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PURPOSE: To assess global, zonal, and local correlations between vessel density changes measured by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and retinal sensitivity measured by microperimetry across diabetic retinopathy severity. METHODS: Diabetic patients with and without retinopathy, and age matched non-diabetic controls, underwent OCTA imaging and microperimetry testing. Skeletonized vessel density (SVD) was computed from 3 mm x 3 mm OCTA images of the superficial capillary plexus, deep capillary plexus, and full retinal layer, excluding larger retinal vessels and the foveal avascular zone (FAZ). Pearson’s correlation was used to assess associations between average sensitivity and vessel density globally and in four parafoveal zones; centrally, average sensitivity was correlated with the FAZ area. Linear mixed effects modeling was used to assess relationships between local SVD measurements and their spatially corresponding retinal sensitivity measurements. RESULTS: Thirty-nine eyes from 39 participants were imaged. In all slabs, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between retinal sensitivities and SVDs on both global and zonal scales. No statistically significant correlation was found between central retinal sensitivities and the FAZ areas. Assessment of 1,136 spatially paired retinal sensitivity and SVD measurements revealed a statistically significant local relationship; this appeared to be driven by eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy that had reduced retinal sensitivities. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this study supports positive correlations between SVD and retinal sensitivity at global and zonal spatial scales in the parafovea of diabetic eyes. However, our analysis did not find evidence of statistically significant correlations between retinal sensitivity and SVD on a local scale until advanced diabetic retinopathy.

Six new nonadride derivatives, named talarodrides A-F (1-6), were isolated from the Antarctic sponge-derived fungus Talaromyces sp. HDN1820200. All structures including the absolute configurations were deduced by extensive spectroscopic analysis and computational ECD calculations. Compounds 1-4 share a rare caged bicyclo[4.3.1]-deca-1,6-diene with a bridgehead olefin and maleic anhydride core skeleton, while compounds 5 and 6 possess the first case of a naturally occurring 5/7/6 methanocyclonona[c]furan skeleton. Talarodride A (1) and talarodride B (2) showed selective inhibitory effects against Proteus mirabilis and Vibrio parahemolyticus with MICs of 3.13-12.5 μM.

Stomatal movement is critical for plant responses to environmental changes and is regulated by the important signaling molecule phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P). However, the molecular mechanism underlying this process is not well understood. In this study, we show that PI3P binds to stomatal closure-related actin-binding protein1 (SCAB1), a plant-specific F-actin-binding and -bundling protein, and inhibits the oligomerization of SCAB1 to regulate its activity on F-actin in guard cells during stomatal closure in Arabidopsis thaliana. SCAB1 binds specifically to PI3P, but not to other phosphoinositides. Treatment with wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphoinositide kinase that generates PI3P, leads to an increase of the intermolecular interaction and oligomerization of SCAB1, stabilization of F-actin, and retardation of F-actin reorganization during abscisic acid (ABA)-induced stomatal closure. When the binding activity of SCAB1 to PI3P is abolished, the mutated proteins do not rescue the stability and realignment of F-actin regulated by SCAB1 and the stomatal closure in the scab1 mutant. The expression of PI3P biosynthesis genes is consistently induced when the plants are exposed to drought and ABA treatments. Furthermore, the binding of PI3P to SCAB1 is also required for vacuolar remodeling during stomatal closure. Our results illustrate a PI3P-regulated pathway during ABA-induced stomatal closure, which involves the mediation of SCAB1 activity in F-actin reorganization.

In order to solve the phase separation problem of Na2S2O3·5H2O–CH3COONa·3H2O PCM (phase change material), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), xanthan gum (XG), sodium polyacrylate (PAAS) and polyacrylamide (PAM) were selected as additives. The effects of different proportions of the above thickeners on the supercooling degree, phase separation, phase change temperature and latent heat of Na2S2O3·5H2O–CH3COONa·3H2O system were studied by using the cooling curve and DSC, so as to screen the best thickener for eutectic PCM. The experimental results show that CMC, XG and PAAS can eliminate the phase separation of Na2S2O3·5H2O–CH3COONa·3H2O. Among them, the optimal ratio of CMC, XG and PAAS is 3 mass%, 3 mass% and 1 mass%, respectively. From the perspective of heat storage performance, PAAS is the optimal thickener for Na2S2O3·5H2O–CH3COONa·3H2O. The phase change temperature is 40.5 °C. The subcooling degree is about 14.7 °C, and the latent heat is about 221 J g−1. The melting time is 15 min. Only PAAS can make Na2S2O3·5H2O–CH3COONa·3H2O eutectic PCM completely exothermic at room temperature, which can not only play the role of thickener to eliminate phase separation, but also is a nucleating agent. After 100 melting-solidification cycles, the change rate of latent heat value was only 5%, and the change rate of phase transition temperature was less than 1%. Considering heat storage performance and cyclic stability, PAAS is the optimal thickener for Na2S2O3·5H2O–CH3COONa·3H2O PCM.

Radioactive iodine, one type of nuclear waste, is harmful to the environment and human health due to its long half-life and volatility. Therefore, designing and synthesizing low-cost and easily-made materials for the effective adsorption of radioiodine is widely concerned. Herein, a biscuit-shaped new material was synthesized by a grinding-mixing coupled with sonication protocol through self-assembly interactions between citrazinic acid (CA) and cytosine (CY) aiming to achieve the iodine capture from both vapor and solution. Electronic structure calculations were used to reveal the adsorption mechanism. The results showed that the high uptake of iodine by CACY originates from the charge transfer via CACY to the antibonding molecular orbital (σ∗) of I2. Meanwhile, trouble-free entry pore sizes of CACY also contribute to the physisorption of molecular iodine. Besides, the iodine molecule is preferentially perpendicularly adsorbed on the carbon atom of the CA ring. Moreover, CACY exhibits a high capture for iodine in hexane following pseudo-second-order kinetics and fitting the Langmuir isotherm model. This work presents a facile and inexpensive synthesis approach for radioiodine adsorption materials and provides new insights into the interaction mechanism between the self-assembled materials and the adsorbates.

Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is an environmentally persistent and bioaccumulative plasticizer. Accumulation of DEHP in the body can eventually cause kidney damage. As a type of natural carotenoid, lycopene (LYC) has a potential protective effect on renal cells, but the protective mechanism has not yet been elucidated. The major goal of this study was to see how effective LYC was at treating DEHP-induced nephrotoxicity in mice. ICR mice were treated with DEHP (500 mg/kg BW/day or 1000 mg/kg BW/day) or LYC (5 mg/kg BW/day) for 28 days. Through histopathology and ultrastructure, we found that LYC attenuated DEHP-induced renal tubular cell and glomerular damage. LYC relieved DEHP-induced kidney injury evidenced by lower levels of blood urea nitrogen (Bun), creatinine (Cre), and uric acid (Uric). Meanwhile, the reduced expression of kidney injury molecule-1 (Kim-1) also supported it. Notably, LYC can alleviate the activity or content of cytochrome P450 system (CYP450s) interfered with by DEHP. In addition, LYC treatment reduced nuclear accumulation of DEHP-induced aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and AhR nuclear transporter (Arnt), and its downstream target genes such as cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase (CYP) 1A1, 1A2, and 1B1 expression significantly decreased to normal in the LYC treatment group. In summary, LYC can mediate the AhR/Arnt signaling system to prevent kidney toxicity in mice caused by DEHP exposure.

The long-term success of endovascular intervention has long been overshadowed by vessel re-occlusion, also known as restenosis. Mainstream anti-restenotic devices, such as drug-eluting stent (DES) and drug-coated balloon (DCB), were recently shown with suboptimal performances and life-threatening complications, thereby underpinning the urgent need for alternative strategies with enhanced efficacy and safety profile. In our current study, we engineered a multimodal nanocluster formed by self-assembly of unimolecular nanoparticles and surface coated with platelet membrane, specifically tailored for precision drug delivery in endovascular applications. More specifically, it incorporates the combined merits of platelet membrane coating (lesion targetability and biocompatibility), reactive oxygen species (ROS)-detonable “cluster-bomb” chemistry (to trigger the large-to-small size transition at the target site, thereby achieving longer circulation time and higher tissue penetration), and sustained drug release. Using RVX-208 (an emerging anti-restenotic drug under clinical trials) as the model payload, we demonstrated the superior performances of our nanocluster over conventional poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticle. In cultured vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC), the drug-loaded nanocluster induced effective inhibition of proliferation and protective gene expression (e.g., APOA-I) with a significantly reduced dosage of RVX-208 (1 μM). In a rat model of balloon angioplasty, intravenous injection of Cy5.5-tagged nanocluster led to greater lesion targetability, improved biodistribution, and deeper penetration into injured vessel walls featuring enriched ROS. Moreover, in contrast to either free drug solution or drug-loaded PLGA nanoparticle formulation, a single injection with the drug-loaded nanocluster (10 mg/kg of RVX-208) was sufficient to substantially mitigate restenosis. Additionally, this nanocluster also demonstrated biocompatibility according to in vitro cytotoxicity assay and in vivo histological and tissue qPCR analysis. Overall, our multimodal nanocluster offers improved targetability, tissue penetration, and ROS-responsive release over conventional nanoparticles, therefore making it a highly promising platform for development of next-generation endovascular therapies.

Faxuan Wang,1,2,* Binxia Wang,3,* Xiyuan Chen,1,2 Wanlu Liu,1,2 Guoqi Wang,1,2 Xiaoxia Li,1,2 Xiuying Liu,1,2 Nan Li,1,2 Jiaxing Zhang,1,2 Ting Yin,1,2 Jinyun Jing,1,2 Xiaoyu Chang,4 Yanan Jin,5 Yuhong Zhang,1,2 Yi Zhao1 1School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China; 3Second People’s Hospital of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, People’s Republic of China; 4Editorial Department of the Journal of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China; 5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Ningxia, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yi ZhaoSchool of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University Tel +86 139 9501 1690Fax +86 951-6980144Email zhaoyi751114@hotmail.comBackground: Recently, the association between lifestyle-related diseases and free amino acids in the blood plasma—especially branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and aromatic amino acids (AAAs)—has been highlighted. However, few studies have been carried out on 24-hour urine samples. Therefore, we aimed to explore the relationships between 24-hour urinary BCAAs and AAAs excretion rate and blood pressure (BP) in elderly patients with hypertension.Methods and Results: Each of the 322 elderly patients with hypertension completed an in-person questionnaire interview, underwent a physical examination, and provided a 24-hour urine specimen. We measured their BCAAs and AAAs excretion rate, and used multiple linear regression analysis with variable selection to construct models describing the relationships between their BCAAs and AAAs excretion rate and BP. After adjusted for age, gender, height, and weight, valine was inversely associated with both systolic blood pressure (SBP) (β: − 0.232, 95% CI: − 0.16, − 0.006) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (β: − 0.144, 95% CI: − 0.089, − 0.005). These findings were invariant even following adjustment for urine volume and drugs history, and Ile was positively associated with DBP (β: 0.170, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.066).Conclusion: The data revealed that the excretion rate of 24-hour urinary BCAAs was closely related to BP in elderly hypertension patients, and these findings will provide new insights into the association between BACC metabolism and BP.Keywords: hypertension, branched-chain amino acid, aromatic amino acid, association

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) possess outstanding theoretical energy density and have attracted widespread attention as the next generation of energy storage devices for various crucial applications. However, the commercialization of LMBs has to simultaneously overcome numerous challenges, such as inferior Coulombic efficiency and cycling performance, high self-discharge, and complicated interfacial reactions. It has traditionally been an enormous challenge about the uniform deposition of lithium on the surface of current collector to relieve the formation of lithium dendrites. In this study, a novel efficient strategy of plating uniform lithiophilic polythiophene derivatives substrates on Cu foils was developed and the nucleation mechanism of Li ions on polythiophene derivatives substrates was further explored. We first explored the interaction between polythiophene derivatives substrates and Li ions by first-principles calculations, and found shorter side chains of polythiophene derivatives can enhance the adsorption energy and promote the diffusion rate of Li ions. Polythiophene derivatives substrates have a large number of dispersive lipophilic sites and Li ions diffusion channels in the main chain, which can effectively regulate the nucleation and growth stages of Li ions deposition. We further found polythiophene derivatives with different side chains can induce the electrodeposition of Li ions with different morphology, while the polythiophene derivatives with the shortest side chains can contribute to the most excellent cycle efficiency, resulting in a uniform lithium deposition with less lithium dendritic growth experimentally.

