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Condensation of the methoxymethyl-protected (R)-3,3'-diformyl-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) with (pyridine-2,6-diylbis(methylene))bis(triphenyl phosphonium)dibromide in the presence of a base followed by deprotection gave a new bisBINOL-based fluorescent probe (R,R)-4. This compound showed expanded substrate scope in the recognition of amino acids with good enantioselective fluorescence responses toward 17 common amino acids. Two diastereomeric imines were synthesized from the condensation of (R,R)-4 with l- and d-valine, and the reactions of these imines with Zn(OAc)2 were investigated by various spectroscopic methods for a better understanding of the enantioselective fluorescent recognition process.

Simultaneous measurement at various temperatures of space charge and relaxation current is performed on cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE)/ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) double layers with and without silicone grease. The simultaneous measurement correlates the charge distribution and current information for the same sample and avoids discrepancy, due to the separate measurement on different samples. It is found that the polarity of interfacial charges change to the opposite with the increase in temperature in most samples, which is related to both Maxwell-Wagner polarization and enhanced charge injection and migration at higher temperatures. Bipolar charges appear in the vicinity of interface in some XLPE/EPDM double layers with silicone grease. This phenomenon can be explained by Maxwell-Wagner polarization at two interfaces of XLPE/silicone grease and EPDM/silicone grease. The addition of silicone grease decreases the conductivity of XLPE/EPDM double layers. Based on the proposed three-component exponential decay model, it is found that the interfacial charge movement affects the polarity of induced relaxation current, and the addition of silicone grease decreases the interface trap depth.

In order to quantitatively analyze the interaction effects of crosslinking byproducts on charge characteristics in crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE), samples are prepared by soaking additive-free untreated polyethylene in three major byproducts, namely acetophenone (A), cumyl alcohol (C), and a-methylstyrene (M), and space charge measurement under relatively low electric fields of 3, 5, 7, and 10 kV/mm is carried out. The results show that the effect of C on space charge accumulation is comparable with that of A per unit byproduct content, and M exhibits the weakest effect. It is related to the different dissociation degrees of byproducts under different electric fields. An exponential fitting formula is proposed to clarify the significant synergistic and the antagonistic effects of the byproducts on charge accumulation. The synergistic effects on charge accumulation is obvious in LDPE-MC (LDPE soaked in the blend of M and C) at 3,7, and 10 kV/mm, but not at 5 kV/mm, and the LDPE-AC (LDPE soaked in the blend of A and C) shows the same rule at 5, 7, and 10 kV/mm, except for 3 kV/mm. The LDPE-AM (LDPE soaked in the blend of A and M) has antagonistic effects on charge accumulation at 5, 7, and 10 kV/mm, and shows a trend from synergistic effects to antagonistic effects at 3 kV/mm. For LDPE-ACM (LDPE soaked in the blend of A, C and M), synergistic effects are dominant at 3, 5 and 7 kV/mm, then antagonistic effects are obvious at 10 kV/mm. The different rule on space charge accumulation may be due to the discrepant charge injection under different electric fields according to the results of charge distribution with individual byproducts.

Primary bile acids were reported to augment secretion of chemokine (C‒X‒C motif) ligand 16 (CXCL16) from liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and trigger natural killer T (NKT) cell-based immunotherapy for liver cancer. However, abundant expression of receptors for primary bile acids across the gastrointestinal tract overwhelms the possibility of using agonists against these receptors for liver cancer control. Taking advantage of the intrinsic property of LSECs in capturing circulating nanoparticles in the circulation, we proposed a strategy using nanoemulsion-loaded obeticholic acid (OCA), a clinically approved selective farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist, for precisely manipulating LSECs for triggering NKT cell-mediated liver cancer immunotherapy. The OCA-nanoemulsion (OCA-NE) was prepared via ultrasonic emulsification method, with a diameter of 184 nm and good stability. In vivo biodistribution studies confirmed that the injected OCA-NE mainly accumulated in the liver and especially in LSECs and Kupffer cells. As a result, OCA-NE treatment significantly suppressed hepatic tumor growth in a murine orthotopic H22 tumor model, which performed much better than oral medication of free OCA. Immunologic analysis revealed that the OCA-NE resulted in augmented secretion of CXCL16 and IFN-γ, as well as increased NKT cell populations inside the tumor. Overall, our research provides a new evidence for the antitumor effect of receptors for primary bile acids, and should inspire using nanotechnology for precisely manipulating LSECs for liver cancer therapy

Here we uncovered the involved subcellular mechanisms that sulforaphane-cysteine (SFN-Cys) inhibited invasion in human glioblastoma (GBM). SFN-Cys significantly upregulated 45 and downregulated 14 microtubule-, mitophagy-, and invasion-associated proteins in GBM cells via HPLC–MS/MS and GEO ontology analysis; SFN-Cys disrupted microtubule by ERK1/2 phosphorylation-mediated downregulation of α-tubulin and Stathmin-1 leading to the inhibition of cell migration and invasion; SFN-Cys downregulated invasion-associated Claudin-5 and S100A4, and decreased the interaction of α-tubulin to Claudin-5. Knockdown of Claudin-5 and S100A4 significantly reduced the migration and invasion. Besides, SFN-Cys lowered the expressions of α-tubulin-mediated mitophagy-associated proteins Bnip3 and Nix. Transmission electron microscopy showed more membrane-deficient mitochondria and accumulated mitophagosomes in GBM cells, and mitochondria fusion might be downregulated because that SFN-Cys downregulated mitochondrial fusion protein OPA1. SFN-Cys increased the colocalization and interplay of LC3 to lysosomal membrane-associated protein LAMP1, aggravating the fusion of mitophagosome to lysosome. Nevertheless, SFN-Cys inhibited the lysosomal proteolytic capacity causing LC3II/LC3I elevation but autophagy substrate SQSTM1/p62 was not changed, mitophagosome accumulation, and the inhibition of migration and invasion in GBM cells. These results will help us develop high-efficiency and low-toxicity anticancer drugs to inhibit migration and invasion in GBM.

