Search

In addition to filtering some sediments, hydrophobic wood sponges can also absorb many organic solvents, particularly crude oil. The leakage of crude oil poses a serious threat to the marine ecosystem, and oil mixed with water also generates great danger for its use. From the perspective of low cost and high performance, wood sponges exhibit great potential for dealing with crude oil pollution. Wood sponge is a renewable material. With a highly oriented layered structure and a highly compressible three-dimensional porous frame, wood sponges are extremely hydrophobic, making them ideal for oil–water separation. Currently, the most common approach for creating wood sponge is to first destroy the wood cell wall to obtain a porous-oriented layered structure and then enhance the oil–water separation ability via superhydrophobic treatment. Wood sponge prepared using various experimental methods and different natural woods exhibits distinctive properties in regards to robustness, compressibility, fatigue resistance, and oil absorption ability. As an aerogel material, wood sponge offers multi-action (absorption, filtration) and reusable oil–water separation functions. This paper introduces the advantages of the use of wood sponge for oil–water separation. The physical and chemical properties of wood sponge and its mechanism of adsorbing crude oil are explained. The synthesis method and the properties are discussed. Finally, the use of wood sponge is summarized and prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent films with excellent antibacterial properties and strong mechanical properties are highly sought after in packaging applications. In this study, Ag/SiO2 nanoparticles were introduced into a mixed solution of chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and a Ag/SiO2-CS-PVA transparent film was developed. The excellent properties of the film were confirmed by light transmittance, water contact angle tests and tensile tests. In addition, for the antibacterial test, the antibacterial properties of the sample against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) were explored, and the average size of the bacteriostatic circle was measured by the cross method. The final results show that Ag/SiO2-CS-PVA transparent film has the advantages of good antibacterial properties, high transparency and high mechanical strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial studies have demonstrated that left atrial (LA) enlargement was a robust predictor of atrial fibrillation (AF) and obesity was a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of body mass index (BMI) on LA dimension in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) remains unclear.

With the advancement of new food processing technology, triploid technology has emerged as a viable option to enhance plant yield and improve crop stress resistance. However, like many emerging technologies, food produced using triploid technology has sparked controversy regarding its safety since its inception. Particularly, consumers generally have a limited understanding of new technologies employed in food production, leading to concerns about potential risks and uncertainties associated with these technologies. Such concerns can significantly impact consumers' acceptance and purchasing intentions toward foods modified using new technologies. This study collected 375 questionnaires from both online and offline sources and conducted a detailed analysis of consumers' demographic variables, fear degree regarding triploid food, social trust, and concerns about food safety. SPSS and AMOS software were utilized for reliability and validity analysis, variance analysis, multiple comparisons, and confirmatory factor analysis. A structural equation model was developed to comprehensively examine consumers' risk perception of triploid food and its influencing factors. The results indicate that consumers' risk perception of triploid food is influenced by various factors. Notably, significant differences were found in consumers' risk perception of triploid food based on age, educational background, residency, and employment status. Additionally, this study identified a negative correlation between consumers' risk perception of triploid food and their levels of fear and social trust. Conversely, a positive correlation was observed between risk perception and the degree of attention given to food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To elucidate the mechanism of action of icariin to protect photoreceptor cells suffering from endoplasmic reticulum stress. Methods Thapsigargin(0. 2 μmol/L), was used to induce endoplasmic reticulum stress in the mouse cone cell line 661W. AlamarBlue staining was used to detect cell viability. The levels of proteins related to the unfolded protein response p-PERK,GRP78,CHOP were analyzed by Western blotting. The intracellular Ca2+ level was analyzed by fluorescence imaging and the F340/F380 ratio method. Permeability transition pore protein and the membrane potential in mitochondria were analyzed by fluorescence staining. The binding and interaction between icariin and SERCA2b were analyzed in vitro by molecular docking. Results Thapsigargin induced 661W cell death. Icariin significantly inhibited 661W cell death caused by thapsigargin in the concentration of 2. 22 - 20. 00 nmol/L (P < 0. 01). Thapsigargin induced the unfolded protein responses in 661W cells, significantly promoting the phosphorylation of PERK (Thr980) (P <0. 01) and increasing the protein levels of transcription factor CHOP (P <0. 01). Icariin (2. 0 μmol/L) significantly downregulated the expression of CHOP protein (P <0. 01) and had the trend of inhibitation of phosphorylation of PERK (Thr980). Within 10 minutes after thapsigargin acting on 661 W cells, the calcium ions in the cytosol increased. Icariin pretreatment (1. 0 μmol/L) inhibited an increase of intracellular calcium content. Thapsigargin induced the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pores in 661W cells, which in turn caused a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. Icariin (2. 0 μmol/L) inhibited thapsigargin-induced mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening and mitochondrial membrane potential reduction. In vitro molecular docking analysis showed that icariin stably bound to the nucleotidebinding and phosphorylation domains of SERCA2b, with a binding energy of - 8. 776 kcal/mol and multiple hydrogen bonds. Conclusion Icariin partially antagonized the effect on the binding of thapsigargin and SERCA, which maintained Ca2+ homeostasis in cones, contributing to mitochondrial health. This may be one mechanism of action of icariin in cone cell protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]