Search

Ionic liquid functionalized graphene oxides (GOs-IL) were synthesized by the amidation and cation-π stacking, and their tribological property as the water-based lubricant additives was investigated...

In this work, using the pentaerythritol with phthalic anhydride and different long-carbon chain alcohols to synthesize a kind of hyperbranched polyester (FI) as flow improver for crude oil. The evaluation test shows FI could decline the viscosity by 65% at most on 50 °C, from 33430 mPa·s to 11670 mPa·s. Through further analyzed, TGA results confirm the designed compounds was successfully synthesized. XRD demonstrates the mixed carbon chain matched with the carbon chain distribution of saturated hydrocarbon have better ability than the single on inserting into the wax crystal. IR results indicate the reaction between the carboxyl of FI and the amino hydroxyl and hydroxyl of asphaltene and resin respectively. SEM photographs show FI react to the asphaltene and resin on the macro. In the further, the assembly model presents the FI with hyperbranched structure could increase the separation effect to improve the flowability of the crude oil.

Checkpoint inhibitors show promising efficacy in advanced lung cancer, especially in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This meta-analysis was conducted to explore the therapeutic efficacy and safety of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies combined with chemotherapy or CTLA4 antibody as first-line treatments for patients with advanced lung cancer. A systematic search was performed in databases for this system review and quantitative meta-analysis. Twelve trials were finally enrolled in the meta-analysis. Our analyses revealed that the combined overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) for immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of NSCLC were 47.0% (95% CI: 34.2%-60.2%) and 80.9% (95% CI: 69.4%-88.7%), respectively. The combined ORR and DCR for CTLA4 antibody combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) were 65.4% (61.1%-69.5%) and 87.6% (84.5%-90.2%), respectively. The combined six-month progression-free survival rates (PFSRs6m ) for NSCLC and SCLC were 50.2% (95% CI: 21.9%-78.4%) and 30.7% (21.2%-40.3%), respectively, and the OSRs1y were 56.4% (39.1%-73.7%) and 36.9% (33.3%-40.5%), respectively. In addition, the combined ORR and DCR for the checkpoint inhibitors plus CTLA4 antibody treatment group in NSCLC were 29.6% (95% CI: 11.4%-57.8%) and 48.7% (16.8%-81.7%), respectively. In subgroup analyses, a significant improvement in PFS was observed in NSCLC and SCLC, with a combined hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval of 0.841 (0.737-0.961) and 0.856 (0.756-0.968), respectively. In summary, synergistic activity and an acceptable safety profile were observed with checkpoint inhibitor plus chemotherapy combination treatment in lung cancer.

N-Doped carbon dots (CDs) were directly synthesized with a high yield of 21.85% by one-pot pyrolysis of a gel composed of ethanolamine and 1-carboxyethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride at 220 °C for 2 h. The as-synthesized CDs with a mean particle size of 7.8 nm were uniform, amorphous, and abundant in nitrogen content (23.15 wt%) and surface groups such as amide and hydroxyl. Thus, the CDs exhibited good water-solubility, bright blue excitation- and pH-dependent fluorescence with a quantum yield of 17.93%, and high ionic strength tolerance. In addition, a CD-based fluorescent sensor towards Cr(vi) ions with favorable sensitivity and selectivity was constructed based on the inner filter effect. Two good linear relationships between the concentration of Cr(vi) ions and the PL quenching efficiency were obtained in the ranges from 0.2 to 2 (R2 = 0.9965) and 2-40 μM (R2 = 0.9918), and the limits of detection (LOD = 3σ/S) were calculated as 0.018 and 0.25 μM, respectively. Importantly, this sensor was solid and capable of rapidly detecting Cr(vi) ions in tap water with detection ranges of 0.2-2 (R2 = 0.9817) and 2-60 μM (R2 = 0.9902), LODs of 0.048 and 0.40 μM, and recoveries of 102.1-106%.

Purpose: Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) is a detrimental complication of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and associated with poor prognosis. However, the underlying mechanisms of the metastasis process are still poorly understood. Experimental Design: We performed next-generation panel sequencing of primary tumor tissue, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and matched normal controls from epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive NSCLC patients with LM. Results: The status of EGFR-activating mutations was highly concordant between primary tumor and CSF. PIK3CA aberrations were high in these patients, implicating an association with LM risk. Intriguingly, low overlapping of somatic protein-changing variants was observed between paired CSF and primary lesions, exhibiting tumor heterogeneity and genetic divergence. Moreover, genes with CSF-recurrent genomic alterations were predominantly involved in cell-cycle regulation and DNA-damage response (DDR), suggesting a role of the pathway in LM development. Conclusions: Our study has shed light on the genomic variations of NSCLC-LM, demonstrated genetic heterogeneity and divergence, uncovered involvement of cell-cycle and DDR pathway, and paved the way for potential therapeutic approaches to this unmet medical need. Clin Cancer Res; 24(1); 209–16. ©2017 AACR.

In this paper, a kind of fluoropolymer nanoparticles (FPNPs) with excellent dispensability and stability was prepared for sandstone wettability adjustment. FPNPs not only could adsorb on sandstone to form micro-nano structures but also reduce the surface free energy of sandstone. FPNPs could change the wettability of cores from super-hydrophilic to superhydrophobic. The formation water contact angle of cores from 7° to 150° (95.33 % in wettability alteration). The surface free energy of cores from 180.77 mN m−1 to 0.817 mN m−1 (99.54 % reduction). The temperature resistance experiments illustrate that the formation water contact angle was 139° after 48 h aging at 150 °C, which is still a highly hydrophobic state. Ultrasonic cleaning experiments explain that after 45 min of ultrasonic cleaning, the formation water contact angle was 131°, indicating that there is a strong adsorption force between the core and FPNPs. Core imbibition experiments demonstrate that the treated core imbibition rate reduced by 66 %. Core flooding experiments show that the core water permeability increased by 44.26 %, and the pressure reduction rate reached 29.62 %. Therefore, FPNPs have promising applications in the fields of removing water locking, reducing injection pressure, and increasing injection volume.