The rapid development of gene therapy and genome editing techniques brings up an urgent need to develop safe and efficient nanoplatforms for nucleic acids and CRISPR genome editors. Herein we report a stimulus-responsive silica nanoparticle (SNP) capable of encapsulating biomacromolecules in their active forms with a high loading content and loading efficiency as well as a well-controlled nanoparticle size (~50 nm). A disulfide crosslinker was integrated into the silica network, endowing SNP with glutathione (GSH)-responsive cargo release capability when internalized by target cells. An imidazole-containing component was incorporated into the SNP to enhance the endosomal escape capability. The SNP can deliver various cargos, including nucleic acids (e.g., DNA and mRNA) and CRISPR genome editors (e.g., Cas9/sgRNA ribonucleoprotein (RNP), and RNP with donor DNA) with excellent efficiency and biocompatibility. The SNP surface can be PEGylated and functionalized with different targeting ligands. In vivo studies showed that subretinally injected SNP conjugated with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and intravenously injected SNP conjugated with GalNAc can effectively deliver mRNA and RNP to murine retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and liver cells, respectively, leading to efficient genome editing. Overall, the SNP is a promising nanoplatform for various applications including gene therapy and genome editing.

BACKGROUND The beneficial function of phytase and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (HyD) on the feed utilization rate has been widely investigated. However, studies concerning its influence on weaned piglets largely lag behind. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of phytase and HyD supplementation on the growth performance and bone development in weaned piglets under dietary Ca and P deficiency. RESULTS The results showed that dietary Ca and P deficiency decreased (P

Background We investigated the therapeutic effect of targeting extracellular vesicles (EVs) loaded with indocyanine green (ICG) and paclitaxel (PTX) on glioma. Methods Raw264.7 cells were harvested to extract EVs for the preparation of ICG/PTX@RGE-EV by electroporation and click chemistry. We evaluated the success of modifying Neuropilin-1 targeting peptide (RGE) on the EV membrane of ICG/PTX@RGE-EV using super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were implemented for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the ICG and PTX loaded in EVs. Photothermal properties of the vesicles were evaluated by exposing to 808-nm laser light. Western blot analysis, cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8), Calcein Acetoxymethyl Ester/propidium iodide (Calcein-AM/PI) staining, and flow cytometry were utilized for assessing effects of vesicle treatment on cellular behaviors. A nude mouse model bearing glioma was established to test the targeting ability and anti-tumor action of ICG/PTX@RGE-EV in vivo. Results Under exposure to 808-nm laser light, ICG/PTX@RGE-EV showed good photothermal properties and promotion of PTX release from EVs. ICG/PTX@RGE-EV effectively targeted U251 cells, with activation of the Caspase-3 pathway and elevated apoptosis in U251 cells through chemotherapy combined with hyperthermia. The anti-tumor function of ICG/PTX@RGE-EV was confirmed in the glioma mice via increased accumulation of PTX in the ICG/PTX@RGE-EV group and an increased median survival of 48 days in the ICG/PTX@RGE-EV group as compared to 25 days in the PBS group. Conclusion ICG/PTX@RGE-EV might actively target glioma to repress tumor growth by accelerating glioma cell apoptosis through combined chemotherapy-hyperthermia. Graphic Abstract

The regulation of C/N in aquaculture water is an important means of environmental regulation, of which the most common is bioflocs technology (BFT). Here, an eight-week feeding experiment and a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge test were proceed to investigate the growth, oxidative stress, immunosuppression and GR-NF-κB related genes expression of Channa argus rearing in the BFT. Four groups were set, the control group was a basic diet (C/N = 7.6:1), and the other three groups were adjusted by glucose, which was C/N 10: 1, C/N 15: 1 and C/N 20:1, respectively. And we detected the two-stage test indexes of C. argus before and after the LPS challenge. The results showed that the bioflocs of C/N 15:1 group significantly (P 0.05) promoted the growth performance. Similarly, the trend of immune enzyme activity was the same before and after LPS challenge, but decreased after challenge (except AKP and IgM). The best group is still treatment C/N 15:1. Liver and intestine SOD, CAT, GPX, ASA and T-AOC levels of juveniles in treatment C/N 15:1 were markedly increased (P 0.05) compared to control before and after the LPS challenge. Simultaneously, the content of MDA in control group was considerably higher than that in treatment C/N 15:1 (P 0.05). Furthermore, C/N 15:1 group significantly down-regulated the expression level of pro-inflammatory factors (NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8), and up-regulated IκBα, GR, HSP70 and HSP90 expression levels considerably (P 0.05). Also, intestinal morphology appeared injury in control group, while intestinal integrity was better in treatment C/N 10:1 and C/N 15:1 after challenge. Taken together, these upshot indicated that bioflocs could enhance growth and alleviate C. argus from LPS-induced oxidative stress, immunosuppression and inflammation through restraining GR-NF-κB signaling pathway. The best C/N ratio for alleviating LPS is 15:1.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) can induce intensively oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and brain cell apoptosis. However, currently, there is no highly effective treatment available. Puerarin (PUE) possesses excellent neuroprotective effects by suppressing the NF‐κB pathway and activating the PI3K/Akt signal, but its role and related mechanisms in ICH‐induced early brain injury (EBI) remain unclear. In this study, we intended to observe the effects of PUE and molecular mechanisms on ICH‐induced EBI. ICH was induced in rats by collagenase IV injection. PUE was intraperitoneally administrated alone or with simultaneously intracerebroventricular injection of LY294002 (a specific inhibitor of the PI3K/Akt signal). Neurological deficiency, histological impairment, brain edema, hematoma volume, blood–brain barrier destruction, and brain cell apoptosis were evaluated. Western blot, immunohistochemistry staining, reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurement, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay were performed. PUE administration at 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg could significantly reduce ICH‐induced neurological deficits and EBI. Moreover, PUE could notably restrain ICH‐induced upregulation of the NF‐κB pathway, pro‐inflammatory cytokines, ROS level, and apoptotic pathway and activate the PI3K/Akt signal. However, LY294002 delivery could efficaciously weaken these neuroprotective effects of PUE. Overall, PUE could attenuate ICH‐induced behavioral defects and EBI possibly by PI3K/Akt signal stimulation‐mediated inhibition of the NF‐κB pathway, and this made PUE a potential candidate as a promising therapeutic option for ICH‐induced EBI.

