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Methacrylate functional monomers containing polymerisable double bonds and sulphhydryl group were synthesised using (methyl) hydroxyethyl (propyl) acrylate and mercaptopropionic acid as precursors with benzene (toluene, ethyl acetate, ether) as solvent and aqueous agent, p-toluene sulphonic acid as catalyst, hydroquinone as polymerisation inhibitor. The yield of methacrylate functional monomers was more than 90%. The structure and purity of methacrylate functional monomers was characterised by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The precursor material source is of low cost and widely available, and the product did not need to be purified by a special method, which means that it can be directly used for the synthesis of vinyl branched polymer. Therefore, the price of vinyl branched polymer can be greatly reduced and the application range of vinyl branched polymer can be greatly expanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(ester-ether)s are biodegradable copolymers with excellent performance. These copolymers are used as scaffolds for tissue engineering and degradable materials in packaging. However, their synthesis procedures are generally tedious which restrict their widespread applications. Furthermore, the inadequate availability of their commercial monomers also hampers their production. Herein, we reported a facile strategy for the synthesis of linear and branched poly(ester-ether)s using a polyol and methyl acrylate (MA) as monomers. During the polymerisation, the vinyl bond of MA reacts with the hydroxyl groups of a polyol following an oxa-Michael polyaddition mechanism. Simultaneously, esterification takes place between the ester group of MA and polyol. As a result, poly(ester-ether)s were successfully synthesised by combining these two different types of reactions into one polymerisation system. The linear and branched structures of the products were confirmed by the nuclear magnetic resonance and triple-detector gel permeation chromatography. This work provides a facile strategy for the synthesis of poly(ester-ether)s from commercially available monomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-digestive solution (SDS) of the biocontrol bacterium Lysobacter enzymogenes LE16 shows strong antagonistic activities against multiple soil-borne phytopathogens but the positive evidence of this bacterium against plant foliar disease is still scanty. Thus, laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments were carried out to estimate the efficacies of SDS, S-SDS (stored at room temperature for 12 months), and H-SDS (heated at 100°C for 30 min) against plant powdery mildew. This bacterium produced hydrolases (phosphatase, protease, lysozyme, chitinase, and β-1,3-glucanase) that degrade pathogen cell components and siderophores that compete for iron with phytopathogens. The top five antimicrobial metabolites identified in SDS were pyroglutamic acid, deoxycytidine, pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid, 13-oxo-9,11-tridecadienoic acid, and 3'-amino-3'-deoxythimidine. Among them, pyroglutamic acid may play a vital role in powdery mildew control. As a result, SDS, S-SDS, and H-SDS strongly inhibited the conidial germination of Erysiphe cichoracearum and Sphaerotheca fuliginea. The application of SDS significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes in crop leaves and effectively controlled tobacco and cucumber powdery mildew in the greenhouse and the field. Therefore, L. enzymogenes LE16 can effectively control powdery mildew. The underlying mechanisms may be attributed to the induction of plant systemic resistance and the production of antifungal substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse osmosis (RO) membranes have been widely used in the field of membrane separation. However, most of the commercial RO membranes are fabricated based on a polysulphones- or polyethersulfone-modified polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET) support, which are thick and exhibit poor solvent resistance. In this study, polyethylene (PE) battery membranes without any hydrophilic modification were directly used to prepare PE-RO membranes. The structures of the products were confirmed via attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The resulting RO membrane prepared with 0.05 wt.% of trimesoyl chloride and 2 wt.