A viscoelastic fluid, composing of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium salicylate (NaSal) at a mole ratio of 0.75 has been synthesized in the present investigation along with the incorporation of N, N-dimethylcyclohexylamine (DMCA) to endow CO2 responsive property into it. In present of CO2, DMCA was found to be protonated into quaternary ammonium salt, and thus converted to water soluble species. With addition of DMCA, the system transforms from gel-like fluid to water-like system, and subsequently self-assemble to form viscoelastic fluid after spraying of CO2. The rheological measurements and cryo-transmission electron microscopic (Cryo-TEM) characterization revealed that, the sol–gel transition was associated with the spherical-wormlike miceller transformation. This transformation was found to be reversible in nature. The micelle structures, molecular states and intermolecular interactions were exploited to achieve at the most plausible mechanism associated to the transformation.

Ultraviolet optical coatings employ wide bandgap dielectric materials due to their characteristic low absorption. High-reflectivity and antireflective coatings are essential for optical devices, which can be achieved by alternately depositing two dielectrics with different refractive indices. In this research, a multilayer high-reflectivity coating has been designed for middle UV wavelengths using Al2O3 and AlF3 layers on a sapphire (0001) substrate, and the initial two-layer structure has been fabricated by atomic layer deposition. The surface morphology and roughness of the coating was measured by atomic force microscopy after each deposition step. Ultraviolet spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry were used to characterize the optical performance of the single and multilayer coatings. Monochromatic x-ray photoemission spectroscopy was used to study the film composition, bonding, and impurities. A bilayer reflective coating was demonstrated, with a smooth surface (Rq

It is a great challenge to fabricate lightweight microwave absorption materials (MAMs) with strong electromagnetic wave attenuation over wide frequency range. In this work, ultralight multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/graphene foams (CGFs) are prepared through a facile solvothermal method and their microwave absorption (MA) properties are fully investigated. The CGFs exhibit tunable complex permittivity and conductivity through regulating MWCNT loading and thermal reduction temperature. The addition of MWCNT remarkably enhances the MA intensity of CGFs in low frequency. A minimum reflection loss value of −39.5 dB and average absorption intensity exceeding 22.5 dB in both C (4–8 GHz) and X (8–12 GHz) bands are obtained. For the optimized CGF, the qualified bandwidth with reflection loss less than - 10 dB reaches up to 16 GHz, which covers the whole measured range of 2–18 GHz and shares the widest qualified bandwidth among open literature reports. Furthermore, a specific MA performance of 12243 dB cm2 g−1 is realized, which is one of the best results among various MAMs. The synergistic effect of MWCNT and graphene and thus obtained three dimensional high loss multilevel network architecture are thought to be the primary causes for the excellent MA performance of CGFs.

A series of triblock copolymers, containing a CO2-switchable block poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDM) block and two symmetrical hydrophilic blocks polyacrylamide (PAM), were synthesized using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. The pH and conductivity tests showed that the triblock copolymer exhibited switchable responsiveness to CO2, i.e. a relatively low conductivity of solution could be switched on and off by bubbling and removing of CO2, and the triblock copolymer aqueous solution displayed a CO2-switchable viscosity variation. The changes were all attributed to protonation of tertiary amine groups in PDM blocks and proven by 1H-NMR. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering characterization demonstrated that the viscosity variation was the result of a unilamellar vesicle-network aggregate structure transition. The release of rhodamine B from the vesicles with and without CO2 stimuli showed the potential application in drug delivery domains; after CO2 bubbling, the drug release rate could be accelerated. Finally, reasonable mechanism of CO2-switchable morphology changes and CO2-induced drug release was proposed.

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) is the standard therapy for advanced lung adenocarcinomas with common EGFR mutations. However, the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in patients with uncommon EGFR mutations (other than exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutation) remains undetermined. Seven hundred and fifty-five non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR mutation analyses for TKI therapy were identified between October 2010 and December 2015 in East of China. And 66 patients bearing uncommon EGFR mutations were included to collect data from TKI response and prognosis. We categorised EGFR uncommon mutations as: sensitizing rare mutations (group 1: G719X, L861Q, S768I); Ex20 ins (group 2), or complex mutations (G719X + L861Q, G719X + S768I, 19 del + T790M, 19 del + L858R, L858R + S768I, and L858R + T790M; group 3). Of 66 patients given EGFR-TKI treatment, rare sensitive mutations, Ex20 ins, and complex mutations were identified in 37 (56.1%), 9 (13.6%), and 20 (33.3%) cases, respectively. TKI efficacy in patients harboring uncommon EGFR mutations exhibited a tumor response rate of 28.8% and a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 4.8 months. Additionally, patients with complex EGFR mutations had significantly longer PFS when compared with the remaining sensitizing rare mutations or Ex20 ins cases (8.6 vs. 4.1 vs. 3.1 months; p = 0.041). Importantly, complex EGFR mutations were independent predictors of increased overall survival (Hazard Ratios = 0.31; 95% confidence intervals: 0.11–0.90; p = 0.031). Among them, patients harboring Del-19 combined with L858R mutations showed a tendency to have higher response rate (RR) and improved PFS than those with other complex mutation patterns (RR: 66.7 vs. 14.3%, p = 0.021; PFS: 10.1 vs. 8.6 months, p = 0.232). Personalized treatment should be evolving in different types of uncommon EGFR mutations. Clinical benefit from EGFR-TKIs was higher in NSCLC patients with complex EGFR mutations than those with other uncommon EGFR mutation types.

