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The hydrolysis of Mg-based alloys and their hydrides with high abundance on the earth and low cost could produce hydrogen with high theoretical capacity and the formation of by-products that have no pollution to the environment. Hence, it has been regarded as one of the most promising way for hydrogen generation. Particularly, a gravimetric capacity of 6.4 wt% and 3.4 wt% H2 could be produced from the hydrolysis of pure Mg and MgH2, respectively, even when stoichiometric water is included for calculation. The formation of passive magnesium hydroxides with dense structure, however, could immediately interrupt the hydrolysis reaction of Mg/MgH2, which leads to ultralow yield and sluggish hydrogen generation rate. Recent studies have demonstrated that the hydrolysis reaction of Mg/MgH2 could be effectively enhanced in terms of both yield and kinetics by the formation of Mg-based alloys and their hydrides. This review aims to summarize the recent progress in the hydrolysis of Mg-based alloys and their hydrides and the involved hydrolysis mechanisms.

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of the microstructural, rheological and printing properties of rice starch-stearic acid (SA) paste during the hot-extrusion 3D printing (HE-3DP). The results showed that starch chains could complex with SA to form V-type crystalline structure and its molecular kinematic behaviors were changed under shear force, and crystalline structure were then embedded and rearranged to constitute an ordered sea-island structure, thus improving the rigidity and dynamic storage modulus of network structure, leading to the increased layer number. Interestingly, with the increase of SA addition, the network structure became weakened and the viscosity decreased which might due to the destroyed continuity and the breaking of entanglement and hydrogen bonding between starch chains, and finally impairing the printing accuracy of objects. Overall, this study provided important information for the application of lipid in the preparation of starch-based food by HE-3DP.

Detailed knowledge about polymer flows through the anthroposphere and into the environment is information essential to the better management of plastics. Currently, only limited knowledge about specific polymer flows is available. This work aimed to model those flows for five polymers: polyurethane (PUR), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Probabilistic material flow analysis (PMFA) was used to quantify flows from production in 45 product categories to their end-of-life in Europe and Switzerland. We then considered 40 release pathways for macro- and microplastic flows to assess polymer release into Switzerland's environment. PMFA results showed considerable variations between the polymers considered because their flows through the anthroposphere are determined by their different uses. Total macro- and microplastic emissions into Switzerland's environment in 2018 were estimated at masses of 208±76 t for PA, 179±98 t for PUR, 79±26 t for PC, 36±23 t for PMMA and 25±6 t for ABS. Relative to Switzerland's total production and imports, this amounted to total releases of 0.23% of PA, 0.07% of PUR, 0.16% of PC, 0.32% of PMMA and 0.14% of ABS. Contributions as released microplastics ranged from 18% of PMMA to 75% of ABS. These results showed that the amounts of the polymers considered released into the environment were much smaller than previously assumed in simpler release estimates, and they may be more realistic for countries with well-functioning waste treatment systems.

This work investigated the chain structure and large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) rheological properties of waxy maize starch (WMS) at different growth periods and established a motion model to clarify the evolution of starch chain structure. During the growth period of 20–25 days, the apparent viscosity and dynamic moduli for WMS paste decreased, along with a greater degree of nonlinearity. This could be correlated with an increasing branching degree of starch due to more short-branched chains generated during growth. With the growth period reaching 25 days, the apparent viscosity, dynamic moduli and zero-strain nonlinearity (Q0) for WMS increased and the b value deviated from 2 significantly, indicating obvious nonlinearity accompanied by a weak stress overshoot and shear-thickening. This could be explained by the growing length of branched chains and the rising content of B3- and B4-chains. Thus, this work demonstrate LAOS rheology can be used as a new and effective method to characterize the chain structural evolution of starch through monitoring the motion pattern of different starch chains under shear conditions.

This study was performed to explore the relationship between coronary heart disease (CHD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients without hypertension and diabetes with a focus on predicting CHD. In total, 78 consecutive patients without hypertension and diabetes who were suspected of CHD underwent coronary angiography (CAG) or computed tomography CAG. They were segregated into the CHD and non-CHD group according to the CAG or computed tomography angiography results. The Gensini score was calculated based on CAG results in the CHD group. All patients underwent ultrasonographic measurement of the liver, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat thickness. The CHD and the Gensini score were significantly correlated with V1, V2, and NAFLD. As the grade of NAFLD increases, the Gensini score was increased. After correcting for confounding factors, NAFLD (B = 2.474, P

There are currently increasingly concerns over DNA damage related to free radicals due to their vital roles in human health, especially high-performance detection method. Herein, we report an ultra- sensitive monitoring of DNA damage associated with free radicals exposure using interdigitated electrode (IDE) array for the first time. The proposed IDE array was equipped with DNA-wrapped carbon nanotube-based bridges, which utilized the DNA damage mechanism due to the free radicals’ attack and the efficient electrical detection nature of the interdigitated electrode. Experiments have been performed, and the results showed the device’s capability for detecting DNA damage induced by multiple free radicals generated from different sources, including the Fenton reaction, UV radiation and cigarette smoke, showing the promising ability for DNA damage detection. In addition, the carbon nanotubes bridge-based interdigitated electrode sensor enabled different levels of sensing of DNA damage with great sensitivity and a wide detection range. It was illustrated that the ultrasensitive detection of free radicals generated from ultraviolet radiation (15 min – 125 min), cigarette smoke tar (1 μg/mL to 10 μg/mL) and Fenton reaction under different concentration of H2O2 (2.5 pM – 100 pM), have been detected successfully. Typically, the IDE array supports further performance improvement for the electrochemical detection in an ultrasensitive and high throughput route.