In order to investigate the effect of nano-doping on partial discharge (PD) and electrical tree growth in cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), samples of 0.5 wt% magnesium oxide MgO/XLPE were prepared and an AC experiment was carried out. A color-coded diagram for PD signal was developed to describe the PD activity during the whole process of treeing. The results show that the PD intensity in positive half cycle of voltage (PHC) is larger than that in negative half cycle of voltage (NHC), and the PD magnitude in MgO/XLPE is lower than that in XLPE. Moreover, the tree length and morphology in MgO/XLPE are similar to those in XLPE. Furthermore, a finite element simulation based on the bipolar charge transport model was applied to investigate the effect of space charge on PD under AC voltage. Simulation results suggest that the characteristics of PD and tree growth may be associated with the accumulated charge around the needle tip. The distribution of negative charges in NHC would be wider than that of positive charges in PHC, which would weaken the electric field in NHC and lead to the less PD in NHC. Moreover, the range of charge shield in MgO/XLPE may be larger and is equivalent to increasing the effective radius of curvature of needle tip, which would lead to smaller electric field and lower PD magnitude in MgO/XLPE. However, the addition of nano-MgO reduces the crystallinity of material based on the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) result. Hence, although the PD magnitude in MgO/XLPE is lower, the MgO/XLPE researched in this paper does not show significant resistance to AC tree growth.

This study introduces silicone elastomers with micro and nano-sized boron nitride (BN) and silicon carbide (SiC) particles with various doping levels to improve thermal properties and partial discharge resistance. The effect of micro and nano-fillers on thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and thermal stability are investigated. Polarization and depolarization current and partial discharge are measured to investigate the non-linear conductivity, trap energy density distribution, and partial discharge resistance. Experimental results show higher thermal conductivity, lower CTE, and better thermal stability than the original silicone elastomer. Large size fillers dominate the thermal conductivity when the doping level is low, whereas the composite microstructure plays a significant role in the thermal conductivity when the doping level is high. The combination of different filler type and size has less effect on thermal stability and CTE compared to the effect of the doping level. According to the depolarization current, the composite's trap depth is generally shallower than that of the original silicone elastomer. With increased doping level, the shallow trap density increases, providing hopping sites for carriers, whereas the deep trap density decreases, reducing the number of trapped charges. The partial discharge inception voltage is higher than that of the original silicone elastomer, and it increases with the doping level, which may be because the electrostatic field generated by diffused charges reduces the local electric field near the high voltage electrode.

A distillation curve is an essential property for petroleum. Its features are beneficial for the modeling and optimization of oil-refining processes. To capture these features with a small number o...

A highly chemoselective as well as enantioselective fluorescent probe has been discovered for the recognition of the acidic amino acids, including glutamic acid and aspartic acid. This study has established a novel amino acid recognition mechanism by an aldehyde-based fluorescent probe.

A prominent source of hydroxyl radicals (•OH), nitrous acid (HONO) plays a key role in tropospheric chemistry. Apart from direct emission, HONO (or its conjugate base nitrite, NO2-) can be formed secondarily in the atmosphere. Yet, how secondary HONO forms requires elucidation, especially for heterogeneous processes involving numerous organic compounds in atmospheric aerosols. We investigated nitrite production from aqueous photolysis of nitrate for a range of conditions (pH, organic compound, nitrate concentration, and cation). Upon adding small oxygenates such as ethanol, n-butanol, or formate as •OH scavengers, the average intrinsic quantum yield of nitrite [Φ(NO2-)] was 0.75 ± 0.15%. With near-UV-light-absorbing vanillic acid (VA), however, the effective Φ(NO2-) was strongly pH-dependent, reaching 8.0 ± 2.1% at a pH of 8 and 1.5 ± 0.39% at a more atmospherically relevant pH of 5. Our results suggest that brown carbon (BrC) may greatly enhance the nitrite production from the aqueous nitrate photolysis through photosensitizing reactions, where the triplet excited state of BrC may generate solvated electrons, which reduce nitrate to NO2 for further conversion to nitrite. This photosensitization process by BrC chromophores during nitrate photolysis under mildly acidic conditions may partly explain the missing HONO in urban environments.

In order to investigate the AC response and the harmonic characteristics of stress grading material, samples of SiC/alkyd resin with 20 and 40 μm SiC particles were prepared and experiments were carried out from 30 to 100 °C. At the higher temperature, current in the composite with 20 μm SiC particles increased whereas the weak effect of temperature on current was observed with 40 μm SiC particles. In addition, the threshold voltage of volt-ampere curve decreases with increased SiC particle size. The current spectrum shows that the third harmonic current accounts for the majority of the harmonics. As the SiC particle size increases, the harmonic ratio increases and the nonlinearity of the composites becomes larger, whereas higher temperature leads to lower harmonic ratio and lower nonlinearity of composites. A power function is proposed to describe the correlation between the harmonic ratio and the nonlinearity of volt-ampere curve. These may be associated with charge hopping at low voltage and tunneling at high voltage. The lower number of barriers per unit distance in the composite with larger SiC particle size promotes the tunneling process, which leads to the decrease of the threshold voltage. Tunneling becomes the primary reason for the current after the threshold voltage and it is not influenced by temperature. Thus the composite with larger SiC particle size has current not influenced greatly by temperature after the threshold voltage. Tunneling leads to a greater increase in current and more waveform distortion, thus the composite with larger SiC particle size shows larger nonlinearity and higher harmonic ratio. Furthermore, hopping is associated with temperature while tunneling is not. The higher temperature decreases the ratio of tunneling to hopping which leads to the relative decrease in tunneling process. Thus the harmonic ratio decreases and the nonlinearity of composites becomes smaller with increased temperature.

Purpose Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) plays a critical role in the transmission of nerve impulse at the cholinergic synapses. Design and synthesis of AChE inhibitors that increase the cholinergic transmission by blocking the degradation of acetylcholine can serve as a strategy for the treatment of AChE-associated disease. Herein, an operational targeted drug delivery platform based on AChE-responsive system has been presented by combining the unique properties of enzyme-controlled mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) with clinical-used AChE inhibitor. Methods Functionalized MSNs were synthesized by liquid phase method and characterized by using different analytical methods. The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of MSNs were determined by hemolysis experiment and MTT assay, respectively. Comparison of AChE activity between drug-loading system and inhibitor was developed with kits and by ELISA method. The efficacy of drug-loaded nanocarriers was investigated in a mouse model. Results Compared with AChE inhibitor itself, the inhibition efficiency of this drug delivery system was strongly dependent on the concentration of AChE. Only AChE with high concentration could cause the opening of pores in the MSN, leading to the controlled release of AChE inhibitor in disease condition. Critically, the drug delivery system can not only exhibit long duration of drug action on AChE inhibition but also reduce the hepatotoxicity in vivo. Conclusion In summary, AChE-responsive drug release systems have been far less explored. Our results would shed lights on the design of enzyme controlled-release multifunctional system for enzyme-associated disease treatment.