Although non-small-cell lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are responsive to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors, drug resistances are always inevitable. The secondary somatic EGFR threonine–methionine substitution at position 790 (T790M) mutation accounts for ∼50% of acquired resistance mechanisms. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) transformation is a relatively rare mechanism, but has recently attracted considerable attention. The coexistence of both the mechanisms in one patient is much more scarce in clinic. In this case report, we described a 37-year-old woman who underwent refractory after second-line gefitinib therapy and was confirmed to have SCLC transformation without the T790M mutation in the left lobar nodule, but concomitant with the plasma-genotyped EGFR T790M mutation. Our case report uncovered the underling relationship between SCLC transformation and the T790M mutation, and the fluid biopsy approach may help overcome the problem of heterogeneity in acquired resistance to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

To compare the postoperative survival and mortality rates in intertrochanteric femoral fracture (IFF) patients who underwent either open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) or hip arthroplasty.Clinical data from senior patients who had IFF and underwent ORIF or hip arthroplasty were analyzed retrospectively. Survival curves were compared between groups with Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Significant independent prognostic factors were identified by Cox multivariate regression analysis.All patients recovered fully post-surgery. Although 31 patients died during the follow-up period (ORIF, mean 45.4 months; arthroplasty, mean 51.6 months), mortality rate did not differ significantly between the groups. The 1-yr and 2-yr survival rate estimates for the ORIF group were 92.2%, and 86%, respectively; they were 85% and 74% for the arthroplasty group. Average survival lengths for ORIF and arthroplasty groups were 88 and 67 months, respectively. The effect of surgical approaches on survival differed significantly (log-rank test c2 = 6.402, p = 0.011). Multivariate Cox regression model indicated that surgical choice (p = 0.036) was a significant independent risk factor for the prognosis of senile IFF, even with adjustment for age (p = 0.002).The overall postoperative prognosis was superior in senile IFF patients treated with ORIF.

A carboxyl betaine amphoteric hydrophobic associative polyacrylamide (CBAHAPAM) was synthesized in water solution through radical polymerization, which was made of polyacrylamide, N,N′-dimethyl octadecyl allyl ammonium chloride (DOAC), 1-carboxy-N,N′-dimethyl-N-(3-methylacryl-amidopropyl) ethanaminium inner salt (CBMAA-1) and 2-acrylamide-2-methyl propanesulfonic acid (AMPS). Self-assembly associative properties in CBAHAPAM solution and the effects of salt and temperature on the associative behavior were investigated by the means of viscosimetry, rheological test, fluorescence spectroscopy, and environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). Results showed that the critical association concentration (CAC) of the CBAHAPAM was about 0.30–0.32 wt %. The addition of the calcium chloride made the apparent viscosity of CBAHAPAM solution improve drastically than NaCl. Meanwhile, CBAHAPAM solution with NaCl and CaCl2 showed up better heat and shearing resistance than CBAHAPAM solution itself. The network structures of CBAHAPAM aqueous or salt solution was observed by ESEM. NaCl and CaCl2 reinforced the network structures, which further indicated that CBAHAPAM solution had a excellent capacity of salt thickening.

In this study, nanosilica/crosslinked Polyacrylamide (PAM) microsphere with a core–shell structure is designed to make a functional material, where nanosilica provides the rigidity, stiffness and strength, the crosslinked PAM provides the flexibility and elasticity. The structure mentioned above make the resulting microspheres to be able to enter, expand, shut off and be removed from deep layers of oilfields. A methodology to create the nanosilica/crosslinked PAM microsphere with a core–shell structure has been developed, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations are applied to successfully study the interaction between the microsphere and water in aqueous solution of nanosilica/crosslinked PAM microsphere and its swelling behavior. Results including the interaction energies (Einter) between nanosilica and crosslinked PAM, Einter between the microsphere and water molecules, radius of gyrations (Rg) of the microsphere, the radial distribution functions of microsphere-water pairs, the mean square displacements and the diffusion coefficients (D) of water are calculated and analyzed in detail. The experimental results of particle diameter tested from dynamic light scattering have been used to verify the simulation results of swelling behavior. The interaction between nanosilica/crosslinked PAM microsphere and water in aqueous solution and its swelling behavior are studied.

// Lulu Miao 1, * , Yunyun Lu 1, * , Yanjun Xu 1 , Gu Zhang 2 , Zhiyu Huang 1 , Lei Gong 1 and Yun Fan 1 1 Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China 2 Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Yun Fan, email: fanyun@csco.org.cn Keywords: small cell lung cancer, PD-L1, c-MET, expression, prognosis Received: October 31, 2015 Accepted: April 29, 2016 Published: June 1, 2016 ABSTRACT Background : Blocking the binding between the PD-1 and PD-L1 has been reported to produce antitumor responses. The MET/HGF axis appears to be another signaling pathway frequently altered in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Our study was aimed to investigate the expression and prognostic roles of PD-L1 and c-MET in SCLC. Methods : The expression levels of PD-L1 and c-MET were evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis in 83 SCLC specimens. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Of the SCLC specimens, 51.8% and 25.3% exhibited positivity for PD-L1 and c-MET, respectively. Higher PD-L1 expression in tumor specimens was significantly correlated with a limited disease (LD) stage, normal levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). No association was found between the levels of c-MET and PD-L1 expression or between c-MET expression and other clinical characteristics. SCLC patients with PD-L1-positive tumors showed significantly longer overall survival (OS) than patients with PD-L1-negative tumors (17.0 vs 9.0, p=0.018). Conversely, those with positive c-MET expression exhibited a shorter OS trend (12.0 vs 15.0, p=0.186). However, sub-analysis of LD-stage patients revealed longer OS among the c-MET-negative group (25.0 vs 14.0; p=0.011). The OS of patients with positivity for both PD-L1 and c-MET showed no significant difference compared with other patients (p=0.17). According to multivariate analyses, neither PD-L1 nor c-MET immunoreactivity was a prognostic factor. Conclusion: Expression of PD-L1 was correlated with LD stage and might serve as a prognostic for better OS in SCLC patients. In LD-stage patients, high c-MET expression might be predictive of a poor outcome.

Here, we report a CO2 stimulus-responsive system with anionic surfactant sodium oleate (NaOA) and N, N, N′, N′, N″-Pentamethyldipropylenetriamine (PMDPTA). The microstructure transition from spherical micelles to worm-like micelles was confirmed by rheology measurements, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cyro-TEM). There were three types of CO2−responsive groups in PMDPTA. However, because of PMDPTA ionization degrees, just one responsive group of PMDPTA could be ionized by CO2 to work with OA−, resulting in structure transformation from spherical micelles to worm-like micelles. Besides, this system could be switchable between low-viscosity fluid and high viscoelastic by CO2/N2.