Background Acute promyelocytic leukemia differentiation syndrome (APL DS) is a common and severe complication seen in patients with APL treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and/or arsenic trioxide (ATO). The presenting symptoms of APL DS are diverse, and rare symptoms are easy to be misdiagnosed. Therefore, it is very crucial to identify DS from uncommon signs to avoid delay in treatment. Case presentation Here, we report a patient of APL who developed severe abdominal pain during ATRA and ATO therapy, with increasing leukocyte count. Organic diseases were firstly excluded, and empiric treatment for DS was adopted. The abdominal pain was gradually relieved and the patient eventually achieved complete remission. Conclusion This case history suggests that APL DS may manifest as severe abdominal pain, and the early identification of DS and immediate treatment could improve the prognosis of patients.

Glioma is one of the most lethal and complex tumors, and thus, an effective drug delivery system must selectively target the tumor sites and release its cargos in a controlled manner. For the first time, we combined chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (DOX) and chemosensitizer lonidamine (LND) to synergistically treat glioma. We also designed and prepared multitargeted redox-sensitive liposomes (Lip-SPG) co-modified with glucose and triphenylphosphonium (TPP) to effectively deliver DOX and LND for anti-glioma therapy. The anti-glioma evaluation shows that DOX and LND have a synergistic effect and Lip-SPG could further enhance their cooperation. In vitro, Lip-SPG could increase the cellular uptake and mitochondrial uptake on bEnd.3 cells and C6 cells with multitargeting ability on the brain, tumor, and mitochondria mediated by glucose and TPP. Lip-SPG can also escape from lysosomes before entering the mitochondria. The anti-glioma efficacy in vitro shows that Lip-SPG can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. In addition, Lip-SPG have a remarkable interference to mitochondria, such as reducing intracellular ATP production, inducing ROS generation, and promoting mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization. Furthermore, in vivo, the introduction of PEGylation via glutathione-sensitive disulfide bonds endows Lip-SPG with favorable pharmacokinetic properties, brain targeting ability, low toxicity to normal tissues, and great anti-glioma efficacy with the survival time extended from 19 to 39 days. In conclusion, Lip-SPG are an effective delivery system for synergistically treating glioma with DOX and LND.

In the present study, an industrially viable ceramics fabrication way based on solid-state reaction method–semi-solution method was used to improve the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of acceptor-donor co-doped BaTiO3 ceramics. Unlike the conventional solid-state reaction method, additives in the semi-solution method were introduced in the form of the aqueous solution rather than oxide powders. Experiment results show that higher peak dielectric constant e m a x (140–150%), larger maximum polarization P m a x (24 μC cm−2), and less apparent aging phenomena were achieved by the semi-solution method. A comprehensive microscopic analysis was carried out to explore the origin of property enhancement. Results show that enhanced properties could be ascribed to the higher level of compositional homogeneity and lower content of oxygen vacancies. This study provides a new method to control aging phenomena and achieve property enhancement in acceptor-donor co-doped ceramics. Moreover, this simple and cost-effective method may also find its application in other extensive-doped ceramics.

While many patients with psoriasis are candidates for topical agents, long-term treatment effects are unclear. This systematic review evaluated global findings from clinical trials and real-world studies of topical calcipotriol and the two-compound formulation of calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate for mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis (including scalp psoriasis). PubMed, Embase and MEDLINE were searched for relevant English-language publications along with Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Latin American publication databases. Identified articles were screened by title and abstract against predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. A narrative synthesis of key efficacy and safety findings from the full papers of selected publications was developed. Thirty-seven relevant papers were identified (25 English, 11 Chinese and one Japanese-language study) including 28 randomized controlled trials. While there was significant heterogeneity in study length, treatment intensity and clinical measures, following a critical review of the published data combined with expert opinion, the following clinical practice recommendations were agreed in order to assist healthcare providers: in adults, long-term treatment with calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate is well tolerated and efficacious for up to 1 year on an 'as needed' basis, and for up to 16 weeks on a fixed-treatment regimen. Calcipotriol is also well tolerated and efficacious when used long term (up to 52 weeks) 'as needed' and for up to 20 weeks on a fixed-treatment regimen. Used on an 'as needed' basis for up to 1 year, the safety and efficacy profile of fixed-dose combination calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate is more favorable than calcipotriol alone; regular consultation between patients and their dermatologist/primary care physician is required to review psoriasis symptoms and adjust treatment accordingly; a specific treatment goal should be agreed on initiation of topical agent(s) to determine when long-term treatment can begin or if a regimen change is warranted; and application frequency during the continued treatment phase should consider the patients' treatment expectations and goals.

Developing efficient, stable, and cheap photocatalysts for H2 production has aroused great interest among researchers. Herein, noble-metal-free ZnO/SrTiO3 composite photocatalysts have been successfully prepared by hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffusion spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy are used to characterize the obtained samples. The photocatalytic water splitting for H2 production by ZnO/SrTiO3 has been studied under simulated sunlight irradiation by using triethanolamine as a sacrificial agent and Eosin Y (EY) dye as a sensitizer. The orthogonal experiments are designed to optimize the photocatalytic reaction conditions for practical purposes. The influencing extents and trends of the factors have been investigated, including the catalyst composition and dosage, pH value of the solution, triethanolamine, and EY addition. Under the optimum conditions, the H2 production rate with ZnO/SrTiO3 is up to 16006.12 μmol g−1 h−1. The excellent performance of ZnO/SrTiO3 is attributed to the formation of a step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunction, which promotes the separation of photocarriers and reduces their recombination probability.