This paper gives a detailed introduction of a simultaneous measurement system that can obtain the space charge distribution and the thermally stimulated current (TSC) of the same sample over the temperature range 213–373 K. This measurement system adopts a 4-electrode structure and a time sharing strategy to avoid the mutual interference between the space charge measurement and the current measurement. In addition, a space charge recovery method is proposed to obtain the real space charge distribution from the original data under varying temperature situation. Furthermore, a simultaneous measurement is performed on a cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) sample. The experimental results show that the positive charges accumulate and dominate in the bulk during polarization and the cooling stages. During the thermal stimulation stage, the accumulated charges decay after ∼330 K, and the thermally stimulated current increases significantly after ∼330 K. The analysis results imply that the release of trapped charges may be the main cause of the thermally stimulated current, and most of the charges are trapped in traps more than 1 eV.

Dictyophora indusiata polysaccharides (DIP) shows antioxidant, anti-tumor and immunostimulatory activities. However, the anti-inflammatory roles of DIP in NLRP3 inflammasome in LPS-stimulated macrophages are still not well defined. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory activity of DIP in LPS-primed RAW264.7 macrophages. Our data showed that DIP inhibited NF-κB signal pathway via modulating TLR4 expression, phosphorylation of IκBα and nuclear translocation of NF-κB-p65 subunit. Meanwhile, DIP reduced inflammasome activation via decreasing NLRP3 expression in cytoplasmic pools, limiting self-assembly of NLRP3 inflammasome, as well as the subsequent activation of caspase-1 and the secretion of IL-1β and IL-18. For the first time, we show that the anti-inflammatory activity of DIP is mediated by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signal pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome activation during LPS-induced acute inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages.

Production of biodiesel from biomass resources usually requires elongation of carbon numbers from typical C5 and C6 platform molecules through C–C coupling reactions, which were catalyzed by acid, base or metal catalysts traditionally. Herein, a catalyst-free method was developed to produce bis(furan-2-yl)methane derivatives (BFMs) from furfuryl alcohol derivatives (FAs) in the presence of H2O and air without any other additional catalysts. An 81% yield of bis(5-methylfuran-2-yl)methane (BMFM) can be obtained from 5-methylfurfuryl alcohol (5-MFA) and a 59% total yield of C11 biodiesel was obtained from 5-methylfurfural (5-MF). In addition, a H2O and air mediated free radical decarboxylation mechanism was proposed based on the detailed mechanistic studies. This strategy offers a green, low-cost and environmentally friendly approach to synthesize biodiesel precursors from biomass based platform molecules.

CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) have attracted increasing attention as immunotherapeutic agents. However, efficient transfection of CpG ODNs into the immune cells remains a big challenge. In this study, for the first time, we reported that silk fibroin (SF) could function as an efficient carrier for CpG ODNs. A novel strategy was developed to prepare SF-CpG ODNs nanoparticles (NPs) based on self-assembly of SF. The as-prepared SF-CpG NPs were spherical in shape and were uniformly dispersed. SF-CpG NPs exhibited good stability and biocompatibility. SF-CpG NPs possessed significantly enhanced (7 folds) cellular uptake compared with CpG ODNs. Release of CpG ODNs from SF-CpG NPs was accelerated in environment-mimicking TLR9-localized endo/lysosome. SF-CpG NPs stimulated about four folds higher levels of immune cytokines and nitric oxide compared with CpG ODNs. Our results suggested that SF notably improved the CpG ODNs delivery. SF-CpG NPs have strong potential in immunotherapy.

Background: In the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), microglia play an increasingly important role. Molecular imaging of neuroinflammatory targeting microglia activation and the high expression of 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) has become a hot topic of research in recent years. Dynamic monitoring neuroinflammation is crucial for discovering the best time point of anti-inflammatory therapy. Motivated by this, Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in an APP/PS1 mouse model of AD, using 18F-labeled DPA-714 to monitor microglia activation and neuroinflammation, were performed in this paper. Methods: We prepared [18F]DPA714 and tested the biological characteristics of the molecular probe in normal mice. To obtain a higher radiochemical yield, we improved the [18F]-fluorination conditions in the precursor dosage, reaction temperature, and synthesis time. We performed [18F]DPA714 PET scanning on APP/PS1 mice at 6-7, 9-10, 12-13, and 15-16 months of age, respectively. The same experiments were conducted in Wild-type (Wt) mice as a control. Referring to the [18F]DPA714 concentrated situation in the brain, we performed blocking experiments with PK11195 (1 mg/kg) in 12-13-months-old APP/PS1 mice to confirm the specificity of [18F]DPA714 for TSPO in the APP/PS1 mice. Reconstructed brain PET images, fused with the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) template atlas, and the volumes of interests (VOIs) of the hippocampus and cortex were determined. The distribution of [18F]DPA714 in the brain tissues of 15-16-months-old APP/PS1 and Wt mice were studied by immunofluorescence staining. Results: Through the reaction of 18F, with 2 mg precursor dissolved in 300 ul acetonitrile at 105°C for 10 min, we obtained the optimal radiochemical yield of 42.3 ± 5.1% (non-decay correction). Quantitative analysis of brain PET images showed that the [18F]DPA714 uptake in the cortex and hippocampus of 12-13-months-old APP/PS1 mice was higher than that of the control mice of the same age (cortex/muscle: 2.77 ± 0.13 vs. 1.93 ± 0.32, p = 0.0014; hippocampus/muscle: 3.33 ± 0.10 vs. 2.10 ± 0.35, p = 0.0008). The same significant difference was found between 15- and 16-months-old APP/PS1 mice (cortex/muscle: 2.64 ± 0.14 vs. 1.86 ± 0.52, p=0.0159; hippocampus/muscle: 2.89 ± 0.53 vs. 1.77 ± 0.48, p = 0.0050). Immunofluorescence staining showed that the activation of microglia and the level of TSPO expression in the cortex and hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice were significantly higher than Wt mice. Conclusion: [18F]DPA714, a molecular probe for targeting TSPO, showed great potential in monitoring microglia activation and neuroinflammation, which can be helpful in discovering the best time point for anti-inflammatory therapy in AD.

