Search

Three-dimensional (3D) graphene-based aerogels have promising applications in oil adsorption and environmental restoration. However, current research of graphene-based aerogels is often hindered by high preparation cost, poor mechanical properties and low recycling efficiency. Here, super-elastic graphene aerogel (SGA) was prepared through one-step freezing and twice hydrothermal reduction followed by drying under ambient pressure. The simple atmospheric drying provides a possibility for large-scale preparation of high performance graphene-based aerogels. The prepared SGA not only has the ability of highly repeatable compression rebound, but also exhibits excellent oil adsorption performance. And the overall performance of SGA is better than most of graphene-based aerogels prepared by freeze drying. After the SGA was cyclically compressed with 70% strain for 300 times, it can return to the original shape and height substantially. SGA retained about 90% of the initial adsorption capacity after 50 cycles of adsorption and compression regeneration for cyclohexane.

A class of silica anchored Schiff base decorated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers were synthesized for removing aqueous Cu(II) and Ag(I). The adsorption performance was investigated synthetically and the adsorption mechanism was revealed. Results indicate the adsorption capacity depends on dendrimer generation, solution pH, contact time, temperature and initial metal ion concentration. The optimum adsorption pH is 6 for both metal ion. Adsorption kinetic suggests the adsorption can achieve equilibrium at 180 and 150 min for Cu(II) and Ag(I). The kinetic process is found to be in good agreement with pseudo-second-order model and film diffusion is the rate-controlling step. The adsorption isotherm indicates the adsorption is proceeded by monolayer behavior with chemical mechanism. These adsorbents exhibit competitive adsorption capacity as compared with other reported adsorbents. Theoretical calculation demonstrates the participation of hydroxyl, carbonyl, and amide groups during the adsorption of Cu(II), while hydroxyl and amide groups are mainly responsible for capturing Ag(I).

Mesocarp color is an important agronomic trait of Cucurbita maxima and is determined mainly by the contents and compositions of the carotenoids. The two inbred lines with significant differences in fruit flesh color were used in the study, the orange ‘312-1’ and white ‘98-2’. Changes in seven carotenoid contents and compositions in the flesh of fruit produced by inbred lines ‘312-1’ and ‘98-2’ were analyzed during fruit development. The expression of eight key carotenoid biosynthesis genes in the fruit flesh were investigated during five fruit development stage in two inbred lines. As the flesh color intensified, the orange flesh color of ‘312-1’ was determined mainly by the increased contents of lutein, β-carotene and zeaxanthin and the lack of carotenoid accumulation led to the formation of white flesh in ‘98-2’ fruit. The expression of the LCY-e and CHYb genes was significantly stronger in ‘312-1’ than in ‘98-2’, and their expression was strongly correlated with lutein and β-carotene contents during fruit development. This study provides a deep understanding of the molecular mechanism of carotenoid biosynthesis in fruit flesh and provides a basis for additional studies on the highly refined improvement of squash quality.

Semi-hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene is an important process to purify ethylene streams in industry. However, among current approaches reported in the literature, high ethylene selectivity has been generally achieved at the expense of activity. Herein, we show that a Ga2 O3 coating of Ag@Pd core-shell bimetallic nanoparticle catalysts, allows improvement of the ethylene selectivity to a much greater extent than the coating of monometallic Pd nanoparticles, while preserving a remarkable intrinsic activity, approximately 50 times higher than the benchmark catalyst of Pd1 Ag single-atom alloys (SAAs). Importantly, the resulting catalyst also shows excellent long-term stability, by suppressing coke formation efficiently. Spectroscopic characterization reveals that weakened ethylene adsorption by bimetallic electronic synergy, and oxide site isolation are both essential for the high ethylene selectivity and high-coking resistance. H-D exchange measurements further show that the Ga2 O3 -coated Ag@Pd catalyst possesses a much higher activity of H2 activation than that of Pd1 Ag SAAs, thus boosting the hydrogenation activity at the same time.

In this work, a series of CuZnFeAl-LDH catalysts for phenol oxidation to dihydroxybenzene have been prepared through a co-precipitation method. Versatile characterization studies are applied to reveal electron transfer from oxygen vacancies to Cu2+ on the LDH surface. The resulting Cu+ benefits the formation of hydroxyl radicals to promote the catalytic activity. Besides, through inverse gas chromatography (IGC), the acid–base hydrotalcite surface can be quantitatively determined. Both the oxygen vacancies and acid–base ratio (Ka/Kb) abide by a volcano-like tendency with the addition of copper content, which is consistent with the catalysis result. Among all these catalysts, 15/CuZnFeAl-LDH presents the optimal conversion (66.9%), selectivity (71.3%), and stable recyclability under mild conditions (60 °C, 1.0 MPa), respectively, and is environmentally-friendly and energy efficient. The high efficiency of this catalyst is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect between Cu+ and oxygen vacancies promoted by Ka/Kb.

Graphene aerogel with good mechanical properties and elasticity were extensively investigated for oil adsorbent. Herein, polyvinyl alcohol-graphene aerogel was prepared using Pickering emulsion method with polyvinyl alcohol being used as crosslinking agent and ethylenediamine (EDA) was used as reductant. The droplets of the Pickering emulsion played the role of soft templates during the aerogel preparation, and the droplets size was adjusted by adding different amount of butanol. When the content of EDA increases from 0.5 to 0.9%, the volume of aerogel gradually increases and its outer surface becomes smoother. However, when the content of EDA reaches 1%, aerogel becomes smaller and the outer surface becomes coarser. It was found that the compression stress and EDA content are positively correlated by simple manual extrusion. Compression-rebound test and Young's modulus calculation results indicated that the mechanical properties of aerogel can be effectively influenced by pre-freezing process. The fold degree of the wall, the maximum stress and Young's modulus of the aerogel increase gradually when prolonging pre-freezing time. The polyvinyl alcohol-graphene aerogel prepared by pre-freezing for 48 h with a density of 5.07 mg cm−3, a porosity of up to 99.8%, and a pore volume of 196.84 cm3 g−1 achieved instantaneous adsorption of oil slick on water. And the pore occupancy reached 93.31% under the saturated adsorption state on pure oil.

