Search

Recently, double network (DN) gels with dynamic non‐covalent interaction such as hydrogen bonds has drawn much attention as an innovative material having both high water content and high mechanical strength. Research efforts have identified DN gels as a promising class of materials due to their unique network architecture. These gels comprise two interpenetrating networks formed by different types of polymer. Herein, we report a tough DN hydrogel with high mechanical strength and high swelling ability. The DN gel is synthesized via a two‐step network formation. The first network gel was synthesized via frontal polymerization. Then, the first gel is immersed in an aqueous solution of a second monomer and carrying out a second polymerization in the presence of first network. The spectroscopic analysis and thermal behavior with differential scanning calorimeter measurements corroborated the existence of hydrogen bonds. The mechanical test and microscopic morphology were further explored to explain the strength and high imbibing characteristics. We expect that this facile strategy may explore a dynamic and tunable hydrogel to expand its potential applications in biomedical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels have been attracting much attention as smart soft materials. The exploration of methods allowing hydrogels to have anisotropic composition, structure, and properties would benefit the fabrication of smart materials with versatile multi‐functions. Here we report the rapid frontal polymerization (FP) of bilayer hydrogels possessing good water swelling, mechanical strength, self‐healing, biocompatibility, and antibacterial capabilities. The bilayer hydrogels, consisting of poly(AM‐co‐AMPS) (G‐1) and poly(AM‐co‐HPA) (G‐2) (AM, acrylamide; AMPS, 2‐acrylamide‐2‐methylpropanesulfonic acid; HPA, hydroxypropyl acrylate), are synthesized in one step within 6 minutes (min) by horizontal FP. These polymer hydrogels have hierarchical porous morphology with pore sizes of several micrometers and several hundreds of micrometers respectively, equilibrium swelling ratio up to 3371% in water, tensile strength up to 0.204 MPa, and self‐healing ability. The good cytocompatibility and low toxicity of the hydrogels are demonstrated through cell culture of L929 fibroblasts in vitro experiments. The tests of hydrogels with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reveal their antibacterial property. The results demonstrate that biocompatible anisotropic hydrogels with versatile functions could be fabricated via the rapid and energy‐saving approach of FP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) methods were applied to extract the aroma compounds of rum. Aroma compounds were separated and analyzed with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry of DB-WAXetr capillary columns. One hundred and twelve compounds, including alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketones, phenols, acids, and other compounds, were identified by two extraction methods. Among them, 88 and 74 compounds were identified by SPME and LLE, respectively. SPME and LLE methods were suitable for the qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of rum, respectively. Principal component analysis results showed that the first principal component (PC1) and the second principal component (PC2) explained 80.9% of the difference in variable samples (PC1 = 52.7%, PC2 = 28.2%), which can represent the variable characteristics of the samples. The extraction effects of LLE and SPME on the aroma compounds of rum obviously differed, however, the aroma compounds obtained by the two extraction methods can complement each other. Supplemental data for this article is available online at at [publisher's weblink]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfluidic spinning technology (MST), incorporating microfluidics with chemical reactions, has gained considerable interest for constructing anisotropic advanced microfibers, especially helical microfibers. However, these efforts suffer from the limited material choices, restricting their applications. Here, a new phase inversion‐based microfluidic spinning (PIMS) method is proposed for producing helical microfibers. This method undergoes a physicochemical phase inversion process, which is capable of efficiently manufacturing strong (tensile stress of more than 25 MPa), stretchable, flexible and biocompatible helical microfibers. The helical microfibers can be used to fabricate bi‐oriented stretchable artificial abdominal skin, preventing incisional hernia formation and promoting the wound healing without conglutination. This research not only offers a universal approach to design helical microfibers but also provides a new insight into artificial skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-healing polymeric gels have drawn great attention due to their promising practical applications. However, self-healing gels usually suffer from poor mechanical strength and versatility, which greatly limits their