The addition of Mg2+ is found to turn on the fluorescence response of a molecular probe, 3,3′-diformyl-1,1′-bi-2-naphthol, toward chiral amino acids with high enantioselectivity. It is further foun...

The biomass hydrolysis residue (BHR) is the residue consisting of mainly lignin after the biomass-to-ethanol process. A combustion kinetic comparison of the biomass material (BM), BHR, and three main components (lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose) is studied by thermogravimetry (TG) using the Kissinger method and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) method under five different heating rates. The results show that the ignition temperature (Ti) and burnout temperature (Tb) of BHR are both higher than those of BM. BM burns more sufficient than BHR because it contains more fixed carbon content. The results show that the activation energy calculated by the Kissinger method for the corn cob hydrolysis residue (CCHR), corn straw hydrolysis residue (CSHR) and corn cob (CC) is 188.08, 192.76 and 205.76 kJ/mol, respectively. The results calculated by the FWO method show that, when the mass conversion (α) is small, EBHR > EBM, as α increases, E of BM gradually exceeds that of BHR. This could explain the phenomenon why BHR ignites earlier than BM but burns out later than BM. The power law (P4 and P2) reaction models are proper to describe the experimental behavior of BHR and BM, respectively. This paper also verifies that, on the premise of an accurate measurement of the three main components in BM and BHR, the TG curves and kinetic parameters of BM and BHR can be predicted.

Reaction of (R)-3,3'-diformyl-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol with concentrated sulfuric acid gives the corresponding 6,6'-disulfonated compound (R)-2 selectively. This provides a simple and efficient method to convert a water-insoluble compound to a water-soluble fluorescent probe. It is found that (R)-2 in combination with Zn2+ shows a highly enantioselective fluorescent response toward various amino acids in the aqueous HEPES buffer solution at pH 7.4. For example, an enantioselective fluorescence enhancement ratio [ef=ΔID /ΔIL ] up to 35.8 is observed for the recognition of asparagine. NMR and mass spectroscopic investigations are conducted to explore the reaction of (R)-2 with asparagine.

The authors describe Ni–Co bimetal phosphide (NiCoP) nanocages that exhibit enhanced electrocatalytic performance toward glucose oxidation. The nanocages offer an appealing architecture, large specific area, and good accessibility for the analyte glucose. When placed on a glassy carbon electrode, the sensor exhibits attractive figures of merit for sensing glucose in 0.1 M NaOH solution including (a) a wide linear range (0.005–7 mM), (b) a low determination limit (0.36 μM), (c) high sensitivity (6115 μA•μM−1•cm−2), (d) a relatively low working potential (0.50 V vs. Ag/AgCl), and (e) good selectivity, reproducibility, and stability. The sensor is successfully applied to the determination of glucose in human serum samples.

Integrating surface plasmon resonance (SPR) devices upon single-mode fiber (SMF) end facets renders label-free sensing systems that have a simple dip-and-read configuration, a small form factor, high compatibility with fiber-optic techniques, and invasive testing capability. Such devices are not only low cost replacement of current equipments in centralized laboratories, but also highly desirable for opening paths to new applications of label-free optical sensing technologies, such as point-of-care immunological tests and intravascular ultrasound imaging. In this paper, we explain the requirements and challenges for such devices from the perspectives of biomolecule and ultrasound detection applications. In such a context, we review our recent work on SMF end-facet SPR cavities. This include a glue-and-strip fabrication method to transfer a nano-patterned thin gold film to the SMF end-facet with high yield, high quality and high alignment precision, the designs of distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) and distributed feedback (DFB) SPR cavities that couple efficiently with the SMF guided mode and reach quality factors of over 100, and the preliminary results for biomolecule interaction sensing and ultrasound detection. The particular advantages and potential values of these devices have been discussed, in terms of sensitivity, data reliability, reproducibility, bandwidth, etc.

Tissue engineered nerve grafts (TENGs) are considered a promising alternative to autologous nerve grafting, which is considered the "gold standard" clinical strategy for peripheral nerve repair. Here, we immobilized tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors onto a nerve conduit, which was introduced into a chitosan (CS) matrix scaffold utilizing genipin (GP) as the crosslinking agent, to fabricate CS-GP-TNF-α inhibitor nerve conduits. The in vitro release kinetics of TNF-α inhibitors from the CS-GP-TNF-α inhibitor nerve conduits were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography. The in vivo continuous release profile of the TNF-α inhibitors released from the CS-GP-TNF-α inhibitor nerve conduits was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay over 14 days. We found that the amount of TNF-α inhibitors released decreased with time after the bridging of the sciatic nerve defects in rats. Moreover, 4 and 12 weeks after surgery, histological analyses and functional evaluations were carried out to assess the influence of the TENG on regeneration. Immunochemistry performed 4 weeks after grafting to assess early regeneration outcomes revealed that the TENG strikingly promoted axonal outgrowth. Twelve weeks after grafting, the TENG accelerated myelin sheath formation, as well as functional restoration. In general, the regenerative outcomes following TENG more closely paralleled findings observed with autologous grafting than the use of the CS matrix scaffold. Collectively, our data indicate that the CS-GP-TNF-α inhibitor nerve conduits comprised an elaborate system for sustained release of TNF-α inhibitors in vitro, while studies in vivo demonstrated that the TENG could accelerate regenerating axonal outgrowth and functional restoration. The introduction of CS-GP-TNF-α-inhibitor nerve conduits into a scaffold may contribute to an efficient and adaptive immune microenvironment that can be used to facilitate peripheral nerve repair.

The relation between the pressure and the capacitance of the carbon black filled silicone rubber composite with the carbon black content ranging from 5 vol.% to 9 vol.% (this content range can ensure the reinforcement effect and the flexibility of the composite for sensor development) under the multi compression cycles is researched. The capacitance of the composite increases with the increase of the pressure. There are deviations between the thicknesses/capacitivities of the composite under the same pressure in the different compression cycles, which results in the repeatability error of the piezocapacitivity of the composite. The experimental results show that the repeatability can be improved by increasing the number of the compression cycles. Therefore, the piezocapacitive effect of the composite has the potential to be used to measure the compressive pressure by applying the multi pre-compression cycles on the composite. The further analyses show that the hysteresis error, the nonlinear error and the sensitivity decrease with the increase of the number of the compression cycles.