% of m-phenylenediamine exhibited a water flux of 12.61 L m−2 h−1 with a desalination (NaCl) rate of 98.6%. The thickness of the PE-RO membrane is 80% of the thickness of the traditional RO membranes and hence has a wider application as a separation membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel peroxide-initiating monomer with the peroxide group and the polymerizable vinyl double bond was designed and prepared through cheap industrial chemical reactants and facile synthesis. Here, one kind of the peroxide-initiating monomer 2-(tert-butylperoxy)ethyl methacrylate (BPEMA) prepared through three-step simple chemical reactions, using tert-butyl hydroperoxide and 2-bromoethanol as the raw ingredients, which reacted at low temperature and obtained the 2-tert-butyl peroxy ethanol, then esterified with methacryloyl chloride or isobutyryl chloride to obtain the peroxide-initiating monomer 2-(tert-butylperoxy)ethyl methacrylate(BPEMA). The analogue peroxide-initiating compound 2-(tert-butylperoxy)ethyl isobutyrate (BPEIB) was designed and obtained using the same reactions as those employed with BPEMA. The other kind of the peroxide-initiating monomer 2-hydroperoxide ethyl methacrylate (HPEMA). The purity of the three products was determined to be above 95%. Here, develop convenient and effective methods in using peroxide-initiating monomer for the in-depth study on the preparation of branched polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolic resin modified by triolein was synthesized by a two-step process. First, the modified resin was prepared by electrophilic addition reaction of phenol with triolein in acidic environment, then reacted with formaldehyde. The impact strength of modified phenolic resin increased by19~71% compared to that of pure phenolic resin. The maximum elongation at break of modified phenolic resin was higher by about 271% than that of pure phenolic resin. Toughness of modified phenolic resin was greatly improved through triolein treatment by bringing in the methylene, ester bond and aliphatic long chains. In terms of thermal properties, the addition of triolein has increased Tg of the modified phenolic resin a. The viscosity of phenolic resin also increased significantly by introducing triolein into phenolic resin. The preparation method developed here is simple and easy, which can expand the application of phenolic resin in adhesive production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel reducing emulsifier monomers 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl dodecyl maleate (DMAEDM) and 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl dodecyl itaconate (DMAEDI) containing polymerisable double bonds, tertiary amine and long-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons were creatively designed and synthesised. Reducing emulsifier monomers (REM) were prepared using dodecanol, acid anhydride and 2-dimethylaminoethyl chloride hydrochloride through a two-step reaction process. The optimum reaction temperature and ratio of chemicals were determined to achieve higher yield and purity of REM products. The product purity was above 95% as determined by gas chromatography. The structure of the products was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy (IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy. The novel reducing emulsifier monomers have been determined to have good emulsifying performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel functional inimer 2-(2-bromoisobutyryloxy)ethyl methacrylate(BiBEM) both with the double bond and bromide was designed and synthesised. The branched polystyrene (PS) was prepared by the atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP), using BiBEM as inimer (initator) and CuBr complexed with bipyridine as catalysts in toluene at 80°C. The molecular weight and the branching degree of the polystyrene were analysed by using triple detection size-exclusion chromatography (TD-SEC) and the storage modulus in a wide and high-frequency range of polystyrene microrheological properties were studied by the diffusive wave spectroscopy (DWS). By adjusting the ratio of inimer to catalysts, a series of branched polystyrene polymers with different molecular weight and branching degree were obtained. The increase of the BiBEM concentration led to a higher degree of branching, while higher molecular weight and broader molecular weight distribution are accompanied. The branched polystyrene showed low storage modulus and lower chain entanglement compared to linear analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tadpole-like single-chain particle (TSCP) with a crosslinked PDMAEMA (poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)) chain as the head and a tethered POEGMA (oligo(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether methacrylate) chain as the tail was fabricated by intra-chain crosslinking of PDMAEMA chain of the copolymer POEGMA-b-PDMAEMA (POD). In the selective solvent for the tail, TSCPs formed worm-like micelles, thin films and tubular vesicles in DMF/H2O (1/4, v/v). Different from the traditional one-shot response to ultrasonic treatment, the tubular vesicles underwent rapid structural transformations to spherical vesicles under gentle ultrasonic treatment and fragments under an enhanced ultrasonic treatment. The unique multi-level ultrasonic response behaviour makes the assemblies promising drug carriers featured with the remote and stepwise controlling release of drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the stabilisation problem of an Euler–Bernoulli beam with uncertain parameters and disturbances. To correctly represent the beam's behaviour, the partial differential equations model