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The degradation of grasslands is a pressing global issue. Extensive research has explored the implementation of collective action as a means to ensure the sustainable use of grassland resources. However, empirical analysis of its impact in the field is lacking. Therefore, we conducted a lab-in-the-field experiment to evaluate the intensity of herders' participation in collective action and estimated its impact on grassland conservation and livestock production at herder household level. As a robustness check, we performed a principal component analysis to measure herders' willingness to participate in collective action. The empirical results show that collective action has significant positive effects on grassland quality and livestock number. A mechanism analysis indicates that herders who are more actively engaged in collective action are more likely to adopt rotational grazing management practices, leading to better grassland quality and a higher number of livestock. A heterogeneity analysis reveals that the benefits of collective action on grassland conservation vary based on resource endowments and individual characteristics, including grassland area and social network. This study makes a significant contribution to the study of sustainable grassland management that promotes the coupling development of grassland protection and livestock production. • A lab-in-the-field experiment evaluated herders' collective action intensity. • Collective action promoted the coupling development of grassland protection and livestock production. • Intense collective action improves grassland quality and livestock production through rotational grazing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) systems were developed by combining microfluidic technologies and tissue engineering to mimic physiological conditions in the body. OOC systems can recreate key aspects of the complex human physiological microenvironment, such as critical tissue interfaces; spatiotemporal cell–cell/extracellular matrix interactions; and concentration gradients involving nutrients, metabolic waste, and cytokines. Faithful reconstruction of in vitro systems can facilitate further studies of the fundamental mechanisms involved in physiology and pathology and the development of applications for biomimetic cell analysis. In this review, we summarize OOC development from the perspective of microfluidic technologies, focusing on multilayer microfluidics, parallel microchannels, cell spheroids, cell patterning, paper microfluidics, microfluidic spinning, and three-dimensional bioprinting-involved microfluidics. Their key features, limitations, and the challenges associated with constructing in vivo -like tissue environments are discussed. Then, body-on-a-chip systems are described in detail. Finally, the challenges that need to be overcome for OOC systems in the future are highlighted. • Introduction of microfluidics for organ-on-a-chip (OOC). • Summarization and illustration of various microfluidic technologies for developing OOC systems. • Presentation and discussion of body-on-a-chip systems. • The challenges and future perspectives of OOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Graphene oxide-catechol hybrid poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS-GO-DMA) surface was prepared. • PDMS-GO-DMA surface exhibited antibacterial abilities in some degree. • PDMS-GO-DMA surface exhibit favorable biocompatibility properties. Abstract We have prepared the graphene oxide (GO)- a catechol derivative –dopamine methacrylamide monomer (DMA) composite modified poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces by π−π stacking of 1-pyrenebutyric acid on the GO and dopamine surface. PDMS substrates were first oxidized by plasma to transform the Si−CH 3 groups on their surfaces into Si−OH groups. Subsequently, aminopropyltriethoxysilane (γ-APS) was immobilized onto the PDMS−OH surface, and 1-pyrenebutyric acid (PA) was then bonded covalently onto the PDMS-γ-APS surfaces by the amidation reaction. Finally, PDMS-GO-DMA surfaces were prepared by modifying GO-DMA composites onto the PDMS-PA surface by π−π stacking between 1-pyrenebutyric acid and GO-DMA. Various characterization techniques, including contact angle measurements, attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), were used to ascertain the successful prepared the PDMS-GO-DMA surface. The antibacterial ability of PDMS-GO-DMA surface was investigated by the classic colony and visible spectrophotometry methods. The results showed that PDMS-GO-DMA surface displayed antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria compared with native PDMS surface. Furthermore, we studied the biocompatibility of the PDMS-GO-DMA by culturing the cell lines (HepG2 and A549) on the PDMS-GO-DMA surface which exhibited excellent biocompatibility. Additionally, our results present possible uses for the PDMS–GO-DMA surface as antibacterial functional surfaces in biomedical microdevices applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The pesticide fipronil was recently involved in a "poisonous eggs" scandal which resulted in substantial economic losses and public health risks. We report a simple and rapid method which can be implemented to detect fipronil on egg shells and in liquid eggs by Raman spectrometry. Fipronil rapidly crystallizes when solubilized in water-acetone