To develop the differential piezoresistive sensor made of carbon nanotube filled silicone rubber composite with concise configuration, a coplanar-electrodes-based differential structure is designed. The structure includes two composite films with high carbon nanotube content (12 vol.%) and two composite films with low carbon nanotube content (4 vol.%). All the electrodes for the four composite films are located in the same encapsulation layer (i.e., all the electrodes are located on the same side of the composite films), which can simplify the configuration of the sensor probe. The electrical resistance of the composite film with high/low carbon nanotube content decreases/increases with the increase of the compressive pressure and increases with the increase of the temperature. The two composite films with high carbon nanotube contents are placed on the two diagonal arms of an electrical bridge, and the other two composite films with low carbon nanotube contents are placed on the other two diagonal arms of the bridge. The experimental results verify the feasibility of using the coplanar-electrodes-based differential structure to reduce the output drift induced by the temperature and improve the sensitivity.

A simple and efficient synthetic approach is reported for the synthesis of 5-trifluoromethyl-5-aryl-3-methylidenepyrrolidin-2-ones in moderate to excellent yields via an acid-catalyzed one-pot multicomponent reaction of aromatic trifluoromethyl ketones, acylhydrazines, and ethyl 2-(bromomethyl)acrylate promoted by tin powder. The protocol is operationally simple. The overall process involves allylation and cyclization of the intermediate of acylhydrazones.

Generally, the iron removal process is modelled as a lumped parameter system that does not provide information about the distribution of reactants in the steady state. In this paper, we investigate the distributed parameter model and control for the iron removal process. By analyzing the process properties, we study the mass balance over a differential volume element, and the spatiotemporal distributions of the Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ and H + concentrations are derived by partial differential equations. An optimization problem is constructed to estimate the unknown parameters. Then, an optimal control problem for the oxidation rate of the ferrous ions in the steady state is proposed to achieve process requirements that have the lowest cost of oxygen and zinc oxide and obtain high goethite quality. To eliminate the impact from inevitable disturbances, an expert-based correction mechanism is constructed to compensate for the optimal control when the outlet ferrous ion concentrations are out of the desired range. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate the good performance of distributed parameter model. Industrial experiments demonstrate the satisfactory control performance of the optimal control strategy. Regarding manual operation and PI control, the control strategy increased the qualified ratio of the #4 reactor outlet Fe 2+ concentrations by 8.4% and 3.4%, respectively. Additionally, on average 17760 m 3 of oxygen and 109.68 t of zinc oxide per month were saved compared to manual operation. The mass percent of iron in the goethite increased from 34.31% (manual operation) and 35.12% (PI control) to 35.83%.

In this study, a pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) system, which can measure the space charge distribution of polymer films from low to high temperatures, is introduced. The space charge behavior of direct current (DC) stressed low density polyethylene (LDPE) film is investigated at temperatures from −40 to 70 °C. The space charge results show that homocharges accumulate in the vicinity of electrodes at low temperatures (−40 to 0 °C), whereas heterocharges that appear during short circuit at the ambient temperature (30 °C), and negative charges gradually dominate the distribution with the increase of temperature. Moreover, the accumulated space charge density at −20 °C reaches the maximum within the investigated temperature range, which may be related to the traps formed by the polyethylene molecular chain branches. This finding coincides with the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) result and the thermally stimulated current (TSC) of LDPE reported by other researchers. Besides, the apparent mobilities of carriers at various temperatures calculated based on space charge decaying data indicates that the mobility decreases first and then increases with the increase of temperature from −40 to 70 °C. The variation of the apparent mobility can be explained by the hopping model. In addition, with the help of atomic force microscope (AFM) with Kelvin probe, the contact mode of aluminum/ LDPE/semiconductor was found to be the main reason that resulted in the slower decay of injected holes around the anode, as compared to the injected electrons around the cathode.

A highly selective fluorescent probe has been discovered for the recognition of L-histidine (His) without the need to use a metal cation. Mechanistic studies including 1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR analyses and DFT calculation have revealed that the 2-formyl group of the 1,1′-binaphthyl-based probe reacts with His to form a multicyclic product and the structural rigidity of this product should have contributed to the greatly enhanced fluorescence. The reactions of all the other amino acids with the probe cannot generate such a structurally rigid product and thus exhibit no or much smaller fluorescence enhancement. This probe can also be easily modified to allow the selective detection of His to be conducted in aqueous or fluorous solution.

Co3O4 film coated on Ti substrate is prepared using sol-gel method and applied as cathode material for electrochemical denitrification in this research. Preparation conditions including precursor coating times and calcination temperature are optimized based on NO3--N removal, NO2--N generation, NH4+-N generation and total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies. The influences of electrolysis parameters such as current density and NO3--N initial concentration are also investigated. In comparison with other common researched cathodes (Ti, Cu and Fe2O3/Ti), Co3O4/Ti exhibits better NO3--N removal and NH4+-N generation efficiencies. In order to remove NO3--N completely from water, Cl- is added to help further oxidize NH4+-N to N2. TN removal after 3 h treatment increases from 65% to 80%, 90% and 96% with the increase of Cl- from 0 mg L-1 to 500, 1000 and 1500 mg L-1, respectively. The mechanisms of NO3--N reduction on cathode and NH4+-N oxidation on anode in the absence and presence of Cl- are investigated in a double-cell reactor. Actual textile wastewater containing both NO3- and Cl- is also treated and the Co3O4/Ti cathode exhibits excellent stability and reliability. It is interesting to find out that FeCl2-H2O2 Fenton pretreatment is needed to remove extra COD and provide more Cl- to help oxidize NH4+-N to N2 at the same time.

Hydrodynamic cavitation is a promising technology for wastewater treatment. In this study, TiO2 (P25) photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline, an antibiotic compound extensively used and environmentally hazardous, was conducted with hydrodynamic cavitation employed simultaneously. Many factors, such as initial tetracycline concentration, solution pH and presence of inorganic anions, were explored. Kinetics were investigated at varied contaminant concentrations, and the pseudo-first-order rate constant for tetracycline photocatalysis coupled with hydrodynamic cavitation was 1.5–3.7 times of the sum of those for the individual processes. These results indicated that a synergistic effect occurred in the combined method. Tetracycline degradation was pH-dependent and favored at alkaline pH. The presence of HCO3− in the medium induces promotive effect on the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline in the presence of hydrodynamic cavitation, while sulfate and chloride exhibit only minor effect. UV/Vis spectra, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) adsorption spectra and liquid chromatography–mass spectra (LC–MS) were used to evaluate the degradation mechanism. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of TiO2 confirmed that hydrodynamic cavitation can prevent photocatalytic particles from agglomeration.