is utilised for the control design of the beam without missing any high-order mode information. Then the linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) method is applied to the robust adaptive neural network control design to cope with systematic uncertainties and stabilise the beam system with disturbance compensation. Through resolving LMIs, feasible sets of designed control parameters can be effectively obtained without model linearisation. Finally, numerical simulations are done to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoisomerisation behaviour of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) end-capped with 4-propoxyazobenzene (PNIPAM-Azo-OC3H7) was studied in a conconsolvent mixture of water and dioxane. The trans-cis isomerisation rate of PNIPAM-Azo-OC3H7 was mildly affected by the solvent compositions. Interestingly, the addition of dioxane could not only change the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAM-Azo-OC3H7 aqueous solution but also accurately controlled the increase or decrease in the LCST during UV irradiation. The LCST change (ΔT) could be adjusted from −5.0°C to 10.0°C, which was affected by the cononsolvent type, the second solvent and polymer concentration. Transmission electron micrographs (TEMs) showed that the PNIPAM-Azo-OC3H7 solution could self-assemble into different nano-micelles in different amounts of miscible solvents. UV irradiation of PNIPAM-Azo-OC3H7 solution was found to induce different changes in particle shape and size, which in turn led to either decrease or increase in the LCST changes in this novel responsive system. Furthermore, Nile red was tested here as a fluorescence probe for photo-induced release from PNIPAM-Azo-OC3H7 micelles, and the results suggested that this polymer could be used as a hydrophobic chemotherapeutic drug carrier for controlled release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tertiary amine-structured compounds containing stimulating response groups such as diethylaminoethyl isobutyrate and N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)methyl, were synthesised by an acid chloride esterification method using acrylamide, N-(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl)isobutyramide, 2-methyl-N-[3-(methyl-phenyl-amino)-propyl]-acrylamide and 2-Methyl -N-[3-(methyl-phenyl-amino)-propyl]-propionamide reactants. The effects of different ratios of reactants on product purity, reaction time on purity and yield were investigated. Product purity was characterised by gas chromatography. The structure was characterised by infrared spectroscopy (IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), and the purity of the five different synthesised compounds was determined to be more than 97%. This study provides a convenient and efficient method for the synthesis of compounds containing tertiary amine structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For stroke patients, hand function assessment is an important part of the hand rehabilitation process. The hand function assessment, however, requires the patient to complete a series of actions under the guidance of the therapist who then scores the patient's performance. This type of assessment is both time-consuming and highly subjective. Therefore, in order to achieve a fast, objective and accurate assessment, this paper adopts a non-contact infrared imaging device, Leap Motion, to measure the patient's motion information and then uses these motion information to infer the hand's rehabilitation level. This paper improves the traditional way of hand function assessment from the following aspects. Only three coherent movements (finger opposition, lift wrist and stretch fingers) are required to complete the assessment, which makes the assessment time shorter and the assessment process easier. At the same time, an assessment algorithm based on the Ensemble Learning is proposed and integrated into the automatic hand function assessment system. In addition, the virtual reality game has been implemented in the assessment system to ensure a satisfactory interaction with patients, which makes the assessment process more interesting and convenient. Using this system, 50 stroke patients underwent clinical trials with the Brunnstrom and Fugl-Meyer assessment scales. The matching rate between the automatic assessment result and the manual Brunnstrom assessment result is 92%, while the matching rate with the Fugl-Meyer assessment result is 82%. Furthermore, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test and Kappa test are also used to validate the consistency between the automatic assessment results and the manual assessment results. These experiments illustrate that this automatic assessment system is fast, comfortable and reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sliding mode control method is developed in this study for application to a class of underactuated systems with bounded unknown disturbance and sensor and actuator faults. In the proposed method, a robustness item compensates for the bounded