practicality. Here, we designed poly(NIPAM-co-MAH-β-CD-co-ZDA) gels (NIPAM = N-isopropylacrylamide, MAH-β-CD = β-cyclodextrin grafted vinyl carboxyl acid groups, ZDA = zinc acrylate) via frontal polymerization (FP). Benefiting from the triple non-covalent interactions (carboxyl–Zn2+ coordination, host–guest interactions and hydrogen bonding interactions), the products possess excellent self-healing (healing efficiency up to 95%) and mechanical properties (tensile stress of 1.41 MPa). The high mechanical strength and the self-healing and thermoresponsive properties allow the successful construction of a novel and versatile self-healing thermoresponsive smart window, which can greatly enhance the feasibility and practicality. Our work offers a facile pathway to fabricate high-performance polymeric gels through the integration of multiple non-covalent interactions, which act as a promising candidate for versatile smart windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-healing hydrogels have become a research hotspot as one of the most promising materials. Particularly, the synthesis of robust hydrogels with flexible transparent properties is highly needed towards soft flexible devices. Herein, we present a new stretchable self-healing poly(AM-co-MAH-β-CD-co-DMAPS) (AM = acrylamide, MAH-β-CD = β-cyclodextrin modified with maleic anhydride, and DMAPS = 3-dimethyl(methacryloyloxyethyl) ammonium propane sulfonate) hydrogel facilely synthesized via frontal polymerization (FP) within several minutes. The as-fabricated hydrogel exhibited pH sensitivity, good transparency and satisfactory mechanical properties with a tensile strength of up to 0.13 MPa and elongation of 600%. Based on its hydrogen bonding interaction and ionic association, excellent self-healing behavior was also achieved with a healing efficiency of up to 95%. More importantly, by introducing the appropriate amount of quantum dots (QDs), we successfully fabricated poly(AM-co-MAH-β-CD-co-DMAPS)/QD hydrogels, which showed great potential towards new flexible luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) and white LEDs. This study not only offers a rapid synthetic route for self-healing hydrogels via FP, but also sheds great light on their wide applications toward flexible optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenanthrene (PHE) is a priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) which is toxic to aquatic organisms. However, there has been no paper dealing with water quality criteria (WQC) of PHE due to the shortage of toxicity data of different taxonomic levels. In the present study, toxicity data were obtained from 8 acute toxicity tests and 3 chronic toxicity tests using 8 Chinese native aquatic species from different taxonomic levels, and the water quality criteria was derived using 3 methods. Furthermore, differences of species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) between native and non-native species were compared. A criterion maximum concentration of 0.0514 mg/L and a criterion continuous concentration of 0.0186 mg/L were developed according to the US EPA guidelines. Finally, by using risk quotient (RQ) to assess the site-specific ecological risk in Liao River, the results indicated that the PHE might pose no risk to local aquatic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CNP) is the major dose-limiting factor in cancer chemotherapy. However, the neural mechanisms underlying CNP remain unclear. There is increasing evidence implicating the involvement of spinal endomorphin-2 (EM2) in neuropathic pain. In this study, we used a vincristine-evoked rat CNP model displaying mechanical allodynia and central sensitization, and observed a significant decrease in the expression of spinal EM2 in CNP. Also, while intrathecal administration of exogenous EM2 attenuated allodynia and central sensitization, the mu-opioid receptor antagonist β-funaltrexamine facilitated these events. We found that the reduction in spinal EM2 was mediated by increased activity of dipeptidylpeptidase IV, possibly as a consequence of chemotherapy-induced oxidative stress. Taken together, our findings suggest that a decrease in spinal EM2 expression causes the loss of endogenous analgesia and leads to enhanced pain sensation in CNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the application of hyperspectral remote sensing to estimate grassland biomass at the peak of the growing season, hyperspectral data were measured with an analytical spectral device (ASD) Fieldspec3 spectroradiometer, and harvested aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) was recorded simultaneously in Hulunbeier grassland, Inner Mongolia, China. Ground spectral models were developed to estimate ANPP from the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) measured in the field following the same method as that of the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS-NDVI). Regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between ANPP and NDVI. Based on coefficients of