Vertical variability in the bio-optical properties of seawater in the northern South China Sea (NSCS) including inherent optical properties (IOPs) and chlorophyll a concentration (Chl) were studied on the basis of in situ data collected in summer 2008 using an absorption/attenuation spectrophotometer. An empirical model was developed to estimate Chl profiles based on the absorption line height at long wavelengths, with a relative root mean square error of 37.03%. Bio-optical properties exhibited large horizontal and vertical spatial variability. As influenced by coastal upwelling and the Zhujiang River (Pearl River) discharge, both IOPs and Chl exhibited high values in the surface waters of the inner shelf, which tended to decrease with distance offshore. Subsurface maximum layers of IOPs and Chl were observed in the middle and outer shelf regions, along with significantly higher values of attenuation coefficients beneath this layer that rapidly increased towards the bottom. In the open ocean, both IOPs and Chl exhibited consistent variability, with the subsurface maximum layer typically located at 34–84 m. Phytoplankton were found to be one of the major components in determining the vertical variability of bio-optical properties, with their vertical dynamics influenced by both physical forcing and light attenuation effects. The depth of the subsurface maximum layer was found to be closely related to the fluctuation of the oceanic thermocline and the depth of the euphotic zone, which also affected the total integrated biomass of the upper ocean. Typically high values of attenuation coefficients observed in the bottom waters of the continental shelf reflected the transport of particulate matter over the bottom boundary layer. Our results reveal large spatial differences in bio-optical profiles in response to complex marine ecodynamics in the NSCS. From the perspective of marine research, high-resolution optical measurements are clearly advantageous over conventional bottle sampling.

Metal ion-induced peptide assembly is an interesting field. As compared to traditional antibacterial Ag+, rare earth metal ions possess the advantage of antibacterial performance with photostability and low toxicity. Herein, a new peptide Fmoc-FFWDD-OH was designed and synthesized, which could form a stable hydrogel induced by rare earth metal ions, including Tb3+, Eu3+, and La3+. The mechanical properties were characterized by rheological measurements, and they exhibited elasticity-dominating properties. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed a large number of nanoscale fiber structures formed in the hydrogel. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, ThT assays, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern illustrated the formation mechanism of the fiber structure. The rare earth ion-induced peptide hydrogel was proved to possess good antibacterial performance on Escherichia coli (E. coli) with excellent biocompatibility. The introduction of rare earth metal ions may have some potential applications in the biological antibacterial and medical fields.

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/cellulose nanofibril (CNF) based carbon nanofiber membranes were produced by electrospinning and carbonization method, in which the CNF amount was 1 wt%. In order to control the spinning process, the rheological properties of the PAN/CNF suspensions were measured before electrospinning. In addition, the effects of CNF particle size on the structure and properties of carbon nanofiber membranes were investigated systematically by SEM, FTIR and mechanical test. Meanwhile, the reaction mechanism of PAN and PAN/CNF nanofiber membranes in the process of stabilization and carbonization was also fully discussed. The results show that the addition of CNFs can improve the breaking strength and conductivity of PAN carbon nanofiber membrane. Moreover, CNFs also can accelerate the carbonization rate and reduce the reaction conditions of PAN nanofiber membranes. Therefore, CNFs are effective enhancers for PAN based carbon nanofiber membranes.

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/cellulose nanofibril (CNF) nanofiber membranes were successfully prepared by an electrospinning method, in which the amount of CNF kept 1 wt%. The effects of CNF sizes on the morphology and properly of spinning solutions and PAN electrospun nanofiber membrane were systematically investigated by rheological property test, conductivity test, SEM, TG, DSC, contact angle test and mechanical test. The results showed that the viscosity and conductivity of the spinning solution was improved with the increasing of CNF sizes, as the formation of the strong polar interactions of nitrile groups and the hydroxyl groups between PAN and CNF. All the morphology of the PAN/CNF nanofiber membrane exhibited a uniform diameter with no visible beads or beads to the string structure, and the average diameter of the PAN/CNF nanofiber was decreased with the increasing of the CNF size. Moreover, the addition of CNF could improve the thermal stability, mechanical properly, and hydrophilicity of the PAN membrane. And the PAN/CNF-10 nanofiber membrane exhibited the optimal properties.

