Puerarin is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine which has been used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Recently, a new advantageous crystal form of puerarin, puerarin-V, has been ...developed. However, the cardioprotective effects of puerarin-V on myocardial infarction (MI) heart failure are still unclear. In this research, we aim to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of puerarin-V on the isoproterenol (ISO)-induced MI mice and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. To induce MI in C57BL/6 mice, ISO was administered at 40 mg/kg subcutaneously every 12 h for three times in total. The mice were randomly divided into nine groups: (1) control; (2) ISO; (3) ISO + puerarin injection; (4⁻9) ISO + puerarin-V at different doses and timings. After treatment, cardiac function was evaluated by electrocardiogram (ECG), biochemical and histochemical analysis. In vitro inflammatory responses and apoptosis were evaluated in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) challenged by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS-induced PPAR-Υ/NF-κB and subsequently activation of cytokines were assessed by the western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Administration of puerarin-V significantly inhibits the typical ST segment depression compared with that in MI mice. Further, puerarin-V treatment significantly improves ventricular wall infarction, decreases the incidence of mortality, and inhibits the levels of myocardial injury markers. Moreover, puerarin-V treatment reduces the inflammatory milieu in the heart of MI mice, thereby blocking the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines (
,
and
). The beneficial effects of puerarin-V might be associated with the normalization in gene expression of PPAR-Υ and PPAR-Υ/NF-κB
phosphorylation. In the in vitro experiment, treatment with puerarin-V (0.3, 1 and 3 μM) significantly reduces cell death and suppresses the inflammation cytokines expression. Likewise, puerarin-V exhibits similar mechanisms. The cardioprotective effects of puerarin-V treatment on MI mice in the pre + post-ISO group seem to be more prominent compared to those in the post-ISO group. Puerarin-V exerts cardioprotective effects against ISO-induced MI in mice, which may be related to the activation of PPAR-γ and the inhibition of NF-κB signaling in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, our research provides a new therapeutic option for the treatment of MI in clinic.
•Direct aqueous carbonation of MSWI-FA in ammonium salt solution was enhanced.•A two-film model was proposed to describe the carbonation kinetics.•The effect of key operating parameters on the ...carbonation was assessed.•The introduction of NH4+ alleviated the leaching toxicity of carbonated MSWI-FA.
In this study, we investigated CO2 mineral sequestration by municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI-FA) in both pure water and ammonium salt solutions NH4Cl, (NH4)2SO4 and CH3COONH4. The introduction of NH4+ significantly promoted the solid–liquid mass transfer of the active calcium on the MSWI-FA particles and the generation of free ammonia in the solution, which enhanced the carbonation kinetics and crystallization of the calcium carbonate product. Changes to the mineralogy, morphology, and surface properties of the MSWI-FA particles before and after carbonation confirmed the reaction mechanism. A novel kinetic model based on the two-film theory was developed to evaluate the mass transfer and chemical reaction of heterogeneous carbonation in both pure water and ammonium salt solutions. To optimize the carbonation rate and efficiency, the complex effects of various operating parameters on the CO2 sequestration characteristics were systematically investigated. Maximum carbonation kinetics was achieved at 60 °C, an ammonium salt concentration of 1.0 mol/L, and a gas flow rate of 1.0 L/min, resulting in a carbonation efficiency and CO2 sequestration capacity of 78.49 % and 0.236 g CO2/g MSWI-FA, respectively. A comparison of the present results with those of other studies suggests that direct aqueous carbonation in ammonium salt solutions is feasible owing to its higher carbonation kinetics and CO2 sequestration capacity.
•Seawater reduces the physical stability, viscosity, and zeta potential of slurry.•Void ratio in seawater filter cake decreases and permeability coefficient increases.•Zeta potential is the ...fundamental reason for slurry and filter cake property changes.
During submarine tunnels construction by the slurry shield tunneling method, seawater may enter the pressure chamber from excavation surface and mix with the slurry. This will cause the physical stability of the slurry to change and will also affect the properties of the filter cake and the stability of the excavation surface. This study aims to investigate the effect of seawater on the properties of the slurry and the filter cake using laboratory experiments. Mixtures of slurry and seawater in different ratios were prepared and the physical stability, viscosity, and zeta potential of the slurries were tested. The basic properties and microstructure of the filter cake formed by the different slurries were also investigated. The results showed that the intrusion of seawater significantly reduced the physical stability and the zeta potential of the slurry. As the seawater content in the slurry was increased, the void ratio in the filter cake formed by the slurry decreased and the filter cake permeability coefficient increased from 10−8 cm/s to 10−7 cm/s. In the filter cakes formed by slurries containing some seawater, soil particles in aggregates were more tightly packed with more intra-aggregate pores and better connectivity than the seawater-free filter cake. The decrease in zeta potential was the fundamental reason for both the slurry’s change in physical stability and the changes in filter cake properties.