unknown disturbance and a Nussbaum function realises sensor and actuator faults tolerance simultaneously, and all signals of the system are proven to be bounded. A radial basis function (RBF) neural network is developed to estimate the unknown functions of the system. Finally, Hurwitz stability analysis is conducted to guarantee the stability of the closed-loop system. Simulations are conducted wherein a coupled motor driving system is placed under the proposed control laws to validate this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-designed bis(4-vinylbenzyl)-oxalate (DBE) was synthesized successfully. The branched polystyrene was prepared by using an atom transfer radical polymerization method with copper bromide (CuBr)/2,2'-bipyridine (Bpy) as a catalyst, the DBE as a branched monomer and tert-butyl α-bromoisobutyrate (t-BBiB) as an initiator. The structure of the synthesized branched monomer was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The conversion of monomer during the polymerization was measured by gas chromatography (GC) while the molecular weight, molecular weight distribution and degree of branching of the polystyrene were characterized by three-detection volume exclusion chromatography (TD-SEC). The results show that bis(4-vinylbenzyl)-oxalate with electron-rich double bond and styrene with electron-rich double bond can be successfully obtained branched polystyrene. The branched structure developed as the reaction proceeded. At the same time, the molecular weight of the branched polystyrene gradually increased as the reaction progressed, and the molecular weight distribution widened consistent with the increased degree of branching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The random-branched and the star-like branched polystyrenes were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Then the random-branched polystyrene and star-like polystyrene were blended with the linear polystyrene. The structure and properties of the polymers were characterized by triple detection size exclusion chromatography (TD-SEC), diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) andmechanical property testing. The results showed that the tensile strength of the industrial-grade polystyrene blended with the branched polymer decreased with the amount of branched polystyrene. But it was increased when the high storage modulus of BPS was used by keeping the BPS amount constant. The glass transition temperature of the industrial-grade polystyrene blended with the branched polymer decreased with increased amount of the BPS. For an example, the glass transition temperature of the polystyrene blend dropped by 1.87°C when 5wt% of the BPS was added to the blend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is featured as the dysbiosis of gut microbiota and consequent mild diarrhoea or severe pseudomembranous colitis. However, the frequent recurrence of CDI following treatment course challenged the antibiotic therapy. Currently, to address the relapse of CDI, several novel therapeutic approaches have emerged, including Bezlotoxumab, SYN-004 (Ribaxamase), RBX2660, and faecal microbial transplant. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an old medical system accumulated for thousands of years. Orientated by syndrome-based treatment, TCM functions in a multicomponent and multitarget mode. This old medical system showed superiority over conventional medical treatment, particularly in the treatment of complex disorders, including CDI. In the present review, we will elaborate the TCM intervention in the management of CDI and others disorders via restoring the gut microbiota dysbiosis. We hope that this review will deepen our understanding of TCM as an alternative to CDI treatment. However, more rigorously designed basic researches and randomised controlled trials need to conduct to appraise the function mechanisms and effects of TCM. Finally, it is concluded that the combined therapeutic potentials of TCM and western medicine could be harness to resolve the recurrence and improve the outcome of CDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, filaments comprising natural silk fibroin microparticles (NSFP) and biomedical polyurethane (BPU) were prepared via wet-spinning as a reusable-controlled drug-delivery system. The rheological properties of the spinning solution were studied to examine the effect of NSFP on the BPU/NSFP filament formation. The influences of NSFP content and spinning conditions on the morphology, molecular interactions, mechanical properties, and swelling performance of BPU/NSFP filaments were also investigated. The morphology and mechanical property studies showed that NSPF and BPU exhibit good compatibility. The capacity of the BPU/NSFP filaments as drug loading carriers and drug release behavior were studied by spectroscopy. The presence of NSFP in the drug controlled system increase the drug loading amount and enhance the drug release time. This paper presents a well-designed manufacturing method for preparing BPU/NSFP filaments with good