The bore-center annular shaped charge (BCASC) is a new type of shaped charge which can generate a larger-diameter hole in steel targets than classical shaped charges. In this paper, the influence of three liner materials, i.e. molybdenum, nickel and copper, on BCASC formation and penetrating into steel targets was investigated by experiment and numerical simulation. The simulation results were well consistent with the experimental results. This study showed that, at 0.50D standoff distance, the axial velocity of the molybdenum projectile was lower than that of the nickel and copper projectiles. The nickel and copper projectiles had almost the same head velocity. The absolute values of the radial velocity of the molybdenum projectile head was lower than that of the nickel and copper projectiles. However, at 0.75D standoff distance, the absolute values of the radial velocity of the molybdenum projectile head became much greater than that of the nickel and copper projectile heads. The projectile formed by BCASC with the molybdenum liner had the highest penetration depth of 61.5 mm, which was 10.0% and 21.3% higher than that generated by the copper and nickel projectiles. Keywords: Annular shaped charge, Liner material, Formation, Numerical simulation

Ultrasmall Gd2O3 nanoparticles can potentially be used as a positive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent owing to their high content of Gd(III), which exhibits the highest spin magnetic moment of all elements due to its seven unpaired 4f electrons. Herein, the above nanoparticles (average diameter = 2.0 nm) were coated with hydrophilic biocompatible polyacrylic acids (PAAs) of different molecular weights (Mw = 1200, 5100, 15000 Da), and the PAA-size-dependent relaxometric properties of the thus obtained composites were investigated. In addition, the biocompatibility of these composites was assessed by in-vitro cell viability measurements. Finally, dose-dependent R1 map images were acquired, proving that PAA-coated nanoparticles can be used as a T1 MRI contrast agent.

Enclosing metal clusters in zeolites can enhance their catalytic performance due to the complex effects of the zeolitic environment. However, for the first time, herein, we report the significant passivation effects of the surrounding zeolitic framework on the d-band center and catalytic performance of enclosed Pt clusters. For the dehydrogenation of propane to propylene, the Pt/NaX catalyst with Pt clusters on the exterior of X-zeolite showed a ∼1100% enhancement in TOF and largely improved selectivity for propylene compared with the corresponding Pt@NaX catalyst, in which the Pt clusters were stuck to the inside of X-zeolite. Moreover, less coke deposition and high stability were detected in Pt/NaX after the reaction for 18 h. Combining the detailed experiments and DFT calculations, it was revealed that the significant passivation effect is mainly attributed to the surrounding zeolitic framework for the enclosed Pt clusters, which decreases the d-band center of the Pt clusters and weakens the activation of propane, preventing the desorption of propylene with a reduction in propylene selectivity and increase in coke deposition. Thus, the present investigation reveals that enclosing metal clusters in zeolites may not be beneficial for some specific catalytic reactions, deepening the understanding for this type of catalyst of metal clusters enclosed in zeolites.

In this work, a core-shell-like sphere ruthenium catalyst, named as 5%Ru/&gamma, Al2O3@ASMA, has been successfully synthesized through impregnating the ruthenium nanoparticles (NPs) on the surface of the amino poly (styrene-co-maleic) polymer (ASMA) encapsulating &gamma, Al2O3 pellet support. The interaction between the Ru cations and the electro-donating polymer shell rich in hydroxyl and amino groups through the coordination bond would guarantee that the Ru NPs can be highly dispersed and firmly embedded on the surface of the support. In addition, the solid sphere &gamma, Al2O3 pellet could serve as the core to support the resulted catalysts applied in the flow process in a trickle bed reactor to promote the productivity. The resulted catalyst 5%Ru/&gamma, Al2O3@ASMA can be applied efficiently in the glucose hydrogenation and presents a steadfast sorbitol yield of almost 90% both in batch reactor and the trickle bed reactor, indicating the potential feasibility of the core-shell-like catalyst in the efficient production of sorbitol.

In the past few decades, peptide antibacterial products with unique antibacterial mechanisms have attracted widespread interest. They can effectively reduce the probability of drug resistance of bacteria and are biocompatible, so they possess tremendous development prospects. This review provides recent research and analysis on the basic types of antimicrobial peptides (including poly (amino acid)s, short AMPs, and lipopeptides) and factors to optimize antimicrobial effects. It also summarizes the two most important modes of action of antimicrobial peptides and the latest developments in the application of AMPs, including antimicrobial agent, wound healing, preservative, antibacterial coating and others. Finally, we discuss the remaining challenges to improve the antibacterial peptides and propose prospects in the field.

In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization of 3,5-Diiodo-L-tyrosine (DLT)-coated gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles. The bonding status of DLT-coated Gd2O3 nanoparticles (DLT-NPs) were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) absorption spectra and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The surface coating amount was estimated to be 73% in weight percent from a TGA. High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) shows that DLT-NPs were spherical in shape with an average diameter 2 nm. The MR relaxivity measurements confirmed that the DLT-NPs have higher r1 = 9.24 s-1 mM-1 than commercially available contrast agents. Furthermore, the bio-compatibility of the DLT-NPs were measured by cytotoxicity test, which has demonstrated that the cell viability reached up to 60% with Gd concentrations up to 50 μM for both DU145 and NCTC1469 cell lines, making them a promising candidate for biomedical applications.

Mesoporous metal–organic frameworks (meso-MOFs) are emerging as promising functional materials for heterogeneous catalysis due to their high surface area, porosity, readily adjustable structures and tunable functionalities. Their properties and functions are often dictated by the size and shape of pores in their frameworks. Mesopores in MOFs can decline mass transfer and exchange resistance in a confined space, leading to the improvement of their catalytic performances. However, it is challenging to synthesize and apply meso-MOFs for catalysis owing to the requirement of a combination of good chemical stability and large pore size. So far, there have been few efforts to comprehensively discuss these issues. Based on selected recent reports, this review will provide a concise overview in the field of meso-MOFs, associated with their synthetic strategies and intriguing tactics of generating active sites for heterogeneous catalysis.