Selenium (Se) is one of the toxic trace elements in flue gas emitted from coal-fired power plants. A method for oxidation and absorption of selenium dioxide (SeO2) by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and sodium chlorite (NaClO2) in a calcium-based slurry is proposed, in which hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) were selected to be absorbents, and H2O2 and NaClO2 were used to oxidize SeO2 and selenite ion to selenate ion to reduce their toxicities. The effects of reaction temperature, H2O2 and NaClO2 concentrations, solution pH, and SeO2 concentration were investigated, from which the optimal reaction conditions were established. The results indicated that the oxidation efficiency was affected significantly by the solution pH, and H2O2 and NaClO2 concentrations. The oxidation efficiency of SeO2 and selenite ion to selenate ion was below 40% using H2O2 and that increased to 92% with NaClO2 at the optimal conditions. For removal, Ca(OH)2 and CaCO3 slurries were used as absorbents and the efficiencies were affected by the slurry temperature. Oxidation behavior and mechanism were analyzed based on the characterization of removal products using hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. SeO2 and selenite ion can be oxidized to selenate ion, which is less toxic, by active species such as hydroxyl radicals (HO·) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2), which are released during the decomposed processes of H2O2 and NaClO2 in acid conditions.

The phthalate concentrations in dust from undergraduate dormitories, classrooms, and homes in Beijing, China, were measured in April 2017. We analyzed the characteristics of phthalates in dust from three environments. In addition, we estimated the daily intake of phthalates via three pathways using Monte Carlo simulations. The detection frequency of eight phthalates in dust ranges from 74.5 to 100%. Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP) are the most abundant phthalates. The median proportion of DEHP in dust is the highest, ranging from 67.1 to 72.9%. The PMF results indicated that two, four, and three types of phthalate sources exist in home, dormitory, and classroom, respectively. The differences in the phthalate concentrations between sunny and shaded rooms and urban and suburban classrooms are insignificant, whereas that between male and female dormitories is significant. The total daily intake of DEHP, DnBP, and DiBP ranges from 97.3 to 336 ng/ (kg·day). The oral intake for DEHP in classrooms and the dermal intake of DnBP and DiBP in homes are the highest. The carcinogenic risk of DEHP to university students is the highest in classrooms and the total carcinogenic risk of the three environments is 4.70 × 10-6.

Lycopene (LYC) is a potent antioxidant synthesized by red vegetables or plants. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is frequently detected in many diverse agricultural environments and considered a reproductive toxicant. The present research was designed to assess the potential mechanisms of DEHP-induced testicular toxicity and the treatment efficacy of LYC. In this study, after oral administration of LYC treatment at the dose of 5mg/kg b.w./day, mice were given 500 or 1000 mg/kg b.w./day of DEHP. This research suggested that LYC prevented DEHP-induced disorder in levels of activity and content of CYP450 enzymes. LYC attenuated DEHP-caused enhancement in nuclear xenobiotic receptors (NXRs) and the phase I metabolizing enzymes (CYP1, CYP2, CYP3, etc.) levels. Furthermore, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was induced by DEHP and triggered unfolded protein response (UPR). Interestingly, LYC could effectively ameliorate these “hit”. The present study suggested that LYC prevents DEHP-induced ER stress in testis via regulating NXRs and UPRER.

Covering: up to 1 October 2020 Solanum steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGA), characterized by nitrogenous steroidal aglycone and glycoside residues, mainly occur in the Solanum species, including economically important edible plants such as potato, tomato, and eggplant. To date, 107 SGA assigned to six total skeletons have been identified from Solanum plants. SGA have unique structures and display significant pharmacological activities such as cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anticholesterol, and some are well-known poisons. The biosynthesis pathway, transcriptional regulation, and the evolution of SGA are also examined in detail. This report updates the chemical knowledge of the naturally occurring SGA from Solanum species, thereby providing an in-depth analysis of their diversity, biological activities, and biosynthesis.

Occlusion of blood vessel caused by thrombus is the major pathogenesis of various catastrophic cardiovascular diseases. Thrombus can be prevented or treated by antithrombotic drugs. However, free antithrombotic drugs often have relatively low therapeutic efficacy due to a number of limitations such as short half-life, unexpected bleeding complications, low thrombus targeting capability, and negligible hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-scavenging ability. Inspired by the abundance of H(2)O(2) and the active thrombus-targeting property of platelets, a H(2)O(2)-responsive platelet membrane-cloaked argatroban-loaded polymeric nanoparticle (PNP(Arg)) was developed for thrombus therapy. Poly(vanillyl alcohol-co-oxalate) (PVAX), a H(2)O(2)-degradable polymer, was synthesized to form an argatroban-loaded nanocore, which was further coated with platelet membrane. The PNP(Arg) can effectively target the blood clots due to the thrombus-homing property of the cloaked platelet membrane, and subsequently exert combined H(2)O(2)-scavenging effect via the H(2)O(2)-degradable nanocarrier polymer and antithrombotic effect via argatroban, the released payload. The PNP(Arg) effectively scavenged H(2)O(2) and protected cells from H(2)O(2)-induced cellular injury in RAW 264.7 cells and HUVECs. The PNP(Arg) rapidly targeted the thrombosed vessels and remarkably suppressed thrombus formation, and the levels of H(2)O(2) and inflammatory cytokine in the ferric chloride-induced carotid arterial thrombosis mouse model. Safety assessment indicated good biocompatibility of the PNP(Arg). Taken together, the biomimetic PNP(Arg) offers multifunctionalities including thrombus-targeting, antioxidation, and H(2)O(2)-stimulated antithrombotic action, thereby making it a promising therapeutic nanomedicine for thrombosis diseases.