The interaction between acrylamide acrylicacid copolymer (PAMAA) and the modified surface of nano-SiO2 is investigated using the molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. The binding energies (Ebinding) of interface, the concentration profiles of PAMAA and functional groups (carboxyl and acylamino) of corresponding model, the mean square displacements (MSD) and diffusion coefficients (D) of PAMAA in four systems with different modifiers are all calculated at 325 K in vacuum. Vinyl trimethoxy silane (VTEOS) shows best modification effect in the systems mentioned above. Furthermore, the effects of temperature on the interaction between VTEOS modified surface of nano-SiO2 and PAMAA are studied at 300, 325, 350, 375 and 400 K in aqueous solution. Interesting results show that, water molecular layer reduces with the increase of temperature, and then improves the interaction between PAMAA and VTEOS modified surface of nano-SiO2. The corresponding Ebinding of interface, the radial distribution functions (RDF) o...

A facile and effective route to prepare a pH and temperature dual-responsive surfactant micelle has been introduced based on hydrotrope potassium phthalic acid (PPA) and quaternary ammonium surfactants cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The system can be switched between viscoelastic solution and water-like fluid by adjusting pH values. In this paper, different binding abilities between the hydrotrope and surfactants have been demonstrated during the process of adjusting pH because the hydrotrope has different ionization degrees with the pH variation. And with the aid of rheological measurements and cryo-TEM observation, we discussed the different effects of the hydrotrope on surfactants at various pH values in detail and analyzed the possible aggregate transition mechanism of CTAB–PPA system induced by pH. Besides, this CTAB–PPA system has temperature-responsive property when pH

Polyacrylamide (PAM)-silica microspheres with core-shell structure are synthesized by inverse microemulsion polymerization in this study for the application of water shut-off due to high strength of nanosilica, crosslinked shell of PAM and strong interaction between PAM and silica. The core-shell microspheres flow into the high permeable layers along with injected water, meanwhile, swell after absorbing water and migrate into the deeper layer under the pressure by deformation, which efficiently increase the pressure of low and medium permeable layers, and decrease the loss of water into high permeable layers. Most resources of crude oil locate in low and medium permeable layers, and this work plays a very important role in the enhancement of recovery ratio of crude oil by new material. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), digital microscopes, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) are used to study the shape, size and high temperature resistant of the microsphere. Moreover, capillary flow experiments, nuclear-pore film filtration, and sand packed tube displacement experiment are applied to analysis the mechanisms of deep profile control.

Background/Aims: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in stem cell differentiation. However, their role in osteogenesis of human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs), a promising cell source for bone regeneration, remains unknown. Here, we investigated the expression profile and potential roles of lncRNAs in osteogenic differentiation of human ASCs. Methods: Human ASCs were induced to differentiate into osteoblasts in vitro, and the expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs in undifferentiated and osteogenic differentiated ASCs were obtained by microarray. Bioinformatics analyses including subgroup analysis, gene ontology analysis, pathway analysis and co-expression network analysis were performed. The function of lncRNA H19 was determined by in vitro knockdown and overexpression. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was utilized to examine the expression of selected genes. Results: We identified 1,460 upregulated and 1,112 downregulated lncRNAs in osteogenic differentiated human ASCs as compared with those of undifferentiated cells (Fold change ≥ 2.0, P < 0.05). Among these, 94 antisense lncRNAs, 85 enhancer-like lncRNAs and 160 lincRNAs were further recognized. We used 12 lncRNAs and 157 mRNAs to comprise a coding-non-coding gene expression network. Additionally, silencing of H19 caused a significantly increase in expression of osteogenesis-related genes, including ALPL and RUNX2, while a decrease was observed after H19 overexpression. Conclusion: This study revealed for the first time the global expression profile of lncRNAs involved in osteogenic differentiation of human ASCs and provided a foundation for future investigations of lncRNA regulation of human ASC osteogenesis.

This research aims to clarify the role of magnesium oxide as a catalyst in the catalytic ozonation process. Nano-sized magnesium oxide was prepared by the sol–gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The catalytic performance of magnesium oxide was tested for the removal of phenol. The effect of initial pH, MgO nanocrystal amount, radical scavenger (t-butanol) and Rct was investigated to understand the catalytic ozonation mechanism of magnesium oxide with ozone. Experimental results illustrated that nano-sized magnesium oxide presented significant performance for the ozonation and catalyzed the removal of phenol from aqueous solution by ozonation with a radical pathway involving hydroxyl radicals, which was due to the activity of surface basic groups from magnesium oxide where the conversion of ozone to hydroxyl radicals occurred. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and isoelectric point (IEP) analysis was applied to analyze the surface properties of the prepared nano-magnesium oxide. Activation energy (Ea) was calculated based on the Arrhenius principle equation. It reveals that phenol could enhance the density of surface hydroxyl groups and the introduction of magnesium oxide into the ozonation system does not alter the activation energy. Therefore, the prepared powder was found to be an efficient and promising catalyst for ozonation.

CO

[Image: see text] IRAK4 kinase activity transduces signaling from multiple IL-1Rs and TLRs to regulate cytokines and chemokines implicated in inflammatory diseases. As such, there is high interest in identifying selective IRAK4 inhibitors for the treatment of these disorders. We previously reported the discovery of potent and selective dihydrobenzofuran inhibitors of IRAK4. Subsequent studies, however, showed inconsistent inhibition in disease-relevant pharmacodynamic models. Herein, we describe application of a human whole blood assay to the discovery of a series of benzolactam IRAK4 inhibitors. We identified potent molecule 19 that achieves robust in vivo inhibition of cytokines relevant to human disease.