solution (1:6, V/V, acetone/water). This process can be visually observed by naked eyes, suggesting a possible rapid and instrument-free screening action. Then, fipronil crystals were concentrated and recovered on a gold-coated glass slide for further identification and quantification by Raman microscopic analyses. A standard curve was established to quantify fipronil within the range of 1–500 mg/L (r 2 ≥ 0.997), based on the unique fipronil Raman shift at 2256 cm−1. Acetone based extraction recovered fipronil at three spiked levels of 5, 60 and 100 mg/kg on chicken egg shells and in liquid eggs from 59.91% to 81.72% and 85.97% to 152.46%, respectively. The limit of detection translated to the weight of liquid egg (0.32 mg/kg) and the surface area of an egg shell (0.065 mg/m2). In conclusion, this method has demonstrated a strong capacity for the rapid (< 30 min) detection of fipronil on chicken egg shells and in liquid eggs. Highlights • A simple and rapid Raman microscopic method was developed to detect fipronil. • The first time of using Raman microscopy to detect the fipronil on egg shell and in liquid egg. • The method was based on the difference of fipronil solubility in acetone and water. • The limit of detection was 0.32 mg/kg in liquid eggs and 0.065 mg/m2 on egg shells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Graphene oxide-catechol hybrid PLA (PLA-GO-DMA) nanofibers were prepared. • PLA-GO-DMA nanofiber mats exhibited excellent antibacterial abilities. • PLA-GO-DMA nanofiber mats exhibit favorable biocompatibility properties. Abstract The functionalization of electrospun mats with antimicrobial nanomaterials is an attractive strategy when developing functional graphene oxide coating materials to prevent bacterial colonization on surfaces. In this study, we demonstrated a simple approach to produce antimicrobial electrospun mats by dip-coating a polylactic acid (PLA) nanofiber into a graphene oxide-catechol derivative. PLA was first electrospun to yield narrow-diameter polymeric nanofibers. We then modified the graphene oxide (GO) with a catechol derivative – dopamine methacrylamide monomer (DMA) – to synthesize a GO-DMA nanocomposite material which exhibited robust antimicrobial properties. The catechol groups promote the immobilization of graphene oxide onto the PLA nanofibers and possess strong antimicrobial properties. We therefore selected this functional group to modify GO. We dipped the GO-DMA onto the PLA nanofiber to produce the final functionalized electrospun mats. The PLA mats which were functionalized using the GO-DMA nanocomposite (PLA-GO-DMA) displayed antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. Furthermore, we studied the biocompatibility of the mats by culturing the cell lines (HepG2, A549, and HUVEC-C) of PLA-GO-DMA among the nanofibers which exhibited excellent biocompatibility. These results collectively demonstrate the potential of PLA-GO-DMA nanofiber mats as antimicrobial biomaterials and provide fundamental information toward the establishment of future biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eleven persistent organic pollutant (POP) compounds including ∑PCBs, ∑DDTs, ∑HCHs, aldrin, mirex, endrin, ∑CHLs, dieldrin, HCB, heptachlor and pentachlorobenzene were measured in the kidney, liver, muscle, melon and other tissues of Sousa chinensis stranded on the western coast of the Pearl River Estuary in China during 2007–2013. For most parameters of POPs measured, melon tissues contained the highest mean concentrations with the exception of aldrin, which was higher in the kidney and liver tissues. The concentrations of PCBs, DDTs, heptachlor and endrin in the melon tissue exhibited significant correlations with body length, whereas PCBs and heptachlor also displayed significant regression with age. Our studies showed hepatic concentrations of ∑DDTs, ∑HCHs and mirex in S. chinensis were generally higher than those found in cetaceans from other geographic locations. The high levels of POP residues in the testis of one male dolphin suggested an increasing risk of infertility in the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been extensively shown to play an important role in the regulation of cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. The effects of endogenous ROS on the proliferation and differentiation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) have received increasing attention because of the unique properties of these cells that allow them to drive tumor growth and evade conventional cancer therapies. In this study, poly(l-Lysine) (PLL)-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized to label CSCs derived from U251 glioblastoma multiform. A featured peroxidase-like activity within PLL-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles that could greatly reduce intracellular H2O2 activity was identified. We also found that PLL-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles could accelerate the progression of CSC cell cycle, probably due to the impaired activity of endogenous ROS in CSCs. These results show that growth and proliferation of CSCs could be promoted by Fe3O4 nanocarriers in an ROS-dependent manner, and Fe3O4 nanocarriers may be suitable for certain tumor therapies as a drug delivery system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new microfluidic system with four different microchambers (a circle and three