The bifunctional photocatalyst Yb–NH2-MIL-125(Ti) synthesized using a simple and convenient method enhanced photocatalytic NO removal and hydrogen production simultaneously, in which the formation of Yb species transient centers anchored on NH2-MIL-125(Ti) accelerated the transfer and separation rate of charge carriers. The NO removal rate of the optimal sample Yb-NM-6 was 66.3% (the original NH2-MIL-125(Ti) was only 28.1%), and the hydrogen production was 1883.7993 μmol g−1 (the original NH2-MIL-125(Ti) had almost no effect). A series of comparative experiments, in particular cyclic voltammogram tests, showed that the transient YbII/III centers were obtained through a non-traditional ligand to linker metal charge transfer (LLMCT) pathway, which was very different from the traditional ligand metal charge transfer (LMCT) pathway, so as to form a novel charge transfer channel to improve photocatalytic performance. This work details a feasible avenue by which to obtain a novel LLMCT pathway through introducing various metal ions anchored on metal–organic frameworks as efficient transient centers to further improve photocatalytic performance.

Control of conductance through a single molecule via alternating anchoring points provides a unique perspective to design single-molecule electronic devices. A high conductance difference among different states is essential for a single-molecule electronic device, which is challenging due to restriction of the structural changes in single-molecule junctions. Here, tetraphenylethylene derivatives with multiple anchoring sites are designed and synthesized to investigate single-molecule conductance using the scanning tunneling microscope break junction (STM-BJ) technique. In the break-junction cycle process, connection conformations with different anchor sites have been achieved reversibly to switch single-molecule conductance using the STM-BJ technique. Through mechanical control, these multi-anchored single-molecule junctions can achieve up to three conductance switching cycles, and the variation in conductance reaches up to four orders of magnitude. Theoretical calculations reveal that the conductance change originates from the different connecting sites and the different anchored configurations of single-molecule junctions provide a significantly different transmission. Our findings provide a reliable strategy to manipulate the mechanical switching and shed light on investigating the intrinsic charge transport of multi-anchored molecules.

Despite remarkable clinical achievements, camptothecin (CPT) still suffers from poor solubility and severe toxicity. Therefore, it is necessary to redevelop CPT derivatives as supplementary antitumor agents with good water solubility and small side effects. In this work, 27 camptothecin derivatives were synthesized and screened for their cytotoxicity against A549 (lung) and HCT-116 (colon) cancer cell lines. Among them, compound B7, 7-ethyl-10-(2-oxo-2-(4-methylpiperidin-1-yl)ethoxy)camptothecin,was demonstrated in vitro to be a more potent antitumor agent than SN-38 by comparison of their inhibitory activities against cell proliferation and colony formation and interference effect on process of cell cycle and cell apoptosis. Additionally, a molecular docking model revealed that B7 can interact with the topoisomerase I-DNA complex, and that the solubility of B7 reached 5.73 μg/mL in water. Moreover, B7 significantly inhibited tumor growth in an A549 xenograft model at dosages of 0.4 and 2.0 mg/kg, and exhibited minimum lethal doses comparable to those of irinotecan. These results indicated that B7, with improved solubility, enhanced activity and acceptable acute toxicity, can be used as a lead compound for the development of novel anticancer agents.

A novel Pd/Cu-cocatalyzed isocyanide-insertion cyclization of indoles and hydrolysis of enamines has been developed for the construction of indolo[1,2-a]quinoxalinones. A secondary amine group on the N-phenylindole skeleton acts as an important directing groups that participates in activation of the C(2)-position of the indole and the subsequent isocyanide-insertion cyclization. The fragile generated enamine bond is easily hydrolyzed by the acid medium to give the corresponding quinoxalinone skeleton. This regioselective and high-yielding transformation, which avoids the use of hazardous CO gas, might be extendable to syntheses of natural polycyclic products.

Long alpha-synuclein gene (SNCA) promoter (Rep1) allele-carriers are linked to higher risk for Parkinson's disease (PD) and faster motor progression. Non-motor symptoms including autonomic, neuropsychiatric, and sleep disorders are common in PD. However, the relationship between SNCA Rep1 microsatellite lengths and non-motor symptoms in early PD remains to be elucidated. 171 consecutive early PD patients were recruited from tertiary clinics and genotyped for Rep1. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to examine associations between Rep1 alleles and non-motor outcome scores. Longer Rep1 alleles significantly associated with higher total Non-Motor Symptom Scale (NMSS) scores (p=.006) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) depression subscale scores (p=.002), after adjusting for covariates and Bonferroni correction. We demonstrated that SNCA Rep1 allele length influences overall non-motor symptom burden and depression in early PD patients. Further functional studies to evaluate the role of Rep1 in non-dopaminergic systems may unravel new therapeutic targets for non-motor symptoms in PD.

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a widespread pollutant that badly affects animals and human health. Lycopene (LYC) has been used as a dietary supplement that has effective antioxidant and antiobesity functions. The present goal was to understand the molecular mechanisms of LYC preventing DEHP-induced lipid metabolism of the liver. The mice were intragastrically administered with LYC (5 mg/kg) and/or DEHP (500 mg/kg or 1000 mg/kg). Here, we found that LYC attenuated DEHP-caused hepatic histopathological lesions including steatosis. Hematological and biochemical analyses revealed that LYC ameliorated DEHP-caused liver function and lipid metabolism disorders. DEHP caused lipid metabolism disorders via activating the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α/γ (PPARα/γ) signal transducer and Farnesoid X receptor (FXR)/liver X receptor (LXR) signaling pathway. As a major regulator of lipid metabolism, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) system was elevated with increased fatty degeneration under DEHP exposure. However, LYC could decrease the levels of HIF-1α/PPARα/PPARγ/FXR/LXR signaling pathway-related factors. Our research indicated that LYC could prevent DEHP-induced lipid metabolism disorders via inhibiting the HIF-1α-mediated PPARα/PPARγ/FXR/LXR system. This study may provide a possible molecular mechanism for fatty liver induced by DEHP.