Adsorbents synthesized with biopolymer have been widely used in the removal of toxic metal ions. Novel high-efficiency, recyclable, and low-cost adsorbents have received more and more attention. Chitosan and cellulose are the most abundant biopolymers in nature. Composite modified adsorbent (CSTEC) was synthesized as novel fibrous materials for the adsorption of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions from water in this study. The functional fiber was characterized to investigate the surface appearance, functional groups, crystallinity, and thermal stability. The kinetics study revealed that adsorption processes of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions on the CSTEC followed the second-order kinetics model. CSTEC showed better performance (Cu2+, 95.24; Pb2+, 144.93mgg-1) than most of other adsorbents. The co-existing ions (K+, Na+, Mg2+) had no significant influence on the removal of target ions by the CSTEC. The excellent reusability indicated that CSTEC had the promising application in the treatment of toxic metal pollution.

In this paper, tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) modified chitosan/CoFe 2 O 4 particles were prepared for comparative and competitive adsorption of Cu(II) and Pb(II) in single and bi-component aqueous solutions. The characteristics results of SEM, FTIR and XRD indicated that the adsorbent was successfully fabricated. The magnetic property results manifested that the particles with saturation magnetization value of 63.83 emu g −1 would have a fast magnetic response. The effects of experimental parameters including contact time, pH value, initial metal ions concentration and coexisting ions on single and bi-component adsorption were investigated. The results revealed that the adsorption kinetic was followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model, indicating that chemical adsorption was the rate-limiting step. Sorption isotherms were also determined in single and bi-component solutions with different mass ratio of Cu(II) to Pb(II) (Cu(II)/Pb(II)) and fitted using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. A better fit for Cu(II) and Pb(II) adsorption were obtained with Langmuir model, with a maximum sorption capacity of 168.067 and 228.311 mg g −1 for Cu(II) and Pb(II) in single component solution, 139.860 and 160.256 mg g −1 in bi-component solution (Cu(II)/Pb(II) = 1:1), respectively. The present results suggest that TEPA modified chitosan/CoFe 2 O 4 particles are feasible and satisfactory adsorbent for efficient removal of Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions.

A novel chitosan-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PET) composite (CCP) adsorbent was specifically fabricated using a dip-padding method for removal of toxic metal ions (Zn2+, Cu2+, and Pb2+) from aqueous solution, especially during emergency treatment of river pollution. The fabricated CCP sample was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, static contact angle measurement, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to confirm successful coating of chitosan onto PET fibers. Adsorption experiments demonstrated that the adsorption process of metal ions onto the surface of CCP was well fit by the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Maximum adsorption values (q max) of 18.69, 23.70, and 31.25 mg g−1 were obtained from the Langmuir isotherm model for Zn(II), Cu(II), and Pb(II), respectively.

Previous studies in our laboratory showed that sulforaphane (SFN) induced apoptosis by sustained activation of extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2). However, the underlying mechanisms associated with SFN-induced apoptosis and downstream cascades which are modulated by ERK1/2 were not elucidated. Herein we demonstrated for the first time that alteration of mitochondrial dynamics contributed to SFN-induced apoptosis in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Reports showed that protein Bim not only induced apoptosis but also promoted proliferation under certain circumstances. We found that Bim was related to cell growth in NSCLC cells. Pro-survival Bim downregulation was shown to induce apoptosis in response to SFN. Further, Using the ERK1/2 inhibitor, PD98059, we found that SFN upregulated Bax and downregulated Bim through the ERK1/2-dependent signaling pathway. Furthermore, SFN activated ERK1/2 to increase 26S proteasome activity to degrade Bim, while the proteasome inhibitor MG132 reversed this effect. Therefore, SFN phosphorylated ERK1/2 and activated the proteasome system leading to the degradation of Bim, which contributed to apoptosis in NSCLC cells. These findings provided a novel insight into SFN-related therapeutics in cancer treatment.

Wide bandgap power electronic devices with higher breakdown voltages, faster switching, and lower switching losses than silicon-based power devices will be widely used in high-temperature and high-voltage applications. Corresponding packaging materials are urgently required to have higher thermal conductivity and satisfactory insulating properties in wide bandgap power electronic modules. This study introduces a silicone elastomer (rubber) with micron and nano-sized boron nitride (BN) and silicon carbide (SiC) particles to improve thermal conductivity and partial discharge resistance. The thermal conductivity, polarization and depolarization current, and partial discharge were measured to investigate the effect of mixed micro-nanoparticles on thermal and electrical properties. Experimental results show that the composite material has a higher thermal conductivity than the original silicone elastomer. The conductive current of the composite expresses nonlinearity with the increase of load level. Regarding the trap density distribution, the composite's trap depth is generally reduced. The shallow trap density increases, whereas the deep trap density decreases with ascending load level. The partial discharge inception voltage of the composite is higher than the original silicone elastomer, and it increases as the load level rises, which may be explained by the local electric field decrease resulting from trapped charge diffusion around the high voltage electrode. The multiphase BN/ SiC/ silicone elastomer with proper load level has a higher thermal conductivity and better partial discharge resistance, indicating its advantages as packaging material to ease thermal and electrical stress in wide bandgap power electronic modules.

Polysaccharide (DIP) from Dictyophora indusiata has showed noteworthy anti-inflammatory activities. Given that the closely relationship between inflammation and ulcerative colitis, we speculated that DIP may alleviate ulcerative colitis. However, there was not any report about the effect of DIP on this disease. The purpose of this paper is to explore the protective effect and mechanism of DIP on DSS-induced colitis in C57BL/6 mice. The data indicated that DIP could improve DSS-induced colitis by restoring intestinal barrier function and regulating macrophage polarization. Its mechanism was found to be associated with decreased oxidative stresses and inflammation, suppressive key signal pathways related with colitis, improved the expression of tight junction proteins and down-regulated M1 macrophage polarization. The results suggested that DIP could be served as an agent for improving intestinal inflammation in functional foods or nutraceutical formulations.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) has demonstrated high activity for the modification of lignin. In this paper, several lignin model compounds with different functional groups and linkages are selected to investigate the reactivity of HRP-catalyzed lignin modification. The phenolic groups of lignin model compounds are indispensable for the HRP-catalyzed modification process. The introduction of the sulfomethylated methyl group or methoxyl group could facilitate or inhibit the modification, respectively. The oxidative coupling activity of α-O-4 lignin model compounds is higher than that of β-O-4 compounds. Meanwhile, the free energy obtained by density functional theory (DFT) is used to verify the results of the experimental study, and the order of preference for linkages is β-5 > β-β > β-O-4 in most cases. In addition, electron cloud density and steric hindrance of lignin model compounds have crucial effects on the oxidation and modification processes. Finally, the mechanism of HRP-catalyzed lignin modification is proposed.