Developing solar-driven photothermal materials with superior rejection capability toward volatile ammonium (NH4+) is a huge challenge but rather important for agricultural/municipal wastewater remediation. Herein, different from common hierarchical porosity designs, a positive charge-assisted Janus hydrogel evaporator with enhanced Donnan exclusion toward ammonium is uniquely achieved without sacrificing the water evaporation capability. The ammonium diffusion resistance of the so-fabricated Janus evaporator is significantly increased by optimizing the charge density and diffusion distance, yielding a high ammonium rejection rate up to 95%, which is never reported before. Meanwhile, the Janus evaporator also yields a water evaporation rate up to 3.3 kg m−2h−1 for the natural wastewater via partial amorphization of cellulose Iα allomorph, which is ∼3 times faster than the previous photothermal materials for intercepting volatile phenol molecules. This work points out new avenues for the application of photothermal materials in separating freshwater from small volatile molecules using clean solar energy.

Over the past few decades, polymeric hydrogels have gained significant progress in various fields. As the most biochemically and structurally functional macromolecules in biological organisms, proteins have structural and mechanical properties similar to that of natural extracellular matrices (ECM). By combination of polymers with protein, protein-polymer hydrogel can be constructed as biomaterials with diverse properties and possess a wide range of applications. In this review, we summarized the progress of research on protein-polymer hydrogels and introduced the common fabrication methods. The properties of the protein-polymer hydrogels were briefly described, including biocompatibility, adhesion properties, responsiveness, mechanical properties, swelling properties, and degradability. In addition, we also reviewed the applications of protein-polymer hydrogels in tissue engineering, drug delivery and encapsulation, wearable sensors, adsorption, and other applications. Finally, we summarize the research on protein-polymer hydrogels and highlight the current challenges and future prospects of the field, which may provide a meaningful reference for the field of protein-polymer hydrogels.

This paper presents the results of a study about the influence of cone angles and liner materials on shaped charge penetrating layered and spaced concrete targets. The experiments are performed using shaped charges with a fixed aspect ratio (length : diameter = 1:1) detonated at a stand-off distance of 120.0 mm (equivalent to twice the diameter of the shaped charge). The penetrating performance of three different liner materials (steel, copper and aluminium) formed with varying cone angles is evaluated in terms of diameters of entry and exit craters and depth of penetration. The results indicate that shaped charge with the aluminium liner forms the largest crater in the concrete targets. The shaped charge with the copper liner causes the deepest penetration. The results also indicate that, when the cone angle is less than 120°, the spaced target can provide better protection than the layered target in resisting the impact damage by the shaped charge with steel and copper liner. Compared with the layered target, the spaced one does not improve the level of protection against the jet formed by the aluminium cone liner. The experiments are also simulated with the commercially available software Autodyn using material parameters from four different sources. The results from the simulations are compared and evaluated in terms of depth of penetration of the target. An analytical method proposed to predict the depth of penetration of the concrete target using rod length erosion shows good correlation with the experiments.

CD303+ plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play an important role in the induction of immune tolerance and antitumor immunity. Here, we focused on the effect of NSCLC cells on the development of CD303+ pDC subsets expressing CD205 and/or CD103. The NSCLC cell line H1299 and primary NSCLC cells were incubated with DCs. The protein expression of costimulatory molecules on CD303+ pDCs, the production of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines by CD303+ pDCs and the development of CD303+ pDC subsets were detected by using flow cytometry. Coculture with NSCLC cells modulates the protein expression of CD86 and HLA-DR on CD303+ pDCs. Moreover, NSCLC cells suppressed the production of IL-12 and IL-23 but facilitated the secretion of IL-27 and TGF-β by CD303+ pDCs. There were new CD303+ pDC subsets expressing CD205 and/or CD103 in healthy donors and NSCLC patients: CD303+CD205+CD103+, CD303+CD205+CD103-, CD303+CD205-CD103+ and CD303+CD205-CD103- pDCs. NSCLC cells modulated the differentiation of CD303+ pDC subpopulations by regulating the protein expression of CD205 and/or CD103 on CD303+ pDCs. NSCLC cells may regulate the immune functions of CD303+ pDCs by modulating the expression of costimulatory molecules on DCs and the production of pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory cytokines by DCs. NSCLC cells also regulate the development of CD303+ pDC subsets expressing CD205 and/or CD103. These outcomes may reveal a new cellular mechanism leading to the NSCLC-induced immune-suppressive microenvironment.

Stearic acid (SA) mixed with alkali in water can form different fascinating aggregates in solution. The phase behavior of SA and alkali in water was observed in this work, and the apparent viscosity was measured by rheological measurements. Fatty acid self-assembled into bilayers at pH ≈ p K a and the structure was determined by cryogenic transmission microscopy (cryo-TEM) observations. The ability of stabilizing the emulsion by the bilayers and micelles was compared. The homogeneous emulsion formed by bilayers was gained, indicating that the bilayers have a better emulsion stability. By adjusting the conditions and external stimuli, emulsification and demulsification can be achieved. Based on this background, we carried out the experiments of multi-responses of the emulsion stabilized by bilayers, including pH, CO 2 , light, and temperature.

Mixed Zn(II)/Gd(III) oxide nanoparticles (~8 mole%Zn) with d(avg) of 2.1 nm were synthesized. The D-glucuronic acid coated Zn(II)/Gd(III) oxide nanoparticles showed a longitudinal water proton relaxivity (r₁) of 12.3 s⁻¹mM⁻¹ with r₂/r₁ = 1.1, corresponding to an ideal condition for T₁ MRI contrast agent. We attribute this to reduced magnetization of the mixed nanoparticles owing to non-magnetic Zn in the nanoparticles. Their effectiveness as a T₁ MRI contrast agent was confirmed by acquiring In Vivo T₁ MR images of a mouse after intravenous injection.