equilateral concave polygons) was designed and fabricated using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and the soft lithography method. Using this microfluidic device at six flow rates (5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50μL/h), the effects of microenvironmental geometry and aqueous flow on bacterial adhesion behaviors were investigated. Escherichia coli HB101 pGLO, which could produce a green fluorescent protein induced by l-arabinose, was utilized as the model bacteria. The results demonstrated that bacterial adhesion was significantly related to culture time, microenvironment geometry, and aqueous flow rates. Adhered bacterial density increased with the culture time. Initially, the adhesion occurred at the microchamber sides, and then the entire chamber was gradually covered with increased culture time. Adhesion densities in the side zones were larger than those in the center zones because of the lower shearing force in the side zone. Also, the adhesion densities in the complex chambers were larger than those in the simple chambers. At low flow rates, the orientation of adhered bacteria was random and disorderly. At high flow rates, bacterial orientation became close to the streamline and oriented toward the flow direction. All these results implied that bacterial adhesion tended to occur in complicated aqueous flow areas. The present study provided an on-chip flow system for physiological behavior of biological cells, as well as provided a strategic cue for the prevention of bacterial infection and biofilm formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Driven by clinical needs, nerve regeneration studies have recently become the focus of research and area of growth in tissue engineering. Biomimetic polymer synthesis and functional interface construction is a promising solution to induce neuritic sprouting and guide the regenerating nerve. However, few studies have been made on primary hippocampal neurons. In this study, a new type of acetylcholine-like biomimetic polymers for their potential in biomaterial-modulated nerve regeneration application is synthesized using click chemistry and free radical polymerization. The structure of the synthesized polymers includes a “bioactive” unit (acetylcholine-like unit) and a “bioinert” unit [poly(ethylene glycol) unit]. To explore the effects of the bioactive unit and the bioinert unit on neuronal growth, different ratios of the two initial monomers poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether-glycidyl methacrylate (MePEG-GMA) and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) were employed and five different polymers were synthesized. Their chemical structures were characterized using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and their physical properties (including molecular weight, polydispersity, glass transition temperature, and melting point) were determined using gel permeation chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry. Culturing of the primary rat hippocampal neurons on the polymeric surfaces show that the ratio of the two initial monomers utilized for polymer synthesis significantly affects neuronal growth. Rat hippocampal neurons show different growth morphologies on different polymeric surfaces. The polymeric surface prepared with 1:60 (mol/mol) of MePEG-GMA to DMAEMA induces neuronal regenerative responses similar to that on poly-l-lysine, a very common benchmark material for nerve cell cultures. These results suggest that acetylcholine-like biomimetic polymers are potential biomaterials for neural engineering applications, particularly in modulating the growth of hippocampal neurons. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new chitosan derivative is prepared using chitosan. Ethyl cholorocarbonate was first introduced to the hydroxyl group of phthaloylchitosan through a nucleophilic reaction. Hydrazine was then added to recover the amino groups of chitosan, and promote cross-linking. The structure of this new chitosan derivative was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy, and its physical properties were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The thermal and chemical stabilities of the new derivative were improved compared with those of native chitosan. Assay of Escherichia coli adhesion on a film based on this chitosan derivative showed good adsorption and biofilm formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Markets can only function properly in the presence of sufficient trust. We explore the relation between trusting behavior and market integration in rural China. We link the results of a trust experiment to actual behavior in the field (participation in the labor market versus informally exchanging labor), and find that high-trust households are more likely to use formal markets. We proceed by exploring the relation between labor market participation and economic outcomes, finding tentative evidence of a causal relation running from market participation to higher levels of income. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Diabetes-related slow healing of wounds is primarily driven by bacterial infections and angiogenesis disorder and presents a substantial hurdle in clinical treatment. To solve the above problems, an advanced multifunctional hydrogel system based on natural polymer was created here to facilitate wound healing in patients with chronic diabetes. The prepared dressing was composed of an outer hydrogel containing polyvinyl alcohol and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose in dimethyl sulfoxide and water as binary solvents, and an inner hydrogel containing chitosan quaternary ammonium salt, flaxseed gum, and polyvinyl alcohol. Thus, a polysaccharide based bilayer hydrogel (BH) with superior mechanical strength and biocompatibility was created. This bilayer hydrogel could easily bind to dynamic tissue surfaces, thereby generating a protective barrier. Meanwhile, L-arginine-modified polyoxometalate (POM@L-Arg) nanoclusters were loaded in the inner hydrogel. They released NO when stimulated by the peroxide microenvironment of diabetic wounds. NO as a signal molecule regulated vascular tension and promoted cell proliferation and migration. Additionally, because of the synergistic effect of NO and the chitosan quaternary ammonium salt, the hydrogel system exhibited excellent antibacterial performance. The NO released reduced the levels of proinflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α in the diabetic wounds, which thus accelerated wound healing. In short, BH + POM@L-Arg is expected to serve as an ideal wound dressing as it exerts a good promotion effect on diabetes-related wound healing. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan crosslinked with metal-organic framework (MOF-199)@aminated graphene oxide aerogel (MOF-199@AFGO/CS) were prepared to adsorb formaldehyde and methyl orange. The prepared MOF-199@AFGO/CS aerogel was well characterized via SEM, EDX, FT-IR, XRD and XPS to reveal the microstructure and composition. Besides, the mechanical property and the stability of MOF-199@AFGO/CS aerogel were investigated. The results showed that MOF-199@AFGO/CS aerogel had good stability in water, compression resilience and thermostability. The study on the ability to adsorb formaldehyde gas and methyl orange showed that the adsorption capacity of MOF-199@AFGO/CS aerogel was related to the pore size and the surface functional groups of MOF-199@AFGO/CS aerogel. When the pore size is moderate, as the amino group and MOF-199 on the aerogel increased, the adsorption capacity of formaldehyde gas (197.89 mg/g) and methyl orange (412 mg/g) can reach the maximum. Furthermore, the adsorption process at equilibrium followed the Freundlich isotherm model. The kinetic behavior was well fitted by the pseudo-second-order model, indicating chemisorption as the rate-determining step. This work can provide a reliable basis for the adsorbent to remove pollutants in different forms at the same time, and has potential application in simultaneously adsorbing liquid pollutants and gas pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baesd on previous researches, the natural deep eutectic solvent (DES) has enormous potential to be used in the fabrication of hydrogel wound dressing due to its outstanding properties including cytocompatibility, degradability and solubility. In order to further improve the antibaterial capacity of hydrogel, in the present study sodium hyaluronate (SH) and the natural DES were utilized to develop a novel hydrogel wound dressing by dopamine (DA) coated SH with in situ reduction of silver nanoparticles (DES-DASH@Ag). Furthermore, during the preparation process, we discovered for the first time that the DES can be used to fill the freeze-dried DASH to prepare a hydrogel (DES-DASH), which was promising to utilized in the fabrication of other hydrogels. Besides, the chemical and physical properties as well as wound healing capacity of the DES-DASH@Ag hydrogel were characterized. As a result, the DES-DASH@Ag hydrogel presented good cytocompatibility tested using NIH-3 T3 fibroblast cells, and prominent antibacterial effect against two types of bacteria infecting exposed wound. Furthermore, the hydrogel facilitated regeneration of mouse skin tissue in the wound area. The overall performance of DES-DASH@Ag hydrogel suggested that it could be a promising wound dressing in modern medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper examines the impact of resource scarcity on cooperation. • An irrigation water quota system was used to measure water scarcity. • Water scarcity significantly increases farmers' cooperation. • Water scarcity is positively associated with irrigation management activities and canal conditions. Resource scarcity has become an increasingly pressing challenge to the world. How scarcity affects people's preferences and behavior has been taken as an important issue for development. This study examines the impact of long-term exposure to resource scarcity on farmers' cooperation. Specifically, we focus on water scarcity in irrigation agriculture, and examine the effect of water scarcity on cooperation in the context of a gravity irrigation system in western China. A historical irrigation water quota system provides an opportunity to measure exogenous variations of water scarcity within an otherwise homogeneous region. We use the ratio of the arable land area to the irrigation water quota of each village as our measure of water scarcity. Moreover, we use the contributions in a public goods game to measure the farmers' willingness to cooperate. Combining a household survey and a lab-in-the-field experiment with 312 rural residents in northwestern China, we find that irrigation water scarcity significantly increases farmers' willingness to