The efficacy of immunotherapy in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-activating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is limited. However, a series of patients with uncommon EGFR alterations was reported to derive clinical benefit from PD-1 blockade. To characterize the tumor immune microenvironment, we retrospectively evaluated tumor PD-L1 expression and T cells infiltration among NSCLC patients with uncommon EGFR mutations.Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the expression of PD-L1 and the abundance of CD4+ and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Chi-square test and Cox proportional hazards regression were conducted to investigate the correlations between the immune microenvironment features and clinicopathological variables and survival, as well as to explore the potential of immunotherapy in this patient population.Among 600 NSCLC patients with EGFR alterations, we identified 49 (8.2 %) bearing uncommon mutations, including G719X, L861Q, S768I, and Ex20 ins. In total, 49.0 % (24/49) of these patients showed positive PD-L1 expression in tumor cells, markedly higher than the proportion in patients with classic sensitive mutations (19del and L858R, 12.2 % [67/551], P0.05). Furthermore, PD-L1 expression was associated with relatively short overall survival (OS; 15.2 vs 29.3 months, P = 0.006) and was identified as an independent predictor of OS (hazard ratio=2.57, 95 % confidence interval: 1.03-7.12, P = 0.045). Additionally, PD-L1 positivity was predominantly observed among tumors with CD8+ TILs infiltration (P = 0.001). Uncommon EGFR-mutant tumors had a high frequency (36.7 %) of concurrent PD-L1 expression and abundant CD8 + TILs infiltration. Moreover, this dual-positive group exhibited the most unfavorable prognosis (P = 0.023). Notably, patients with PD-L1 and CD8 dual positivity showed a favorable response to PD-1 inhibitors.High rates of concomitant PD-L1 expression and CD8 + TILs within the tumor microenvironment were observed in NSCLC patients with uncommon EGFR mutations. Further investigations are needed to confirm the therapeutic sensitivity to PD-1 blockade in this subgroup.

Colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) and interleukin 34 (IL34) signal via the CSF1 receptor to regulate macrophage differentiation. Studies in IL34- or CSF1-deficient mice have revealed that IL34 function is limited to the central nervous system and skin during development. However, the roles of IL34 and CSF1 at homeostasis or in the context of inflammatory diseases or cancer in wild-type mice have not been clarified in vivo. By neutralizing CSF1 and/or IL34 in adult mice, we identified that they play important roles in macrophage differentiation, specifically in steady-state microglia, Langerhans cells, and kidney macrophages. In several inflammatory models, neutralization of both CSF1 and IL34 contributed to maximal disease protection. However, in a myeloid cell-rich tumor model, CSF1 but not IL34 was required for tumor-associated macrophage accumulation and immune homeostasis. Analysis of human inflammatory conditions reveals IL34 upregulation that may account for the protection requirement of IL34 blockade. Furthermore, evaluation of IL34 and CSF1 blockade treatment during Listeria infection reveals no substantial safety concerns. Thus, IL34 and CSF1 play non-redundant roles in macrophage differentiation, and therapeutic intervention targeting IL34 and/or CSF1 may provide an effective treatment in macrophage-driven immune-pathologies.

The lung is a relatively quiescent organ during homeostasis but has a remarkable capacity for repair after injury. Alveolar epithelial type I cells (AEC1s) line airspaces and mediate gas exchange. After injury, they are regenerated by differentiation from their progenitors — alveolar epithelial type II cells (AEC2s) — which also secrete surfactant to maintain surface tension and alveolar patency. While recent studies showed that the maintenance of AEC2 stemness is Wnt dependent, the molecular mechanisms underlying AEC2-AEC1 differentiation in adult lung repair are still incompletely understood. Here, we show that WWTR1 (TAZ) plays a crucial role in AEC differentiation. Using an in vitro organoid culture system, we found that tankyrase inhibition can efficiently block AEC2-AEC1 differentiation, and this effect was due to the inhibition of TAZ. In a bleomycin-induced lung injury model, conditional deletion of TAZ in AEC2s dramatically reduced AEC1 regeneration during recovery, leading to exacerbated alveolar lesions and fibrosis. In patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), decreased blood levels of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), a biomarker of AEC1 health, were associated with more rapid disease progression. Our findings implicate TAZ as a critical factor involved in AEC2-to-AEC1 differentiation, and hence the maintenance of alveolar integrity after injury.

In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) porous MXene/GO foam (MGOF) was successfully synthesized and exhibited an excellent terahertz stealth property covering a whole measurement frequency of 0.2-2.0 THz. This is due to the ingenious assembly of two functional two-dimensional materials that have different advantages. The multiscale micro-nanostructure constructed with the 3D porous MGOF can effectively increase the terahertz scattering and refraction. Furthermore, MXene sheets with high conductivity can enhance the responsiveness to the terahertz wave. By adjusting the content of MXene in the MGOF, it exhibits a maximum reflection loss (RL) of 37 dB with a 100% qualified frequency bandwidth (RL10 dB), which is the most outstanding result in the available reference. In addition, the optimal average terahertz RL values of MGOF were up to 30.6 dB, which is 100% higher than the best data presented in previous work. Benefitting from an ultralow density, a high RL value, and a wide bandwidth, the maximum specific average terahertz absorption performance can reach 4.6 × 10

A series of pyrazolopyrimidine inhibitors of IRAK4 were developed from a high-throughput screen (HTS). Modification of an HTS hit led to a series of bicyclic heterocycles with improved potency and kinase selectivity but lacking sufficient solubility to progress in vivo. Structure-based drug design, informed by cocrystal structures with the protein and small-molecule crystal structures, yielded a series of dihydrobenzofurans. This semisaturated bicycle provided superior druglike properties while maintaining excellent potency and selectivity. Improved physicochemical properties allowed for progression into in vivo experiments, where lead molecules exhibited low clearance and showed target-based inhibition of IRAK4 signaling in an inflammation-mediated PK/PD mouse model.