A simple and safe one-step immersion method was developed to obtain the stable superhydrophobic copper surfaces with excellent corrosion resistance ability using fatty acids in water-medium instead of ethanol. An organic alkali, N , N -dimethylcyclohexylamine (DMCHA), was chosen to solve the poor solubility of fatty acids in water and the high Krafft point of carboxylate salts with inorganic counterions. The superhydrophobic property can be realized in a much quicker process (7.5 min) in aqueous solution than in ethanol (more than 2 d), which is universally feasible for the fabrication of superhydrophobic metal surfaces in industry scale, thereby greatly increasing the safety in industrial manufacture.

With the increase in the concrete thickness for protection engineering and the development of various novel concrete structures, as an important anti-hard target warhead, the conventional conical shaped charge (CSC) may not be effective against concrete targets. To increase the penetration depth of the CSC on concrete targets, a comparative study between hypervelocity shaped charge (HSC) and CSC into concrete layered and spaced targets were performed at different standoff distances. Furthermore, the effect of the thickness of the tungsten slab on the formation of HSC was investigated by simulations and experiments. The results indicated that, as the thickness (K) of the tungsten slab increases from 2.5 to 10.0 mm, the velocity of the projectile formed by HSC first increases and then decreases. A similar trend was observed for the penetration depth of HSC into the layered concrete targets. The penetration depth of layered targets caused by HSC with K = 7.5 mm increased by 31.3% than that formed by CSC.

Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) leads to a high death rate in patients and is a major threat to human health. NSCLC induces an immune suppressive microenvironment and escapes from immune surveillance in vivo. At present, the molecular mechanisms of NSCLC immunopathogenesis and the immune suppressive microenvironment induced by NSCLC have not been fully elucidated. Here, we focus on the effect of NSCLC cells on the development and differentiation of human CD1c+ conventional dendritic cell (DC) subsets mediated by CD205 and CD103. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from NSCLC patients and healthy donors. DCs were induced and cocultured with primary NSCLC cells or tumor cell line H1299. DCs without incubation with tumor cells are control. The protein expression of costimulatory molecules such as CD80 and CD86, HLA-DR, pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 and IL-12, and CD205 and CD103 on CD1c+ DCs was detected by flow cytometry. Our data revealed two new subpopulations of human CD1c+ DCs (CD1c+CD205+CD103+ and CD1c+CD205+CD103- DC) in healthy donors and NSCLC patients. NSCLC cells modulate the development of the CD1c+CD205+CD103+ DC and CD1c+CD205+CD103- DC subpopulations in vitro and ex vivo. NSCLC cells also suppress the expression of signal molecules such as CD40, CD80, CD86, and HLA-DR on CD1c+ DCs. In addition, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-12 and IL-23, is downregulated by NSCLC cells; however, the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10 and IL-27, by CD1c+ DCs is upregulated by NSCLC cells. Our results suggest that NSCLC cells may induce immune tolerogenic DCs, which block DC-mediated anti-tumor immunity in NSCLC patients. Our data may be helpful in revealing new cellular mechanisms related to the induction of tolerogenic CD1c+ DCs by NSCLCs and the development of an immune suppressive microenvironment that causes tumor cells to escape immune surveillance. Our results indicate a potential role for CD1c+ DC subsets mediated by CD205 and CD103 in DC-mediated immunotherapy to target NSCLC in the future.

In this study, the N-doping of biomass-activated carbon with dicyandiamide was performed via an ultrasonic method and a redox method. BET, SEM, EDS, FT-IR and XPS were used to determine the pore structures, morphologies and surface chemistry of the adsorbents obtained. The N-doping effect of the two modification methods on the same solid nitrogen source was evaluated and the simulated adsorption experiments of heavy metal ions in wastewater were conducted. The results showed that the N-doped biomass-activated carbon having the higher doping content was obtained by a redox method with nitric acid at 25 °C, a solid nitrogen source ratio of 1 : 1 and charring at 800 °C for 2 hours. The adsorption efficiency for the divalent copper ion of the sample obtained by the redox method was 41.15% higher than that of the ultrasonic method sample, and proved that pyridinium nitrogens and amino groups play important roles in adsorption and complexation processes. The isothermal adsorption experiments of N-doped activated carbon conformed to the Freundlich model, which mainly depended on chemical adsorption. The kinetics for copper ion adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic experiments showed that a higher temperature was advantageous to adsorption. Simultaneously, this study further analyzed the N-doping process of the redox method sample and suggested that improvements can be implemented in the N-doping of activated carbon with solid nitrogen sources.

A peptide (FFACD) can form hydrogels in DMSO-H2O mixtures (G1), NaOH (G2) and L-arginine (G3) aqueous solutions, respectively. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assays demonstrated that G1 and G3 exhibited excellent biocompatibility against HEK293 epithelial cells while G2 had an obvious cytotoxicity. G1 and G3 were used as drug carriers with the high drug loading capacity (DLC). Both hydrophilic DOX and hydrophobic PTX were completely loaded into G1 without destroying the hydrogel, while G3 could only encapsulate DOX. The strong electrostatic interaction between DOX and FFACD molecules could destroy the microstructure of G3 to produce precipitate with a high DOX DLC of 93%. The cytotoxicity assay of G1/DOX against K562 leukemia cells indicated that G1 did not inhabit the efficacy of DOX. In vitro release experiments demonstrated DOX of G3/DOX precipitates could be released 76% at pH = 6.0 of the tumor cells and only about 13% at pH = 7.4 of normal cells.

