wastewater.

Activated sludge from the A/O process in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was used as the seed sludge for enrichment to achieve faster growth of nitrifying bacteria and higher nitrification efficiency of the filler made by nitrifying bacteria. The bacterial community was enriched in a self-circulating bacteria culture tank by a continuous ammonia feeding mode. The study found that the nitrifying bacteria community was enriched in 38 days with the ammonia oxidation rate of approximately 275.

Facile and efficient preparation of high-quality black phosphorus quantum dot films for sensing applications.

In this study, black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) are synthesized by improved ultrasonic-assisted liquid exfoliation. The as-prepared BPQDs are deposited on large-area conductive substrates by electrophoretic deposition, and exhibit high-sensitivity humidity sensing and excellent electrical properties. The results offer not only a facile and efficient method to synthesise stable BPQDs films, but also a new opportunity to develop humidity sensors and nano-electronic devices.

Wavelength selective photoactivated autocatalytic oxidation of 5,12-dihydrobenzo[]phenazine and its application in metal-free synthesis.

Photochemical stability of 5,12-dihydrobenzo[]phenazine (DHBP) was investigated with LEDs with central emission wavelengths in a range of 365 to 595 nm. Photochemical conversion of DHBP to benzo[]phenazine (BP) was observed with wavelengths upto 516 nm. Light of 490 and 516 nm is not absorbed by DHBP, but photoactivated autocatalytic oxidation of DHBP to BP with these wavelengths was confirmed.

The preparation of a modified PVDF hollow fiber membrane by coating with multiwalled carbon nanotubes for high antifouling performance.

In this study, an outer surface modified polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane (HF-PVDF-CNT) was prepared by coating with dopamine (PD) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), to solve the problems of the instability of pure CNT mats fabricated by filter coating methods and membrane fouling in wastewater treatment. The modified membrane was assessed and characterized by various methods, including studies of its top surface and cross-sectional morphology, wettability, functional groups and electrical conductivity. The CNT material stability was evaluated during backwashing.

Synthesis of flowerlike carbon nanosheets from hydrothermally carbonized glucose: an self-generating template strategy.

A reliable self-generating template strategy has been developed for the synthesis of flowerlike carbon nanosheets by hydrothermal carbonization in the presence of both silica and zinc acetate using glucose as the carbon source. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, nitrogen sorption isotherm measurement (BET) and element analysis revealed the morphology, crystal phase structure, porosity and chemical composition. The formation of the zinc silicate nanosheet template was due to the hydrolysis of amorphous silica and self-assembly under hydrothermal conditions.

Graphene quantum dots mediated electron transfer in DNA base pairs.

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) were connected to [Ru(bpy)] to sense DNA-mediated charge transfer. Interaction between abasic site double stranded DNA (Abasic-DNA) and [Ru(bpy)-GQD] was investigated by absorption spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis, circular dichroism, and melting temperature measurements. The results indicate that [Ru(bpy)-GQD] could be intercalated into double stranded DNA.

A silicon-based quantum dot random laser.

Herein, a quantum dot random laser was achieved using a silicon nanowire array. The silicon nanowire array was grown by a metal-assisted chemical etching method. A colloidal quantum dot solution was spin-coated on silicon nanowires to form the random laser.

Effects of interfaces and current spreading on the thermal transport of micro-LEDs for kA-per-square-cm current injection levels.

The three-dimensional thermal characteristics of micro-light-emitting diodes (μLEDs) on GaN and sapphire substrates were studied with forward-voltage methods, thermal transient measurements, and infrared thermal imaging. The μLEDs on the GaN substrate showed an approximately 10 °C lower junction temperature and smaller amplitude of the factors than those on the sapphire substrate under the current injection level of 4 kA cm. The thermal transient measurement showed that the spreading thermal resistances of the mesa, the GaN epilayer, and the interface of the GaN/substrate were reduced significantly for μLEDs on the GaN substrate because of the high-quality GaN crystal and the homogeneous interfaces.

Au Clusters Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis with Uniquely Reversing Cartilage/Bone Destruction.

Super-small nanoclusters may intrinsically trigger specific molecular pathway for disease treatment in vitro/vivo. To prove the hypothesis the super-small nanoclusters, e.g.

Biosorption of anionic and cationic dyes raw and chitosan oligosaccharide-modified Huai Flos Chrysanthemum at different temperatures.

Raw Huai Flos Chrysanthemum (HFC) and modified HFC (HFC@CO) were used for the first time as a biosorbent material to remove cationic dyes Malachite green (MG) and Crystal violet (CV), and anionic dyes Sunset yellow (SY), Lemon yellow (LY), and Carmine (CM), at different temperatures (5-50 °C). The highest removal rates () for dye adsorption were observed at low temperature (5 °C) and room temperature (20 °C). At high (500 mg L) dye concentration, adsorption was completed within one minute, but the time required to reach adsorption equilibrium was longer than at the low (20 mg L) concentration.

Insights into the specific heat capacity enhancement of ternary carbonate nanofluids with SiO nanoparticles: the effect of change in the composition ratio.

Ternary carbonate nanofluids have proven to be a promising high temperature thermal energy storage and transfer medium for solar thermal power. For the ternary carbonate KCO-LiCO-NaCO (4 : 4 : 2, mass ratio) with SiO nanoparticles prepared using a two-step solution method, the enhancement of the specific heat capacity was up to 113.7% at 540 °C compared to the ternary carbonate prepared by a direct mixing method.

Graphene/Si Schottky solar cells: a review of recent advances and prospects.

Graphene has attracted tremendous interest due to its unique physical and chemical properties. The atomic thickness, high carrier mobility and transparency make graphene an ideal electrode material which can be applied to various optoelectronic devices such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes and photodetectors. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in developing graphene/silicon Schottky junction solar cells and the power conversion efficiency has reached up to 15.

Characterization and analysis of the aspect ratio of carbide grains in WC-Co composites.

To study the aspect ratio distribution of carbide grains in WC-Co composites, two novel approaches, namely grain shape ellipse calculation and five parameter analysis (FPA) methods, are reported in this work. According to grain shape ellipse calculation, carbide grains that have a grain shape aspect ratio of 0.62 demarcate the more anisotropic grains with a larger size and the less anisotropic grains with a smaller size.

Partial denitrification coupled with immobilization of anammox in a continuous upflow reactor.

Based on the stable operation of a continuous upflow reactor, immobilized anammox coupling with partial denitrification (DEAMOX), was successfully achieved after 94 days operation with a 63.5% accumulation rate of NO -N and a 98.4% removal rate of NO -N.

Effect of free ammonia inhibition on NOB activity in high nitrifying performance of sludge.

The inhibition of free ammonia (FA) on nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) was investigated using an enriched NOB community with high nitrifying performance. A continuous-flow reactor was operated for the enrichment of the bacterial community. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that (NOB) using in batch experiments was extended from 4.

Biofilm activity, ammonia removal and cell growth of the heterotrophic nitrifier, sp., facilitated by exogenous -acyl-homoserine lactones.

In the present study, the heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification strain, sp. JQ1004, was treated with three typical -acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) molecules (C6-HSL, C8-HSL, and 3-oxo-C10-HSL) during the nitrogen removal process. The effects of AHLs on biofilm formation, flocculation, extracellular polymeric substance characteristics, and nitrogen removal were investigated.