The peroxidase-like activity of hollow Prussian Blue nanocubes (hPBNCs) is used, in combination with the enzyme alcohol oxidase (AOx), in a colorimetric ethanol assay. Different from other nanozymes, the large cavity structure of the hPBNCs provides a larger surface and more binding sites for AOx to be bound on their surface or in the pores. This extremely enhances the sensitivity of the assay system. In the presence of ethanol, AOx is capable of catalyzing the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes, accompanied by the generation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The hPBNCs act as peroxidase mimics and then can catalyze the oxidation of 3,3′5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H2O2, resulting in a color change of the solution from colorless to blue with a strong absorption at 652 nm. The lower detection limit for ethanol is 1.41 μg∙mL−1. Due to the high catalytic activity of hPBNCs in weakly acidic and neutral solutions, the system was successfully applied to the determination of ethanol in mice blood. This is critically important for studying the alcohol consumption and monitoring the ethanol toxicokinetics.

Both sulforaphane-cysteine (SFN-Cys) and sulforaphane-N-acetyl-l-cysteine (SFN-NAC) inhibited cancer migration and invasion, but the underlying mechanisms were not clear. Here we uncovered via tissue microarray assay that high expression of invasion-associated Claudin-5 was correlated to malignant grades in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Further, SFN-Cys (10 µM) induced the accumulated phosphorylation of ERK1/2, leading to downregulation of Claudin-5 and upregulation of Claudin-7, and the decrease of Claudin-1 in SK-1 cells and increase of Claudin-1 in A549 cells; knockdown of Claudin-5 significantly reduced invasion, whereas knockdown of Claudin-7 increased invasion; knockdown of Claudin-1 reduced invasion in SK-1 cells, whereas it increased invasion in A549 cells, indicating that SFN-Cys regulated Claudins and inhibited invasion depending on Claudin isotypes and cell types. Furthermore, immunofluorescence staining showed that SFN-Cys triggered microtubule disruption and knockdown of α-tubulin downregulated Claudin-1, 5, and 7, and inhibited migration and invasion, indicating that microtubule disruption contributed to invasive inhibition. Co-immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy observation showed that SFN-Cys lowered the interaction between α-tubulin and Claudin-1 or 5, or 7. Meanwhile, Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining showed that SFN-NAC (15 µM) downregulated α-tubulin resulting in microtubule disruption; knockdown of α-tubulin increased SFN-NAC-induced LC3 II accumulation in SK-1 cells. Combined with the inhibitor of autolysosome formation, Bafilomycin A1 (100 nM), SFN-NAC inhibited invasion via accumulating LC3 II and blocking formation of autolysosome. Further, SFN-NAC upregulated microtubule-stabilizing protein Tau; knockdown of Tau reduced LC3 II/LC3 I inhibiting migration and invasion. These results indicated that SFN-Cys inhibited invasion via microtubule-mediated Claudins dysfunction, but SFN-NAC inhibited invasion via microtubule-mediated inhibition of autolysosome formation in human NSCLC cells.

Cotton fiber functionalized with tetraethylenepentamine and chitosan (CTPC) was prepared and used as absorbents for the removal of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cr(III) ions from aqueous solution. The functionalized materials (CTPC) were characterized by SEM/EDX, FTIR, BET and XRD to confirm the characterization and structural changes of fibers before and after the modifying process. The adsorption performance of CTPC was investigated with different pH, contact time and initial concentration of three kinds of metal ions. Results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity was 81.97 mg g−1 for Cu(II), 123.46 mg g−1 for Pb(II) and 72.99 mg g−1 for Cr(III) based on the Langmuir isotherm model at optimal pH (5.0). Adsorption kinetics of CTPC fibers for Cu(II), Pb(II), and Cr(III) ions followed the pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption-desorption experiments demonstrated that CTPC showed better stability, and CTPC would be an effective and practical material for the treatment and recycling of heavy metal ions in the wastewater.

Background: Many physical and mechanical phenomena occur during the acupuncture and tuina regime, and pressure is one of the most basic mechanical phenomena. Objectives: To understand the cellular bio-physical mechanism of basic mechanical stimulation via acupuncture and tuina by investigating the effect of different in vitro pressures on the cell viability and protein expression differences that originate from the facial fibroblasts around the meridians. Materials and Methods: In vitro culture of the facial fibroblasts around the meridians was conducted using different pressures to perform single and multiple stimulation(s) on the cells. Thus, the changes in the fibroblast cell viability (cell viability rate and diameter) were tested, and changes in the fibroblast protein expression were observed. Results: We found that the pressure stimulation may excite the fascial fibroblast viability at the acupoint and increase cell viability. Two interactive factors are involved: the pressure intensity and the number of pressure stimulations. In addition, we found that all three pressures lead to significant regulation effects on the protein expression of the meridian-related fascial tissue fibroblasts, and clustering analysis revealed that 100 kPa pressure stimulation exhibits the most evident effect on the protein expression which is the pressure inducing the most differentiated protein expression. Conclusions: During the in vitro pressure process, the difference in the cell viability rate and protein expression of the facial fibroblasts around the meridians may (from a cell mechanics’ point-of-view) reveal the cytobiological and therapeutic mechanism of the basic mechanical stimulation via acupuncture and tuina on the facial fibroblasts around the meridians.