Ammonium persulfate modified mixed metal oxide derived from hydrotalcite with tunable acid/base properties can be prepared via thermal decomposition of Mg-Al hydrotalcite-type precursors and ammonium persulfate. By controlling the ammonium persulfate content, these sulphur mutated samples, denoted as SMgAlO-y (y = 1, 3, 5, 7), were investigated in this research. The resulted materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, FT-IR spectra, Py-IR spectra, XPS, Hammett indicator, CO2-TPD, as well as NH3-TPD. Furthermore, the acid-base property of the sample surface was determined by inverse gas chromatography measurements (IGC). Among all the obtained outcomes, the target SMgAlO-5 demonstrated the maximal Ka/Kb value, and it presented the highest activity as a catalyst in the synthesis of propylene carbonate (PC) through 1,2-propylene glycol and urea, giving the yield of 97.2% at the optimized reaction condition, which indicated that the PC yield counted on the synergic effect of the acidity and basicity on catalysts.

Incorporating impure foreign atoms or ions has been extensively utilized in materials science for generating hybrid materials with desirable properties and functions. Despite most materials consisting of cations and anions, conventional routes only focus on incorporating cations. In this work, we proposed an intentional impure anion incorporation strategy as a facile and straightforward route to adjust the properties of yielded nanocrystals. Via incorporating diverse anions, the size, morphology, uniformity and optical properties of lanthanide oxide nanocrystals could be rationally tuned. Furthermore, the obtained nanocrystals could further serve as a bioprobe for imaging deep tissue.

Schiff base modified PAMAM dendrimer/silica hybrid materials (SG-G0-SA, SG-G1.0-SA, and SG-G2.0-SA) were synthesized and used for removing aqueous Zn(II) and Ni(II). The influence of solution pH, time, temperature, and the concentration of metal ion on the removal effect were investigated. The regeneration of the adsorbents was evaluated. The interaction mechanism between adsorbents and metal ions was revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Results show the as-prepared adsorbents display comparable adsorption property for Zn(II) and Ni(II). The optimum solution pH for Zn(II) and Ni(II) removal are 6.0 and 5.0. The adsorption kinetic follows pseudo-second-order (PSO) model, while the adsorption isotherm obeys Langmuir model. The adsorption was carried out with monolayer adsorption in chemical mechanism. 0.5 mol·L−1 HNO3–5% thiourea solution can be used as efficient eluent to regenerate the adsorbents that upload metal ions. Adsorption mechanism indicates the imino N atoms and carbonyl O atoms that play the main role in the adsorption process.

PVA hydrogel has excellent adhesion ability and biocompatibility, and is considered as a promising material in the field of wound dressings. However, the traditional PVA hydrogel has poor mechanical properties, which greatly limits its application. In this article, we obtained a PVA/PAAm interpenetrating networks (IPN) hydrogel by a one-pot free radical polymerization method, which improved the mechanical strength and retained the original properties of the PVA. The IPN hydrogel was proved to possess excellent adhesion strength and rheological properties with certain conductivity, which can be used as a human motion monitor. To achieve the application of wound dressing, a polymer antibacterial agent of polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) was introduced into the hydrogel. The results showed the antibacterial properties of the PVA/PAAm IPN hydrogel were enhanced obviously on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The prepared PVA/PAAm IPN hydrogel may provide the possibility for the application in the field of body sensors and wound dressing.

The single component (SC) white-light emitting (WLE) metal-organic frameworks based on europium (Eu-MOFs), which could be applied in lighting and display, have drawn great attention but have rarely been exploited. In this work, we dedicated to design and synthesize SC-WLE Eu-MOFs via a dichromatic strategy on the balance of simultaneous ligand-based and Eu-based emissions. The Eu-MOF {[Eu4(obb)6(H2O)9]·(H2O)}∞ (IAM16–3) generated via the self-assembly of the flexible ligand 4,4′-oxybisbenzoic acid (H2obb) and europium ions displays fascinating excitation-wavelength-dependent photoluminescence (EWDP) property. Upon different excitation wavelengths, tunable WLE through manipulating the intensity ratio of characteristic emissions of Eu3+ ions and ligand-based emissions was performed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example for Eu-MOFs to yield SC-WLE stemming from EWDP property. Three isomorphic lanthanide-based MOFs (LnMOFs), that is, {[Ln4(obb)6(H2O)9]·(H2O)}∞ (Eu3+: IAM16–3; Tb3+: IAM16–4;...

Ultrasmall gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles coated with dextran (M‾ r=1500 amu) were prepared through one-pot synthesis and their potential to act as a T1 MRI contrast agent was investigated. The dextran-coated ultrasmall Gd2O3 nanoparticles were highly water-dispersible, with an average particle diameter of 1.5 nm and an average hydrodynamic diameter of 12.4 nm, and non-toxic, as determined in a cellular cytotoxicity test. The longitudinal (r1) and transverse (r2) water proton relaxivities were estimated to be 12.2 and 29.3 s−1mM−1 (r2/r1=2.4), respectively, larger than those of commercial Gd-chelates. This r1 value is also greater than those for previously reported dextran-coated large Gd2O3 nanoparticles with particle diameter bigger than 20 nm. Positive contrast magnetic resonance (MR) images were obtained after intravenous injection of a sample solution into a mouse tail, demonstrating the potential of dextran-coated ultrasmall Gd2O3 nanoparticles as a T1 MRI contrast agent.