Binary mixtures of water and organic solvents are described as the aqueous solutions of organic solvents, which are usually spatially heterogeneous on the scale of a few molecular sizes but homogeneous on longer length scales, that is, microheterogeneity. For the water-organic solvent binary mixtures with microheterogeneity, most organic solvents are miscible with water at any ratio. Interestingly, some slightly water-miscible organic solvents can also be used to prepare binary mixtures with microheterogeneity. In this study, N, N-dimethylcyclohexylamine (DMCHA) was used to prepare binary mixtures with microheterogeneity and CO

In this study, acrylamide (AM), allyl polyethylene-1000 (APEG), octadecyl dimethyl allyl ammonium chloride (DMDAAC-18), and sodium styrene sulfonate (SSS) were chosen to synthesize a quadripolymer (HPAAT) in which a hydrophobic association exists between the molecules. The critical concentration of the hydrophobic association was determined using fluorescence spectrophotometry. Furthermore, HPAAT formed films by adsorbing onto a carbonate rock surface. The molecular structure of HPAAT was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H-NMR spectroscopy, the results showed that the obtained product was consistent with the target product. The intrinsic viscosity was determined using an Ubbelohde viscometer. The molecular weight and dispersion exponent of HPAAT were determined using gel permeation chromatography. Addition of HPAAT into 20% HCl decreased the reaction rate of the acid rock obviously, even at a low viscosity. Variation of the reaction rate with time with different amounts of HPAAT was investigated using the volume of carbon dioxide gas produced. The adsorption and desorption of HPAAT on a carbonate rock surface were demonstrated using infrared spectroscopy analysis, scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolet spectrophotometry.

Branched polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified carbon nanoparticles (CNPs-PEI) with an average particle size of 20.1 nm were facile synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of citric acid and PEI. The PEI and oxygen-containing groups on CNPs-PEI endowed them with excellent dispersion stability in water. The tribological properties of CNPs-PEI as the water-based additives were evaluated under the four-ball mode, steel/steel contact and fixed load of 40 N by varying additive concentration. Amazingly, adding only 0.15 wt% of CNPs-PEI made the mean friction coefficient and wear volume of base liquid reduced by 53.4% and 94.9%, respectively, reflecting that the CNPs-PEI could be an effective additive of water lubrication. The wear scar surface analyses indicated that CNPs-PEI as additives promoted the formation of boundary lubrication films on the rubbing surfaces by mending and depositing effects, directly accounting for the distinguished friction-reducing, antiwear and oxidation resistance properties of CNPs-PEI.

Background: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) remains an aggressive cancer with dismal long-term survival due to the limited therapeutic options available after failure of chemotherapy. Apatinib is a novel oral, small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor that selectively inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of apatinib in patients with extensive-stage (EC) SCLC who had progressed after two or three previous therapies. Methods: This phase II, single-arm, prospective study was conducted at three medical centers in China. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older and had histologically-confirmed ES-SCLC after two or three previous treatments, including a platinum-based regimen. Patients were assigned to receive oral apatinib at an initial dose of 500 mg once daily. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR) in both the intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol populations. The safety analysis included all patients who received at least one dose of study medication. Findings: Forty patients were enrolled, all of whom received at least one dose of apatinib. At the data cut off time (Nov 15, 2018), the median follow-up was 7.4 months (IQR 1·0-22·2); no patients remained on treatment, and 5 were still in follow-up. An objective response was achieved in 7 of 40 patients (17.5%) in the ITT population, and 7 of 38 patients (18.4%) in the per-protocol population. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 3·0 months (95% CI 2·2-3·7) and 5·8 months (95% CI 3·7-7·9), respectively. The median response duration was 2·6 months (95% CI 1·8-3·3). During treatment, apatinib was generally well tolerated, the most commonly observed grade 3 or greater treatment-related adverse events were hypertension (25%; 10/40), hand-foot syndrome (10%; 4/40), increased L gamma-glutamyltransferase (10%; 4/40), increased aspartate transaminase (7·5%; 3/40), and thrombocytopenia (7·5%, 3/40). Interpretation: Apatinib exhibited promising efficacy and an acceptable safety profile in previously heavily-treated patients with ES-SCLC. Further exploration of apatinib in phase III trials is warranted. Clinical Trial Registatration: NCT02945852. Funding Statement: Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Company, China. Declaration of Interests: All authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was approved by the relevant institutional review board or ethics committee at each medical center, and it was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice guidelines, as defined by the International Conference on Harmonisation. All enrolled patients provided written informed consent before any study-specific procedures were performed.

A superwicking Ti-6Al-4V alloy material with a hierarchical capillary surface structure was fabricated using femtosecond laser. The basic capillary surface structure is an array of micropillars/microholes. For enhancing its capillary action, the surface of the micropillars/microholes is additionally structured by regular fine microgrooves using a technique of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS), providing an extremely strong capillary action in a temperature range between 23 °C and 80 °C. Due to strong capillary action, a water drop quickly spreads in the wicking surface structure and forms a thin film over a large surface area, resulting in fast evaporation. The maximum water flow velocity after the acceleration stage is found to be 225–250 mm/s. In contrast to other metallic materials with surface capillarity produced by laser processing, the wicking performance of which quickly degrades with time, the wicking functionality of the material created here is long-lasting. Strong and long-lasting wicking properties make the created material suitable for a large variety of practical applications based on liquid-vapor phase change. Potential significant energy savings in air-conditioning and cooling data centers due to application of the material created here can contribute to mitigation of global warming.

An effective and highly sustainable method has been developed for the Suzuki coupling reaction of aryl halides and phenylboronic acid using in situ generated nacocellulose (NC) supported palladium nanoparticles (Pd@NC NPs) as heterogeneous catalysts in water. The formation of PdNPs was observed in the absence of additional reagents, during the course of the Suzuki reaction from NC and Pd(OAc)2. In situ formed Pd@NC NPs have been systematically characterized using TEM, EDX, XRD and FT-IR techniques. The in situ generated catalyst was separated and studied for its successful reusability up to 11 cycles. The application of aqueous media, use of in situ formed catalyst, mild reaction conditions, absence of volatile organic solvents, broad substrate scope, high product isolated yields are the significant developments of this protocol. The nanocellulose used for this protocol has been generated form the waste cotton cloth and hence it is an example for the waste to wealth and sustainable approach.

