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PET rigid closed-cell foam is widely used as a sandwich material in wind turbine blades, in order to further improve the large-scale utilization of retired blades and realize the green and sustainable development of wind turbine blade materials, the effective utilization of PET materials has attracted increasing attention. In this paper, the dynamic rheological properties of PET foam recycled powder (Re-fPET) were studied by rotational rheometer, and the composite viscosity of Re-fPET recycled material was sensitive to temperature, showing obvious shear thinning behavior, and the composite viscosity decreased more obviously above 270 °C. The zero shear viscosity η0 was obtained by extrapolation by the Cross method, the activation energy of viscosity was further calculated according to Arrhenius, and the ΔEη0 was 241.29 kJ/mol, which had a significant effect on the untangling of the segments. The rheological characteristics of Re-fPET recycled powder were studied using a torque rheometer. The torque value of Re-fPET resin decreased rapidly and the equilibrium time was shorter above 270 °C. The torque value after equilibrium was smaller, the melt characteristic viscosity decreased significantly, and the material was significantly degraded, which was not conducive to processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induced multipotent stem (iMS) cells are originated from somatic cells and become multipotent by genetic and/or epigenetic modifications. Previous studies have shown that the fish oocytes extracts (FOE) can induce skin fibroblast cells into iMS cells. In this study, we aim to determine whether FOE can similarly induce mouse peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) into the iMS state and if so, whether they can survive longer when they are transplanted into the irradiation female mice. PBMCs of GFP-transgenic male mice were cultured and transiently reprogrammed by FOE. They were deemed reaching the iMS state after detection of expression of stem cell markers. The iMS-like PBMCs were transplanted into female C57BL mice by tail vein injection. The spleen wet weights as well as numbers of colonies of the recipient mice were examined. The results showed the spleen wet weights and numbers of spleen colonies of FOE-induced group were all significantly higher than those of the non-induced group and negative control group. On day 90 after transplantation, FISH analysis detected the presence of Y chromosome in the induced group, but not of the other groups. The current findings demonstrate that FOE-induced PBMCs are able to survive longer in irradiated female mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the extractability of cadmium (Cd) and Cd uptake by rice after applying soil amendments of lime (Ca(OH)2) and sepiolite. A rice (Oryza sativa) cultivation experiment was conducted in a Cd-contaminated paddy field. After applying lime, sepiolite, and a mixture of the two as soil amendments, soil pH showed a significant increase (p<0.05), and Cd in soil extracted with NaNO3, CaCl2, and DTPA, was reduced by 61-100%, 52-98%, and 12-15%, respectively (p<0.05). The amount of exchangeable Cd showed a significant decrease in all treatments (p<0.05), and we found increases in the proportion of forms of carbonate-bound, Fe/Mn oxide-bound, and residual Cd in the soils, as measured by a sequential extraction method. The grain or rice straw biomass was neither significantly influenced by any amendment in the experiment, while the uptake of Cd by rice significantly decreased in all treatments (p<0.05). The results reveal no advantage in applying a mixture of sepiolite and lime compared with applying sepiolite alone in immobilizing Cd in the soil. The use of sepiolite or sepiolite mixed with lime was more effective than the use of lime alone in the immobilization of Cd in the soil. We therefore recommend sepiolite as a soil amendment to remediate Cd-contaminated paddy soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:Renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) is a significant cause of end-stage renal failure. The goal of this study was to characterize the distribution of transplanted induced autologous stem cells in a rabbit model of renal interstitial fibrosis and evaluate its therapeutic efficacy for treatment of renal interstitial fibrosis. Methods:A rabbit model of renal interstitial fibrosis was established. Autologous fibroblasts were cultured, induced and labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP). These labeled stem cells were transplanted into the renal artery of model animals at 8 weeks. Results:Eight weeks following transplantation of induced autologous stem cells, significant reductions (P < 0.05) were observed in serum creatinine (SCr) (14.8 ± 1.9 mmol/L to 10.1 ± 2.1 mmol/L) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (119 ± 22 µmol/L to 97 ± 13 µmol/L), indicating improvement in renal function. Conclusions:We successfully established a rabbit model of renal interstitial fibrosis and demonstrated that transplantation of induced autologous stem cells can repair kidney damage within 8 weeks. The repair occurred by both inhibition of further development of renal interstitial fibrosis and partial reversal of pre-existing renal interstitial fibrosis. These beneficial effects lead to the development of normal tissue structure and improved renal function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]