•Direct aqueous mineral carbonation by CFA was investigated.•Shrinking core model was modified based on time-dependent internal diffusivity.•The effect of key operating parameters on the carbonation ...was assessed.•Rate-controlling steps was determined by modified Sherwood number.
In this work, the suitability of fly ash from 600 MW circulating fluidized bed boiler for CO2 sequestration through direct aqueous route was evaluated. The circulating fluidized bed combustion fly ash exhibited favorable carbon capture characteristics with a maximum CO2 sequestration capacity of 0.128 g CO2/g CFA and a corresponding carbonation efficiency of 78.17 %. A modified shrinking core model incorporated gaseous CO2 dissolution and time-dependent effective coefficient of internal diffusion was proposed to determine the gas–liquid-solid carbonation kinetics. The key kinetic parameters were assessed as a function of various carbonation conditions including reaction temperature, solid–liquid (S/L) ratio, energy input and superficial gas velocity. The mass diffusion through the liquid film near the gas–liquid interface was the rate-controlling step during the initial period of time, while diffusion through the expanded passivation layer constituted the controlling mechanism at the final stage. The model provides a more accurate representation of the gas–liquid-solid carbonation process and can be generalized to describe the carbonation of other solid wastes of interest.
Green fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized with pyrogallic acid as carbon source by solvothermal method in
,
-dimethylformamide (DMF). During the formation of the CDs, DMF not only serves ...as solvent for reaction, but also as nitrogen source to participate in the reaction. At the same time, it promotes the formation of large conjugated sp
-domain in CDs. The prepared CDs have an average size of 11.9 nm, excitation-independent emission centered at 520 nm and fluorescence quantum yield of 16.8%. For practical applications, warm white light-emitting diodes were fabricated by combining the CDs/
-3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylethylenediamine (KH-792) mixture with UV chip, which emitted warm white light with color coordinates of (0.39, 0.47) and a correlated color temperature of 4323 K suitable for indoor lighting.
•The Activation energy for the blends is lower than that of BR and coal when BR<50%.•The BR/coal blends start to decompose at approximately 45°C releasing ammonia.•The yield of gaseous products ...increases with increasing BR blending ratio.•NH3, alkanes and CO2 increase with increasing BR blending ratio.•Interactions most likely occur between the BR and the coal during co-pyrolysis.
In this work, the thermal behavior and kinetics of bio-ferment residue (BR) and coal blends during co-pyrolysis were investigated using TG-FTIR and kinetic analysis. The co-pyrolysis of BR and coal occurred in three major stages. The BR/coal blends lost most of their weight during the devolatilization stage. The kinetics of the BR/coal blends in this stage implied that the activation energy was lower than that of BR and coal below a certain BR blending ratio. The BR/coal blends started to decompose at approximately 45°C, releasing ammonia followed by alkanes, carbon dioxide, methane and carbon monoxide. The total yield of gaseous products (primarily ammonia, alkanes and carbon dioxide) increased with increasing BR blending ratio. Moreover, interactions most likely occurred between the BR and the coal during co-pyrolysis.
Global warming has an increasingly serious impact on the ecological environment. Copper bioavailability plays an important physiological role in revealing the mechanism of carbon cycle, ...photosynthesis, and respiration. Here we reported a multifunctional carbon quantum dots fluorescence probe for no-interfered and visual determination of phytoplankton-based intracellular Cu(II), glucose, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Glucose and ROS were explored to reflect the change in primary biomass and carbon sequestration. H2O2 is acted as the standard material of ROS, and the fitting parameter for glucose and H2O2 concentrations was 0.42(r = 0.9972). Both glucose, ROS, and Cu2+ detection have advantages of wide linear range (24.8–3.96 × 105 μg/L, 6–9.6 × 105 ng/L and 5–15 × 103 nmol/L, respectively), high precision (1.22 %, 6.38 %, and 7.37 %, respectively), and low detection limit (86.7 ng/L, 5.32 ng/L, and 0.367 nmol/L, respectively). Cu2+ uptake was increased with the increasing of temperature, and the copper bioavailability in increasing order was Cu-PorPhyr > Cu-phthalate > Cu-EDTA. There were significant positive correlation between glucose and Cu2+(r = 0.9943). Copper bioavailability would directly affect the carbon sequestration, i.e., when the concentration of intracellular copper increases by 1 mg/L, the content of intracellular glucose increases by 412 mg/L approximately, equally to 2.47 g/L of carbon dioxide was fixed.
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•Evaluation of global warming on copper bioavailability and then carbon sequestration.•Glucose and ROS are explored to reflect the change in primary biomass and CO2 fixed.•A non-interfered and visual detection for Cu(II), glucose, and ROS can be offered.•There are significant positive correlation between glucose and Cu2+(r = 0.9943).•Cu bioavailability is affected by global warming and then affects the fixed CO2.
