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Conventional cancer chemotherapy is facing difficulties in improving the bioavailability, overcoming the severe adverse side effects of chemotherapeutics and reversing the multidrug resistance of cancer cells. To address these challenges, we report a feasible strategy to realize a multistage sustained release of dual drugs using injectable short nanofibers as a carrier system. In this work, layered double hydroxide (LDH) was selected as the primary carrier to load the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX), and the DOX-loaded LDH was incorporated within an α-tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS)-doped poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) fibrous mat. After homogenization in the presence of poly(vinyl alcohol), dual drug-loaded injectable short nanofibers (DOX@LDH/α-TOS/PLGA) with an average length of 17.4 μm and a diameter of 830.2 nm were formed to have a pH-responsive drug release profile. In an acidic tumor microenvironment, DOX@LDH/α-TOS/PLGA short nanofibers show a fast release of α-TOS due to its incorporation within the fiber matrix and a slow release of DOX due to the extended diffusion distance (first from the LDH to the fiber matrix and then from the fiber matrix to the external medium). As α-TOS can inhibit the expression of p-glycoprotein on the cell membrane, the dual drug-loaded short nanofibers can exert the therapeutic effect on multidrug-resistant cancer cells in vitro. The developed injectable short nanofiber-based drug delivery system may be extended to the treatment of different tumor types in vivo, in particular for long-term effective chemotherapy of drug-resistant tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen oxides (NO x) has become the priority of China's air pollution control, but the regional socio-economic factors responsible for NO x generation are embedded with spatial disparities, which leads to different effects of air quality policy at the local level. This study applied a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model to investigate the drivers of NO x generation from energy consumption (NGEC) in China's 30 provinces, to explore nonstationary spatial effects of NGEC. The results showed that population size has always been the dominant factor in spatial NGEC across all regions of China, although there is a minor north-south difference. However, the effect of per capita GDP and energy intensity leads to a significant north-south difference when they are influencing NGEC, which shows a minor west-east difference from thermal power generation (TE). We also found that in Northern and Northeast China, the transition towards cleaner energy structure based on natural gas has started correlating significantly with NO x generation through a weakly negative effect in 2015. Our findings show alternative strategies on NO x reduction, which include the spatially differentiated effect of regional socioeconomic factors on energy consumption. • We examined spatially differentiated effects of NO x generation using GWR. • Economic growth and energy intensity showed the largest south-north spatial effects. • PS always dominantly affected spatial NGEC with a minor north-south difference. • NGR correlated significantly with NGEC through a weakly negative effect in 2015. • Spatially differentiated reduction policies need region-wise redesigning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 20 years, the spatial distribution of electrical generation and its relationship to cross-regional power transmission has impacted China's power generation system and significantly affected the total amount of NO x and the aggregated nitrogen oxides intensity (ANI) of the system. An investigation of the driving mechanisms of ANI that considers the unevenness of regional electricity generation will be crucial to future improvements in the NO x efficiency of the electrical generation system in China. In this study, we built a decomposition model for ANI by incorporating the spatial distribution of electrical generation and found that the spatial distribution of electricity generation together with energy-related factors gradually caused decreases in ANI. The efficiency of electricity generation presented the dominant inhibitory effect on ANI, but its effect size has weakened since 2010. In contrast, the fossil fuel structure of thermal power shows an increasingly positive effect on changes in ANI. The primary energy composition only slightly affected changes in ANI. Moreover, the changed geographical distribution of electricity generation is non-negligible and has a positive effect on reduction of the ANI of the Chinese electrical generation system. The transferred amount of local NO x emissions by cross-provincial electricity transmission, however, could cause lead to additional environmental costs for generators. This issue should receive more attention in the future. Highlights • The ANI of electrical generation has decreased by 33.18% over the past 20 years. • Electrical generation efficiency inhibited ANI strongly but gradually weakened over time. • The geographical distribution effect reduced the ANI but transferred environmental costs. • The electrical generation structure will hopefully affect ANI reduction in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical CuO architectures and monodisperse CuO nanoplates are synthesized via a hydrothermal method with the assistance of ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl). The products are characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, BET, and XPS, and the results indicate that the CuO architectures are composed of nanosheets with exposed (001) facets and the CuO nanoplates are single crystals enclosed by (200) facets. More specially, it is found that [Bmim]Cl serves as an effective template for the synthesis of CuO nanoplates by adsorbing on the (200) planes of monoclinic CuO. When evaluated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, CuO architectures possess higher discharge capacity, better cycling stability, and better rate capability than CuO nanoplates. The initial discharge capacity of CuO architectures is 1096 mAh g −1 at a rate of 0.5 C, whereas CuO nanoplates exhibit a lower capacity of 878.4 mAh g −1 . Moreover, after 50 cycles, CuO architectures and CuO nanoplates can deliver discharge capacities of 465.6 and 281.6 mAh g −1 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]