controlled drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several branched polystyrenes were prepared by free radical emulsion polymerization in the presence of α-mercaptohexyl methacrylate (MHM) as the chain transfer monomers, potassium peroxodisulfate as the initiator and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfate as the emulsifier. Branched polystyrenes of high molecular weight and high branching degree were obtained. The obtained polymers were characterized by using three detection size exclusion chromatography (TD-SEC). The branched polystyrenes showed considerably higher molecular weights and higher branching degrees using this reaction system. The higher the mole ratio of MHM to monomer or the higher mole ratio of MHM to initiator, the higher were the obtained absolute weight average molecular weight and the branching degree of the obtained polystyrenes. In addition, low temperature of polymerization reaction also contributed to the high average molecular weight and the high average branching degree of branched polystyrene. The higher average molecular weight of branched polystyrene obtained in this system was accompanied by the higher average branching degree of the branched polystyrene. It was also shown that the nature of branched structures was not affected by the amount of initiator and reaction temperature of the polymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop novel biocomposites, three different types of silk fibroin (SF) fabrics were, respectively, blended with poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL) by a solution blending method. The effects of fabric structures on the mechanical and structural properties of PCL/SF biocomposites were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy photographs showed that SF were linked with PCL matrix. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction curves showed that PCL/SF biocomposites had higher crystallinity than pure PCL. Differential scanning calorimetry results indicated that the addition of three different types of silk fabrics changed the values of relevant thermodynamic parameter of PCL/SF biocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast genome of Salix cupularis Rehder was assembled and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. The chloroplast genome of S. cupularis was 155,518 bp in length, containing a large single-copy region (84,373 bp), a small single-copy region (16,226 bp), and two inverted repeat regions (27,458 bp). The overall GC content of S. cupularis chloroplast genome was 36.70%. The chloroplast genome of S. cupularis contained 127 unique genes, including 82 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that S. cupularis was most related to Salix magnifica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carboxymethyl chitosan fiber (CMCF) was successfully prepared and characterized by FTIR. The swelling behavior, mechanical property, antibacterial activity and indirect cytotoxicity assessment of CMCF were also studied, respectively. The results showed that, CMCF had higher liquid absorption capacity and lower tensile strength and elongation at break than those of chitosan fiber. The antibacterial activity of CMCF was similar with chitosan fiber, and carboxymethylation did not enhance the antibacterial activity directly. Indirect cytotoxicity assessment of the fibers indicated that CMCF was nontoxic to the L929 cell with relatively low extraction concentration. This novel fiber would be used as a potential wound dressing for skin regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS) was first employed to establish the chromatographic fingerprint and thereby identify the major components of Yuanhu Zhitong tablet (YZT), a traditional Chinese medicine. Fingerprint was established by analyzing 15 different batches of YZT, in which we obtained 17 common peaks with 18 constituents. Fifteen components were identified in the fingerprint with reference to the standards and literature data, including protopine, α-allocryptopine, coptisine, tetrahydropalmatine, tetrahydroberberine, corydaline, palmatine, berberine, byakangelicol, dehydrocorydaline, oxypeucedanin, imperatorin, phelloptorin, isoimperatorin, and osthole. Each of these was separated by using a Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C18(2.1 × 50 mm, 1.7 µm) column with linear gradient elution of 0.2% formic acid water-acetonitrile. Meanwhile, the hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to evaluate the variation of the YZTs based on the characteristics of the common peaks in the UPLC/Q-TOF-MS profiles. This established method with high sensitivity and high speed may become a powerful tool for quality evaluation of YZT and related preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River Delta (YRD) is a typical agricultural and petrochemical industrial area in China. To assess the current status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of soil residues, soil samples (0–15 cm) (n = 82) were collected in Bincheng District, at the geographic