Surfactant extraction is the common method for treating oil sands. However, the recovery of traditional surfactant is difficult, and the oil emulsification phenomenon and generation of tailings are also caused easily. To develop the cleaner and sustainable approach for treating oil sands, a switchable water N, N, N′, N′-tetramethylhexanediamine (TMHDA) was used to improve extraction by surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) solution with low concentration. Here, the TMHDA-containing SDBS solution has CO2 switchability because of the electrostatic interaction between SDBS solution and TMHDA with CO2 response, and can be also emulsify reversibly n-heptane, diesel oil, even crude oil, providing the possibility for separating oil from oil sands. The effective extraction of oil sands is performed by 1 mM (less than critical micelle concentration (CMC)) SDBS solution combined with TMHDA, which was also demonstrated by thermogravimetric analyzer, scanning electron microscope and elemental analysis. The residual oil content of oil sands is reduced to 0.515 wt% and 90.8% oil is removed by adding 0.15 g/mL TMHDA. Interestingly, oil is separated and fine sands is separated by introducing CO2, and the TMHDA-containing SDBS is recycled upon N2/65 °C.According to the detection of interfacial tension and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), it is demonstrated that the improved oil removal is ascribed to the adsorption of SDBS on solid surface and the reduced oil-water interface tension by the addition of TMHDA. Based on the evaluation of economic and environmental value, this sustainable approach exhibits potential application for treating oil sands in practical industry.

The self-thickening agent (TZXJ) consisting of acrylamide (AM), 1-carboxy-N, N′-dimethyl-N-(3-methyl-acrylamidopropyl) ethanaminium (CBMAA-1), [2-(Methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (DMC) and N, N′-dimethyl octadecyl allyl ammonium chloride (DOAC) was synthesized and characterized. Effects of two kinds of surfactants 2-(bis(2-hydroxyethyl)(octadecyl)ammonio)acetate (ODB) and N,N,N-trimethyloctadecan-1-aminium bromide (STAB) on thickening performance, temperature resistance and shear resistance of TZXJ acid solution were studied via six-speed rotational viscometer and HAAK MARSⅢ Rheometer. Results showed that the ODB and STAB as accelerators can greatly enhance the thickening ability and temperature resistance of TZXJ self-thickening acid. After TZXJ self-thickening spent acid with accelerators was sheared at 140 °C for 60 min, the apparent viscosity of spent acid can reach 204 mPa s. It was found that the research results provided a new research idea that a small amount of long-chain cationic or amphoteric surfactants may greatly improve the application performance of hydrophobic associative polymeric self-thickening acid.

A viscosity reducer was prepared by using octadecyl methacrylate (SA) and styrene(S) as polymerization monomers and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) as branched monomers. When the dosage of viscosity reducer is 800 ppm, the viscosity reduction rate is more than 60%. By comparing the effect of different amount of viscosity reducer on the precipitation point, precipitation amount and asphalt particle diameter, it is found that the addition of viscosity reducer could increase the asphalt precipitation point and significouldtly decrease the precipitation’ amount and average particle size. In general, the addition of viscosity reducers could provide a good dispersion of asphaltene precipitation. The data from infrared spectroscopy, scouldning electron microscopy, XRD showed that the viscosity reducer could inhibit asphaltenes by changing the polarity of asphaltene molecules, causing hydrogen bonding, dispersing asphaltene molecules, adsorbing or embedding asphaltene molecular lamellae. And it has a good dispersion effect on asphaltene precipitation, which well inhibited asphaltene precipitation.

The oleylamine (OA)-modified carbon nanoparticles (CPs-OA) with particle sizes of 25–35 nm were synthesized by a facile one-pot pyrolysis method. As the OA molecules were covalently attached on the surfaces of CPs-OA, the CPs-OA exhibited good dispersibility in polyalphaolefin (PAO). Then the tribological behaviors of CPs-OA as the lubricating additives of PAO were investigated in detail. Under the four-ball mode and the load of 392 N, the CPs-OA showed the best friction-reducing and antiwear properties at the optimal concentration of 1.0 wt%. Specifically, in comparison with that of pure PAO, the mean friction coefficient and mean wear scar diameter of the 1.0 wt% CPs-OA/PAO suspension reduced by 47 and 30%, respectively. The friction-reducing and antiwear capabilities of CPs-OA strengthened with increasing load from 200 to 392 N and increasing test time from 240 to 480 min. In addition, the CPs-OA-based additives could work for a long time without weakening the lubrication capability. The synergistic effect of tribofilm, including PAO molecules and the CPs-OA layer, might account for the outstanding friction-reducing and antiwear capabilities of CPs-OA-based additives under boundary lubrication.

Macroscopic lossy foam has been expected to be the most promising candidate for lightweight high-performance microwave absorption (MA). However, inferior MA behaviors of conventional foams reported previously are disappointing. The emerging graphene foam (GF) has broken this paradoxical state of affairs. Here, series of GFs with various chemical compositions and physical structures have been prepared via a facile and controllable method and their MA performance is investigated in 2–18 GHz. The in-depth analyses of the GF’s composition, structure and MA property demonstrate that the MA performance of the GF is strongly correlated with the C/O ratio, conjugated carbon domain size and graphene framework’s microstructure. A maximum absorption value of −34.0 dB as well as 14.3 GHz qualified bandwidth with reflection loss below −10 dB is achieved for the GF with an ultralow bulk density of 1.6 mg/cm3, of which the average absorption intensity and the specific MA efficiency are much higher than those of the best available MA materials in previous literature. The composition & structure–performance relationship of MA foams is revealed. The balance between small interfacial impedance gap and high loss characteristic has wide implications in improving the MA performance of the GF and other porous materials.

The goal of energy-based seismic design is to obtain a structural design with a higher energy dissipation capacity than the energy dissipation demands incurred under earthquake motions. Accurate estimation of the story hysteretic energy demand of a multi-story structure is the key to meeting this goal. Based on the assumption of a mode-equivalent single-degree-of-freedom system, the energy equilibrium relationship of a multi-story structure under seismic action is transformed into that of a multi-mode analysis of several single degree-of-freedom systems. A simplified equation for the estimation of the story seismic hysteretic energy demand was then derived according to the story shear force and deformation of multi-story buildings, and the deformation and energy relationships between the mode-equivalent single-degree-of-freedom system and the original structure. Sites were categorized into three types based on soil hardness, namely, hard soil, intermediate hard (soft) soil, and soft soil. For each site type, a 5-story and 10-story reinforced concrete frame structure were designed and employed as calculation examples. Fifty-six earthquake acceleration records were used as horizontal excitations to validate the accuracy of the proposed method. The results verify the following. (1) The distribution of seismic hysteretic energy along the stories demonstrate a degree of regularity. (2) For the low rise buildings, use of only the first mode shape provides reasonably accurate results, whereas, for the medium or high rise buildings, several mode shapes should be included and superposed to achieve high precision. (3) The estimated hysteretic energy distribution of bottom stories tends to be underestimated, which should be modified in actual applications.