Matcha is a popular nutritious food ingredient with strong health benefits. The interplay between matcha and gluten is essential for developing high-quality matcha-noodles. Herein, the effects of matcha and its active components, l -theanine and tea polyphenol, on the structural and rheological properties of gluten had been investigated. The results showed that matcha weakened the dough strength by reducing disulfide bonds and hindering the formation of gluten network. However, l -theanine enhanced the ductility of dough by forming extra β-sheets and disulfide bonds, whereas tea polyphenol increased its toughness by forming numerous intermolecular hydrogen bonds with gluten to stabilize the “grid” structure. The underlying intermolecular mechanisms between gluten and l -theanine or tea polyphenol were clearly established. This study has provided valuable reference to produce nutritious noodles products with matcha or its active components.

Vascular progenitor cells (VPCs) present in the adventitia of the vessel wall play a critical role in the regulation of vascular repair following injury. This study aimed to assess the function of VPCs isolated from patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS). VPCs were isolated from control and MFS donors and characterized. Compared with control‐VPCs, MFS‐VPCs exhibited cellular senescence as demonstrated by increased cell size, higher SA‐β‐gal activity and elevated levels of p53 and p21. RNA sequencing showed that several cellular process‐related pathways including cell cycle and cellular senescence were significantly enriched in MFP‐VPCs. Notably, the expression level of TGF‐β1 was much higher in MFS‐VPCs than control‐VPCs. Treatment of control‐VPCs with TGF‐β1 significantly enhanced mitochondrial reactive oxidative species (ROS) and induced cellular senescence whereas inhibition of ROS reversed these effects. MFS‐VPCs displayed increased mitochondrial fusion and decreased mitochondrial fission. Treatment of control‐VPCs with TGF‐β1 increased mitochondrial fusion and reduced mitochondrial fission. Nonetheless, treatment of mitofusin2 (Mfn2)‐siRNA inhibited TGF‐β1‐induced mitochondrial fusion and cellular senescence. Furthermore, TGF‐β1‐induced mitochondrial fusion was mediated by the AMPK signalling pathway. Our study shows that TGF‐β1 induces VPC senescence in patients with MFS by mediating mitochondrial dynamics via the AMPK signalling pathway.

Heavy metal elements, including Zn, Cd, As, Ni, Cu, Pb and Cr, were detected in soils (no deeper than 75 m) from newly reclaimed zones of Shanghai, China. The Zn concentration exceeded soil quality limits. The Zn contamination was tested in both dredger fills and sedimentary layers (①3-3, ②3, ④ and ⑤1-1). However, it was not detected in layer ⑤1-2-⑨. PCA and HCA analysis show that exogenous Zn probably was the contaminant source of dredger fills before the fills were dredged from the neighboring waters. Stochastic heterogeneity of the dredger fills affects the Zn-depollution remarkably. Numerical simulations show both acid precipitation and widespread drainage channels in the zones contributed to Zn-decrease in the dredger fills no deeper than 1.2 m. Acid rainstorms work better than acid constant precipitation in Zn-remediation for layers below 0.4 m. To remove Zn contamination in deep dredger fills, un-consolidation of the fills should be utilized.

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) and allopurinol (ALP) synergistically reduce myocardial ischemia reperfusion (MI/R) injury in diabetes. However, the mechanism is unclear. We postulated that NAC and ALP attenuated diabetic MI/R injury by up-regulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) and Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (JAK2/STAT3) pathways subsequent to adiponectin (APN) activation. Control (C) or streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (D) were untreated or treated with NAC and ALP followed by MI/R. D rats displayed larger infarct size accompanied by decreased phosphorylation of Akt, STAT3 and decreased cardiac nitric oxide (NO) and APN levels. NAC and ALP decreased MI/R injury in D rats, enhanced phosphorylation of Akt and STAT3, and increased NO and APN. High glucose and hypoxia/reoxygenation exposure induced cell death and Akt and STAT3 inactivation in cultured cardiomyocytes, which were prevented by NAC and ALP. The PI3K inhibitor wortmannin and Jak2 inhibitor AG490 abolished the protection of NAC and ALP. Similarly, APN restored posthypoxic Akt and STAT3 activation and decreased cell death in cardiomyocytes. Gene silencing with AdipoR2 siRNA or STAT3 siRNA but not AdipoR1 siRNA abolished the protection of NAC and ALP. In conclusion, NAC and ALP prevented diabetic MI/R injury through PI3K/Akt and Jak2/STAT3 and cardiac APN may serve as a mediator via AdipoR2 in this process.

Large body of evidences accumulated in clinical and epidemiological studies indicate that hearts of diabetic subjects are more sensitive to ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI), which results in a higher rate of mortality at post-operation than that of non-diabetes. However, experimental results are equivocal and point to either increased or decreased susceptibility of the diabetic hearts to IRI, especially at the early stage of the disease. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the duration/severity of the indexed ischemia is a major determinant of the vulnerability to myocardial IRI at early stage of diabetes., published_or_final_version