center of the YRD. Concentrations of 16 PAHs (∑PAHs) ranged from 181.1 to 2176.0 μg kg−1, with an average concentration of 359.8 μg kg−1, showing significant increase along a rural-urban gradient (p ≤ 0.05). The contribution of naphthalene and phenanthrene to ∑PAHs was 48.6–57.6 %, and the contribution of low molecular weight (two- and three-ring) PAHs was 56.3–66.4 % from urban to rural. The significant correlations between ∑PAHs and soil organic C and total N concentrations were observed (p ≤ 0.05), indicated soil organic C and total N can affect PAH distribution in the study area, especially for low molecular weight PAHs. Principal component and multiple linear regression analysis reveal that soil PAHs have different sources in different area. Various petroleum inputs (volatilization, vehicular and non-vehicle combustion) were the main sources of soil PAHs in the urban and suburban areas, and the main source was biomass burning in the rural. In general, most soil PAH contaminations in the study area were classified as weakly polluted. Even so, soil PAH contamination from petroleum, particularly near petrochemical production sites, deserves further attention, because lighter PAH compounds are more labile and can react with other pollutants to form more toxic derivates. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Context: Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is a complex multicomponent complex system that interacts with multiple targets and functions via multiple pathways based on the whole human system. Therefore, identification of key constituents of Chinese herbals (CH) not only plays a critical role in the quality control of CHM, but also paves a basis for redevelopment of them. Objective: Identification of key constituents in volatile oil (VO) of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort (Umbelliferae) (LCH), which is a CHM clinically used in China thousands of years ago. Materials and methods: The VO of LCH was pharmacologically demonstrated to have blood vessel activity (BVA) in vitro and chemically investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Data mining approaches were used to bridge the gap between chemical constituents (CCS) and bioactivities as well as contribute to select key constituents of LCH automatically. Results: Thirteen effective constituents of LCH with significant association with BVA were identified. Conclusion: The combination of 13 key constituents would accurately predict the bioactivities of blood vessel of LCH. Furthermore, the strategy presented here paves a strong basis for identification of key constituents of CH and elucidation of material basis of CHM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pot experiment was carried out to study the growth and pungency of Allium fisutulosum grown in Perlite as affected by colonization by the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi Glomus etunicatum, Glomus vesiforme, and by ammonium (NH+4):nitrate (NO-3) ratios of 5:95, 50:50, and 95:5 in 4 mM solutions. Plants were grown in a greenhouse for 20 weeks and then harvested. In general, NH+4:NO-3 ratio of 50:50 supplied resulted in the highest shoot dry weight regardless of non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal plants while the effect of inoculation treatment on plant biomass was not significant. The plant sulfur (S) concentrations were usually higher in mycorrhizal plants than controls irrespective of nitrogen ratio and therefore inoculation with G. etunicatum increased the enzyme produced pyruvic acid (EPY) while inoculation with G. versiforme decreased the EPY compared with the non-mycorrhizal plants. In general, shoot pungency was lowest when NH+4:NO-3 ratio of 95:5 supplied irrespective of mycorrhizal treatment. Colonization by both AM fungi made a substantial contribution to spring onion sulfur nutrient status but show different way on flavor characteristics of host plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymeric patchy micelles (PPMs) are nanostructures with distinct regions on their surfaces, offering unique properties for various applications. Herein, we present a straightforward method for monitoring the structure of PPMs formed via non-covalent post-assembly modification (NCPAM). By employing 1-pyrenemethylamine, a pyrene-based molecule, as both a modifier and fluorescent probe, we demonstrate that the formation of PPMs with a higher order aggregation state of pyrene induces a stronger pyrene excimer emission. This leads to variations in the excimer-to-monomer emission ratio, serving as a parameter for studying structural changes in PPMs during NCPAM. In situ monitoring of PPM formation and temperature-dependent transformations is achieved using fluorescent analytical method, providing valuable insights into their structural evolution and dynamic behaviour. This study offers a straightforward approach to understanding and controlling PPM structures, facilitating the design of advanced nanomaterials for diverse applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]