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) as one of the most common visible-light-responsive photocatalysts has been widely investigated for hydrogen generation. However, its low solar-hydrogen conversion efficiency caused by fast carrier recombination and poor catalytic activity hinders its practical applications. To address this issue, we develop a novel and highly efficient nickel-cobalt phosphide and phosphate cocatalyst-modified CdS (NiCoP/CdS/NiCoPi) photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution. The dual-cocatalysts were simultaneously deposited on CdS during one phosphating step by using sodium hypophosphate as the phosphorus source. After the loading of the dual-cocatalysts, the photocurrent of CdS significantly increased, while its electrical impedance and photoluminescence emission dramatically decreased, which indicates the enhancement of charge carrier separation. It was proposed that the NiCoP cocatalyst accepts electrons and promotes hydrogen evolution, while the NiCoPi cocatalyst donates electrons and accelerates the oxidation of sacrificial agents (e.g., lactic acid). Consequently, the visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution of this composite photocatalyst greatly improved. The dual-cocatalyst-modified CdS with a loading content of 5 mol % showed a high hydrogen evolution rate of 80.8 mmol.g(-1).h(-1), which was 202 times higher than that of bare CdS (0.4 mmol.g(-1).h(-1)). This is the highest enhancement factor for metal phosphide-modified CdS photocatalysts. It also exhibited remarkable stability in a continuous photocatalytic test with a total reaction time of 24 h.

In vivo and vitro evidence indicates that ornithine and its related metabolic products play a role in tumor development. Whether ornithine is associated with breast cancer in humans is still unclear. We examined the association between circulating ornithine levels and breast cancer in females. This 1:1 age-matched case–control study identified 735 female breast cancer cases and 735 female controls without breast cancer. All cases had a pathological test to ascertain a breast cancer diagnosis. The controls were ascertained using pathologic testing, clinical examinations, and/or other tests. Fasting blood samples were used to measure ornithine levels. The average age for cases and controls were 49.6 years (standard deviation [SD] 8.7 years) and 48.9 years (SD 8.7 years), respectively. Each SD increase in ornithine levels was associated with a 12% reduction of breast cancer risk (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.79–0.97). The association between ornithine and breast cancer did not differ by pathological stages of diagnosis or tumor grades (all P for trend > 0.1). We observed no effect measure modification by molecular subtypes (P for interaction = 0.889). In conclusion, higher ornithine levels were associated with lower breast cancer risk in females.

In recent times, the copper chalcogenide (Cu2-xE, E = S, Se, Te, 0 ≤ x ≤ 1)-based nanomaterials have emerged as potent photothermal agents for photothermal therapy (PTT) because of their advantageous features, such as the low cost, reduced toxicity, biodegradability, and strong absorption of near-infrared (NIR) light in a relatively wide range of wavelength. Nevertheless, the applicability of Cu2-xE-based PTT is limited because of its inadequate photothermal conversion efficiency, as well as insufficient destruction of the tumor area unexposed to the NIR laser. Fortunately, Cu2-xE nanomaterials also act as photosensitizers or Fenton-reaction catalysts to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), referring to ROS-related therapy (RRT), which could further eradicate cancer cells to address the aforementioned limitations of PTT. Moreover, PTT improves RRT based on photodynamic therapy (PDT), sonodynamic therapy (SDT), chemodynamic therapy (CDT), and radiotherapy (RT) in different ways. Inspired by these facts, integrating Cu2-xE-based PTT with RRT into a single nanoplatform seems an ideal strategy to achieve synergistically therapeutic effects for cancer treatment. Herein, we discuss the synergetic mechanisms, composition, and performances of recent nanoplatforms for the combination of Cu2-xE-based PTT and RRT. In addition, we give a brief overview on some specific strategies for the further improvement of Cu2-xE-based PTT and RRT combined cancer treatment to enable the complete eradication of cancer cells, such as realizing the imaging-guided synergistic therapy, promoting deep tumor penetration of the nanosystems, and boosting O2 or H2O2 in the tumor microenvironment. Finally, we summarize with intriguing perspectives, focusing on the future tendencies for their clinical application.

Engineering highly porous SiC foams with interconnected cellular architecture and satisfactory compressive strength for the practical applications remains a challenging task. In the current work, SiC foams bonded by in-situ formed mullite phase were fabricated via polyurethane foaming using boehmite sol-coated SiC powder as the raw material. The strategy in the current work endowed the resultant products with ultrahigh porosity, interconnected pore structure, and a robust mullite bonding phase among the SiC particles. The resulting products with this cellular architecture possessed a high porosity level of 88.5% and maintained a robust compressive strength of 2.56 MPa. Our results showed that as-prepared products are promising for practical applications in the filtration, adsorption and catalytic areas.

Understanding the bimetallic interfacial effects on the catalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is an important and challenging issue. Herein, the geometric structure, electronic structure, and electrocatalytic property of Cu(submonolayer)/Au bimetallic interfaces are investigated by using density functional theory calculation. The results predict that the expansion of the Cu lattice can significantly modulate the CO2RR performance, the Cu(submonolayer)/Au interface has good surface activity promoting the reduction of CO2 to C2 compounds, and the final products of CO2RR on Cu/Au(111) and Cu/Au(100) surfaces are ethanol and a mixture of ethanol and ethylene, respectively. Furthermore, with regard to surface coverage and adsorption energy being two essential parameters for CO2RR, we demonstrate that the reaction of *CO and *CHO is the key process for obtaining the C2 products on the Cu/Au interface. This study offers a useful strategy for improving the surface activity and selectivity for CO2RR.

