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The delivery of salicylic acid or its derivatives to tumor tissue in the form of nanomedicine is critical for the studies on their potential synergistic mechanism in tumor therapy and chemoprevention considering the dangerous bleeding in the high-dose oral administration. To deepen the understanding of their role in adjusting immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (ITM), herein, we firstly developed a hypoxia-sensitive Fe-5,5′-azosalicylic acid nanoscale coordination polymer nanomedicines (FeNCPs) via a "old drugs new tricks" strategy for synergistic chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and remodulation of ITM to elevate antitumor immunotherapy effect. PEGylated FeNCPs could be reductively cleaved to release 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) and ferric ions by azo-reductase under hypoxic conditions, which could induce tumor cell death by Fenton reaction-catalysis enhanced CDT and 5-ASA-converted carboxylquinone to promote the production of •OH. Meanwhile, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and its enzymatic product prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2), as immune negative regulatory molecules, can promote tumor progression and immune tolerance. The released 5-ASA as a COX inhibitor could suppress the expression of PGE 2 , and Fe3+ was employed to reeducate M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to M1-like phenotype, which could initiate antitumor immune response to reach better antitumor immunotherapy. This work broadens the application of salicylic acid derivatives in antitumor immunotherapy, and provides a new strategy for their "old drugs new tricks". Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and its enzymatic product prostaglandin E2 (PGE 2), as immune negative regulatory molecules, facilitate the differentiation of immune cells into immunosuppressive cells to build the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which can promote tumor progression and immune tolerance. Thus, down-regulation of COX-2/PGE 2 expression may be a key approach to tumor treatments. Meanwhile, as a class of inhibitors of COX-2/PGE 2 , the potential mechanism of aspirin or 5-aminosalicylic acid has been a mystery in tumor therapy and chemoprevention. To expand the application of aspirin family nanomedicine in biomedicine, herein, we firstly developed a hypoxia-sensitive Fe-5,5′-azosalicylic acid nanoscale coordination polymer nanomedicines via a "old drugs new tricks" strategy for synergistic chemodynamic therapy and remodulation of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment to elevate antitumor immunotherapy effect. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal Fanconi syndrome (FS) is rare in primary Sjӧgren's syndrome (pSS). We aimed to describe the clinicopathological characteristics of pSS associated FS (pSS-FS) and its responses to treatment. We reported 25 cases of pSS-FS patients and retrospectively reviewed their clinical records, kidney pathology and follow-up data. The 25 pSS-FS patients were mainly female (92.0%) and the mean age at diagnosis was 43.6±11.3 years. They showed different degrees of proximal tubular dysfunctions and eGFR decline (60.9±32.3 ml/min/1.73m2). Kidney pathology of pSS-FS patients showed tubulo-interstitial nephritis with defective brush border and lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates. After glucocorticoid treatment, the eGFR levels were significantly improved from 48.3±20.6 ml/min/1.73m2 to 55.0±19.9 ml/min/1.73m2 (P = 0.012) at the third month of follow-up. They also acquired good tubular (88.2%) and immunological (90.0%) responses. pSS-FS patients with young-onset pSS presented with a higher prevalence of positive anti-SSB antibody and hypocomplementemia, more severe hypokalemia, and better eGFR levels. In pSS-FS patients, use of glucocorticoids could improve eGFR and tubular functions. The young-onset pSS group presented with a particular pattern in immunological features and kidney involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inkjet printing technology is one of the most attractive methods for the realization of full-color patterning for displays. In this work, we successfully introduce this technology into fabricating pixelated light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs). By carefully controlling the poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly (styrenesulfonate), and cationic Ir(III) complexes ink formulation, as well as their inkjet printing properties, patterned LEC pixels in ultrahigh definition TV format was fabricated, leading to a resolution of 73 pixels per inch. The as-resulted inkjet-printed LEC exhibits a maximum luminance and a current efficiency of 3402 cd/m2, and 7.5 cd/A, respectively, which is close to that of the spin-coated one. This work paves a new way for the fabrication of low-cost material-efficient, pixelated light-emitting electrochemical cells. Image 1 • Pixelated light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) were fabricated with inkjet printing method. • Patterned LEC pixels has a resolution of 73 ppi. • Inkjet-printed LEC exhibits a current efficiency comparable with that of spin-coated one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aluminum-graphene nanosheets (GNSs) composite was fabricated and subjected to dry sliding wear tests. A protective and lubricious tribolayer was formed between the sliding interfaces. SEM, TEM and Raman microscopies were used to characterize the cross section and top surface of the tribolayer, for the purpose of understanding the effect of GNSs on the microstructure of the tribolayer and induced tribological performance. It was found that the incorporation of 1 vol% GNSs reduced the wear and friction by 85.0% and 39.1% respectively. GNSs strengthen the formation of the protective tribolayer by wrapping sliding surface debris particles and bridging subsurface cracks. Raman mapping results indicate that the GNSs-rich tribofilms are smeared on the wear scar along the sliding direction. GNSs are self-lubricating for their ease of interlayer sliding and formation of rollers during sliding wear, which enable the reduction in friction. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The incorporation of graphene in the aluminum composite contributed to reduction in wear and friction. • The dispersion of graphene in the tribolayer and the interfaces was observed. • Graphene strengthens the formation of a protective tribolayer by wrapping and bridging mechanisms. • Graphene-rich tribofilms are smeared on the wear scar along the sliding direction and suppress the friction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bionic functional coating plays a pivotal role in promoting internal fixation treatment of bone fracture. However, post-traumatic microenvironment characterized by hypoxia and acidic milieu, as well as high oxidative stress, may largely weaken the function of established coatings. Herein, we anchor two-dimensional H-silicene nanosheet (H-Si) onto hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated metal implant to develop a H-Si@HA composite coating. Benefiting from the intrinsic pH-responsive characteristics, the H-Si@HA maintains stable structure and functionalities in acidic milieu and simulates the superoxide dismutase and peroxidase-like activities, resulting in reactive oxygen species depletion, high oxidative stress suppression and further reversal of the acidic microenvironment. Meanwhile, H-Si@HA protects cells by inducing cellular autophagy. Sequentially, Si4+ release accompanying the degradation of the H-Si in neutral milieu promotes fracture healing by improving osteogenic-related gene expression of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and SOD1 expression of osteoprogenitor cells. Particularly, differentiated gene expression of BMSCs by the H-Si@HA coating was identified using absolute quantitative transcriptome sequencing, revealing that the H-Si could effectively modulate the expression of core mRNAs which are highly associated with osteogenesis and bone formation through regulating autophagy. Such a self-degradable nanoarmor coating illustrates the great clinic potential to achieve hierarchical and synergistic effect of fracture healing promotion. [Display omitted] • The bionic coating demonstrates a hierarchical and synergistic effect of fracture healing promotion by H-Si intervention. • The unique pH-responsive feature enables excellent bone regeneration performance. • The underlying molecular mechanism of regulating differentiation of BMSCs induced by H-Si nanosheet is initially revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-efficiency is an important index to measure the degree of sustainable development, and is now attracting emerging attentions from both academia and industry. Based on previous data envelopment analysis (DEA) studies on environmental performance, this paper combines the big data environment, specific environmental issues in recent years, and related environmental policies. This study illustrates a more specific production process for pursuing higher environmental performance (it is not possible to further reduce undesired outputs by remodelling the process) and proposes a dynamic environmental performance evaluation model that considers the use of environmental inputs multiple times based on DEA. Our model can achieve dynamic and forward-looking evaluations of environmental performance in all stages based on real-time data that contains environmental protection inputs in sustainable cycles. Due to the dynamic and forward-looking results of the model evaluation, our model can also assist DMUs (decision-making units) in selecting schemes to enable them to have higher eco-efficiency from numerous schemes of environmental protection and achieve scientific decisions in the era of big data. This paper also demonstrates an illustration of real-world data of China's major coal-fired power plants. Besides quantitatively showing how the power plants to adjust their production plans and environment protection plans, the results imply that there exists a positive correlation between the redundant inputs and the scales as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane bagasse, a waste product of the sugarcane industry can be used as a precursor for the preparation of carbon. In this study, a composite consisting of hierarchically functionalized porous carbon (FPC) and β-FeOOH was synthesized via a simple and effective hydrolysis method. The hydrothermal process before the carbonization and activation of the bagasse maintained the hierarchical interconnected porous structure of the sugarcane bagasse. A nitric acid (HNO 3 ) functionalization treatment enabled an in-situ growth of β-FeOOH on the hierarchically structured bagasse. When tested as an anode for lithium-ion batteries, the obtained FPC/β-FeOOH composite showed a high discharge capacity of 898.8 mAh g −1 at 0.2 A g −1 after 350 cycles and achieved a specific capacity of 446.1 mAh g −1 at a current rate of 1 A g −1 after 1000 cycles together with a remarkable coulombic efficiency of 99.9%. This excellent electrochemical performance of the FPC/β-FeOOH composite can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the interconnected porous structure of porous carbon and the electrochemically active tunnel type β-FeOOH nanorods. The strategy developed here is promising in design and fabrication of other composites having interconnected porous structures with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal desorption technology can effectively remediate fuels-contaminated clayey soil. However, the microscopic mechanism for the contaminant desorption on clay is still unclear, especially with the existence of water on clay surfaces. In this study, a combination method including TGA experiments, multi-phase and multi-component kinetic models, and MD simulation was proposed to reveal the thermal desorption mechanism of n -dodecane in unsaturated clay. Results showed that the thermal desorption behavior of the free nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) and the adsorbed phase of n -dodecane or water could be identified by the multi-phase and multi-component kinetic models based on the desorption process rate obtained by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) experiments. The activation energy of the NAPL phase (49–69.9 kJ/mol) was lower than the adsorbed phase (90 kJ/mol). The activation energy of the NAPL phase had the same linear relationship with its mass on kaolinite and montmorillonite, while adsorbed phase only existed on the kaolinite surface. MD simulation showed that water demonstrated competitive adsorption with n -dodecane on montmorillonite surfaces and prevented the formation of the adsorbed phase while having little influence on the n -dodecane adsorption on kaolinite surface, which agrees well with the kinetic analysis of the TGA experiments. With the combination of macroscopic experimental analysis and microscopic molecular simulation, it can be concluded that the mass of the NAPL phase limited the desorption behavior, while the interaction between the clay mineral surface and n -dodecane was the key factor that dominated the thermal desorption behavior of the adsorbed phase. The presented results provide new insight into the desorption mechanism of hydrocarbon on clay minerals, which is of significance for the design of thermal desorption remediation. [Display omitted] • Kinetic model for thermal desorption can identify n -dodecane and water on clay. • Adsorbed water prevent adsorbed n -dodecane formation on highly hydrophilic clay. • Mass of the NAPL phase is the rate-limiting factor of its desorption behavior. • Adsorbed n -dodecane desorption depends on its interaction with mineral surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]