This research reported a CO2-switchable nanoemulsion that was formulated by dilution of water in oil microemulsion, which was formed by mixture of N,N-dimethyl oleoaminde-propylamine (DOAPA), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), n-hexane, n-butanol, and water. A reversible switch process was observed between a monophasic nanoemulsion and complete phase separation at R = 1:1 with the CO2 and N2 bubbling alternately. The phase separation was not found, but the reversible switch between single phase nanoemulsion was detected by zeta potential, electrical conductivity, and dynamic light scattering at R = 1:1.5 and 1.5:1.

A novel pseudogemini surfactant system, which has two types of pH-responsive groups in the connection of the alkyl chain and the spacer, has been developed and investigated by adjusting pH. These two types of pH-responsive groups both worked for the micelle transition because they had different ionization degrees and electrostatic attraction forces with the aid of pH variation. The system could be promptly switched between low viscosity fluid and high viscoelastic solution. Besides, the pH-responsive ability was studied by the steady and dynamic rheological measurements, which is effective after several cycles of pH adjusting with the almost invariable magnitude level of viscosity. The transition between spherical micelle and wormlike micelle for the surfactant system at different pH values could be further confirmed by dynamic light scattering and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy characterization.

The hydrophobically associating cationic polyacrylamides (C-HAPAM), containing a major part of hydrophilic polyacrylamide backbones and a minor part of ionic hydrophobic groups, i.e. N,N′-dimethyl octadeyl allyl ammonium chloride (DOAC), were synthesized. The self-assembling behaviors of the C-HAPAM molecules in water under different concentrations and pH values were investigated in detail and disclosed by rheological tests, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and atomic force microscope (AFM). The critical aggregate concentration (CAC) for C-HAPAM was about 0.42 wt% and a solution-sol–gel appearance transition has been observed for C-HAPAM aqueous solutions with increasing concentration. Rheological tests demonstrated a pH reversible sol–gel transition when the pH was regulated from its original value of 7.45 to the weak alkaline value of 9.87 by adding NaOH and then switched back to 5.28 by adding HCl. The SEM, AFM and DLS results revealed that the sol–gel transition was actually attributed to the fiber-network aggregate structure transition. The mechanism of above pH responsive self-assembling behavior transition was explained by the remarkable counterion effect of OH−. Specifically, OH− was additionally capable of H-bonding with surrounding water molecules which promoted the solvation of C-HAPAM and induced thick hydration layer. Then, the hydrated layer led to the increment of zeta potential and volume expansion of C-HAPAM molecule which in turn strongly enhanced the viscosity of the solution. The strong counterion effect of OH− and the inter-molecular hydrophobic association interactions of C-HAPAM collectively triggered the formation of joints and hence the network structure transition, i.e. sol–gel transition.

Carbon dioxide triggers have attracted much attention due to their low cost, non-toxicity, simplicity and environmental benignity. N,N-dimethylolamidopropylamine (DOAPA) is a CO2 switchable surfactant, the properties of which can be regulated by CO2 easily. A mixture of a cationic hydrophobic associating polymer (PAD) and the CO2 switchable DOAPA was prepared, which endowed the non-switchable PAD solution with CO2 switchable properties. Then the viscosity and rheology behaviors of the solution were investigated under different pH conditions, with or without CO2. The PAD–DOAPA mixture can be stimulated by CO2 to alter the viscosity of the solution dramatically, with DOAPA assembled as vesicles at a pH of 6.8, and with a water-like viscosity at a pH of 6.0. The reversible transitions of micelle structure and viscosity can be recycled several times through the bubbling and removal of CO2. Most important of all, the viscosity of the PAD–DOAPA system increased over time, which is different from the usual hydrophobic associating polymer–surfactant system, in which the viscosity has a maximum which decreases with further surfactant addition, due to the assembly of DOAPA into vesicles. Finally, a reasonable mechanism is proposed, based on the molecular structures, micelle assembly and intermolecular interactions. Upon the removal of CO2, the assembled form of DOAPA changed from vesicles to spherical micelles, which shielded the hydrophobes and dissociated the gel into a sol. PAD–DOAPA aqueous systems with CO2-reversible properties have wide applications in the fields of oil and gas production.

We prepared amphoteric hydrophobically associating polyacrylamides (AHAPAM) consisting mostly of hydrophilic polyacrylamide backbones, but also including the ionic hydrophobic monomer N,N-dimethyl octadeyl allyl ammonium chloride (DOAC) and the anionic monomer sodium 4-styrenesulfonate (SSS). The AHAPAM copolymer was prepared by carrying out aqueous solution polymerization. Macroscopic and microscopic self-assembly properties of AHAPAM in solution, as well as the effects of salt, temperature, and shearing on its association behavior were studied by carrying out viscosimetry, rheology, fluorescence spectroscopy (FS), and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) analyses. The results show that the association of the aqueous copolymer solutions were greatly affected by the concentration of the copolymer. The critical association concentration (CAC) of the AHAPAM solution was found to be 0.165 wt%, which was determined by carrying out viscometry and fluorescence spectroscopy experiments. Adding sodium chloride resulted in an increase in the apparent viscosity, which corresponded to the anti-polyelectrolyte solution behavior of AHAPAM. Meanwhile, intermolecular hydrophobic associations helped AHAPAM form a dynamic physically crosslinked network in its structure, conferring on AHAPAM strong heat- and shearing-resistance properties. The apparent viscosity of the 0.5 wt% copolymer solution was maintained at 92 mPa s at 140 °C and 170 s−1 shearing for 1 h. FTIR and 1H NMR spectra indicated the structure of the hydrophobically associating copolymers. And using the dilution extrapolation method, the intrinsic viscosity [η] of AHAPAM was shown to be 858.5 mL g−1.