A series of tests were carried out to evaluate crack resistance and mechanical properties of polyvinyl alcohol fiber-reinforced cement-stabilized macadam, which is widely used as pavement base or subbase composite material. Three series of cement-stabilized macadam mixtures with cement content of 3.2%, 3.6%, and 4.0% were prepared by incorporating four various contents (0, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 kg/m3) and lengths (12, 18, 24, and 30 mm) of polyvinyl alcohol fiber. The optimum polyvinyl alcohol fiber content, fiber length, and cement content were determined based on the mechanical properties of cement-stabilized macadam mixtures. Then, unconfined compressive strength test, compressive resilience modulus test, splitting strength test, flexural tensile strength test, drying shrinkage test, and temperature shrinkage test were carried out in this study. The results show that polyvinyl alcohol fiber-reinforced cement-stabilized prepared by optimum proportions (cement 3.6%, fiber content 0.9 kg/m3, and fiber length 24 mm) has good crack resistance. The incorporation of polyvinyl alcohol fiber can effectively improve compressive strength and splitting strength, while its effect on CRM of cement-stabilized macadam is not remarkable. The anti-dry-shrinkage property and anti-temperature-shrinkage property of the specimens are also drastically improved due to the reinforcement effect of polyvinyl alcohol fiber. Moreover, the crack resistance index is proposed to evaluate the crack resistance of materials. The crack resistance of PVA fiber-reinforced cement-stabilized macadam prepared by optimum proportions is improved by 44.4%. Consequently, the mechanical properties and crack resistance of cement-stabilized macadam are obviously improved by adding polyvinyl alcohol fiber.

Primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) has been proven as a systemic autoimmune disorder (such as Sjogren’s syndrome dry eye). This research aimed to evaluate potential treating effects of Iguratimod on pSS. Fifty pSS patients were enrolled and randomly divided into Conventional group and Iguratimod group. Improvement in pSS was evaluated every 4 weeks. pSS disease activity was evaluated with European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Sjogren’s syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI). Symptoms were evaluated by determining EULAR Sjogren’s syndrome patient-reported index (ESSPRI), platelet (PLT), IgG and Schirmer I test. Peripheral blood B cell molecules (CD135, IgD, CD38, CD20) and human B cell-activating factor-receptor (BAFF-R) were analyzed with flow cytometry. After treating for 12-weeks, pSS patients in Iguratimod and Conventional group showed a significant decrease in disease activity (ESSPRI, ESSDAI, PLT, IgG and Schirmer I test) comparing with baselines. Patients’ ESSPRI (2.92 ± 0.19) and disease activity of ESSDAI (4.32 ± 0.29), PLT (95.64 ± 1.86), IgG (13.0 ± 0.45) and Schirmer I test (4.67 ± 0.31) in Iguratimod group were significantly lower compared to Conventional group (4.64 ± 0.15, 5.8 ± 2.08, 77.44 ± 1.41, 16.5 ± 0.44 and 2.25 ± 0.11) (p

The effect of nanomaterials on the thermal behavior of Decanoic-Caprylic Acid (DA-CA) binary eutectic mixture was investigated experimentally. Different high thermal conductivity nanomaterials, including nano-sized iron oxide (Fe2O3), nano-sized copper (Cu), hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-OH), and dispersant Span-60, were added into DA-CA, respectively. The nanomaterial-enhanced phase change materials (NePCMs) were prepared by the ultrasonic oscillation method. The effects of nanomaterials on the cool storage performance of DA-CA were studied from the types and concentrations of nanomaterials. The experimental results showed that as the nanomaterials mass concentration increased, the thermal conductivity increased first and then gradually stabilized. The thermal conductivity trend for the composites added to the nanomaterials was: 0.40 g·L−1 Fe2O3 > 0.10 g·L−1 MWCNT-OH > 0.30 g·L−1 Cu. DA-CA + 0.40 g·L−1 Fe2O3 exhibited the best thermal properties, and its thermal conductivity increased by 36.8%, and the thermal storage time decreased by 38%. After 500 times thermal stability test, the NePCMs still maintained the appropriate phase change temperature and high latent heat. Therefore, this material has potential as part of the cold chain logistics for fruit and vegetable preservation.

2,3,5,6-Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) has health care functions, especially for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. In this study, we found that Bacillus coagulans, a well-known probiotic, has t...

In order to find a low temperature phase change material with a temperature range of 2–8°C, decyl alcohol (DA) and myristyl alcohol (MA) binary eutectic mixture was prepared based on theoretical ca...

The microstructure of large-capacity anodes is of great importance in determining the performance of sodium- and potassium-ion batteries. Yolk-shell nanostructures promise excellent structural stability but suffer from insufficient charge transfer rate during cycles. Herein, we tackle this challenge by constructing a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) internally bridged yolk-shell structure, inside which SWNTs cover the surface of the yolk and connect the yolk and shell, for better electron/ion transportation. Combining the merits of both yolk-shell structure and conductive SWNT channels, the as-prepared Fe

Cellular ceramics with 3D network architecture are attracting ever-increasing attention because of their great application potential in multiple fields. Unfortunately, a daunting challenge still remains for fabricating such materials. A novel methodology is provided in the current work to construct cellular ZrO2 ceramics with such architecture by combining polyurethane foaming and chemical modification technology. Stearic acid grafted ZrO2 powder with improved dispersibility allows the successful assembly into the polyurethane porous framework. The obtained cellular materials possess a three-dimensional network architecture with windows on the cell wall. The resulting ZrO2 cellular ceramic with such unique structure exhibits a relatively high porosity (83.5%) and robust compressive strength (13.5 MPa), which outperforms most of the existing ZrO2-based counterparts. With above advantages, we envision that as-prepared products are promising for filter applications.

Exfoliated organo-montmorillonite (O-Mt) layers were successfully encapsulated in a terpolymer microsphere (PAAA) of acrylamide (AM)/acrylic acid (AA)/2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) via in situ inverse suspension polymerization, with the aid of the organic modification by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium lauryl sulfonate (SLS). The chemical structure and properties of the Mt were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), which showed that SLS molecules successfully intercalated Mt interlayers and enhanced the thermostability of Mt. The microsphere morphologies of the polymer and its nanocomposites were detected by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed that the exfoliated O-Mt dispersed in the polymer matrix. The introduction of well-dispersed O-Mt layers significantly enhanced the comprehensive performance of these microspheres, including thermostability and plugging properties. The T max of PAAA/1.5 wt.% O-Mt nanocomposite is increased by 46°C compared to the pure terpolymer. The plugging rate of PAAA/2.0 wt.% O-Mt reached up to 85.8%. Therefore, these selected nanocomposite microspheres can provide an effective plugging in the high-permeability layers.