cooperate. The results are robust to potential endogeneity concerns and many confounding factors. We also find that water scarcity is positively correlated with irrigation management activities and canal conditions. Our findings provide important policy implications for common pool resource management and collective actions in rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An analytical calculation method for displacement and force at the transition. • Comparison on the derived calculation scheme for three different conditions. • Study on effects of the maximum temperature gradient ratio. • Study on effects of the maximum fastener resistance on longitudinal displacement. The rails at the transition between a bridge or subgrade and a tunnel tend to creep longitudinally because of a temperature gradient on the rail, which can cause irregularity in the track. The longitudinal temperature distribution along the rail and the longitudinal resistance of the fasteners are the main influences on rail creep. In this paper, the linear and nonlinear models of longitudinal temperature distribution on rails and the longitudinal resistance of fasteners are tested for their accuracy in predicting rail creep. By researching the rail at the temperature-transition zone, differential equations for the longitudinal displacement and force of the rail are established. To predict the changes that a rail will experience in a temperature-transition zone, expressions for the longitudinal displacement and force are derived from these differential equations. The derived calculation scheme is tested for three conditions: linear models of both rail temperature and longitudinal resistance, linear rail temperature and nonlinear resistance, and nonlinear models of both rail temperature and displacement. The maximum longitudinal rail displacement and the maximum longitudinal additional force in all three conditions are compared to reveal the influence of the maximum temperature force gradient multiple and the maximum fastener resistance on longitudinal displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Lecithin doped poly(lactic acid)-thermoplastic polyurethane fibers were fabricated by electrospinning and their effect on hepatocyte viability was evaluated. Highlights • Poly(lactic acid)-thermoplastic polyurethane-lecithin fibers were prepared by electrospinning. • The introduction of lecithin improved the biocompatibility of the fibers. • The hepatocytes cultured on the fibers had higher viability than that on tissue culture plates. Abstract The development of hepatocyte cultures in vitro holds great significance in the study of bioartificial liver support systems. Electrospun fiber cultures have received widespread attention as an effective method to culture hepatocytes in vitro. Polylactic acid (PLA) –a synthetic polymer with high biocompatibility and biodegradability– is widely used to fabricate electrospun fibers in the biomedical field. However, the use of PLA is limited in cell cultures due to its brittleness, strong hydrophobicity, and lack of biologically active functional groups. In this study, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and lecithin (Lec) were used to modify PLA by spiking them into the PLA electrospun solution in attempt to establish a suitable fiber scaffold for hepatocyte culture in bioreactors. TPU and lecithin incorporation into PLA increases the flexibility, hydrophilicity, and biologically active groups of the fibers which further promotes the growth, proliferation, and viability of hepatocytes. The morphology, wettability, and biocompatibility of the as-prepared PLA-TPU-Lec fibers were carefully characterized. The results showed that the PLA-TPU-Lec fibers possessed favorable morphology and hydrophilicity, as well as high biocompatibility ability. HepG2 cells on the PLA-TPU-Lec fibers and tissue culture plates (TCP) were exposed to hepatotoxins for 24 h and we found that HepG2 cells on the PLA-TPU-Lec fibers had higher viability than cells on TCP. The PLA-TPU-Lec fibers are therefore expected to be used in vitro for hepatocyte culture to improve cellular activity in artificial liver bioreactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A high prevalence of infectious diseases (mostly lungworms) is found in finless porpoises (genus Neophocaena ) in the coastal waters of China, which is one of the most dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)-polluted areas worldwide, while its association with contaminant exposure remains undetermined. To address this gap, we investigated blubber levels of polychlorinated diphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Indo-Pacific finless porpoises ( Neophocaena phocaenoides ) stranded in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) of China. In the post-mortem examinations, lungworms ( Halocercus species) were found to be the most common parasites, with a high density observed in lungs and bronchi. Severe infections by nematode parasites were also found in the uterus ( Cystidicola species), intestine ( Anisakis typica ) and muscle ( A. typica ). For all the pollutant compounds analyzed, only the concentrations of p , p ′-DDT, p , p ′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD) and o , p ′-DDD were significantly higher in porpoises died of infectious diseases than in the “healthy” individuals (died from physical trauma). Contrasted accumulation pattern of DDTs and their metabolites was found between animals with different health status. The proportion of p , p ′-DDT in ΣDDTs was higher than that of p , p ′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) in diseased animals, whereas an opposite pattern was shown for “healthy” ones. While this study is the first to describe a significant positive correlation between parasitic diseases and high levels of DDTs in cetaceans, the direction of causality cannot be determined in our data: either a parasitic infection affected the porpoises' ability to metabolize DDTs, resulting in high levels of p , p ′-DDT in their blubber, or the pollutant burden rendered them more susceptible to parasitic infection. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • ∑DDTs concentrations in blubber of N. phocaenoides from the Pearl River Estuary are among the highest in cetaceans globally. • A high prevalence of nematode parasites (mostly lungworms) were found in our samples. • Only the concentrations of p , p ’-DDT and DDDs were significantly higher in diseased than in healthy ones. • Contrasted accumulation pattern of DDTs was found between animals with different health status. • First time to describe a significant positive correlation between parasitic infections and DDT exposure in cetaceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are gaining attention due to their persistence in the environment. Therefore, the development of novel adsorbents to remove them is strongly anticipated. In this study, an improved dual ice-template assembly method had been used for the preparation of ZIF-67/QGO/SB-CS aerogel through ZIF-67, benzoquinone-modified graphene oxide (QGO), and sulfobetaine-modified chitosan (SB-CS) for the adsorption and removal of PPCPs in water. We reported for the first time that the chitosan composite aerogel has antifouling, bacterial filtration and oil-water separation abilities with excellent PPCPs adsorption performance and reusable, which would be a viable option for long-lasting adsorbents for PPCPs in water. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide pollution has become a severe challenge for harming food quality and human safety. Therefore, it's urgent to develop sensitive methods to detect and analyse pesticides. Herein, we successfully developed a new turn-on fluorescent chemosensor (TPE-4P), a tetraphenyl ethylene derivative modified with four pillar[5]arenes, which could sensitively, selectively, and rapidly detect the pesticide paraquat. In our study, we took full advantage of both the host-guest strategy and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) to achieve fluorescent enhancement of the chemosensor for paraquat, in which four pillar[5]arenes as the recognition units can selectively capture paraquat. The formation of the supramolecular complexes based on the interlaced host-guest interactions effectively restricted the intramolecular single-bond rotation and skeletal vibration, resulting in the intensive fluorescent emission. The detection limit for paraquat was low enough to reach 154.1 nM, and the detection time was short enough to meet the rapid detection conditions. Moreover, the test strips loaded- TPE-4P facilitated the detection process and achieved the semi-quantitative analysis for paraquat in real spiked samples. In addition, TPE-4P could respond to paraquat in living zebrafish obviously. These results suggest that the cooperation of host-guest and AIE chemistry could become useful for the design to detect some appropriate organic molecules. [Display omitted] • A turn-on chemosensor was synthesized based on TPE and pillar[5]arene. • The sensor can rapidly, selectively, and sensitively detect pesticide paraquat through host-guest and AIE chemistry. • The sensor can be used in visual determination of paraquat in real samples and zebra fish. • The fabricated test strips can quantitatively detect paraquat. • The cooperation of host-guest and AIE chemistry is useful for the design of chemosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale single-cell arrays are urgently required for current high-throughput screening of cell function and heterogeneity. However, the rapid and convenient generation of large-scale single-cell array in a multiplex and universal manner is not yet well established. In this paper, we report a simple and reliable method for the generation of a single-cell array by combining pneumatic microvalve arrays (PμVAs) and hydrodynamic single-cell trapping sites in a single microfluidic device. The PμVAs, which can be precisely controlled by actuated pressures, were designed to guide multiple types of cells being trapped in the corresponding single-cell trapping sites located in the fluidic channel. According to the theoretical demonstration and computational simulation, we successfully realized a multiplex single-cell array with three different types of cells by a step-by-step protocol. Furthermore, the analysis of cellular esterase heterogeneity of the three types of cells was concurrently implemented in the device as a proof-of-concept experiment. All the results demonstrated that the method developed in the current study could be applied for the generation of large-scale single-cell array with multiple cell types, which would be also promising and helpful for single-cell-based high-throughput drug test, multipurpose immunosensor and clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]