Silk fibroin (SF) has potential applications in the biomedical field because of its excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. In the current study, chitooligosaccharide (COS) was enzymatically grafted onto SF using laccase. Subsequently, COS-grafted SF (SF-g-COS) was treated enzymatically in the presence of hexokinase and Mg-chelated adenosine triphosphate (ATP), so as to introduce phosphate groups onto the fibroin chains and promote the deposition of hydroxyapatite (HAp) during in situ biomimetic mineralization. The efficacy of phosphorylation and biomimetic mineralization of the SF-g-COS was evaluated by means of HPLC, MALDI-TOF MS, FTIR, XRD and EDS-Mapping. The results indicate that hexokinase has the capability to catalyze the phosphorylation of COS, resulting in an increase in the quantity of phosphorus in the SF-g-COS. Following mineralization of the phosphorylated SF-g-COS, a greater number of mineral phases were detected on its surface, accompanied by a higher content of calcium and phosphorus compared with other specimens. Cell viability tests using NIH/3T3 cells and cellular adhesion potential with MG-63 cells indicated that the fibroin-based biocomposite exhibited acceptable biocompatibility and superior cellular adhesion properties. The present study describes a novel method for preparation of fibroin/HAp biocomposites for bone tissue engineering.

During the pathogenesis of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the roles of retinal microglial cells after activation have not been fully elucidated. Herein, experimental RP was induced in Sprague Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) at 50 mg/kg, and the effects of MNU on the retinas were evaluated, respectively, by retinal histology and electroretinography recordings at serial time points. Time-dependent and gradual loss of photoreceptor cells, disrupted arrangement of the outer nuclear layer (ONL), and significant reductions in both a-wave and b-wave amplitudes were observed. Morphology changes were observed in retinal microglial cells; meanwhile, with time, the number of Iba1-positive microglia and their infiltration into the ONL gradually increased. Furthermore, physical interaction of microglial-Muller cell processes following microglial activation was observed after MNU injection. In addition, Muller cells increased CX3CL1 secretion, enhanced microglial cell migration, and upregulated the CX3CR1 expression of the latter. Our observations implied that, during the pathogenesis of RP by MNU, microglial cells exhibit a prominent morphology change and Muller cells can induce activated microglia infiltration by increasing secretion of the chemotaxis factor, CX3CL1, and promoting the migration of retinal microglial cells. This novel finding highlights a potential therapeutic target aimed at regulating the microglial response.

A diarylacetylene-containing 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol derivative (R)-2 was designed and synthesized. This compound in combination with Zn2+ represents the first chemoselective as well as enantioselective fluorescent probe for the biologically important amino acid serine. It was found that l -serine can greatly enhance the fluorescence of the probe at λ = 471 nm but d -serine and 17 other common amino acids cannot. An enantioselective fluorescence enhancement ratio [ef = (IL − I0)/(ID − I0) = ΔIL/ΔID] of 15 was observed for the response of (R)-2 + Zn2+ toward serine.

Mixed salt from the concentrated brine that contains NaCl and Na2SO4 has been classified as hazardous waste since 2016 in China. This fact created an urgent and tremendous demand to treat these brine promptly. In this paper, we reported a method of using selectrodialysis with the bipolar membrane (BMSED) to reutilize the concentrated brine to produce high-purity HCl, NaOH, and Na2SO4, which fulfilled the demand above. The selective PPy(Cl) composite membrane, which was able to separate NaCl and Na2SO4 in the concentrated brine, was prepared. The 3.5 μm PPy(Cl) film significantly enhanced the selectivity of the anion exchange membrane (AEM) to chloride ions while sulfate ions were blocked. The BMSED stack with our multilayer PPy(Cl) composite AEM produced 1.23 mol/L HCl with a purity higher than 98.2%. More importantly, the prepared PPy(Cl) composite AEM was not only suitable for brine with a high Cl−/SO42− of 19:1, which was the typical ratio in concentrated brine from the coal chemical industry, but also able to treat the brine with a Cl−/SO42− as low as 1:1, showing superior capability. The effluent of the BMSED we developed, which contained 0.02 mol/L Na2SO4 with the Cl−/SO42− equaling to 1:1, could be further concentrated by reverse osmosis for sea water (RO-SW) and freeze crystallization to obtain Na2SO4 with a high purity accordingly. This reutilization route of concentrated brine was very green because it not only produced no hazardous waste, but also recycled valuable products. Therefore, it was believed a promising application in the coal chemical industry.

Polypyrrole (PPy) film is synthesized on Ti substrate through electrochemical polymerization method and is applied as cathode material in a TiO2 NTs-PPy dual rotating disk photo fuel cell (PFC). The optimized PPy electrochemical polymerization is carried out using linear sweep voltammetry from 0 V to 1.2 V (vs. SCE) with scan rate of 0.1 V s−1, 100 circles. Sixty milliliter real textile wastewater with the initial COD and conductivity of 408 ± 6 mgO2 L−1 and 20180 μS cm−1 is treated in this PFC under UV irradiation. About 0.46 V open-circuit voltage (VOC) and 1.8–2.2 mA short-circuit current (JSC) are obtained. Due to the effective electron-hole separation effect, the COD removal rate is as high as 0.0055 min−1. Stable current and COD removal can be obtained at different output voltage. Two influence factors including rotating speed and pH are investigated. Better electricity generation performance and COD removal activity are achieved at high rotating speed and in acidic condition. In comparison with platinized cathode, though VOC is lower, similar JSC is measured. Considering the high cost of Pt, PPy is a promising alternative cathode material in PFC that can also generate electricity efficiently and stably.

Microbial remediation is preferred as a clean and cost-effective method for restoring environments polluted by organics. But the biodegradation rates of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) are usually extremely restricted by their low bioavailability, especially in soil. Here, a physical method (mechanical mixing) and a chemical method (randomly methylated-β-cyclodextrins, RAMEB) were adopted to improve the bioavailability and biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) of an aged soil. The bioavailability of tri-CBs was increased by adding RAMEB in soil/slurry or assisting mechanical mixing in slurry, but these methods had no effects on the bioavailability of tetra-CBs and high chlorinated PCBs (Cl > 4). The degradation rate of tri-CBs could be obviously enhanced by adding RAMEB in soil or assisting mechanical mixing in slurry. The highest removal amount of tri-CBs reached 43.8% in 100 d with a first-order decay kinetics constant of 0.0059 d−1. But the removal of tetra-CBs and high chlorinated PCBs (Cl > 4) were not significant in all mesocosms, possibly due to the lack or weakness of the native degrading microflora. Based on the analysis of the richness and diversity of bacterial communities, the characteristics of the heatmap and the variation of bphC copy numbers in the soil/slurry mesocosms, it could be inferred that there was no obvious corresponding relationship between the variation of the bacterial communities and the physical/chemical measures.