determination (R 2) and error analysis, we determined that each vegetation type and the entire study area had unique optimal regression models. A linear equation best fit the arid steppe data, an exponential equation was best suited to wetland vegetation and power equations were optimal for meadow steppe and sand vegetation. After considering all factors, an exponential model between ANPP and NDVI (ANPP = 20.1921e3.2154(NDVI); standard error (SE) = 62.50 g m–2, R 2 = 0.7445, p < 0.001) was selected for the entire Hulunbeier grassland study area. Ground spectral models could become the foundation for yield estimation over large areas of Hulunbeier grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Anti-corrosion coatings have been widely applied to protect metals against corrosion attacks. To improve the corrosive resistance, it is an effective way to employ porous materials loaded with corrosion inhibitors as fillers of coatings. One of the critical challenges is to advance the inhibitor loading capability of porous fillers. In this study, the mesoporous silica encapsulation is introduced on the ZSM-5 molecular sieves through the hydrolysis-condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), followed by calcinated for removing the residual templates. The porous SiO 2 @ZSM-5 particles are used as micro-nano containers to load corrosion inhibitor benzotriazole (BTA). The morphologies, structures and BTA releasing behaviors are thoroughly investigated. Subsequently, the as-prepared BTA-SiO 2 @ZSM-5 particles serve as fillers for waterborne epoxy resin (WER) to fabricate BTA-SiO 2 @ZSM-5/WER composite coatings with long-term anti-corrosion property. The corrosive resistance behavior and mechanism are emphatically tested and analyzed. The results demonstrate that the introduction of mesoporous silica on the ZSM-5 molecular sieves significantly increases the specific surface area and pore volume, which is highly beneficial for improving the BTA loading capability of fillers as well as the anti-corrosion performance of coatings. Moreover, the great dielectric, mechanical and UV light-shielding properties of the composite coatings are confirmed. This study presents an effective and practical route for fabricating long-term anti-corrosive composite coatings. [Display omitted] • The mesoporous silica encapsulation is performed through hydrolysis-condensation to improve BTA loading content. • The BTA-SiO 2 @ZSM-5 particles were used to fabricate BTA-SiO 2 @ZSM-5/WER composite coatings with long-term anti-corrosion. • The great dielectric, mechanical and UV light-shielding properties of the composite coatings are confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] HIF-1α can be an indirect index for the degree of TBI. [•] Detected expression of HIF-1α by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. [•] Compared effects of HBO after TBI by TUNEL, Western blot, water maze test. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The theory of heat conduction paths has been widely recognized and widely studied in the research about the thermal conductivity of thermal conductive polymer composites at present. Encapsulating polymer pellets with thermally conductive fillers and processing them into thermally conductive polymer composites is a simple and effective method for constructing heat conduction paths. It is meaningful to investigate the related heat conduction mechanism of this method. Otherwise, this approach can significantly preserve the performance of the polymer substrate, making it highly valuable for practical material applications. In this work, polyethylene-octene elastomer (POE) pellets were encapsulated with thermal conductive fillers by physical absorption. Subsequently, the composite films containing heat conduction paths were fabricated using the encapsulated POE pellets through a heating press. Alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), boron nitride (BN), and alumina/boron nitride hybrid (Al 2 O 3 /BN) fillers were used to prepare Al 2 O 3 @POE, BN@POE, and BN/Al 2 O 3 @POE composite films to investigate the influence of filler shapes on heat conduction path construction. The influence of the constitute and density of heat conduction paths on the thermal conductivity of composite films was analyzed by infrared thermal imaging, finite element analysis, and thermal resistance theory in detail. Owing to the reserved good adhesion and flexibility of the POE substrate, the composite films could be directly used as thermal interface materials for chip cooling, which presented a good heat dissipation effect. Furthermore, a series of integrated composite materials were prepared by the combination of encapsulated pellets with various functional films (copper foil, aluminum foil, and graphite sheet) through a one-pot heating press, exhibiting a good electromagnetic shielding effect. The performance of the composites and the corresponding preparation method demonstrate the strong significance of this research for practical applications.