Microplastics (MPs) have been recognized as a serious new pollutant, especially nanoplastics (NPs) pose a greater threat to marine ecosystem than larger MPs. Within these ecosystems, phytoplankton ...serve as the foundational primary producers, playing a critical role in carbon sequestration. Copper (Cu), a vital cofactor for both photosynthesis and respiration in phytoplankton, directly influences their capacity to regulate atmospheric carbon. Therefore, we assessed the impact of NPs on Cu bioavailability and carbon sequestration capacity. The results showed that polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) could inhibit the growth of Thalassiosira weissflogii (a commonly used model marine diatom) and Chlorella pyrenoidosa (a standard strain of green algae). The concentration of Cu uptake by algae has a significant negative correlation with COPT1 (a Cu uptake protein), but positive with P-ATPase (a Cu efflux protein). Interestingly, PS-NPs exposure could reduce Cu uptake and carbon Cu sequestration capacity of algae, i.e., when the concentration of PS-NPs increases by 1 mg/L, the concentration of fixed carbon dioxide decreases by 0.0023 ppm. This provides a new perspective to reveal the influence mechanisms of PS-NPs on the relationship between Cu biogeochemical cycling and carbon source and sink.
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•PS-NPs exposure reduces copper uptake and carbon sequestration capacity of algae.•PS-NPs can inhibit the growth of T. weissflogii and C. pyrenoidosa.•CO2 sequestration decreases by 0.0023 ppm when NPs exposure increases by 1 mg/L.•Cu uptake is negative with COPT1, but positive with P-ATPase.•The relationship between Cu bioavailability and carbon sequestration is revealed.
In complex systems like aircraft engines and oil refinery machines, pipeline inspection is an essential task for ensuring safety. Here, we proposed a type of smart material-driven pipeline inspection ...robot (weight, 2.2 grams; length, 47 millimeters; diameter, <10 millimeters) that could fit into pipes with sub-centimeter diameters and different curvatures. We adopted high-power density, long-life dielectric elastomer actuators as artificial muscles and smart composite microstructure-based, high-efficiency anchoring units as transmissions. Fast assembling of components using magnets with an adjustable number of units was used to fit varying pipeline geometries. We analyzed the dynamic characteristics of the robots by considering soft material's unique properties like viscoelasticity and dynamic vibrations and tuned the activation voltage's frequency and phase accordingly. Powered by tethered cables from outside the pipe, our peristaltic pipeline robot achieved rapid motions horizontally and vertically (horizontal: 1.19 body lengths per second, vertical: 1.08 body lengths per second) in a subcentimeter-sized pipe (diameter, 9.8 millimeters). Besides, it was capable of moving in pipes with varying geometries (diameter-changing pipe, L-shaped pipe, S-shaped pipe, or spiral-shaped pipe), filled media (air or oil), and materials (glass, metal, or carbon fiber). To demonstrate its capability for pipeline inspection, we installed a miniature camera on its front and controlled the robot manually from outside. The robot successfully finished an inspection task at different speeds.
More than 80 % of the primary biomass in marine environments is provided by phytoplankton. The primary mechanism in the trace element sink is the absorption of trace elements by phytoplankton. ...Because of their difficult degradability and bioaccumulation, petroleum hydrocarbons are one of the most significant and priority organic contaminants in the marine environment. This study chose Chlorella pyrenoidosa as the model alga to be exposed to short and medium-term petroleum hydrocarbons. The ecological risk of accidental and persistent petroleum hydrocarbon contamination was thoroughly assessed. The interaction and intergenerational transmission of phytoplankton physiological markers and trace element absorption were explored to reflect the change in primary biomass and trace element sink. C. pyrenoidosa could produce a large number of reactive oxygen species stimulated by the concentration and exposure time of pollutants, which activated their antioxidant activity (superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, β-carotene synthesis, antioxidant trace elements uptake) and peroxides production (hydroxyl radicals and malondialdehyde). The influence of the growth phase on SOD activity, copper absorption, and manganese adsorption in both persistent and accidental pollution was significant (p < 0.05, F > Fα). Adsorption of manganese and selenium positively connected with SOD, malondialdehyde, and Chlorophyl-a (p < 0.01). These findings convincingly indicate that petroleum hydrocarbon contamination can interfere with primary biomass and trace element sinks.
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•Ecological risk of accidental and persistent petroleum hydrocarbon pollution was assessed.•The phytoplankton physiological markers and trace element absorption were explored.•The relationship of physiological adaptability and element uptake can be offered firstly.•Alga has adaptability to petroleum hydrocarbon and can be inter-generational transmission.•Petroleum hydrocarbon pollution can interfere with primary biomass and trace element sink.
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