A new series of N-methylfulleropyrrolidines bearing oligo(poly(ethylene oxide))-appended Percec monodendrons (fulleromonodendrons, 4a-f) have been synthesized. The substituted position of the oligo(poly(ethylene oxide)) chain(s) on the phenyl group of the Percec monodendron for 4a-f was varied, which is at the 4-, 2,4-, 3,5-, 3,4,5-, 2,3,4- and 2,4,6- position, respectively. 4a-e are obtained as solids at 25 °C and can self-organize into lamellar phases as revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements, while 4f appears as a viscous liquid. The substitution patterns of the oligo(poly(ethylene oxide)) chain(s) also significantly influence the solubility of 4a-f, especially in ethanol and water. Formation of self-organized supramolecular structures of 4d and 4e in water as well as 4d in ethanol is evidenced from UV-vis and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. Further studies in water using various imaging techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), freeze-fracture TEM (FF-TEM), cryo-TEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) observations revealed the formation of well-defined vesicles for 4d and plate-like aggregates for 4e, indicating that the aggregation behavior of the fulleromonodendrons is highly dependent on their molecular structures. For 4d in ethanol, only irregular aggregates were noticed, indicating the solvent also plays a role on regulating the aggregation behavior. After functionalization with the Percec monodendrons, 4a-f can preserve the intriguing electrochemical properties of pristine C60 as revealed by cyclic voltammetries. The thermotropic properties of 4a-f have also been investigated. It was found that all of them show good thermal stability, but no mesophases were detected within the investigated temperature ranges.

The design of the first p-i-n junction synaptic transistor (JST) based on n-type TiO2 film covered with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and with a p-type P3HT/PEO nanowire (NW) on top. Except for basic synaptic functions that can be realized by a single neurotransmitter, the electronic device emulates the multiplexed neurotransmission of different neurotransmissions, i.e., glutamate and acetylcholine, for fast switching between short- and long-term plasticity (STP and LTP). This is realized by the special p-i-n junction with hole transport in the p-type P3HT NW to form STP, and electron transport in the n-type TiO2 layer and trapped under the PMMA inversion layer to form LTP. Altering the external input induces changes of the polarity of the charge carriers in the conductive channel, promoting fast switching between STP and LTP modes. When stimulated using two parallel inputs, the response of PMMA/TiO2 emulates the synergistic effect of taste and aroma on the control of food-intake in the brain. Because of the bipolarity, the p-i-n JST has excellent reconfigurability, which importantly is attributed to simulate the plasticity of synapses and to mimic how distinct types of gustatory receptor neurons respond to different concentrations of salt. The electronic device lays the technical foundation for the realization of the future complex artificial neural networks.

Heavy metal ions pollution in water system has been imposing serious damage to aquatic ecosystem and public health. Efficient and selective capture of targeted metal ion from water is a great challenge and the focus of extensive research. Herein, sulfur-functionalized polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer/magnetic Fe3O4 hybrid materials were constructed for capturing Hg(II) and Ag(I) from water solution. The as-prepared adsorbents were fully characterized and the factors that influence the adsorption performance were investigated. The maximum adsorption of Fe3O4@SiO2-M2 were 0.8 and 1.29 mmol∙g−1 for Hg(II) and Ag(I). The hybrid materials display good adsorption selectivity and 100% selective adsorb Hg(II) with the presence of Ni(II), Mn(II), and Zn(II). Adsorption mechanism suggests sulfur groups play the predominant role during the capture of Hg(II). These hybrid materials exhibit excellent regeneration property and can be reused with practical application value.

A series of layer double metal oxides (LDO) from CuMgAl hydrotalcite precursors were prepared by urea decomposition under different calcination temperatures in this work. Various characterizations including XRD, SEM, FTIR, XPS, H2-TPR, NH3-TPD and CO2-TPD were carried out to investigate the structural properties of the as-prepared samples. After calcination at certain temperatures, the resulted LDO presents the excellent catalytic property in the selective hydrogenolysis of furfural (FA) to 1,2-pentanediol (1,2-PeD) and 1,5-pentanediol (1,5-PeD). The Cu+/Cu2+ ratio and the acid-base amount from the calcination process play the key role in the catalytic performance towards this reaction. The optimal catalyst (CuMgAlO-S3) with the maximal Cu+/Cu2+ ratio and the acid-base amount exhibits the best catalytic performance towards hydrogenation of furfural to 1,2-pentanediol (selectivity 55.2 %.) and 1,5-pentanediol (selectivity 28.5 %) with more than 80 % of conversion rate, which indicated the selectivity of 1,2- and 1,5-PeDs counted on the synergistic effect of Cu+ and acid-base properties.

The spatiotemporal variability of phytoplankton biomass has been widely studied because of its importance in biogeochemical cycles. Chlorophyll a (Chl-a)—an essential pigment present in photoautotrophic organisms—is widely used as an indicator for oceanic phytoplankton biomass because it could be easily measured with calibrated optical sensors. However, the intracellular Chl-a content varies with light, nutrient levels, and temperature and could misrepresent phytoplankton biomass. In this study, we estimated the concentration of phytoplankton carbon—a more suitable indicator for phytoplankton biomass—using a regionally adjusted bio-optical algorithm with satellite data in the South China Sea (SCS). Phytoplankton carbon and the carbon-to-Chl-a ratio (θ) exhibited considerable variability spatially and seasonally. Generally, phytoplankton carbon in the northern SCS was higher than that in the western and central parts. The regional monthly mean phytoplankton carbon in the northern SCS showed a prominent peak during December and January. A similar pattern was shown in the central part of SCS, but its peak was weaker. Besides the winter peak, the western part of SCS had a secondary maximum of phytoplankton carbon during summer. θ exhibited significant seasonal variability in the northern SCS, but a relatively weak seasonal change in the western and central parts. θ had a peak in September and a trough in January in the northern and central parts of SCS, whereas in the western SCS the minimum and maximum θ was found in August and during October–April of the following year, respectively. Overall, θ ranged from 26.06 to 123.99 in the SCS, which implies that the carbon content could vary up to four times given a specific Chl-a value. The variations in θ were found to be related to changing phytoplankton community composition, as well as dynamic phytoplankton physiological activities in response to environmental influences; which also exhibit much spatial differences in the SCS. Our results imply that the spatiotemporal variability of θ should be considered, rather than simply used a single value when converting Chl-a to phytoplankton carbon biomass in the SCS, especially, when verifying the simulation results of biogeochemical models.