Growing demand for wound care resulting from the increasing chronic diseases and trauma brings intense pressure to global medical health service system. Artificial skin provides mechanical and microenvironmental support for wound, which is crucial in wound healing and tissue regeneration. However, challenges still remain in the clinical application of artificial skin since the lack of the synergy effect of necessary performance. In this study, a multi-functional artificial skin is fabricated through microfluidic spinning technology by using core-shell gel nanofiber scaffolds (NFSs). This strategy can precisely manipulate the microstructure of artificial skin under microscale. The as-prepared artificial skin demonstrates superior characteristics including surface wettability, breathability, high mechanical strength, strain sensitivity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Notably, this artificial skin has the capability to deliver medications in a controlled and sustained manner, thereby accelerating the wound healing process. This innovative approach paves the way for the development of a new generation of artificial skin and introduces a novel concept for the structural design of the unique core-shell gel NFSs., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a unique type of electromagnetic radiation, and EMP exposure causes a series of biological effects. The nervous system is sensitive to EMP. We studied the neuroprotective effects of isoflurane preconditioning against EMP exposure and used hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE) to observe the effects of electromagnetic pulse and isoflurane preconditioning on neurons. Inflammatory cytokines were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Western blotting was used to detect the expression of caspase-3, CD11b, TLR4, and NF κ Bp65. We found that after EMP exposure, the number of abnormal neurons had increased, and the expression of caspase-3, CD11b, TLR4, and NF κ Bp65 had also increased. Isoflurane preconditioning can reverse the above phenomenon. Moreover, we found that isoflurane preconditioning can reduce neuronal apoptosis and improve cognitive impairment induced by EMP. These findings indicate that isoflurane preconditioning can protect neurons in the cerebral cortex from EMP exposure, alleviate the inflammatory reaction and cell apoptosis, and improve cognitive impairment induced by EMP. These effects may occur through the downregulation of the TLR4/NF κ B signaling pathway and the inhibition of microglial activation.

Background: Several publications have documented the technical feasibility and efficacy of stent grafting for aortic injuries. We report short- and mid-term results of thoracic endovascular repair with covered stent grafts for type B blunt thoracic aortic injury., Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients who had sustained blunt thoracic aortic injuries. From January 2010 to March 2014, 13 patients (12 men and 1 woman) were admitted and treated in our department for type B thoracic aortic injury. The patients' ages ranged from 19 to 62 years. Traffic accidents were responsible for 10 of the 13 blunt thoracic aortic injuries, and the remainder was caused by blunt trauma from falls. Medical records were examined to identify the clinical outcomes of the procedures, and follow-up computed tomography scans were reviewed to document the efficacy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair., Results: Endovascular stent grafting was technically successful in all cases, and no paraplegia or stroke-like events were reported. No major cardiac, neurologic, or peripheral vascular complications were observed during early or late follow-up. None of the patients died from procedure-related complications., Conclusions: Our single-center experience demonstrates the feasibility of performing endovascular repair for type B blunt aortic injury. As experience with endovascular surgery accumulates, this method of treatment promises to become the first-choice option for repairing this type of aortic injury, with less associated morbidity and mortality relative to conventional surgical repair., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study the optimal waist circumference (WC) cut-off values for identifying metabolic risk factors in middle-aged and elderly subjects in Shandong Province of China., Methods: A total of 2,873 men and 5,559 women were included in this cross-sectional study. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was diagnosed according to the definition of Chinese Diabetes Society in 2004. The relation between WC and MetS was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The optimal WC cut-off values were identified using the area under the ROC curve and the different diagnostic criteria for central obesity were compared., Results: The WC was the risk factor for MetS independent of BMI, blood glucose, blood lipid, and blood pressure. The optimal WC cut-off value was 83.8 cm and 91.1 cm for identifying MetS in women and men, respectively. Compared with 80 cm and 85 cm for women and men, 85 cm and 90 cm had a higher Youden index for identifying all metabolic risk factors and MetS in women and men., Conclusion: The appropriate WC cut-off value is 85 cm and 90 cm for identifying central obesity and MetS in women and men in Shandong Province of China., (Copyright © 2014 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To observe the effect of proteasome inhibitor MG-132 on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and associated lung injury of rats., Methods: Male adult SD rats were randomly divided into SAP group, sham-operation group, and MG-132 treatment group. A model of SAP was established by injection of 5% sodium taurocholate into the biliary-pancreatic duct of rats. The MG-132 group was pretreated with 10 mg/kg MG-132 intraperitoneally (ip) 30 min before the induction of pancreatitis. The changes in serum amylase, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity of pancreatic and pulmonary tissue were measured. The TNF-alpha level in pancreatic cytosolic fractions was assayed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Meanwhile, the pathological changes in both pancreatic and pulmonary tissues were also observed., Results: MG-132 significantly decreased serum amylase, pancreatic weight/body ratio, pancreatic TNF-alpha level, pancreatic and pulmonary MPO activity (P < 0.05). Histopathological examinations revealed that pancreatic and pulmonary samples from rats pretreated with MG-132 demonstrated milder edema, cellular damage, and inflammatory activity (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The proteasome inhibitor MG-132 shows a protective effect on severe acute pancreatitis and associated lung injury of rats.