Dynamic covalent bonds (DCBs) have received widespread attention due to their unique reversibility and stimulus responsiveness. The introduction of DCBs often endows materials with good controllability and self-healing properties, which greatly improves the limitations of some current researches. This review summarizes the characteristics and reaction mechanisms of different types of DCBs, and provides a variety of typical dynamic covalent reactions and their reaction conditions. Finally, we summarize the latest developments in the application of DCBs, including tissue adhesives, tissue regeneration, drug delivery, sensors, 3D printing, fluorescent probes and coatings, and propose existing challenges and future development directions in this field.

Hg(II) pollution to aqueous system poses hazardous effect to human health. The design of new adsorbent with enhanced adsorption selectivity and capacity is a great challenge for the decontamination of aqueous Hg(II). Herein, Schiff base decorated PAMAM dendrimer/magnetic Fe3O4 composites (Fe3O4@SiO2-G0-S, Fe3O4@SiO2-G1.0-S, and Fe3O4@SiO2-G2.0-S) were fabricated using an improved method by combining “graft onto” and “graft from” methods. The resulting composites were employed for removing Hg(II) with excellent adsorption and regeneration performance. Fe3O4@SiO2-G2.0-S can achieve the maximum adsorption capacity of 3.02 mmol·g−1 and 100% selective adsorb Hg(II) with the presence of Fe(III), Fe(II), Mn(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), or Co(II) in the solution. The adsorption capacity of the adsorbents still maintains above 91.00% after five cycles of adsorption-desorption. The as-prepared composites show attractive prospect for the selective removal of aqueous Hg(II).

In this study, two pumpkin lines were used as experimental materials to study the accumulation of soluble sugars and the expression of related genes during the development of pumpkin fruits. There were differences in the soluble sugars contents and regulatory mechanisms between the two pumpkin lines. The glucose content of ‘312-1’ decreased rapidly in the early stage of fruit development, which may be due to the high expression of Sucrose invertase (INV) and Hexokinase (HK) at this stage. There were significant differences in sucrose contents between mature fruits of ‘312-1’ and ‘98-2’, and the high expression of Sucrose synthase (SUS) and Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) led to sucrose accumulation in these pumpkins. The relative expression of SPS in ‘312-1’ was higher than that in ‘98-2’, which led to more sucrose accumulation in the former. In contrast, the Fructokinase (FK), which is responsible for fructose metabolism, was differentially expressed at individual stages of fruit development. These results indicate that INV, SUS, SPS, HK and FK may play significant roles by contributing coordinately to sucrose biosynthesis during pumpkin fruit development. This study provides a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism of sucrose biosynthesis and a basis for further studies on the improvement of fruit eating quality in pumpkin.

Schiff-base functionalized magnetic Fe3O4 were prepared by feasible one-pot subsequent homogeneous method (Fe3O4@SiO2–HO–S) and heterogeneous method (Fe3O4@SiO2-HE-S), respectively. The as-prepared adsorbents were used for the adsorption of aqueous Hg(II) and Ag(I). The effects of solution pH, time, temperature, coexisting metal ions, and initial metal ion concentration on the adsorption were investigated. The as-synthesized adsorbents were characterized by transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effect of solution pH indicates the optimal adsorption pH is 6. The adsorption equilibrium time are 180 and 220 min for both Hg(II) and Ag(I) under the concentration of 0.002 and 0.004 mol L−1, respectively. The adsorption kinetic process is proved to be dominated by film diffusion process and follows pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption isotherm process is proceeded by chemical mechanism and can be described by Langmuir model. Thermodynamic parameters indicate that the adsorption process is spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy increase. Adsorption selectivity demonstrates Fe3O4@SiO2-HE-S and Fe3O4@SiO2–HO–S exhibit good adsorption selectivity for Hg(II). The adsorption mechanism demonstrates the N atoms of Schiff base functional group mainly dominate the adsorption of Fe3O4@SiO2-HE-S and Fe3O4@SiO2–HO–S for metal ions. The regeneration property indicates the adsorbents can be reused with practical value.

The presence of metal ion in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) would bring adverse effect for its practical application in the fields of chemical industry and advanced functional materials. Adsorbents for the effective metal ion purification in DMF are needed. Herein, amino-capped polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer decorated silica particles (G1.0-SG, G2.0-SG, and G3.0-SG) were prepared for removing of Zn(II) and Co(II) from DMF. The influence effects on the adsorption performance were revealed. The adsorption mechanism was indicated by density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The maximum adsorption amount of G1.0-SG, G2.0-SG and G3.0-SG for Zn(II) are 0.35, 0.42 and 0.38 mmol·g−1, while those for Co(II) are 0.31, 0.36 and 0.22 mmol·g−1, respectively. The adsorption is proceeded with film diffusion process as rate-controlling step and can be well depicted by the pseudo-second-order model. Adsorption isotherm reveals the adsorption can be enhanced by the metal ion concentration and temperature. The adsorption was conducted spontaneously in chemical mechanism by monolayer behavior. Theoretical calculation reveals the chelation between primary and second amino groups with metal ion dominates the adsorption. The adsorbents can be efficiently regenerated by thiourea-HNO3 solution. As the adsorbents exhibit good adsorption performance and regeneration property, they can be potentially used for the purification of metal ion in DMF solvent with practical application.